In the city of Nueva Gerona there stands a white stone statue of one of the most beloved Cuban revolutionaries, whose legacy lives on to this day. But this is not a monument to Che Guevara or Fidel Castro; no, this is a statue of Ubre Blanca. Ubre Blanca was an unusual revolutionary. For one thing, she was female, a tough position in patriarchal Cuba. For another, and, perhaps more notably, she was a cow.
If you’re trying to think of the joke answer, let us know later (because we don’t have it), but for now we’re asking this question seriously. Why would you ever paint a cow like a zebra? To answer that, we first have to ask another question that sounds like a joke setup – why does the zebra have stripes?
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Keyhole or laparoscopic surgery is now a standard and common technique used in the field of human surgery and is starting to become increasingly popular within the world of veterinary medicine. Some of our clients now expect to be offered routine laparoscopy as a service, and with last week’s speaker Jon Hall performing laparoscopic spays at a flat rate of £350, I completely understand why many owners would rather opt for this procedure given the benefits this technique offers.
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Rabbits have very powerful hind legs. If they kick out unrestrained, the result may be spinal, pelvic or limb fractures. This is more common in the case of hutch-housed rabbits that have poor bone quality and have very little exercise. Handlers should always remember the likelihood of this type of injury and guard against it.
It’s quite possible that you could work your entire life in practice and never see a rabies case – provided that you live in the right part of the world. If you happen to be based in Africa or Asia, however, the story is very different. Across these two continents, over 50,000 people die annually from this unpleasant disease – and it is very unpleasant. Death by rabies is slow and painful, for both humans and animals.
WVAC2020 is coming to an end but it’s been a huge honour to assist the WVA and New Zealand Veterinary Assoc in keeping the show on the road. The Coronavirus crisis forced the cancellation of the physical event in Auckland at very short notice and we had only a number of weeks to work with NZVA to turn it around into a 3-week festival ” Vet Professionals of the World Unite” It’s been tiring but huge fun to work with NZVA, WVA, the speakers, sponsors and, of course, the delegates to turn this into such an incredible learning experience for everyone.
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Self-care is something the people in the veterinary profession are rubbish at (if I must put it bluntly). I hear excuses about not having enough time or just not being bothered. Self-care is so important to do and the benefits include making ourselves feel much happier and healthier. Looking after ourselves properly can prevent us from getting compassion fatigue and burn out.
This veterinary webinar is sponsored by Chanelle Pharma and is one of several from the company in its CPD series. Jonathan Moore has had an interesting career to date with a total of 12 years in equine practice, six years with Elanco in a sales and marketing role with many species, and since this year with Chanelle Pharma as the UK support manager. Along the way he found time to study for an MBA at the University of Southampton.
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also marking a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. This year’s theme is #breakthebias and asks the world to call out instances of bias against women in the workplace, at school and at home.
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A month ago, I had the opportunity to work with Dr Peter Caldwell in South Africa, where we spent some time talking about deworming. For those of you who don’t know who Dr Caldwell is, he is a world-renowned wildlife veterinary surgeon in South Africa and has been involved in a lot of research work.
This weeks webinar is an interesting look into a situation that we all hope to never find ourselves in. How do we know that an animal is in a dangerous situation, and what steps do we need to take (what steps can we take?) to help our patient. Caroline Allen MA VetMB CertSAM MRCVS, the RSCPA Chief Veterinary Officer, walks us through the main points of this journey.
To inspire others to be and deliver more than they thought was possible, is my definition of leadership. It really is all about the relationship between the leader and the team and fundamental to this is whether the leader trusts their team and believes in people’s potential.