Companion collection - Interviews

  There are two ways to describe the career of Laura Gelder-Robertson, the new CEO of Vet Sustain CIC. The long version, suitable for formal settings, is that she is ‘an innovation strategy consultant with a specialism in systems thinking, wicked problemsolving and cross-sector collaboration’. But she can also offer a shorter and much pithier version, which suggests that her job is ‘chief dot joiner’. John Bonner spoke to Laura to find out more…

  Pet owners will often face a painful dilemma when their beloved animal is diagnosed with cancer. Should they ask to have the animal euthanased? or seek a referral to a specialist oncology centre for treatment that they may be unable to afford? Vicki Adams of the Animal Cancer Trust (ACT) told John Bonner how she is working to provide veterinary clients with a third option.

  This month we are delighted to welcome David Godfrey as our new BSAVA President! Born and brought up in Essex with two younger siblings, David graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 1988 having been inspired by a close family friend who was his role model vet and a great aunt of his who took a biology degree back in the 1930s. Companion spoke to David to find out more about his career, past experiences and what he has planned for his presidential year ahead.

 Maggie Roberts, the former Director of Veterinary Services with Cats Protection, explained to John Bonner how she is looking to support those charities devoted to the welfare and conservation of animals.

  The 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act refers to the art and science of veterinary surgery and medicine. In his 40 years as a member of the profession regulated by that legislation, Dr Chris Little has made contributions to the science in various ways. He has been a small animal and mixed practice vet, a first-opinion practitioner and a referral vet. He was a researcher at two veterinary schools and even dabbled for a while in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. Now he thinks it is time to brush up his artistic skills.

  Spot-on flea product residues washed off canine coats are a threat to the health of the complex invertebrate communities living in the UK’s river systems, a multidisciplinary research team has found. Could veterinary staff also be at risk when handling patients treated with these agents? Veterinary surgeon Andrew Prentis told John Bonner why he believes this is an important question and one that must be answered.

  In a near 30-year career divided equally between academic and private practice, Kevin Eatwell has developed strong views about the way the veterinary profession trains its new members. As he prepares to open the first exotics-only clinic in Scotland, he will be able to put his ideas into practice. John Bonner reports…

  As an accomplished amateur thespian, Julian Hoad is well used to taking on daunting new roles. So it is unlikely that this Sussex practitioner will be unnerved by the prospect of becoming the next President of the BSAVA this month. And while he won’t have the opportunity for intensive rehearsals for his every public appearance – or have a prompt to give him a nudge should he forget his lines – he will have two important assets that will help prepare him for his new responsibilities. John Bonner reports…

  The 2024 BSAVA award winners celebrated their success during the March awards ceremony at BSAVA Congress 2024 in Manchester. John Bonner caught up with Ben Walton to find out what his BSAVA Simon Award means to him.

  It turns out that you can tell a book by its cover. The title of Sarah Brown’s ‘The Hidden Language of Cats’ gives you all the information needed about its contents. Even lifelong fans of this most enigmatic domestic species will find that this publication reveals fresh and surprising observations on how cats communicate. John Bonner took a peek inside the feline phrase book.

  Veterinary equipment supplier Burton’s received an award this year for the most environmentally sustainable stand in the BSAVA commercial exhibition. David Pattenden, Head of Marketing and eCommerce, told John Bonner what his team did to catch the eye of the competition judges and how their efforts contribute to a broader corporate policy aimed at minimizing the company’s carbon footprint.

  When intensive care consultant Matt Morgan is wrestling with a clinical conundrum, he is quite likely to go looking for answers at the zoo rather than a medical library. In his job at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, he has discovered that many challenges in human emergency medicine were solved millions of years ago by members of the animal kingdom. His new book One Medicine – how understanding animals can save your life shows how much NHS staff can learn from studying comparative physiology, anatomy and behaviour.

 Neale Roach is one of the BSAVA’s unsung heroes toiling behind the scenes to keep the Association on the road. After more than 25 years of active duty in the service of the North West region, he has decided to stand down. He told John Bonner about some of the highlights…

 Nicola Lakeman is Nutrition Manager with IVC Evidensia and provides advice and support on companion animal nutrition for both pet owners and veterinary practices. She firmly believes that offering guidance to clients on nutritional matters is an essential task for all members of the veterinary team – and one that is carried out with varying degrees of competence. Better known to many colleagues by her former name Nicola Ackerman, she is a highly qualified veterinary nurse and a popular speaker at veterinary conferences on the challenges facing the VN profession.

  Many pet owners are not very clear about what veterinary nurses do in looking after their patients. But perhaps the next generation will have a better idea of the importance of the RVN’s role. Jill Macdonald who is the RCVS/BVNA VN Futures project lead for the RCVS, told John Bonner about an initiative aimed at educating schoolchildren on what it is like to work in small animal practice.

Chris Laurence is a member of that select band of people who have been made honorary life members of the BSAVA. He is known to the profession as the former chief vet of two of the main animal welfare charities. But he is also noted for his contributions to various other charitable bodies, within the ranks of the British Army as a distinguished and long serving officer in the Signals Corps, and for the residents of Tytherton, Wiltshire, as the main driving force behind the campaign to build a new village hall. John Bonner wondered where he gets the energy.

  ‘Care killed the cat’ is the original formulation of that familiar expression about the dangers of what can happen to our feline friends if they give free rein to their natural inquisitiveness. In this case, the word ‘care’ actually meant ‘worry’ rather than ‘tenderness’ but the staff and supporters of the charity International Cat Care would strongly disagree with either interpretation of the phrase. John Bonner reports on the people devoting care, consideration and more than a little curiosity to improving the lives of cats across the globe.

 Eric Isselée is a Belgian photographer who has made a career out of ignoring WC Field’s injunction to ‘never work with children or animals’. He developed his distinctive style through taking pictures of toddlers at nurseries and has used the same techniques in capturing images of up to 1700 different animal species. His work with companion animals has regularly graced the cover of BSAVA Companion.

  Hill farmer and veterinarian Keith Powell believes that bracken is a blight on the beautiful landscape around his home in the Brecon Beacons. So he has led a project intended to replace that toxic and invasive weed with woodland, providing aesthetic, environmental and economic benefits for the local community. John Bonner reports…

  This month, Fergus Allerton, who took on the editorship of Companion in September last year, speaks to John Bonner about his future plans for Companion.

 Ditte Vasby and colleagues at the University of Copenhagen veterinary school won one of this year’s BSAVA clinical abstract awards. Ditte spoke to Companion about the group’s research into determining the accuracy of VacciCheck for distemper, parvovirus and infectious hepatitis.

  Wanting to help yourself and your colleagues to improve clinical skills will always be the main reason why people are prepared to give up their time to serve as a BSAVA volunteer. But there are plenty of other talents that the Association’s members can develop after they become involved in setting up and running one of its major CPD events, according to Tom Reilly, the new Chair of the BSAVA Congress Committee.

  Greyhound racing may not have the high public profile that it enjoyed in Britain years ago but, as a vehicle for off-course gambling, it still attracts a large international television audience. Olivia Cook is one of the vets working to assure punters that the races are fair and the dogs are well cared for.

  When the first lockdown made Laura Sullivan’s vet skills temporarily superfluous, it meant that she had time to spend making environmentally-friendly washable surgical caps for her existing online business. Now, she is back at work stitching her clients’ animals back together, but she still has time to make her own contribution towards more sustainable veterinary practices.

  By day, Andrew Smith is clinical director of a mixed practice in Aberdeenshire. At night, he dwells in the world of spirits. His hobby is distilling gin made from the finest botanical ingredients available on his home patch.