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Small animal champion steps down

Small animal champion steps down

When Jude Tisdall starting practicing as a vet in Morrinsville in the early eighties she was a rarity. She was one of the first women employed by the practice, and was intent upon working with dairy cows in a very male dominated area of animal health.

This month Jude steps down from her role as small animal veterinarian, a role she never envisaged herself in when she first started 30 years ago. But she leaves the Anexa FVC’s small animal team well resourced, and keen to maintain their well-earned reputation.

When Jude started practicing it was a different situation for small animals. They were very much placed on the back burner, as large animal veterinarians dealt with dairy herd issues through their busy days.

During the day clinical staff would receive sick small animals, recording their symptoms for the vets on their return.

“You would get back in at the end of the day and the clinic staff would have written the animal’s symptom on their cage – “sick”, “vomiting”, “diarrhoea” - it was always a pretty brief, basic description to work from.”

It irked Jude for a few years there was no fully committed small animal practitioner.

“So I decided to put my hand up for the job, and opted to become the small animal veterinarian for the practice. I wanted to provide a good service that matched what we were doing with the large animal part of the practice.”

Practicing on small animals also fitted well with the demands of having children, with her able to work part time around family demands.

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When she started off at the practice Jude was more than familiar with the usual demands of production animals, first becoming keen on a veterinarian job, after spending summers on a Wairarapa sheep and beef farm.

After graduating from Massey she spent time working with Livestock Improvement Association (now LIC) in Palmerston North and developed a sound understanding of mastitis. It was knowledge that made her ideally suited to her position at the then Morrinsville District Veterinary Club.

“Along with another female graduate we were the first woman to be employed. We came across the occasional farmer who was not happy about a woman turning up, but things are quite different today.”

Jude’s time at Anexa has proven to be both professionally and personally rewarding. While there she met her husband Ron Gibson who ran the practice for 22 years, retiring after 44 years of service in 2011.

A key part of Ron’s focus for existing staff to build on their professional skills with further education.

“I think this has been one of the strengths of our practice, we have been able to keep up to date with developments and it also keeps staff motivated and engaged with their work.”

Jude has appreciated the advances made since the early days, with equipment like digital X-ray technology making diagnoses simpler, and sharing information with other vets far quicker and simpler.

Jude’s particular interest has been in dentistry, and her favourite piece of equipment a specialised dental machine. She estimates she has seen an equal number of cats and dogs over the years, and enjoys working on both.

For Jude the challenge and the enjoyment of the job is helping clients make the right choice when it comes to treating their animals, in a way that respects their feelings for the animal.

“You need to reassure people that whatever decision they make for their pet is not a judgement on them, or how much they do or don’t care for that pet. Sometimes people also just need reassurance that if they decide to put their pet down, it’s not a bad thing to have to do.”

Stepping down, Jude is looking forward to travelling and getting her hands dirtier than usual in a riparian conservation project her and Ron are involved in locally.

She believes she is leaving the Anexa FVC small animal team in good heart for years to come.

“As a team here we have been on the same wavelength, and bring great customer service, and animal care.”

ENDS

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