Dear Reader

Recently, while on a fairly ordinary shopping trip to the supermarket, I was reminded of the role that veterinary nurses can play in raising awareness of animal welfare issues.

I was walking through the car park, it was a nice hot day, the kind of day that takes you by surprise, and reminds you that Britain does actually have a summer. I overheard a conversation between a couple discussing whether to leave their two German shepherds in the car while they did their shopping. One was for winding down a window and leaving them, the other against.

In genuine fear that they would indeed leave the dogs in the car, I decided to push the boundaries of common courtesy and I stepped forward. I apologised to them for eavesdropping, and interrupting and begged them not to leave their dogs. I explained about the cases I had seen in practice of beloved pets who had not survived being left in a car. As I write this I have goose bumps at the recollection of one particularly harrowing case. The couple thanked me for my input, and the dogs stayed out of the car while they shopped.

There has been so much talk about veterinary nursing recently, our recognition, our value, the RCVS charter, raising awareness of the role, and the general progression of the profession. I realised that it had been a while since I had written about our patients, the animals that we share our lives with.

As I flick through this and other issues of the VNJ, our desire to improve the lives of our patients is palpable. Alongside clinical articles on managing medical problems, pain or behaviour issues there are articles scattered through from RVNs who have shared their skills with charities, providing care to animals that might never have received veterinary attention.

Recently a colleague shared a story of a little dog who had been coming in regularly to the hospital she works for chemotherapy. When she started her course, she was cross and growling – now thanks to the kindness and love of the nurses and vets at the practice, her tail wags and her growls have stopped, despite the chemotherapy and associated needles. What a triumph! Those staff members should be proud of themselves, proud that they took the time and went the extra mile to help that animal feel secure and relaxed despite her treatment.

I know that many of you are going the extra mile every day – even when off duty and in the supermarket and we all know why we do it – for our animals. I hope that you enjoy this issue of VNJ and find plenty of information to help you to help your patients.

Author

Helen Ballantyne PG Dip BSc (Hons) RN RVN 

Editor-in-Chief

P.S. Within the July issue of VNJ you will have received a special BVNA 50th Anniversary pin to highlight the Association’s golden jubilee. BVNA wanted to provide its members with a keepsake to commemorate this special anniversary and hope that you will wear your pin with pride alongside your membership badge.

DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2015.1055703

• VOL 30 • August 2015 • Veterinary Nursing Journal