Tag: Clients
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Mastering the art of veterinary medicine
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Veterinary medicine, veterinary surgery, veterinary science; whatever you want to call it, veterinary has all these academic connotations – and rightly so. But a lot of what we do is not black and white – very few “textbook cases” or one-size-fits-all diagnostic approaches exist. There are so many balls to juggle – client requests, patient (and…
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Striving for (im)perfection
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In our current era, it seems as if perfectionism is considered a great virtue. I see and hear a lot of people describing themselves as “a bit of perfectionist” (which always strikes me as an oxymoron) as if this is a good thing, a great virtue to be lauded. I freely admit here that I…
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15-minute consults: a waste of time?
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Many practices still have 10-minute small animal consultations – mine included – until recently, when we made the move to 15-minute appointments. It was initially debated as to whether we could offer longer consultation times in a specified time block, reserved for “sick pets” only. However, this was decided against due to the difficulty of…
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Developing a mutually agreed plan
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A cuddle was not enough for this patient (see top image) – he clearly wanted to use me to get a better vantage point and sharpen his claws at the same time. It’s a bit hard to develop a mutually agreed agenda with a cat, but have you ever stopped to consider whether, as a…
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When is it okay to lie?
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In the role of a caregiver, is it ever okay to lie? Little white lies, great big fibs… am I even lying to myself about lying? This topic came to mind this month while thinking about the responsibility we have to ensure we maintain relationships with the people who bring animals in for treatment. With…
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Get ready for the grads
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It’s that time of year again – with vet school graduations done and dusted, new graduate vets up and down the country will be embarking on their first steps into the world of veterinary. The first few weeks are crucial for both the new grads and the practices employing them – this time frame can…
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Nail clipping
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“Clip nails” It seems innocuous. It looks so simple and routine on the consulting list – no worrying about history taking, no complicated diagnoses or treatment plans – just clip the nails. A quickie that may even give you a chance to snatch a few minutes back so you can stay on time: this is…
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Screen burn: thoughts on telemedicine
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With the recent announcement that the UK’s first veterinary telemedicine service is set to launch, there is much debate over whether this type of service is a good thing. The major bugbear most vets have with telemedicine is the absence of a physical examination. While teleconsultations (or, indeed, just a telephone call) can allow a…
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‘Earlier in the programme’
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It’s Pride in London this weekend, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to go this year – but that doesn’t stop me being an active ally and supporting everyone from the LGBTQ community. I’m aware I’ve been lucky to work in supportive clinics that have no obvious issues with LGBTQ staff, but talking to everyone at…
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Cytology tips: cellularity
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“Cellularity is poor, and preservation is poor.” As openings to literary works go, it may not have the skill of “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” or “The sky above the port was the color of a television, tuned to a dead channel”, but it certainly has an emotional…