Veterinary Ramblings – Details, episodes & analysis

Mike Brampton and Julian Hoad are joined by Hannah Capon from Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) to discuss osteoarthritis in dogs. They explore the challenges of managing chronic pain, the importance of communication with pet owners, and share tips for creating a comprehensive treatment plan. Hannah also shares her experiences traveling through Europe in a camper van and the inspiration behind CAM. The episode emphasises the need for a supportive veterinary community and provides valuable insights into the multimodal management of osteoarthritis.

In this episode, we explore the importance of civility in the workplace with Helen Silver-MacMahon, a registered veterinary nurse pursuing a PhD in non-technical skills for veterinary nurses. Helen shares insights on managing stress, the power of empathy, and effective communication, including how to handle incivility. She discusses her journey from veterinary nursing to her current research and offers practical advice for thriving in the veterinary profession. The episode also includes a segment on the philosophy of thriving and the importance of love and belonging in professional settings.

 Join Nicola Jarvis, a passionate veterinary surgeon from Red Wings Horse Sanctuary, as she shares her fascinating experiences in this light-hearted chat. Nicola qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1990 and after working in mixed practice in Norfolk, she became Rossdales’ first ever intern in 1993. Nicky then joined Redwings Horse Sanctuary in 1996 as a locum and loved it so much she never left!

Redwings currently cares for over 1500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys and mules at eleven sites around the UK. Nicola is responsible for overseeing the team of dedicated vets, equine veterinary nurses and equine care staff who look after their health and well-being. From quirky tales about 'flying giraffes' to more serious topics such as the impact of Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) on elderly horses, Nicola covers it all. The episode also explores her baking escapades, her love for cars, and her work at the horse sanctuary. 

Our first interview with a Brit abroad! Our good friend Professor/Dr. Stephen Divers is a British vet living abroad in the United States of America. We discuss the difference between the two cultures and what that means for Steve's working life, Britishisms and how he translates these to his American students and his coral reef fish tank.

Steve is also an endoscopic wizard, and shares his best practices and techniques and how he teaches these to his students.

(Apologies in advance, we had technical difficulties during this episode and the audio quality is not quite up to our usual standard. We're doing all we can to improve our quality with each episode but unfortunately, tech can sometimes get the best of us!)

Jane Davidson is an experienced vet nurse, writer, blogger and educator who has been supporting vets, nurses and students through her blog #PlanetRVN.  She was nominated for UK Blogger for the Year in 2019, a finalist for Pet Blogger of the year in 2018, among many other achievements. If there's one person who proves that there are many routes to success, it's Jane! 

She talks to us about her journey from NVQ to PhD, her best teaching (and learning) techniques and introduces us to her cat Edward.

Jane has been doing some seriously awesome work and has helped many people across the world - check out more of her work on YouTube by searching Jane RVN or Planet RVN!

Most of you will be familiar with the wonderful feline expert and prolific worldwide lecturer Dr. Margie Scherk! 

We were honoured to interview her this week, where we spoke about feline behaviour, handling skills and feeding techniques (including puzzle boxes!).She also spoke to us about the causes and world problems that she is most passionate about - and how she strives to reduce, reuse and repair rather than waste & buy new.

For those of you who know Margie, you'll know that she's a globetrotting superstar in the veterinary world. She is a Canadian private practitioner who founded the first-ever cats only Veterinary Clinic in Vancouver, has authored several papers and textbooks, served on the Board of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and was 2007 President of the organization amongst many other achievements. She's got so many important things to say, so if you get the chance to hear her speak - make sure you take it!

This week we're chatting to renowned animal behaviourist Sif Traustadóttir, a.k.a. Sif the Vet! 

We talk about her Icelandic heritage, including some of the unusual traditional food and how that compares to her new home (and cuisine) in Italy! We also touch on her travels across Europe with a campervan (and canine co-pilot), and her work as a Dog behaviourist -  and explore why dogs bark in this week's 60-second CPD.

Sif initially studied in Biology at the University of Iceland and then went on to graduate from Veterinary School in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2003. A lifelong student, Sif then finished her degree in Small Animal Behaviour Counselling from the University of Southampton, UK.

This week we sat down with the extremely talented and ambitious Helen Ballantyne! Helen is qualified in Pharmacology, Veterinary Nursing and Human Medicine and currently is the Transplant Co-ordinator for the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

We discuss the differences between human and veterinary nursing (as well as the similarities in mammal physiology). Helen also tells us about the nuanced complications that go into arranging and carrying out a delicate organ transplant - such as time vs. location, matching donor to recipient, and more. She was also the first of our guests brave enough to take on the 60-second CPD challenge!

While Helen's current role is working with humans, she also trains vets through her wonderful work with the British Vet Nurse Association (BVNA)! Is there anything she can't do? Geography perhaps...

If you'd like to see more of Helen's work, check out her latest lecture by following this link and registering:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2328579120963967496

This week we were lucky enough to sit down with Alison Lambert BVSc CMRS MRCVS, She is the founder of Onswitch and an Honorary Associate Professor at University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. She was even given the AVA’s Veterinary Business Thought Leader award in 2019!

We had a great conversation about her career path and the eventual founding of Onswitch. We also discuss differences between vet practices based in Australia and practices in the UK, plus, her thoughts on how veterinary training can be improved for future generations of students!

Georgie Hollis returns to Veterinary Ramblings this week to host an episode whilst Mike is on holiday! 

We discuss Greek myth and history, as well as the uses and dangers of mushroom foraging. We also talk about natural sources to dye material that you might be able to find in your garden!

(Please note, this episode was filmed a few weeks back - Mike didn't take a holiday during a national lockdown).

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