Final farewells

Readers' Letters

Supporting students in practice part 2: role of the training practice team

The clinical learning environment is a complex sociocultural landscape that can be challenging to manage to support the appropriate professional development of student veterinary nurses (SVNs). The clinical supervisor is appointed to support student training in veterinary practice and is the student's first point of contact in the clinical setting. Research has shown that the wider practice team can also have a significant impact on the student experience, creating a positive or negative atmosphere for learning. It is vital that the whole team contributes to student support to create opportunities for growth and development. Being approachable and friendly, and inviting discussions, are some of the ways this can be accomplished. The presence of students in practice will also bring multiple benefits to the practice team, including a renewed perspective to problem solving and the latest evidence-based practice.

Leishmania: case management and UK transmission

Leishmania are vector-borne protozoan parasites that cause a wide range of clinical disease (leishmaniosis). Leishmania infantum is the species mainly causing leishmaniosis in European cats and dogs, and has zoonotic potential. Sandflies are the principal vector of transmission, but non-vectorial routes such as venereal, transplacental and blood transfusion have been described. There is no gold-standard diagnostic test, so leishmaniosis is diagnosed using a combination of methods alongside relevant clinical signs. Early diagnosis is essential for assessing prognosis, successfully managing the disease and minimising transmission. This article discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of leishmaniosis in dogs and cats, and the risk of it becoming established in the UK.

Understanding the approach to animals with thermal burns

Thermal burn injuries represent a spectrum of superficial to deep epidermal and dermal injury sustained after exposure to a liquid, solid or gaseous heat source. Severe thermal burns result in both local damage and systemic effects. In systemically compromised animals, managing major body system abnormalities takes priority over surgically managing the thermal burn. General principles of wound management are relevant to animals with thermal burns. The surgical approach will vary according to individual wound and patient factors. Adjunctive therapies, such as negative pressure wound therapy, are touched on. Further research into thermal burns in veterinary cases is warranted.

Small mammal herbivores part 3: taking a dietary history and providing nutritional support

The unique dietary needs of exotic companion mammal herbivores has been thoroughly explored in this series of articles. The veterinary nurse can be well-equipped and is in an excellent position to take a detailed husbandry and nutritional history, which can help to identify nutritional disease and problems with dietary management that may contribute to future pathogenesis. Providing nutritional support in the hindgut fermenter inpatient or outpatient is centred around both restoring the negative energy balance (as the target species will rapidly enter a catabolic state) and providing enough fibre to stimulate gastrointestinal motility.

Working towards a greener future in veterinary anaesthesia

Anaesthetic gases can exhibit global warming effects by acting as greenhouse gases. The global warming potentials of these gases vary greatly — with sevoflurane being the most environmentally friendly. Nitrous oxide may also exhibit a global warming effect by direct ozone depletion. Veterinary professionals have the potential to reduce their carbon footprint by making use of targeted anaesthetic choices, low fresh gas flows, and multimodal anaesthesia protocols. Individual practices can also appoint an environmental leader and apply pressure to production companies, as well as provide incentives to staff members to take individual action. New developments within sustainable anaesthesia include metal organic frameworks for gas recapture and potential reuse, as well as the development of an environmentally friendly volatile agent, xenon.

Permanent transvenous pacemaker placement in a Terrier with sick sinus syndrome

Pacemaker therapy is generally considered necessary in patients with symptomatic bradycardia that does not respond to medical management. Common arrhythmias requiring implantation of a permanent pacemaker include third degree atrioventricular (AV) block, high grade second degree AV block, sick sinus syndrome and persistent atrial standstill. This patient care report discusses the diagnosis and treatment of a tTrrier with sick sinus syndrome.

London Vet Show 2022 report

The London Vet Show (LVS) took place earlier this month (November 17–18, 2022) — here are the musings of Vicki Adams, who attending on behalf of The Veterinary Nurse, on this year's show. All in all, a good time seemed to have been had by all.

Can cats and dogs live in purrfect harmony?

Researchers from Dogs Trust have published new findings on how dog owners introduce their new puppies to their existing household cats, and what factors were associated with desirable behaviour from the puppies.