Vets

Veterinary Surgeons must be members of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to practise in Great Britain. To become a member, the individual must hold a qualification recognised by the college and can then put the letters MRCVS after their name. There are currently 7 universities in Britain that train veterinary surgeons: Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Nottingham. In addition there is a vet school in Dublin. The course lasts 5 years and covers all of the common domestic species (companion animals, farm and horse). However, increasingly vets are restricting their work to only a number of species, so that they can concentrate on a narrower range of work.

At The Veterinary Hospital and our Veterinary Centres we treat only small animals - this covers all pets and a few working animals sized from Dwarf Hamsters to Great Danes!. New vets joining our practice are carefully supervised initially as they develop their skills in practice, and we are all required to undertake continuing professional development to keep up to date with current science and how it may be applied to benefit the health of your pet.

Some vets are keen to gain further knowledge and qualifications (post graduate certificates) in certain fields of veterinary work and in The Veterinary Hospital Group we have certificate holders in the following subjects: Cardiology (heart and circulation) - Stephen O'Shea; Dermatology (skin) - Sanjaya Kanagasundaram; Imaging (x-rays & ultrasound) - Adam Coulson; Small Animal Surgery - Katie Lenton; and a diploma holder in pet behaviour counselling - Caroline Bower. These vets, as well as dealing with our client's pets, receive referral cases from other vets in the region. Many of our vets also have a keen special interest in other fields such as rabbit, reptile and avian medicine/surgery.

The vets like to get to know both you and your pet, so it is good to see the same person if at all possible. You may have a preference for male or female, young or not so young - we can usually oblige! All consultations are by appointment so do ask to see your usual vet, although they may not always be available at short notice.

Reception can even identify vets from your description if the name is forgotten!