Episode 10 - Emma Ruggles RVN - Hydrotherapy and Animal Welfare

In this episode we meet Emma Ruggles RVN CertVNECC APVN (Wildlife and Zoo Animals) L3CertSAHydro. 

Emma has worked in the veterinary industry for 10 years and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and has always had a passion for small animal emergency and critical care and wildlife conservation. After 1 year of working as an RVN in practice she started the CertVNECC qualification, and became a Locum RVN as of June 2018. Since then as well as working as a locum across the UK in both referral and general practice, they have travelled/worked and volunteered abroad in South Africa, the Cook Islands, Australia and most recently Thailand with the Wildlife Friends Foundation.

Emma was interested in diversifying their nursing career and so undertook 6 months training and then qualified as a Canine Hydrotherapist in March 2022. Emma loves the consistency of investing in your patients and seeing them back for regular therapy sessions, forming a connection with the animal and the client as well. It is so rewarding to see your patient make positive progress with a rehab plan that you put in place. Emma continues to learn a lot about hydrotherapy and truly believes it is a key step in improving the welfare/wellbeing of the patients we see in practice.

Clients are seeking surgical alternatives and/or they invest in surgery and want to achieve the best possible recovery for their pet and so will seek a programme of aftercare and rehabilitation. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and management of the geriatric patient are being more widely discussed amongst clients and with that  the rehab sector can work with the vet and owner to provide the best possible care plan for management of these patients.

Further information*

Canine Arthritis Management – information and resources on caring for your arthritic dog, courses, and products for both pet owners and veterinary professionals.

Canine Arthritis Management – Arthritis in Dogs

Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation – Copford in Colchester Essex

Home | Colchester | Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation

Hydrotherapy training

Courses | K9HS Courses | Canine Hydrotherapy Courses

BVNA Article on Running Senior Pet clinics in practice.

Running Senior Clinics: A marathon or a sprint? - British Veterinary Nursing AssociationBritish Veterinary Nursing Association (bvna.org.uk)

Canine Hydrotherapy Association – providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits.

Canine Hydrotherapy Association - Canine Hydrotherapy Association (canine-hydrotherapy.org)

National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits

NARCH | National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - About Us

Ruggles, E. (2023) Alongside a career as a veterinary nurse – the road to patient rehabilitation. VNJ 38(5) pp 25-31.

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*Links are provided for information purposes only. Animal Welfare Conversation does not endorse any links provided here for information.