Vet Practice December 2015

Following years spent as a vet in Malawi, Dr Reb reflects on the

lessons learned abroad

African adventure

DECEMBER 2015 $6.95 GST INCL.

Life as an OPVNew programs are encouraging graduates to explore work as an on-plant vet

Going mobileGood design extends beyond brick-and-mortar practices to those on the road

Looking forward

Make 2016 successful with these healthy

habits

Go to idexxsdma.info or join the conversation on Linkedin for more details #IDEXXSDMA

* Blood profiles run at the IDEXX Reference Laboratory. Excludes in-house diagnostic profiles.

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DECEMBER 2015

Cover storyOut of Africa 20A young vet on a two-year stint in the Peace Corp, Dr Reb’s memoir takes us to Africa and back in the first of our four-part series.

News + eventsThe latest in the veterinary world 4Hendra virus shoot ‘em up—vaccine objectors pressure Queensland vets, and more.

Your worldThe secret life of OPVs 12Tucked away in the hidden places where pigs become pork, we entrust our health to on-plant vets every time we eat meat.

Your businessCulture change 16Learn how to make your small practice rival the likes of Google and Facebook for workplace happiness.

Beating burnout 26With one in seven vets suffering burnout within 10 years of graduating, taking steps to prevent it should be number one on your to-do list.

On the road 30Mobile vets are trading bricks and mortar for a more flexible—and affordable—practice.

Your toolsNew products 11The latest tools and equipment on the market.

Tools of the trade 35Reviewed by real-life vets around Australia.

Your lifeSpin cycle 38When Dr Kirstie Mientka knocks off at work, she jumps on a bike and leads the pack at her local spin studio.

Contents

C O N T E N T S

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20

30 38

PRACTICE Editorial Director Rob Johnson

Digital Director Ann Gordon

Contributors Tracey Porter, Sarah Norris, Chris Sheedy, Kerryn Ramsey

Commercial Director Mark Brown

For all editorial or advertising enquiries:Phone (02) 9660 6995 Fax (02) 9518 [email protected]

Vet Practice magazine is published 11 times a year by Engage Media, Suite 4.06, 55 Miller Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009. ABN 50 115 977 421. Views expressed in Vet Practice magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Engage Media. Printed by Webstar.

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16

Sales Director Adam Cosgrove

4,883 - CAB Audited as at September 2015

Sub-editor Kate Balazs

Editor Erin Delaney

Art Director Lucy GloverGo to idexxsdma.info or join

the conversation on Linkedin for more details #IDEXXSDMA

* Blood profiles run at the IDEXX Reference Laboratory. Excludes in-house diagnostic profiles.

IDEXX SDMA ...one giant leap for veterinary medicine

Trusted by specialists, NATA accredited and IRIS endorsed

IDEXX SDMA IS PROVEN TO ENABLE THE EARLY AND SPECIFIC IDENTIFICATION OF RENAL DYSFUNCTION.

AVAILABLE TO IDEXX CUSTOMERS IN BLOOD PROFILES* AT NO EXTRA COST.

EXCLUSIVE TO

IDEXX

The Complete Diagnostic Solution™© 2015 IDEXX Laboratories. Inc. All rights reserved. All ®/™ marks are owned by IDEXX, Inc or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. The IDEXX Privacy Policy is available at idexx.com

4

news + events

New guidelines set to preserve antibiotic efficacy in horses and livestockIn the wake of fears surrounding the depreciating efficacy of antimicrobial medicines the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and Animal Medicines Australia (AMA) are developing a new set of guidelines to govern antibiotic prescriptions for livestock and horses.

The AVA’s CEO Graham Catt encouraged veterinarians to contribute to policies that could help to minimise the detrimental over prescription of antibiotics.

“All prescribers, users and suppliers of antibiotics need to work together to manage antimicrobial resistance and extend the usefulness of our lifesaving antibiotics,” said Catt. “We are working in partnership with others to provide easily-accessible, clinically-useful antibiotic prescribing guidelines for all the main species treated by veterinarians in Australia.”

Catt was optimistic about producing the guidelines as a measure to reduce antimicrobial resistance.

“Antibiotic prescribing guidelines for vet practices, livestock and other animal producers will standardise and optimise the use of antibiotics, improving treatment outcomes and minimising resistance in these settings,” said Catt.

Though the guidelines will take three years to produce, Duncan Bremner, CEO of the AMA is optimistic about both their implantation and impact.

“There are already Australian evidence-based guidelines for dogs and cats. With this project kicking off in 2016, we will now also have guidelines for horses, sheep, pigs, poultry and cattle,” said Bremner.

“The guidelines will be based on the best available peer-reviewed scientific evidence and will follow responsible prescribing principles. Both animal and human health experts play a critical role in preserving these lifesaving drugs for the future. This project will be a significant step to further improve antimicrobial stewardship in Australia.”

Queensland politician, Jim Pearce, the Labour member for Mirani, has put himself forward as the voice for horse owners against Hendra Vaccinations. The Equine Veterinary Association (EVA) has rebutted Pearce’s claims with concerns around health and safety.

Local veterinarians are being pressured by Pearce and his compatriots to treat horses regardless of their vaccination status.

Pearce’s platform suggests vets’ refusals to treat unvaccinated horses is a coercive tactic intended to enforce vaccinations.

“To say, ‘I will not be treating your horse unless it has been vaccinated against Hendra virus’ is a standover tactic and being used by vets to force people to get their horses vaccinated,” says Pearce. “Vets can say that if they are fair dinkum, but they are not being fair dinkum.”

In the wake of the recent prosecutions by Workplace Health and Safety the legality of equine treatment without vaccination has concerned local vets. Though vets would put themselves, horses and others at risk by treating an unvaccinated horse Pearce insinuated that health and safety was not the reason behind vet recalcitrance.

“I don’t believe this argument is about PPE [personal protective equipment]. There has to be something else that puts these vets in a situation where they say they won’t treat horses unless they have been vaccinated,” says Pearce. “I don’t have the evidence to back up what I’ve been hearing, but there are certainly things put to me that question the whole exercise.”

Dr Nathan Anthony, from the Equine Veterinary Association refuted Pearce’s claims citing impacts the Hendra virus has imparted on the community.

“Veterinarians have lost colleagues to this disease and many veterinarians, along with horse owners, have been through the extreme stress of waiting to find out if they have contracted the disease,” Dr Anthony told the ABC.

“Hendra is not solely a risk to veterinarians. In the last year, six horse owners have been treated with monoclonal antibodies as Queensland Health deemed them to have high risk of contracting the virus.”

Hendra virus shoot ‘em up—vaccine objectors pressure Queensland vets

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news + events

New study finds early desexing does not increase the risk of complications for kittensWhile the debate has been back and forth on the right age to desex kittens, a new study has found that desexing within three months could reduce the number of cats euthanased.

Researchers also found that desexing could be safely performed before kittens reached three months of age. Though the operation is usually performed at around the six-month mark, kittens become fertile closer to three months.

Some shelters and vets are already desexing kittens as early as two months old. Associate Professor of feline medicine at the University of Sydney, Vanessa Barrs, told the ABC that it was still common for vets to wait six months to desex kittens.

However, Professor Barrs and her researchers followed 300 operations

and found that desexing prior to 12 weeks no longer increased the risk of complications.

“Traditionally there were risks associated with doing surgery and anaesthesia in young animals, but technology and expertise has changed over the years,” she said.

Professor Barrs is now working with the the Cat Protection Society to reduce numbers of euthanased cats Australia wide. Currently shelters take in 100,000 cats per annum—zmost of which are euthanased.

CEO of the Cat Protection Society of NSW, Kristina Vesk, hopes to minimise the large numbers of unwanted cats and kittens being put

down. “It’s really important to stop that cycle of breeding right up front,” said Vesk. “That’s why early age desexing is so important. We can actually start to tackle the problem because it’s a tragedy that all these beautiful healthy cats and kittens are being euthanased.”

Methane minimisation in cattle productionResearchers in New Zealand are on the verge of testing a vaccine for cattle that will greatly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle are one of the largest producers of methane in Australia and New Zealand. Their burps produce gases greatly responsible for driving up greenhouse gas emissions.

Rick Pridmore, strategy and investment leader for sustainability

at Dairy NZ, was hopeful that vaccine production would result in a 25 to 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions by cattle. “We’re getting very close to coming up with a possible vaccine and we are doing animal testing right now,” Pridmore told ABC Rural. “But ‘close’ in science can always be quite unsettling, if you say you are close the next experiment can

show you did not get there.“We do have in-vivo

tests happening right now though, and we are probably as close as I feel we have been. We should know around Christmas or a little bit after how we have gone.”

As Pridmore explained the vaccine will work by creating an environment where the body itself will

attack methane-producing bacteria in the stomach known as methanogens.

“Basically, you try to find a protein or a peptide that is on these methanogens,” Pridmore said. “You then create an auto-immune response to that, so the body attacks itself.”

The New Zealand vaccine is not alone. Researchers in Europe have been working on a methane inhibitor too.

“While we were doing that, a European company came out with a compound that can lower methane by about 25 per cent, which is very very high,” says Pridmore.

“The inhibitor works on total mixed rations, or a dry diet, which is typically not a pasture diet. So we’re working with that company now to see if theirs will work on a pasture diet, which would be more applicable to Australia and New Zealand.”

*Compared to placebo p=0.0088. **Compared to placebo, p=0.034. Reference: 1. Summerfield NJ, Boswood A, O’Grady MR, et al. Efficacy of pimobendan in the prevention of congestive heart

failure or sudden death in Doberman Pinschers with preclinical dilated cardiomyopathy (the PROTECT study). J Vet Intern Med. 2012;26(1):1337–1349. vetmedin.com.au or vetmedin.co.nz User name: veterinarian Password: livelonger Australia: Boehringer Ingelheim Pty Limited. Animal Health Division.

Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Toll Free 1800 038 037. New Zealand: Boehringer Ingelheim (N.Z.) Limited. Animal Health Division. Level 1, Unit 9, 42 Ormiston Road, East Tamaki, Auckland 2016. Toll Free 0800 802 461. Restricted Veterinary Medicine. Access is only through a veterinary authorisation. Vetmedin® contains pimobendan.

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8

news + events

3D app will guide veterinary students through cow’s anatomyResearchers at the University of Illinois have developed an app that allows for the internal organs and bones of a cow to be viewed from all angles.

The app was conceived of when medical illustrator in veterinary medicine at Illinois University, Janet Sinn-Hanlon, came across a dinosaur DNA app. That original app, created by associate director in computer-human interaction, Alan Craig, allows users to interact with dinosaur DNA molecules by looking through the app at a magazine.

Sinn-Hanlon and research partner Kerry Helms, coordinator of graphic design in veterinary medicine, teamed up with Craig to use this technology to create an app for veterinary students.

The app uses the camera lens to collect data about the position of the magazine in relation to the viewer, constructing a 3D image. “We’re using computer vision, the tablet, the phone as a magic lens,” said Craig. “We’re looking at the real world through the camera of this device.”

The team designed the app to offer veterinary students the chance to conceptualise a cow’s anatomy. “That’s difficult, especially on a really large animal. You’re used to looking at a textbook and an illustrator might have several views all on one page,” said Helms. “But to really put that all together in your head is kind of challenging. So the exciting part for us is the students can actually look at this and turn it around on their own.”

The new app is not confined to a stationary page, with students able to walk around, capturing a view of a cow’s anatomy from every angle. “There is so much stuffed inside of a body. It’s very compact,” said Sinn-Hanlon. “If you’re going to go on and do surgery, it’s kind of difficult to see where (vessels and nerves) go. It is so helpful to see something in 3-D and rotate things around.”

Chicken vaccinations aiding health improvement in East Timor villagesA team of researchers from Australia are working on a vaccination program for chickens in Timor-Leste that could improve health for both the chickens and their owners.

Though a large portion of the people in Timor-Leste are dependant on rural farming production, the prevalence of eradicable Newcastle disease is overwhelmingly high. These incidences are resulting in a far higher morbidity rate than the local communities can afford.

“The problem with Newcastle disease is you lose a lot of chickens at a very young age, so the survival rate is poor in unvaccinated groups,” Neville Hunt from the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry told ABC Rural.

According to UNICEF, instances of malnutrition and growth stunting are severe in Timor-Leste. The vaccination, in reducing chicken deaths, would see an increase in access to quality poultry proteins.

The research hopes to build an immunity across the chicken populations of Timor-Leste. Though vaccinations do currently occur in Timor-Leste, the researchers believe the levels are too low and by increasing the inoculated population to 75 per cent, meat and egg production can be increased.

The program will start off in a series of pilot villages to confirm the effectiveness of the program and express to the Timorese public demonstrable benefits of vaccinating a higher portion of chickens per flock.

“The aim of the project is to try and increase the vaccination rates in these pilot villages and then demonstrate, as a result of that vaccination, that there are some definable benefits,” said Hunt. “Those benefits could simply be more chickens surviving, which gives you more chickens to eat, more chickens to sell, more eggs to eat, and that would raise the level of nutrition and diversity of nutrition in the village population.

Vaccination levels in Timor-Leste are too low,

researchers believe.

Conceptualising a really large animal’s

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That moment when you help best friends reunite

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At the coalface

LET’S BE HONEST, AS FAR AS SEXY career choices go, an abattoir monitor is probably not high on the list. In the court of public opinion, examining animals before and after slaughter to check for disease, certifying that the meat produced is suitable for human consumption and ensuring that staff maintain the highest standards of ethical, legal and safe practice is neither as exciting nor emotionally charged as witnessing Rover the retriever being brought back from the brink.

Not that any of that mattered one jot to West Australian veterinarian Dr Samson Lui when he decided to become an OPV [on-plant veterinarian] in Esperance 18 months ago.

A veterinary officer for the food service group at the Department of Agriculture, Dr Lui’s role as an OPV encompasses responsibility for the examination of animals at pre-slaughter to make sure they are fit and free from obvious disease and overall responsibility for hygiene in the abattoir. He must also ensure audit compliance with fit-to-load regulations and monitor that cohorts of animals are managed ethically pre-slaughter.

In addition, once the carcass is on the chain it is the OPVs job to inspect it for signs of disease that may prevent the meat from entering the food chain.

Dr Lui says he was drawn to a public health role as work as an OPV offered better job security, a higher rate of pay and more stable hours than had he becoming a vet in a private practice. Upon graduating two years ago, the 28-year-old initially spent four months working at the Australian Neuroscience Research

Institute as a vet research assistant prior to accepting his role with the government department but now says public health is where he sees his future.

He says it is immensely rewarding knowing he and his team have contributed to promoting food safety and Australian standards. “Speaking personally, working as an OPV cultivates my skills in leadership and management. It offers rewarding career prospects and the Department of Agriculture also offers opportunities and support for continuing education.”

Having finished his studies at Perth’s Murdoch University in 2013, Dr Lui was one of the first graduates of a 12-week intensive course offered only to final year veterinary students eager to pursue a career in animal welfare, public health and food safety. Launched after the department identified a critical shortage of veterinarians motivated to undertake careers in this non-traditional type of veterinary practice, the course is run by the university’s School of Veterinary and Life Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine and is believed to be the only accredited provider in the country offering a qualification of this nature.

To date, nine students have completed the course, which is funded by the department, with six going on to take up positions as OPVs, overseeing animal welfare and food safety in export abattoirs across the country. Three students are enrolled in the program in 2015, however it is understood other universities may be considering introducing a similar type of qualification.

Murdoch University Senior Lecturer in

13

They are the guardians of the food production industry, yet few understand the role of the OPV. But, as Tracey Porter writes, plans are now afoot to allow these vets a chance to shine.

“Speaking personally, working as an OPV cultivates my skills

in leadership and management.”

Dr Samson Lui, Department of Agriculture

At the coalface

Y O U R W O R L D

14

Production Animal Health and Welfare, Dr Michael Lawrence, who leads the research, teaching and farm animal clinical services team, says the program gives students the opportunity to learn theory—namely the relevant legislation —and the key aspects of public health, food safety and animal welfare. He says it is by shadowing the OPVs at abattoirs that the student vets learn all the practical skills the job requires. Modules covered in the course range from knife sharpening and maintenance to auditing principles and export control legislation.

“They are assessed by senior OPVs already working at abattoirs and senior department veterinary staff,” says Dr Lawrence. “The students finish the course qualified to work as an OPV following an induction into the department. The final part of the training is six months on-the-job experience after graduation.”

He says this type of training offers a win/win solution for those involved.

The department benefits greatly from a steady stream of OPVs to employ, aiding succession planning as more experienced vets currently in these roles near retirement. While for the students it offers expanded career opportunities. “The starting salary for these roles is generally higher than that of a vet going into a standard practice and the training is short circuited by months by having this opportunity while they are still students.”

Agribusiness professional Ed Dunn, of the Food Division of the Department of Agriculture, says the program offers the chance to access veterinarians, who are inspection and regulation ready, to mitigate the problems of staff shortages in the future. “The meat industry will have the opportunity to draw on this resource also if markets begin to demand further integration of the abattoir with the supplier of slaughter animals.”

Currently the qualification has a three-year deadline affiliated with it via

graduates entering employment with the Department after that period required to retake the training modules. Despite the success of the program and the gradual change in student attitudes towards the role, Dr Lawrence says some personality types are more suited to OPV work than others. “OPVs are dedicated (long hours) and details-oriented. They have to pick up every small difference from the normal lest it be a significant problem. The have an inherently analytical way of thinking. “Abattoir work is not for everyone. It’s tiring and can be confronting. But not every vet is destined for the consulting room and this job suits a few who have an interest in public health and animal welfare.”

For Dr Lui, however, the positives outweigh the negatives. He says as well as allowing him to gain exposure within a different industry, working as an OPV has also offered unexpected rewards. “Personally it has cultivated my skills in leadership and management and challenged my skills in critical thinking. I’ve also been surprised by the extent of the communication skills my role requires. Because an abattoir is a big place… and you are dealing with people with all sorts of backgrounds most of who do not have tertiary or scientific backgrounds, I have had to learn to think from a different perspective to ensure we get the desired outcome and keep everyone onside.”

“OPVs are dedicated and details-

orientated. They have to pick up on every small difference.”

Dr Michael Lawrence, Murdoch University

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17

Google, Facebook and Salesforce are regularly listed as the best places to work, making people think you need to work for a large

organisation to be happy. Sarah Norris explores what you can do to make your small vet practice an enviable workplace.

Culture change

IT’S CALLED A “PRE-CATION” —a holiday you take before you start a new job. It’s just one of the perks new employees are offered by Australian software company Atlassian, the Best Place to Work, as nominated by BRW this year. At file-sharing firm Dropbox, the sweeteners are made-to-order stir-fry bars and free yoga classes, while at Google it’s on-site medical services, health care coverage and legal representation.

But according to the managing director of Great Place to Work, Zrinka Lovrencic—the company that compiles the BRW list—incentives such as these may make news headlines and serve as an initial enticement, but they aren’t the real reason people are happy at work. “If you don’t like your manager, you’re not getting feedback and don’t know what you’re meant to do on a day-to-day basis, the fact there’s free food and a laundry service isn’t going to make you stay,” says Lovrencic. “It might make you stay for an extra month or two because it’s quirky and a benefit, but then you’ll remember you hate your boss, you’ve got no direction and get no feedback. And the free food’s not even that good anyway.”

What does make people want to say, says Lovrencic, is having pride for where they work, enjoying the company of colleagues and that they trust upper management. “But getting those in place is difficult, and it’s why companies often fail in achieving it,” she says.

It is, however, not impossible. “You have to create an aligned workforce in order for staff to be engaged,” says Lovrencic. “That means making sure everyone understands what the business does, that they understand why the company exists, what the goals are that need to be, and what role they play as an individual in achieving those.” This

environment and culture must be driven by the person at the top, which in the case of a veterinary practice is the vet owner or practice manager. “You can’t create engagement in the workplace from the bottom up,” says Lovrencic.

While this seems like common sense, it’s not often what happens. According to Gallop, which delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organisations solve problems, 60 per cent of Australians are disengaged in the workplace. “If you stop anyone on the street and ask them what their company is trying to achieve and how they play a role in achieving that, most will say, ‘I don’t know’. But at the end of the day, people want a sense of purpose and achievement,” says Lovrencic.

The fashion industry has recently cottoned on to the importance of keeping staff happy and engaged, with companies such as Burberry employing a CPO —chief people officer. These CPOs are responsible for staff, the company’s culture and for creating a working environment in which employees can thrive. Of course, engaging and retaining staff is at the centre of appointments such as these, with the chief human resources officer at professional networking site LinkedIn, Pat Wadors, saying there’s a lot at stake for businesses considering 80 per cent of a company’s operating expenses are talent-related.

For many small businesses, work culture is often not seen important, and according to business coach and the

Y O U R B U S I N E S S

18

A B E T T E R B U S I N E S SVeterinary business coach Diederik Gelderman gives his tips for creating a better workplace.

Create autonomy. A lot of vet owners and managers are process-focused rather than outcome-focused. They say to their employees, ‘You should do it the way I do it’, and look over their shoulder continuously. Great companies are outcome-focused, not caring how people get there, just that they got the job done.

Develop a purpose. Why do I get out of bed every morning? Give your staff a reason.

Encourage mastery. This doesn’t mean being the best or having a three-unit university degree. It means trying to be a little bit better every day. It’s what Tony Robbins called CANI—constant and never-ending improvement.

Give ongoing feedback. Tell your staff how they’re doing, and this is not only when they’re doing it wrong, but when they’re doing it right.

Develop opportunities to work with ‘A Players’. We don’t pay people enough to attract good talent in the veterinary business so we often get a lot of ‘B Player’ staff. Spend time training people so they can become ‘A Players’.

president of the Australian Veterinary Business Association’s Diederik Gelderman, it’s more often than not ignored by veterinary practice owners. In fact, ask him to describe the business side of the vet industry, he doesn’t mince his words. “I’ll give you one word: dysfunctional. Most vet practice owners treat their business as a ‘mum-and-pop’ store and then they complain they have no money, no lifestyle and can’t see the kids grow up. They are happy to complain but very reluctant to go down the road of correcting their business or turning it into a real business,” says Gelderman.

“Look at books on the subject and the number one thing that drives a business is a leader, and no vet gets leadership training at uni. Vets at uni, in my opinion, are trained to be combative. We’re not taught to be collaborative, nor do we have business or management skills. When you have a great leader the business does well. Employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers,” says Gelderman.

Lovrencic says it’s not an issue only associated with the vet industry, it’s a problem across every industry. “Companies assume that once people become managers, they will magically have these management skills. It’s not the case. People need to be taught how to communicate effectively, what has to be communicated to lead their team and motivate them, and how to look out for performance issues. I suggest enrolling in a management and communication course—it will greatly help.”

“They are happy to complain but very

reluctant to go down the road of correcting

their business.” Diederik Gelderman,

Australian Veterinary Business Association

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24 CPDPOINTS

6 CPDPOINTS+

C O V E R S T O RY

In 1958, young vet Dr Reb was sent to Malawi, Africa for a two-year stint in the Peace Corp. In this extract from his new memoir, All Things Strange and Wonderful: My adventures as a vet in Africa, he recalls setting up his veterinary practice in what seemed a bizarrely foreign world.

All things strange and wonderful

“EXCUSE ME, DR REB, YOU HAVE AN appointment waiting,” said Jeff Mbewa, my right-hand man.

An appointment? An appointment! My heart leapt. For two straight weeks since my arrival I had waited to hear those words. Thanks to Malawi’s countrywide fuel shortage, transportation had ground to a halt. Imagine an entire country running out of fuel. This is Africa.

With only my feet for transportation, my effectiveness as a veterinarian had been quite limited. It seemed the only skill I had been honing over the past two weeks was beer drinking. Every night I’d head off to a different village. Finding the local bar was never a problem as it was generally the nosiest hut in the village. As none had refrigeration, the only choice was room-temperature, home-brewed still-bubbling beer dipped out of 200-litre drums. It was the kind of stuff that kept a guy really regular.

The initial contact was always the same. Picture one of those old black-and-white cowboy movies where a stranger rides into town, jumps off his horse, swings the saloon doors open and eyeballs the crowd. The piano player stops, the poker players look up from their cards and everyone holds their breath as the stranger makes his way to the bar and barks, “Whisky! And leave the bottle…” And then a white guy stumbles through the open doorway. He makes his way to the bar where, with an extra-polite smile, he asks for a beer. Everyone follows his every step, as if he were a ghost. No-one asks, “You’re new in these parts. Plan to stay or just passing through?” The bartender, as he serves a bubbling milky-white brew, asks if I’m lost. “Nope,” I reply. “I’m exactly where I want to be. How about a round for the house, on me?”

A stranger in a local village bar was a rarity, but a white person buying a round of drinks was unheard of. I’m not so sure that the United States Peace Corps, with P

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21

whom I was a volunteer, would sanction my marketing tactics but in those two weeks I met more people than most volunteers meet in two years of service.

Word was out that there was a new vet in town and now here was proof—I had an appointment waiting! “All right, looks like we’ll get to do some real veterinary work today,” I said to Jeff as I stirred the liquid I was slowly bringing to a boil. “What are you making?” asked Jeff as

he sniffed the pot. “Calcium borogluconate. It’s a form of

calcium in solution used to treat milk fever in dairy cows. I don’t know if we’re ever going to need it but I thought it would be good to have some on hand.”

As I stirred my solution, I watched Jeff shuffle through the papers on my desk.

“This is chemistry, isn’t it?” “More like kitchen chemistry. Let’s see

if it works before we get too excited. I’ve got about five more minutes of boiling time. Tell me about our appointment.” “A man has arrived with a litter of sick

puppies,” Jeff explained. “He is quite old, and has travelled a long distance. How he made it here considering there is no transportation is a mystery. The puppies are eight weeks old, and they do not want to eat—they have diarrhoea and are vomiting.” “What’s more interesting,” he

continued, “is the man himself. I have heard of him but never met him. His name is Dr Mzimba. He is a well known, highly regarded traditional healer and has a hospital compound somewhere on the Thyolo escarpment. It is said that if you look for him, you will never find him. Only those in need are ever able to find him. Many people travel there to be healed.” “Go ahead and take all their

temperatures and have a look at their gums and the tissue around their eyes. This tissue right here,” I said as I pulled my lower left eyelid down and pointed to the red tissue around my eye.

22

C O V E R S T O R Y

“If it’s colourless or faint pink, that’s an indication that they may be anaemic. Please, offer our first client some tea and let him know I’ll be there shortly.”

Five minutes later I was satisfied that my calcium concoction had cooked long enough. I headed for the exam room and through the open door saw an older African man cradling one of the pups as Jeff took its temperature. Large bare feet supported his lean and well-muscled short frame. Grey hairs were evenly dispersed throughout his neatly cropped hair and his bushy beard created a distinguished salt-and-pepper look in stark contrast to his ragged clothing. He looked up and flashed me the brightest smile I had ever seen. I stood there quietly and waited for Jeff to finish. As Jeff took the pup from Dr Mzimba I extended my hand and greeted him in Chichewa, the predominant language in Malawi. His smile grew even bigger and he grabbed my right hand with both of his in an expression of familiarity that was unusual for two people meeting for the first time. He then took hold of both my wrists and turned them over so that my palms faced upward. As he studied them, they began to tingle. I turned and looked at Jeff and raised my eyebrows, as if to ask,

“What’s going on?” Jeff shrugged his shoulders as if to say he had no idea.

THE PEACE CORPS HAD GIVEN ME extensive cross-cultural training before I began my service, but I didn’t recall anything about greetings of this nature. After Dr Mzimba finished studying my hands he stared into my eyes. He steadied my face by placing his hands on my cheeks much the way a grandparent would hold still a young child for a good look. As he stared into my eyes the tingling in my hands began to fade, but my cheeks now felt as if an electrical charge was passing through them.

Through a smile that filled his face he said, “I’ve been waiting a long time for you, Dokotala.”“I’m sorry,” I replied. “I was making

some mankhwala in the next room. How long have you been waiting?” I rubbed my cheeks as the tingling faded.“I have been waiting sixteen years for

you,” he said, arching his eyebrows.“Sixteen years?”

“They didn’t have much left to give and I fully expected I’d be burying them next to their littermates the

next morning.”

“I saw you sixteen years ago when you decided to come. You were a young boy then, in school with other children. It was very cold in your village. Everything was dead and the ground was covered with white. Now you are here and I welcome you,” he said, taking my right hand and giving it a welcoming handshake. The tingling sensation returned immediately.“I must return to my village. I will come

back and collect the puppies when you have cured them. Stay well, Dokotala,” he said as he turned and left.“Please wait, Abambo [father],” I called

as I ran after him. “How do you know those things?”

“I had a vision,” he told me in a matter-of-fact way. “I have also had a vision concerning these puppies. Take good care of them. They will save your life one day.” He turned and marched down the road.

When I returned to the exam room, Jeff asked, “You decided to come to Malawi sixteen years ago?”“Well, not Malawi, specifically. The

Peace Corps people made that decision six months ago, not sixteen years.”“Bloody hell, think back, Reb. What

happened sixteen years ago?” Jeff asked quite excitedly.

I thought back to the day I knew Dr Mzimba was referring to. I remembered it as I had always remembered it, as if it had happened yesterday. “Sixteen

years ago I was nine years old,” I told Jeff. “I was in the fourth grade in New Richmond, Wisconsin and two former Peace Corps volunteers who had worked in South America came to talk to my social studies class. It was winter and everything was snow covered. After they finished their talk, I decided that one day I, too, would become a Peace Corps volunteer and I would go to Africa.”

I continued. ‘Years passed, but I never forgot that day or the promise I made to myself. Halfway through my last year of veterinary school I decided it was time to make good on the promise. I applied to the Peace Corps and asked to serve in Africa. They accepted me and posted me to Malawi. The Malawi government assigned me here, to Thyolo. Do you really think Dr Mzimba saw that sixteen

years ago?’“Reb, this is Africa!”

“Man, this is freaking me out,” I said as a shiver passed through me.

As Jeff and I examined each pup, I discussed the procedure involved in a comprehensive physical exam and explained my findings as we went along. I

let Jeff examine the last two pups and describe his findings

to me. Jeff was a quick learner and he covered most of the points

needed in a thorough general exam. Our small patients’ problems were fever, dehydration, depression, low-grade anaemia, vomiting and diarrhoea. Our treatment plan consisted of the antis: antibiotics, anti-fever medication, anti-inflammatory medication, anti-pain medication, anti-vomiting medication, deworming medication and fluids to restore hydration.“Where are we going to get all of this?”

asked Jeff.“I brought a little goodie bag of

medications with me that should hold us until we get some formal help from the Malawi government. We’ve got nearly everything except the fluids.”“What are we going to do for fluids?” “We’ll make some. You know,

kitchen chemistry.”I laid out the medications for Jeff to

give each pup and then went to my desk to calculate what we’d need to make

24

an isotonic rehydration solution, which didn’t take long. Then I returned to the exam room.“How’s it going?” I asked Jeff.“Just about finished with this pup.

Three more to go.”“Great. I’m off to the market to pick up

what we’ll need to make the fluids. Be back in a bit.”

WHEN I RETURNED JEFF AND I placed a catheter in each pup’s jugular vein. Based on my calculations of the amount and rate of fluids they would need, we went with a labour-intensive plan of giving 10 millilitres every 30 minutes. Jeff recruited Jill, our office typist, and Tom, our office clerk, to help with treatment during the day. At the end of the day I took the pups home and cared for them through the evening. At bedtime I topped them off with fluids under their skin to be absorbed slowly while we slept – me in my bed and the pups in a box next to me.

The pups were in rough shape. Their profuse, bloody diarrhoea was our biggest challenge. The diarrhoea had the distinct smell of death. Only diluted bleach could clean it up, and it didn’t take long before both my office and my home smelt like swimming pools.

Day after day we threw the treatment at the pups but their sickness continued despite our heroic efforts. I awoke on the morning of the third day to find a third pup had died during the night. I buried it in my backyard next to the two littermates that had passed away the day before.

The three remaining pups were thin, depressed and weak. As I carried them back to my office, I feared that my first official case was going to end in total disaster. Upon arrival Jill, Tom and Jeff were waiting together on the steps. Hoping for good news about the pups, they peeked inside the box. Their hopeful anticipation was immediately replaced by expressions of despair. By now, all of us had a huge emotional stake in the pups and it was clear we still had a terrible struggle on our hands.

That morning a fourth pup died in Jill’s hands. She rocked it gently for a long time. This pup, the light gold one, had been her favourite. With tears streaming

down her face, all she could say was “Pepani (sorry)” when she placed him in my hands, then ran off to the next room.

As the remaining two pups and I bedded down on the sixth night, I feared their fight was nearly at an end. They didn’t have much left to give and I fully expected I’d be burying them next to their littermates the next morning.

I awoke to soft whimpers and something nibbling on my fingers. The pups had managed to jump out of their box and were licking my hand. They were bright and alert and, most importantly, happy. It didn’t take a medical degree to see that they were

better. They had won! When I showed up at the office my staff immediately knew by the smile on my face that I carried a box of good news. I placed our tiny survivors on the ground for all to see. They were emaciated, little more than walking skeletons, but they were on the mend. We immediately started frequent small meals and were soon up to frequent big meals. The pups ate ravenously and quickly filled out.

The puppies were always at my side. In the morning we leisurely walked to work and in the evening they came home with me and had the run of my house. The three of us would sack out together in my bedroom and every morning they would wake me with soft whimpering and gentle nibbling.

I was beginning to wonder if Dr Mzimba would ever return for them. I almost hoped he wouldn’t. But on the tenth day of their recovery he showed up. He was overjoyed with the two pups that had survived and were now thriving.

WEEKS HAD PASSED SINCE THE pups had last seen Dr Mzimba—the bulk of their short lives—but they took to him as if he were their mother. I watched as the pups licked and kissed the old man’s face while he gently cuddled and hugged them. Their joyful reunion was a bit of a heartbreak as I had become quite attached to those bundles of fluff.

Dr Mzimba thanked me and, knowing that the credit for the pups’ recovery didn’t belong entirely to me, I introduced Dr Mzimba to Jill, Tom and Jeff and explained that I couldn’t have done it without them. Dr Mzimba, a perfect

gentleman, greeted and thanked each of them with great ceremony. As he prepared to leave, he asked me to name the pups.

“I’ve been calling the black one Bozo and the brindle one Skippy. I once had dogs with those names and they were great dogs.”“Bozo and Skippy. I like those

names. Come and visit often, Dokotala,” he said. “These pups now

know you as mother and father. They will not forget and some day they will return the kindness you have shown them.”

Dr Mzimba and I shook hands and parted company. I watched as he walked off and the pups followed. He seemed to have a magical way with them. No need for a rope or leash, they just strode after the man as if he were family.

The pups were so small and frail and it was such a big world out there. They had already been through a lifetime’s worth of pain and misery. I hoped they would make it. Even though the three of them had their backs to me, I lifted my hand and waved to them. To my surprise, the pups stopped and turned to look at me. I felt like I was on top of the world. I was a veterinarian and it just didn’t get any better than this.

All Things Strange and Wonderful: My adventures as a vet in Africa, by Dr Reb, is released 1st February 2016 by Finch Publishing.

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burnoutBeating

27

It’s no secret that burnout can bite those in the veterinary industry, but

with a little planning and a lot of self-awareness it is a bug that can

be beaten, writes Chris Sheedy.

ONE IN SEVEN VETS WILL SUFFER burnout within 10 years of graduating, a 2013 research study published in the British Medical Journal revealed. Another study, called Workplace stress, mental health and burnout of veterinarians in Australia, carried out by several academics across Australia, concluded that “burnout has been identified as a major source of workplace stress and is adversely affecting the mental health of veterinarians in Australia.”

The life of a veterinary professional, it seems, is not an easy one. This is particularly true for those that own practices. But as we head into a new year, what can veterinarians do to stack the cards in their favour, to remind themselves of why they went into this industry in the first place and bring back the enjoyment? Actually, there’s plenty, experts say.

Andrew Griffiths, business consultant, keynote speaker and Australia’s bestselling small business author, says it is important to recognise where burnout comes from and then to identify it in

yourself. “Most small business owners work long hours, with a lot of stress and uncertainty,” says Griffiths, who authored the book 101 Ways to Have a Business and a Life.

“In the beginning we get very excited about our business, we give it all of our time and energy with the desire to make it work financially,” he explains. “We start working longer hours, taking on more responsibility. We are under more financial pressure as the business grows with more costs and more debt. We take less time out and fewer holidays, and as the business grows it seems less likely that we will be able to take time out to recharge. A sense of being out of control can settle in. Over time this takes a toll and burnout is the end result.”

This can have an enormously damaging outcome, according to Griffiths. The owner loses interest, stops marketing, stops servicing customers, revenue declines and pressure increases, and so does burnout. “Once you burn out it can take a long time to recover. It can take years,” he says. “I fried myself with my first business. I was sick all the time, lost interest, struggled to sleep, started to get things like anxiety and panic attacks. It took me a couple of years to fully recover.”

And these signs of burnout are important to look out for, he says. Lost interest in the business, constantly feeling fatigued, indecision and short temper,

burnoutBeating


boredom, finding customers frustrating or irritating, a sense of depression often accompanied by persistent sickness —they are all warning bells. So what can be done?

The new year, Griffiths says, is the perfect time to build some lifestyle-enhancing steps into your routine. Begin the year by planning holidays and figuring out what recharges you. Put these things in your diary as priorities. Just as importantly, make a list of the things that drive you crazy and figure out how to delegate or outsource them.

Treat burnout as you would any other potential risk by being aware of it and being proactive about it. “Take preventative steps to avoid it, rather than try to treat it,” says Griffiths.

What does this mean in practice? Here is a checklist Griffiths uses when working with clients and which he also utilises in his own life.

n In the course of each day, allocate periods of time to relax and do your own thing. Put these activities in your daily to-do list.

n Eat well, avoiding junk food. When people get tired and stressed they tend to go for ‘fixes’ of coffee and sugar. Instead, make sure there is plenty of fruit available.

n Schedule regular breaks throughout the year, including one holiday lasting several weeks and several smaller breaks away from the business, phone and email.

n Delegate more to others as the business grows rather than taking on more responsibility. Specifically, delegate the things you don’t enjoy doing.

n Find a ‘vent’—someone else in business that you can have an honest talk to whenever you need. It must be someone who understands you and the challenges of running a small business.

n Ask yourself how you feel. Sometimes the most sensible option is a mental health day spent doing something that makes you feel good.

Once you have planned a little more ‘life’ into the ‘work/life’ equation, it’s time to get back to work. But how do you ensure you’re not simply working for your holidays? Charles Kovess,

an author, keynote speaker and executive coach whose research

is based around the harnessing of passion, says the development of passion for your work lies in two areas. One is passion for the work itself. In this case, it means passion for the act of working with animals to improve their health.

The other area, he says, is linking the income generated by your work to something you are passionate about, then fully appreciating that link. “Your income might help you look after your kids, or go travelling, or sail a boat every weekend,” he says. “If you can fully appreciate the strength of the link between your work and what it allows you to do, you are on your way to feeling greater passion for your work.”

There are two other major mindset changes that can be made to develop greater passion for your work, Kovess says. One is around the expectation that if you solve a large problem, you will be happy and there will be no more problems. But the solving of a problem only leads to more problems, and this is what life is all about. “Most people think they are unhappy because of problems, but this is flawed thinking,” he says. “Having problems means you are alive.”

Finally, Kovess says, in every business there are inspirational moments and there is drudgery. He teaches clients to “guard their thoughts” by learning to focus on the inspirational parts. We all naturally focus on the drudgery, the same as a sore toe, or a scratch on our car, will take our focus off our otherwise-wonderful lives. “The illusion is that life should be easy and perfect,” he says. “But the truth is that if life was easy and perfect, we’d all be bored to death.”

“A sense of being out of control can

settle in. Over time this takes a toll and

burnout is the end result.”

Andrew Griffiths, business consultant

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On the road

31

As mobile veterinary services continue to increase in popularity, veterinarians are exploring different options to attract customers, writes Kerryn Ramsey.

MOBILE VETERINARY BUSINESSES have certainly come a long way in the past decade. Their popularity is due to strong demand from clients who prefer not to transport their pets to a practice. Veterinarians like the fact that a mobile service is more affordable to operate than a brick-and-mortar practice, and provides real flexibility. In Australia, mobile vets usually arrive in a well-fitted van, four-wheel drive or an ex-ambulance. However, it seems inevitable that we will soon be following the lead of US veterinarians whose self-contained trailers are so well equipped, they work as a full-service practice on wheels.

“I think we will start to see more of that in Australia,” says Dr Cameron Mortlock, a mobile veterinarian from Perth. “Although I’m not sure how it will be regulated, particularly when it comes to making anaesthetics and X-rays safe.”

In the USA, companies such as Medical Coach and Odulair manufacture veterinary trailers that embrace the latest technology. Odulair was the first business to offer a solar-powered mobile clinic in 2008. It soon discovered that veterinary and medical equipment generally requires a large amount of energy, particularly when surgery is involved. It now offers a combination of solar panels, highly efficient battery packs and a generator to power a veterinarian’s trailer.

“The solar PV panels collect the sun’s energy, which is stored in the battery pack. The electrical outlets inside the mobile clinic run off the battery pack,” according to the Odulair website.

While this Winnebago-size trailer is impressive, Dr Mortlock has gone in the opposite direction—he’s found that smaller is better. He launched All Pets Mobile Vet in 2007, after a long stint at Karratha Veterinary Hospital in Western Australia’s arid northwest. For the first six years of his mobile service he used an ex-ambulance, but last year he replaced it with a smaller and more efficient vehicle: a top-of-the-range Volkswagen Caddy.

“Initially, I thought I would be doing a lot more patient transport—pets that needed to be transferred to the hospitals for surgery,” he explains. “But I found that this really wasn’t the case. My first vehicle had a big bank of cages in the van. I used them occasionally, but not enough to warrant the space they occupied. Also, getting around Perth in a large van is actually not that easy.”

After buying the Caddy, he took out all the back seats, then fitted shelving units and lockable cabinets. The handy access on the front passenger side through a 70cm-wide sliding door is another reason why this vehicle has become a popular option for mobile vets in Australia.

“I can do pretty much everything that can be done in a normal consult room,” says Dr Mortlock, referring to vaccines, microchip placement, lab services, heartworm checks, faecal checks, and eye, skin and cardiac examinations.

While mobile services are booming in the city and suburbs, they’ve become popular in the country for large-animal vets too.

“I have a small office set up in the van

where I have a printer, laptop and

even a fridge.” Dr Cameron Mortlock

A paperless office is an important aspect of

a mobile vet business.

On the road


Dr Olivia James opened Brindabella Equine Mobile Veterinary Service in south-east New South Wales five years ago, after identifying the unique needs of clients with horses.

With her particular skill in dentistry, she found the most useful equipment was the ‘horse crush’, to provide safety when doing dental work, pregnancy testing, scanning, vaccinating and any standing surgeries. The crush also has its own lights and water.

Dr James found it so effective, she was the first vet in Australia to buy two crushes, purchased from Equine Veterinary Dental Services in Grafton, NSW. “It’s all about safety for the vets, horses and clients,” she says. “They’re certainly getting more popular. We get many phone calls asking, ‘Are you the vet with the portable crush?’”

Overall, Dr James has found that her mobile service is a godsend to clients

who have large animals. “Many people these days don’t actually have any transport for their horses,” she says. “People are also working longer hours —it’s more convenient for everyone if we can visit them.”

When it comes to vehicles, her LandCruiser and Prado utilise up-to-the-minute equipment. The LandCruiser is fitted out with a “really cool” modular roller-drawer system from ARB (arb.com.au). This modular range is aimed at campers and off-road travellers, but they can be customised to suit the needs of veterinarians. More than 200 configurations are available in different sizes, with all the drawers secure, even on rough terrain. As Dr James points out, “Things won’t fall over when you go around a corner.”

In Australia, companies such as Easyvet specialise in customised vans, offering a range of integrated shelves and storage systems, as well as support for a liquid nitrogen container, waste basket, interior lighting system, mounting bracket for utensils and sharp objects container.

According to Dr Mortlock, he’s found that quality soundproofing is essential

“People are working longer hours —it’s

more convenient for everyone if we can

visit them.”Dr Olivia James

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when designing a veterinary vehicle. “I’m on the phone a lot, making appointments while driving around, so it’s important to be able to hear the clients properly. My van’s acoustics are great.”

Another change in the mobile industry has been the provision of niche services. “When I started, I wanted an upmarket, well presented, very professional mobile service,” says Dr Mortlock. “I then decided to be a little more niche and set up a secondary mobile practice providing a home euthanasia service. I have the two businesses running concurrently at the moment but before too long, I will probably just provide the home euthanasia service.”

To make the business run smoothly, a mobile paperless office comes into play for many practitioners. “I have a small office set up in the van where I have a printer, laptop and even a fridge,” says Dr Mortlock.

Dr James is often on the road from dawn to dusk, so a mobile office is the real lynchpin of her business. Her iPad and iPhone are always on hand, and she uses a real-time, cloud-based practice management software and a wireless eftpos machine. “Even our clients get into

it,” she says. “They often send me a picture to show health issues. They’ll book an appointment or give us an update on their horse by texting. It’s made my business more efficient and well organised. I couldn’t run a mobile service without this technology.”

“I can do pretty much everything that can be done in a normal consult room,” says Dr Mortlock

X-Mind DCby Melissa Applegate VN, Swan Street Vet & Wellness Centre, Richmond, VIC

The digital dental radiograph system we use has been a great addition to our practice. All our nurses are trained in its operation and it has greatly increased the quality and range of our dental procedures. Dental X-rays are still relatively new to the veterinary field and we are lucky to be able to utilise it to provide animals gold-standard therapy.

What’s good about itThe unit is attached to the wall in one of our surgeries. It has two long, retractable arms that can move around the patient in order to achieve the right angle for taking an X-ray. It is suitable for all types of cats and dogs and has different sized X-ray plates that fit into the mouth.

The dental developing unit is positioned in a lab and connected to a computer. The plates are processed through the developer, and the image appears virtually instantaneously on the computer screen. The image can then be rotated, adjusted or enlarged.

The whole process is completed in a matter of minutes. We have multiple plates so we can process four images at a time and minimise the anaesthetic time for our patients. Occasionally we discover patients with retained roots from previous dental extractions. We can only assume there was no access to dental X-rays when the extractions were performed.

Thanks to the X-Mind, we are able to ensure the entire root is removed with any new extractions. It also enables us to identify any roots that have previously been left behind.

We now perform many more dental procedures with the added therapy of radiographs during a COHAT [Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment].

What’s not so goodStaff training is paramount so we can provide quality treatment for our four-legged family members and keep their pearly-white teeth perfect. Additionally, these units and the software upgrades are very expensive.

Where did you get itHenry Schein Halas (www.henryschein.com.au).

OptiVISORby Dr Lee Coleman, Elgar Road Veterinary Hospital, Box Hill North, VIC

When I was at university, our lecturer, Dr Robin Stanley, impressed on us that every eye exam requires good magnification and lighting. I took that advice to heart and always use an OptiVISOR and nice bright lighting for all my ocular examinations.

What’s good about itWhile I mainly use the OptiVISOR for eye examinations, it’s fantastic to have magnification for any close work in the surgery. It’s of great benefit when searching for foreign bodies or any situation where you need to see a lot of detail.

It consists of a lightweight and comfortable headband with a small visor holding magnifying lenses. The visor can be flicked down in front of your eyes or flicked up when they’re not needed. It’s also very easy to adjust the size of the headband so that everyone on staff can use it.

The big advantage of the OptiVISOR is that you have effective magnification while keeping both hands free. This is very handy during surgery or when examining a patient. Coupling the OptiVISOR with a wall-mounted light that stays in place once it’s positioned is a perfect combination.

What’s not so goodThe lenses are designed to just click out and I’ve found that, over time, they will fall out if you are a bit rough while handling the OptiVISOR. It only happens occasionally and the lenses can be popped straight back in, so it’s not really that much of a problem. This never happened when the item was new.

Where did you get itVetQuip (www.vetquip.com.au).

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Y O U R T O O L S

A brand new dental scaler, a radiograph system and a ‘cool’ surgical light are put under the microscope this month...

TOOLS TRADE

of the

Y O U R T O O L S

continued from page 35

36

iM3 Pro 2000 by Dr Sasha Laws-King, Toowoomba Veterinary Hospital, QLD

Before we purchased the iM3 Pro 2000 and iM3 42-12 Ultrasonic Scaler, we performed about two dentals a week. Now we are doing at least three dentals a day. This dental unit is user-friendly, makes the job much easier and quicker, and we just love using it.

What’s good about itThe quality of dental care we can provide is much higher due to the unit’s beautiful instrumentation. There is a much higher awareness of dental health these days and we certainly make it a focus during our wellness exams. Thanks to this unit, we are scheduling more dentals because we know it’s only going to take a defined period of time. I enjoy and look forward to doing dentals because the iM3 dental base has made them much faster, easier and the results are better.

Everything has been well thought out. The easy-clean Corian top lifts to provide a useful storage area for dental instruments. The magnetic strip on the front of the Corian top stops burs from dropping on the floor. The high-speed handpiece is illuminated to better visualise the teeth you are sectioning. The unit has a ‘silent hurricane’ compressor that lives up to its name and is not too intrusive when it kicks in. There’s a two-bottle coolant system for water or CLS; a chlorhexidine solution. We finish with a CLS flush after polishing teeth so the whole mouth has a lovely clean smell.

The iM3 42-12 Ultrasonic Scaler is far more efficient than our old ultrasonic scaler and integrates nicely with the Pro 2000

What’s not so goodWe’re pretty happy with it and it’s hard to think of any negatives. It does need to be serviced once a year and is sent away to get that done. Mind you, iM3 gives us a replacement unit while it’s being serviced.

Where did you get itiM3 (www.im3vet.com.au).

CHROMOPHARE F 300by Dr Shalini Selvarajah, Dapto Veterinary Clinic, NSW

This surgical light is made by Berchtold and is a vast improvement over the old lights we used to have in our practice. Our surgery only has one window and if it’s a gloomy day, not much light gets into the room. The old lights would also get quite hot and they weren’t very bright.

What’s good about itThe CHROMOPHARE uses LED lighting so they remain cool while producing nice even light. The lack of heat from the LED light is very much appreciated on a hot summer’s day. The LED globes also have an extremely long life so they don’t need to be changed regularly.

These lights make every procedure easier. Whether it’s a routine desexing, soft-tissue surgery, orthopaedic work, an ear clean, dental extractions, or a basic stitch-up, having effective illumination really makes a difference.

The light is attached to the roof by a long arm. It moves very smoothly and can be easily positioned at the most convenient angle. Once you’ve placed the light at the perfect height and angle, it stays in position and doesn’t spring back.

Surgical lights are usually quite bright and often reflect off the metal of the instruments. The CHROMOPHARE has adjustable brightness so it can be turned down for general procedures or increased for finer work. When you’re looking into the body cavity of an animal through a small incision, it’s great to be able to turn up the brightness very high.

Optimal lighting is essential for any veterinary surgery and the CHROMOPHARE is a great choice.

What’s not so goodThis is a very good light that works pretty much perfectly. We have another light made by a different company that needs to be unscrewed and re-tightened every time you re-position it. The CHROMOPHARE can be placed in any position and will stay there until you move it.

Where did you get itBloodline Equipment (www.bloodline-equipment.com.au).

T h e V e t e r i n a r y D e n t a l C o m p a n y

iM3 Pty Ltd THE VETERINARY DENTAL COMPANY Sydney, Australiap +61 2 9420 5766 f +61 2 9420 5677e [email protected] www.im3vet.com

Dental Consumables and Healthymouth

Dental Hand Instruments

Ultrasonic Scalers and Dental units

– The Veterinary Dental Company

Established over 27 years ago, iM3 is the market leading veterinary dental company located in Australia, USA and Ireland. Our aim is to raise the level of education of general practitioners in veterinary dentistry through hands on dental workshops, educational DVDs and printed material.

We encourage vets (or their sta� ) to spend time looking at the oral cavity during annual check-ups. iM3 is proud to be manufacturing and servicing our range of dental machines at our three locations and o� ering a high standard of knowledge and after sales customer support. Contact iM3 Today.

Dental and Full Body X-Ray



















We would like to wish our current and future customers a wonderful

Christmas and New Year..

The IM3 Team.










The Veterinary Dental Company

iM3 Pty Ltd THE VETERINARY DENTAL COMPANY Sydney, Australia

p +61 2 9420 5766 f +61 2 9420 5677

e [email protected] www.im3vet.com

Dental Consumables and

Healthymouth

Dental Hand

InstrumentsU

ltrasonic Scalers

and Dental units


Established over 27 years ago, iM3 is the market leading veterinary dental company

located in Australia, USA and Ireland. Our aim is to raise the level of education of general

practitioners in veterinary dentistry through hands on dental workshops, educational

DVDs and printed material.

We encourage vets (or their sta� ) to spend time looking at the oral cavity during annual

check-ups. iM3 is proud to be manufacturing and servicing our range of dental machines

at our three locations and o� ering a high standard of knowledge and after sales customer

support. Contact iM3 Today.

Dental and Full

Body X-Ray

The Veterinary Dental Company

iM3 Pty Ltd THE VETERINARY DENTAL COMPANY Sydney, Australia

p +61 2 9420 5766 f +61 2 9420 5677

e [email protected] www.im3vet.com

Dental Consumables and

Healthymouth

Dental Hand

InstrumentsU

ltrasonic Scalers

and Dental units


Established over 27 years ago, iM3 is the market leading veterinary dental company

located in Australia, USA and Ireland. Our aim is to raise the level of education of general

practitioners in veterinary dentistry through hands on dental workshops, educational

DVDs and printed material.

We encourage vets (or their sta� ) to spend time looking at the oral cavity during annual

check-ups. iM3 is proud to be manufacturing and servicing our range of dental machines

at our three locations and o� ering a high standard of knowledge and after sales customer

support. Contact iM3 Today.

Dental and Full

Body X-Ray

Spin cycle

38

Y O U R L I F E

“A spin class is high intensity cardio training on a stationary bike led by an instructor who choreographs the exercise to music. It’s a great way to burn a lot of calories and have fun at the same time. During the classes I instruct,

I like everyone to use hand weights so they get more of a full body work-out. It’s also really good for stress relief.

“I’m from Boston originally and I took a number of spin classes when I was living there. Around the time I graduated as a veterinarian, my partner was considering a work transfer to Sydney. I was totally on board with that and we moved here about a year ago.

“Once we settled in Sydney, I found a little boutique spin studio in Rushcutters Bay called Youtopia [youtopiastudio.com.au]. I really fell in love with the place, particularly the people and the culture there.

When I started as an instructor at Youtopia, I immediately noticed the wide variety of people who attend classes. I not only teach spin but I also spin body where everyone spends some time on the bike and then hops off and does a circuit. It’s a much more intense work-out than a regular spin class.

“Each class is about 45 minutes and I teach four or five classes per week. Two classes each week begin at 6.30am before I go to work. It’s an invigorating start to the day.

“I spend a lot of time putting together musical playlists for my classes. I need a mix of songs that are good for climbing, which have a slower tempo, and songs that are good for sprinting, which are really fast and high tempo. I now have a library of tracks that are great for spin classes but I’m constantly on the lookout for new music. I’m a big fan of Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, but I also like electric dance music, old-school Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers—I really try to mix it up.

“It’s pretty full-on working as a vet and teaching spin classes but I love it. If I wasn’t an instructor, I would be doing the spin classes anyway. I’ll even seek out spin classes when I’m on holidays. I was in Thailand recently where it was very hot and humid but I still took a class. I love checking out new studios in different places.” In

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The only thing better than taking a spin class, according to Dr Kirstie Mientka of Potts Point Veterinary Hospital in NSW, is leading one as an instructor.

You customise the car,we’ll customise the loan.

Cars come in all shapes and sizes and so do our loans. There’s no standard model, we modify the loan to suit your needs.

We’re happy to approve loans of up to $150 000 on new and used cars. We keep the paperwork to a minimum and have a range of finance options including ones that can manage interest and tax.

You can even buy a car on your BOQ Specialist credit card and earn points.# What’s more, we’ll roll the purchase into a fixed term finance contract^ and you can make your monthly repayments on selected contracts using your credit card and earn even more points.

With us, you’re in the driver’s seat.

Visit us at boqspecialist.com.au or speak to our financial specialists on 1300 131 141.

BOQS001157 V1 11/14

Equipment and fit-out finance / Credit cards / Home loans / Commercial property finance / Car finance / Practice purchase loans SMSF lending and deposits / Transactional banking and overdrafts / Savings and deposits / Foreign exchange

The credit provider is BOQ Specialist - a division of Bank of Queensland Limited ABN 32 009 656 740 AFSL and Australian credit licence no. 244616 (“BOQ Specialist”). Terms and conditions, fees and charges and lending and eligibility criteria apply. We reserve the right to cease offering these products at any time without notice. BOQ Specialist is not offering financial, tax or legal advice. You should obtain independent financial, tax and legal advice as appropriate. A 1.5% processing fee applies on the purchase price. #Points are earned on eligible purchases only. ^Fixed term finance contract is to be approved prior to purchase. If you elect to make loan repayments on your BOQ Specialist Credit Card a 1.5% processing fee applies on the amount of each repayment. Repayments on overdrafts and lines of credit are not available to be made via BOQ Specialist Credit Card.

MASTER_A4P_CarFinanceFlameCar.indd 1 10/30/2015 5:15:54 PM

“We are pleased to have partnered with REM SYSTEMS as an exclusive supplier of in-house pathology for all our practices nationally. Their equipment is state of the art, user friendly and reliable. REM SYSTEMS shares many of the same values as our business with a focus on customer service, client training and innovation.

We are also excited that REM SYSTEMS has committed to support our Centre of Excellence training facility which will be opening in early 2016.”

Tomas Steenackers, CEO of National Veterinary Care.

“We are very pleased to enter into a strategic, long-term relationship with NVC, an organisation we believe has a similar philosophy around Customer focus

and Innovation as REM SYSTEMS.” Rachael O’Callaghan, General Manager of REM SYSTEMS Australia.

Why change to Vetscan for in-clinic pathology?Save up to 30% on running costs. = More $ for the clinic

Call 1800 737 222 to find out how you can save money on running in-house pathology instruments.

Vetscan VS2 (published list price)

Similar Competitor Pathology consumable each price.

Comprehensive Rotor VS similar competitor product $35.52 ea $55.25 ea

Pre-anesthetic profile $20.43 ea $30.20 ea

REMstream.indd 1 9/04/2014 11:15 amFor further information on what REM SYSTEMS can offer your practice call 1800 737 222

Announcement from REM SYSTEMS & National

Veterinary Care

Documents

Vet Practice December 2015