Happy New Year!

Russian Blue Steel? Frankie strikes a pose on the fence.

Hopefully you are busy putting all of those new year's resolutions into action. This morning I watched the sun rise with the cats...which isn't something I am going to make a habit of every morning, just to be clear, but it felt like a nice way to welcome in the new year.

Frankie strikes yet another cool pose.

We thought you might enjoy these links:

Most operating theatres are sterile places, which means (oddly enough) that only one species (the human) is usually permitted. That rule was broken for a very remarkable dog and the little girl he looks after. Make sure you look on the photos accompanying the story, little JJ and his charge, KK, are a beautiful pair. And I loved this quote from one of KK's doctors:

“It sounds silly, in this age of technology, when we have millions of dollars worth of equipment beeping around me, that we had a little dog who was more sensitive than all the machines,” he said.

SAT fan Sneaky Droplets (aka DJ Sneaky - thank you for the awesome mixtape!) alerted us to the beautiful glass-blown microbiology art by Luke Jerram. His pieces, which you can view here, are definitely unique and very striking. No one particularly wants the SARS coronavirus,Ebola or E. coli gracing their dining table, but when they look like this (and they're not inside you wreaking havoc on your GIT, respiratory system or urinary tract) they are fascinating to behold.

Canandian blogger and Associate Professor of Pathobiology Scott Weese wrote this thought provoking piece, raising the question of who do we blame (or sue) in the case of zoonotic disease transmission from a pet. If you think about it, this kind of legal action, if successful, could spell disaster for pet owners, veterinarians and companion animals.

Finally, the ever-enthusiastic Dr Ilana Mendels of VetPrac sent through some vetty new-year's resolutions courtesy of the VetPrac Facebook page. So here they are below:

1. Try to make sure every suture tied is a square knot  - non a slip knot

2. Try to remember to bill for everything and get better at stuff in general

3. Make a plan for every surgery, rather than jump in and see

4. Get the surgical scissors sharpened

5. Throw out the haemostats with worn ratchets

6. Be kinder to the full moon clients

7. Be kinder to the new moon clients

8. Try not to blame myself if a case doesn't go well... and accept that physiological processes sometimes have a different plan...

9. Remember to book double appointments for geriatrics, ear/skin disease and behaviour patents

10. Work effectively enough to justify a raise that reflects what I'm worth