Francisco Gomez's Groups Activities

Clippers

Beats — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:01:39 GMT

In 2025, what are your favourite clippers for small animal work?

Have you got good eye photos for a book?

Francisco Gomez — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:09:18 GMT

Hi guys!

I'm looking for photos of eyes with uveitis, foreign body/trauma, herpesvirus and sequestrum. I'm writing a book that covers these subjects, but its intended audience is pet owners.

If you'd like, I'd happily credit you in the book next to the photo. As they're for pet owners, the changes should be not too horrid.

Do dogs get hayfever?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:30:46 GMT

[quote user="Noweia"]How about - we must use the licensed frusemide injection. But when it has been open 28 days we must throw out the whole lot. Illegal to give it to something on day 29. But when it suddenly was on back order it was fine to use the cheaper human stuff, as the formulation is the same. And THEN, when the human stuff was on back order too, suddenly it's fine to use the bottle of vet drug past it's broach date because it's still good. We throw away thousands of pounds of perfectly good drugs a year. But we are all pushing to be 'sustainable' and recycle more and reuse things where we can. The whole not being able to tell clients a dose of a common medicine they can get elsewhere is also a pain. Eg sodium cromoglicate eye drops for hay fever are about £6 on the shelf in asda but if I sell them to clients from our system, at one point they were over £40!![/quote]

Tangent of: RE: Do you find any veterinary medicines regulations overbearingly bureaucratic?

This is nothing personal, whatsoever, but I don't think I've ever seen or diagnosed a dog with hayfever. Occasionally I have used pred drops for red, uninfected eyes. Never given an animal sodium cromoglicate - should I be? Am I missing something?

Why are locums getting flooded by shifts they just won't do?

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:32:06 GMT

It's holiday/no-school season and right now everyone wants a locum. Like everyone! But we won't do the advertised shifts?

You know why? Read on.

https://frangomezvet.com/articles/the-locum-paradox.html

Vets are just in it for the money, aren't they?

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:55:59 GMT

First veterinary mythbuster. I hope you like it:

Now I am sure I am not to everyone's taste, and others may not like other aspects of the film. But if you DO think it is a useful counter to the current narrative, then DO share it. You can do so on Youtube, Tiktok or Facebook.

And if you want to reciprocate the support, then do advertise any veterinary vacancies you have on VetSurgeon Jobs or VetNurse Jobs.

Finally, if you have any suggestions for the myth you would most like debunked next (ie the one that would make your life so much easier if we could educate people with the truth), then fire away.

We did discuss this in another thread where there are a few ideas, but still thinking of the things you have to waste most time explaining to clients.

Online communities and AI - where do you think the future lies?

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:08:31 GMT

Was reflecting on where the future lies for online communities in general, whether here or Facebook or linkedin or wherever, as I did my normal 4m walk around the countryside this morning, this time chatting to chatgpt.

Looking at the evolution in the veterinary world, I kicked off with vetnurse.co.uk then vetsurgeon.org. Then Facebook came along - a less accountable and moderated platform which nevertheless had the advantage of being a place where large numbers of people gravitated anyway (ie to keep in touch with family).

That stole a lot of my thunder.

But I think the novelty of FB has worn off, and certainly amongst my peer group, a relatively small percentage even bother logging in any more.

So where is it all going?

I was thinking of the benefits of being able to share info (the main value I saw when I started vetnurse all those years ago) ... and I wonder whether that will be usurped by chatgpt.

As I say, I was 'talking' to chat gpt this morning for the first time, and was mightily impressed by how lifelike the voice, and left wondering whether that would come to replace veterinary communities.

Specifically asked myself: if I was a vet and I wanted to ask a question, would I rather post it in a veterinary community (with the associated fear of judgement, or of posting something self-incriminating, or of appearing foolish), or would I rather ask an unjudgmental 'font of all knowledge'?

I asked chatgpt whether it thought ai would replace online communities / forums, and it said no, because people value being able to tap into real life experiences, and the sense of community.

I'm not so sure!

What do you think?

I am also thinking about rebuilding the VetSurgeon community on a new platform which is simultaneously a website and an app, the latter offering facebook style notifications which might (or might not) change things.

I also think that in an increasingly digital world, I think anything which helps forge real human connections is a good thing.

So I was umming and aahing about where everything is going ... and not only interested in what you think, but also what you think I can provide that meets your information-sharing needs (which are not met elsewhere).

Dinu Catilina - I know, I know , but I am still here!

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

Francisco Gomez — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:11:05 GMT

ChatGPT (or 'chatty' as it is known at home) has a nice description of vetsurgeon.org

"it's a well-moderated professional forum catering to veterinary surgeons, including topic group discussions and expert help sections"

So I thought I would share with you one of my many side hussles (the list is as long as my medical history).

I’d love to tap into your experience with tools used frequently by (but not limited to) locum or freelance vets in the UK — especially those who, like me, sometimes provide ophthalmology cover.

What I’m curious about:

Which tools do you bring with you to different practice settings

Which purchases were your own responsibility, and roughly how much did they cost?

Did they prove cost-effective over time?

Are there regrets or tools you wouldn’t recommend replacing?

Items I’m interested in include—but are not limited to:

Pen torches (PLR or dazzle-check compatible)

Ophthalmoscopes or portable diagnostic kits

Stethoscopes

Portable bags or kits
Anything else that helps you be more self-sufficient

I am compiling a small, anonymised summary of insights to help other vets.

You can find my current list at https://frangomezvet.com

Thank you!

https://youtube.com/shorts/_2NzVEyPGxw?si=P42eIRN4W3mJI_el

Efficient Antiparasitic Prescription Authorisation Tool (UK-Compliant)

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:57:35 GMT

Under RCVS guidance and VMD prescribing regulations, veterinary professionals must maintain clear records of client consent for 12-month antiparasitic supply authorisations. Manual entry of this repetitive text consumes valuable consultation time. See example from RCVS here.

To streamline this process, I’ve developed a free, web-based tool that:

• Generates compliant authorisation text adhering to UK requirements

• Copies automatically to clipboard for seamless integration into clinical notes

• Requires no login or installation (accessible on any device)

• Reduces prescription documentation time per routine consults

Intended use:

- Locum veterinarians transitioning between clinics

- Practices seeking to standardise documentation

- Vets managing high-volume wellness consultations

Access: The tool is available at:

https://frangomezvet.com/antiparasitic-generator

Leave it open in your desktop or minimised and use when needed

Feedback from UK practitioners is welcomed to ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory updates.

www.vetsurgeon.org/.../SVID_5F00_20250731_5F00_082522_5F00_1.mp4

BBC investigation into pressure on vets to meet targets

Cinzia Gandini — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:09:44 GMT

I'm not sure owning so many practices is actually business efficient is it not that they can incur in big financial problems?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62zzegvk33o

What more can I do for a shih tzu with persistent glaucoma?

Carl Gorman — Fri, 02 May 2025 18:05:46 GMT

Sight is long gone and the eye is not painful. Owners dont want surgery. She is on Travatan and Azarga twice daily but the IOP has crept up to the low 50s again.

Should I be bothered? Years ago i would have injected gentamycin into the vitreous and stopped the ciliary bodies secreting, but I can't seem to get the right concentration of gentamycin injection.

Carl

Change from prozinc to glargine?

Aly Malcolm — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:20:03 GMT

16 yo mn dlh

diabetic for last 9 months

doing well on 3.5iu bid prozinc but still pupd and as libre monitor shows is spending significant time hyperglycaemic. Does anyone have any experience changing to glargine or any advice for me please?
clinically cat stronger and more alert initially and gained weight from 3.1-3.8kg now

Which is your favourite social media platform?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:58:07 GMT

I've just had the most extraordinary meeting which has made me rethink everything about VetSurgeon and VetNurse.

I saw Facebook and others coming years and years ago, but foolishly keep going with the strategy of trying to keep these forums alive, because I didn't see a way of existing on another social media platform.

Anyway, late to the party, I'm going to start VetSurgeon communities elsewhere now.

First thought is Facebook or Linkedin, or perhaps even Reddit.

Do you have a personal preference?

Written Prescriptions sent straight to online Pharmacies

Claire Godfrey — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 12:53:23 GMT

We would like to start sending our written prescriptions straight to the online pharmacies. I am aware many people are doing this and we may be a little behind the time but could anyone help me put with how this works in practice.

Client places and order and then tells us, we then email prescription? Do they match it up simply from address?

Many thanks

Claire

A gift for vets (and nurses). What do you think?

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:14:10 GMT

I've decided to relaunch VetSurgeon and VetNurse Jobs with a new offer, one that is unique to the profession.

For every job posted, I will put a percentage of the cost into a pot and at the end of the month distribute it to two vets and two vet nurses who posted a job advert, in the form of an amazon voucher.

The maths is £45 +VAT for the advert. I will put £15 of that in the pot. At the end of the month, I will give 60% of the pot to one vet, and 40% to another.

If 10 jobs are posted, that's a nice £90 / £60 voucher for two vets to treat themselves to something.

If 50 jobs are posted, that's a very worthwhile £450 / £300.

And if 100 jobs are posted, which is a figure that is still lower than we used to have, that's a significant £900 / £600.

The point is: if you are a vet and you post a job advert, there's a reasonably good chance that not only will you fill the job, but you might also get your money back x2, or much more!

If you are an employer (but not a vet), then ask one of your vets (or nurses on VetNurse) to post the advert, and it'll be a very nice bonus you've given them if they get the voucher.

What does everyone think? For my part, I see huge amounts of money being spent on other platforms, and if this increases the number of jobs posted on the boards, I love the idea of giving a chunk back.

I will be running this from the start of next month (which happens to be April Fools Day, but this is not an April Fool!)

[Film] PhotonUVC for corneal infections

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:18:59 GMT

Here's something I happened across at London Vet Show which seemed very interesting to my untrained eye. What are your thoughts? How often do you see eye infections? How problematic are they? How much easier just to zap them with this?

https://www.vetsurgeon.org/m/veterinary-product-briefing/138134