In this post, Vedika shares how the Student Partnership Agreement funding helped All4Paws↗️ improve their clinic’s efficiency, enhance the quality of care provided to pets, and support the professional development of veterinary students. Vedika Dass is a veterinary student and a Senior Fundraising Coordinator for All4Paws. This post belongs to the Hot topic series: Student Partnership Agreement 2023↗️.
All4Paws is a student-led outreach project providing support to the pets of Edinburgh’s homeless and vulnerably-housed community. We offer treatment for cats and dogs which includes routine health checks and advice, preventative healthcare, microchipping, treatment of some simple non-urgent conditions, pet food, beds, and other important pet accessories. We also have an emergency fund – this is used to fund diagnostics and treatments beyond the scope of our clinic, and for emergencies. We hold various fundraising events through the year in order to fund the project – the details of these can be found on our social media channels.
Veterinary students organise the clinics but are supervised by qualified, experienced veterinary surgeons. The veterinary students are encouraged to take the lead in the consultations – this includes taking histories from clients, examining the patients, and writing up clinical notes. If the student would like to recommend certain diagnostic procedures or treatments, they are able to discuss their ideas with the vet who will work with them to come up with an appropriate plan to move forwards. This teamwork results in a fantastic opportunity for students to practice clinical reasoning and develop their professional and clinical skills in a supervised environment, whilst also encouraging engagement between staff and students.
All4Paws was first set up in 2009 and we have evolved greatly since then, going from pop-up clinics at hostels and various venues across Edinburgh, to acquiring our own premises in 2022 – our drop-in sessions can be found at 127-129 Nicholson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9ER. Having our own premises means that we have more equipment at our disposal, and we can provide a greater range of services for our clients. We also work closely with hostels in Edinburgh that accept companion animals, particularly with Dunedin Harbour.
There are many lessons which students can take from involvement in All4Paws. As well as being able to apply their veterinary knowledge in real life situations, students can apply shelter medicine principles which helps increase their adaptability and problem-solving skills. Additionally, students work together with vets which helps hone professionalism, teamwork, and communication skills, as well as providing the opportunity for collaboration. To add to this, the project has a student committee with junior and senior members – each year, the new junior committee members are trained by their senior counterparts, both in their clinical skills, and also within their specific roles (for example outreach, media, fundraising). This allows students to cement their own veterinary and business skills knowledge even further – ‘docendo discimus’; by teaching, we learn.
The recent rise in the cost of living combined with our extended outreach efforts, and a permanent location have all resulted in a strong increase in the demand for our services. This has meant that we often need to run more than one consultation at a time. We previously had one laptop which was used during our drop-in sessions to write clinical notes, print labels for medication, register microchips, and access previous medical records. The increase in uptake of our services meant that this laptop was always in use and it was difficult to see to more than one client at a time.
The increased need for our project meant that we required a second laptop; we applied for Student Partnership Agreement Funding so that we could purchase one. The second laptop means that we are now able to cater to more clients and be more efficient in our consultations. This means that All4Paws can make an even bigger difference to the lives of the homeless and vulnerably-housed community, as well as helping to further develop the skills and solidify the knowledge of veterinary students. We are very grateful to the Student Partnership Agreement Fund for their generosity; the second laptop has already made a clear difference to the running of our clinic and I’m sure we will continue to see the benefits.
Relevant links:
Head to our website: all4paws ↗️
Read about how we’re having a social impact at the UK’s most sustainable university: QS sustainability ranking↗️
Take a closer look: Do students care if their universities value social sustainability?↗️
Follow them on Instagram:@all4pawsedinburgh↗️ and on Twitter: @all4pawsedi↗️
Vedika Dass
Vedika is a veterinary student who is Senior Fundraising Coordinator for All4Paws. Her role involves organising several events in order to help raise money for the project, ensuring that All4Paws is able to provide care for their clients’ animals as well as maintain an emergency fund. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, but has a special interest in small mammals – especially rabbits!
