Companion collection - Interviews

Rick LeCouteur emerged from the Sydney veterinary school in 1974 with a case of the wanderlust that so commonly afflicts young Australians. He went on to work in academia in Canada and the United States where he now lives. In April he will be in Birmingham to give a series of lectures at BSAVA Congress on his chosen specialism, neurology. But after that he could be anywhere, through his new career organizing wildlife-watching tours for his fellow vets.

Last month the BSAVA announced a move to Manchester for its Congress from 2021. This month Angharad Belcher, Head of BSAVA Congress, explains why.

Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) is an educational initiative set up by Sussex practitioner Hannah Capon to improve the quality of life for the 80% of older dogs in the UK with joint disease. Hannah spoke to Companion about efforts she and her team are making to dispense advice to pet owners to help them better recognize signs of pain, and advise their vets on how they can do more to remedy the problem.

Jen Palfreyman, a third-year student at the Liverpool vet school, received the undergraduate Student Inspiration Award from the Kennel Club Trust in June. This recognized the value of her vacation project looking at the possibility of a novel parasite becoming established in the UK. She told John Bonner about this threat to canine health and welfare.

Natalia Pérez Ramos has carved out a career for herself translating veterinary literature from English into her native Spanish. She explains how she found her way into such a niche area, how she spends her working days and how Brexit may affect her work.

‘Poacher turned gamekeeper’ is the phrase normally used to describe someone who crosses a professional divide in midcareer. But in Emma Dahm's case, it will be more a matter of ‘critic turned performer’ when she takes up a place as an undergraduate at the Nottingham veterinary school later this year.

David Burton has been a fixture on the Burtons Medical Equipment stand since he joined his father's company in the mid-1980s. He tells John Bonner about his Plan Bee for the next phase of his career.

Samantha Elmhurst is a professional member of the Institute of Medical Illustrators and is the artist responsible for many of the illustrations that appear in the BSAVA manuals. She comes from a family of animal lovers in a house with many pets, and as a young girl was lucky enough to have her own pony when the family relocated to Norfolk. After training as an artist in London, she eventually returned to Norwich where she set up her own company; Living Art.

Laura Muir always puts in top class performances whether she is wearing the white vest of the Great Britain athletics team or the blue surgical scrubs of her chosen profession. But how does this final year student at the Glasgow Veterinary School find the time and energy to keep her two parallel careers on track?

Surrey practitioner Wolfgang Dohne was born and educated in Kiel in Germany. He credits the 1960s television series Daktari as an early influence on his choice of career. Having served as the BSAVA’s representative for FECAVA he is now President of the pan-European association.