Bitch spays

RE: Bitch spays

Andreia Dias — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 18:29:14 GMT

No offence taken, Andreas! Just explaining why the course is paid for :) I have heard from one of the tutors that many vet students from the UK are not happy with the ethical standards behind some neutering campaigns, which is why I think they are willing to invest in something like this. I know back when I was a student, you could probably volunteer, but now even for placements in Africa for instance, you are required to pay (I have pointed some vets in different directions over the last couple years and this is something that is becoming more widespread). You may also be sadly surprised to hear about how many practices don't have the right support system for vets that need to develop their surgical skills :/ It is one of those things you just have to do to get...

RE: Bitch spays

Anthony Todd — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 17:56:12 GMT

These are largely manual skills which always can't be taught, only helped and sympathised with, for sure!

[Neither can any sport, which people sneer at, but the parallels are exact.!]

Back in the day when I thought i was pretty slick I said to my mother that I could tie a knot quicker than she could....;she won easily...

I challenged an AI inseminator to pass an IU catheter and lost by a mile.... and I'd done a lot.......and thought I was the dog's you know...

So knowledge can't replace repetition or practice for many of the things which the newbie expects to be "adequate" at after minimal practice and maximum study and uni passes.....

There I go again deriding new grads......

RE: Bitch spays

Andreas Ege — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 12:13:27 GMT

I didn't want to offend, apologies if I did.

I'm just genuinely surprised, that's all. I don't know how the rescue places work these days, my experience is about 12-15 years old. At that time volunteering for neutering camps seemed a win-win situation to me. If I had a practice I probably wouldn't send somebody on neuter training, under normal circumstances I'm quite confident I can teach that sufficiently well as long as you make sure recent grads (or people coming back) get enough cases and time to do them. But that's just me and looking at my wife's neutering journey she might have benefited from a training like that. ;-)

RE: Bitch spays

Andreia Dias — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:32:36 GMT

I see your point, Andreas, but the course is a training course offering high standard surgical facilities, it's not a case of spaying as many bitches as you can with little to no supervision under a triple GA and instruments soaked in Betadine between dogs. There are two tutors and a nurse, all of whom are paid for being there. When you look at 40 hours of CPD in 5 days and compare it to surgery refreshers that cost more than £1600 for 3 days for procedures you may not be doing in your first 2 years in practice, there is value to the course and all of the delegates so far have left very good reviews (though bear in mind I did not join any courses until October last year). It is not for everyone, but many practices see this as a great investment for a skill that their vets are going to be using every day and we do get students joining, as well as vets from other countries in Europe. Most places are no longer taking pure volunteers, though I assume you could still find them! Even in the UK there is a Welsh rescue, but as far as I'm aware, you have to be pretty well versed at surgery to be able to visit them, it's not a "learning" environment.

RE: Bitch spays

Andreas Ege — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 21:40:18 GMT

One would assume.

On the other hand, I always saw it as a good win-win situation: the charity gets (more or less) free work, and the vet the opportunity to gain experience, both professional and personal. And in the end, who is most in need to gain experience spaying bitches? I'd think mainly (fairly) recent graduates, and to a lesser degree people changing sector or returning to work after a long break. The first are likely not to have that much money to spent. At the time I went to India I probably would have had the money (can't remember, but figuring the cost for flight in that probably would not have been far away), but when my wife went on her first neuter camp in Spain we certainly couldn't have afforded to spend that kind of money.

I've just spayed a surprise mucometra - I was really getting irritated, that I didn't manage to get the uterus with a spaying hook. Until I saw how big it was...

RE: Bitch spays

Francisco Gomez — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 21:29:45 GMT

I'm guessing the more the vet pays, the more money is available for the charity work, no?

RE: Bitch spays

Andreas Ege — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:25:39 GMT

"...costs just £1,100 (+VAT). This includes course fees and transport between the hotel and the Center but does not include flights, transport between the airport and Medina or meals. We have agreed preferential rates with a local hotel and make no charge for helping you book with them." (https://spayacademyspain.com/the-course/)

Wow. I'm genuinely surprised that people are doing that, even taking coaching into account. There was a time when one could just go to Spain (or other countries, I've done it in India) and volunteer for a charity for free, accommodation and (at least some) meals included. Would suspect one can still do that with the right charity...