A NEW vet practice owned by two veterinary school friends has opened in the heart of Knutsford.

A new venture for Knutsford-based vets Christian Sadler and Riaz Rhemu (both 30), Tatton Veterinary Practice on Windsor Way opened its door to patients for the first time in September.

Tatton is a small animal practice, specialising in providing care to dogs, cats, rabbits and other small furries.

Christian and Riaz began their longstanding friendship while studying veterinary medicine at the University of Nottingham, where they were members of the first cohort to graduate and receive professional accreditation from its new and innovative vets school.

Riaz focuses on internal medicine, while Christian likes to focus on surgery, particular keyhole surgery.

Christian, who was formerly a director at Cheshire Pet Holmes Chapel, said: “We’ve been trying to set this place up for a couple of years, but these things take a long time.

“We wanted to move away from the big corporate world where you’re having to run through 10-minute appointments, dealing with God knows how many clients throughout the day.

“You really don’t have time to get to know people and their animals, and that can really affect the medicine and the service you can provide.

Knutsford Guardian: Christian Sadler and Riaz RhemuChristian Sadler and Riaz Rhemu (Image: Supplied)

“People are making big decisions about what is essentially their family member, and you want to be able to give people the time to mull that over, and to ask the questions that otherwise they may not have the time to do.

“Also, we do almost everything here onsite. In particular, keyhole surgery is something I have a keen interest in. It’s something I did a lot at Cheshire Pet previously, and I’m now looking to start doing here."

Asked what he enjoyed most about being a vet, Christian said: “You have to like working with people too, even though you’re working with animals. I get as much joy from working with the clients as I do with the animals themselves.”

Christian started volunteering in veterinary practices when he was 13 years old.

Asked what advice he had for young people who want a career in veterinary medicine, he said: “Just try to gain as much experience as possible in different animal related businesses.

“I worked at groomers, kennels, farms, and I really enjoyed it all."

For more information, visit their website at tattonvets.co.uk, or phone 01565 744 504.