Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

What if your next practice gave you the freedom to be the vet you want to be – without weekends, OOH or someone telling you there’s only one way to do things? Kibbles Veterinary was created in 2024 with a simple aim: to do veterinary care differently. We wanted to create the right environment for pets to receive exceptional care while giving the people who provide that care a fulfilling working life and a profession they can be proud of. For us, that means affordable, friendly and compassionate veterinary care, clear pricing, free consultations and modern medicine. It also means nurturing and supporting our team, encouraging them to keep learning and giving them the clinical freedom to explore the options available for their patients.

We’ve grown quickly, built a fantastic team and have exciting plans ahead. We’re now looking for one or two experienced Veterinary Surgeons to join us as we continue to grow.

A little about us: We’re an independent small animal practice in Teesside, with a genuinely lovely team, loads of clinical freedom, great facilities and a big focus on actually enjoying coming to work. You can bring your dog too – we even have a dog crèche! Our close-knit, collaborative team includes five vets, seven RVNs, one SVN and one VCA, alongside our reception team. Our vets bring a good mix of experience and interests, including a certificate holder in Small Animal Surgery with a particular interest in soft tissue surgery, a vet with an ECC bias, a consult-only vet and two recent graduates. We also work with a peripatetic surgeon for orthopaedic procedures.

Our fully equipped practice was designed by the people who work here every day and includes:

• Five consultation rooms with separate dog and cat areas
• Dedicated dental suite with dental X-ray
• Digital X-ray and ultrasound
• Full in-house laboratory

There’s no hierarchy and no rigid “this is how we’ve always done it” approach. We work together, share ideas and give our vets the clinical freedom to manage their cases in the way they feel is right.

A different approach to first-opinion practice: One of the things that makes Kibbles a little different is our approach to consultations and pricing. We believe good veterinary care should be accessible, honest and straightforward. That’s why we don't charge a consultation fee and offer clear procedure and diagnostic bundles rather than confusing pricing. Free consultations allow clients to seek our advice without worrying about the cost of simply walking through the door. From there, our vets have the facilities, support and clinical freedom to investigate cases, discuss the options available and help clients make informed decisions about their pets’ care. It’s all part of creating an environment where we can provide great first-opinion medicine while building trusting relationships with our clients.

And our approach isn’t only about our patients and clients. One of the reasons Kibbles was created was to help veterinary professionals rediscover their passion for veterinary medicine. We want to nurture and support the people who work here, give them room to develop and create a working environment where they can build a career they enjoy and are proud of.

The role: We’re looking for an experienced vet who is confident managing a varied first-opinion caseload and routine surgery, but beyond that, we’re open to what you might bring to the team. You might have a surgical bias, an interest in imaging or medicine, or another area you’d like to develop. With a varied caseload, plenty of clinical freedom and a team that enjoys sharing knowledge, there’s scope to shape the role around your interests and continue developing your skills. If you’d like to work towards a certificate, we’ll actively encourage and support you. For those with a surgical interest, you’ll work alongside our Small Animal Surgery certificate holder and have the additional support of our visiting orthopaedic surgeon, with plenty of opportunity to develop your skills and take cases further. You’ll also play an important part in supporting our two recent graduates as they continue to build their skills and confidence. If mentoring is something you particularly enjoy, there’s plenty of scope to get involved and share your experience, while working as part of a collaborative team where everyone supports and learns from each other.

We can also offer the opportunity for the right person to step into a Lead Veterinary Surgeon position, with a salary package to reflect the additional responsibility. We’re flexible about what the role looks like. Full-time could be four 10-hour days, while part-time could be as little as two 10-hour days. We’re happy to have a conversation about what works for you. And when your working week is finished, it really is finished – there are no weekends and no OOH.

What’s on offer?

• £60,000–£70,000 FTE, depending on experience, with £70,000+ available for a Lead Vet
• Full or part-time hours considered
• No weekends or OOH
• 5 weeks’ holiday plus bank holidays
• CPD encouraged and supported, including certificates
• Professional fees paid
• Pension
• Plenty of clinical freedom
• Varied caseload with opportunities to develop your interests
• Supportive, collaborative team with no rigid hierarchy
• Bring your dog to work!

Come and have a look: If Kibbles sounds like the kind of practice you’d enjoy being part of, we’d love to hear from you. Come and meet the team, have a coffee and a nosey around Kibbles, and see for yourself what we’re building. Whether you’re looking for a full-time or part-time role, want to develop a particular clinical interest or are ready to take the next step into a Lead Vet position, we’d love to have a chat and show you what Kibbles could offer.