Cushing’s disease is one of the most common endocrine diseases we see in dogs.   We sometimes even see it in cats, and nurses are heavily involved in investigating and treating these patients. So what is Cushing’s disease, and how do we treat and care for these patients? Let’s find out… What is Cushing’s disease? Cushing’s disease, or hyperadrenocorticism, is characterised by the hypersecretion of cortisol from the adrenal glands. There are two causes of hyperadrenocorticism: pituitary-dependent or adrenal-dependent. Let’s start with Pituitary-dependent Disease. Pituitary-dependent hyper ..read more

Today, we’re talking all about the other diabetes - diabetes insipidus.   It might have the same name as ‘traditional’ diabetes, but the two diseases are very different. In this podcast episode, I’ll explain exactly what diabetes insipidus is, what changes it causes to our patients, and how we diagnose, treat, and care for them. So what IS diabetes insipidus, anyway? Diabetes insipidus (water diabetes) is an uncommon endocrine disease caused by dysregulation of antidiuretic hormone (ADH).  If we think back to our renal series and in particular episode 11 (which feels like SO long ag ..read more

Today, we’re talking all about a very common but underdiagnosed cause of diabetes in cats - acromegaly.   With around 25% of diabetic cats affected, it’s a disease that we’re encountering more and more - and to give the best care we can to these patients, we need to understand what acromegaly is and how it affects our patients - which is precisely what we’re diving into today. So what actually IS acromegaly? Acromegaly—also known as hypersomatotropism—is the excessive release of growth hormone. Usually, this is caused by a benign functional tumour on the anterior pituitary gland itself ..read more

DKA patients vary from patients with mild ketosis and dehydration all the way to collapsed, severely unwell patients in shock, with marked acidosis and needing intensive nursing care.   However these patients present, one thing remains true - there is a LOT of nursing care we can provide. But to do that, we need to understand how DKA works and what care our patients need - and that’s exactly what we’re diving into in this episode. But before we do… I want to remind you that on July 10th, I’m hosting a webinar that you won’t want to miss!  In ‘Demystifying Diabetes, ‘ we’ll discuss w ..read more

Ever felt unsure advising diabetic cat clients?   Ever felt confused about what to feed? Wondered why we tend to use specific types of insulin for our cats? Or felt boggled by the new oral treatments available, and how they work compared to insulin? Well, in today’s episode of the Medical Nursing Podcast, I’m diving DEEP into feline diabetes - so you’ll leave this episode with all your questions answered. Want to know even more about diabetes? I’ve got you covered. In the last episode, I announced that I’d be hosting a webinar to accompany this podcast series, and you’re invited to join ..read more

Diabetics are some of the most common endocrine patients we see, and the good news is they benefit from SO much nursing care   However, to give the best care we can, we need to understand how diabetes affects our patients, the signs we see, and how we manage it. If you want to feel more confident advising your diabetic pet parents and really feel like you understand canine diabetes, this episode is for you. But before we get into that, I have some VERY exciting news for you.Well the endocrine system is a group of tissues (glands) that release hormones into circulation. I am SO pleased to ..read more

If you don’t already know, the endocrine system is my absolute favourite - but that wasn’t always the case.   As a student nurse, I was utterly confused by the many glands and hormones, how they all linked together, and, worst of all, trying to understand a negative feedback loop! But after years of medical nursing, I can tell you this: It is a fascinating system and responsible for some of the most common diseases we see. Over the next few episodes, we’ll explore those diseases in detail. But before we do that, we need to understand the endocrine system and how it all works. So, what is ..read more

Today, I’m rounding off our renal and urinary series by answering your questions about nursing these patients!   If you want to know more about the practical skills we can perform with these patients, dive into interpreting tests in more detail, or want hands-on tips for managing things like urinary catheters, you’ll find it all in this episode! If you have a question you’d like answered on our next Q&A episode, head to the pinned post on my Instagram and post it in the comments! Today, we’ve got a great mix of questions about renal and urinary patients, starting with Jordyn, who ask ..read more

Incontinence is a really common urinary disorder - and it’s not just our older dogs who are affected by it.   It’s seen commonly in younger patients, too, and nurses are often heavily involved in their diagnostics, treatment, and ongoing care. If you’ve ever thought that managing these cases is as simple as ‘dispense Propalin, and then discharge’, this episode is for you.  We’ll look at what commonly causes urinary incontinence in dogs, some of the more weird and wonderful treatments we can use to manage urinary incontinence, as well as the nursing skills these patients benefit from ..read more

Urinary tract tumours are an important cause of lower urinary tract signs in older patients.   These patients benefit from extensive nursing care—not just at the time of diagnosis but for the rest of their lives, too, to give them the best possible quality of life for as long as possible.  Today, I’m joined by Inge Breathach DipVN, DipAVN(Small Animal), PGCertAVN(Oncology) RVN. Inge has a wealth of oncology experience, currently works as the oncology nurse at Bristol Veterinary Specialists, and will shortly sit her VTS(Oncology) exam. Together, we’ll look at what these tumours are, t ..read more