Drama

  Breaking news. Ben and Rebecca, our two little rescue rabbits, have been attacked by a dog. Well, not just one dog, three to be exact. Two lurchers and a terrier which jumped the fence and did what lurchers and terriers generally do – which is kill rabbits. Hard business to break to the kids, as we padded out into the garden forlornly. “Maybe they’ve just gone on holiday” I explained, fooling no one, as we scoured a patch of grass, stained with... MORE

Parrots, pirates and massive trucks

  Best shorts at the ready these last few weeks. It’s been a month of talking. Not your normal, run of the mill daily wittering, more climbing up on my box and ranting about rabies. As you do. There has also been the landmark moment that I became a trucker so watch out if you see a big yellow 27tonne lorry on the roads. The man behind the wheel is still trying to find 5th gear. No messing about with the talking though – first up was India, at the Dogs Trust... MORE

Celtic roots

  All drama at the moment. Aside from grappling with the electrical layout of the all terrain mobile vet hospital – or not – as the case maybe – I decided to invest in a packet of transfer tattoos. Probably, I should have been agonsing over the spec of various oxygen generators to install into the operating theatre, the positioning of the x-ray arm or how on earth we are going to plug Indian appliances into endless amounts of English plug sockets – but the... MORE

The Beast

“What sort of music are you into?” is a question I was asked this week. It’s one I generally dread when it crops up. Invariably, it’s asked innocently enough, but with the slightest bit of digging I am rapidly out of my depth. “Depends on the type of operation I’m doing” is my general deflecting response.   At this point I am always desperately hoping for the conversation to move on. Odds on them being stuck in a lift with me for any... MORE

Happy campers

And so the Olympics continues to inspire and amaze. Athletes from all over the world compete at the highest level, dazzling us mere mortals with the prowess of fables from times of old. Always exciting, wondering what new sport will be added at each games – in London 2012, womens boxing received the required 2/3rds of votes to be make the grade. Personally I was hoping for something a bit more along the lines of pub darts but there you go. I mean what Nation is going to have... MORE

Pirates

No mean feat, going on the annual family Gamble holiday. Great to be there, great to enjoy it, but heck of a thing to get sorted. Packing for three small children is a mission best left to competent and responsible members of the team, so I get out of that one fairly easily, but loading it in the car takes a few goes, and any monkey can lift bags so I get wheeled out to spring into action for that. Then there are the rabbits, mental puppy, cat and various work related matters to sort out for... MORE

Tonsils of power - or lack of them

About 3 weeks ago I treated a beautiful pointer with what appeared to be raging tonsillitis – he had chronic upper airway disease and what accompanied a fair bit of drooling was a mass of inflamed and angry looking tonsils at the back of his throat. I felt sorry for him, not as sorry as I would feel for him now – and I’ll come to that in a minute – but impossible not to really. Nice stoical dog, putting on a brave face, sore and ulcerated back of the throat. Maybe a... MORE

The art of amputation

So, I had an injection into my shoulder this week. Bit of a change to be on the receiving end of a jab of power but just goes to show it all comes full circle. Raced up to the hospital, had a quick check to make sure the surgeons hands were steady, shirt off, lay still and then bit down. 2 inch needle, right into the joint space, x-ray to make sure all is well and then hardcore steroid – the drug of dreams – just where it was needed. In fact it didn’t hurt half as much... MORE