A veterinary nurse at an animal hospital in Wellington has joined an elite group of industry professionals.

Leigh-Anne Buse, from Cave Veterinary Specialists, is one of just 35 vet nurses in the world to be recognised as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in animal nutrition.

Ms Buse, who is the night nurse team leader at Cave, achieved this after four years of intensive studying.

She said: "I am extremely pleased as it is an extremely hard qualification to obtain.

"There are only 35 members worldwide and I am really proud to become one of them."

The process of being recognised as a VTS takes a minimum of four years, involving the submission of 60 case studies, five case reports, and the completion of Continuing Professional Development courses.

Letters of recommendation from colleagues in the field are also required.

After fulfilling all these requirements, candidates are eligible to sit a final four-hour examination the following year.

Ms Buse expressed her gratitude for the support from her colleagues at Cave.

She said: "Everyone at Cave has been fantastic throughout, letting me take over cases that I need for my logs and helping increase my knowledge and skill set in preparation for these cases and examination.

"They were very encouraging throughout and have all been thrilled for me since learning of my success."

(Image: Cave Veterinary Specialists)

Ms Buse's area of focus is the importance of animal nutrition.

She said: "The most important thing is understanding that all pets are individuals and, when treated as such, we can adjust diets to meet pet and owner preferences.

"Proper dietary management is so beneficial to all animals to maximise health, performance and longevity.

"It’s also vital in the management of numerous diseases including kidney, gastrointestinal and adverse food reactions."

Ms Buse is already setting her sights on her next challenge, which involves competing in equestrian dressage competitions.

She said: "I have a horse called Skippy who I am currently trying to compete with in dressage.

"The horse is fantastic, so I am working hard to be the rider he deserves with the aim of competing at elementary level next year."