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STAFFVETERINARYSURGEONS

DrMar3nLawtonB.Vet.Med;Cert.V.Ophthal;Cert.L.A.S;C.Biol;M.S.B;D.Zoo.Med;FRCVSDrLynneStoakesB.Vet.Med.MRCVSDrNoemieMcDermo@B.Vet.Med.MRCVSDrTa3anaMashanovaB.Vet.Med.MRCVSRECEPTIONISTSJulieAus3nClareBrimstoneNURSINGSTAFFEmilyMathiasRVNHeadNurseLauraBouchierVeterinaryNurseReissSmith1stYearTraineeKa3eDeVeuveNursingAssistant

StaffNews

Twoimportantannouncements!LaurahaspassedherfinalpracIcalexamandisnowafullyqualifiedVeterinaryNurse.ThenextstageistoRegisterwiththeRCVSandthenshewillbeenItledtousetheleNersRVNaOerhername.AllherhardworkhaspaidoffandI’msureyouwillwanttojoinusincongratulaIngheronhersuccess!EmilyisexpecIngababyinMaynextyearandsocongratulaIonsareduetohertoo!EmilyplanstoreturnaOerthebabyisborntoconInueasHeadNurseassistedbyLaura.MarInaNendedtheAmericanCollegeofVeterinaryOphthalmologistsinHawaiiandhaslearnedmanynewtechniquestoimprovepaIentoutcomesfollowingeyedisorders.MarInandLynnetooktheopportunitytotakeabreakandenjoyaliNlewintersunwhilethere!TaIanaismovingonfromthepracIcetotakeupaposiIonclosertoherhome.Wewishherwellforherfuturecareer.ReisshasstartedhisVeterinaryNursingCourseatCityandIslingtonCollegeandyoucankeepatrackofhisprogressinhisarIcleinthisNewsleNer.TheCourseisverydemandingespeciallystudyingwhileworkingfullImeatthePracIceandhewillhaveEmilyandLauratoguidehim.

NEWSLETTERWINTER2019

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ACatisnotasmalldog…‘Acatisnotasmalldog’isafamiliarphraseusedatvetschoolsacrossthecountry,apeculiarandobviousstatementwithadeepandstarkwarningbeneathit.Itiscommonforsomeownerstothinkthatmedicinescanbeusedacrossallspecies,whetheritsdesignedforhumansorotherspeciesofpets.Thisthoughtprocessmayseemlogical,butitcanbedangerousandhavefatalconsequencesforyourpet.AcommonpoisoningseeninpracIceisPermethrinpoisoningincats,PermethrinisaninsecIcideusedinsomefleatreatmentsfordogs–butincatssymptomsrangefromtwitchingandtremblingtoseizuresandinsomecasesdeath.EvenusingapermethrinproductonadogthatliveswithacatsIllputsyourcatatahighriskoftoxiningesIon,soreadingthelabelandnotusingproductsyouareunsureofiskey.UseofproductsofflicenceiscommonpracIceinveterinarymedicine,thismeansusingaproductthatisnotlicensedinthatspecies.ManyproductshavebeenusedformanyyearsindifferingspecieshoweverduetoveterinarymedicinelawwehavetogetyoutosignaformstaIngyouunderstandthis.Youshouldalwaysensureyouonlymedicateonveterinaryadviceanduseproductsthatareindateandprescribedforthatindividual.

NursingNa@er–Catsanageingpopula3onManyofusareluckytohaveourcatslivingwellintotheirteenageyears.Likehumans,catsarelivinglongerandlonger,andwenowfacethechallengeoftreaIngthemanyailmentsthatcomewitholdage.Kidneyissues,highbloodpressure,hyperthyroidismandarthriIsregularlycropupinrouInehealthchecksandlikemanycondiIonsthesedayswithmedicineadvancingasitdoes,therearelotsoftreatmentsavailabletoensureyourcatconInueslivingafullandhealthylife.MostimportantlypayingcarefulaNenIontoyourcatcanhelpyounoIcesignsofillness–aretheydrinkingmore,urinaIngmore,dotheystruggletoseNleintheliNertrayortojumponthecounter,dotheystruggleeaIngtheirbiscuits.Consideringthesepointsbeforebringingyourpetforahealthcheckcanhelpthevetpickuponproblemsbeforetheybecomeamajorissue.RemembercatsareexpertsathidingdiscomfortsosomeofthechangesmaybeverysubtlebutearlydetecIonandtreatmentcanmassivelyimproveyourfelinefriendsqualityoflife!

IntheNews

ThoughitmayseemlikeaneraofuncertaintyandfalsepromisessomechariIesandorganisaIonsareseizingthemomenttohighlightsomestrategiesthatwillchangelegislaIonforthebeNer.TheRSPCAaretakingthechancetoremindWestminsterofthechallengesfacedbypets,wildlifeandfarmanimals.TheyarecallingforthenextgeneraIonpoliIcianstobuildupontheirpreviouscommitments.TheRSPCAproposesananimalwelfarecommissiontoadvisethegovernmentonwelfareissues.TopicssuchastoughersentencingforanimalcrueltycrimesandanimalsenIencefailedtoprogressasparliamentwasdissolved,theRSPCAproposesmanyofthesechangesshouldhappenquickly.TheRSPCAmanifesto’sare:1)higherwelfarefarming,2)endtoliveanimalexports,3)endbreed-specificlegislaIon,4)increasedsentencingforanimalcrueltyoffences,5)animalsenIencerecognisedinlaw,6)highwelfarestandardsinfreetradeagreements,7)banonnon-stunslaughter,8)animalwelfareeducaIoninschools,9)localauthorityfunding,10)anevidencebasedapproachtostampingoutbovineTB.

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Star Pet

Egyp3anMau(Feliscatus)

EgypIan Maus (Mau in EgypIan means cat!) are a rare andbeauIfulbreed, famous fortheir stunning eyes andscarab shaped marking ontheir head. Thought tooriginatefromtwoEgypIan‘tabby cats’, Maus aredisInguished by their longs l e n d e r b o d i e s a n dmuscular physique as wellas a long conInuous blackline stretching from theirheadtotailalongthespine.Maus are the fastest domesIc species of cat and share a lot ofcommonfeatureswithcheetahsincludinganextralayerofskinthatextends from the back of the flank to the knee, they have beenmeasuredtoreachspeedsof30mph.MaushaveshorterfrontlegsthantheirhindlegsandthisgivesanillusionthattheyarestandingontheirIptoeswhenstoodup.MausareconsideredtohaveanairofanIquityaboutthem,alwaysappearingregalandcomfortableintheirenvironment.Maustendtopreferwarmertemperaturesandare known for their ‘musical’ voice. Maus were first recorded in1953 but weren’t recognised as an official breed in Europe unIl1992.

OurstarpetsforthisquarterarePasoandTango,adelighkulpairofcockaIelswhocameinverypoorlywithsuspectedheavymetaltoxicity,thiswaslaterconfirmedwithanxrayshowingthemetalparIcles.Heavymetaltoxicityoccurswhenabirdchewsatmetallicobjects,thiscanbeitemsfoundwithinthecageortheenvironment.InPasoandTangoscasesomeweightsfrominsidenetcurtainsweretheculprits.BothTangoandPasohavebeenonintensivetherapygivenbyinjecIonandthankstothecommitmentfromtheirlovingownerbotharedoingmuchbeNer.Pleasebeawareofthedangersbothinthecageandoutofthecageasheavymetaltoxicitycanbefatal.

StudentZoneHi,mynameisReiss,asmanyofyouknowIjoinedtheLawton&StoakesteaminApril2019,asofSeptemberIhavebeenastudentveterinarynurseatCityandIslingtonCollege.IaNendcollegeeveryMondayandthroughouttherestoftheweekIworkfullImeatthepracIce.ThiscolumnwillbeasmallinsightintosomeofthetopicsandchallengesIfaceasIgothroughthecourse.DuringmyfirsttermIhavebeenlearningbasicanatomyandphysiologyofmulIplespecies,buildingonthiswearenowlearningaboutIssues,organsandtheskeletalsystem.IwillsoonbestarIngmyNursingProgressLog(NPL)thisisacourseworkstylefeatureofthecoursewhereIcollectcasestudiesandperformtasksunderthesupervisionofmyclinicalcoach,Emily.Ilookforwardtogivingyouallaninsightintomycollegelife!

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Transpor3ngyourExo3cPettotheVet

Itcanbedifficulttoknowthebestwaytogetyourpettothesurgerywithoutstressingitandkeepingitswelfareinmind.Also,thetypeofcontaineryoubringyourpetincanhelporhinderyourvet.Sohereareafewideasforyoutoconsider.

BirdsPleasebringbirdsinasmalltravelcagewithaperchandnotoys.IdeallythepetbirdshouldbeabletobeobservedinthiscageasmuchinformaIonaboutitspostureanddemeanourcanbeevaluatedbeforehandlingtakesplace.Foodandwaterbowlsmaybeplacedinwithyourpetbirdifthelengthofthejourneyrequiresit.IfbringingmorethanonebirditisbeNertobringtheminseparatecagesasthismakescatchingthemmuchlessstressfulforvetandpaIentalike!Asimplecoverwillkeepouttheworstoftheweatherandmakethebirdfeelmoresecure.Undernocircumstancesshouldapetbirdbelooseontheowner’sshoulderaseventhetamestparrotcantakefrightandeitherescapeorbeinjured.IfyourbirdisverypoorlyasourceofheatsuchasahotwaterboNlecanstopthemdeterioraIngonthejourney.WehaveaquietareainthewaiIngroomwhichcanbeusediftherearenoisydogsandcatsinthegeneralwaiIngarea,pleasejustasktherecepIonist.

Rep3lesRepIlesneedwarmth,somethingthatisdifficulttomaintainoutsideofitslivingquartersathome.ConsiderinsulaIngthecarrierwithpaperorblanketsandplacingahotwaterboNleunderneaththecontainer.IfarepIlebecomescold,itisdifficultforthevettoassessitsbehaviourandmedicaIonswillnotworkproperly.Tortoiseshaveatendencytodefaecateandurinateonthejourneysoabsorbentsubstratesuchaspapertowelisalwaysagoodidea.LizardsneedanescapeproofboxwithpapertowelattheboNom.Snakescanbetransportedwithinabagsuchasapillowcaseorduvet.Thisshouldbeinsideacontainerwithaheatsourceasdescribed.

SmallMammalsCatboxesorsimilarareusuallysuitableforthesmallfurries,topopeningispreferredsothatthevetdoesnothaveto“drag”thepaIentoutofitssecureplace.Forthesmallerspeciessomewarmthmaybeadvisableinthecoldermonthstoeasestress.

WithourmoreexoIcpaIentsmuchofourassessmentreliesonagoodhistoryfromtheownerasmuchasthephysicalexam.AnyinformaIonyoucangiveusaboutyourpet’shomelifecanbeinvaluableinascertainingthecauseofitsproblem.

KIDSCORNER

SusanthesnakeisofftoaChristmasParty.Canyoucolourherinfestivecolours?Whataboutherpresent?Red,blue,greenwhatcolourwillitbe?