Nearly 200 local pets received some extra TLC last week from Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) Vet Nursing Students, who ran the annual Pet Health Clinic, conducting a range of health-related checks and services from nail clipping to microchipping.
This year’s Pet Health Clinic, which ran on 14th-15th October at SIT’s Vet Nursing rooms in Invercargill, was tailored to the 10 full-time Diploma in Vet Nursing (DVN) students, who saw a total of 190 pets over the two days, including 118 dogs, 68 cats, and four rabbits.
Students rotated through key areas in pairs and gained experience in a wide range of tasks. In the clinical consults, they carried out quick physical exams, nail clipping, worming, dental checks, rabbit health checks and husbandry advice, and 39 animals were microchipped and successfully registered on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register.
SIT Veterinary Nurse Tutor, Mel Shuttleworth, said the clinic was an excellent confidence builder and a fantastic opportunity for students as they took their nursing knowledge and applied it in a real-world setting, with support from tutors and industry reps.
“They had lots of great conversations with clients around overall pet health—covering everything from puppy and kitten care to senior support, nutrition, parasite prevention, and behavioural concerns.”
Ms Shuttleworth said the students took on reception duties as well, which they don’t often get to experience during work placement, including booking clients in, sending reminders, and entering client and animal details into Vision software. “These are essential skills for when they head into practice after graduation, so it was great to see them gaining confidence in this area.”
The students also raised $819 through raffles and fundraising, which was donated to Southland SPCA. “It was a brilliant effort by the students and a lovely way to give back to the community.”
Ms Shuttleworth acknowledged the support of three “wonderful” industry reps from Purina and Zoetis, who generously gave their time and resources to the clinic. “Their informal training and advice were hugely appreciated by students and clients, and their feedback was incredibly positive—they loved seeing students getting such meaningful, hands-on experience.”
“What we do here really is one-of-a-kind in New Zealand, and it’s always encouraging to hear that recognised.”
Ms Shuttleworth said this year’s clinic also marked a special milestone, as it was the final Pet Health Clinic under the previous DVN programme. In 2026 the programme is updated to the New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing).