NEWS IN DETAIL...
Vet Nurses Tackle an Autopsy
Local Veterinary Nurses enjoyed a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session this week at Duchy College Rosewarne where they got to find out more about practical lameness and losses during lambing as well as getting involved with an autopsy.
The College welcomed specialist sheep veterinary surgeon Dr Clare Phythian. Clare is undergoing a Training Residency at the University of Bristol and is seconded to the Healthy Livestock Project to support the farm vets in delivery of its sheep focus farm programme. This project is a Duchy College Rural Business School led initiative to provide training and support to livestock farmers across the south west to improve animal health and the profitability of the livestock sector.
Clare spoke to the group about a number of important issues including the practical principles behind the use of faecal worm egg counts for the informed use of anthelmintic in sheep flocks, various causes of lameness in sheep, the new thinking behind the timing of foot trimming of sheep, and the reasons behind the losses of lambs particularly at the point of lambing. The group were then given the opportunity to dissect some lambs looking in to possibilities of why they may have died so young.
Juliette Cheshire, from Portreath who is studying the Veterinary Nursing Foundation Degree at the College, said: “It was a really fun, informative, hands-on lesson, very useful for the course and for our work placements. It was nice to have so much practical experience including the worm egg counts.”
The session is part of a number of large animal health and disease guest speaker sessions the College is holding for students and local industry professionals, as an opportunity to expand and update knowledge of health issues and their management in farm livestock and equine animals.
Andrew Counsell, Head of Duchy College, said: “This was a fantastic insight for all those involved and a great hands-on session. Students learn so much from speaking to industry professionals and I’d like to thank Clare for coming down and offering the session.”
The sessions have been organised in conjunction with the Rural Business School at Duchy College.
All undergraduate courses at Duchy College are awarded by the Plymouth University.
For further information on the Veterinary Nursing courses available at Duchy College Rosewarne, please contact the College on 0845 605 0455 or visit the website www.duchy.ac.uk for more details.
