Vets Now pays tribute following sudden death of VN Louise O’Dwyer

Out-of-hours emergency veterinary practice Vets Now has paid tribute to veterinary nurse Louise O’Dwyer who died on 5 May. The veterinary group will also postpone its ECC CPD roadshow event which was set to take place today (Wednesday 8 May) in Milton Keynes. Amanda Boag, Vets Now clinical director, said: “We are devastated by the loss of Louise O’Dwyer, a highly respected and exceptional veterinary nurse well known both in the UK and within the wider emergency and critical care community across the world. Our thoughts are with Louise’s family at this very difficult time, and we will support them in any way we can. “Louise had a natural ability to inspire and foster talent in others; her passion and dedication to emergency and critical nursing led her to become a leading veterinary nurse, mentor, author and teacher respected throughout the international ECC community. We were privileged to be able to call Louise a colleague as well as a much loved friend and she will be sorely missed, not just by the Vets Now team, but by everyone across the veterinary profession. “At the moment, our priority is to support both Louise’s family and her colleagues, in particular our team at our Manchester hospital, where she was based. In the fullness of time we will work hard to find a way to mark Louise’s immense and lasting contribution to emergency and critical care nursing.” O’Dwyer gained her diploma in advanced veterinary nursing (surgical) in 2004 followed by her diploma in advanced veterinary nursing (medical) in 2007. In 2011, she became a veterinary technician specialist (emergency and critical care) and, in 2014, a veterinary technician specialist (anaesthesia). Two years later, in 2016, she was the recipient of the BSAVA’s prestigious Bruce Vivash Jones Veterinary Nurse Award and RCVS Golden Jubilee Award for her contribution to veterinary nursing. In 2018, she became the first vet nurse from the UK to be elected president of the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians, the body which certifies vet nurses as veterinary technician specialists in ECC. During her career, O’Dwyer contributed to more than 35 publications and lectured worldwide on all aspects of anaesthesia, emergency and critical care, surgery and infection control. She added: “Out of respect for Louise’s family and colleagues, we have taken the decision to postpone this week’s ECC CPD roadshow event in Milton Keynes. Louise helped build the roadshow and created the highly popular nursing stream. “We are very sorry to our delegates who had planned to attend this week. We are contacting them individually to explain, and to provide details of the rescheduled date in Milton Keynes or to offer alternative dates at other locations over the next couple of months.”