Vet team | Nurse Team | Support team

Jonathan Down

Veterinary Surgeon, Practice partner, proud father of Rosie and Poppy and occasional paraglider (when I get the time). I have also recently gained my Private Pilot Licence (PPL).

Main areas of interest in small animal work are Oncology, Cardiology and Orthopaedics.

Elspeth Down

Veterinary Surgeon and Practice partner. Wonderful mother of two! Elspeth is the key 'manager' of the practice, keeping a constant check on the smooth running of the business. Main interests outside of work include sailing and cooking.

Jeremy Davies

Veterinary surgeon.

Fiona Naden

Fiona is our longest serving veterinary surgeon in Victoria Street. She originally joined the practice after qualifying and worked with Brian Moss. She continued to work with us when Jonathan and Elspeth took over the practice in 1991. He commitment and dedication to her job is unrivalled. Fiona is the key vet involved in the PETS travel scheme, and also has a keen interest in animal behaviour. Most of our clients have met her at some stage over the past 20 years.

Richard Patton

Veterinary surgeon

Janet Ryding

Veterinary surgeon

Janet says...'Having joined the practice in 2002, I am still the newest member of the veterinary team. Prior to joining I had experience working in a variety of small animal practices in South Africa, New Zealand and the UK.

When I am not at work, I make the most of living in a lovely part of the country by enjoying hill walking and gardening. My husband and I take every opportunity to travel too, and try to combine this with skiing, hiking and diving. We also visit my family in South Africa. At home I have two wonderful cats called Eric-the-eel, and Paula-the-porpoise (named after swimmers who competed in the Sydney Olympics). They are both incredibly pampered and thus demanding (as I believe all cats should be!).'

Job Focus

(Below is an article written in the Glossop Chronicle in  March 2006. It featured in the 'Job Focus'.)

Describe your job and main responsibilities?

I am a veterinary surgeon working in a small animal veterinary practice employing 5 vets, 5 nurses and two receptionists. My job as a vet is spent examining animals in the consulting rooms with their owners, operating and examining animals in our hospital, and occasionally making home visits for people who cannot bring their pet to the surgery. When I am not working as a vet I spend my time managing and organising the running of the business. The management side of the job is also very demanding and varied, and includes a wide range of tasks such as people management, Health and Safety issues, stock control and accounting.

What services do you offer?

Consultation Appointments: We offer appointment times throughout the day for a vet to examine any kind of pet animal (dogs, cats, rabbits, chinchillas, snakes and lizards are all seen).

Preventative Health Care: We offer a full range of health care and advice on issues such as worming, flea control, neutering, weight management, elderly care. These are offered not only by the vets but also during nurse clinics run by our fully qualified nursing staff.

Diagnostics: We carry out a comprehensive range of diagnostic tests at the main surgery, including xrays, ultrasound investigations, ECG’s, endoscopy, detailed blood examinations/tests.

Surgery: Most surgical procedures encountered in small animal work are carried out by out experienced veterinary team at Victoria Veterinary Centre, ranging from routine neutering surgery to abdominal and orthopaedic surgery.

Hospitalisation and Intensive Care Treatment: Many of our patients have to be hospitalised for their needs, and this is carried out in our main surgery in Glossop. Often animals have to be maintained on intravenous fluids (drips) 24 hours a day and need constant supervision. Our highly experienced nursing team offer this care and attention to any animals needs (dog, cat, hedgehog or starling!).

What qualifications/skills do you need or are an advantage?

Apart from the usual academic qualifications (grade A at science A-levels

are a must these days to get into veterinary college) I feel a good vet needs to have common sense and be practical with his or her hands. Other skills required involve an ability to think quickly and solve problems. Good communication skills are vital, as much of our time involves listening and explaining to clients of all levels and abilities. An obvious requirement is to have a love of animals, and empathy with their owners. You have to be prepared to get stuck in and face the challenge head on.

How did you come into this line of work and How long have you done it for?

Both my parents are doctors, so I have always had an interest in medicine. From the age of 12 years I used to help out at my local veterinary surgery, doing anything from answering the telephone, to kennel cleaning and watching operations. I loved the work, and knew that this was the job for me.

I went to London University (The Royal Veterinary College). After 5 years training I qualified in 1989. I spent my first 2 years working at the RSPCA Harnsworth Hospital, and then in a large animal practice in North Wales, before moving to Glossop in 1991.

Describe a typical day?

I arrive at work at 8.30am, ready for anything. I usually start the day with ‘consultations’, where I can expect to see any pet animal ranging from dogs and cats of all sizes, to rabbits, hamsters, and even on occasions snakes, frogs and fish. They come to me with literally any complaint you can think of, from the sneezing cat, the limping dog, the hamster with a lump, or the fish with fin-rot.

After my consultations, I often help the operating vet with some of the operations booked for that day. The operations I perform can vary from a cat spay, to a dog requiring surgery after a road accident, to a rabbit with bad teeth. If I am not operating, I may be carrying out some investigations, which can range from detailed xrays of a dogs chest with breathing problems, to ultrasounding a cat with heart failure.

Much of my time throughout the day would involve discussing and reading case notes, telephoning referral centres for advice, or speaking to a client about their pet.

I might have a home visit booked late in the morning or early afternoon, when an animal is too frail to make the trip to the surgery.

On the more mundane side, I would usually spend at least a couple of hours a day ‘managing’ the business, ensuring that all our equipment and stock is maintained, and that any staffing issues are dealt with.

What is the best/ worst thing about your job?

Best Thing: The best thing about my job as a vet is the variety. It is never boring. Every day is different. I never know what to expect next! The job is always challenging, and tests your knowledge and skills every day. I feel I am always learning. I love working with animals, and it is extremely rewarding when you see them getting better. I also enjoy developing relationships with clients, and enjoy the trust and understanding that follows. Many clients have become good friends. Working in a small business environment allows me to work closely with a great team of like minded people, who all share the same common goal, namely to care for the animals in our surgery as if they were our own pets.

Worst Thing: The worst aspect of being a vet is the long hours. Being ‘on-call’ and having to get out of a nice warm bed at 3am, when feeling exhausted. It is also very hard when animals are unable to get better despite everything that you do. Even harder when an animal can’t get better because either we or the client doesn’t have the resources (drugs/expertise/money).

What would you say to someone who was thinking of entering your profession?)

Go for it! Your job will be inspiring. There will be many opportunities to travel, or to work in different fields. Many vets work outside of general practice, in Referral Centres, for DEFRA, for Industry (drug companies/food companies), and many specialise working with just horses, or with cattle and sheep. Some of my friends work for animal charities, and several have branched out into television and radio. Be aware it will be a long hard slog to get there, so be prepared to work long hours, many of them antisocial hours, to achieve your goal. Don’t go into vet work to earn lots of money, as it isn’t there. Vet work is expensive, but the high costs are because of the drugs and the expense of running the surgery. The financial rewards for vets and vet nurses are low compared with other similar professions (dentists/ doctors).

Victoria Veterinary Centre, Glossop, 01457 852367 w Thornbrook Veterinary Clinic, Chapel-en-le-Frith, 01298 812066