Heather's Exotics Placement

Flying high

"Working at Great Western Exotics in Swindon was a fantastic experience and an incredible learning opportunity! I saw a wide range of cases, put my clinical skills into practice and learnt how to communicate with clients. I even saw an injured river otter, as well as several avian wildlife cases. This gave me the chance to see the important role vets play in conservation.

What did Heather learn?

'The time I spent with Great Western Exotics has been paramount in helping me to develop my veterinary clinical skills. The vet I worked with allowed me to perform the exams and develop a diagnostic and treatment plan for each case. This included phone consults with clients and performing physical exams on their pets, prior to the vet getting involved. For example I,

• researched upcoming cases
• conducted physical exams and devised treatment plans
• practiced phlebotomy techniques
• carried out all the gavage medications and tube feedings for the hospitalised patients every day
• completed my first rabbit castration
• performed euthanasias
• worked with the Head Vet to perform a post-mortem exam.

'I now feel like I have some of the basic skills to approach clinical cases in a variety of exotic species

'Performing euthanasia gave me the opportunity to work with species that I hadn't done before (using the subcarapacial in tortoises, basilic and jugular veins in parrots, cranial vena cava in guinea pig, etc.) 

'One interesting case I worked on was a Great Grey Owl that presented for collapse. Working through his case was challenging and required me to leave my comfort zone. I had to apply my clinical knowledge in a way that I hadn’t had to before. After treating this patient for a week, he was euthanised, and I was able to perform his post-mortem, alongside the head vet. This is a skill I have not had much practice with and will be beneficial in the future. It's important to determine cause of death and rule out infectious causes which could be a concern to public health.

Immersed in a stimulating environment

'I learnt a great deal about the role that vets play in public health, through discussion of the current Avian Influenza outbreak. I saw first hand how vets educate clients about a variety of zoonoses that can be transmitted by exotic pets.

'This placement gave me lots of experience in client communication. The veterinary team presented and discussed risks openly and honestly to the client. Although sombre at times, they presented all possible risks. This transparency led to a stronger relationship with the client, as they felt that they knew all possible outcomes going into the procedure.

'Working in a state-of-the-art practice, where every patient receives gold-standard treatment was such an important experience. I have always had a special interest in working with exotics, especially birds, and getting back into it was a breath of fresh air! It ignited a flame that has led me to consider pursuing an internship in exotic medicine following graduation.

A thank you to our alumni community

'Without the EMS+ grant, I would not have been able to attend such a fantastic placement. To build on the knowledge I gained at this practice, I have since begun volunteering with a CPD programme. This has allowed me to assist with teaching programmes for qualified vets working to expand their knowledge of exotic clinical practice. This has been so rewarding and I would not have been privileged with this opportunity had I not previously worked with Great Western Exotics.