OKEFORD Veterinary Centre is planning for an exciting 2018.

March sees the arrival of two new vets, who many may recognise. Vet Suzie McGeorge worked at Okeford four years ago and following a position at St David’s Veterinary Hospital, she is being welcomed back to the well established team.

She is currently studying for her RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) certificate in small animal medicine and loves challenging medical cases.

The second vet to be re-joining the team is Jon Smallwood. He comes to the practice some nine years after taking a position at another local practice. He brings with him an RCVS certificate in small animal surgery and is highly experienced in all aspects of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgeries.

His skills will complement those of Philip Davies who together will continue to perform minimally invasive surgeries (laparoscopy) for example for bitch spays and exploratory laparoscopies, orthopaedics and complex soft tissue surgeries.

The bar is being set high by new clinical director Kirstin Phippard who said: ‘We are committed to providing clinical excellence for the area’s pets. The expectations of pet owners have changed over the past 16 years I have been in practice and we must all move with the times to provide a gold standard service. This can only be achieved by the highly qualified and dedicated staff at Okeford.’

Following on from the practice’s achievement of passing it RCVS practice standards scheme with flying colours at the end of 2017, the veterinary services now provided by the practice continue to grow. Last year Kirstin Phippard was successful in achieving her RCVS certificate in small animal derma-tology after three years of study.

She, together with nurse Ciara Finnagan, who was recently awarded a nursing merit award in dermatology, are providing an active referral service throughout Devon and Cornwall. With the help of vet Alex Just and HeartVets the practice offers a cardiology referral service, identifying, treating and monitoring these patients to a very high standard to give best possible outcomes.

Most recently, vet Rebecca Meese now provides an acupuncture service on Thursday afternoons.

Okeford has also just been awarded Intern-ational Society of Feline Medicine status, making it a recognised “cat friendly” practice.

Requirements include separate feline and canine seating areas and a quiet designated cat ward with low lighting and stress free examination area. Within the next few months the committed team of nurses will be relaunching their clinics to include senior pet checks, weight clinics, diabetes and renal clinics — all to help support owners with their pet’s health care.

Work has also begun on the new surgery in Chagford. After many years in the centre of the town, the practice has decided it’s time to expand the surgery and services provided. The new detached premises will boast ample client parking, longer opening hours, x-ray and surgical facilities on-site. It is hoped that the project will be finished early summer when staff will welcome clients to an open day.