21 Feb 2020
With pets, like their owners, now living to an older age, more of them will be impacted by chronic pain issues. Pain management expert Karen Walsh talks to <em>Veterinary Times</em> editor Paul Imrie these problems in companion animals.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Karen Walsh.
Karen graduated from the RVC in 1994. After enjoying work as a first opinion vet, she trained at the Animal Health Trust and the RVC as a veterinary anaesthetist. She gained her RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia in 1999 and her European diploma in the same discipline in 2007.
After working many years as an anaesthetist in a variety of referral centres, Karen joined Eye Veterinary Clinic – a veterinary ophthalmology referral practice based in Herefordshire – as owner and director in 2017.
Karen enjoys the variety of the work in a busy referral clinic, but has a particular interest in pain management. Her role is to support the nurses and vets in the field of anaesthesia, as well as running pain clinics and a consultancy for other veterinary clinics.
Karen has written the Focus article in Veterinary Times (volume 50, issue 8 – 18 February issue) – “Managing chronic pain in cats and dogs” – within which she discusses the importance and process of detection and treatment in both canine and feline patients.
Much as in this podcast, she looks at a multimodality therapy approach, and stresses that a close working relationship with the pet owner is vitally important for success.
