Jumping isn’t just for the horses at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
Back in the late 80’s I was a Vet student and a referee at the Royal Windsor Horse Show every May. The marathon was part of a 3 day trial for drivers and their horses. It involves a 2-3 hour drive to test the horses’ endurance, followed by a series of complicated obstacles to be […]
Cat hyperthyroidism: the signs, the symptoms and the staff
A really good veterinary nurse is brilliant. They help me in so many ways, and become very familiar with the patients, owners and types of condition that we see most often. So when one of my five Registered Veterinary Nurses says to me I think this cat might have developed hyperthryroidism, I know to trust […]
Caring for your dogs this Easter, and caring for bunnies in the past
The Easter bunny will be visiting many homes in Mid Sussex this weekend, I imagine, bringing along many a chocolatey treat that can sadly be harmful to our canine pets. As the Easter bunny visits, please be careful, dogs have great chocolate-seeking noses, but get really sick if they eat too much, so keep them […]
Press Release: Annual Cuckoo Fayre may be last of its kind
If you want to read more please see link to the Mid Sussex times online feed.Read More…
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
Starting to lose your ‘get up and go’? The same thing might be happening to Fido… I have reached the age now when, as my friends lovingly predicted, “Ah! That’s when you start to feel the aches and pains!” I’ve always shunned any idea that this was going to happen to me, but oh dear, […]
Cat Bite Abscess and World Antibiotic Awareness Week
“Careful: she bit me when I touched her there!” Cassie was hunched up, and became anxious when I tried to touch her left hind leg. Her claws were a little shredded, and she was running a slight temperature. When I ran my fingers gently through her coat I identified a swelling over the back of […]
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 […]
