Sonny's Staff Spotlight! With Lisa Corkin - Head Nurse

   

Lisa has been a veterinary nurse since 2002 and has been working at the Casula Veterinary Hospital since 2005. Lets get to know a bit more about Lisa!

 

Outside of work, Lisa loves to get out and be active. She snowboards in winter and wakeboards in summer, and enjoys playing her guitar all year round!

 

The best part of her job is getting to see pets go home healthy to their families and having the opportunity to aid them in their recovery. She also loves being involved in surgical procedures, and especially orthopedics!

When I asked Nurse Lisa why she pursued vet nursing, she told me a lovely story about when she was young and her dog had ongoing treatment at a veterinary hospital. The vet nurses were so lovely when she visited her dog, and made such a strong impression on her that she decided to pursue the career herself as soon as she finished school and she hasn't looked back! 

Love and Licks, 

Sonny

Vet Talk with Dr Betty! Beware of Pancreatitis this Christmas!

Pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas produces lots of enzymes to digest food that we eat. The enzymes in the pancreas are usually inactive and only become activated once secreted into the intestines. However, in pancreatitis these enzymes become activated while they are still in the pancreas and start to digest the pancreas itself. Several risk factors cause pancreatitis including obesity and fatty food. Fatty left-overs should be avoided all year round but people tend to share more fatty treats to their dogs at Christmas time.

Pancreatitis can potentially be very serious and life threatening. In some severe cases,  it can cause systemic inflammation and multi- organ failure or even death. Dogs with pancreatitis will look like having bad tummy upset with clinical signs such as lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Blood tests are often required to make the diagnosis. Treatment usually includes supportive care in the hospital with intravenous fluids, anti-emetic drugs, pain relief and prophylactic antibiotics until the pancreas recovers itself.

The best way to prevent pancreatitis is to avoid very fatty meals. Some dogs that have had pancreatitis are probably more prone to it and may need special low fat diet for the rest of their lives to decrease chances of recurrence. So don't be tempted to load fatty treats into your dogs' bowel and just keep them to yourself.

Introducing William! Elizabeth Drive's New Blood Donor Cat!

      

Thank you to everyone who helped us in choosing a name for this little cutie! It was a tough choice with so many wonderful suggestions, so in the end we pulled a name out of a hat! 

Little William is settling in so well, and loves playing with his big brother Edward and getting attention from all the girls at Elizabeth Drive.