FECAVA Laboklin Travel Scholarship 2018: Scottish vets visit Mallorca

Shona Macintosh and Ruby Shorrock from Pets’nVets Family practice in Scotland were the 2018 recipients of the FECAVA Laboklin Travel Scholarship and travelled to Mallorca to spend a week at the Arago Hospital. Their report:

We have had an incredible time. Everyone at the Arago hospital is very friendly and accommodating. We mainly shadowed and learned about the similarities and differences in the daily life as a vet in Mallorca in comparison to Scotland. We participated in helping to prepare animals for surgery as well as in-patient care. We were also able to observe surgeries including orthopaedic procedures and emergencies such as pyometras. Over here the majority of female dogs are unneutered so we have seen many more mammary strips and pyometras than we usually see in 4 days at work in the UK!

The cases have been very interesting and there is a definite contrast to the things we see back in the UK. One of our main goals of the trip was to see types of diseases which are rarer in the UK, such as ehrlichiosis and leishmaniasis. Leishmania is very common here and nearly always on the differential list. . We have also seen a case of Ehrlichia infection. We were able to discuss their work-up and treatment, which will help advance our work in Scotland. There are also some similarities for example they have a problem with pet obesity and feline lower urinary tract disease.

Everyone at the hospital was extremely friendly and they were very enthusiastic about showing us around their lovely island. The island is beautiful and we have managed to experience quite a lot of the city of Palma. We have seen the beautiful Santa Maria cathedral and been to the picturesque village of Valldemossa in the mountains.

We are very excited about welcoming Joana and Toni to Scotland. We are planning on showing them how we run our routine consults and surgeries as well as more complex procedures such as laparoscopy, orthopaedics and advanced imaging (e.g. CT scans). We would also like them to experience Scottish traditions and culture such as participating in a ceilidh, tasting haggis and whisky, as well as visiting some of our lochs and glens!

 

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