Page 14 - Spring Newsletter2024

Health, the Internet and Social Media, a force for good.

By Jane Saunders

It is easy to forget just how far we I still have it though there is so much
have come with the Internet in the new literature out there now.
past 20 years, and with its
development, social media and When Anni died I wrote for John
international communication. Beacock’s magazine and John later
made it available on the Web.
I remember back to 2001 when my Through this several people contacted
Anni was first diagnosed with PHPT. me for help as they also had
I wanted to know as much as possible discovered their Keeshond had the
about this condition. My dear vet disease. The power of the Internet
friend Sue was so supportive and at work.
Mike Herrtage and the team at
It is important to recognise the
Cambridge Veterinary School hospital
couldn’t have been kinder, but I still integrity of the site but it is possible
wanted to know where this had come to find many learned documents
from. By chance an American written by veterinary specialists.
breeder was visiting a UK dog show They say “knowledge is power” well
and I was able to chat with her about it certainly helps to understand the
Anni’s problem. She immediately condition our fur member is suffering
suggested I contact Kris Arnds and all the various options. I
(Winsome) who had been through the personally feel I can then make an
same with her Dee Dee. Kris had informed decision. Hope springs
written extensively to alert people in eternal, although not always ending
the US about this condition including as we would wish.
in the Kees magazine, purchased by I recently heard that there are only
some in the UK. 32 Vet schools in the US with nearly
half the states with no vet school. It
Thankfully we had emails and there
was access to a certain amount of makes me realise how fortunate we
learned literature on the Web. These are in the UK.
were mainly extracts of veterinary Social media has brought about the
papers, freely available on a site greatest change in the availability
called Pubmed. I gathered all I could of information, support, and help.
find and soon realised PHPT had been Some people seem to view social
studied from the 1980s with much media as a waste of time, but it is
of the work at UC Davis California and
in fact what people want it to be.
Martin Feldman cropping up as the Having a worldwide network of
author of many papers on the topic. Keeshond friends has proved
Kris suggested I might like to invaluable in sharing information and
purchase The Book of the Dog, a sourcing DNA samples for various
veterinary book produced by many of research needs here in the UK.
the specialists at UC Davis and Breeders and show goers are only a
written for the informed lay reader.
minority of the thousands of people
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