Welcome to 2026 everyone
Happy New Year to you and yours. We had lots of attractive visitors at York Street in December and here are three particularly neat ones.
Are these ‘I hope I get a Christmas treat!’ faces?
But the most dramatic and gratifying arrivals were these little bundles, 12 Dalmatians delivered by Mom Juno by Caesarian. Our nurse Sophie Atkinson was there before, during and after. Juno needs extra help feeding such a large litter and Sophie is helping with bottle feeding. The mystery that remains is how many spots each one will have. We’ll know next month.
The pups’ daily weight is recorded on their removeable collars.
Can AI be trusted?
This year is the 40th anniversary of the London Vet Clinic moving to York Street from nearby Seymour Street where we had been for the previous 13 years. And here is a wrinkle-free 1986 version of Bruce looking into the eyes of a delightful Boxer dog. In the picture, In the left top corner of the picture, on the shelf, are two containers of strip tests used in 1986 to analyse urine samples.
Today we use computer programmed, AI assisted equipment. We put a sample into a machine that not only gives us dozens of accurate results, it takes photographs of the sediment and with its AI capability compares what appears in the photographs with basically everything that the rest of these machines everywhere in the world have ever seen! This is trusted AI.
You probably know that the NHS actively encourages their staff to use compliant, regulated AI. But doctors and nurses are not allowed to use compliant, regulated AI such as ChatGPT or Google, because the answers you get are not always true. AI must always give you an answer and if it can’t find one it ‘hallucinates’. It makes up something that sounds reliable.
At York Street we subscribe to regulated and reliable AI called Rover, created by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. (Do you know that Grant Petrie, our lead referral vet and part of York Street for over 25 years is a former President of the BSAVA?) Rover uses the BSAVA’s vast library of books, manuals, formularies and publications to retrieve answers to our questions, importantly linking our questions back to the original sources of information. AI can be trusted, when the source of its information is respected and transparent.
What is your New Year’s resolution?
We’re looking forward to seeing Angela Topping later this month when we have our annual post-Christmas dinner in an elegant and historic library in Covent Garden. We will also be celebrating Ang being part of the London Vet Clinic team for 20 years.
When you speak with Ang it may seem that she’s at York Street but after moving with her family to Devon in 2023 she has worked from home. We haven’t seen her since she lost 13 kilos!
Angela has been an integral part of the London Vet Clinic for 20 years.
Angela didn’t wait to make a new year’s resolution to get back to the weight she was when she first joined us. She did it because she wanted to. If you are making a new year’s resolution about your cat or dog, from a preventative health perspective, retaining a good figure is one of the best ways to remain comfortable and healthy. Book an appointment with one of us to discuss, in depth, how to ensure your companion’s weight is at its best.
‘Bruce’s Blog’ on the London Vet Clinic’s website this month is “Does your pet need Ozempic after Christmas?”