Meet the Team!
The Vet: Christel Caderius van Veen BVSc MRCVS
I am a medic at heart. I love the detective work involved in medicine, and am keen to constantly develop and hone my skills in the lab, looking at samples when I get a chance.
I enjoy the challenges set by some cases, and love it when we hit upon the key that we’ve been looking for. This could be a skin case, tummy trouble, odd behaviour, the list goes on!
The thing that really drives me though, is the patients and the clients. I love knowing the stories; the reasons for the names, why you ended up with this or that pet, what exciting job you did or do. I love it when the animals are happy to see me, even if it is just because they know I have treats!
I hold animal welfare at the top of what I do. This may mean we have to have difficult conversations at times, but I will always put those that cannot speak for themselves first.
I believe that many people would like to have good experienced veterinary care at home, within the confines of what is possible away from a bricks and mortar setting. I like to work alongside your vet practice to find the best balance of care for your pet.
Some animals don’t enjoy travelling, some are not so good with other animals, some owners struggle to get to surgeries due to time or mobility issues.
I can offer acupuncture, consultations, vaccinations, blood sampling, ultrasound examinations, and even minor procedures at your home or in your local vicinity, coupled with the personal service and experience that I am used to offering.
I qualified in 2002 from Bristol University. I started at Castle Vets in Reading straight away and over my time there developed keen interests in medicine and soft tissue surgery. After about a year, I started using acupuncture regularly to complement my cases, particularly the chronic pain cases. It remains an important part of my clinical skill set and I enjoy the fact that some patients show remarkable responses to this drug free therapy.
I am proficient at abdominal and cardiac ultrasound, having been the primary sonographer at the practice for over twelve years, and have helped the whole team develop their skills. I very much enjoyed using the CT scanner there, and found it useful for certain cases.
Cases that are beyond the reach of at-home care should be seen at an appropriate surgery. Emergency cases will often need full service care though I am happy to advise as to the best course of action during working hours.
Referrals to specialists can be made as usual, if we deem it necessary.
The Assistant: Sarah Jones
I absolutely love being part of the VetMobile team and really enjoy getting to know our patients and their owners. As a lifelong pet owner (I currently have two rescue dogs, three cats, two bearded dragons and some ex-batt chickens) I understand the importance of establishing a strong and trusting relationship with your veterinary team. Christel and I work hard to make sure that “seeing the vet” is as stress-free and pleasant an experience as possible.
I arrived at my role of veterinary assistant via a rather unorthodox route: I have a degree in anthropology, an MBA in equine business management and several years of experience as a writer and editor. After a few years off to focus on my young family, I was involved in founding a dog and cat rescue (now a charity), before joining VetMobile.
Christel adds: VetMobile is completely a team effort. Sarah is invaluable, her way with animals is very natural and she puts them and the clients at ease. She is really keen to learn and she prompts me to be my very best at all times. She is also amazingly organised, making sure I don't forget things, and reminding me of things I've mentioned about the case we are seeing, and might otherwise have forgotten to say to the client!