vs0u 's Activities

How do YOU practise veterinary medicine?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 08:08:06 GMT

I have put together a survey for practising vets, to look at some of the factors which may influence how you practice.

I put the survey together with input from three vets. It's eight questions / two minutes, and I hope you will agree it will be interesting to know how the majority answer.

At the moment, it is in Beta, that is to say that I'd like a few people to do the survey and tell me if there are any major holes in it before I make it more widely available next week.

Bear in mind that if you do the survey and there is some major problem with it (which I don't expect), then I might ask you to do it again when I have fixed it!

BTW, I am especially curious to know whether you think the survey should be anonymous, or if I should offer an incentive (bottle of champagne) or any other feedback you have.

Thanks everyone!

survey.alchemer.com/.../Veterinary-Confidence-Survey

Dishing out disciplinaries on social media

David Mills — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:39:25 GMT

I'm not on Vet Voices but apparently there was a thread this week where the esteemed Col Smith was threatening a practice with sanctions as they were unable to fulfil their 24 hour obligation.

Sounded like a small equine practice that had tried and failed to arrange 24h cover and as such had put out to clients that from a certain date wouldn't be able to offer the service anymore.

Cue Col Smith wading in.

It seems a pretty poor way of addressing the issue given the summit they have planned.

I also noted with a wry smile that RCVs councillors have been silent when some of the big groups has given a mere nod to their obligations by directing clients >3h away to the nearest centre. Letter and spirit I suppose

The vet charged me £xxx........ responses required

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 03 May 2021 10:22:50 GMT

You know how it goes...

Someone asks you what you do and the conversation always swings to...

Chap restarting my car after a flat battery on Thursday night. 'So you're a vet?'

Me 'Yes'

Mechanic 'I had a friend who was charged £120 just to have his cat put to sleep, another friend had a cat with an abscess and that cost him £140'

Does any other profession get this?

30 years in this game and it's always been the same

Witty responses required?

Neil

My response now is that that there are 2 vets earning the money whilst having to support 3 nurses, 2 reception staff and a ACA, along with rent, rates and all the other things Amazon don't pay

Women's safety

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 10:51:12 GMT

I was really surprised by the way the murder of Sarah Everard turned into this huge expression of fear felt by women as they walk the streets. Mainly because a murder by one nutjob in ten years, awful as it is, doesn't have much to do with how fearful or not women are, or should be.

What do female VS members think about this? Do you feel fearful walking the street? Do you do all those risk mitigating things people talk about (like making sure someone knows where you are, holding a key between your fingers, wearing shoes that you can run in).

I do wonder whether this is all a bit overcooked (one MP suggesting men should be curfewed).

First of all, women don't have the monopoly on fear. I've felt fearful walking around a less solubrious part of London at night. Don't we all?

And then there's the issue of just how threatening men's behaviour is. I know women who would be actively disappointed if they had not been catcalled as they walked past the building site. That surely is harmless? Or perhaps it isn't?

I wonder how often women find themselves on the receiving end of really unpleasant, threatening behaviour from men. Being followed for example (my wife once was), or pressed up against on the London Underground.

Has this sort of thing become more commonplace? Or is it, as it always has been, a largely geographical issue (ie happens in rough parts of town)? Is it something to do with people's reduced tolerance of risk (so even the 0.0000001% risk of the harmless catcaller being Jack the Ripper is too great a risk to tolerate).

7 and 1/2 Minutes.

Clive Ansell — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 08:39:38 GMT

Is anyone out there working to 7 1/2 minute appointments?

Just had a locum vacancy crop up where they work to 7 1/2 minute appointments. I didn't realise folk still did that, and seem to find more and more that practices are moving from the standard 10 to 15 minutes.

Thoughts?

Racism, statues and the veterinary profession

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:51:03 GMT

What does everyone else make of the black lives matter campaign, racism and racism in the veterinary profession.

Must say, I am quite divided on the subject of judging historical figures by the mores of today.

I wonder whether it pains people from ethnic backgrounds to walk past a statue of a historical figure who was associated with the slave trade. I walk past that kind of thing and think "some bloke wearing a funny hat". I had no idea Colston was a slave trader. Actually, I had never heard of the man before.

Yet I do agree that it seems wrong to continue to celebrate people who made their money on the backs of slaves.

But where do you draw the line? Churchill is the obvious one. How about Field Marshall Montgomery, who had some quite fruity opinions.

I see in Vet Times: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/profession-pushes-for-real-change-on-racism/

Question is whether the lack of diversity in the profession is due to racism or something else.

House visits and coronavirus

KMurphy — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 12:17:43 GMT

How is everyone managing these? Are you having support staff drive there separately from the vet or do the vet and assistant just go together with masks on/windows open? Do you limit clients that can be there? Try and do things outdoors as much as possible?

I'm not sure how best to approach this one. I haven't needed to do one yet but I know that won't last forever.

Social media spats and the future direction of VetSurgeon

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 05 May 2020 11:00:59 GMT

Something I am trying to muddle my way through ...

For years, VetSurgeon had a reputation for some pretty rumbustious (putting it mildly) discussions. Hardly a day went by when I didn't get a complaint from someone being mortally offended. Two or three calls from grown people in tears about some post or other. I can't say I enjoyed that part of things. And as a result of my experience moderating, I told my young daughter never to use electronic communication when angry, or when the subject was an emotive one. Simply not appropriate for that situation.

I tried to steer the forums away from those kinds of adversarial spats. I suspended an account belonging to one of the main protagonists, and a couple of others quietened down somewhat. The vibe has become much less adversarial / combative in the last year or so.

I also launched the expert forums, which are really starting to get some momentum now. And they are developing a really helpful, positive vibe.

But I can't help feeling that it was the disagreements and arguments that were most compelling. I mean, if you are just sharing an opinion, you post it and then leave and there isn't much reason to come back. But if you are in an argument with someone, you are compelled to come back and reply!

I think the expert forums are compelling for the question author and the experts. They offer a clear point of difference over facebook. A helpful and positive vibe is emerging. They are very professional. And my time is very constructively spent behind the scenes contacting experts, explaining the system and inviting them to get stuck in (as opposed to the main forums where my time was mainly spent apologising to someone or other!).

And all of that leaves me wondering ... where to next?

Part of me thinks I should move the expert forums (and clinical discussion forums) centre stage so that they are the first thing people come to when they visit the forums. Move the more general forums sideways, so that regulars can still go straight there, but put all the clinical discussion at the very front.

Then the other part of me thinks perhaps we should just discuss some more controversial subjects.

Then I think of the roasting I got when I had the temerity to suggest on a facebook group that the RCVS and the BVA should not step on each other's toes when dishing out advice ... and I think ... pah, life's too short and my blood pressure is high enough already.

So I go round in circles again.

Thoughts anyone / everyone???

Veterinary life after coronavirus

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:19:12 GMT

Thought it would be interesting and useful to discuss what everyone thinks life will be like after coronavirus.

I think it seems clear now that some elements of social distancing will be with us for, what, a year? Will it have any impact on pet ownership? What impact will it have on visits to the vets? What I mean is that even if lockdown ends, some people will be fearful of making non-essential trips for preventative medicine, so what impact will that have on footfall? How much will remote consulting help?

Is it a disaster for one or more of the corporates? Or not? Will it hit independents harder?

Will there be a shortage of vets, or job losses, or no difference?

How will our lives change as a result of coronavirus?

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 09:47:51 GMT

Just writing the script for my next video, and mulling over what will be the enduring changes to our lives once this is all over.

There are the obvious things, like videoconferencing for both work and social. I haven't looked, but it may not be too late to buy zoom shares.

Home shopping will take a further leap forward, and the high street another step backwards, though the latter may be mitigated by the emergence of more boutique shops.

More electric scooters/bicycles in cities if we have to maintain certain aspects of social distancing for any appreciable length of time.

What else?

Uber Vets

Richard Stephenson — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:20:55 GMT

To get away from Coronavirus for a minute I read the Vet Times this pm and noticed 'Uber for vets'.

This is a home visiting scheme which it is proposed will have a national network of locum vets, those on parental leave, working in industry, shift workers or have a day off each week. The client will ring a central telephone / or book online and Uber Vet will arrange one of their net work to visit. I note the service will be strictly for NON-emergency cases and will deliver vaccinations, health checks, repeat prescriptions, 'breeder packages (I assume discounted vacs and microchips) and euthanasia.

Perhaps I'm missing something but aren't all practising vets meant to provide 24 / 7 emergency cover?? Isn't this just another means to take the 'soft' routine work and undermine local practice?

I'm also puzzled - aren't people on parental leave meant to be on parental leave rather than working for someone else, and aren't rest days during the week meant to be compliant with the WTD i.e. rest days??

Given the sacrifice being made by everyone in practice (whether independent, corporate or joint venture) at present - won't we need a period of recovery and consolidation to rebuild practices and get some security back into people's lives.

This is surely where the regulator has to act in the public interest and say NO.

As I say - perhaps I've missed some key element here but to me this Uber Vet thing is a terrible idea and although I don't ever wish ill of anyone I hope it fails.

Yours

Richard S.

COVID 19 - Stop doing routine work.

Glenn Hodgson — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 11:25:36 GMT

*** For those of you within a decision making position ***

It seems that the time has been and gone that we should be in contact with patients and clients that dont really need to come in.

We are in Denny Falkirk. Only pets, no clients, are allowed into the practice. The only "routine" work we are doing is completing primary vaccine courses, for now..

Clients are being asked to call in 2 months regarding boosters, spays, nurse checks etc to see how things are panning out. They are OK with this.

Yes this will hit your business very hard. It is ours, a 5 vet practice, sobeit. Tough.

Disclaimer, vested interest.

I'm in my house coughing and ill, with 2 fevered kids in bed. They should cope fine.

If your nearby Denny and doing routines just now, I'll still catch your emergencies in a fortnight if you need a hand. :-/

I of course write in general terms and there are notable exceptions

Joint RCVS BVA statement: Guidance on vet status as Key Workers/ School Closures

Niall Connell — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 15:36:27 GMT

Following on from the government announcement on key workers, please see below the joint statement from RCVS and BVA

www.rcvs.org.uk/.../

Antibiotics and cat bite abscesses

janine redman — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 00:25:02 GMT

what is the current thinking on this.

i have seen two cats this week, both treated for cat bite wounds without antibiotics

one was sedated , abscess lanced and flushed , no antibiotics and the original wound is now a large abscess again filled with thick green purulent material . In addition there is an area around the tail base which is another ruptured abscess with necrotic tissue and sloughing off.

One had an abscess lanced on the temporal region which has recurred twice now over 4 weeks

the third case had a wound only so had metacam and has now presented with an abscess on its forearm .

i rarely see cat bite abscesses these days but I still treat with antibiotics even after flushing them out . One of our newer vets has been criticised by the team for dispensing antibiotics for pyrexic cat with an abscess and has asked my opinion. I am now trying to decide if the welfare of the individual patient, and the hassle from the clients, ( who are querying why they have had to pay for the same procedure twice and why weren’t antibiotics given the first time? ), needs to be weighed against the consideration of inappropriate use of antibiotics in practice . What do people think?

Maternity benefits

vs0u — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:47:07 GMT

As there is a such a recruitment problem in the veterinary industry and most vets are now female, I wonder if the corporates are missing something by failing to offer (or advertise) decent maternity packages.

In other industries, those that work for big companies often get generous maternity benefits such as 3, 6 or even 9 months off on full pay. Presumably companies only do this because it improves recruitment and staff loyalty.

None of the vet job adverts seem to mention this at all. Does anyone know if any of the corporates offer more than the bare minimum maternity (or paternity) benefits?