Essex farm vet welcomed to RCVS Fellowship

Ami is the first RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Camelid Practice, and is among 48 UK vets welcomed to the Fellowship this year.

The RCVS Fellowship is a learned society that promotes scientific excellence, furthers professional skills and practice, and acts as a trusted and authoritative voice within the veterinary profession.

Ami has been admitted to the group in recognition of her commitment to improving the health and welfare of the growing UK camelid population, as well as supporting fellow vets.

As well as driving clinical research into camelids, she delivers CPD and training to empower vets to utilise their transferrable skills to treat camelid patients.

This follows a boom in the ownership of llamas and alpacas in the UK in recent years.

Ami will be formally welcomed by the RCVS at this year’s Fellowship Day in London on November 28^th. 

Championing camelids 

She wants to use her fellowship to continue to champion camelids as well as empower more vets to care for them.

“Maintaining camelid welfare is extremely important, and clients should also be able to have consistent care from their vets,” she said.

“Camelid medicine has historically been undertaught, leading to a lack of confidence in providing care. 

“I completely understand this, and am working to allay and fears around treating camelid species and dealing with novel situations.

“I want to empower vets to use their transferrable skills from caring for sheep and cattle knowing it is useful for camelid practice. 

“Their care is nuanced in some ways, however, farm vets are equipped to build on these foundations and deliver excellent care.”

Novel farming opportunity 

Ami’s own PhD is in dairy cattle mobility but she ended up moving towards camelid medicine when working in a highly populated area. 

The more camelid work she did, the more she enjoyed it, particularly since you can mix high level individual animal medicine with herd health. 

“Initially, camelids presented a novel farming opportunity then people invested in them to provide luxurious fibre,” she continued. 

“Camelid numbers are steadily increasing in the UK, along with the diverse ways people interact with them. 

“They have an appeal that extends from commercial enterprises to the pet and companion market and are also used for trekking as well as other attractions.”

Varied career 

A 2011 Liverpool University graduate, Ami has enjoyed a varied career in farm practice. 

She sits on the Farm Executive at VetPartners, the larger veterinary group which owns Westpoint Farm Vets.

As an SPVS-RCVS Mind Matters Wellbeing Award winner, she has encouraged Westpoint to focus on veterinary wellbeing and a positive, inclusive culture.

She sits on the British Veterinary LGBTQ+ Committee, The Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Camelid Society Boards. 

She is also the current SPVS junior vice president. 

READ MORE: Alpaca owners called to participate in research  

Ami was awarded the first UK Bright Minds Practice Game Changer Award in 2023 for her dedication to improving practice culture and efforts to make farm practice more attractive, welcoming and inclusive for future farm vets.

Commenting on her Fellowship she paid tribute to her mentor Dr Karin Mueller, and added: 

“I never thought a fellowship would be the kind of accolade that would be achievable for someone like me in first opinion farm practice but I think it is important first opinion vets are held in esteem for the work they do.”

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