Page 2 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2023
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RVC RESEARCH    STUDY    VETERINARY SERVICES       RVC.AC.UK
        and  uncontrollable  diabetes  mellitus.                                following day. Next up comes a period of
        Fortunately, with our expert multidisciplinary                          rest and physical therapy, starting under
        team, the RVC is one of the few veterinary                              the watchful eyes of our nursing team and
        services worldwide where this complex                                   physiotherapist before he can continue his
        surgery can be offered.                                                 rehabilitation at home.
          Jeremy’s surgery took most of the day,                                Friday: A seven-year-old male Border collie,
        with a team of vets and nurses from multiple                            Alf, was referred following a sudden onset
        specialist services involved in his care, from                          of a head tilt and being unable to stand. On
        the  Anaesthesia and  Analgesia team in                                 examination, it was clear to our neurologists
        theatre, to our Internal Medicine and ECC                               that Alf  had  suffered  a  very  sudden  insult
        colleagues after surgery. Jeremy recovered                              to a part of his nervous system involved in
        smoothly from his procedure and he will be                              controlling balance.
        observed closely in the coming days as he                                MRI  confirmed  that  Alf  had  suffered
        adapts to life without his pituitary tumour!                            a small stroke to the thalamus. In dogs,
                                                                                whilst most strokes have a good prognosis,
                                                                                improvement can take time, with physical
                                                                                therapy  key  to helping  him  to  walk
                                                                                again. Luckily, our fantastic nurses and
                                                                                physiotherapist  were  on  hand  to  help  Alf
                                                                                begin the road to recovery!
                                                                                 Finally, it is time for the weekend,
                                                                                when members of our Neurology and
                                                                                Neurosurgery service will be on call, dealing
                                                                                with a range of neurological emergencies
                                             Reg in the operating theatre
                                                                                from  the  local  and  wider  area.  For  the
                                            Thursday: Lovely Reg, a nine-year-old   remaining team members, it is a welcome
                                            dachshund,  presented  following  several   chance to rest and recuperate to be ready
                                            days of back pain and hind limb weakness.   for the interesting cases of next week!
         Mortimer in hydrotherapy
                                            In chondrodystrophic dog breeds, such as
                                            dachshunds, this is very characteristic for an
                                            intervertebral disc extrusion.
                                             Unfortunately,  his  ability  to  walk
                                            deteriorated further and a CT scan of his
                                            spine revealed a large intervertebral disc
                                            extrusion in his lower back.
                                             To relieve the compression of Reg’s
                                            spinal cord, he was taken to theatre where
                                            our skilled neurosurgeons performed a
                                            decompressive hemilaminectomy to remove
                                            the extruded disc.
                                             Reg recovered very well from his surgery
                                            and was already attempting to walk the
         Jeremy, who was treated on the Wednesday                                Alf, who had suffered a stroke



        IF YOU EMPLOY AN RVC GRADUATE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!

              our feedback is essential in making   contact mbailey@rvc.ac.uk to be sent the   employment.  This has generated much
              sure  that  the  RVC  continues  to   online survey. As a thank you, we will enter   valuable information and stimulated many
        Y equip graduates with the skills you   you into a prize draw, with a chance to win a   improvements  including  the  development
        need, to enable them to be successful in   £100 voucher or one of two £50 vouchers!  of an RVC Clinical Skills Centre. With your
        their profession.                     For over ten years the Royal Veterinary   support we can continue to ensure that our
          If  you  employ  an  RVC  BSc/FdSc  Vet   College  has  conducted  surveys  with   graduates have the skills and characteristics
        Nursing, BVetMed, BSc/MSci Bioscience or   employers  of  the  most  recent  graduating   to  enable  them  to  develop  and  sustain  a
        Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing   year,  to  find  out  how  well  prepared  our   rewarding professional life.
        graduate  from  the  last  five  years,  please   graduates  are  for  their  first  months  in
                                                                                      For small animal referrals, please call:
                                                                                     01707 666399
                                                                                      Email:
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