Have you ever had to have a prolonged stay in hospital?
I recently spent some time with a human family member in
a hospital. The staff were wonderful, but hospitals aren’t fun places to be. For
a start, the patient is usually feeling anxious about their condition. And that
condition is usually making them feel sick, and/or painful. For another thing,
the patient has had to leave all their responsibilities at home – including companion
animals who they may be missing terribly. And hospital can be a lonely place.
Should dogs be allowed in hospitals? The Royal College of
Nursing in the UK has argued that there is scope to allow trained dogs on
certain wards, and author Michele Hanson agrees. Read more here.
We’ve been reading neurosurgeon Henry Marsh’s books, Do No Harm and Admissions, a fascinating and scary-but-can’t-look-away insight
into the challenges and grave responsibilities of brain surgery. If you don’t
have time to read the books, you can listen to his interview with RichardFiedler here.
Are you a veterinarian who treats backyard livestock (this
includes chickens)? The NSW Department of Primary Industries, Animal Health
Australia and the AVA have teamed up to create an online course, which includes
information on protecting staff and clients from zoonoses and other risks, and
information about working with Government vets in disease surveillance. The
course is free of charge and is open to veterinarians. For instructions on how
to enrol, visit this site.