Small Animal Hospital, University of Glasgow

24/12/2024

Just in time for Christmas eve, here is a great photo of Zoe and beautiful Lola in her Santa jacket!
"I am Zoe, one of the neurology nurses at the SAH. I have worked at the Small Animal Hospital for over ten years and Lola has been with me throughout.
Lola is 13 years old, and I have had her since she was a wee pup. Lola has been used for teaching the veterinary students clinical examinations amongst other things, for almost as long as I have worked at the SAH.
Even although she is a wee old lady now, she is still full of beans and enjoys nothing more than going on a long walk or playing with her tennis ball."
Merry Christmas to all our wonderful patients, clients and their fur babies! 🎅☃️🐾❤

23/12/2024

It was the night before christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a cat?????
Meet Kirsty and her little companion Poppy!
"I'm Kirsty and I've worked at the hospital for more years than I care to remember. I started out as animal care assistant and then trained to be a nurse. I now work in the oncology department.
Poppy is wearing a Christmas tree for her first Christmas!! If she isn't wrecking our Christmas decorations, she can be found chasing birds on our farm shed roof. 🙄"

21/12/2024

We had a wee helper in imaging yesterday ❤

20/12/2024

Taysie came back to see us today for a check up appointment. Taysie completed a course of radiotherapy for a soft tissue sarcoma on the bridge of her nose 2 weeks ago and she is doing amazingly well.

She had only got mild side effects from the treatment and these include hairloss and a little irritation on her scar that we were treating. Due to the location of Taysie’s tumour we used electrons which we use to treat tumours that are close to the surface of the skin.

Our physicist made a custom cut out and eye shields for Taysie as we wanted to minimise the radiation to her eyes. She coped remarkable well with the treatment and always enjoyed her chicken after every treatment and at her appointment today. Well done Taysie.

18/12/2024

On 10th December the Pet Practice held a Christmas bake sale (with lots of support from staff and students!) to raise funds for Cats Protection and awareness of their Lifeline service.

Lifeline is a free and confidential fostering service for cats whose families are fleeing domestic abuse, so they can rest assured their cat will be taken care of until they can be safely reunited. Referrals are handled by a specialist and experienced team, who support owners referring to the service, arrange to collect cats, and organise foster placements through a wonderful network of dedicated Lifeline volunteers. They can be contacted by phone: 0300 012 0286 or email: [email protected]

At Pet Practice we work with Cats Protection every week and are really glad to be supporting this vital service. Our target for the bake sale was £200, and to date we have raised £497! A link to the JustGiving page is included below, for anyone who would like to help support this wonderful charity.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/pet-practice-fundraise-for-lifeline

10/12/2024

Say hello 👋 to Milly! She has seen by our Neurology Department this year and has been undergoing Cytarabine treatment for suspected Meningoencephalitis. Her owner has taken their time to share Milly's story below....

"Milly our Jack Russell terrier, is just over 3 and a half years old. Milly and her sister, Maisy came to live with us in May 2021 when they were 8 weeks old. They are much loved by us and by everyone they meet. Milly was always very playful and loved her toys, which always took priority over her food so she has always been very small. On the other hand, Maisy enjoyed her food and often took advantage of Milly’s lack of interest in eating.

However, over a weekend in June 2024, Milly seemed to be experiencing some pain in her neck area. We took Milly to our vet on the Monday. The vet diagnosed an issue with a disc in her back and prescribed the necessary medication. She offered to refer us to the vet hospital for a second opinion, which we were happy to do.

We attended the vet hospital on the Thursday and they agreed with the initial diagnosis of our vet. They suggested Milly continue with the medication already prescribed but told us to contact them directly if there were any issues or concerns.

On the Saturday evening, we were awakened with Milly yelping and just staring ahead. We tried to bring her round but were unable to comfort her and she continued to let out regular yelps. By the Sunday morning things had not improved so we decided to email the vet hospital for advice. They initially offered to provide us with more pain relief but we decided to ask if we could take Milly over to be seen by a vet. Chris, the vet on duty, replied that he would be happy to see Milly if we took her over.

When he examined her, his initial view was the same diagnosis but suggested that Milly be kept in with them overnight for monitoring and to administer additional pain relief. However, the next day he called to advise that on further examination, he wanted to do an MRI scan and also a fluid tap on Milly since they had begun to believe that she had meningitis. We agreed that this should be done and he called back later that afternoon to confirm that they had been unable to do the fluid tap as it was too much of a risk but all the indicators on the MRI scan were that she definitely did have meningitis. He advised that she would be put in high dependency and the relevant treatment would be started straight away.

It was a very worrying time for us since she initially reacted very slowly to the treatment but thankfully began to respond. We were very grateful for the regular updates from the vet hospital regarding her progress and delighted to eventually receive the call advising us that she could come home a few days later.

On her discharge, we were advised that her recovery would be a long process and involve regular inpatient visits to the vet hospital for a top up of her treatment. This would be on a phased withdrawal basis and, so far, things seem to be going very well.

It appears that she has been a big hit with the staff at the vet hospital who always make a fuss of her when she arrives for her treatment! She continues to take steroids but the dose is being gradually reduced. The steroids are making her eat more than she ever has which means she has put on some weight. We are trying to ensure that she is getting enough walks to lose this but we are mindful that she may still be getting tired and the priority is to focus on her recovery. We can then concentrate on her hopefully losing this extra weight. She is getting back to playing with her toys which is a joy to see. There are still little things that she is unable to do but hopefully in time, she will get back to her old self. In the meantime, her sister Maisy is keeping a watchful eye over both Milly and the food!

We are so grateful to Chris, Zoe and all the other staff, for the care and attention given to Milly over these last few months. It’s always difficult leaving her at the hospital for her stays but we know that she is in good hands and is being very well looked after."

03/12/2024

Continuing our festive staff introductions, here is a bit about Katie and her dog Nim.

"I am an ophthalmology intern at the SAH and I am also involved in student exam support for the school, in particular for the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam.

Nim, my 3 year old cocker spaniel is a regular at the hospital to help with student teaching, including ocular exams and ultrasound scanning.

Nim is something of an athlete and competes in flyball, hunt point & retrieve and has also recently started agility, which she loves!"

02/12/2024

During the month of December, we are going to be posting about or staff and their festive furry friends. We are kicking off with Kerry and her dog Gabby 🐶

“Gabby is 12 ½ years old and is a chow collie mix. Gabby was rescued from a reservation in northern Minnesota when I worked at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.
I’m a senior anaesthetist and an American Diplomate in Anaesthesia and Analgesia and I have worked at the SAH for 6 years. I love living in Scotland and have recently become a cold water enthusiast!”

29/11/2024

Say hello to Milo 👋 He was seen by our Orthopaedic department as an urgent case due to a fractured leg. Unfortunately the surgery to fix his leg was unsuccessful and his leg had to be amputated. Milo's owner has shared his story below.

"Milo was seen by the SAH after he broke his leg. As a cat with complex health needs, including FIV, IBD and hypercalcemia, we were really reassured about all the great reviews.
We found the team really professional and caring and comprehensive in the options they offered.
Sadly, Milo's leg was unable to be fixed so the team proceeded with an amputation, but they carried everything out with absolute professionalism and he recovered really quickly.
He is adapting very well to being a 'tripod' and is a happy (and hoppy) boy again!"

26/11/2024

Do you think everything has a place and there’s a place for everything? with the added bonus of receiving great pay and benefits, maybe our stores supervisor role is the perfect job for you?

Here at the University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospital, we are looking for an enthusiastic person to join our team and assist with the management of hospital stores operatives.
In this role you will carry out a range of duties efficiently and effectively to support the clinical, nursing and administrative staff of the Small Animal Hospital. Some example duties would be stock management and processing of all orders for the hospital, updating product pricing on the hospital management system and management of specialist waste contractors.

What’s in it for you?
• Salary offered is Grade 4 on the University of Glasgow scale, £23,581 - £26,038 per annum.
• 35-hour working week
• 41 days leave (including public holidays, worked on a rota basis)
• 20% discount on Veterinary products and services
• Fantastic working environment
• Access to 24 hr x 365-day confidential employee support service and a health & wellbeing app
• A range of benefits available to all University staff, including exclusive discounts from high street retailers

This is a full-time post (35 hours, Monday - Friday) and is open-ended. For informal enquiries, email [email protected]

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26/11/2024

Congratulations to Vincent, who recently completed a course of radiotherapy for an incompletely excised mast cell tumour 🥳

Vincent had 10 doses of radiotherapy and had to have 10 general anaesthetics to have his treatment, and he coped remarkable well.

Vincent is a very special patient as he is a hearing dog and does amazing work supporting his owner. Well done Vincent, we can’t wait to see you at your check up appointments in the future.

If you would like to learn more about Hearing dogs charity click on the link https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/

22/11/2024

The University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital is seeking to recruit a Junior Clinician to join our small animal imaging team as Diagnostic Imaging intern. This position might suit someone who has recently completed a rotating or previous imaging internship and who is looking for the next step towards specialization.

Applications are invited from candidates with a veterinary degree registerable with RCVS who have completed a rotating internship or equivalent, possess proof or eligibility for your right to work in the UK, an excellent command of written and spoken English and strong communication skills. The post offers scope for research and will also involve the delivery of clinical teaching to undergraduates, and interns.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to support the delivery of an efficient and effective small animal imaging referral service by providing clinical activity and help develop the Imaging department. You will join a multidisciplinary team including many specialists working in a wide range of services within our award-winning state-of-the-art Small Animal Hospital, which is one of the most sophisticated in Europe.

This post is offered on a 1 year fixed-term basis and offers the early-stage clinical experience required as vets prepare for further specialist training, for example through European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS®) approved residencies and/or masters formal training programmes. While appointments may be extended for a short fixed term period where this would be in the mutual interest, in the interests of ensuring that veterinary career development is supported, and to assist with recruitment to the University’s EBVS® approved Residency and our own Masters Programmes, the one year duration will remain the normal duration.

Informal Enquiries should be directed Miss Anne Staudacher, [email protected]

Apply online at: https://lnkd.in/dP-3Sf-v

21/11/2024

We still have spaces for next weeks Clinical Club talk....all Vets and Nurses welcome!!! The topic is 'Try not to get bitten...Canine aggression in a clinical environment' by Samantha Lindley.

Thursday 28th November from 7.30pm in the Small Animal Hospital, £20 per person. If you would like to attend then please email [email protected]

20/11/2024

The University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital is seeking to recruit a Junior Clinician (service specific intern) to join our oncology/radiotherapy team. This position might suit someone who has recently completed a rotating internship and who is looking for the next step towards specialization.

You will support the delivery of an efficient and effective small animal oncology referral service by providing clinical activity under supervision of our 3 Oncology Diplomates, and by contributing to out-of-hours service provision. Our Oncology/radiotherapy service, through the use of advanced imaging techniques, specialist knowledge and treatment facilities, strives to achieve the best possible outcome for each patient under the direction of a specialist.

Applications are invited from candidates with a veterinary degree registerable with RCVS who have completed a rotating internship or equivalent and have post-graduate clinical experience in small animal oncology.

Salary: Grade 6 £32,332 - £36,024 per annum. The post is full time and fixed term for 12 months.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Professor Jo Morris, [email protected]

Apply online at:

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10/11/2024

During November 2024 a National Antibiotic Amnesty is being held by vets, doctors
and pharmacists. Our hospital is taking part in the antibiotic amnesty and we are
encouraging clients to return any unused or out of date antibiotics to us for safe
disposal.


What to do if you have leftover or unused antibiotics:
o Return them to your vet practice for safe disposal
o Inappropriate disposal of unused antibiotics could contribute to antimicrobial
resistance and pollute the environment through waterways, affecting our
wildlife
o Don’t ever give your pet, or any pet for which they haven’t been prescribed,
left-over or out of date antibiotics. Using antibiotics when not needed could
risk side effects, delay an accurate diagnosis for your pet, mean that your
pets condition may not be treatable, and contributes to antimicrobial
resistance

09/11/2024

Double trouble 🐶🐶 This is Bill and Ben, a pair of brother spaniels. Bill was referred to our Soft Tissue department for chronic ear disease, and he had total ear canal ablation surgery of his left ear. As his owner reports below, he is recovering well and is back to his puppy ways alongside his brother...

"We got Bill and his brother Ben in January 2014 and have had almost ten years of fun and love with them. Their health has been good, apart from both being diagnosed with otitis externa in 2018.

Both dogs have been on immunotherapy injections since 2019, but Bill's left ear developed into a chronic condition and he recently went through ear ablation surgery on 3rd October.

"He's recovering well, and it's a great joy to note that he isn't constantly scratching his ear and whining.

He still has the energy of a puppy and loves to jump in the canal and swim after ducks! He also has a cat obsession, even though we have cats and goes crazy when he sees one on TV.
He also loves a sing song with Ben!

We hope to have Bill and his brother Ben for many years to come" 🥰💖❤️

08/11/2024

Not that we really want to be thinking about 2025 already but, Pet Blood Bank’s wonderful sparkly new calendar is absolutely something to look forward to and it is available for pre-order now 😍

The exclusive wall and matching desk calendars feature a different beautiful lifesaver each month. The wall calendars are £13.75 and the desk £11.50 each, and a portion of the profits made will be donated to Pet Blood Bank 🩸

Just like we have our human blood service, Pet Blood Bank exists to help save the lives of pets in need by providing a blood service for vets like us ❤️

Get your lifesaver calendar now 🐶👉 https://bit.ly/4hcXwKt

07/11/2024

Meet Kizzie 🐱 she was recently treated for hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine. Feline hyperthyroidism is a complex condition and we understand it can be worrying and frustrating for owners to go through with their cats, radio-iodine treatment is generally the best treatment for feline hyperthyroidism. Our success rate is 95% on the first injection and, if a second injection is needed, our success rate is 100% on second injection.
Kizzie's owner is happy with the treatment she received and has written a few words for us below...

"Kizzie is twelve years old and I got her from a friend. She was always petite, very alert, and a bit nervous, but we thought that was just her personality. However a routine health check at our local Vet Practice flagged up some thyroid issues.

She was treated with radio-active iodine therapy and remained in the hospital for another three weeks until the radio-activity wore off. She is back home now and is much calmer, more relaxed, and her physical issues have been cleared up.

I would also like to add how great Ermioni the Vet, and the Nursing Team were at keeping me informed as to her progress. Kizzie has benefited greatly from her treatment and I will be eternally grateful to you all for enabling her to feel well and be a more relaxed pet."