Practice celebrates day for vet nurses

A local vet clinic will give a well-deserved pat on the back to its nurses today when it celebrates a national event in honour of the profession.

Midwest Veterinary Centre will mark the ninth annual Vet Nurse Day with a special celebration, joining practices across the country in thanking veterinary nurses for their hard work.

Midwest Veterinary Centre practice manager Ebony Masotto said there were plenty of reasons local vet nurses deserved a thank you.

“They seem to have a seemingly endless supply of compassion and do their job because they love it,” she said.

Vet nurses deal with the good, bad and sometimes smelly side of caring for animals — something Mrs Masotto said also required a special set of qualities.

“One nurse can juggle three phone lines, two clients at reception and hold onto a dog, all with a smile on their dial,” she said.

“They are not afraid to help a client to the carpark who is juggling multiple bags of food, fur children and furless children.

“They also seem to have ninja-like reflexes that keep the vets safe from flying claws and teeth.”

The Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia will recognise the dedication of nurses across Australia by announcing the annual recipients of the vet nurse of the year and the student vet nurse of the year awards.

Midwest Veterinary Centre practice owner and veterinarian Peter Taylor said when it came to the compassion of nurses, they all deserved a prize.

“They just can’t say ‘no’ to a stray looking for a home, when it comes to dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, fish and the list just keeps going,” he said.

“They will spend hours nursing their patients even if it means sleeping in a cage with them while they wake up from an anaesthetic.

“They are not afraid to tuck a baby joey or kitten into their shirt or up their jumper to keep them warm until their heat pad warms up.”