Evidence Based Clinical Nutrition - Feeding RAW to Pets

The first Platinum member’s webinar of the year discussed the controversial subject of feeding raw food to pets. This is a topic which has become hotly debated both within and outside of the profession and can be an area of conflict between vets and some members of the pet owning population who whole heartedly believe in the benefits of raw feeding. In my experience, however, most of the discussions I have had with clients on this subject have been non-confrontational.

The End Of The Road For Puppy Peddlers

The proposal to ban puppy and kitten sales by third parties took a major step forward today after environment secretary Michael Gove announced his intentions to support the legislation. The proposals have now gone out to consultation and is hoping to “introduce a ban on commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens in England, as well as running an information campaign to raise awareness of best practice when it comes to purchasing a puppy or kitten.”

Ecobricks: A New Hope?

If you’ve been keeping up with our blog posts over the last few months, you’ll know that we’re on a campaign to reduce plastic pollution in the veterinary industry, and the world in general. Today, we’re investigating an interesting new idea to deal with the unavoidable plastic that accumulates in your practice: the ecobrick.

You Are What You Eat

I am a third-year veterinary student at the University of Surrey with a strong passion for small animal nutrition.  All our nutrition teaching has been integrated into our modules and in our first year, we learnt about the role of nutrition in preventative medicine.  However, when I have seen practice, and indeed when pet food companies come and talk to us, nutrition is only discussed as part of disease and treatment.

Diagnosing Non-Effusive (dry) FIP

Part two of Dr Diane Addie’s set of webinars covering the diagnosis of dry and wet FIP was every bit as good as her first webinar delivered last year. Last week’s discussion covered the topic of dry FIP which, according to Dr Addie, is one of the most over and under diagnosed conditions in the cat. This is obviously a contradiction but Dr Addie explained that with a differential list as long as your arm, there are a number of diseases that dry FIP can mimic.

Demystifying Canine Mast Cell Tumours

The Great Pretender’ is a term often given to canine mast cell tumours (MCT) due to their ability to mimic a variety of conditions. Sometimes they are rapidly growing, erythematous masses which clearly warrant further investigation, but at other times they can look and feel like a simple lipoma which can make it easy to assume these masses are completely innocent. For this reason it is essential, if at all possible, to perform a fine needle aspirate on all masses encountered within the consulting room.

To Declaw, or Not Declaw?

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sits on a precipice. He has 30 days to enact a new bill that will ban declawing cats, which would make New York the first state to outlaw the controversial practice. If he chooses to ratify it, Cuomo will massively disrupt the normal model of cat ownership in New York. Most cats in New York are indoor cats, which means they don’t require their claws to hunt or climb. Many vets declaw cats automatically when they spay or neuter them. This attitude contrasts with other countries, where declawing is not routine, and many vets consider it cruel.

The Placebo Effect

The placebo effect is a curious one. By all standards of medical science, it shouldn’t work. We are sick, we take a pill which we are told will cure us, and we get better. But then the twist – there was no actual medicine in that pill! Somehow, you were cured without doing anything except believing that you are being treated.

Current Understanding of Incomplete Ossification of the Humeral Condyle

Incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle (IOHC) is a condition most commonly encountered within the spaniel breed indicating that genetic factors play an important role in its development. However, Toby Gemmill who led last week’s webinar considers its common name, IOHC, a misnomer as it points towards a particular pathogenesis, which is not correct.

C-Sections: The good, the bad, the puppies! Webinar Review

So many questions enter my head when I’m told by a concerned receptionist that a whelping bitch is on the way to the practice. Is this bitch owned by an experienced breeder or a complete novice? Is this a brachycephalic breed, notorious for having problems or a young fit and healthy crossbreed? What stage of labour is this bitch in and how long has it been going on for? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the information required for vets to make the correct decisions for both bitch and puppies.

Controversies in Anaesthesia - When to Give NSAIDs

This webinar threw up statistics which were both reassuring and alarming. In 1999 only 50% of vets prescribed analgesia for patients undergoing routine surgery but reassuringly ,in 2013, 98% now give opiates and/or NSAIDs. However when you analyse this data further it showed that 75% of vets give NSAIDs to dogs undergoing surgery but alarmingly only 33.4% give NSAIDs to cats.