Otaki TodayVets on Riverbank is to open its new much expanded facility in Ōtaki on February 16.
The new vet clinic will have state-of-the-art equipment and modern, more user-friendly facilities such as spacious operating theatres and dedicated intensive care spaces.
It’s a big upgrade for the local veterinary practice, which emerged from a small clinic begun by Graham Carthew in 1974. He retired in 2017, but the practice, now owned by vets Ray Lenaghan, Erin Simpson, and Charlie Georgetti, has grown steadily since, along with population growth in the region and the proliferation of lifestyle blocks.
Charlie Georgetti at the new Vets on Riverbank facility, where finishing touches were being made before opening on February 16. Photo Ōtaki Today
“We’ve just outgrown our current building,” Charlie says. “We needed to get something bigger to offer the standard of care our clients needed.”
The current clinic is about 500 square metres – the new one just a few hundred metres west along Riverbank Road is 2000 square metres.
Local businesses have been used where possible, including Multibuild, GilPlans, Stones, Steve Thomas Plumbing, Land Matters, and Pritchard Civil.
The new complex will enable multiple, simultaneous procedures and better workflow. There will be an increase from five to 13 anaesthetic systems, supporting multiple surgeries, ultrasounds, and X-rays that can be performed at the same time. An additional sterile operating theatre takes the number to three, with additional non-sterile procedure rooms.
Dedicated equine treatment rooms will bring equine dentistry and minor procedures on-site, reducing travel costs for clients and consolidating services under one roof. There is also a lifestyle block animal consult room, and wards for other large animals.
New ICU cages will provide an oxygen-enriched environment to help patients with breathing difficulties. The cages also provide temperature and humidity control as well as the ability to monitor heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, ECG and oxygen saturation of red blood cells, all without having to touch the patient, which reduces stress.
A lot of thought has gone into the design of the facility. It will have eight consulting rooms, including two cat-only rooms that dogs will never enter. Lighting will have dimmers to ease the stress on animals. And there’s even a comfortable bereavement room for families when they lose their beloved pet.
“These are not technical things, like the ICU cages,” Charlie says. “They’re very simple things that we haven’t been able to do in the old clinic.
“Coming to the vets can be stressful for the animal and we want to make this process as stress-free as possible.”
A 24/7 emergency service will be offered, operating as Kapiti Emergency Vets. It will have a vet and nurse on-site after hours, seven days a week, and be available to everyone – they don’t need to be registered with Vets on Riverbank.
Charlie says this will improve access to urgent care across the region.
“This after-hours model is rare in rural New Zealand,” he says. “Not many clinics offer continuous on-site care.”
Although additional staff will be needed for Kapiti Emergency Vets, a boost in staff numbers for Vets on Riverbank is not anticipated.
“It’s really important for us to maintain that family and community feel to the practice,” he says. “It’s harder to do that with a big team.
“We want to maintain that small-clinic feel, but improve the standard of care.”
• The public will be able to view the new clinic on Te Hana Way (off Riverbank Rd) at an open day from noon-2pm on Sunday, February 1. Face painting, bouncy castle, BBQ and giveaways.
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