Westpoint Farm Vets

15/06/2026

On this week's meet the team Monday, we have Mel - our longest serving member of the Admin team and one of the friendly voices you'll hear on the end of the phone.

If you could swap roles with a vet for just one hour, which task would you want to try? I have already assisted with a goat C-section during the night which was eye opening but not so good on my old arthritic knees! I have helped whilst a vet was taking bloods from alpacas and plasma transfer into a cria and assisted at a local TB Test but would love to go to a lambing or calving.

What is the most unusual request you have ever handled over the phone?
Could we castrate a hamster!!

How do you stay calm and organized during the height of lambing or calving season? Some clients do phone up in a panic or very stressed, but we try not to convey that too much to the vets as we also need them to drive safety to the emergency so getting them wound up doesn't do anyone any good. But asking for as much information from the client is very helpful for the vet.

Which farm animal do you think has the best personality?
Goats - some of the situations they have got themselves into as a result of them having fun!

What is your top tip for clients to make their admin or booking process easier?
Please give as much information as possible to the admin team and be patient as we do have a lot of bookings to look through to find a suitable space especially in the current situation where we are really trying hard to minimise the travel time for vets between visits.

If you had a farm of your own, what would you name it?
Nutty Grandma's Farmyard (I have a little granddaughter who has 3 Nannies - Nanny Biscuit, Nanna and I am referred to as Nutty Grandma !!

What is the best thing about working within the local agricultural community?
As a few of my family members are in the farming world, I do have a slight insight into the struggles that farmer suffer and hope I do convey empathy during the phone call.

What is your go-to radio station or podcast while working in the office?
OMG - I love Smooth Country. It's more relaxing background music than some of the more modern stations where you can't even understand what they are singing.

08/06/2026

This week, Meet the Team Monday reintroduces Ami - Clinical Director here at Westpoint Farm Vets Chelmsford.

What is your favourite stop off on your rounds?

I love sniffing around a farm shop on my travels. Anywhere where there is a latte, a sausage sandwich for sale, or a strawberry milkshake, I’m very happy to have a short stop off… And if a plant happens to accidentally make its way to the till too, I certainly won’t complain.

What is the one thing you always look forward to when visiting a farm?

I really like catching up on cases that I have been involved with, and seeing how the animals are doing. I love when things are set up ready for us to do an efficient job, and being able to prepare and then relax into whatever we’re doing – it’s nice to be able to discuss how things are going, and future plans, and I basically never say no to the offer of seeing anything remotely cute afterwards. We can get a bit caught up seeing sick animals, that we forget to enjoy just observing them when they’re fit, healthy and happy.

What is the most important trait a farm vet needs to have?

Ingenuity. Sometimes we are faced with situations that won’t ever appear in a text book, so a good trait as a farm vet is to be able to adapt knowledge, skills and equipment to totally novel situations. A good farm vet can think on their feet and outside of the box – and these aren’t always things that you learn from university! Sometimes we pick up great hacks from each other and from farmers – a bit of imagination goes a long way.

If you happen to be at Latitude Festival this year - catch Ami as part of the Cosmic Shambles Forest of Science and Culture on the Apollo stage!

01/06/2026

It's Meet the Team Monday again - and this week we are hearing from Senior Clinical Director Ian Roper.

What inspired you to become a farm vet?
It would be a cliche to say James Herriot, but I certainly read those books as a teenager. Clinical thinking, business direction and technology moves on, but you can still draw a lot of parallels from those experiences to today's farming world. I thought about being a vet of some sort quite early on, but by the time I spent some time working with farmers getting experience of milking and lambing etc I knew this was always the way forward.

What is the most vital piece of advice you find yourself giving to clients lately?
Don't think of antibiotics in terms of one being stronger than another. It's horses for courses.

What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?
The most learning I did in the shortest space of time, was helping to set up a 1500 cow dairy near Amman in Jordan. I often look back with gratitude at that experience, but the thing which draws me into work every day is seeing my colleagues meet their goals, especially if I can feel I have helped them along the way.

How do you take your mind off work after a particularly difficult on-call shift?
A horror film. The darker, the better.

What is the best thing about the team you work with?
How much they care about doing a good job, supporting each other in their work, and getting better all the time.

How do you stay motivated during the cold, dark winter months?
By the time Christmas is over, you don't have long to wait until the Six Nations, and when that is finished, it is already spring.

25/05/2026

It's meet the team monday, but with a bittersweet twist, as we say goodbye to Eilidh this week :(

We have loved having her on the team, and wish her the absolute best as she moves back up north to be near her loved ones.

What's the best thing about Westpoint Chelmsford?
I have absolutely loved meeting all the clients and seeing all the care they put into their animals. Have met some really gorgeous people and animals of Essex! But the team of Chelmsford deserve a special shout out - each team member works super hard and give so much support too each other. We have a good giggle and I shall miss them !

If you had to eat the same "lunch on the road" every day for a month, what would it be?
A cheeky wee tuna pasta salad - the pasta, the tuna, the tomatoes, the mayo, the sweetcorn, the cucumber - every ingredient a delight. Can be a bit sad if the sun warms it up.

What is your favourite stop off on your rounds?
The Blue Egg does pretty damn good traybakes, which requires a pullover for!

What has been the most memorable moment of Westpoint so far?
Most recently, I met a client at a halfway point at a McDonalds service station. Delivering a kid (called Ronald) under the Golden Arches is not a memory I am going to forget too quickly!

What is my leaving piece of advice to clients?
ALL (at least the vast majority) worming should be based upon worm egg counts to prevent worming resistance (and also your bank!). At least every 6-8 weeks. I shall no longer be here, but please get in contact with the rest of the team who will be happy to talk about worm egg counts, grazing systems and any other questions you might have.

We also have flock club and beef club which alongside a whole host of benefits like talks and discounts, health plans are included so we can discuss management more in depth too 🙂

Where next?
Up north to Scotland again to be closer to family and loved ones.

Best of luck, Eilidh! You will be missed!

19/05/2026

Our Chelmsford team had a lovely weekend joining in with the festivities at both the Hadleigh and Essex Young Farmers shows. Lots of Westpoint hats and sunglasses were spotted around the shows, and we welcomed dozens and dozens of people vying to save our cow by Drenching Miss Daisy.

Well done to all of our clients who successfully showed their livestock - it was wonderful to see you all!

16/05/2026

Continuing to support our lovely clients on a double header show weekend, we will be at Essex Young Farmers Show tomorrow!

Come see us for a drink, a chat, activities for the kids and our Drenching Miss Daisy Challenge!

15/05/2026

Will we be seeing you tomorrow at The Hadleigh Show?

Come find us on our stand by the livestock for a chance to chat to the team, relax, or even have a go at Drenching Miss Daisy for the chance to win some Selekt goodies!

Looking forward to seeing all of our clients and fingers crossed for all entrants!

13/05/2026

Now is absolutely the time to start banking plasma ahead of the camelid breeding season. We hold VMD authorisation to do this for our clients (and those of other practices) - please get in touch with us to plan your plasma drive and processing today!

12/05/2026

12/05/2026

Our Overseas Graduate Farm (and now featuring equine) Practical OSCE Course is now live for registration!

If you are an overseas graduate looking for a hands-on, practically focused OSCE preparation course, then join us on the 18th and 19th August at Writtle College, Chelmsford.

This course is a combined practical course offering skills-based training on potential OSCE stations for both farm and equine RCVS examinations. We also offer separate online theory courses, which will be released soon.

Book now, as spots are limited: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/tZeg4vzaWz and we will send you a payment link.

11/05/2026

As we are keeping more and more farm pets, it is inevitable that we see some age-related disease. In this case, this lovely girl had a sudden outburst after some of her teeth started to poke through her cheek, starting off an acute infection that tracked rapidly up her face.

Luckily, we are enthusiastic about dentistry even in farm animals, and Ami managed to find and remove the two offending teeth, allowing her cheeks to heal and for this lovely goat to get back to the important business of eating everything in sight!

11/05/2026

It's our first MEET THE TEAM MONDAY!

And taking the lead is Abbie - our vet tech.

Hi, I’m Abbie Douglas, and I’m a veterinary technician at Westpoint Farm Vets in Chelmsford — coming up to 4 years this August!

What made you decide to pursue a career as a vet technician?

I’ve always been animal-obsessed. Growing up, I’d fight over the TV just to watch All Creatures Great and Small or The Yorkshire Vet — honestly, anything with animals in it! I was a huge fan of Steve Irwin, and his passing hit me harder than most teenage heartbreaks.

I went through a serious “cow obsession” phase (which never really ended!) and started working on a local dairy farm. I was lucky enough to work alongside an incredible vet who got me involved in everything — I loved being his assistant. After years in farming, I moved into a small animal practice as a stepping stone into veterinary. I didn’t even realise vet techs existed until a friend became one… and that was it, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. I called Westpoint — and the rest is history!

If you could spend a whole day working with just one species, which would it be?

Cows. No question. All day, every day… although maybe not Dexters or Galloways — they think they are showjumpers more than they are cows…

What is your favourite time of year on the farm calendar?

Spring, without a doubt. There’s something special about new life and that “reset” feeling when animals head back out to the fields. It’s chaotic, stressful, and sometimes everything goes wrong — but I love it. Harvest season is a close second, even if it means racing around delivering food like a headless chicken! The dogs love it too — running through straw swaths or snoozing in the tractor.

What is one thing you wish more clients knew about the role of a technician?

How much we can actually do! Our role is constantly expanding — from freeze branding to (almost!) sheep scanning. Whether you need advice or even an extra pair of hands on the farm, just ask. I’m always happy to help!

What is your favourite way to spend a weekend when you aren't working?

Even though I spend all week outdoors, I still love being outside on weekends — usually with the dogs. I’ve recently started paddleboarding and I’m completely hooked! My husband and I also love camping, so if we’re not at home, you’ll probably find us somewhere in Scotland. That said, if it’s a cold, miserable winter’s day… it’s the perfect excuse for a The Lord of the Rings marathon at home.

What is the one snack that is guaranteed to be in your glovebox?

Not the healthiest but you’ll normally find sweets either squashies or chewits

08/05/2026

Don't forget that dump day is the first Wednesday of the month! Dump Day Discounts are for routine herd or flock checks from individuals or pooled samples - make sure your samples are clearly labelled and in a small pot or bag, and into us before 12.30 on Dump Day for results within 24h!

Do give us a call if you want to drop samples in to take advantage of a discount and worm responsibly!

07/05/2026

There are some days to take our responsibilities very seriously.

Today was not one of those days for Lexi.

07/05/2026

We are a fully licensed Non-Food Animal Blood Bank - which means, we can take, process and store plasma to ensure that failure of passive transfer is treated FAST.

Even if you are not a Westpoint client, we are committed to ensuring that all camelid owners have access to the service. Please give us a call for details.

04/05/2026

Your friendly, regular flystrike warning! Flystrike can take hold very quickly, so ensure you are checking all of your stock regularly for signs of fly activity. We can help you with preventative measures. Give us a shout and let's see what works for your system.

04/05/2026

DON'T JOIN THE RESISTANCE. 🪱

Speak to us today about a comprehensive parasite management plan to protect your livestock over the warmer months.

01/05/2026

A successful unpacking season hinges on your management of emergency situations - one of those is a failure of passive transfer of immunity. We can process donor blood into frozen plasma, ready for when you need it most.

Book now to ensure you are prepared!

29/04/2026

Don't forget that we have EXTENDED our offer on Selekt Products, saving you money on supplemental electrolytes that restore fluid balance to animals after calving, lambing, surgery and illness. Contact us for more information or to take us up on this offer.

27/04/2026

If you're expecting cria from alpacas and llamas this year don't forget to book in a plasma drive - we are FULLY LICENCED to take blood and process it into life-saving plasma for your cria crop. You can have a visit to farm or join us at the Coalyard Clinic in Chelmsford - call us for details!

12/01/2026

We will be holding a lambing and kidding course on the 9th February for those new to birthing, or wishing to brush up on their practical skills. Get in touch with the office to book your spot!