ADVICE | PET GAZETTE | 37
COMFORT IS KEY
If you are going to update your practice,
it’s vital to think about what your clients
and your patients require. According to Dr
Nicholls, comfort is vital in instances where
cats have to remain overnight or for even
longer periods of time for observation, which
is why as part of her practice update plans,
she’s having new cat housing offer a ‘luxury
home from home’ experience.
Dr Nicholls says: “We will be adding a
second cat ward, in addition to our main cat
ward currently used for day cases, a new
quiet cat ward will be created on the fi rst fl oor
away from the main clinic. The cat housing
will be a luxury home from home type, the
same cosy design as our existing cat cages
which our clients love with glass fronted
doors for cats who want to see what is going
on around them and hiding spaces for the
more nervous cats.”
She added: “The cat condos in the new
cat ward will be more spacious and will be
designed for longer stays for treatment and
medical boarding, giving the patient a large
resting area, a space to eat and a separate
toilet area. The lighting will be low and
soothing, and classical music will be played
to assist relaxation. We will also be fi tting
webcams to observe the cats without having
to disturb them.”
UPDATE YOUR EQUIPMENT
A vital area to invest in when updating your
veterinary practice, according to Dr. Nicholls
is your equipment. Veterinary equipment
www.petgazette.biz
The lighting will be low and soothing,
and classical music will be played...
is changing all the time, with newer and
more innovative designs being constantly
launched.
Dr Nicholls says: “We are already kitted
out with surgical and diagnostic equipment
and are able to offer a full range of treatment
on site due to my many years of veterinary
experience specialising in treating cats. This
means that very few cats will need to be
referred to another multi-species veterinary
clinic for treatment.”
She continued: “However, we will continue
to invest in new equipment, with the
additional space available allowing us to
continue to offer sophisticated treatment
for owners who are looking for high-end
services for their cats.”
INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY
Dr Nicholls says that one of the biggest
changes she has seen in the past eight years
of running Cat’s Whiskers Veterinary Practice
is the advancement in business technology.
She says that “when Cat’s Whiskers
opened in March 2010, smartphones were a
relatively new concept and the fi rst iPad was
one month off being launched” and since
then technology has come a long way. To
remain relevant as a business, it’s vital to stay
up to date with all of the newest and most
innovative pieces of technology.
She continued: “Three years ago we moved
over to a wireless computer system using
cloud-based technology for our patient
records and we will be moving to a fully
paperless system in the new clinic using
iPads to generate client consent forms, to
record treatments and monitor anaesthetics
as they happen which will be put the
information straight into the patient fi le.”
Dr Nicholls has seen fi rst-hand how
benefi cial smart technology can be for
veterinary practices, which is why she
recommends that with each overhaul a
veterinary practice undergoes, technology is
always at the forefront of the design.
Planning permission for the extension
to the current premises of Cat’s Whiskers
Veterinary Clinic was granted at the
beginning of April 2018, with building work
planned to start in the summer of 2018
and due completion in parallel with the
refurbishment of the existing space, in the
autumn of 2018.
May 2018