Welcome to zumi! We’re so happy to have you as part of our pet-caring community. Signing up to zumi is super easy, and you can be booking appointments with pet parents in your area in no time.
Firstly, download the ‘zumi pet care app’ for free on your device, either through the App Store for iOS products, or Google Play.
Click to ‘Sign Up’ and add in your email and credentials.
As a Registered Vet Nurse, you will need to enter your Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons registration number, and proof of identification. zumi admin will then verify your RCVS registration number and ID.
You will need to have insurance cover as per the RCVS code of Professional Conduct (3.4), which states that:
“Veterinary Nurses must ensure that all their professional activities are covered by professional indemnity insurance or equivalent arrangements.” Public liability insurance cover and a pet business insurance package is also advised.
If you are working on behalf of your veterinary practice under the direction of a veterinary surgeon, you will need to be named on the practice’s Professional Indemnity Insurance policy.
Having registered your details and been verified by zumi admin, you will now have access to the app!
You can look through all of the non-clinical services that are listed on zumi and select which ones you would like to offer as part of your service. There are options for nurses with specific qualifications in areas such as physiotherapy or behaviour, which you can also select if these are relevant to you. There are even options for dog-walking or pet-sitting, giving pet owners the reassurance that they have a trained professional taking care of their pets.
Once you’ve selected which services you’d like to offer, you can set your availability with our in-app calendar, and set the prices that you’d like to charge for the services you offer. All RVNs are self-employed, offering autonomy over their schedule and fees.
*PLEASE NOTE* RVNs are not employed by zumi. zumi is a platform to connect nurses with pet owners. All RVNs using the zumi app must be registered as self-employed.
That’s it! Your profile will now be visible on the zumi map, so that pet owners in your area can view your services and qualifications, and they can also get in contact with you via our in-app messenger system to enquire about services or ask for guidance.
As there is not yet a payment gateway available through the zumi app, please advise pet owners to pay for your pet services directly to yourself via your preferred payment method (bank transfer/Paypal/cash, etc.)
Welcome to the family!
Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with zumi admin via our ‘Contact us‘ page with any queries or concerns.
Hello,
I just wanted some clarity on what I can offer as I have seen other vet nurses on the app offering Anal Glands expression but I am assuming this is external expression?
Also wondering about the medicating animals. If I am pet sitting or an Owner wants help to apply an already prescribed medication can I do this for them? As I know pet sitters do this as part of a service but got a bit confused when I read somewhere that as an RVN I cannot medicate?
Thank you for your help and time.
Kelly
Hi Kelly, (unsure whether you received my email reply sent 26/8/24)
Thank you for your email. Not a problem at all. Always happy to answer any questions.
We can express anal glands externally. I didn’t add it to the list initially because it’s a grey area. I know nurses are offering it and the zumi appointments are charged by time so it’s entirely up to you if you want to offer it.
As RVNs we can give medication during a home visit under the direction of a vet at a practice we work at (if the pet you are visiting is registered at the same practice). For instance I do home visits to give solensia under the direction of the prescribing vet at a practice I work at and am named on the practices VDS policy to cover me for veterinary negligence.
This is the latest guidance from the RCVS regarding giving meds as lay people..
We can advertise for pet sitting as a lay person (ie not in our RVN capacity) and are permitted incidentally under the animal owner exemption, to carry out minor medical treatment (simple oral medication and subcutaneous injections) providing we do not advertise and charge for the medicating. We could however, charge for the act of pet sitting.
This is because the animal owner exemption was not designed to allow lay people to set up businesses for profit. It was designed to allow owners and those they employ to care broadly for their animals to carry out minor medical treatment within that caring capacity.
Hope this helps and please feel free to email with any further questions.
Have a great weekend.
Hannah Shepherd
Registered Vet Nurse
@wearezumi