Františka & Falconry birds

I went down to campus today to see the birds at Falconry club, just to check everyone was alive and well as they're being looked after by the technicians (equivalent to our vet nurses) over the summer.

The birds are put up to moult while we're away which works well as they're not worked or flown, just fed while they lose all their feathers and grow back a new set ready for the hunting season.

All the outside birds were fine: Františka the Harris' Hawk and Lubo & Kubo the Harris' boys as well as the un-named European Eagle Owl.

I couldn't get in the clinic to see the owls and smaller birds which are inside as they're rebuilding part of it but I'm sure they're fine.

Františka is looking good and has nearly finished her moult, still a few tail feathers need to grow in properly.

Excuse the food boob; it happens to the best of us.

Her beak is overgrown so it will need coping (filing) in September when we start flying her again.

Once it has been coped she will keep it down by munching on meaty bones like hare heads and pigeon breast bones. It's great as it keeps her occupied working for her food and also files her beak.

Seeing Practice with PDSA

I've been Seeing Practice with PDSA Oldbury this week and loved every minute!
The PDSA are a national charity providing free veterinary care to pets of people in need since 1917, with 51 hospitals and 380 pet practices across the UK.

The Oldbury hospital opened in 2015 so the facilities and equipment are all great.

Within half an hour of walking in on Monday morning I had donned gloves and gown and assisting in surgery; a cystotomy to remove bladder stones. I was able to hold the bladder to stop it disappearing back into the abdomen and place catheters to flush saline and clear the calculi.

The vets were great at explaining things to me and nurses very patient explaining and restraining animals for procedures.
I did a few afternoons consulting, taking histories and doing clinical examinations - they have double consulting rooms split down the middle so I was able to grab a vet after they'd finished their consult to discuss my patients and what treatment was necessary.

The first few consults were general health checks either post-operative or new kittens, I had a diabetic dog come in which hadn't eaten breakfast but was still given insulin and went into a hypoglycemic state. The owner had given cake and glucose powder so I admitted the dog for blood glucose and monitoring. The nurses were great in letting me do the blood glucose throughout the day and on the discharge consult I was able to explain the importance of routine for diabetic patients; consistency of feeding and insulin routine and reasons why.

Throughout the week I scrubbed in and assisted on lots of other surgery including a caesarean section, dentals, pyometra and an ex-lap which unfortunately found a stomach tumor so I euthanised and closed up.

I have another week with the PDSA in September and will hopefully be back again next summer!

BBC Countryfile Live

I've been at Blenheim Palace for BBC Countryfile Live this week, giving talks for #TeamPoultry in the Adam's Farm area.

The show was huge and nothing like I've been to before. Loads of things to see and do, activities for the children and loads of great trade stands.

The talks went down really well and we had thousands of people visit our stand.

As always we had day old chicks, pure and rare breed poultry, ex commercial hens and new for this year, Call Ducks and Sebastopol geese.

The chicks were very popular with the public, everyone wanted to hold them so we had to restrict handling times to give them a rest!

We met Adam Henson

and Ellie Harrison

I even did an interview for That's Oxfordshire which went out on TV and is on their YouTube channel