What to expect

As Integrative Vets we approach every pet as an individual, and tailor their treatment plans
accordingly.

We are looking to treat the whole picture, rather than segmented into
parts. For example, if your pet has a skin condition we may need to consider their gut
health or how their immune system or glands are functioning, as these can impact the skin.

By reviewing your pet’s full medical history prior to their first appointment we can see the
chronology of events, previous symptoms or interventions that may be linked to current
troubles, and your pet’s challenges past and present.

This helps us better tailor our treatments to formulate a more effective treatment plan.

Read about our patient stories here.

This is one of the areas where integrative medicine has immense benefits. 

We take a multi-faceted approach to cancer treatment, providing unique options in a situation where conventional options are often limited.  And the results are testimony to the power of this approach as we almost always achieve better quality of life and extended lifespan beyond what is predicted by the usual statistics.

Treatments may include homeopathic remedies, herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary changes and IV Vitamin C infusion therapy – either at our clinic, or with your regular vet.  Vet Liaison Consults are offered for vets willing to administer IV Vitamin C infusions to their cancer patients. 

We can treat with standalone alternative therapies, or integrate these into an oncology plan.  And we can do all this via telehealth too!

Click here to learn more.

Yes, we can! Many pet families are unable to access trusted holistic veterinary care in their
location. And so we offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide. These do not require a veterinary referral, however we work alongside your usual vet to ensure optimal continuity
of care for your pet.

We require your pet’s full medical history prior to their first consultation, and ongoing updates including updated medical records and lab reports from their usual vet as we continue to treat your pet.

A concise written summary is sent after each visit. You can share this with your pet’s vet to keep them informed.

Yes, we can, but not as Veterinarians! We are not registered to practice veterinary medicine in other countries. We can however offer telehealth consultations globally and provide an integrative care plan if your pet is under the routine care of a veterinarian.  Your pet must have seen their vet in the previous 6 months.

We cannot provide specific guidance on their veterinary tests and treatments, but we can prescribe natural therapies to support your pet.

These do not require a referral, however we work alongside your usual vet to ensure optimal continuity of care for your pet.

We require your pet’s full medical history prior to their first consultation, and ongoing updates including updated medical records and lab reports from their usual vet as we continue to treat your pet.

A concise written summary is sent after each visit. You can share this with your pet’s vet to keep them informed.

Our base consult fees vary from $80 for a nurse consult up to $399 for an initial visit and integrative treatment plan.  If your pet requires additional services such as acupuncture, bodywork or homeopathic repertorisation for complex cases additional fees are charged.  We believe the investment is worth it, and your pet will too!

Taking a stressed pet to the vet is never easy.  Some pets are so fearful it becomes dangerous to attempt an examination let alone any intervention.  It makes your visit less enjoyable and our job much harder.

For pets who simply cannot cope with vet visits, we recommend a pre-admission chill protocol. This is best discussed by booking a nurse consult, or a vet consult if you have an unwell pet or a pet on chronic medication.

In certain circumstances yes we do. Please call the clinic on 07 5476 7674 during business hours to discuss your specific needs.

Most of our medications can go in the food or water. If you have a pet that refuses to eat or drink with medication added, try these tips:
– Add something really tasty, pungent and high value to the meal that your pet doesn’t get often. Grated parmesan cheese, ground liver treats, sardines, dried anchovies, tinned cat food, green tripe (wet or dried), nutritional yeast, vegemite, yoghurt… find what works for your pet.
– For liquid homeopathics, if you can’t put in your pet’s water only a few drops need to go in your pet’s mouth – anywhere on the mucus membranes. So the gums, or tongue, or even the nostrils work in a difficult cat!
– For our herbal powders, you can mix them with bone broth and administer as a slurry with a syringe directly into the mouth.
– For prescription medications, we can often get these compounded into an easier delivery system such as a flavoured liquid or transdermal medication that goes on their skin.

If none of these tips work, book a nurse consult for further tips, or bring your questions to your next vet review.

Tick paralysis is a reality in many areas around Australia, and can be quickly fatal.  We recommend all pets are on an effective tick prevention program, which may include some natural treatment options alongside safe chemical preventatives. 

A lot of products these days are ‘all-in-one’, treating everything with one pill. This is certainly easy and convenient. But can mean you are treating your pet for some things needlessly.

Decisions around prophylactic choice will be different for every pet and every circumstance. Start by reading this ebook. Then if you still have questions, we recommend booking a nurse consult to tailor a prophylactic program for your pet. 

If your pet has fleas, the important thing to realise is that for every flea on your pet, there are potentially another 99 fleas in your environment (in the form of eggs, pupae and larvae) waiting to jump on your pet. Fleas can get out of control very quickly in our climate! And some pets are highly allergic to their bites. Sometimes chemicals are needed to get the life cycle under control. 

There is now a once yearly injectable preventative available for ticks and fleas. But this is new to the market – which means we don’t yet have enough data to be sure it’s safe for every pet.

We recommend reading this ebook for further guidance. Then if you still have questions book a nurse consult! We can discuss what options will best suit you and your pet.

Heartworm risk is a reality of our local area, and can be fatal if left undetected.  In other regions of Australia is may be lower or higher risk.  It is spread by mosquitoes and so potentially any pet in a heartworm area is at risk.

We recommend all pets are on an effective heartworm prevention program, which may include some natural treatment options alongside regular testing and/or safe chemical preventatives.  Read more in this ebook.  Then if you still have questions, book a nurse consult to discuss what options will suit your pet best, or bring your questions to your next vet consult.

Yes. Both roundworm and hookworm can be passed to humans, and some forms of tapeworm too.  Kids and immune-compromised people are higher risk.

We recommend all pets are on an effective gut parasite prevention program.  Regular deworming of your pets is the usual advice, however many of our clients opt to test their pets regularly (twice yearly) and deworm as necessary based on results. 

For guidance on your options, book a nurse consult, or bring your questions to your next vet consult.

As a clinic that tailors options for pets based on many criteria, the desexing conversation is another one that is not as straight-forward as it would be in a conventional GP practice.

Firstly we do NOT advocate for early desexing in dogs, meaning before or around puberty. Early desexing has been linked to many common disorders in dogs including joint issues and nasty cancers.

Cats are a little different. There is no current evidence supporting delaying desexing in female cats and a lot of reasons to desex before their first heat, including reducing their risk of mammary cancer by >90%. Thus we recommend that female cats are desexed from 5 – 6 months old.

For our doggy friends always, we will recommend what is best for your pet and your situation. This is best discussed during a veterinary consult. You can book online here.

Titre testing checks your pet’s immune status and helps guide vaccine decisions – are they necessary? And if so, when?

For dogs we run a panel of three antibodies to check their immunity and the total fee is $170.  We do this test in-house with a small blood sample and results are available in under 15 minutes. Because we have in-house testing equipment it is more affordable than most other vet clinics.

Note that not all kennels will accept a titre test certificate in lieu of vaccination (unless your pet is not fit for vaccination).  If you need to board your pet please book a consult to discuss possible solutions.

For cats we send the blood sample to an external laboratory in Western Australia. The test for Feline Panleukopaenia costs $145. We do not run antibody tests on the cat flu viruses as the results are not reflective of actual immunity.  Cats who need to go to catteries will need a booster vaccine, or a certificate stating they are unfit for vaccination if this applies.

Great news!  Raw diets promote health and longevity like no other in pets. We recommend getting started with the right advice.

If your pet is well, book in a nurse consult and you will soon have all the knowledge you need to safely feed raw. 

If your pet has an existing medical issue (acute or chronic), please book a veterinary consult first so that we can determine whether raw feeding is right for your pet.

And in the meantime check out our library of ebooks written by Dr Renee.

Senior pets are one of our favourite cohorts to treat. They know exactly what they want out of life, and stubbornly insist on getting it, their way. An absolute delight and honour it is to work with senior pets.

An important thing with seniors is that many symptoms of diseases that crop up are often put down to ‘ageing’ and ignored, when proactive diagnosis and management can make a big difference for them.

Click here to read more about what your senior pet may need and how we can help.