Animal Magic: We have been very privileged to welcome Dr Christiane Blahak MRCVS to the Mewes family, earlier this year

When we first read Christiane's CV, we knew we had to find a place for her in our team. She was simply too good a fit to let go!

She told us that her particular interests lie in internal medicine, ultrasonography and diagnostic imaging. Just as importantly, she loves getting to know clients and their pets, providing thoughtful, compassionate care and building lasting relationships based on trust, empathy and good communication.

What could be more in keeping with the values at The Mewes Vets, and particularly our much-loved one-pet-one-vet approach? We believe in getting to know both our patients and their people, building relationships that last, and providing genuinely personal care. It was clear from the outset that she shared exactly the same philosophy.

She was also looking for a friendly, welcoming and caring team where colleagues support one another, share knowledge and continue to learn together, all while enjoying a happy and nurturing working environment. We think it's fair to say that was another perfect match!

With a wealth of experience across all aspects of small animal first opinion practice, she has already brought so much to the team. She is also about to complete her Certificate in Diagnostic Imaging (CertGP), demonstrating her enthusiasm for learning and her commitment to continually developing her skills for the benefit of her patients.

We've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her. Her good sense of humour, friendly nature and genuine commitment to her colleagues have made her a wonderful addition to the team. We feel very lucky to have her with us!

She qualified in Berlin in 2004 before making the UK her home, where she has worked ever since. Most recently, she has been working locally since 2017, so she already knows the area and its pets and people well.

Away from the practice, she has plenty of interests to keep her busy! She loves spending time with family and friends, camping, enjoying wildlife, hiking and canoeing. She is also passionate about music, reading, renovating, sewing and pottery, and growing her own vegetables. In fact, we were all lucky enough to share in the wonderful glut of grapes produced by her vine this autumn – a very welcome treat!

Looking ahead, one of her exciting next projects is getting to grips with our new cardiac ultrasound probe. She has always been fascinated by heart disease, and this will give her the opportunity to put that interest and knowledge into practice, helping us diagnose and monitor heart conditions in our patients, including those with heart murmurs and abnormal heart rhythms.

Being able to offer more of this investigation in-house means that many of our patients can receive the care they need without the stress and inconvenience of a long journey for referral, and, importantly, at a lower cost to their owners.

We are delighted to have her as part of The Mewes Vets family and look forward to seeing her skills and interests develop even further. Most of all, we're very happy that she found her way to us!