With World Veterinary Day on 27 April, PDSA is thanking the hundreds of vet surgeons who help the charity to treat our pets and save lives every day.

PDSA employs over 400 Vets, all dedicated to providing the charity’s free and low-cost services, which provide a vital lifeline for pet owners who are financially struggling. With 49 Pet Hospitals across the country seeing ten pets every minute, it can be an extremely busy job!

To get a peek behind the scenes on what it’s like to work as a vet at PDSA, PDSA asked one of their Graduate Vets, Cian Zolfighari-nia, to tell us about a typical day at PDSA, and why he loves his job.

“Days might be spent consulting – examining poorly pets and supporting their owners through getting them better and reassuring their concerns” explained Cian. “Or you can be operating and having more of a surgical day in the back of the hospital, getting involved in both emergency and routine procedures.”

Cian decided to become a vet as he could see the positive impact that pets have on our lives and wanted to help improve their welfare, and by doing this help to improve the lives of their owners too.

Having graduated from Vet School in 2022, Cian joined PDSA’s Graduate Programme. He said: “There are so many opportunities to develop here, and it’s great to have someone in the hospital that’s dedicated to supporting and mentoring you through the different cases and challenges that we see. This support means I’ve quickly gained experience and confidence.”

Cian remembers one particular case of a young cat that came in with symptoms suggesting possible renal failure. Sadly this can often be fatal.. The team were hopeful as she was a young cat. He said: “Following blood tests, we put her on a fluid drip. When I spoke to the cat’s owner it turned out she had lilies at home, so the cat was suffering from lily toxicity. Thankfully the cat recovered, it was an interesting case, and it was great when we were able to reunite the cat with her owner.”

Speaking about why he chose to work at PDSA, Cian said: “I have first hand experience of the services vet charities provided for my pets, so I felt connected to their importance and wanted to understand how they operate. My biggest surprise was how much can be achieved at a vet charity with a realistic approach. I’m impressed daily by what our more experienced vets can do to help pets. Everybody who works at PDSA is committed to the same mission of treating pets, going above and beyond.

“We collaborate constantly to deliver the best standard of care possible, so that we can keep pets together with their loving families. It’s a privilege to work at PDSA and I cherish every day being part of the veterinary team here.”

Cian, who admits that his favourite animals are cats as he loves their independence and amazing personalities, had one final bit of advice for pet owners:

“Be sure to do your research ahead of getting any new pets – this reduces the risk of any surprises associated with breed-related health conditions.”

Check out PDSA’s online Pet Health Hub – a wealth of advice and information direct from the charity’s veterinary experts: www.pdsa.org.uk/phh