The UK's largest private independent (non-corporate) multidisciplinary specialist veterinary referral centre for dogs and cats. We opened in February 2019.
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Our hospital is in Marlow, Bucks. Named after Ralph, our Founder's cat :-)
01/01/2026
Another new year is another opportunity to say a big THANK YOU for all you do; it’s really great to work alongside so many incredible veterinary professionals who want to help the patients in our care feel better.
As we step into the year ahead, here are a few positive affirmations to remind you of the impact you make:
🌟 1. I make a positive difference, even in moments that feel small.
🌟 2. I provide skilled care that improves lives every day.
🌟 3. I choose compassion at every step - for patients, clients,
colleagues, and myself.
🌟 4. I strive to learn and improve: each person and patient I encounter is an opportunity to deepen my knowledge and intuition.
🌟 5. I choose progress over perfection.
Wishing you everything you hope for as individuals and teams for 2026 💛
31/12/2025
What a privilege it has been to be a small part of your journey with your pet 🤍
29/12/2025
Mac was referred to our Neurology and Neurosurgery team, showing concerning neurological signs - he was having trouble walking, knuckling over on his front paws, and even falling over.
Our neurologists were immediately concerned about a spinal issue in his cervical spine, so Mac underwent an MRI. The images revealed herniated intervertebral discs compressing his cervical spinal cord. There were also signs of bruising and swelling within the spinal cord itself.
Mac was admitted for pain management and strict rest to see if his symptoms would improve. Unfortunately, after 48 hours, he wasn’t getting any better, so he was taken to surgery.
Our Neurologists, Cristoforo and Irene, performed a dorsal laminectomy, a procedure that removes part of the vertebrae and the herniated disc material to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
After surgery, Mac’s recovery included (lots of) rest, medication, and daily physiotherapy. Initially, he was non-ambulatory (unable to walk independently), being weak in all four of his limbs, particularly worse on his left side. Our physiotherapy team worked with him daily, combining soft-tissue release, sensory stimulation, stretches and exercises, such as stepping over cavaletti poles and gait re-education.
Mac’s rehabilitation also included hydrotherapy to strengthen his muscles and retrain his gait. There were moments when Mac’s motivation dipped, but visits from his devoted carer and encouraging voice notes helped him keep going - and he was a star!
With ongoing support, Mac gradually improved. A week after admission, he was discharged home with continuous updates to his home exercise programme and weekly hydrotherapy sessions.
At his two-week physiotherapy check, our team was thrilled to see him walking without support!
Mac stole the hearts of everyone here at The Ralph, and we couldn’t be happier to see him back on his feet 🐾💛
25/12/2025
We don't think Team Ralph has a future in comedy...what do you think? 👀
24/12/2025
When I look up at the sky
I think of you
No matter the time of year
But there's something in the gathering
Of family and friends
That emphasises you not being here
It's a natural time
To feel reflective and pensive
As another year comes to an end
But above all else
I just really miss you
My beautiful furry friend
23/12/2025
We asked Team Ralph one simple question: "If you could ask your pet one question, what would it be?"
Their answers did not disappoint 😆
22/12/2025
Just like us humans, dogs are warm-blooded, and getting too cold can have severe implications; it can even become a medical emergency. Here are some easy ways to tell if your cat is feeling chilly, along with tips to help them stay cosy and content this winter 🐾❄️
21/12/2025
Gorgeous Otto 🧡
"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you" - Walt Whitman ✨
19/12/2025
✨ ‘Tis the season to be merry - but also mindful!
From chocolate and grapes to tinsel, holly, mistletoe, and more, Christmas can bring lots of toxins to our furry friends.
📌 Let’s keep every pet merry and bright - share this post!
✏️ A BIG thank you to Nat Ellis Illustration for these beautiful illustrations!
18/12/2025
Just like us humans, dogs are warm-blooded, and getting too cold can have severe implications; it can even become a medical emergency. Here are some basic tips for how to tell when your dog is cold, and how you can help keep them a cosy pup this Winter 🐾❄️
17/12/2025
✨ Working from home doesn’t have to mean working alone! Our Ralphers shared their favourite WFH tips to stay focused, balanced, and connected. Which one will you try today? 💛🏡
16/12/2025
EMERGENCY & CRITICAL CARE AND CAT NURSE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE RALPH!
Passionate about Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) nursing?
In love with the unique beings that are cats?
The Ralph is the UK’s largest private, non-corporate multidisciplinary specialist referral centre in southeast England (Marlow, Buckinghamshire, near London). comprises ~260 talented and compassionate Ralphers. They work together to deliver exceptional care and support to our patients and their families.
We have vacancies in our Emergency & Critical Care (ECC) and Cat Nurse teams at a hospital with a busy referral caseload and excellent facilities.
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*Emergency & Critical Care:*
In addition to those with referral ECC experience, we welcome applicants with primary care ECC experience and a demonstrated interest in the discipline. We will provide complete training and support from our ICU Supervisor, Senior ECC Nurse and others, as needed.
The successful candidates will join one of the largest referral ECC teams in the UK. Our ECC nurses are the backbone of the department and work closely with multiple Board-certified specialists (Diplomates), Out-of-Hours Advanced Practitioners, residents and interns. The team is based in our separate adjoining Dog and Cat ICUs.
At The Ralph, you will gain hands-on experience with procedures such as:
🐾 Mechanical ventilation
🐾 High-flow nasal oxygen supplementation
🐾 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
🐾 Point-of-care ultrasound
🐾 Vascular line placement
🐾 Drain placement
🐾 Transfusion medicine
🐾 And more, depending on your experience and interests!
We are a fully equipped veterinary intensive care unit with a substantial caseload of critically ill and high-dependency patients. Our ECC service works closely with Diplomates in all our disciplines. You will also work with our excellent Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation team, which is committed to providing services to ICU patients.
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*Cat Nurse:*
Our hospital is named after Ralph, a cat who lived with Shailen, our founder. Therefore, it is no surprise that we take feline friendliness very seriously!
As proud as we are of our feline friendliness, we know we can do better. We are seeking a compassionate, inpatient nurse who is motivated to help advance our feline-friendly journey. Prior referral or feline-only nursing experience is desirable but not required. We will provide complete training and support from our Wards Supervisor, Senior Wards Nurse and others, as needed.
The Ralph is an International Cat Care Gold Cat Friendly Clinic. Our layout is designed to maximise cat/dog separation and includes the following for our feline patients, among others:
😻 A separate entrance and waiting area
😻 Dedicated consult and visiting rooms
😻 A separate Cat Ward with a lockable treatment room and enrichment room
😻 A separate Cat ICU
😻 A separate Cat Induction room
Our Cat Nurses are part of our Wards Nursing team, but focus on feline nursing. Our Cat-Friendly Practice Group comprises members from various teams and areas across the hospital to ensure a holistic approach to feline friendliness.
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*Other Information:*
Salary: £30,500-£35,500 subject to experience and relevant additional qualifications.
Other benefits include:
▪️One-hour paid lunch break per shift
▪️Employee share options
▪️Generous staff pet discounts
▪️Generous CPD allowance and support for further qualifications (including Certificates, Diplomas and Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) qualifications) as well as professional subscriptions and memberships.
▪️And more.
Working pattern:
🕛 Full- and part-time permanent opportunities available.
🕛 Full-time is forty hours per week, including a one-hour paid lunch break per shift.
🕛 Both roles typically involve three 12.5-hour shifts per week, with some weekend, Bank Holiday, and overnight work.
We highly support professional development and growth at The Ralph. We encourage active participation in ongoing education and training to maintain and improve skills and knowledge.
🐈⬛ :
The Ralph focuses on core values, culture, vision and mission. Compassion, kindness, empathy, respect and integrity are part of our daily obsessions. As a private non-corporate hospital, we have the freedom and flexibility to chart our course. We would love to hear from you if you would like to learn more.
🌊 Marlow:
Marlow is located on the River Thames between Henley and Windsor. This is a beautiful area with lovely walks, water-based activities and more. Our hospital is just off the A404, has easy access from the M4 and M40 motorways, and is close to London.
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*To Apply:*
📧 To learn more about the roles or apply, please email Sophie at [email protected] (Assistant to Shailen Jasani; Founder, CEO & Clinical Director).
Please include your CV and your availability to start.
📅 The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 6th January 2026. However, if any roles are still open, we will remain open for applications thereafter, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested.
You must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom.
The start date is flexible for our preferred candidates.
🤗 If you are passionate about enhancing your skills and knowledge and want to be part of an independent team delivering exceptional, compassionate, ethical veterinary care, we would love to hear from you.
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In 2014, Shailen Jasani, a veterinary Emergency and Critical Care specialist, embarked on the journey to set up The Ralph. His vision was for a new state-of-the-art veterinary referral centre for dogs and cats. This vision became a reality in February 2019 when the doors of The Ralph opened to treat our first patient.
The Ralph offers a fantastic range of services including Orthopaedics, Soft Tissue Surgery, Internal Medicine and Neurology & Neurosurgery. This is alongside Emergency and Critical Care departments which operates 24-7-365. Referral patients are treated by an experienced team of clinical specialists who all share core values of providing excellent care with compassion. The hospital also offers Out-of-Hours (nights, weekends, Bank Holidays) cover for local primary care practices who choose to make use of this service.
The Ralph is very much a passion and vision driven project and the hospital is founded on a strong organisational culture and authentic core values. As well as excelling in both clinical and business practices, the mission of the hospital is to set the standard for small animal specialist veterinary care with an ethical conscience. The ethos of The Ralph is very much that “the animals in our care, their human families, our people, our referring practices and our wider community will always be treated with respect, compassion, dignity, integrity and humility”.
Why is the hospital called The Ralph?
Ralph was an adorable rescue cat that Shailen helped to treat after he was hit by a car in 2008. They went onto spend two years sharing a home together before Ralph sadly passed away in 2010. It was in his memory that Shailen set up The Ralph Site, a non-profit online pet loss community that supports countless carers through the bereavement process. When Shailen’s idea for a veterinary referral hospital was born, it felt only right that as a lasting tribute to the wonderful Ralph, the hospital be named in his honour.
