Blowing One’s Own Trumpet…
There is no point in blowing your own trumpet if no one is listening but if they are then… Many thanks for every one’s Emails etc over the years, but this one in particular summed up everything I stand for and want to represent: Some Northern guineas have the good fortune to belong to a Human that only wants the very best she can do for her guineas and thanks to her persistence at searching for info she has helped them enormously and also the guinea pig community in Leeds! I am not sure I will be too popular with a certain James Brooks for promoting him and his knowledge of guinea pigs but hey, I am not in this for the popularity! It will help local guineas and that’s what matters.
When I started rescue my whole mission was to promote good basic care and share information. This was made easier when Chrissie of Gorgeous Guineas started my rescue website and later handed it over to me. However, working in education has taught me about attention to detail, children are the first to spot any inconsistencies! Therefore everything was written down, copyrighted and retained, most of it available to all on the internet.
I had the good fortune of meeting Chrissie who is like minded particularly when it comes to vets and sharing info, neither of us have any desire to do the vet’s job, we wish to promote good veterinary care because it is the only legal way a guinea pig can be treated save for exceptional circumstances. Chrissie and I and latterly Jenny Towers (current clinical director at Tilehurst Active Vetcare), recorded our learning journey with vets we have worked with so that others could hopefully benefit. The CCT were kind enough to print the first articles in the BAR magazine and Gina, tutor and lecturer, travelled to Reading to give the group of practices some pointers on the specifics of guinea pigs (but thats another story!).
Our “Northern Human” remembered seeing about vets in her Gorgeous Guineas Email and on finding said email discovered that James Had moved “up North”, a little detective work later revealed that she had actually seen him for a post op check with a guinea! In short she approached him and asked if he was the one and same James Brooks that once worked as a vet in Reading and was told yes! James is not the exotics specialist at his new surgery but then Jenny Towers isn’t the exotics specialist at the Active Vetcare group…
So, I am glad I have chosen to to share, I am glad I have Chrissie Slade who is like minded, and I am especially glad that I have promoted veterinary care and when Emily was given a wrong dose of Baytril I didn’t stamp my feet and run to Peter Gurney (my then rodentologist), I chose to improve vetcare in Tilehurst by asking Gina to come down, with James’ permission, and talk guinea pigs to our local vets; the rest as they say is history and I have 3 guinea pig competent vets at the top of the road and another who has moved to another practice in Berkshire. Blowing my own trumpet because I think I can!
Karen, BIG thanks to “Northern Human” for sharing, it’s what helps the guinea pig world go around 🙂
James Brooks’ current practice
November 3, 2011
Posted in: Health, Rescue