I am to report that after preparing for years and dreaming of winning a place, I will successfully be starting vet school in September!
As any vet students who remember receiving their acceptance letter out there can sympathise, I am beyond ecstatic and cannot wait to get started- so much so that in fact I feel the break between A levels and uni is dragging, although I have still been attending my regular work experience placement to fill the time!
It certainly hasn't been easy getting to this point though when I look back at the past 12 months, starting from personal statement to the BMAT, to interviews, to an offer and finally to an accepted place. In fact at one point I was planning a gap year having initially been unsuccessful in the first round of offers made, yet thankfully out of nowhere I was made an offer a lot later based upon my interview performance- despite the fact that of all the vet school interviews I felt the one at this particular uni had gone the worst!
Now looking at the long list of equipment and essentials to purchase before moving out, I cannot believe that I'm in this position at last, after making the sacrifice of a social life at exam time, dedicating a vast amount of holiday time to taking up work experience posts and swinging from one emotion to another after the initial disappointment of no offer to the elation of one being placed before me. In addition I was also extremely happy to find out my exam results were beyond my expectations with A*'s in Biology and English Lit and an A in Chemistry.
So there you have it- a month from now I'll be writing this blog as officially a vet student and hopefully I'll be bringing more veterinary issues and notes with a new insight.
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Schmallenberg Virus updated!
In 2012 I created a post on the Schmallenberg virus affecting livestock in the UK. A few months on I've returned to reflect on this virus which unfortunately is still causing the loss of lambs and calves, with no vaccine to protect herds in the future available at present.
Sources:www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/schmallenberg-virus/
As mentioned before, Schmallenberg is spread by midges which act as vectors for the disease. It is believed that midges from Europe carried this disease across the Channel where it was then transmitted by our own native midges through biting the livestock, whilst the disease remained dormant in the winter months. In adult livestock, the disease does not pose a large threat with most recovering having only shown symptoms of reduced milk yield and a fever. It is if bitten by a midge carrying the virus whilst pregnant that the disease causes problems for the animal and its young. The implications of being infected by Schmallenberg whilst pregnant are stillborn lambs and calves often with twisted, deformed limbs, curved spines and damage to the nervous system. As a result if called out to such a case, cesareans are sometimes required to remove dead lambs, and in the process ewes are also often lost. In addition with the price of lamb falling, cesareans are becoming a less economical option for farmers.
Now as early lambing begins, farmers have noticed an increase in the number of cases of Schmallenberg lambs with farms reporting cases in all counties of England and Wales. It is expected that herds infected can expect to potentially lose up to 30% of their lambs. Obviously this will have a knock on effect on sheep farmers economically, but also psychologically after having to deal with the mental strain of delivering stillborn, deformed lambs and the potential euthanasia of some of their ewes.
A vaccine isn't out of the question in the future however, as scientists have been working on one, but currently due to the need for such vaccines to pass clinical testing and licensing standards it is believed that a vaccine will not be available until the summer at the earliest which will be too late for many herds around the country this year, but promises hope for subsequent years where farms may be better protected against the virus.
Now as early lambing begins, farmers have noticed an increase in the number of cases of Schmallenberg lambs with farms reporting cases in all counties of England and Wales. It is expected that herds infected can expect to potentially lose up to 30% of their lambs. Obviously this will have a knock on effect on sheep farmers economically, but also psychologically after having to deal with the mental strain of delivering stillborn, deformed lambs and the potential euthanasia of some of their ewes.
A vaccine isn't out of the question in the future however, as scientists have been working on one, but currently due to the need for such vaccines to pass clinical testing and licensing standards it is believed that a vaccine will not be available until the summer at the earliest which will be too late for many herds around the country this year, but promises hope for subsequent years where farms may be better protected against the virus.
Picture: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/feb/12/lamb-school-teaching-andrea-charman
Sources:www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/schmallenberg-virus/
www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/2013/january/schmallenberg-virus,-a-grim-picture-for-2013.aspx
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21390225
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