Castle Vets Pets -Launceston & Liskeard

02/07/2025

We are looking for an AMAZING HEAD NURSE to join our team at Castle Vets!
We are a long established, forward thinking, progressive, INDEPENDENT mixed practice in Launceston, Cornwall who are looking for our new Head Nurse to join our fantastic team.
We are in an amazing location, surrounded by beautiful countryside and only 30 minutes from the beaches with easy access to Exeter and Plymouth as well as the A30 and M5.
We are extremely proud to be both an independent practice as well as covering ALL of our own out of hours and having a dedicated 24/7 nursing team.
Our nursing team of 24 is made up of RVN's, SVN's, VCS's and Kennel Assistants, who in addition to our 25 vets (including our very hands on 5 Directors) make us one of the largest independent practices in the South West.
Our facilities include 7 consult rooms, dedicated dental suite, large and comprehensive laboratory, new ultrasound scanner, digital xray machine, digital dental xray machine, all new monitoring equipment including multi parameter monitor and BP machines and separate dog and cat wards.
We are RCVS accredited, with our last inspection in October as well as being a RVN training practice and offering Ally support to our clients.
We are looking for an outgoing person, who would thrive on leading our very experienced team of conscientious and caring nurses.
Duties to include
*Managing and mentoring our excellent team
*Day to day running of the nursing team and overseeing running of procedures
*Regular 1-2-1's and appraisals
*Running department meetings and developing interdepartmental relationships at both our Launceston and Liskeard practices
*Health & Safety within your team
*Supporting the nursing team and helping to maintain an environment where all members feel valued and listened to
*Continued clinical development of the team
*Covering shifts on the rota where needed, for Inpatients, theatre, consults, prep nurse and OOH.
In return we are offering:
* Full time position over 4 days per week
* Salary £32,500-£34,500 dependant on experience
* OOH rota - 1 week in 7 (Friday - Tuesday 8pm - 8am)
* Weekend Day Shift (Saturday + Sunday 8am -8pm)
* 33 days holiday (including bank holidays) pro-rata
* practice wide engagement to ensure wellbeing and mental health support
* CPD allowance; fully encouraged and all requests considered
* Discount on staff pet treatment
* RCVS, VDS cover and BVNA membership paid for
* Cycle to work scheme
* Auto pension enrolment
* Staff events throughout the year
* On-site parking
Our highest priority is finding someone who fits in well with our team so if you would like more information or would like to apply for this position please forward for your cv to [email protected]

02/07/2025

01/07/2025

Thank you so much Dreamy Ice Creamy There were lots of delicious flavours to choose from and this was such a treat on a hot and sunny day. Everybody said how much they enjoyed the ice cream!🍦🍦🍦

28/06/2025

Rabbit Awareness Week – Indoor Rabbits

Extra care should be taken to protect house rabbits from dangers such as toxic materials or electric wires. Rabbits love to chew, so all electric cables and wires need to be well out of reach or covered. Any plants in the home should be non toxic to rabbits or kept out of harms way making sure that leaves or petals won't drop on the floor in areas that your rabbit has access to. To live happily indoors rabbits also need:

* Comfortable temperature – The ideal temperature for rabbits is between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. If exposed to high temperatures rabbits can suffer from heat stress. Domestic rabbits do not have thick fur like wild rabbits and they do not like to be too cold. Make sure your rabbits’ home is away from draughts, radiators and fires.

* Company – rabbits are social animals and prefer to live with at least one other rabbit.

* Safe enclosure – Indoor rabbits need a large, safe enclosure situated in a quiet part of the home free from disturbances. This should include a main shelter and exercise area. Make sure the sleeping area is large enough for all rabbits to be together if they choose to. There should also be enough hiding spots for each individual rabbit.

* Outdoor exercise – If possible your rabbit should have regular exercise outdoors in the warmer months so that they can practice natural behaviours such as digging and grazing on growing grass. Their secure outdoor enclosure should include a shelter, hiding places and items for enrichment such as wicker balls filled with hay or play tunnels.

* Enrichment – Make sure your rabbit is able to stay as active as possible and that their environment has plenty to keep them busy, physically and mentally by adding lots of enrichment. A rabbit with plenty of physical and mental stimulation is less likely to chew your fixtures and fittings. Provide toys, platforms and hiding places to make their home more interesting.

27/06/2025

We appreciate that veterinary medication is expensive and with many people now opting to purchase their pets medication online, we wanted to offer some advice on how to do this safely. Please do keep in mind that when medication is required at short notice, purchasing medication from a different source may not be practical.

26/06/2025

Rabbit Awareness Week – Rabbit Nutrition

Rabbits need a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise in order to stay healthy. Good quality hay and grass should be a rabbits main food source as this helps their digestive system to function properly. As a guide, each rabbit should have at least their own body size in feeding hay every day. A small handful of rabbit-safe leafy greens or herbs can be given but fruit and root vegetables such as carrots, should only be given in small portions as a treat. The key to a healthy diet is to provide a rabbit with food based on what they would eat naturally. Muesli-style foods should be avoided as they are associated with health problems. If you do decide to feed your rabbit commercial rabbit pellets (‘nuggets’) make sure you follow manufacturer’s instructions. Rabbits must also have constant access to fresh clean drinking water. Without water rabbits become seriously ill.

23/06/2025

🐰Rabbit Awareness Week - June 23rd - 27th🐰

This year the campaign is focusing on the importance of providing your rabbit with enriching, loving and safe homes. Head over to the Rabbit Awareness Week page for more rabbit related content and to find out more about the campaign. We will also be sharing some rabbit themed posts this week highlighting rabbit nutrition and housing.

We would love to see photos of your happy, hoppy bunnies. Please share photos of your pet rabbit in the comments section below 👇

20/06/2025

Join Our Castle Care Club and Save Today!

Joining our Castle Care Club provides the most cost-effective way to give your pet everything they need to stay healthy. Membership provides preventative healthcare for year-round protection, including vaccinations, flea and worm treatments and health checks, plus discounts on all other products and services such as consultations, surgeries and medicines. If you would like to join or would like more information, then give us a call on Launceston 01566 772211 or Liskeard 01579 208072.

18/06/2025

The sun is out and temperatures are set to rise throughout the rest of the week. While we make the most of the sunshine it is important to remember that a heatwave can be dangerous for dogs. Here are some tips to help keep your pets safe during the hot weather:

* Make sure your pet always has access to fresh drinking water
* Avoid exercising dogs in the heat of the day especially if your dog is elderly, a brachycephalic breed (short-nosed or snub-nosed dog breeds) or if your dog has a known heart or lung condition.
* Do the tarmac test: if you can't comfortably hold your hand on tarmac for five seconds then postpone your walk until it's cooler
* Never leave dogs in vehicles
* Provide shade from the sun in the hottest part of the day
* Watch out for early signs of heatstroke, please see video below for more information.
* Contact a vet immediately if your dog does not respond to efforts to cool it down.

17/06/2025

Castle Veterinary Group are extremely proud to be independent. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide continuity of care which is made possible in part by our excellent staff retention rates. We understand the importance of being greeted by a familiar face who knows your pet's medical history and their personality. For example, a nervous pet can find a visit to the vet very daunting and seeing a familiar face can really help to alleviate their anxiety. We are able to provide a personalised experience for our clients which is not only great for pets, but also serves as a great satisfaction for our team who get to build trusting relationships with their clients and see cases through to the end.

When it comes to making decisions on the best course of treatment for your pet, our vets can tailor your pet's treatment to their specific needs. Veterinary care can never be approached with a one size fits all attitude. We have the freedom to make prompt treatment decisions for your pet using clinical judgement which in turn enables us to respond to their individual needs in the best possible way.

14/06/2025

❤️World Blood Donor Day❤️

It's not just human donors who save lives. Did you know that the first successful recorded blood transfusion was not human to human, but dog to dog? Whether it's emergency trauma or chronic illnesses, pets often need blood transfusions. Thankfully we have some amazing doggy donors who can come to the rescue when a fellow creature is in need but we still require more volunteers!

There are specific criteria that need to be met for a dog to be eligible to give blood, but if your pet meets these requirements please get in touch.

• Under 8 years old
• Over 25kg
• In good health with a calm temperament
• No foreign travel
• Live close to the surgery (your dog may be needed at short notice)

Your dog will be booked in with one of our nurses for a blood test to determine whether they are a positive or negative blood type. As a thank you to you and your pet, a £50 credit will be applied to your account each time your pet donates blood.

04/06/2025

We are pleased to announce that we can now offer hip and elbow scoring at our Launceston practice for £375.

If you are a dog breeder or dog owner and want to know more about hip and elbow scoring then this free webinar from the British Veterinary Association may be of interest to you – Hip & Elbow Screening Explained: tools for responsible dog breeding

Time: 7pm – 8.15pm
Date: Thursday, 19th June
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)

Register here: https://bit.ly/hipelbow101

This session is designed to help both new and experienced dog breeders understand the causes and impact of hip and elbow dysplasia, and help them make informed breeding decisions that will benefit future generations of dogs.

The webinar will cover:

• What hip and elbow dysplasia are
• Why screening matters
• How breeders can use results in breeding decisions
• Expert insights and live Q&A

The webinar features leading experts including Mrs Elizabeth Baines (Chief Scrutineer), Dr Kate Bradley, and Dr Jeremy Davies, and is an excellent opportunity for breeders to deepen their knowledge and ask questions directly.

Dog breeders, dog owners and veterinary professionals are all invited to attend.