Work Experience At Hollybank Vets

Posted on by

Here at Hollybank Vets we offer one week placements for people to gain experience working in a veterinary environment.  This is the best way to confirm pursuing a veterinary career is right for you, or even finding out it really isn’t!

In order to apply for one of our available weeks we ask you to meet the following criteria: 

Be 16 years or older at the time of placement
Be interested in working in the veterinary field
Be able to attend for a one week block (option of dates given)

Whilst seeing practice with us you will be able to see the different roles within the team and what we get up to behind the scenes.  Placements are spent shadowing the veterinary nurses and you will also get to see what the veterinary surgeons and receptionists get up to.

During your placement with us you will see consultations, operations, ultrasound scans, care for hospitalised patients and how we keep the practice hygienic for patients, staff and our clients.

If you meet the criteria and would be interested in carrying out a placement with us, or know someone that would be, please contact Alicia one of our
veterinary nurses for an application form (alicia@hollybankvets.co.uk).

Read on to hear from some of our previous work experience students who have gone on to study veterinary medicine………

 

I first started work experience at Hollybank Vets in 2010, not long after it opened. At the time I was unsure about what I wanted to do as a career; spending time with the amazing team and clients confirmed my decision that I wanted to be a vet. 

My average day at Hollybank would start with discussing the inpatients and their care for the day, followed by morning consults. I would then observe surgeries and diagnostic tests such as ultrasounds and radiographs. After helping to clean up after the day’s surgery, I would then observe further consults and get to meet clients and their animals. 

Surgeries were daunting at first; I remember standing with my back to the operating theatre wall just in case I fainted. I soon realised I wasn’t squeamish and found surgery very interesting, asking many questions not just about the surgery itself but the anaesthetic and after care that would go with the procedure. My favourite part of the working day was watching consults, a big part of which was speaking to clients about their animals. 

Being a part of the team was amazing and with time and repeated placements my understanding of the veterinary profession grew. I’m not sure if it was my knowledge and skills that meant Richard kept allowing me to come back, or the rocky road I would make for him and the staff.

After plenty of placements at Hollybank I started at the University of Nottingham in 2014 where the hard work continued and along with all the exams, I also had to complete more work placements. This gave the perfect excuse to come back to see Richard and the team, and I even got to catch up with some of the clients I met along the way which was very rewarding.  After 5 years of vet school I am now a fully qualified vet and have started my first job at a small animal practice near where I attended university. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the inspiring team at Hollybank who gave me the opportunity to start my career in veterinary medicine 10 years ago. 

Dr Reece Parry BVM BVS BVMedSci MRCVS

 

I started doing work experience at Hollybank having heard about the opportunity from (many) visits here with my dog! After sending in my CV and attending a friendly interview I was booked in for a summer placement. I enjoyed my week’s placement so much that I asked for more and I ended up seeing work experience here most Thursdays after school for 2-3 years as well as during my holidays! Everyone at Hollybank was so friendly and eager to help me that I learned a great deal and saw a range of animals and treatments that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen, as well as getting to help around the surgery whenever I could. I always enjoyed watching surgeries and consults; the latter really helped with my confidence and communication skills.  During my application to vet school the vets read over my personal statements and did practice interviews with me, whilst all the staff gave me lots of support and encouragement throughout.  When I got my acceptance letter Hollybank seemed just as excited (and relieved) as me!

I am now in my 4th year at Liverpool Vet School and still see placements at Hollybank at every opportunity as I work towards my degree because it is one of my favourite places to visit.  The staff give me more responsibilities and skill development opportunities each time and it is such a friendly environment.  I have also developed some great baking skills during my time here, as they love “thank you” cake at Hollybank!

Charlotte Knight

Hollybank Vets visit Cuddington Primary School

Posted on by

On Monday 27th January three of our team (AJ, Aimee and Zoe) went to see the children at Cuddington Primary School as part of their ‘Aspirations week’.  This is where people from all different types of careers speak to the children about what their job entails.  The children got to hear all about being a veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse, as well as meeting Marmite and Marmalade the guinea pigs! Maybe we have inspired a future generation of vets and nurses!                                          

Posted on by

Bringing your pet to the vets can be stressful at the best of times but when they don’t like coming it can be even more problematic, not only for the patient but for you as the owner too.  Cats can be particularly susceptible to stress (which, as we all know, is a negative emotion) as they rarely leave their home environments or have trips in the car. This article will cover how to make vet visits for your cat less stressful!

As mentioned previously cats rarely have to leave their homes and when they do it usually results in what they may perceive as a negative experience e.g. the cattery or the veterinary practice. Cats can make negative associations with their cat carrier (which they might have to be forced to get in to if they will not go in of their own accord) and the car (which is noisy and the movement is unfamiliar) which then trigger their anxiety even before they get to the veterinary practice.

 

The Cat Carrier

Making the cat carrier a more positive experience at home will be a good start in lowering stress levels before you embark on your journey.  When buying a carrier it is important to think about whether it can be easily taken apart or not. The carrier becomes the most familiar place to the cat in the veterinary environment and so, despite not wanting to get in at home, they often do not want to leave it once they arrive at the surgery!  Being able to deconstruct the carrier around your cat prevents any confrontation or stress when trying to remove them from it and allows visualisation and often some examination, in what they now perceive as the safest of the options!  Also consider the width of the doorway – this should be as wide as possible to aid entry and exit.

It is sensible to have the carrier visible in the house at all times. If you are able to deconstruct the carrier then the lower half, combined with a suitable bed, can be used as a resting place for your cat. If your cat is very worried about the carrier then just start with the bedding you are planning on using in it.  When your cat approaches the bed, you can reward them by throwing a treat onto the bed to try and form a positive association.  Once they are comfortable with using the bed, it can be placed into the lower half of the carrier and placed back into the same spot. You may need to reward them again for approaching the bed but eventually they should start to lie on it again. Once reliably performing this step the lid can be placed on top (without the door). Rewards then can be placed through the sides of the carrier and later through the door.

Once used to the carrier, it is useful to take your cat on short car journeys that do not involve going to the cattery or vets.  This gets them used to the sensation of travelling in the carrier without any additional stress. 

 

The Waiting Room

Hollybank is a Gold Level Cat Friendly clinic under a scheme run by the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine). This means that we have met specific criteria throughout the practice and have taken into consideration the unique needs of cats in how we approach and handle them.

The waiting room can be a place of loud noises, different scents and visual stimulation. If it is particularly noisy when you arrive for your appointment please speak to a receptionist who will find your cat somewhere quieter to wait.  Feline pheromone therapy can be sprayed on to the bedding in the carrier 10-15 minutes before you need to put your cat into it (this allows the alcohol carrier to evaporate). This pheromone helps to reassure your cat that they are safe. In our reception area we have a visual barrier between the dog and cat seating areas but we also have carrier covers available from our reception.

Once in the consulting room you may find that your cat does not want to come out of the carrier.  Having a carrier that can be deconstructed around them is now beneficial and allows the cat to be examined in the carrier if appropriate, or gently lifted out.  If they are removed from the carrier then this should then be put out of sight as they often wish to get back in straight away which can become a source of frustration and therefore increased stress. Once the examination is complete allow them to retreat quickly back to the carrier.

As a practice we understand that patience is essential when handling cats.  Our fifteen minute appointments allow plenty of time for your cat to get used to the consulting room environment before being examined.

Implementing these simple changes mentioned above, before your vet visit, will help reduce your cat’s stress levels and combined with our understanding of handling cats this should lead to happier visits to the vets for all!

We will shortly be adding a new ‘Cat Friendly’ section  to our website with further details on choosing a suitable carrier, getting your cat used to the carrier and travelling with your cat – as well as tips and advice on how to medicate your cat.