A personal journey leads to making history

Nearly 7 years ago when I joined the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) Executive Committee, I had no idea that I would soon find myself making history.

Supporting quality of life in feline patients with chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive terminal disease that is commonly seen in cats in small animal veterinary practices. Veterinary nurses will be involved in caring for these patients during the diagnostic and treatment phases including providing end-of-life care when symptoms increase and the patient either dies a natural death or is euthanased. Palliative or hospice care will be provided by owners in the home environment. Veterinary nurses have a role in supporting owners to deliver high quality care to their pet and when making difficult decisions about their pet's death.

Malocclusion in dogs and cats

Malocclusion involves abnormal relationships of teeth to each other and other oral structures. Malocclusion can present without significant symptoms or can be severely debilitating. In order to detect a malocclusion it is important for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to have an understanding both of normal occlusion and of the classification and terms used to describe malocclusion which then leads to an appreciation of treatment options. As veterinary nurses frequently have the opportunity to examine young dogs and cats they are ideally placed to identify abnormal occlusion at an early stage.

Feline stress in a nutshell — why does it occur, how can it be recognised, and what can be done to alleviate it?

Many cat owners assume that their cat's relative independence ensures that the cat has a considerable level of choice regarding their encounters with stimuli that could be potential stressors. As a result, a substantial number of cat owners consider their cat to live a stress-free life. Yet the PDSA's 2016 PAWS report found that UK veterinary surgeons considered chronic stress to be among the three top welfare problems for cats. Consequently, there is an obvious role for the veterinary team in owner education regarding the prevention, recognition and alleviation of feline stress within the domestic environment.

Microchipping in cats

On April 6th, 2016 microchipping because compulsory for dogs in the UK. The question now is should microchipping also be compulsory in cats? International cat care strongly advocate the voluntary microchipping of cats — in the article below Veterinary Director Andy Sparkes answers the questions your clients may have when discussing this important issue.

How to anaesthetise reptiles

Reptiles are now the fourth most popular type of pet in the UK (behind cats, dogs and fish) but many practices and veterinary staff are unsure over how to perform routine procedures on the different species including general anaesthesia. This article will cover the basics of how to successfully anaesthetise reptiles from induction through to recovery for routine or short procedures. It gives veterinary staff a quick reference guide to some of the specific considerations that need to be made when presented with a pet reptile in practice in need of a general anaesthetic.

Common equine upper respiratory tract surgery: a nurse's perspective

There is little published information on upper respiratory tract (URT) surgery in horses directed at veterinary nurses. This article outlines common URT surgeries in equine practice; a brief description of the pathology that requires surgical correction, surgery details that the nurse needs to be aware of and the postoperative care required for each surgery.

Delegation and the legal, professional and ethical issues for veterinary nurses: a case study

This article aims to examine a given scenario from legal, professional and ethical perspectives to highlight what is appropriate delegation. It is important to consider a student's level of knowledge and stage of training to also gain insights into the appropriate delegation of tasks in practice.

Our survey needs YOU to help give horses a better future

Your support for the National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) 22-29 May 2017 will help protect the future health and welfare of our horses and ponies. Horse owning veterinary nurses, as well as those working in equine practice, can encourage their friends and clients to take part this month.