Abstract: The development of critical skills in social work students and practitioners has been a major focus of social work education and training in recent years. Critical incident analysis has developed as a tool to aid critical reflection in practice, in health and social work. This paper provides an overview of the use of the tool in these fields. It then reports on a demonstration project which sought to examine how critical incident analysis might be used as a form of assessment and as a supervisory tool by social work students and practice teachers. An evaluation of the project is provided. Completion of critical incident analyses using the framework was found to provide a structured approach to critical reflection. It assisted the integration of theory and practice and the examination of value issues. Students and practice teachers identify its use in supervision and its potential as an assessment tool. The paper concludes with a discussion on the potential uses of critical incident analyses, with particular attention given to its use to develop anti-oppressive practice.

Abstract: ABORTION in cattle is a significant cause of reproductive wastage and is of economic importance as a single abortion event in a dairy herd is estimated to cost £me abortions are due to infectious diseases, several of which are zoonotic. Sporadic abortions occur in any herd, but once the incidence exceeds 3 per cent, or several abortions occur in close succession, further investigations must be carried out to try to determine the cause so that control measures can be instigated. This article reviews the common causes of abortion in cattle and outlines an approach to the investigation of an abortion outbreak, describing the tests available for diagnosis.

Abstract: CAMELIDS, and alpacas in particular, are growing in popularity in the UK. These animals often present with skin disease and provide a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the veterinary clinician. While much has been made about the role of nutritional problems related to zinc, dermatological problems in these species are frequently associated with chronic infestation with Chorioptes mites. The use of macrocyclic lactones and other products may readily treat infestations with other ectoparasites, such as Psoroptes and Sarcoptes mites, but these agents may have to be administered repeatedly to reduce the population of Chorioptes mites. This article describes the most common ectoparasitic conditions seen in South American camelids in the UK as well as some less common problems associated with nutrition, infections, neoplasia and immune‐mediated disease, and discusses an approach to the diagnosis and management of skin disease in these species.

Abstract: WHILE a vast body of research has been dedicated to understanding problems and disorders of mental health, until the recent emergence of a new field of science, little was known about the positive aspects of life – the things that make life worth living. Positive psychology endeavours to understand how individuals and societies thrive and flourish, and how this new knowledge can be applied to foster happiness, health and fulfilment. Here, David Bartram and Ilona Boniwell discuss strategies for enhancing individual wellbeing, which it is hoped will temper some of the challenges and pressures facing veterinary professionals in their daily lives.

Abstract: THE vestibular system is essential in maintaining balance and preventing an animal from falling over, by holding and adapting the position of the eyes, head and body with respect to gravity. It is therefore not surprising that disease of the vestibular system results in some of the most dramatic and distressing neurological signs, including head tilt, falling, rolling, leaning, circling, abnormal nystagmus and ataxia. Clinical signs of vestibular disease may be a result of lesions involving either the receptor organs in the inner ear or the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve (ie, peripheral vestibular disease), or lesions involving the brainstem vestibular nuclei or vestibular centres in the cerebellum (ie, central vestibular disease). This article briefly describes the physiology of the vestibular system and discusses the clinical approach to an animal with a vestibular disorder.

Abstract: ANALGESIA and anaesthesia are often problematic to provide safely and effectively in small ruminants, especially sheep, and are thus underutilised by veterinary surgeon and farmer alike. However, they can improve animal welfare and facilitate a range of clinical procedures. This article describes a number of practical techniques that can be easily employed in the field.

Abstract: ABORTION in sheep flocks is estimated to have a national annual incidence of 2 to 3 per cent, although some flocks may experience abortion storms involving large numbers of ewes. This article, the first of two on ovine abortion, discusses the priorities in the event of an outbreak, and reviews the diagnosis, and available options for control and prevention, of the most common infectious causes of abortion in the UK: namely, Chlamydophila abortus (the agent of enzootic abortion of ewes), Toxoplasma gondii and Campylobacter species. Together, these make up over 70 per cent of diagnoses based on submissions of abortion material at veterinary disease surveillance centres throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Part 2, to be published in the next issue, will discuss other common infectious causes, as well as some exotic diseases that pose an abortion risk to UK flocks.

Abstract: BLUETONGUE was diagnosed in sheep in the Netherlands on August 14, 2006. Subsequent investigations indicated that the disease had been present in Belgium and Germany for several weeks beforehand. Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease that usually clinically manifests only in sheep, but this northern European outbreak also clinically affected cattle. The vector in the outbreak was Culicoides dewulfi, a subspecies of Culicoides obsoletus that is also present in the UK. Other C obsoletus subspecies or Culicoides pulicaris may have been involved, all of which can be found in the UK. Professor Philip Mellor, head of the European Community Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue at the Institute for Animal Health at Pirbright, refers to Culicoides midges as ‘plankton of the air’ as they have the ability to travel great distances in air currents. A concern is that, if bluetongue should re-emerge this summer or at a later date in mainland northern Europe, it may also appear in the UK; particularly high-risk areas are southeast England and East Anglia, although no area should be considered risk free. This article describes the clinical signs of bluetongue, based on those that were seen in the Netherlands last year, with the aim of helping practitioners to recognise and report the disease promptly in the event of a UK outbreak.

Abstract: FRACTURES are frequently encountered in small animal practice and comprise 13 per cent of orthopaedic cases in dogs and nearly 40 per cent in cats (Ness and others 1996); diaphyseal fractures currently account for approximately 60 per cent of the author9s trauma caseload. Treated appropriately, the prognosis for the healing of these fractures and a return to favourable limb function is good. However, fracture surgery is unforgiving of technical errors and inadequate planning, and failures are occasionally seen that can result in expensive and traumatic revision surgery or, at worst, limb amputation or euthanasia. It is therefore essential when managing fracture patients that the surgeon has a good understanding of the principles of treatment, as well as the knowledge and technical skills to apply a full range of surgical techniques. This article describes the planning required and the techniques available for the treatment of diaphyseal fractures.

Abstract: MOST animals are premedicated before induction of anaesthesia in small animal practice; however, the essential role that premedication plays in the whole anaesthetic regimen is sometimes overlooked. The choice of premedicants determines the characteristics of the ensuing anaesthesia, and the rational selection of agents can provide significant advantages for the animal in terms of intraoperative cardiovascular stability, perioperative analgesia and quality of recovery. In order to optimise the advantages afforded by premedication, it is important to select premedicants based on the needs of the individual patient, rather than using a single ‘blanket’ premedication combination for all animals. This article provides an overview of the pharmacology of drugs commonly used for premedication, including a description of the characteristics of premedicant drug combinations and their applicability for use in different types of patients.

Abstract: WHEN it comes to anaesthesia, pigs are one of the most difficult animals to deal with, owing in particular to the huge variation in bodyweight among individuals and breeds, their reluctance to being handled and complications in drug administration. This article provides practical pointers on how to sedate and anaesthetise pigs to allow minor surgical procedures to be carried out, and describes the options available, in terms of drugs and techniques. Monitoring of animals is important in all cases.

Abstract: This paper focuses on the role of social workers with older people, drawing on a project carried out in a Midlands Social Services Department. It argues that this role has never been clearly defined, even though the advent of community care ensured an increase in the numbers of practitioners employed in this area of activity. It also suggests that the introduction of care management has tied social workers to the discipline of assessment and has not enabled them to carry out the more detailed and in-depth work that would be common with other service user groups. The authors suggest that the adoption of a grid defining the proper contribution of qualified social workers to practice with older people might both enable scarce resources to be used more productively while clarifying the specific aspects of work on which a qualified social worker should concentrate. They also reflect on the importance of considering the adoption of approaches to practice that go beyond the individualistic focus that has become ...

Abstract: Analysis of a case study using Pawson et al.'s (2003) typology of knowledge in social work practice shows that different types of knowledge may be used in different phases in an interaction, the informal use of researched knowledge, knowledge derived from the practitioner and agency, acceptance of the worker's role by users and the importance of the organisational context as a frame for acceptance of the worker's expertise. It is argued that while social work knowledge and theory is integral to all social work practice, it is embodied in the worker, in an improvised interpersonal performance with users in the agency context, which promotes acceptance of the worker as a ‘wise person’ and that research into the improvisation of embodied performance should inform social work practice.

Abstract: DONKEYS maintain a special status in the minds of the UK animal-owning population in that, although they are physically large animals, they are usually regarded by their owners as companion animals in the same vein as dogs and cats. This dichotomy can bring about clinical challenges rarely seen with other species. Although most conditions affecting donkeys are similar to those occurring in horses, donkeys by their very nature can behave differently in the face of disease. Hence, some clinical presentations that would ordinarily be dismissed in other equids must be considered as medical/surgical emergencies in the donkey. This article, the first in an occasional series discussing the clinical approach to problems in the donkey, describes the options for castration, and offers practical advice on how to avoid some common pitfalls and potentially fatal complications that are specific to this species.

Abstract: CATTLE and sheep are regularly submitted for postmortem examination with a history of sudden death. One of the differential diagnoses considered is hypomagnesaemia – a rare, but significant, cause of death in ruminants. The average annual disease rate for hypomagnesaemia in British dairy herds has been reported to be 0.5 per cent, with most herds having no problems but some farms having up to 10 per cent of the herd affected. Clinical signs may be acute or chronic, and there are various precipitating causes. This article reviews the factors that influence the metabolism of magnesium in ruminants and hence predispose them to hypomagnesaemia. It also describes some diagnostic tests, including blood, urine and ocular fluid sampling, that are essential to confirm suspected cases, as there are no gross postmortem findings specific for the condition. In addition, it briefly considers a number of methods that may be used to prevent clinical disease, including pasture treatments.

Abstract: The Department of Health's Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) policy initiative was intended to achieve a greater degree of equity and consistency in the assessment and provision of social care services to adults in England. This article reports on the impact of this policy some 18 months after it was implemented. It is based on interviews carried out in one local authority with a sample of six practitioners specialising in the assessment of the social care needs of visually impaired people. The findings from this small-scale study suggest that FACS has not made substantial difference to the social care assessments of older visually impaired people by specialist assessors. At least four factors seem to have rendered FACS largely ineffective in the reported practice of this one group of social work staff and these reflect their relative autonomy. These are an absence of FACS training for practitioners, collective agreement by practitioners about what they should do in practice, an ability and willingness ...

Abstract: Crisis intervention represents a nelgected interventive model in comtemporary UK social work practice. It is often misunderstood and maligned as simply a reaction to inadequate resources. This paper explores the merits and power of crisis intervention for positive social work practice with people who have dementia and their carers.

Abstract: RESPIRATORY disease continues to be a major problem for horse owners and trainers worldwide. Lower airway inflammation is now recognised in a range of animals, from aged ponies to young racehorses. This article discusses recent developments in the definitions and understanding of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD). For both conditions, it describes the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment. A more comprehensive discussion of therapeutic options was provided in an earlier article in In Practice (Durham 2001).

Abstract: Social workers invariably find themselves working at the boundary of the public/private divide. Intervene too readily and they are liable to face accusations of state intrusion and moral policing; fail to intervene and they stand accused of failing to protect the vulnerable. Increasingly, however, there has been a steady erosion of the concept of the private sphere for society as a whole. This trend also affects social workers as they find their conduct, both in and outside work subject to the scrutiny of the General Social Care Council. In the light of these developments, this paper revisits the public/private debate. First, the problems with such a dichotomy are discussed. Second, attempts to move beyond the dichotomy by use of a trichotomy are considered. Finally, the political and personal consequences for social workers of losing any distinction between the public and the private are highlighted. It is argued that there is a need to reconsider the importance of the private sphere as an area essential...

Abstract: DOGS, cats and small mammals are extremely popular companions ‐ they usually share their owners’ home environment and physical contact with these pets is often very close. While zoonoses represent an important type of pet‐associated health hazard, a large proportion of the pet‐owning public is unaware of the potential for transmission of disease between animals and humans. In view of the increasing population of immunocompromised people and animals, medical and veterinary health professionals need to be well informed about zoonoses. This article discusses relevant aspects of skin diseases in dogs, cats and selected small mammals in the UK that could present a zoonotic risk to their owners.

Abstract: GREAT strides have been made in rabbit medicine in recent years, but the nervous and rather unpredictable nature of this species presents challenges for the practitioner striving to provide the best care for these patients and their owners. This article discusses safe handling and restraint of pet rabbits in the consulting room in the interests of animal welfare and staff safety.

Abstract: Developing evidence-based practice has become a major policy objective in social work agencies throughout the United Kingdom. There has, however, been little empirical study of the perceptions of social work staff concerning the value of evidence-based practice in their work or about its practical development within organisations. This article contributes to the debate on evidence-based practice by reporting on an exploratory workshop for social work staff in the Southern Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland. The workshop aimed to identify the professional and organisational barriers to developing evidence-based practice. While highlighting the challenges staff in this social work organisation faced the findings also suggested ways in which these may be overcome. The paper explores the type of policies, structures and resources which may be required in the Southern Health and Social Services Board and by similar agencies in order to develop a culture in which evidence-based social work pra...

Abstract: ACRAL lick dermatitis in dogs is one of the most common and frustrating dermatological problems encountered in general practice. The condition is now accepted as being a multifactorial disease, and attempts to manage it with a single treatment modality are usually doomed to failure. This article discusses various contributory factors, or triggers, that have been recognised, and sets out a logical approach to the investigation of cases. Ultimately, the aim is to identify the underlying cause and provide targeted therapy for any infection, and behaviour modification to break the obsessive— compulsive cycle.

Abstract: The prospect of furthering good practice in child and family services is something that is in everybody's interest, service users, practitioners, policy makers and academics alike. However, it is a task fraught with difficulty due in part to the wide range and diversity of child care practice as well as a lack of fora for dissemination. In the Republic of Ireland, child and family services have undergone rapid development since the implementation of the Child Care Act 1991 and child and family provision is now a blend of new and established approaches and models delivered in a range of settings. With the aim of supporting the development of good practice and profiling positive work taking place in child and family services, the Department of Health and Children initiated a process of identifying, describing and analysing good practice approaches in work with children and families. As part of this initiative, a framework of good practice principles, focused on management and operational levels, was devised...

Abstract: ALTHOUGH the rhythmic squeezing of a bag is still the basic method of providing controlled ventilation in veterinary patients, there are many automatic mechanical ventilators now available, each boasting some advantage over another. This article discusses important physiological aspects of controlled ventilation and, in particular, their bearing on ventilator requirements for anaesthesia and intensive care. An article in the next issue will describe how some of the available machines can be used for the ventilatory support of anaesthetised animals.

Abstract: THIS article discusses some of the commonly available machines that can be used for ventilatory support of anaesthetised patients An article in the last issue of In Practice (April 2007, volume 29, pp 186-193) reviewed physiological aspects of mechanical ventilation An appreciation of these factors is important for understanding the features and limitations of the ventilator in use

Abstract: OUTBREAKS of infectious disease such as foot-and-mouth disease or bluetongue can be devastating for livestock production and animal health, and may severely impact on human health and wellbeing. The role of animal movement in spreading infection is well documented, yet most UK sheep farmers take no animal health precautions either when introducing purchased animals to their flocks or at farm boundaries. As a result, infectious diseases are very common and are estimated to cost the industry millions of pounds through less efficient production. Veterinary surgeons have a vital role to play in advising their sheep farmer clients on flock health security — that is, strategies to prevent spread of infection between farms. As described in this article, measures can be undertaken at farm level in an attempt to prevent a national tragedy; furthermore, by controlling more commonplace diseases, such efforts can do much to improve the health, productivity and welfare of sheep.

Abstract: THIS is the second of two articles on abortion in sheep. Part 1 discussed the investigation of abortion outbreaks and reviewed the three most common infectious causes of ovine abortion in the UK, namely, Chlamydophila abortus (the agent of enzootic abortion of ewes), Toxoplasma gondii and Campylobacter species ( In Practice , January 2007, volume 29, pp 40–46). This article focuses on other common infectious causes of abortion in sheep, as well as exotic diseases that could pose an abortion risk to UK flocks.

Abstract: HYPERADRENOCORTICISM, or Cushing9s syndrome, is one of the most common canine endocrinopathies seen in small animal practice. Although in many cases the clinical signs are fairly characteristic, the chronic course of the disease and some unusual clinical manifestations can make it hard to recognise. In addition, the diagnostic tests that are available can be difficult to interpret. This article summarises the current knowledge of the presentation and diagnosis of this disease. An article in the next issue will focus on the treatment options.