Lisa the Locum RVN

26/07/2024

🐕 🤭

My dog swallowed a bag of scrabble tiles, so I took him to the vet…

No word yet

😂 🐶

22/07/2024

🐶 That’s me signed up for the BVNA (The British Veterinary Nursing Association) Congress in October 🐱

⏰ Don’t forget to register for yours before 31st a July for an early bird discount! 🐦

17/07/2024

🐱 Had the fluffiest cat in today for a dematt (permission to post photo by the owner). Yes this is just the matts we had to clip off so obviously we made a pretend cat to play with 😂

29/06/2024

3 hours later. We are done! 15km ✅ Thank you all to those that have supported and donated xx

29/06/2024

With having raised over £300 I am super grateful to each and every one of you that has donated 😍 smashed my target out of the park!

With little over 24 hours to go there is still time if you have anything you would like to donate. Even a £1 is welcome! I will be walking 15km overnight tonight and it will take about 3/4 hours. Plus I’ll be dressed as a light up weirdo 🤪

Thank you 💵 ###

https://prospecthospice.enthuse.com/pf/lisa-christmas-webb?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2cp5FiIF8m3e40Kx5fyKPgOocbfRrk4yLoZXrOX0UwBLzMs-0-VPe0Bqc_aem_bfdUVqPXvhRAQXXHJLBWXQ

I'm doing this to raise money for this amazing cause. Prospect Hospice are a much needed charity and help thousands of people - they helped my Grandad towards the end stages of his life who sadly lost

26/06/2024

💧

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if possible immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧NB: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

26/06/2024

🐾 Busy day today - this included the vet and I attending a house visit for a very peaceful and relaxed Euthanasia. The owners family recognised me as doing the same for their beloved pet about 5 years ago when I was with my previous practice.

This just goes to show that owners remember and really appreciate the final days of their companions lives and how everything is handled in the end. Such a lovely family and so glad I could help them once again when it was time

08/06/2024

Please donate if you can. It is very much appreciated and doing this Starlight walk to raise money for the Prospect Hospice xx

Almost there, Lisa Christmas-Webb has reached 75% of the target!

25/05/2024

🛀 Just a cat enjoying a bath. Cute 🥰

11/05/2024

🐣 This week I went to see my lovely friend Jenny who runs Moos on Thames and is a fellow RVN. This month is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month so I thought I’d share a photo of this wonderful lady and some chicks that she has hatched for the farm!

If you’re near Swindon definitely stop by for a milkshake/coffee/goodies from the vending machine there! 🥰

06/05/2024

Thank you to all those that have already donated. I’m hoping to reach my target and have over a month to go until the event. Please give anything you can to this very worthy cause. Lisa xx

https://prospecthospice.enthuse.com/pf/lisa-christmas-webb/post/6890639

03/04/2024

🖊️ These bad boys are like Gold dust 😂

23/03/2024

🩺 Had a lovely little chat with the younger generation talking at Ellie’s school this week. So many insightful questions and lots of aspiring careers too! 🐶

(Faces blocked for obvious reasons - other than Ellie being nosey looking for her teddy she let me take in) 🐱

12/03/2024

The news today has been full of the CMA’s initial report into veterinary services and our pricing.

It has also been full of vet bashing.

I cannot speak for my entire industry but I can speak up on behalf of my colleagues on the frontline of veterinary practice and hopefully clear a few things up;

Firstly, the VAST majority of veterinary professionals have absolutely nothing to do with deciding the clinic's fees, even in independent practices. So whatever you do today, please don’t take any negativity from this news out on the people who are there to help your pets.

Secondly, there has been a huge amount of commentary over the difference in the prices of medications bought directly from your vet and from online pharmacies. We in surgeries simply cannot compete with huge warehouses on anonymous business parks, packed to the rafters, with a skeleton staff. And often the most commonly prescribed medicines are used as loss leaders, so the gap is even more stark.

The prices online are frequently less than what we pay with our suppliers and, no, we cannot just buy it from the pharmacies, we are legally bound to purchase from licensed wholesalers.

In fact, we are subject to a great deal of regulation the general public know nothing about but that restricts our pricing flexibility. Did you know, for example, that when we chose a drug for your pet, we cannot use price as a deciding factor? This means if there is a cheaper, often human, version, we cannot prescribe it on price alone if there is a pet version available.

Another point that I have heard made frequently today is the price comparison of paracetamol from vets as opposed to supermarkets. (And side note – this is only for dogs, paracetamol is highly toxic to cats.) The difference is marked but, again, because of rules few people know about, we cannot advise you to go and buy medicine over-the-counter for your dog. Even on the NHS prescribed paracetamol costs about 4 times that of getting from a shop, because of the costs involved in running a pharmacy and paying staff to oversee dispensing. This issue is not unique to veterinary and is certainly not our fault.

Much has also been made of the costs of veterinary treatments in general but the fact of the matter is good quality medicine and surgery by skilled professionals is costly and the service provided by your vet team actually represents incredible value for money.

We are shielded somewhat from the true cost of care by the NHS but even so, comparisons are difficult.

For example, it probably is cheaper to have routine dental treatment as a human but I presume you don’t need to be anaesthetised for the procedure, with all the drugs and monitoring that entails, you probably brush your teeth regularly so scaling is pretty quick and I doubt you often need to have multiple teeth pulled with x-rays taken as well.

Your local veterinary clinic is staffed by incredible, dedicated and phenomenally talented people whose sole focus is your pets. They can treat minor and major illness and injury, diagnose and treat a huge number of diseases in several different species and perform operations from the routine to the life saving.

They have access to equipment that means your pet never needs to leave the building for x-rays, blood tests, ultrasound scans and more.

They are there for your pet’s first visit and for their last, with compassion and dedication.

The standard of care animals, especially pets, receive these days is phenomenal. It does come at a cost but it is exactly what most owners want for their furry family members.

Are there some questions to be answered over the corporate influence on veterinary medicine? Absolutely. Do I welcome the CMA report and their investigation? Yes I do.

Do my colleagues and I deserve the onslaught we have had today? Definitely not.

11/03/2024

Isn’t she just the cutest little hammy! Aka Jelly Bean - Aka Pirate 😂 👁️

10/03/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mumma’s and mother figures out there ❤️

10/03/2024

😂

08/03/2024

🐰 Just some bits to be cautious of this Easter 🐣

🍫 Here is a board to read incase your bored 😂

25/02/2024

🤔 Are we blind to the dangers of spring-loaded gags?

Spring-loaded gags have historically been used during 🦷 dental procedures to keep the cat's mouth open to facilitate access – but many studies reveal the risks they pose to our feline patients.

A spring-loaded mouth gag generates a constant force after placement that can contribute to the bulging of the soft tissues between the mandible and the tympanic bulla, compressing the maxillary artery, which can lead to the development of central neurological deficits, including blindness! 🙀

📖 A study showed that the force applied against the mouth was significantly higher with a spring-loaded gag than with other gags and the use of smaller mouth gags was associated with fewer alterations of indicators of maxillary artery blood flow ➡️ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24685098/

Have you stopped using spring-loaded mouth gags?

10/02/2024

It’s been one whole year since I left this amazing place and the wonderful team that made this mad place the most wonderful place to be.

I was ready for a change and bit the bullet to be self employed and wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve met and worked with the most incredible vets, nurses, ana’s and receptionists. Here’s to locum life 🥂

Thank you to everyone for being so wonderful 😍

05/02/2024

One year with the smallest member of the family. Jelly Bean 🐹

19/01/2024

🐾 This little sweetheart distracted me today demanding lots of play and cuddles! She belongs to a lovely receptionist where I am placed at the moment and no she didn’t fit it my bag 🤣

I do love a Labrador especially a baby!

15/01/2024

CRVG is rare but fatal dog disease attacking the skin. Protect your dog by finding out the causes, symptoms and treatments of CRVG

13/01/2024

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/JETSKqKmer2HrZWq/?mibextid=WC7FNe

A lot of you despise me,
And I don't understand why.
I am not ugly or deserving of your hate.
I survive every day on the streets,
That used to be meadows.
There are no tasty seeds,
Because you turned trees into buildings.
I eat what you throw on the ground,
Because I have no choice.
Water is harder and harder to find.
Do you know what it takes to survive in a world that is not mine anymore?
Please don't scare me or hurt me,
Just let me live -
Live in your world that was once mine..

Words by Amey James of The Happy Pants Animal Sanctuary Charity

🩶🐦

10/01/2024

VS and RVN wanted in Highworth. They have enough locums from the previous post so looking for permanent staff 😍

08/01/2024

🐈 If anyone is in need of a truly special holiday home for their furry felines then look no more!

🐱 My wonderful friend has created this amazing Cattery in Cricklade within her own home/garden. She pampers each and every kitty to make sure they get everything they need for the PURR-fect stay.

🐾 Give her page and Like and Follow to keep up to date with the meow-zing updates and the news on the building expansion 😍

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057077904858

Taking care of your 'Purry' Kings & Queens, treating them like royalty.

06/01/2024

Met this big softy (the dog 😂). Really hope he finds a forever home soon!

An update on our doggy tale…
You may remember the stray Dogue De Bordeaux who was found barking and afraid near The Ridgeway on Sunday.
He was looked after by a local vet over the weekend before being handed to Swindon Borough Council’s Animal Wardens.
Sgt Danny Salmon, who won over the big boy to rescue him, has been catching up with his canine friend, who has been nicknamed ’Hooch’.
Despite appeals and investigations his owner hasn’t been traced, so he will soon be going to a dog charity to find a forever home. A paw-sitive ending we hope 🐾.