Finding a mentor, pt 4: the relationship
Being mentored by the right person can be a life-changing experience. The right mentor can help you fast track your growth and career success. The previous three articles in this series have looked at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Life after vet school – graduation: where do I go from here?
Nothing hits you quite as hard as reality, as you walk out of your final fifth year veterinary exam. Up until this very moment, your life has followed a structured timetable, carefully planned by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tips for new graduates, part 1
A date I will never forget is 6 June. Four years previously on that day I completed the final exam of my master’s degree, marking 11 long and tough years of study. I vowed at that point to never study...
View ArticleTips for new graduates, part 2
Following on from last week’s tips for new graduates, here are my final two tips that resonate the most with me in my practice and as a coach. I hope they help with transitioning into practice....
View Article5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 1
We all sometimes wish we could go back in time or redo some situations. Often, when looking back with hindsight and more life experience, we wish we could have done things a little differently, or...
View Article5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 2
In the first part of this series, I suggested the younger version of myself would have benefited from having more knowledge of signalment. The second thing I think the young Gerardo Poli could learn is...
View Article5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 3
So far in this five-part series I have stressed the importance of signalment and finding practical work while studying – both of which should be crucial in student learning. In this third part I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 4
Client communication is an important part of being a vet, as building a rapport and gaining their confidence will allow them to trust you. I would encourage all young vets to practice this skill...
View Article5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 5
This series has covered signalment, finding practical work, the support given by the nurse and reception teams, and client communication, now I end with encouraging my younger self to spend more time...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thoracentesis, part 1: indications, equipment and protocol
Thoracentesis is a relatively straightforward and life-saving technique for seriously dyspnoeic animals with pleural space disease, and is a valuable diagnostic tool. Here are my tips for getting the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thoracentesis, part 2: sample work
Last week we gave some hints and tips about how to perform a thoracocentesis. This week we look at what to do with the sample you collected and where to go to next. Looking at the sample is not enough,...
View ArticleIn it for the money
“All you vets care about is the money…” Ouch! Just reading that line makes your blood boil, doesn’t it? If you’ve been in clinical practice for any length of time, it’s likely you would have heard this...
View ArticleThe five levels of why
When you fail to achieve an outcome you wanted, or a goal you set for yourself, ask yourself the five levels of why. What does this mean? Well, it’s pretty much exactly as it says – it means asking...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making the most of a veterinary conference
Attending an in-person veterinary conference is still one of my favourite forms of continued education (and it’s not just for the free pens). But without a strategic approach, a very real risk exists...
View ArticleSystemic antibiotics – a brief guide for new grads
A lot of information is available regarding different antibiotics and, for the newest generation of vets, the pressure to use them correctly and responsibly is greater than ever. One of main challenges...
View ArticleThe dreaded client complaint
Regardless of how well you conduct yourself and how thorough you are in your work, it’s inevitable you’ll occasionally find yourself on the receiving end of a client complaint. This will always suck....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pancreatitis, pt 1: diagnosis
Pancreatitis is one of the most common exocrine conditions seen in small animal practice. It is caused by premature activation of enzymes (zymogens) within the pancreas leading to autodigestion, and...
View ArticlePancreatitis, pt 2: treatment and prognosis
Last week we covered diagnosing pancreatitis and the challenges associated with doing so. This week we look at management. The treatment of pancreatitis largely involves supportive care and monitoring...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dystocia, pt 1: labour stages
Now most female canine patients are spayed, it comes as no surprise reproductive emergencies are not as common. One confusion seems to be not knowing how to determine a true dystocia emergency –...
View ArticleDystocia, pt 2: diagnostics
Part one of this series covered the stages of labour and indications dystocia is present. Once the bitch presents to the clinic, a few basic diagnostic checks need completing to determine the status of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dystocia, pt 3: surgery or medical management
Part three of this series will cover when medical management is suitable or when surgical intervention is required. To start with, a few things indicate immediate caesarean section is required: signs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dystocia, pt 4: caesarean tips
Prolonged hypoxaemia, hypotension and hypoventilation are the top three causes of periparturient fetal mortality – for these reasons, all precautions must be taken to avoid it. As soon as authorisation...
View ArticleBlood transfusions, pt 1: clinical signs
I get asked frequently when is the right time to transfuse an anaemic patient? The difficulty lies in the fact not all anaemic patients require blood transfusions. Just because a patient has pale...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blood transfusions, pt 2: what do I give?
To make the most of a precious resource, donated blood is often separated into two components: red blood cells (packed red cells) and plasma (fresh frozen plasma, most commonly). Haematocrit tube from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blood transfusions, pt 3: how much?
Now that you know how to spot the signs of when a blood transfusion is needed and what blood product to administer, this article will focus on the volume of blood to give. What PCV should I aim for? To...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The why of veterinary science
In one of the last decade’s most influential books on motivation, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, author Daniel Pink argues that the traditional motivators of the previous century...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ionised hypocalcaemia, pt 1: introduction
Low ionised calcium (iCa) is a widely recognised electrolyte disturbance in critically ill human patients who have undergone surgery, are septic, have pancreatitis, or have sustained severe trauma or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ionised hypocalcaemia, pt 2: eclampsia
As discussed in part one of this blog series, a myriad of disease processes can lead to ionised hypocalcaemia (iHCa). Despite this, only hypocalcaemia caused by eclampsia and hypoparathyroidism...
View ArticleIonised hypocalcaemia, pt 3: acute treatment and management
Treatment of ionised hypocalcaemia (iHCa) is reserved for patients with supportive clinical signs, then divided into acute and chronic management. Since the most common cases of clinical hypocalcaemia...
View ArticleIonised hypocalcaemia, pt 4: controversies and prognostic indications
Ionised hypocalcaemia (iHCa) is a well-known electrolyte abnormality in critical human patients, which is also beginning to be recognised in our critical feline and canine patients. The exact mechanism...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rat bait’s sneaky trick: bleeding into the dorsal tracheal membrane
Most of us are familiar with anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis and the range of clinical signs it can present with, but there is one potentially fatal manifestation of coagulation pathology that is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using lactate measurements in general practice
Several easy and affordable ways exist to measure lactate in general practice, which means the clinical applications of monitoring lactate is no longer the reserve of specialist and emergency centres....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Managing thrombocytopenia in dogs and cats: part 1
Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterised by a decrease in platelet numbers, which is often caused by increased destruction of platelets or a decrease in production. Thrombocytopenia can manifest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Managing thrombocytopenia in cats and dogs: part 2
Last week we discussed the causes and diagnostic pathway for investigating immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. This week we will go through the management of this condition. Despite the fact red blood...
View ArticleOh, CR*P! Using point-of-care C-reactive protein tests
Few companies now offer affordable point-of-care tests for canine C-reactive protein (CRP). As we did when we recently received our new box of CRP slides, you might soon be asking the question: what do...
View Article
