Vet Times

Author: Kele Harris

  • My barking mad challenge

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    You know you’re going somewhere remote when your first exchange with a local Norwegian at the airport is: “People don’t go to Alta, people get sent to Alta.” Joking aside, Alta is a fairly small community well into the Arctic Circle, and we were leaving civilisation behind altogether by venturing into the wilderness with seven…

  • Luck of the draw

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    During the Easter holidays, I had my first EMS placement. Although I’d hand-reared cade lambs before, I’d never actually been lambing. Someone in the year above at Glasgow had been to the farm that I and some of my friends had arranged to go to. While they said it would be a good placement, we…

  • Do something amazing – give (your pet’s) blood

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    I had heard of the Pet Blood Bank before, but only when it was mentioned in one of our blood lectures did I start wondering. I don’t know how often veterinary professionals make use of the service in general practice, but I do think it’s fantastic that a resource like this is available to help…

  • ‘Real’ doctors

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    Everyone knows that there’s an ancient feud between vet and medical students. Glasgow is no exception – only the other day, I had a heated debate on the topic with another student (who, annoyingly,  wasn’t even a medic). While, for the most part, it’s just friendly banter, there is some truth in both arguments. A doctor…

  • Three little pigs

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    One little piggy’s in a farrowing crate, one little piggy gets his tail docked and one little piggy is left alone. I know I’ve already mentioned pigs, but something came up again this week that seriously rattled me. Using an online programme, an example came up in which a sow had given birth to her…

  • Pony Club values

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    Sat in our equine lectures so far, I’ve found myself dozing off a little. Not because of the morning-after headache following one of Glasgow’s vet school socials, or from utter boredom, but because I already knew a lot of it. Yes, I’ve had my own horse and have been riding since I was 11, but…

  • The possibility of failure

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    A week before the December exams, I found myself making the five-hour train journey south to not-so-sunny Leicestershire for the first time since I left for uni in September. This wasn’t because I couldn’t stand being away from the horses for a minute longer (though it was starting to get that way), but because I wanted to go back for the…

  • A bundle of nerves

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    “If a nerve is squashed, it’s not too serious, it goes back to normal. If the nerve is severed or torn, the cow will be lame for a long time – the prognosis is bad.” That made me sit up a little straighter than normal for a Monday morning lecture. During my riding accident, I…

  • Common vs anatomical

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    In anatomy, we have the ongoing debate about whether we need to use the anatomical names for bones or the “common” equivalent. Though we are examined only on the anatomical terms, how important is it to be aware of the others? “In the distal limb, we have the third metacarpal bone, proximal, middle and distal…

  • Welfare inside out

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    As vet students, welfare is always being rammed down our throats – and rightly so (even after only two weeks of first year). As future veterinary professionals it will be part of our job to ensure the welfare of the animals entrusted to our care. Deciding what is “the right thing” to do can often…