in Practice最新文献

Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognised as a core skill for veterinary professionals, shaping not only client communication but also teamwork, leadership and resilience in practice. This article examines the components of EI and their relevance to the veterinary workplace, from consultations and team dynamics to education and leadership. It highlights the impact of EI on professional satisfaction, client trust and practice performance, while also addressing how veterinary students and practitioners can benefit from actively developing these skills. The article emphasises that, unlike intelligence quotient (IQ), EI is not a fixed trait and can be developed throughout one's life. It outlines practical approaches to enhancing emotional awareness, empathy and relationship management, with the aim of supporting more effective practice and long-term professional wellbeing.

Background: In general equine practice, many minor standing surgical procedures are commonly done at the owner's or trainer's premises. The growing concept of contextualised care involves considering individual client preferences, abilities and needs when planning treatment. Different care options may be appropriate depending on the situation – for example, when clients cannot afford hospitalisation, prefer home treatment with a familiar vet or have horses that travel poorly.

Aim of the article: This article describes some of the indications for performing standing surgery on the yard, the importance of meticulous planning and preparation before surgery, and outlines some of the basic and more advanced surgeries that can safely be performed on the yard, depending on the experience of the individual surgeon.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as the presence of structural or functional abnormalities of one or both kidneys that have been present for at least three months. It is not a single disease but results from various causes such as infections, inflammation, reduced blood flow, obstructions or inherited conditions. Often the exact cause is unknown. Despite its varied origins, several risk factors are linked to how the disease progresses and affects survival.

Aim of the article: This article aims to provide an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of CKD in dogs.

Communication is often noted as one of the most important requirements of veterinary medicine, with confidence being somewhat overlooked. Without confidence in our abilities, all tasks become difficult. Both hard (technical tasks) and soft (communication, timekeeping) skills require confidence; however, this isn't something that can be necessarily taught and has no time element. There is no one distinct answer to building or repairing confidence levels – it is closely linked to self-esteem and is affected by the task being undertaken and even by the people present. This article explores how best to build confidence during veterinary consultations, touching on factors including underpinning knowledge, practising a task, reflection and feedback.

The best time to start investing was 10 years ago. The second best time is today. Given the associated risks and sheer volume of investment products on the market, making an informed decision can become very difficult. This article aims to break down some of the main factors that will affect the type of investment that suits you.

Background: Since 2011, agriculture has been the largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions in the UK, the vast majority of which comes from enteric fermentation by ruminants, predominately cattle. Given methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases but is only present in the atmosphere for a short amount of time, globally there is a unique opportunity to slow climate warming if emissions can be reduced. It is essential for the public, policymakers and veterinarians to understand the key facts about the climate impacts of, and the methane mitigation methods available within, agriculture. Given the role of vets in herd health management and their crucial relationship with farmers, understanding the role of ruminants in global warming and what mitigation tools can be implemented will help their clients reduce the climate impact as well as provide other financial and animal welfare benefits.

Aim of the article: This article aims to inform veterinarians on the background of net zero, methane's atmospheric behaviour and the role of ruminants in methane emissions. This will provide the background knowledge to start discussions with farmers, clients, vets and lay people about the impact of the agricultural industry on climate change and how this is accounted for in current UK and global policy.

ONLY a vet student, I muttered, would find themselves hungover, dehydrated, overheating and chasing sheep around a field at 2 pm on a Thursday.

This was the third time the same sheep had expertly dodged the gate, and my fellow students and I were in hot, dusty pursuit, trying (and mostly failing) to herd them into a pen. We were at the university farm, attempting to practice our sheep tipping and handling skills – a far cry from our earlier activities of the day: dissecting the hindlimb of our cadaver dogs (mine, affectionately named ‘Chad‘), followed by a histology practical and a biochemistry lecture that felt like it lasted a small eternity.

I had unwisely made the mistake of drinking heavily and until the early hours of the morning the night before, and this intense day of contact hours had done nothing to ease the consequences. The distinctive smell of formaldehyde in the dissection room can be nauseating at the best of times, but combined with a weak stomach and a pounding head, it took on a whole new level of assault.

To add insult to injury, two hours of squinting down a microscope and zooming around slides trying to identify the differences between proximal and distal convoluted tubules had done nothing to ease my queasiness. The last thing I needed to follow it up with was a long biochemistry talk in a stuffy lecture theatre, where every protein was a five-letter acronym that sounded like a WiFi password. Yet despite the odds I was able to battle through and make it to here; running aimless laps around a field after some sheep who appeared far more athletic than any of us vet students.

It was somewhere between my third lap around the field and the sheep's third successful escape that a realisation struck me: only vet students live like this.

Only vet students would go from G-protein coupled receptors to chasing sheep in the span of an hour. Only we would find ourselves dissecting preserved limbs on two hours of sleep, then sprinting around a field. It was a packed, exhausting, thrilling, chaotic, hilarious, headache-inducing life.