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Monday 7am - 5pm Tuesday 7am - 5pm Wednesday 7am - 5pm Thursday 7am - 5pm Friday 7am - 3pm

ORCA Vet, 101-1861 Dufferin Crescent, Nanaimo, BC (2025)

10/30/2025

🚨🚨 We’re hiring at ORCA! 🚨🚨

Are you a Registered Veterinary Technologist with a passion for anesthesia and surgical care?

Are you an experienced Veterinary Assistant that loves surgery?

Do you dream of working in a supportive environment where your growth and well-being are top priorities?

Look no further!!

ORCA – Orthopedic & Referral Center for Animals is a privately owned surgical center in Nanaimo and we’re on the lookout for a dedicated RVT AND veterinary assistant to join our close-knit crew. This is a fantastic opportunity to work alongside a talented team in the exciting world of specialty surgery.

✨ Requirements (RVT):

➡️ Minimum one year of clinical experience with anesthesia with a strong understanding of pharmaceuticals, anatomy, and physiology.
➡️ Must be a member in good standing with the BCVTA (or eligible for membership).
➡️ A positive attitude and eagerness to learn are a must!

✨ Requirements (Veterinary Assistant):

➡️ Minimum one year of assisting experience with confidence in patient handling
➡️ Surgical experience is an asset, but not required
➡️ A love for snacks and midday dance parties!

✨ Perks of the Pod:

➡️ Competitive wage: RVT $32-$35, Veterinary Assistant $22–$25/hr (based on experience)
➡️ Set schedule on an averaging agreement (no more 5-day weeks!)
➡️ Generous CE allowance & paid CE days
➡️ Medical and dental benefits
➡️ Stylish Figs scrubs
➡️ Pet discounts (for you and your family!)
➡️ No weekend shifts!

At ORCA, we believe in building more than just a workplace—we’re building a pod. If you’ve been searching for a unicorn clinic… maybe a whale will suit you better 🐳

Apply today by sending your resume and cover letter to [email protected] and let’s make waves together in the world of veterinary surgical care 🌊

ORCA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

09/26/2025

Another wonderful round of patients we’ve had the pleasure of seeing in the ORCA Pod 🐳💙

✨ Etosha – this beautiful lady had a TPLO in July, and her September rads show she’s healed and thriving.

✨ Oliver – a sweet little bug who had BOAS surgery and a neuter in July.

✨ Fred – our wild child kitten who had a fracture repair in July; August rads showed he’s healing beautifully.

✨ Rumi – a handsome boy with a TPLO in July; his September rads show he’s doing great.

✨ Winter – this sweetheart came for a TPLO in April and returned in July for follow-up xrays. She’s doing wonderfully.

✨ Mylo – Ashley’s adorable cat, who popped in for tummy troubles but was way too cute not to photograph.

✨ Citrine – a lovely lady who came to us in July for a CT.

✨ Eddie – a handsome boy seen for an exam and xrays with Dr. Preston.

✨ Moxie – Amanda’s new kitten 🐾 who came in for chest xrays after a mild cough. She had a cardiology workup in August and is doing great.

We’re so grateful to be part of each of these journeys 💙

09/25/2025

Ask the Surgeon 🩺🐋

Scalpel in one hand, coffee in the other ☕✂️ … you asked, he answered!

Dr. Preston sat down to answer some of your top questions about life as a veterinary surgeon — from the OR to the espresso machine. 💙

This is just the beginning — stay tuned for Part 2 next week for more behind-the-scenes answers from the pod. 🐾

09/11/2025

🐾 June & July Patient Highlights – Part 2 🐾
We’re closing out June and stepping into July with even more amazing patients who filled our days with sweetness, strength, and a few perfectly timed tail wags 💙

✨ Ruby – This sweet lady came in for a CT and charmed the whole team.
✨ Kura – A lovely girl we saw for an elbow CT, followed by a bilateral elbow scope. Quietly fierce and beautifully brave.
✨ Ruby (yes, another one!) – This little lady had a TPLO in June and is heading in for follow-up rads tomorrow. We can’t wait to see her progress!
✨ Buster – A sweet boy who had MPL surgery in June. His recent radiographs show he’s healing well!
✨ Kali – The definition of photogenic. Kali had a TPLO in June and looked fabulous in her September recheck rads.
✨ Delainey – This gentle soul has been with us since March. She had a partial tarsal arthrodesis and many bandage changes—and is pictured here with Tavia during her final visit! We miss her already.
✨ Tucker – Referred to us as a late emergency after a traumatic accident that caused his bladder to rupture. Rushed to surgery with Dr. Preston and our ECC wizard Kate—he recovered beautifully and is doing great 🩵
✨ Molly Mops – This sweet girl had MPL surgery in July and quickly became a team favorite.
✨ Mr. Tig – A handsome boy who had TPLO surgery in July. September rads show he’s doing well (and still turning heads).
✨ Morticia aka “Mo Mo” – The tiniest star of the post! This sweet kitten came to us in June for a fracture that didn’t require surgery. With careful casting and bandage changes, she healed up beautifully.

Every patient has their own unique story, and we’re grateful to be part of each one. Stay tuned—July’s not over yet 🐶🐱

08/30/2025

🐾 June Patient Highlights – Part 1 🐾 We’re still riding the catch-up train (next stop: July 👀), but our June patients were just too cute and too brave not to feature 💙

✨ Bella – Pictured with Tavia, this lovely girl had bilateral MPL surgery in May and came back in July with glowing radiographs and an even bigger fan club.
✨ Remy – Shown mid-snuggle with Alina, Remy had a TPLO in June and is healing beautifully. 10/10 for cuddle enthusiasm.
✨ Murphy – Handsome and composed, Murphy had his TPLO in June and August recheck rads showed he’s doing great.
✨ Heather – Not to be confused with our Heather - this sweet pup had a TPLO in June and was a total superstar throughout.
✨ Chelsea – Came to us on an emergency basis for a splenectomy and made a beautiful recovery. Brave girl 💛
✨ Waylon – Handsome Waylon had a bilateral elbow scope in June and rocked his recovery with style.
✨ Bear – This handsome kitty had an FHO and immediately claimed everyone’s hearts (and some treats).
✨ Delilah – A lovely lady who had bilateral TPLOs in June. She returned last week for recheck rads and is healing up perfectly.
✨ Meeka – This little action star had a broken foot and was too wiggly for a focused photo. But her June visit was full of love, treats, and motion blur 🐾
✨ Quinn – One of the sweetest pups you’ll ever meet. Quinn had a fracture repair in June and recheck rads in August showed she’s doing beautifully.

More June patients still to come! Stay tuned for Part 2, because the cuteness does not stop here 🐶🐱

08/22/2025

🐾🩺 Ever wondered what life as a veterinary surgeon is like?
Most unusual patient Dr. Preston has done surgery on?
His favourite way to prepare for a complicated fracture repair?
How many cups of coffee he needs to make it through a fully booked day?
Here’s your chance! Drop your questions for Dr. Preston in the comments below, and we’ll answer as many as we can in a future post👇

From surgeries to specialty training (or even his love of coffee ☕), he’s ready to share what it’s really like in the ORCA pod.

⚠️ Please note: Dr. Preston can’t give case-specific medical advice, or discuss individual patients or concerns, but he’s happy to talk about general surgery, life as a specialist, and the things that happen behind the scenes.

08/20/2025

We’re still catching up on our monthly highlights, and May brought us another lineup of incredibly sweet, resilient, and cuddle-demanding patients 💙

✨ John Belushi – Seen mid-bath (by choice!), this relaxed king had a fracture repair in May. June rads show he’s doing great.
✨ Suki – A gentle soul who had a fracture repair in May and came back in July with great healing progress.
✨ Sailor – The sweetest little man (and a staff favourite), Sailor had a fracture repair in May, weekly bandage changes, and an implant removal in July. He’s doing amazing and still winning hearts.
✨ Bo – A big, handsome cuddlebug who came in for a CT. Bonus points for charm.
✨ D.O.G. – Yes, he’s adorable. Yes, he’s the sweetest pup. Yes, we all love him. He had a fracture repair in May, with June recheck rads that looked great.
✨ Biscuit – First seen by Dr. Branter in April, this brave guy had a liver mass removed by Dr. Preston in May and is recovering well.
✨ Boscoe – Boscoe had a delicate procedure to remove troublesome glands near his tail. He handled it like a champ and was very pleased with the extra attention.
✨ Luna – Lovely Luna came in for a CT and was a total sweetheart throughout.
✨ Cheeto – The most handsome boy had surgery in May and a follow-up procedure in August to treat a fractured hip. He’s healing well and still melting hearts.
✨ Mimi – A sweet rescue from Catspan who came for radiographs and a CT with Dr. Preston to assess a congenital limb deformity. She was gentle, curious, and very brave 💛

We might be late to the posting party, but these cuties made a lasting impression on all of us 🐶🐱 Swipe through to see just how much personality can fit into one post.

08/14/2025

We’re still playing catch-up on patient highlights (because time is fake but OR time is real), but this batch of cuties from April absolutely deserves their spotlight 💙

✨ Macaroni (aka Mac) – The cutest little tripod who had a TPLO in April. Healing like a champ, with June rads to prove it!
✨ Aspen – This baby dog showed off our commitment to low-stress handling with snacks and enrichment while getting his IV placed for fracture repair.
✨ Lola – This sweet lady had a hip toggle surgery and stole a few hearts along the way.
✨ Emma – A beautiful girl who came to see us for recheck radiographs in April after surgery earlier this year.
✨ Lo**ta – Precious Lo**ta had surgery in April and lived up to her name every step of the way.
✨ Mitzy – This sweet little cat had a CT and surgery with us. She liked her privacy, so we made her a cozy hidey home just the way she liked it.
✨ Spare Parts – Yep, that’s his real name—and he’s as cute as they come 😍 Came to us for a lump removal and gave us plenty of smiles.
✨ Freya – Beautiful and brave, Freya had bilateral MPL surgery and handled it like a pro.
✨ Leo – The best boy AND the best cat. Had an FHO and got some quality snuggles with Kassie.
✨ Winter – This lovely girl had a TPLO in April and came back in July for recheck rads that showed great healing progress!

Thanks to all of our April all-stars for trusting us with your care (and for the snuggles, tail wags, and head boops) 💙
Swipe through to see just how cute healing can be!

08/06/2025

We’re still a little behind on posting, but we couldn’t skip celebrating these incredible patients who came through ORCA this spring! From surgeries to rechecks, this crew reminded us why we do what we do 💙

✨ Gracie – This gentle girl had TPLO surgery in March and was all tail wags at her June check-in.
✨ Tecryn – Handsome boy alert! Tecryn visited us in March for a CT and shoulder scope, and we’re still swooning.
✨ April – Sweet and snuggly, April came to us in March for a mass removal and spent the night stealing cuddles from Tavia.
✨ Optimus Prime – This soft-hearted superhero had bilateral MPL surgery in March and is doing amazing.
✨ Eddie – Eddie had bilateral TPLO surgery in March and cruised through his June follow-up like a champ.
✨ Dana – Our lovely Dana had TPLO surgery in March and is doing great. Classy, calm, and all heart.
✨ Winnie – This sweet lady tackled bilateral TPLOs in April and returned in June with a wag and a smile.
✨ Kali – Snuggle monster Kali had a fracture repair in April and has been healing up beautifully.
✨ Luna – Luna came by in April for radiographs after her January TPLO. Sweet as ever and recovering well!
✨ Tika – You might remember Tika from our February TPLO feature post—she came back in April for the other leg. June rads showed she’s doing just fine and still full of s***k 💪

We’re always cheering our patients on—even when we’re a little late posting their glow-ups. Swipe through to see some very good pups doing very good healing 🐶💙

08/01/2025

You’ll still see the surgical stats and patient shoutouts.
You’ll still see Hitch doing whatever he wants.
You’ll still get answers, support, and all the post-op instructions in a tidy little folder.

But you’ll also see a bit more of us. The people behind the masks, the moments that make us laugh, and the values that shape how we show up each day.

Here’s to stronger connections, smoother recoveries, and the second lap around the sun.

Welcome back to the pod 🐳

07/30/2025

ORCA was built with intention - to create a place where pets receive the surgical care they need, and where people feel supported every step of the way.

Whether you’re a referring clinic, a pet parent, or a fellow veterinary professional:
🩺 We see you.
🐾 We’re here for your questions.
💬 And we’re just a phone call (or email) away.

Our doors are open. Our team is ready.
Let’s take on year two. Together.

07/28/2025

We’ve made it through our first trip around the sun - and we’re feeling a little more settled, a little more confident, and a whole lot grateful.

Year one was full of learning, laughter, long days, and late-night surgeries.

As we move into year two, our mission remains the same:
🐾 Provide exceptional care
🐾 Support our amazing community
🐾 Work with heart

Thanks for being here. We’re just getting started 💙

ORCA Vet

10/30/2025

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Monday	7am - 5pm
Tuesday	7am - 5pm
Wednesday	7am - 5pm
Thursday	7am - 5pm
Friday	7am - 3pm