Episode 10 - Emma Ruggles RVN - Hydrotherapy and Animal Welfare

Episode 10 - Emma Ruggles RVN - Hydrotherapy and Animal Welfare

Author: maryvy May 24, 2024 Duration: 41:11
In this episode we meet Emma Ruggles RVN CertVNECC APVN (Wildlife and Zoo Animals) L3CertSAHydro.  Emma has worked in the veterinary industry for 10 years and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and has always had a passion for small animal emergency and critical care and wildlife conservation. After 1 year of working as an RVN in practice she started the CertVNECC qualification, and became a Locum RVN as of June 2018. Since then as well as working as a locum across the UK in both referral and general practice, they have travelled/worked and volunteered abroad in South Africa, the Cook Islands, Australia and most recently Thailand with the Wildlife Friends Foundation. Emma was interested in diversifying their nursing career and so undertook 6 months training and then qualified as a Canine Hydrotherapist in March 2022. Emma loves the consistency of investing in your patients and seeing them back for regular therapy sessions, forming a connection with the animal and the client as well. It is so rewarding to see your patient make positive progress with a rehab plan that you put in place. Emma continues to learn a lot about hydrotherapy and truly believes it is a key step in improving the welfare/wellbeing of the patients we see in practice. Clients are seeking surgical alternatives and/or they invest in surgery and want to achieve the best possible recovery for their pet and so will seek a programme of aftercare and rehabilitation. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and management of the geriatric patient are being more widely discussed amongst clients and with that  the rehab sector can work with the vet and owner to provide the best possible care plan for management of these patients. Further information* Canine Arthritis Management – information and resources on caring for your arthritic dog, courses, and products for both pet owners and veterinary professionals. Canine Arthritis Management – Arthritis in Dogs Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation – Copford in Colchester Essex Home | Colchester | Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation Hydrotherapy training Courses | K9HS Courses | Canine Hydrotherapy Courses BVNA Article on Running Senior Pet clinics in practice. Running Senior Clinics: A marathon or a sprint? - British Veterinary Nursing AssociationBritish Veterinary Nursing Association (bvna.org.uk) Canine Hydrotherapy Association – providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits. Canine Hydrotherapy Association - Canine Hydrotherapy Association (canine-hydrotherapy.org) National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits NARCH | National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - About Us Ruggles, E. (2023) Alongside a career as a veterinary nurse – the road to patient rehabilitation. VNJ 38(5) pp 25-31. Thanks to Girling & Fraser Ltd for enabling this podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow us and subscribe to our mailing list.  *Links are provided for information purposes only. Animal Welfare Conversation does not endorse any links provided here for information.   

What does it truly mean to care for an animal, whether it's a beloved pet at home or a species on the brink in the wild? Animal Welfare Conversations digs into that question through candid, often surprising discussions with the people on the front lines. Hosted by maryvy, each episode brings you directly into dialogue with veterinary surgeons and nurses making critical medical decisions, conservationists designing field interventions, and animal owners navigating daily ethical choices. The scope is deliberately broad, covering pets, domestic animals, farm residents, zoo inhabitants, and wildlife, because the principles of compassionate care connect them all. You'll hear concrete stories about decision-making and the realities of providing a good life, not just abstract theory. This is a podcast built on curiosity and a willingness to re-examine what we think we know, challenging assumptions about standard practices and long-held beliefs in the pursuit of tangible improvement. It’s for anyone-families, science enthusiasts, or nature lovers-who believes animal welfare is a complex, evolving conversation worth having. Tune in for perspectives that are both deeply personal and rigorously practical, reminding us of our shared responsibility toward the creatures in our care.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 41

Animal Welfare Conversations
Podcast Episodes
Episode 18: Nora Smith and the work of the USPCA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:22
In this episode we focus on the work of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, otherwise known as the USPCA. Established in 1836, the USPCA is the second oldest animal welfare charity in the world,…
Announcing a new award for animal welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:10
Sneak preview! We are still finalising things, but I wanted to let you know that Animal Welfare Conversations is launching a new award for Animal Welfare. The Alex Fraser Medal for Animal Welfare will be awarded on an an…
Episode 15 - Dr Bronwyn Orr - Animal Welfare Science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:40
Welcome to the next episode of the Animal Welfare conversation. This week we’re joined by Dr Bronwyn Orr, who is a veterinary surgeon in Australia. Dr Bronwyn Orr has a particular interest in animal welfare, completing a…
Episode 14 - Dr Marc Abraham OBE, Campaigning for lasting change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:18
In this episode we catch up with Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he’s usually known, a multi-award-winning veterinary surgeon, author, broadcaster, and animal welfare campaigner. Marc qualified fro…
Episode 12 - Beverley Cuddy, Editor, Dogs Today Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
In this episode we catch up with Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today Magazine. Beverley Cuddy has been the editor of Dogs Today magazine since in launch in 1990 when it was part of the Daily Mail group. From childhood s…
Episode 11 Sam Fontaine RVN - Giving Vet Nurses a Seat at the Table [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:12
In this episode we meet Sam Fontaine MSc PGCAP BSc DipAVN(Med) RVN FHEA SFRET Sam qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002 and after a short time in general practice, joined the University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospit…
Episode 9 - Veterinary Nursing with Lacey Pitcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:50
In this episode we chat to Lacey Pitcher RVN about the world of veterinary nursing, and that impact of that on animal welfare. We consider the importance of understanding socio-economic factors in animal welfare, sharing…