Nutrition Case Files with Charley Gray
GP vet Charley Gray joins Robyn to share powerful real-life cases where asking “What does your pet eat?” unlocked the diagnosis. From skin disease to seizures, we explore how curiosity, open dialogue, and non-judgmental nutrition discussions can transform outcomes in practice

In veterinary medicine, it's easy to place immense pressure on ourselves to succeed. We often feel we must juggle everything—clinical work, home life, exams, further education, side projects, and more. But this constant balancing act can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and feelings of inadequacy. Imposter syndrome becomes a quiet companion. But does it have to be this way?

In this conversation, Jamie McClement BVSc MSc CertSAS FRSB FRCVS shares his journey from general practice to referral vetting. Initially, Jamie was determined to keep a hand in every area of veterinary work. But over time, he came to realise that trying to do it all wasn’t sustainable—or beneficial. Instead, he discovered that narrowing his focus wasn’t a failure, but a way to deliver better care and make the most of his skills.

Reflecting on this transition, Jamie explains:

“Because if you try to do everything, especially things that you're not massively good at, it just gets really, quite, quite stressful, and you don't really enjoy it so much.”

In typical Jamie fashion, even moments of serious insight come with a touch of humour. He recalls a conversation that unexpectedly shaped his thinking:

“One of my uncles actually was speaking about this with me. He just said something so dull—he said that what he does is, he has like a five-year plan. Every five years he sits down with his wife and works out what they want to do, what their goals are. And I thought, that is just the most boring thing I've ever heard.

And then I realised—I was drifting. He’d had a really successful career. And actually, it turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. It gives you focus. It makes you stop and ask, ‘What do I actually want to do?’”

We also explore how critical interpretation of clinical literature is a skill that many in the profession don’t develop until much later in their careers—something that could be introduced and nurtured much earlier.

Another key topic we discuss is the evolution of the veterinary nursing profession. Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) are attaining advanced qualifications and training, yet many report that their workplaces aren't adapting fast enough to fully utilise their skills. This lack of opportunity can lead to deep frustration and career stagnation.

They reflect on the missed potential; There’s a real sense of disillusionment among RVNs who’ve undertaken higher education, only to return to roles where nothing has changed. It’s demoralising to invest so much in your development, only to find your scope hasn’t expanded.

This conversation is a timely reminder: Progression doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes, it means doing less—but doing it better. And importantly, it means creating space for others in the profession to grow, thrive, and feel valued.

Join us this week for a very topical and important subject: discussion of discrimination within the veterinary community and what we can do to minimize this, with Robyn Lowe and co-founder of the British Ethnicity and Diversity Society, Navaratnam Partheeban (Theeb).

In this insightful podcast we discuss how change starts with us, how each of us have the power to help build a more just, welcoming and diverse profession and wider community.

We talk about how this doesn’t mean knowing all the answers or most appropriate terminology all the time, instead it is about open mindedness, having conversations to understand and empower individuals who experience discriminative behaviour. It’s about supporting an individual in the way they would like it to be supported. Everyone is different and will identify differently, so if you aren’t sure how best to support them, then respectfully, ask them!

Theeb shares his daily awareness of potential prejudice or discrimination that may threaten him or his family and how he can’t shake the habit of needing to be a “good immigrant.”

 We touch on how to handle clients who show prejudice. Firstly, if you see it, how do we call it out and recognise it or what it is. We talk about how different leadership styles can have a hugeimpact on how a staff member feels following being exposed to prejudice remarks or discriminative behaviour.

So, give it a listen, we promise it’s a good one!

Some useful links for further support and information:

·     Join the National Farmers’ Union, the BritishVeterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society and Culture Roots Collective as wecontinue our mission to create an ethnically diverse, thriving agriculturesector that represents the national population, fosters belonging and harnessesthe power of diverse thought and experience: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/agrifuture-forum-tickets-1468957705039?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile&fbclid=IwdGRjcAMmcLNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrAhKgEQx5hDkC7EMJnCZQlvsnTIKOUnz9vBewUm-e59DvPXi1LlnpKbcEnH_aem_NjbWSKBWktWxDuT_nCbSng

·     The Good Immigrant is a book of 21 essays byBAME writers, described by Sandeep Parmar in The Guardian as "anunflinching dialogue about race and racism in the UK.”

·     British Veterinary Ethinicity and Diversity Society- British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society | BVEDS https://share.google/SV36sRCgjgwk8jk7E

·     Home | BVLGBT+ https://share.google/5gAcV9liNIxQ1DNnF

·     British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support https://share.google/ijtIn1HmpJ09Q9j6M

Wildlife species in the UK are vast, and they often have to live in synergy with the expanding urbanisation and in harmony with humans. But sometimes, they get into trouble (and it's often the humans fault!).

What do we do when we find a sick or injured wild animal?! Join us as we speak to wildlife vet, Emily Llewellyn, as we investigate wildlife vetting in the UK. 

What are the barriers, legislation, obligations and considerations we take into account when presented with poorly wildlife? What constitutes as first aid, and as veterinary professionals, rehabbers and members of the public, what are the do's and do nots of supportive care and first aid when we find something in need of help?

We learn about what is, and is not treatable. What are the most common casualties? How do we handle the prickly, the bitey and the ferocious? And are they any hidden dangers - like zoonotic disease, bacteria and viruses? How do we protect ourselves whilst still helping out these little (or big) animals? 

Wildlife can be a contentious subject (and we won't allow any disparaging comments, only helpful comments), and one with lots of opinions and passionate individuals who have the best interests of wildlife at heart.

We learn how general practice teams can up-skill and learn to be confident in first aid provision and encourage practices to make links with wildlife hospitals for individual support; we learn how the public can be more understanding that not everything is treatable and just how much veterinary teams and rehabbers need to consider (such as long term prognosis) before we decide to treat and rehabilitate, and we learn how wildlife rehabbers can improve their protocols to increase antimicrobial stewardship. 

Who are we going to call? Not ghost busters! Here are some useful websites to help direct you. 

https://www.bwrc.org.uk

/https://directory.helpwildlife.co.uk

/https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/injured

There are also some resources on wildvet_in_the_forest

https://www.instagram.com/wildvet_in_the_forest?igsh=MXB1NWhmdXB5a2t3eA==

Are you a vet or RVN who wants to increase your confidence? Each year Stapeley Grange and the team arrange a number of wildlife courses which provides training and CPD opportunities for wildlife rehabilitators, vets and vet nurses. Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre - Education - rspca.org.uk - RSPCA 

https://share.google/4ClwLaHfdCg10BnIA

Have you ever felt yourself falter? A stumble in your career where you felt like there was no 'next step' forward and you felt lost? Many veterinary professionals have worked towards a clear goal, to work in veterinary medicine. So, it can be disconcerting when you find yourself unhappy in your role and unsure of what to do next. 

In this conversation we discuss how you can work through these tough decisions by talking to someone, who may be able to give you support in those next steps. 

Tune in to the positivity vet nurse for her take on this.

For more information, please see:

https://thepositivevetnurse.com/

Time for some invertebrate insight from creep crawly vet, Agata Witkowska BVM BVS BVMedSci CertAVP(ZooMed) GPCert(Endo) MRCVS in conversation with our very own Robyn Lowe.

We discuss how over the past decade, knowledge about invertebrate husbandry and medical care as grown and its dissemination helped hugely by the internet. Yet the internet may be a double-edged sword with misinformation also circulating, making it very easy for owners to receive conflicting and incorrect information and for invertebrates to be bought at the click of a button without proper knowledge and understanding o heir husbandry needs and the cost and commitment of owning them responsibly.

Do we as veterinary professionals have a duty of care to direct our clients to good sources of knowledge, to educate ourselves on invertebrate first aid and euthanasia techniques?

Agata shares her passion for creepy crawlies and how special the animal human bond can be with them, despite sadly many people dismissing them as being non-sentient beings or disposable. She highlights the fear of judgement some keepers, or owners of invertebrates may feel in expressing this bond.

We talk about how many of us have fears surrounding handling these creatures, and how best to overcome these feelings, recognizing than some species may cause irritation when handling them and how exposure and knowledge about the species may be helpful to some.

Listen in to hear what common issues Agata encounters in her role and her recommendations for improving invertebrate veterinary care including Carpenters formulary and Invertebrate Medicine by Lewbart.

Is civility just as simple as ‘being nice’ to people?

Join us in the episode with Dan Tipney, from VetLed, to investigate about incivility, perceptions, non violent communication and how we can improve team mental health and patient outcome

***Trigger Warning***

It is important to note that this podcast discusses the sensitive subject of veterinary alcohol and drug dependence as well as mental health. If you feel affected by any of this, please contact Vetlife Helpline on 0303 040 2551 or via email: https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/.

You can access different support for alcohol use via Alcohol Change UK: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/.

For difficulties with drug and alcohol use support can be found on the Frank website: https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you

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Join us this week in an open discussion about drug and alcohol use within the veterinary sector with our very own Robyn Lowe in conversation with David Harris and Olivia Cormier.

David shares his own lived experience of dependence on pain medication following an injury in practice and how with retrospect he can understand what were withdrawal symptoms from the drug, what were mental health difficulties and what was attributable to his physical pain; but at the time it was hard to see the wood from the trees let alone seek support. David frank description of how he managed to overcome his addiction whilst changing from an equine veterinary role to being a vet in small practice. Whilst recognising the challenges he faced he is able to say that he overcame these, largely due to getting the right professional help as well as the support of a few close and trusted friends and family.

Many of the difficulties described by David’s lived experience have been mirrored in research done by Olivia, who after 13 years in equine practice and a psychology Masters is researching alcohol use behaviours, mental health and barriers to help-seeking and alcohol reduction in the UK veterinary sector. We discuss the impact of stigma both from others and directed towards the self in getting support as well as the presence of our regulating body, the RCVS and how fear of negative repercussions on careers is a further barrier to support.

For further information see the following paper:

https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.4532

A second study is currently underway to quantify these findings within the veterinary sector as a whole with Olivia also commencing PhD on the topic this September.

Join us in conversation with Alison Skipper and Ruth Serlin for this week’s podcast with our hosts Danny Chambers and Robyn Lowe as we tackle the holistic meaning of contextualisedcare in veterinary practice. Contextualised care goes beyond financial considerations, it is about meeting people where they are, replacing judgement with empathy, curiosity and an open mindset for a more rewarding outcome for us all.

Alison’s PhD in breed-related disease led her to co-found Veterinary Humanities UK, through which she met Ruth, a charity vet and educator with an interest in veterinary humanities and communication.

In this podcast, we discuss some of the explicit and implicit factors of contextualised care, and how It isn’t about just, or, at all about choosing the least costly treatment. It is about drawing on our clinical and communication skills as aveterinary professional to holistically consider all the factors, prioritise them and select the correct treatment for that patient in that space and time. We discuss how you as a veterinary professional, the owner/ caregiver and the patient(s)all bring a unique bias or angle to the situation, making self-reflection on what we bring to a scenario key.

We debate the ethics of a gold standard is best message, and how this may put increased pressures and expectations on veterinary professionals. We consider how failureto provide gold standard treatment to a patient can elicit mental health challenges to vets and feelings of moral distress, and how the idea of contextualised care can potentially mitigate this.

Join our host Robyn Lowe discussing one of her favourite topics: guinea pigs with Hannah Messer, RVN and manager of the Potato Patch Guinea Pig Sanctuary.

We discuss the main reasons guinea pigs require rehoming and touch on the overwhelming numbers of guinea pigs that are currently needing rescue. It is essential for owners to fully understand basic feeding, housing and enrichment needs of the guinea pig they are taking on and we debate the role veterinary staff have to educate clients on this and the extent this should be explored in history taking when presented with a guinea pig with health issues.

We run through optimum indoor and outdoor housing provision, and how for owners and guinea pigs each may have its pros and cons. We tackle the idea that guinea pig temperament and confidence with being handled can vary hugely, largely based on how much exposure to humans they have in the early phases of life. Many may be very nervouswhen handled and are not suited to a home that wants to handle them regularly.

It is important we do not fall into the trap of picking guinea pigs based on looks, but instead to understand how their needs reflect our own and decrease the owner: guinea pig mismatch.

Hannah is doing an important job. To access more information on this and other guinea pig related facts, you can follow Hannah via The Potato Patch page on Facebook.