National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month: Sophie Milligan
To mark National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month, we’re speaking to members of our alumni community to raise awareness about the hidden dangers lurking in our homes and environments that could put our pets at risk.
The month serves as a reminder for pet owners to stay informed, take precautions, and know what to do in case of an emergency. With the help of veterinary professionals, we can all play a part in keeping our beloved pets safe and healthy.
We spoke to Sophie Milligan who has completed postgraduate studies with the School of Veterinary Science. Sophie is an Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) Veterinarian and provides an at-home euthanasia service in her local area as well as fostering cats to support the work of local charities.
Do you have any memories from your time as a vet student at Liverpool to share?
I studied for my Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Professional Studies (2023) and for my Certificate in Advance Practice, Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Medicine as a Residency Programme (2024) with the University of Liverpool.
During my Residency Programme, I met other likeminded vet professionals from around the country, all at various stages in their ECC careers. I found sharing experiencing and discussing clinical work with this group extremely helpful. It was like a window into other out-of-hours vet practices. The Postgraduate programme is demanding, and I found the initial adjustment to writing at the required standard difficult, but in the long run it has made my clinical language, reasoning, and approach to cases far superior, and I am glad I pushed myself.
Did anyone inspire you when you were a student?
The people who inspired me the most during my time as a student were my fellow students. It was refreshing and inspiring to see how much care, thought and work they put in to bettering themselves as clinicians, wanting to do the best by their patients and truly welcoming constructive feedback from other vets. It isn’t always easy to put yourself in a position where you are open to criticism, but this is how you learn and better yourself, and I liked being part of that community and shared mindset.
Tell us about your career to date. What inspired you to work in ECC, and how often does your work involve treating accidental poisonings?
I initially worked as a general practitioner on graduating (BVSc 2017, University of Bristol) but after picking-up a few out-of-hours shifts realised that ECC was my passion. By 2020 I was working for an out-of-hours provider and had embarked on my certificate in ECC. I wanted to return to studying because as an out-of-hours vet you are on your own most of the time, having to make clinical decisions under pressure. I wanted to go into the role armed with as much knowledge as possible, and the certificate complimented those first few years in ECC well.
After three years, I decided I wanted a new challenge, to learn from other experienced colleagues and have access to a higher standard of care and intensive care facilities. I started working as an ICU specific vet at Eastcott Referrals looking after complex referral patients and providing first opinion out-of-hours care.
Since June 2024 I have been working as an ECC locum in out-of-hours care providers across the South West. I have also set up my own home euthanasia service, where my ECC experience and working in high pressure environments benefits me hugely.
I was inspired to work in ECC as I wanted every pet owner to be able to access high-quality, empathetic out-of-hours service when they need it most. I also enjoy inpatient care and providing a high level of care to hospitalised patients, something I still hugely enjoy in my day-to-day work. I thrive in chaos and high-pressure environments so out of hours clinics suit me well. I enjoy watching case progression and seeing patients go home after many nights in the hospital. I enjoy surgery, and as an ECC clinician I perform quite a wide variety of surgery and procedures.
Being in ECC allows you to use lots of different clinical skills and imaging modalities, and no two shifts are the same! I have also used my experience with inpatient care to foster sick and injured cats and kittens for local charities, which has provided me a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
What are some common toxins that pet owners may not realise are dangerous?
Accidental poisoning is a huge risk for our pets, and unfortunately there are so many toxins commonly found in households and in our environment that can make pets sick. Even well intentioned and careful owners can still find their pet has been exposed to a toxin, so it is important as a ECC vet to know how to approach these cases to get the best outcome for a patient.
Lillies are hazardous for cats, and many owners don’t realise they are toxic. I have seen lily exposure be fatal in cats even with intervention, and these are often young healthy cats, which makes it even more tragic. I would say in general people are less aware of the dangers affecting cats, as they have unusual sensitivities, including paracetamol which I have known well-intentioned owners to give to their cats.
Dog owners are often more well-informed about commonly encountered poisons which may be harmful, but raisins or grapes sometimes can catch people out (it can acute kidney injury if left untreated).
What is one piece of advice you’d give to pet owners to prevent accidental poisonings?
Doing your own research and learning is the best thing a pet owner can do to prevent accidental poisoning, so that you recognise common household items that have the potential to be toxic. If you suspect your pet may have been exposed, act fast, phone your vets immediately as the earlier we intervene often the better the prognosis.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve heard of a pet eating (that they really shouldn’t have)?
I have seen cats and dogs eat some strange things! A few examples for dogs: their lead (metal clip and all!), a White Russian cocktail, an envelope with £300 cash inside, 20 Domino’s chicken wings, and accidental poisonings including flea treatment and ibuprofen. For cats, the most unusual object to date is a sewing needle! I still have the X-ray for that one…
How can alumni keep up with what you’re doing?
Alumni can keep up with what I am doing on LinkedIn, where I post career updates.
Thank you, Sophie, for helping us celebrate National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month. If you’d like to share your own veterinary career journey or professional reflections with the University of Liverpool Veterinary Alumni Association, we’d love to hear from you via ulvaa@liverpool.ac.uk.