Prepubertal Neutering: How To Introduce It In Practice To Benefit Cat Welfare And Your Business

I have always seen pre-pubertal neutering as a procedure confined to rescue centres purely as a method of population control. It is a something I have never really considered for use in general practice as I have always considered the size of a kitten a limiting factor. However, last week’s webinar led by RSPCA hospital directors Caroline Allen and David Yates demonstrated that prepubertal neutering can be advantageous to the growth of a veterinary business as well as playing a crucial role in cat welfare by helping to control an already ‘out of control’ cat population.

Post Hibernation Anorexia (PHA) in Tortoises

Spotting the word ‘tortoise’ on my list of evening consults can make me feel a little anxious, aware that my scope of knowledge for this species doesn’t match up to its canine and feline equivalents. Neil Forbes, the speaker at last week’s veterinary webinar covering Post Hibernation Anorexia (PHA) in the tortoise believes it’s the vet’s responsibility to advise owners on the husbandry and management of this species, and keeping our knowledge base up to speed is essential.

The Positive Vet Nurse

The phrase ‘millennial burnout’ describes the high level of stress that seems to typify the generation of people born between 1981 and 1996, where anxiety, depression, and a sense of just not being able to relax pervades to an alarming degree.

Pharyngeal Stick Injuries: A Surgical Emergency?

After participating in last week’s Platinum Member’s webinar discussing pharyngeal stick injury it was clear why Paul Aldridge, who led this webinar, always gives a frisbee as a parting gift to the owners of dogs who have recovered from this sometimes fatal condition. If the stress, money and heartache for both vet and owner could somehow be avoided by simply replacing a stick with a frisbee, then I can’t imagine owners ever wanting to throw a stick for their dog again.

Pets, Vaccines and Conspiracy Theories

To most people, injections are about as welcome as falling asleep on the train, then waking up to find you’ve gone miles beyond your destination and your phone has been stolen and replaced with a signed photo of Piers Morgan. Even the most robust of people can be rendered a nervous wreck by the sight of that hypodermic needle coming at them. Of course, what’s slightly worse than getting jabbed with a needle is dying in a pandemic that wipes out entire populations, which is why we put ourselves through these ordeals.

Pemphigus Foliaceus - Recent Update On the Pathogenesis: Diagnosis And Treatment

Petra began this veterinary webinar by emphasizing that Pemphigus foliaceus, (PF) is unique in autoimmune diseases because it is a pustular disease. The primary lesions are pustules that develop into erosions and finally crusts, involving keratinocytes. Classically facial involvement is involved in more than 90% of affected dogs with between 40 and 80%...

Papillomavirus Disease In The Horse

Edmund Hainisch presented this veterinary webinar from the University of Vienna Veterinary School. Having spent some years training in the UK the webinar was delivered, not surprisingly, in flawless English and maintained interest throughout. He began by outlining the basic biology of the papillomaviruses. They are highly species specific and infect the basal layer of the epidermis. For this to happen wounds are necessary.

Otology In The Dog and Cat

With grass seed season upon us, cases of acute onset otitis externa will start to flood through the door and most of the time the problem is easily solved by removal of the offending foreign body. Unfortunately treating cases of chronic or recurring ear disease is not always that simple, however after watching this veterinary webinar led by Dr Klaus E. Loft DVM  covering ‘Otology in the Dog and Cat’ it may have just got a little easier.

Ocular Emergencies

For those of you squeamish about gory eye pictures, this webinar could push you to your limits, but these are photographs from real case scenarios and demonstrate some of the ocular emergencies that we could face in practice. Pip Boydell led this veterinary webinar and cited a variety of cases giving valuable advice on how to diagnose and treat a number of emergency ocular conditions.

No More Monkey Business? Should Pet Monkeys Be Banned?

Which of these exotic animals are you legally allowed to own as a pet in the UK? Capybaras Bengal cats Kinkajous (might need to Google that one) Primates including squirrel monkeys, lemurs, marmosets, tamarins and capuchins.

My Sorry Start As A Veterinary Surgeon 24 Years Ago... How Things Could Have Been Different

When I qualified in 1990 I went to a large mixed practice in Cheshire to work in their cattle department. It was during the heights of BSE and there was not a lot of work around. I was supposedly under the tutelage of a vet who thought I would cramp his style on the farm so I was under-worked and left at the practice. There were big projects like castrating and de-horning about 50 wild and over-aged Highland cattle which was fun and frightening in equal measure.

Microchipping - Are You Ready?

The microchip legislation kicked in on April 6th and I find myself wondering whether I really understand the vet’s responsibilities towards this legislation. Should we be checking the microchip of every dog as they come through the door? What happens if we don’t find a microchip? Is it then our responsibility to report these owners to some kind of authority or are we supposed to force microchipping upon our client’s beloved pet?