When science sounds fictional / How animals help medical research
Have you heard of fluorescent felines? They have been genetically engineered to try to help our understanding of viral diseases in people. One of the most recent human viral outbreaks was the AIDS epidemic. It sparked an enormous amount of charity fund-raising to support the effort to find cures for viruses. It was noted that […]
Bunnies and Winter
With winter just around the corner, let’s spare a thought for our hutch friends. Experienced rabbit and guinea pig owners will be used to watching out for signs of frost or freezing weather. This could cause our hutch friends’ water bottles to freeze, putting them at risk of dehydration. Consider using a water bottle ‘warmer’, […]
Ermie and his purse string suture
At twelve years of age, Ernie is a cat of strong opinions. For instance, he knows he prefers vets kept at claws-length. He wants our relationship to be strictly hands-off! But when he started passing blood and diarrhoea, and getting more sickness than usual, his owner knew he needed us. And although he was reluctant […]
Celebrate Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month with us
Outside of the consulting room, most of the attention and medical care your pet receives is at the hands of a veterinary nurse. It is this we celebrate each May, as Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) gives us an opportunity to talk about our role in caring for your pets. In any given day a […]
Thoughts return to university days
At this time of year, my thoughts return to memories of my early days at University. My first two years at Vet School involved taking many of my lectures with the students training to become doctors. We shared Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology and Pharmacology lecture halls. Only for the Anatomy classes were the Veterinary students separated […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy – An un-bear-lievable student experience
It was high summer, and the evenings went on and on with lovely balmy weather. I was a lowly Veterinary Student seeing practice at Whipsnade Zoo. They had kindly provided accommodation within the Zoo, which I shared with other students as well as some noisy peacocks. All day I had observed the Vet in charge […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
Spring is around the corner – make sure you keep an eye on your cat as the weather gets warmer and they venture back outside As the days get longer it will soon be breeding season for cats. If you are not planning a litter, and your kitten is a ‘teenager’ (4-8 months of age), […]
The Bat in the Bathroom
People often ask me how I knew I wanted to become a Vet. There are many answers, including the James Herriott series on TV; my sheer joy during my first work experience at a Vet’s; and perhaps some genetic influence: my grandfather was a doctor. But I can’t help wondering if there was some natural […]
“Never work with children or animals”, so the saying goes – and never think you know better than them either!
One bitter December I was seeing practice with the Vets in Kildare, Eire, near the Curragh Racecourse. At that time, I still fancied myself as a bit of a horsewoman, so when I was offered the chance to ride out, I leapt at the opportunity. I should have known better. My previous experience had been […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy – Sometimes answers come from the most unexpected places
Here’s an odd but essential life lesson I learnt recently: do not snack on pickled onions whilst tidying overhead! I do love a crisp tangy pickled onion, and feeling a little peckish I popped a whole one into my mouth as I started the kitchen tidy-up. I bopped around the kitchen putting things away, including […]
Puppy Parties: The most adorable event on the calendar
Dogs are social creatures – they just love company! In the wild, dogs live in packs, and have a very rich family life. This is probably why pet dogs fit so well into our families. But they do need help as puppies to develop good social skills, just as children do. Before they are 8 […]
Immunity and trickery often go hand in hand
Our immune systems are amazing. Designed to protect us from infections, they quietly do a great job keeping us fit and healthy. As a Vet, sometimes all I have to do is give a helping hand, and my patient’s immune system does the rest. This is often the way when a cat creates an abscess […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
The bond between a pet and their owner should never be underestimated! When I first thought about joining the veterinary profession I thought I could evade working with people. I imagined a wonderful life, just me helping sick and injured animals without ever having to interact with anyone else. I had been badly bullied throughout […]
Dog Splenectomies come in threes
Have you ever noticed when waiting for a bus that there are none for ages, and then three come along together? Well, we often notice the same thing with unusual diseases in pets. I can go for a year or two without seeing an internal haemorrhage, and then three all crop up in a fortnight. […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
An important introduction to student life “Julia, this essay is awful!” I must have written thousands of essays in my life, but as this was my very first written at Cambridge University, it was not a great start. My critic was Donald Stevens, my Anatomy tutor. I had only met him a couple of times, […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy – Summer can be a prime time for parasites, but luckily some types are relatively easy to treat
This is the time of year when we tend to see a lot of itchy pets. Parasites like fleas love the warmer weather, and pets with allergies to pollen and grasses suffer the most in the spring and summer months. I always enjoy the challenge of helping an owner with an itchy pet. Occasionally all […]
Julia’s Column For The Middy
Bringing a new meaning to the expression ‘counting sheep’! It was the holiday time just after Christmas, and I was a fourth year Vet student. At last my time had come to learn about lambing! I had been waiting for this ever since I saw students responding to advertisements on the Vet School noticeboard from […]
Sometimes a problem in the eye can’t always be seen
Guinea pigs are loving, gentle pets, and easy to keep. I hardly ever have to examine one, as they suffer very little in the way of medical problems. But one day I had an appointment to see Rusty, who was one of a pair of lady guinea pigs, living a happy life in a hutch […]
Did you know that tortoises are probably the longest lived breed of all commonly kept pets?
A Hermann’s tortoise usually lives 50 years in captivity, and the record is over 100 years. Horsefield tortoises commonly live to 75 years, so their expected lifespan is similar to ours. It is not uncommon for tortoise owners to make provision for their pets in their Wills, just in case they outlive their human companion. […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
Big-hearted Charlie embraces the Valentine’s spirit A Haywards Heath grandmother was rescued by her miniature poodle after having a fall in her home recently. Mobility impaired Ann Salts was alone in her house with only her poodle Charlie to help her, but luckily he knew exactly what to do. Ann recalled that Charlie seemed to […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
Some dogs might look threatening, but if you treat them properly you’ll find their bark is worse than their bite When a Rottweiler growls at you, you don’t argue back! I have known quite a few Rotties, and most are owned by very sensible people who understand how dangerous a large dog can be if […]
BB’s story: a complex little person, Part 2
Clive continues the story of BB, a diabetic with multiple joint issues. BB had reached the point where she could barely exercise. “Julia explained that all the usual medications that she tends to prescribe to get a little dog moving again were a worry to use due to her complex needs. So she suggested I […]
Julia’s Column For The Middy
How can you tell if your pet is overweight? My New Year’s resolution two weeks ago was “I must eat less!” Well, actually, that is my resolution just about every time I have look in the mirror! I do my best. I take the stairs rather than a lift. My dog, Jasmine, and I go for […]
First Aid for Fits
This exceptionally hot summer I have seen a number of cases of dogs experiencing their first suspected fit. These may have been brought on by the heat, or they may have not been fits, but rather cases of heat stroke, and I found myself in each case needing to give advice on how I want […]
