LArge animal practice?

Re: LArge animal practice?

Donna France — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:14:50 GMT

Hey, I work in a large mixed practice and we are very hands on with large animal work, we assist the vets with most cow and sheep caesers, RDA/LDA's ( right and left twisted stomachs) ops on cows, hernia repairs on calves, hosp/dripping of calves, plus much more, it;s usual for 1 nurse to be out at least once aday assisting.

But then there is all the cleaning of the stuff which sometimes you need a strong stomach!!!!!

Re: LArge animal practice?

Polly P — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:40:31 GMT

Ah ok thanks for that. I was brought up in the country with large animals so was hoping there was some aspect of that in practices that did both, but as you say, the farmer or owner generally does it I guess.

Re: LArge animal practice?

Emma Daw — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:01:52 GMT

Hi ya :0)

I work in a mixed practice too. The nurses don't get to help with the large animal side of it much unless anything is brought to the surgery e.g kid disbudding, ram vasectomising or the odd goat caesar. Other than that we just get to scrub the gungy calving ropes and emasculators

Re: LArge animal practice?

Sue Cox — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:32:02 GMT

hey up phrin Im following you on vetnurse!! (you should come to work more, lol)

I think the farmers tend to be really good in helping the vets, thats why we dont get involved much! Would quite like to help more but think it requires a lot of strength for holding together bits of cow etc! So far ive only helped with a lambing. Oh n putting a calf on a drip. That was cool.

Re: LArge animal practice?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:08:49 GMT

I work in mixed practice at the moment, and the nurses don't really get involved with the LA side at all, apart from dispensing farm drugs.

Occasionally the HN will assist the vets with ops on the farmyards, but she lives on a farm so knows her stuff a lot better than us smallies hehe! We also, very rarely, have calves stay in on drips, but the vets tend to deal with them. Speaking for myself only, I have no idea on handling or husbandry of LA!

I think, but am not sure, that the nurses at our main branch have more to do with the LA side - I know they have done ops on calves over there..

Saying all that, I did get to help the vet with a sheep ceaser on Monday, which was awesome! Sadly the lambs were dead, but it was a very interesting experience!

Re: LArge animal practice?

Polly P — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:59:57 GMT

Huh, that is the case! Thanks for clarifying.

Re: LArge animal practice?

Maisy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:12:58 GMT

At the moment (though it could change) there is no large animal work in the syllabus, so you train and qualify as either a small animal VN or equine VN. However nurses in mixed practices (those that see small/large +/- equine) may still be involved in nursing and call outs of large animals to some degree.