Companion collection - How to...

 Helen Rooney, the Pet Blood Bank UK Training and Induction Manager, notes that the transfusion of red cell and plasma products is realistic and achievable in a general practice setting. In this article she explains the safe way of administering blood products to dogs.

 Kate Baker of the Veterinary Cytology Schoolhouse and Pocket Pathologist in Tennessee, USA presents some challenging and interesting feline cytology cases.

  There is no doubt that the standard of veterinary care and the options available for treating companion animals have increased. We live in an era where it is not unusual for animals to undergo advanced diagnostic tests and treatments that would have been unthinkable a mere decade ago. Referral to specialists in state-of-the-art facilities has become routine, but how far should we go? Anne Quain from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science considers the ethics behind this dilemma.

  Why is up-skilling in poultry medicine important? Have you buckled at the knees on seeing the word ‘chicken’ flash up on the appointment system? Rest assured – subsequent experience in the poultry industry has made clear these cases are often straightforward. Henrietta Kodilinye-Sims from the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine and co-authors Kannan Ganapathy from the University of Liverpool, and Alex Schock and David Welchman from the Animal Plant and Health Agency offer some welcome guidance.

  Yustina Shenoda and Anne Quain from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science discuss the findings of their recent study on owner’s experiences of Elizabethan collars.1

 Zoë Halfacree, Soft Tissue Surgeon at Davies Veterinary Specialists and Chair of the greener veterinary practice working group, Vet Sustain, focuses on environmental sustainability, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution and resource scarcity and explains what steps your practice can take to reduce your carbon footprint for a brighter, more considerate sustainable future.

   Arterial thromboembolism in cats is a distressing presentation. In this article Leo Packham and Kieran Borgeat of Langford Veterinary Services discuss the causes and treatment of this difficult condition.

 Isuru Gajanayake of Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service discusses nutritional management of this common condition.

 Matthew Green of Dovecote Veterinary Referrals discusses a challenging presentation when funds are limited.

  Fear of fireworks is a common behavioural presentation in dogs and one that is frequently presented in general veterinary practice. Sarah Heath, RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine, talks us through the challenges of fear anxiety.