Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

RE: Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

Lindsey Edwards — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:41:15 GMT

When I did small animal GP locum always carried stethoscope, digital thermometer, 3 familiar basic surgery instrument kits, spare suture/needles and biro (plus my regular emergency bag including ambubag, foil blanket, catheterization supplies with tape) - seldom needed any of it but happy to be prepared and not searching for things or trying to DIY a solution when I didn't have to.

RE: Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

Sarah Keir — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:04:01 GMT

When I locumed:

- stethascope

- opthalmoscope and otoscope

- battery clippers (cheap ones from Amazon but still better than anything a practice had)

- BSAVA formularies, cheat sheets for emergency things and rabbit treatment, tables of how long bottles of meloxicam last etc

- dog treats

- antibacterial handwash that was NOT chlorhexidine based, Sterilium, air freshener

- a full dental kit of sharp luxators and elevators with sharpening stones, head torch, loopes, face shield, copies of dental charts

- odds and sods like tick hooks, ocular lens, pen torch, old artery forceps like Lesley

- x-ray monitoring badge

- pens

- scissors on a bungy cord attached to my trousers

- lunch and snacks, water bottle

- spare set of clothes and shoes (in case of poonami etc)

- set of scrub clothes and scrub shoes

- battery bank and phone charging cables

RE: Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

Lesley Strong — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:25:17 GMT

I used to take my own sharp short handled dental elevators and curettes

Decent SHARP curved scissors

Stethoscope as who wants to share ear wax

Tourniquet

Old artery forceps for pulling off broken nails( never could find them when locumming

Small dental angled mirror for checking behind cat palates for grass. V handy

V thin bladed curved metz scissors for eye surgery( never found them locumming either)

A decent pillow for the saggy 50 yr old bed and my Nesspreso machine !!!

All the above worth their wt in gold

RE: Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:41:02 GMT

A sense of humour

Quality syringes and needles , not cheap

Decent otoscope

Decent opthalmoscope that you know how to use

A massive box of pens so you flood the practice, eliminate shortage and prevent theft by colleagues

Curved scissors

An open mind

Stethoscope to signal silence is required to give you time to think

Comfortable footwear

Clean top

The ability to forgive your clients for being quite annoying

Timekeeping discipline

The ability to really listen

I know this was not what you were looking first Francisco but it entertained me

RE: Essential Gear for UK Locum & Freelance Vets — Share Costs & Experiences

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 21:20:23 GMT

Francisco - are you frightened of the dark? It's basically just torches.

If I was locuming I think I'd get a proper James Herriot - brown leather bag and carry:

Diagnostic kit

cardiology stethoscope (Welch Allyn was best but Littman ok)

chip scanner

sharp scissors

fast reading thermometer and covers

tick remover

roll of WOW

homemade tourniquet

decent battery clippers

I hate looking for things in my own bloody practice - couldn't stand it somewhere unfamiliar.

I love a good torch and use a headtorch for farm work, but don't, personally, use them in my small animal work. I just use the otoscope as a light source.

For quality and value, I like the following set -

https://www.medisave.co.uk/products/riester-vet-i-25v-halogen-otoscope-and-25v-xenon-ophthalmoscope-with-c-handle-for-2-alkaline-batteries-c-type-or-ri-accu?_pos=14&_sid=0ed1515d6&_ss=r