And they call it puppy love

Veterinary nurses provide not just expert care for poorly animals but also advice for owners to ensure, whether it’s a cat, dog or hamster, they stay in tip-top shape.

From carrying out vital check-ups on pooches and moggies to jumping in to assist in an emergency, it’s a job that offers many rewards.

But for Nicky Smith, who has more than 20 years of experience, the best one will always be seeing a sick animal make a full recovery from an illness or accident.

She tells us she is incredibly passionate about her work, adding: “I constantly strive to do the very best for the pets I am privileged enough to care for.”

Nicky is head nurse at 387 Vets, owned and run by vet Hamish Duncan, in Great Wyrley where she has worked since it opened in 2007.

Since qualifying in 1996 after completing her training at Rodbaston College, she has built up a wealth of experience in nursing having previously worked in an emergency clinic and at a charity hospital as well as working for a clinical supplies company and a pet food manufacturer.

Nicky is part of a team of 11 staff, which includes three veterinarians and four other qualified nurses. There is also a trainee nurse, receptionist and practice manager.

Each week the teams see around 250 pets and their owners coming through the doors of the busy surgery.

“We are a small animal practice so it’s mostly cats, dogs, rabbits and hamsters, we don’t tend to get any exotics,” explains Nicky, aged 40, whose own pets are Kendall the whippet, a cat named Katness and Donald the horse.

Her daily duties will vary throughout the working week with the nursing team taking on different roles each day depending on the clinics and appointments in the diary.

“These might be nurse consultations, assisting with anaesthetics, helping in theatre and dental hygiene,” says Nicky, who has a special fondness for dogs and lives in Walsall Wood.

As she is head nurse, some of Nicky’s role also involves training new and less experienced members of staff as well as administration work. For Nicky there is never a dull day.

“I enjoy the variety, seeing animals recover and building relationships with their owners, helping them through the good and bad times. I’ve always been interested in science and healthcare and I’ve got a passion for animals,” she says.

Nicky says one of her greatest achievements was earning a BSc honours degree in clinical veterinary nursing through a distance learning programme two years ago with Myerscough College in Lancashire.

“I was proud to get a ‘first’ because I was studying while working full-time,” explains Nicky, who also holds a Diploma for Advanced Veterinary Nursing, the highest veterinary nursing qualification endorsed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

She is a temperament assessor for Pets as Therapy and runs a range of nurse consultations and health clinics at the practice.

At the surgery Nicky leads pain clinics to teach owners useful physiotherapy techniques to improve mobility in arthritic pets and to improve rehabilitation speed in pets after orthopaedic surgery.

Another favourite among the practice’s clients is the first aid courses Nicky runs that offer practical tuition to pet owners on how to act in the event of an animal emergency.

Owners can practice bandaging skills and resuscitation on a mannequin dog and the popularity of these classes in the community has resulted in a long waiting list.

“A lot of what we do is preventative work to help animals stay healthy,” explains Nicky.

As the practice’s cat advocate, she has also been involved in the practice being awarded Gold Cat Friendly Clinic Status by The International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM).

This is aimed at making a trip to the vets less daunting for nervous felines and includes ensuring there are separate waiting areas for cats and dogs.

The staff at 387 Vets are currently celebrating after being crowned winners at the national Petplan Awards 2017.

As well as the surgery winning the Practice of the Year award, Nicky was named as Vet Nurse of the Year and receptionist Joanne Civil won the title of Support Staff of the Year.

“The Petplan awards are so high profile with so many nurses nominated each year who all do a fantastic job, so I couldn’t believe I had been selected as a finalist,” says Nicky.

For anyone considering a career in veterinary medicine, Nicky says getting animal related-work experience is always a good first step.

“It’s a good idea to get animal experience, animal charities are always looking for help. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) can also give advice on what to do,” she adds.