Veterinary Surgeon – Small Animal

About the Role

This is a full-time permanent position offering 37.5 hours per week over 4 days, with shifts running between 8:00am and 7pm, Monday to Friday. Best of all: no weekends and no out-of-hours duties. You’ll enjoy a genuine mix of countryside and city living in Cardiff, with easy access to both vibrant urban life and scenic outdoor activities.

Your day-to-day work will balance consultations and surgery in equal measure. You’ll have full clinical freedom and the practice actively encourages case continuity, so you’ll build meaningful relationships with patients and owners. The experienced team provides fantastic support, whether you’re managing routine preventative care or tackling more complex clinical cases.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct general veterinary consultations for small animal patients
• Perform surgical procedures across routine and more complex cases
• Provide preventative health advice and wellness guidance
• Manage clinical cases with continuity where possible
• Collaborate with an experienced team of veterinary surgeons and nurses across 5 practice locations
• Utilise in-house facilities including digital x-ray, ultrasound, K laser, endoscopic equipment, and dental x-ray

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Surgeon with current RCVS registration
• Experience in small animal general practice
• Strong clinical knowledge and surgical competence
• Professional approach to patient and client care

Benefits

• Work-Life Balance: 37.5 hours over 4 days; no weekends or out-of-hours work; flexible rota patterns to suit your lifestyle
• Leave & Time Off: 6.6 weeks annual leave; birthday as a paid day off
• Professional Development: £1,250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave (pro rata); certificate support; access to IVC Evidensia Academy; Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia; research funding opportunities
• Wellbeing Support: Private medical insurance; enhanced family-friendly policies (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, surrogacy pay); Cycle to Work scheme; non-accidental injury support; targeted employee wellbeing initiatives
• Professional Memberships: BVA membership and VDS cover
• Financial: Competitive base salary up to £70,000 FTE dependent on experience; pension (5% employee / 3% employer); £1,250 annual Care Fund allowance
• Additional Perks: Pawsome Benefits (reward gateway with discounts and cashback at 100+ retailers); discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Heath Vets was established in 1926 and operates as an experienced first-opinion practice with 5 branches across the Cardiff area, including a site in Penarth. The practice is not a production-line operation—it invests considerable time and effort in staff development to ensure clients receive expert care from the moment they arrive at reception.

The practice is equipped with modern facilities including an in-house laboratory, digital x-ray, K laser, ultrasound scanner, endoscopic equipment, and a brand new dental x-ray unit. As part of IVC Evidensia, the practice benefits from access to the wider group’s resources and learning opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy. The team comprises highly experienced veterinary surgeons capable of managing both complex clinical cases and routine preventative medicine.