Facilities

We provide a mobile service, bringing state-of-the-art medical equipment to our patients. The practice is able to offer our clients the very best in anaesthetic monitoring equipment, ultrasonography and endoscopy as well as specialist equipment, knowledge and experience accrued from working solely with zoo, aquatic and exotic animals for over 45 years.

IZVG work with a number of associate specialists in zoo design, life support systems and various medical disciplines, including dentistry, ophthalmology and reproduction.

We have a specialist anatomical pathology service, dedicated to zoo, exotic and wildlife pathology (post mortem examinations and histopathology). Specimens can be submitted by veterinarians, field biologists and bona fide wildlife rescue centres.

Work Experience

IZVG policy on visiting vet requests for ‘seeing practice’ with IZVG clinicians - Jan 24

We welcome visiting vets who wish to see practice with the IZVG clinicians. However due to the unusual way we work compared to most practices it is not generally possible to offer a ‘block’ placement; instead vets tend to join us for specific days when there are suitable visits. Our weekly work patterns are highly variable and unfortunately not all visits are suitable for a visitor to attend e.g. procedures with dangerous animals, zoo licence inspections etc. The unpredictable nature of our work patterns means we are not able to guarantee useful experience during time periods booked in advance (when we do not have visits booked, time is spent writing reports at home).

We do not operate from a central veterinary practice – all the clinical vets are based at their home addresses, and drive directly to their visits. Therefore visiting vets are required to meet us on site at the collections.

In addition, although we have explored this in detail with the VDS, we are not able to offer visiting vets the opportunity to undertake anything which constitutes the practice of veterinary medicine; neither IZVG nor the visiting vet are insured for this.

If you are still interested in joining us please advise of your location in the country and our office team will pass your query onto the clinician who covers the area in which you live.

IZVG policy on vet student and school student requests for seeing practice/work experience placements with clinical vets: - Jan 24

Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, given the nature of the work undertaken by the clinical vets working for IZVG, it is not possible for us to offer seeing practice and work experience placements with them. Whilst we would like to offer this opportunity to those aspiring to become zoo and wildlife vets, we have conducted in-depth discussions on this subject and we are all agreed that it just isn’t feasible.

We do not operate from a central veterinary practice – all the clinical vets are based at their home addresses. Our weekly work patterns are highly variable and include visits to licensed zoos, colleges and private collections. We regularly work with dangerous animals under variable conditions, some of which are not suitable or appropriate for students. In order to conform to current college and university requirements, the induction period needed would be prohibitive due to the number of sites and situations covered. In addition, the unpredictable nature of our work patterns means we are not able to guarantee useful experience during time periods booked in advance (when we do not have visits booked, time is spent writing reports at home).

We regret that we are not able to support students by offering work placements. However, we would encourage you to explore the options of work experience at a zoo or aquarium local to you along with the possibility of observing any veterinary work whilst there.

If you are looking for work experience in a veterinary practice, you may wish to consult the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon's website (www.rcvs.org.uk) to locate a practice near you.