Vet Times

Tag: Pain Management

  • Reflecting on the good moments

    Reflecting on the good moments

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    As me and my (non-vet) partner sat down for a rare mid-week breakfast together, I made an offhand comment about “having” to vaccinate 15 puppies that day. “What do you mean ‘have to’?” was his response. “Most people would love that, and you get paid for it.” I considered this – and, while I’m more…

  • The only way is ethics part 2: inequality

    The only way is ethics part 2: inequality

    —

    by

    I’ve written about one particular coincidence before on this blog. It’s not much of an anecdote, but it stuck with me because, in many ways, it gets to the root of one of the peculiar hypocrisies that pepper our relationship with animals. I had just finished my consultation with a long-standing feline patient – a…

  • Spoonies: welcome to Janesville

    Spoonies: welcome to Janesville

    —

    by

    Dan Amos

    I’ve said before about my lack of love for Facebook, but my social media heart has warmed up a little towards it – not because I think their exposure will create a better platform or that people will ever stop posting the same meme 50 times a day. No, it’s much simpler and closer to…

  • The only way is ethics part 1: meat

    The only way is ethics part 1: meat

    —

    by

    I had expected the smell, of course, although it was worse than I imagined. What I hadn’t expected was the speed of it all – the sheer mechanisation of the destruction. We had already visited the sheep and pig sections of the massive abattoir – myself and a small huddle of veterinary students on a…

  • Are new grads avoiding OOH?

    Are new grads avoiding OOH?

    —

    by

    Kele Harris

    With the increasing popularity of outsourcing out-of-hours care to specific emergency centres, today’s new graduates have a very real option to never have to work OOH. While it is often insinuated it would be a good learning experience to at least do some OOH during your veterinary career, many new grads are opting for the…

  • The ‘many paws’ depriving our pets

    The ‘many paws’ depriving our pets

    —

    by

    Dan Amos

    I’ve recently been to a writing group I sometimes go to, because, well, I suppose I am a writer. I’ve never written that before, but I do get paid to write, so I suppose I’m a “professional”, and I do write and get published quite a lot. Now I’m meant to do some stuff with…

  • Abusive clients

    Abusive clients

    —

    by

    Dan Amos

    I’ve read some of the reports of vets suffering abuse from clients and it’s upset me on many fronts. First is the misuse of the term “abuse”, but that’s something I’ll leave for another blog. My main issue today is that, as veterinary practices, we have it within our control to resolve many of the…

  • Breeding hate of caesareans

    Breeding hate of caesareans

    —

    by

    They should be joyful operations – from a distressed, painful dog in a potentially life-threatening situation, to a fixed one, in less than an hour, with none of that unsatisfying mucking about with blood gasses or puzzling over blood results. The surgery itself is relatively simple and rather fun. To top it off, you (ideally)…

  • Innovative thinking

    Innovative thinking

    —

    by

    Dan Amos

    As you may have seen, I have won a little award. Obviously, with my writing here, I should be the Nobel Laureate for Literature, but I think that’s in the bag for for next time. This award was for innovation. It came as a bit of a surprise, as I’ve been “innovating” for so long…

  • On killing

    On killing

    —

    by

    “It must be the hardest part of your job.” In my early career I would nod solemnly, sigh, and say “yes, it is,” while I thought about the myriad other things about my job I was finding harder than euthanasia: challenging ongoing clinical cases out-of-hours work the stress of responsibility the fear I was blundering…