Time for a change!

Following the Covid-19 restrictions I came to realise that general practice vetting was no longer for me.

Life as a vet in general practice has changed a lot over the 25 years since I graduated! Four years into my career, changes were made in 1999 which allowed non-vet ownership of veterinary practices. Over the years that followed, more and more practices have come under corporate ownership. This has resulted in big changes (some good, some not so good) to the way practices are run and also in the way that vets are perceived by the public.

I had been running acupuncture clinics alongside my ‘normal’ vet work for many years and really enjoyed seeing the difference that this made to my patients. Acupuncture has been growing in popularity in human and veterinary medicine over recent years with increasing scientific data emerging as to its effectiveness. Its main use is in the management of chronic pain conditions but there are also many other conditions which can be helped. There are also many other ways we can manage pain in our pets. This isn’t a subject that is given a lot of time in veterinary schools and a standard 10-15 minute consultation is just not long enough to address this complex subject.

I knew there was so much more that I could be doing for these patients! I now run chronic pain management and acupuncture clinics, allowing 45-60 minutes for an initial consultation and 30 minutes for each follow up. In addition to acupuncture, I also advise on pain medication (analgesia), bodyweight, diet/supplements, home adaptations, and exercise/enrichment. This is called ‘multi-modal’ management and this system has proven to be more successful than just managing our pets on pain relief alone.

I love running these clinics and I am passionate about providing the best possible care for these animals. If you have a pet who you think could benefit from acupuncture and our multi-modal approach then please contact us!