We talk a lot here about diversifying your career, experiencing new clinics, and using more skills. And whilst I’m pretty good at sharing examples of how I’ve done this in my career in the hope that this helps people do the same, we all know that veterinary nursing (and veterinary technology) look different worldwide. Today, I’m delighted to share Allana’s story with you. Allana is a member of the Medical Nursing Academy and works as an Internal Medicine nurse in a specialty clinic in Australia. She shares her journey so far, from completing her veterinary nursing certification to studying onl ..read more

We’ve all been in the position where we’ve been busy clearing up after a busy ops day… when the vet rushes through that painful, stressed, straining cat with a bladder like an overinflated balloon.   And whilst this is a very treatable condition, there is a LOT of nursing care that these patients benefit from - not just when they’re obstructed, but to help prevent future obstructions, too. In this episode, we’ll discuss what causes urethral obstruction, how these patients present, and how we can provide them with the best possible care. What is a urethral obstruction? As the name suggest ..read more

I’ll let you in on a secret - I had absolutely no idea that ureteral obstructions were a thing until I went into referral practice.   I’d never seen one - but that quickly changed when my own cat, Nigel, got an obstruction himself. The truth is, though, that ureteral obstructions are being diagnosed more and more often now than ever, particularly in cats - and there is a LOT we can do as nurses and technicians to support these patients.  They usually present markedly painful and with post-renal AKI, which can be life-threatening if bilateral obstructions are present and often require ..read more

This week, we’re chatting about a disease we’re seeing more and more often in practice and one that has significant risks to both us and our clients: leptospirosis.   Leptospirosis is an increasingly common, potentially fatal zoonotic disease found throughout the world. These patients often benefit from advanced treatment and nursing care, especially if they have acute kidney injury as a result of their infection. In today’s episode, we’ll examine leptospirosis, how it affects our patients, and how we can provide the best possible care to them. What is leptospirosis, and how does infecti ..read more

I’m sure when I say ‘antifreeze poisoning’ you’ll have a case you’ve seen that comes to mind.   They’re usually collapsed cats who present with severe renal failure, and they require a ton of nursing care. Though they do have a poor prognosis, there are a lot of nursing skills we can use to support these patients - and to do that, we first need to look at what happens when our patients ingest ethylene glycol. What is ethylene glycol? Ethylene glycol is a highly nephrotoxic compound found most commonly in vehicle radiator antifreeze, though it is also found in other solvents, household pr ..read more

Have you ever felt uncomfortable with the care one of your patients was receiving, or felt like there was more that they needed - but that you couldn’t go against your team? Have you ever felt like you wanted more from your career but you didnt know where to start with looking for it? If you’re nodding along with me - I get it, because I’ve been there. And so has Gemma, one of our founding academy members, who is chatting with me about just that in today’s post. Gemma has been nursing for over 20 years and over that time, she’s completed her CertAVN, found a new passion for medical nursing, an ..read more

Today, we’re talking all about a renal disease that’s more common than you think - protein-losing nephropathy, aka PLN.   I never knew that PLN existed before moving into referral practice - I just thought patients had CKD, and they were all managed in the same way. But protein-losing nephropathy is a really important renal disease, and these patients are at risk of significant complications. Today, we’ll discuss what PLN is, how it happens, and the ways we can best treat and care for these patients. What is protein-losing nephropathy? PLN is a renal disorder characterised by the loss of ..read more

Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic condition affecting patients from a young age, eventually causing advanced chronic kidney disease.   These patients benefit from early diagnosis and thorough supportive care, and we all know that veterinary nurses are vital in advocating for both of those things. On top of that, client education is a huge part of this condition - and we all know nurses are great at that, too. But to advise our clients effectively, we need to have a good understanding of what PKD is, and how it affects our patients - and that’s exactly what we’re going to go through t ..read more

Unlike CKD, AKI is a potentially reversible loss of renal function.   These patients usually present as an emergency, and require intensive treatment and nursing care.  These guys benefit a lot from advanced monitoring, intensive nursing, and many advanced nursing skills - but before we talk about that, we need to look at what AKI is, how it occurs, and what impact it has on our patients. What is acute kidney injury? Acute kidney injury is an often severe, life-threatening emergency requiring intensive treatment and nursing care. It is defined as an abrupt and sustained decrease in ..read more

CKD is one of the most common conditions we see in practice….   And whilst we can’t cure it, there’s a lot that we can do to help these patients, to slow the progression of their disease, and buy them as much good-quality life as possible. In today’s episode of the medical nursing podcast, we’re looking at what chronic kidney disease is, how it occurs, and the treatment and nursing care our CKD patients benefit from. Let’s begin by looking at what CKD is. Put simply, it’s defined as renal damage or a progressive, irreversible reduction in renal function which has persisted for at least 3 ..read more