Common veterinary mistakes, mishaps and stress May 7, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in Humour.Tags: error, funny, Humour, mishap, mistake, story, stress, vet, veterinary
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Mishaps occur frequently in the veterinary profession. As with other walks of life, nothing is perfect and errors can occur. Below are a list of some of the more common mistakes that happen in our daily lives as a vet:
Anal gland expression – A common complaint of pet owners is the discomfort (leading to’ scooting’ of the backside) caused by blocked anal glands in their pets. This is easily relieved by squeezing the glands to empty the secretion. As most pet owners can testify, the result is a foul fishy smelly liquid being released. Unfortunately, as the glands are squeezed, it is not uncommon for the secretion to come out with some force and shoot into the vet or innocent bystanders’ (often a nurse!) face…. delightful as you can imagine!
Steady, then aim and fire!
Viscous injection problems – Certain injectable drugs such as antibiotics, heartworm prevention and euthanasia medication can be quite viscous (thick) fluids. Sometimes, when injecting, the drug refuses to pass through the needle and causes an “explosion” of fluid everywhere (except into the patient!). This is most embarrassing during a euthanasia consultation, where you always hope everything runs smoothly to avoid causing any further distress to pet owners.
More injection problems…..in and then out again – Sometimes, drugs and fluids can also be injected into skin of a pet but then come straight out the other side – occasionally, soaking the owner! This was made famous in the UK on television by celebrity vet Trude Mostue when giving a vaccination.
Struggling to find a vein - This can happen when either placing an intravenous catheter to administer fluids or taking a blood sample. Sometimes, by “jabbing” in a needle numerous times, it appears as if we are giving an acupuncture session! This can be stressful especially, if the owner is present during our attempts and asking if we’ve finished yet! The pet being held properly and not obese, makes it a lot easier!
What neck vein???
Giving the wrong vaccination- It has been known for vets to accidentally give a cat vaccine to a dog and vice versa. Fortunately, this doesn’t normally lead to any serious adverse reactions apart from not giving the necessary protection intended.
Escaping pets and then trying to capture them – Aggressive cats and scared birds are the most common creatures that try to desperately escape during a visit to the vet clinic. Angry cats in particular can take a long time to catch – leading to numerous injuries to veterinary staff!
Catch me if you can (or dare)!
Spaying a male cat – In the UK, flank spays (ovariohysterectomies where the incision is made on one side of the cat) are regarded as the routine technique. It has been known for vets to accidentally attempt a spay on a male cat. Obviously, after not being able to find a uterus/ovaries in the abdomen during surgery – they later realise to their dismay that there are 2 testicles at the rear end of the cat!
Biting hamsters – These little creatures (especially Syrian hamsters) have a nasty little bite on them. Naturally being a prey species, they are often terrified when being handled and understandably defend themselves by biting. The problem is that their sharp needle like teeth really hurt and vets have been known to drop or “flick” these little furry pets leading to nasty injuries, like paralysis or even death?
Looks innocent?
Misidentifying species or sex – Some pets, especially small ones can be very difficult (e.g. very young kittens) or impossible (birds unless using DNA or endoscopy) to identify their sex – often leading to owners giving inappropriate names! Certain exotic species can give us even more problems with their identification. How many vets can correctly differentiate between a Marginated and Russian tortoise? Worse still, we don’t always correctly identify all dog or cat breeds! Do you know what a Hovawart looks like?
Which species???
Forgetting the owner or pet – We see many pets and owners with common problems everyday. Obviously, we often can remember regular clients who have been coming in for many years. However, if we see someone outside of work, who comes in less frequently, it is not easy to recall their exact pet and the problem last week. This can cause difficulties if they start talking to you about their pet. We can either bluff our way through the conversation or be honest and say, we don’t remember their pet (which probably won’t go down too well!). I have known of one vet forgetting he euthanased their pet a few months earlier and then asking at a later date, how the pet was getting on!!
Common animal myths and misconceptions held by pet owners May 6, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in General Pet News and information.Tags: animal, bad breath, cat, colour-blind, desexing, dog, fish, goldfish memory, guinea pig, halitosis, milk, misconception, myth, neutering, owner, pet, purr, rabbit, scooting, tail, vitamin C, wag, wet nose
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The UK animal charity, PDSA, have recently compiled a list of commonly believed urban myths by pet owners, that may be inadvertently harming their pets. Below are some of the common misconceptions held by pet owners:
Goldfish have a short memory of only a few seconds It has been shown in one study that goldfish avoided an area of a tank that administered tiny electric shocks, for greater than 24 hours. Other studies have show fish to have longer memories (up to 3 months), where they can be trained to press levers at certain times of the day for a food reward.
Dogs are colour-blind and can only see in black and white Tests have been done on dogs where they have correctly been able to distinguish blue, grey and yellow objects for food rewards. However, dogs are red-green colour-blind and their overall vision is six times worse than ours but their night vision is superior to humans.
Dogs will only eat as much as they need meaning it is impossible to overfeed them Being descendants of wolves, dogs have a natural tendency to gorge, not knowing where their next meal is coming from. This leaves them open to dangerous obesity if overfed. The increasing levels of obesity in pets all over the world is more than enough proof that dogs can’t be left to eat according to their own desire!
Rabbits make ideal cagemates for guinea pigs Rabbits are larger than guinea pigs and as a result have a tendency to bully them. In addition to this, their nutritional requirements are not identical. For example, guinea pigs lack the enzyme to produce their own vitamin C and so need a diet in vegetables/fruit/pellets that is high in this vitamin.
Purring cats are always happy cats
Cats will usually purr when they’re contented and when they are enjoying affection from their owners. However, some cats will also purr when they are in pain, discomfort or anxious.
Rabbits should eat carrots Carrots actually have a high sugar content and so if fed in excess, may lead to an obese rabbit. They can be fed in moderation but the green leafy top (as opposed to orange stalk) is more nutritionally beneficial to rabbits.
A wagging tail indicates a happy dog More often than not, this is true, but dogs can also wiggle their tails when they are agitated, tense, anxious, annoyed, ready to fight. I personally can testify to dogs attempting to bite despite wagging their tails!
A wet nose is a sign of a healthy dog It is normal for a dog to have a cool and moist nose. A warm and dry nose, however does not always mean that a dog is ill. A healthy nose should have a smooth and even surface, with no red or ulcerated areas. It is also important to be aware of any discharges (that tend to be licked away), which could be a sign of an airway infection.
Scooting the bottom along the ground means your pet has worms This is commonly due to a problem with a pet’s anal glands, which can become full and uncomfortable. These are two small glands found inside the anus, which usually are straightforward to empty relieving the discomfort.
Milk is good for cats This is wrong! Once weaned, milk is not required in a cat’s diet. Later in life, cats have a lower ability to digest lactose (sugar found in milk). Milk offered to cats can lead to digestive upsets and diarrhoea. Adult cats should be offered either limited milk or none at all.
Neutering (desexing) my pet will lead to obesity
This is also wrong. Neutering (castration or spaying) will slow a pet’s metabolism (meaning they burn calories more slowly). After desexing, feeding less food and adequate exercise will prevent your pet from getting fat. There are numerous benefits from desexing a pet.
It is normal for a dog to have bad breath This is incorrect. It is often assumed that a dog’s mouth odour is a natural part of ‘being a dog’. However, halitosis (bad breath) is often a sign of dental disease, which is caused by erosion of teeth by bacteria and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis). Other diseases can also lead to halitosis such as kidney failure or the presence of a rotten foreign object trapped in the mouth. Owners should maintain good oral hygiene which includes daily cleaning of their pet’s teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Pet ownership statistics 2009 May 3, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in General Pet News and information.Tags: bird, cat, dog, fish, household, ownership, pet, popular, population, rabbit, statistics
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According to the pet food manufacturers’ association, in 2009, 50% 0f households in the UK own a pet.
Dogs
Population of 8 million, of which 75% are pedigree dogs.
The most popular breeds in descending order are Labradors, Border collies, Jack Russell terriers, Yorkshire terriers and German Shepherd dogs.
The majority of dogs are homed from Rescue Centres (32%) and from friends (25%).
23% of households own a dog.
"Marley" and lots of you!
Cats
Population of 8 million of which 92% are non-pedigree.
Of the pedigree cats, the most popular breeds are Bengals, British Short Hairs, Burmese, Manx and Siamese.
20% of households own a cat
Bengals most popular pedigree cat breed in UK
Both rabbits and indoor birds each have a population of 1 million.
The most popular pet with a population of 50 million are fish (both indoor and outdoor).
Fish are the most popular pet
The main reason for owning a pet is for companionship (reason for 60% of single people, of whom 40% have replaced their partner with a pet!)
Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Veterinary field April 30, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in Alternative medicines and therapies.Tags: artemisinin, bear, benefits, bile, drug, extract, herb, raw, research, risks, side effects, study, traditional chinese medicine, veterinary
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Working in Hong Kong, I encounter many clients who are personally fond of Chinese medicine and even are keen on using it for their pets. So this is obviously a topic worthy of discussion, especially considering the increasing popularity of alternative therapies in both the human medical and veterinary fields.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) encompasses a range of medical practices that include herbal medicine, acupuncture/pressure and massage. This post will mainly focus on the herbal aspect of Chinese medicine and the important question of whether TCM actually works and can it cause any harm.
In 1999, the British Medical Journal looked at reports of almost 3000 trials of TCM and concluded that the quality of the research was poor and there was very little reliable evidence to support the effectiveness of TCM. In another large study examining all the available research on TCM, not one single trial published in China, in the entire history of TCM research, had ever found a test treatment to be ineffective. This means either that the publications were biased (which is more likely) or that all Chinese medicine works effectively. Knowing that every Western/conventional drug that is trialled, is not always successful as a treatment, I find impossible to believe that all TCM is highly effective.
So do herbs and Chinese medicines actually contain any useful ingredients? Herbs can most definitely contain active compounds, that can affect our bodies. Aspirin (from willow), digoxin (from foxglove) and vincristine (from Madagascar periwinkle) are just a few drugs that were originally developed from herbs. One important thing worth considering is whether it is safer to use the drug extract or the raw form.
Digoxin pills and foxglove both contain the same ingredient, which is effective for treating heart problems. It is how they are managed and administered that differs. Digoxin is a drug that can be easily overdosed causing toxicity and even death. The quantity of the active ingredient (digitalis) in foxglove is very variable and so conventional chemists, extracted the digitalis, enabling them to give it as an accurate dose (as digoxin rather than foxglove).
It is also worth remembering that because something is “natural” or from a “herb/plant” does not automatically mean it is safe. There are many herbs that can be toxic to pets. Examples include pennyroyal, tea tree oil (especially for cats) and garlic.
Not all Chinese medicine comes from herbs. Some of the “drugs” originate from animals. One commonly known example is the use of bile from bears. Painful permanent catheters are attached to the bears, which can often lead to complications for the bears and their eventual death. The active ingredient in bile is ursodeoxycholate, which can help with liver and gall bladder disease. In conventional medicine, effective ursodeoxycholate is manufactured by pharmaceutical companies without resorting to unnecessary bear cruelty.
Some medicines have received approval for use in humans and animals which originally were developed from TCM. One drug that has been effective in humans as an antimalarial is artemisinin. In pets, a recent product that has been released for use in allergies is Phytopica, which actually contains various herbs that are also used in TCM. Phytopica has some success in assisting in the management of atopic patients.
One point worth mentioning is that Chinese medicine doesn’t always contain what it promises to. One BMJ study found that Chinese herbal skin creams used for treating allergies in children (eczema) actually contained 5 times the recommended adult dose of steroids. Another article in the Lancet, found that one Chinese medicine company was adding artificial drugs into their remedies.
Most popular cat and dog names April 27, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in General Pet News and information.Tags: cat, dog, funny, names, pet, popular
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In 2008, according to VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance), the 5 most popular dog names in order were:
- Max
- Bailey
- Bella
- Molly
- Lucy
The 5 most popular cat names were:
- Max
- Chloe
- Tigger
- Tiger
- Lucy
Some of the more unusual and amusing names included:
Edward Scissorpaws, Sir Lix-a-lot, Sirius Lee Handsome, Peanut Wigglebutt and Buddah Pest.
There are numerous examples of male pets being given female names and vice versa before the owners realise the true gender of their animals. Some amusing names I have personally seen are:
- Mojo
- Dog (yes unbelievably imaginative!)
- Fok Fok
- Nad (owner thought it was funny to refer to him as No-nad after desexing)
- Freddy Krueger (actually appropriate for cat with sharp claws!)
- Ding Dong
Does anyone else know of any other funny pet names?
Freddy Krueger = Cat?
Veterinarian salaries and debts April 26, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in Economics.Tags: bonus, commission, costs, debt, salary, university, vet, veterinarian, veterinary, wage
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Following on from the last post. I’ve decided to post an article on veterinarian’s salaries. A lot of people often naturally assume that vets earn excellent salaries. I suppose this is understandable when a client sees the cost of a 10-15 minute consultation or the price of an expensive surgery. For farmers or large animal clients, they will often see the vets drive relatively new, big and expensive cars (which are necessary for the amount of driving and abuse the cars take!).
Unfortunately, clients don’t factor in how expensive drugs (and their transport costs), medical and surgical equipment, rent for the premises and all the salaries (vets, nurses, receptionists and others) can be. The actual profit margins for veterinary clinics aren’t anywhere near as high as people assume.
It has been reported that average educational loan debt of a graduating veterinary student in the US, is greater than a staggering $100,000 (http://is.gd/uCDU). In the UK, the actual figure is probably lower (although rapidly rising), considering students can do a veterinary degree immediately (without needing to do another one first) and due to the fact that part of the university education is funded by the government.
Often during the university holidays, it is compulsory for veterinary students to work (normally for free) on farms, at stables and in veterinary clinics, to gain experience of working and handling animals. This is a valuable part of our training but unfortunately, it often denies us the opportunity to get paid work over our holidays.
The veterinary course is also very intensive – normally 5 full study days a week, in additional to extra personal studying in the evenings and over the weekends. Once again, a part-time job can be hard to cope with, on top of the intense veterinary course. So for these reasons, often vets can end up with huge debts once they qualify with very little opportunity to pay some of it off before graduating.
So obviously, once we qualify, everything is great because we earn huge salaries and can pay off the debt very quickly. WRONG. The actual veterinary salary is lower than those earned by many other professionals. We on average earn about 31,000 pounds/yr in the UK and $80,000/yr in the US. On average, we earn less than dentists, accountants, scientists, engineers, secondary school teachers, surveyors, doctors amongst others (http://is.gd/uCDy).
Vets can be paid by a variety of means. In the UK, a vet may just simply receive a fixed salary or alternatively, a lower salary but with free accommodation and/or a car. On top of this, some practices pay a commission-based wage. This normally means a fixed salary, in addition to a bonus related to either individual or the whole practice’s productivity.
There are good and bad aspects to a commission-based salary. The benefits of a bonus system, are that it provides great motivation for vets to generate work (as opposed to being lazy), provide a better service and to stimulate vets to take an interest in the financial success of the practice. Obviously, both vets and the practice partners can be rewarded handsomely by such a system.
On a more negative note, an individual bonus system can create greed and selfishness. Vets may push expensive tests and treatments; not for the interest of the animal, but to boost their own bonuses. In addition to this, practice vets may stop working as a team but more as competitors. Vets may prefer to do more vaccines and desexing operations (which are quick, easy and profitable) than spend time on a complicated case or on hospital in-patients, which can be time-consuming and not generate as much income. Also experienced vets may be more reluctant to supervise younger vets during surgeries unless the work is recorded under their name.
Obviously, the ideal is a balance. My personal experience when I first qualified involved emergency calls after hours. I never received any percentage of the money I generated. We would often work a full day and then be “on call” at night and then have a full workload the following day. Naturally, I would always offer the option to see a patient at any time but if I felt it wasn’t a true emergency, I would try to convince the owner to wait till the following day by telling them how much cheaper it would be during the day.
In hindsight, if I had been offered some bonus for seeing a client during the night, I may have actually had an incentive to do more “non-emergency” consultations, if that is what the owners desired. Personally, I feel that would have been a win-win situation for everyone. Both myself and the clinic would have earned extra money and the owner would have been able to have their pet seen whenever they desired. My experience tells me that people can work unusual hours and sometimes 3am is the only time when they can get to visit a vet.
Fortunately, nowadays, we have a 24 hour clinic and so I no longer am required to be on call out of hours. I personally get paid a practice (as opposed to individual) bonus which seems to work quite well. We all work together as a team, with no-one being lazy or pushing un-necessary treatments and tests. I personally will give recommendations that I would happily use on my own pet. I feel in the long run, a good and honest service will pay great dividends as opposed to aiming for short term gains. I hate when someone tries to rip me off and so I refuse to treat others that way.
I was lucky when I went to university as I didn’t need to pay tuition fees. I also managed to earn good money from holiday and Saturday jobs. In addition to this, I had very supportive parents who paid for my accommodation and food costs. I now do a job that I throughly enjoy and although, I could earn far more in another job, I earn more than enough to allow me to have a comfortable life.
Controversy over exposing “rip off” vets April 25, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in Economics.Tags: con, controversy, costs, marc abraham, money grabbing, rip off, tonight, vets
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Last month, a TV programme was broadcasted in the UK about veterinary treatment. I finally got to watch this programme, “Tonight”, on ITV catchup (online), which caused huge controversy within the veterinary profession.
The programme featured the presenters taking 3 healthy pets (a dog, cat and rabbit) separately to several different clinics. Each animal was presented to the clinics simply with the owner complaining that the animal wasn’t eating. Obviously, the vets in charge of the cases offered different treatment and diagnostic options.
The advice given varied from vet to vet. This included prescribing different medicines, recommending further work up e.g. blood tests , doing nothing at all/monitoring and one vet even advised for the rabbit to undergo a dental procedure (which was deemed un-necessary by the other vets).
The presenters then brought the pets to the “television vet” Marc Abraham (who had the benefit of knowing the pets were healthy), who then proceeded to examine the animals and inform viewers that no treatment was necessary in any of the cases.
The programme’s conclusion was that the veterinarians were intentionally opting for treatment/diagnostics with the purpose of making money. The programme also implied that it was wrong for a consultation fee to be charged for examining a healthy pet that required no treatment.
This programme created the impression that veterinarians were using their professional status to take advantage of owners, that knew no better, simply to make money under false pretences. Obviously, this caused an outcry in the UK amongst vets.
I think several points that the programme illustrated are worthy of further discussion. Firstly, one of the most important parts of the diagnostic work-up, is the history that the owner provides. Obviously, as vets, we place a lot of trust in what owners tell us. If an owner is sufficiently worried that their pet is inappetant, then it would be wrong of us not to take the complaint seriously.
Often, we may have a very good idea of what could be causing the problem just from the history. For example, an obese pet drinking a lot of water, eating a lot and still losing weight would be suggestive of diabetes.
Obviously, during a consultation, the pet is examined and if no illness is found, then several options are left to the vet:
1) Ask them to adopt a conservative approach and wait to see if any other signs develop which will help to isolate the cause of the problem.
2) Offer the owner the option of further diagnostic tests such as a blood test to check for any internal problems, which may not be detected from a physical examination.
3) Offer some form of mild treatment, which may help to increase the appetite such as a specific food or appetite stimulant (e.g.vitamin B).
4) Either not believe the owner’s information and keep the pet in the hospital and observe the appetite (may end up with false inappetance due to stress) or dismiss the owner and tell them that there is no obvious problem.
There is also the possibility of the vet finding something on clinical examination that may actually be unrelated to the inappetance but further investigation/treatment is recommended.
Of the 4 options above, I believe that any of the first 3 options is acceptable. The 4th option however, is the one most likely to lead to problems. The owner may end up going to another vet or worse still, the animal deteriorates rapidly and the owner complains that the pet wasn’t investigated properly. Inappetance is such a vague symptom that a number of conditions (including some serious ones) can be responsible.
I personally feel the best way of dealing with a case like this is to present your opinion and then give the owner the options to choose from. If they are sufficiently concerned and want to spend money on a blood test, then I most definitely am not going to dissuade them, in case something more serious is going on and then I have left myself open to litigation.
I always try to give a set of options with a different range of prices and discuss the pros and cons of each. I will also tell them what I would do for my own pet (as a strong recommendation) BUT I will then leave the owner to make the final decision.
A common example of this is with a pre-anaesthetic blood test. These tests help to check the functions of the internal organs before a general anaesthetic. Often animals can appear very healthy on physical examination and from the owner’s history. On paper, it would appear, that a blood test isn’t really necessary as the pet is “clinically healthy”. However, I can personally testify that there are times (in these “healthy pets”), when a disease such as leukaemia (cancer of the white cells) or a liver/kidney disorder is diagnosed.
This however does not mean that I recommend a blood test before every anaesthetic. Normally, I tell the owner the animal appears healthy and I would be surprised if the blood test comes back abnormal, but once again, I leave the decision to them.
The final point I would like to bring up is the charging of a consultation. Vets by nature are caring professionals and rarely value their own time. I know myself that I often feel guilty when a pet requires an expensive drug or procedure. A lot of vets and clinics regularly do charity/wildlife work.
In addition to this, I don’t know any vets that charge for giving advice on the phone (unlike lawyers!) or in the reception area. Surely, it is reasonable to charge a fee for our professional opinion and service during a consultation. Do you get charged for a perfectly good house to be surveyed, an MOT for your car or by the dentist for a checkup?
Although, naturally there will be unscrupulous greedy individuals out there, who are more interested in making money than the welfare of animals; it is wrong to taint all vets (the majority who are excellent) with the same brush!
The power of the placebo effect April 22, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in Health, medicine and surgery.Tags: drug, medicine, placebo, surgery
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The placebo effect is when a harmless substitute is given instead of genuine therapy and is still successful in curing patients. The placebo effect has been known to doctors for hundreds of years. The first medical reference to a placebo was in 1772 (http://is.gd/tQzn). During the Second World War, there were reports of doctors in military field hospitals successfully treating injured soldiers with simply saline (salt water) injections, once they had run out of strong painkillers like morphine. Surgeries were even performed on casualties using only saline resulting in effective pain relief!
The power of the mind is amazing. There are numerous examples of people reacting to placebos. For example, people have been given non-alcoholic drinks, which they thought were alcoholic and then appear to become drunk later. Also others have had different responses to the same harmless compound, depending on whether they were told that the tablet was a stimulant or sedative.
It has been reported that up to 80% of patients can benefit from placebos for certain conditions like depression and pain. On the other hand, in other diseases like diabetes, it has been shown to have no worthwhile benefit. The placebo is very important for analysing whether a treatment, such as a new drug or surgery, actually has any true benefit. For example, most trials compare a new drug against a placebo (such as a sugar pill) for treating certain conditions and the results are compared. If the drug is no more successful than the placebo, then it is reasonable to assume the drug has no true medical benefit.
There is controversy regarding whether there actually is any beneficial placebo effect. In 2001, some researchers compared many trials, where genuine therapy had been given to patients, in addition to no treatment at all and a placebo treatment (http://is.gd/tQwm). Their results concluded that placebos seemed to be no more effective than no treatment at all. However, their study looked at the placebo for all sorts of diseases e.g. diabetes (which is known to not benefit from a placebo), as opposed to specific conditions such as depression and pain, where the brain plays a vital role. Also, the placebo works by the patient actually believing that the treatment works. Obviously, the more convincing the placebo seems, the more effective the response, e.g. injections seem to work better than pills.
The most important variable in the effectiveness of a placebo seems to be the attitude/belief of the doctor administering it. One study showed amazing results when one group of patients were given a firm diagnosis and told that they would soon be better, whereas the other group received a vague diagnosis and no assurance about recovery. Both groups had some patients receive medicine whilst others received no treatment at all. 64% of patients with a positive consultation got better compared to only 39% of patients with no clear diagnosis/assurance. There was no difference in the recovery rate regardless of whether medicine was given or not! Therefore, doctor’s attitudes seemed more important than the actual medicine.
The placebo effect does not only apply to the human medical field. There are several studies showing that belief in a placebo isn’t always necessary but a response can be conditioned. Rats were given injections of cyclosporine (immunosuppressive drug) to prevent transplanted organs being rejected (http://is.gd/tQlr). At the time of cyclosporine injection, the rats were fed water sweetened with saccharin. The rats were conditioned to associate the cyclosporine with the sweet drink so that later, the rats were given only the sweet drink but no drug and the rats immune system continued to act as if under the influence of cyclosporine. The same results have been obtained with humans allergic to dust using antihistamines and a novel drink (http://is.gd/tQjf)
The placebo has also also been used for surgery. This video is very interesting; patients underwent knee surgery for painful arthritis. Patients that received “sham surgeries” improved as much as those who had the real surgery performed.
The advantage of a placebo effect is that by carefully using the placebo response, we can lower the dose of drugs used without reducing the effectiveness. This obviously has the possible benefit of reducing harmful side effects and the cost of expensive drugs. So how can it be applicable in the veterinary field? One application could possibly include pets on long term medication e.g. painkillers for arthritis or steroids/cyclosporine for allergies. Perhaps, we could give non-steroidal painkillers (NSAIDs) always with a distinctive tasting food e.g. liver and initially full dose every day. After a period of conditioning, the liver continues to be fed daily but maybe the NSAID every other or third day.
A Dolittle introduction April 15, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in General Pet News and information.Tags: introduction, veterinary
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Hello and welcome to my blog.
I have been using twitter this year and found it a useful tool for finding and sharing information. I have decided that although I love using twitter – unfortunately, I occasionally come across fascinating news that is worthy of further discussion which is not possible in 140 characters.
The purpose of this blog is to offer my insight and opinion on stories and research that I feel are interesting. This blog has a comments section, which I sincerely hope others will use to voice their own opinions and experiences. Alternative opinions, discussion and interaction can aid us to learn from one another.
Although, I naturally will be inclined to news with a veterinary bias – a lot information will also be related to the human medical and dental field. I would love for other in the veterinary or animal field, human doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses, chemists, psychologists and many others to contribute. To conclude this first post, I have posted some questions and answers that I suspect others may ask.
Who are you? I am a practising small animal male vet (makes me sound like I’m rehearsing to be a vet!). I qualified from the Royal Veterinary college (London, UK) nine years ago and after initially working in the UK for a couple of years, I am now working in Hong Kong, Asia.
Why am I writing this blog? I have 3 days off work every week and so have ample time. Writing a blog is more constructive than a lot of the other things I get up to e.g. playing computer games. I like to share news that I find fascinating and would love to hear others’ thoughts. I have no interest in making money from this by advertising or selling my veterinary services to gain more clients.
What am I interested in? A wide variety of things such as sport, travelling, reading, psychology/behaviour, science, alternative theories/therapies, internet, politics and more.
Why would anyone be interested in reading this blog? Good question, I have no idea. But I’m sure that if I find something funny or fascinating, at least one other person in the world (probably with more spare time than me) will also.
How often will I post and update? Regularly depending on what I read that I feel is worthy of further discussion.
Can I comment, ask questions or disagree with your posts? Please do. Differing opinions, questions and comments are to be encouraged. We all can learn from each other. Besides, a heated debate on this blog gives my fiancee a break from it (which she will no doubt be glad about!).
Any other personal information willing to share? I worked in my first year with all sorts of animals ranging from cows, pets, seals and even beavers! Since then I only work with pets (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and small furries). I am a vegetarian (almost vegan) and own one 2 year old female Jack Russell Terrier. I am originally from London and have spent most of my life there apart from the last 7 years which have been in Hong Kong. I am a huge fan of Arsenal (football club).
BlogCatalog April 8, 2009
Posted by thedolittlevet in General Pet News and information.add a comment
