BVetBiol BVSc MANZCVS (Small Animal Surgery)
Director & Senior Veterinarian
24/10/2018
Thinking about getting a new kitten? Dr Tish has kindly taken the time to answer four questions on what you need to know before bringing home a new kitten. What should I already have at home before bringing home a kitten? Food Ideally, you should continue feeding your kitten what it has been fed prior […]
18/09/2018
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome as one might expect, affects brachycephalic breeds (think “squashed faces”) such as pugs, boxers, bulldogs, French bulldogs, and Boston Terriers. We asked Dr Alistair Grant five questions about BOAS to get a better understanding of it: Isn’t it just natural that some dogs snore and they breathe heavily? Whilst it is […]
14/08/2018
Cruciate ligament disease is a very common condition we see coming into the clinic, fortunately, there are a number of ways to deal with the injury so that your dog can still enjoy full mobility and comfort after treatment. Dr Grant took the time to answer five common questions about Cruciate ligament disease: What is […]
12/07/2018
With the 2018 horse breeding season still a few months away I sat down with Dr Bruce Howlett to ask a few questions about the whole horse breeding process. When is the right time to decide to breed your horses? “Mare owners considering artificial insemination really need to be getting organised now. Choose your stallion and get […]
16/03/2018
We love living up north but the high temperatures and humidity which are a natural part of life in the tropics can have a downside for our canine friends. These warm climatic conditions are ideal for the transmission of certain illnesses, so dogs who call the tropics home may be susceptible to more diseases and […]
09/03/2018
We know how important the health and happiness of your cat is – after all, they’re a very important member of your family. One way you can help manage your cat’s ongoing good health is by keeping their vaccinations up to date. These vaccinations play an essential role in helping to protect your cat against […]
02/03/2018
Vaccinating your dog is the simplest and most effective way to protect them from diseases like Parvovirus. What is Parvovirus? Parvovirus is an extremely hardy virus that can survive in the environment for years; it’s very hard to kill through simple cleaning alone and requires hospital grade disinfectant. The virus is highly contagious and can […]
01/12/2017
What is it? Tetanus is a bacterial disease caused by the toxin produced by Clostridium tetani. Tetanus occurs when C.tetani are present in damaged body tissue with lowered oxygenation. Puncture wounds such as nail pricks in horses’ feet, penetrating splinters of wood, and calf marking wounds provide very good conditions for tetanus to develop.Tetanus can […]
24/11/2017
What is it? Enterotoxaemia or pulpy kidney is a common and fatal disease of sheep and cattle. It is caused by the toxin of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens (Type-D) when it is absorbed from the intestinal tract. The bacteria that cause enterotoxaemia normally exist in small numbers in the gut of healthy animals. The disease […]
17/11/2017
What is it? Malignant oedema is a severe, rapidly fatal wound infection in grazing animals most commonly in sheep but also cattle and goats. It is caused by toxins produced by several types of clostridial organisms that normally live in the soil but can infect wounds. Contamination of wounds by the bacteria leads to inflammation […]
15/11/2017
It’s that time of year again when tick numbers surge and we see more and more cats and dogs come through the clinic with life threatening conditions. Paralysis ticks are found all along the east coast of Australia and every pet that goes outside is at risk of one of these dangerous pests latching on. […]
10/11/2017
What is Blackleg? Blackleg is a generally fatal bacterial disease of young cattle or sheep of any age. The disease is seen as acute, localised inflammation of muscle tissue due to the growth of the blackleg organism. This is followed by generalised toxaemia or poisoning of the animal causing rapid death. What causes Blackleg? Blackleg […]
03/11/2017
What is it? Black disease is an acute, highly fatal disease of sheep, goats and cattle and is usually associated with a liver fluke infestation. Black disease (also called Infectious Necrotic Hepatitis) is caused by the bacterium Clostridium novyi. The organism produces toxins in the liver usually following damage to the liver by migrating liver […]
01/11/2017
The days are getting hotter and we’ve already seen our first heatwaves here in Mackay. It’s a good time to remind ourselves that our pets may be feeling the heat even more than we are. Dogs and cats are more prone to heatstroke than we are because they are unable to cool off by sweating. […]
08/10/2017
Have you ever hesitated to take your pet in to see the vet because they’re getting a little bit older now and you’re worried about anaesthesia being a problem? If so you’re not alone as many people put off pet procedures because of the risks associated. But what really are the risks involved and is […]
05/10/2017
The iSperm device, despite its eyebrow raising name, is a fantastic piece of technology that alows us to analyse bull sperm counts and motility without a microscope. The iSperm provides a rapid, repeatable and objective assesment of semen quality that doesn’t require the judgement of the vet looking down the microscope. As Dr Howlett demonstrates […]
27/09/2017
What is it? Ultravac® 7in1 vaccine is used to prevent leptospirosis and the major clostridial diseases in cattle. What’re the key benefits? Ultravac® 7in1 is used to prevent the common types of leptospirosis which affect cattle (and can also be transmitted from cattle to people) as well as prevent the major life-threatening clostridial diseases that […]
21/09/2017
Ask any cat owner and they’ll tell you that any home is just a house without a cat. Owning a cat, or indeed any companion animal comes with responsibilities, rewards and challenges. You’re also making a big commitment, a commitment that will hopefully last for at least 15 to 20 years. To help you make […]
08/09/2017
Have you ever been woken up by the chainsaw sleeping at the foot of your bed? If so you might be wondering whether or not it’s normal for your dog to be snoring like that! Well, it really depends on the level of snoring; snoring during sleep (and snorting or noisy breathing whilst awake) is […]
04/09/2017
Summer is just around the corner and many of us will be taking some sideways glances at the mirror and then heading down to the gym to work on our “beach bodies”. Sadly for our four-legged friends, we’re not the only ones facing “a little more of us to love” as a growing number of […]
03/08/2017
Vibriosis can significantly reduce herd fertility and reproductive performance without distinctive or obvious signs. Vibriosis is a venereal disease of cattle caused by a bacterial infection with Campylobacter fetus. It is widespread throughout Australian cattle herds and is regarded as a very common cause of infertility and sporadic abortion in northern Australia. Vibriosis is spread […]
02/08/2017
What is it? Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF), commonly known as three-day sickness, is a disease of cattle and occasionally buffaloes, marked by short fever, shivering, lameness and muscular stiffness. Caused by an insect-borne virus, the disease is widespread in northern Australia. It causes serious economic losses through deaths, loss of condition, decreased milk production, lowered […]
01/08/2017
The term Equine Dentist is misleading and not recognised by any regulatory body in Australia. It has connotations that the “dentist “is formally trained like a human dentist with a 4-5 year university degree in dentistry. Sadly this is not the case, which leaves the horse owning public vulnerable to at best, well-meaning but incompetent […]
