Dear Reader

As I write this the final of the World Cup is taking place which means that I can look forward to a brief respite from all things football for a few weeks! To say that I hate football would be a little excessive; rather it would be nearer the truth to say that I have lost interest in the’ beautiful game. Being of a certain vintage I can still remember watching the poetry that was George Best playing in his heyday and can also remember hearing the sentence that began ‘ They think it’s all over….’ when it was spoken for the very first time back in 1966! Football lost its way when it changed from being an amateur game to today’s professional enterprise that is largely driven by money, and indeed that can be said of most sporting activities these days. Today also sees the British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone, the site of another distant personal memory! I can still hear the incredible noise that accompanied the excitement before and during the event when I attended back in 1970s when I was a follower of the long defunct Hesketh Racing. Although a significant amount of money was spent on the sport in those days, Formula One was still something of an amateur sport as exemplified by James Hunt who, for a short interlude, combined his playboy lifestyle with racing cars in an apparently effortless manner! Whilst being professional has slightly tarnished connotations in today’s sporting world, it

is viewed in a far more positive light in the veterinary environment. The veterinary nursing profession has invested much time and effort over the last few years regarding the need to act and to be viewed as professional so I await the forthcoming Panorama documentary with interest as I would hope that the staff portrayed therein will be viewed as wholly professional in their approach to the care of their patients. By the time you read this you should have the answer!

This month’s VNJ has a somewhat exotic flavour with articles about the post surgical nursing care of a cheetah by Lucy Ireland and discussion of anaesthesia in reptiles by Joanna Hedley. At the other end of the spectrum Amanda Rock and gives an overview of the endectocides in use today whilst Harriet Oakley presents her work on Angiostrongylus vasorum.

Next month’s issue will include reports from many of the activities that are being run to celebrate National VN Week and it is certainly true that this event is growing in size and stature each year as more and more veterinary nurses and practices take the opportunity to celebrate their work and the profession in general. Well done to all of you!

Author

Sue Badger MEd CertEd VN Executive Editor

• VOL 25 • No8 • August 2010 • Veterinary Nursing Journal