Bermagui Veterinary Clinic

14/02/2025

14/02/2025

Appreciation is a wonderful thing

Today our team shared a special lunch celebrating our 21 years in service. Looking around our table there was so much love and joy and appreciation. Our birthday candlelit mango was definitely one of the highlights.

We wish you all a gentle weekend. Be kind and loving.
Gratitude is the gateway to happiness. :)

13/02/2025

Chapter 12 of our 21st Birthday stories

“The Dog Ate It”

Over the years we’ve treated many dogs who’ve eaten something they shouldn’t. From rat poison to chocolate to strange household items (including a rubber mould for plaster gnomes), we’ve seen it all.

Like that time a dog swallowed a sock then vomitted it out but quickly gobbled it right back up before their human could stop it. Dr Carl had to surgically extract that sock which was not a pleasant job.

Or the Staffie who swallowed a whole rope toy. Dr Carl (with Motria assisting) performed emergency bowel surgery removing the revolting mess. The dog survived and hopefully was never left alone with his toys.

Or the time Dr Carl’s larrikin dog Zeke ate a partially decomposed sea bird that had a plastic contact lens packet in its stomach. We removed that object from Zeke’s belly without surgery using our endoscope.

But by far the best story goes back a few decades when Dr Carl was a young vet in Dorset England.
A husband brought in a dog with obvious signs of a bowel obstruction: vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain. Dr Carl performed surgery and extracted a perfectly intact fancy blue lacy bra.
When the wife came to pick up their dog, Dr Carl showed her the bra. There was a strange uncomfortable pause then the wife declared “Well, that’s not my bra!”
We’ll leave the rest of that "foreign body" story up to your imagination.

to be continued…

these photos show Zeke's endoscopic procedure :)

12/02/2025

Chapter 11 of our 21st Birthday Story

"Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.” - Vince Lombardi

These days solo veterinarian practices are a rare thing. Most veterinary hospitals have many vets and staff and increasingly demanding complex workplace environments.
In Bermagui we chose to do things a little differently.
From the very beginning we made a commitment to maintain a clinic culture where we work closely and harmoniously together, helping each other thrive.

Over the years we’ve been blessed to have an extraordinary team.
We’d like to thank each member of our clinic family who is (or has been) part of our story:
* First and foremost our wonderful sons Max and Emmett who grew up helping Mum and Dad helping animals.
* Kerrieanne helped us launch the clinic and brought her dedication and sparkling energy into every situation
*Jenny brought a calm healing presence and years of nursing excellence
* Darcie our remarkable teenaged trainee quickly gained skills and soared upwards in her nursing career
* Ingrid our Superstar Nurse brings vast experience and a high standard of knowledge, a wise mentor/teacher, with deep empathy and care
* Melia began as a trainee and is now a skillful nurse with a calm steady presence and kindness for everyone
* Goldie our remarkable wildlife carer has a special gift for calming anxious animals and keeps our behind the scenes tasks running smoothly
* Angela affectionately known as our “ideas person” brought boundless enthusiasm which kept everyone on our toes
* Karen our new front desk ninja client carer, keeps scheduling and logistics ticking efficiently
* Julie, our latest team member, whose wisdom and commitment to learning and supporting our nurses is truly outstanding.

So here we are, 21 years later because of each of you.
Gratitude
Appreciation
Respect

Thank you
Carl and Motria

to be continued…

11/02/2025

Chapter 10 of our 21st Birthday Stories

Bermagui Seaside Fair - Pet Pageant

For many years the Bermagui Seaside Fair was a spectacular annual event in town and included our entertaining Pet Pageant. We had such a fun time preparing prizes, creating categories and running this popular event. Our judges from the Animal Welfare League were given the tricky job of picking winners for:
* My Buddy and I (children’s category)
* Waggiest Tail
* Most Adorable Pet
* Best Smile
* Owner/Pet Lookalike
* Most Clever trick
* Star of the Day!

For the category of Waggiest Tail, we “invented” a special device we named the Wag-o-meter. With Dr Carl dressed up as a mad scientist in his white lab coat, we pretended to measure the velocity of each dog’s wagging tail. The results were hilarious with everybody wagging their tails with excitement.

We had many unexpected participants too like The Very Brave Cat, a beautiful Python, a gorgeous Pig, sweet little rabbits and guinea pigs and even a dressed up Cow.
The entire day was organised by teams of volunteers bringing many happy memories to our community.
Bermagui to this day has extraordinary volunteer spirit which carries us through good times and challenging times too.

Enjoy all the photos and feel free to comment with your own :)

to be continued…

10/02/2025

Chapter 9 of our 21st Birthday Story

"The Goat in the Boot (we kid you not)"

This memorable funny story comes to us from Brogo. (Thank you Elisabeth W-G)

"Polly the goat had broken into the dry feed bin and gorged herself. Her stomach was expanding at an alarming rate so my sister and I put her in the back of the X-Trail and did a mercy dash to Bermagui Veterinary Clinic where she happily settled down with an intravaenous drip set up on the tailgate.
She became quite the drama queen as people passing by stopped to pay her attention (that she obviously thought she was due).
The local postie whizzed by on his bike and then turned back to check he wasn’t imagining things. All in all it became quite the social event. After a number of hours we were able to disconnect her and return to Brogo and the quiet life.”

We just never know what to expect at the clinic.
All in a day’s work, we just "goat" with the flow.

to be continued...

09/02/2025

Chapter 8 of our 21st Birthday Stories

"The Day of the Python"

We will never forget this day.
An injured wild Diamond Python was brought in one day. Most likely hurt by a car, its tail had been badly damaged with vertebrae poking out. It looked like a very painful trauma. It took quite some time for the poor stressed animal to relax and be prepped for surgery.
Dr Carl carefully amputated the tail and the python went to a wonderful wildlife carer for specialised care. Nurse Ingrid provided skilful support. We were thrilled to hear that this beautiful creature made a full recovery and was released back into the wild.

Over 21 years we've successfully treated 4 maybe more injured pythons, several of them head wounds.

Although this species is currently not listed as endangered, their prevalence is no longer widespread and ongoing destruction of habitats means their long term survival may be threatened.

Please consider becoming a wildlife carer. We are in urgent need of more volunteers.

to be continued...

08/02/2025

Chapter 7 of our 21st Birthday Story

The Wizard of Paws

In 2009 the lovely Sian H of Fairhaven decided to sell her popular dog grooming business which we acquired and added to the clinic playfully renamed “Wizard of Paws”.

Under Sian’s watchful eye, Motria started training, learning how to clip and groom different dog breeds and temperaments. Some needed ear plucking, some had thick overgrown fur between their toes, some had terrible matting. Each one was special.

Once the hydrobath and grooming equipment were all transferred to the clinic, Wizard of Paws got busy. Some of our dogs were keen to be cleaned and preened, whilst others involved a bit of wrestling, bribery and negotiation. Motria and nurse Kerrieanne both took on grooming appointments. We became very fond of each dog and loved seeing the look on their humans as they went home freshly groomed.

Properly bathing and clipping a dog requires physical stamina, skillful attention to detail, knowledge of breed standards and the ability to relax and accommodate the needs and personality of each animal. Knowing how and which clipper blades to safely use to achieve the right cut is essential as well as care and maintenance of all the specialised equipment involved.

These days we leave the grooming to other local pros and only trim if sedation is required. Our clinic days are busier than ever. The Wizard of Paws is no more.

At home we encourage regular brushing to keep your dog’s coat in good condition. We recommend Furminators which are brilliant at reducing moulting and de-shedding undercoats. Come see one of our team and try one out on your dog or cat.

Enjoy the photos - you may recognise some familiar faces. :)

To be continued…

07/02/2025

Chapter 6 of our 21st Birthday Story

Puppy Preschool!

A few months into running our clinic, we began to see a need to offer support in puppy health and training.

And so we launched Bermagui’s one and only Puppy Preschool. We held evening classes which offered education in puppy health, diet, nutrition, dental care and positive behaviour.
Our goal was to nurture "Confident Affectionate Calm Happy Dogs"

Puppy training is not just about teaching tricks – everything you do with your pup is a learning experience for them.
The ideal age for training, socialisation and handling is 6-19 weeks as puppies are very impressionable at this age.
A new puppy is discovering the world around them and does not yet know what is right or wrong. Scolding or harsh punishment can make a dog anxious and fearful. Good experiences at this age will establish good patterns well into adulthood.
The key is Positive Reinforcement. Praise good behaviour and you will have a well behaved confident loveable companion.

Over a period of weeks, our super pups socialised and learned many skills. We had so much fun together. Every student graduated successfully and graduation nights were full of celebration.
These days we offer puppy advice on a one-to-one basis with Dr Carl and our nurses via appointment.

Here are a few photos to enjoy from our Puppy Preschool many years ago. You might even recognise some of our local animal lovers and legendary pups. :)

to be continued…

06/02/2025

Today at the clinic we celebrated nurse Melia's birthday and her beloved pup Akira was gifted a wonderful new bed.
Melia is one of the most caring compassionate dedicated people we have ever met.
We are very very lucky to have Melia in our clinic family. :)

06/02/2025

Chapter 5 in our 21st Birthday story

Keeping Them all Alive

During that first year, Dr Carl stopped travelling to Canberra and devoted his energies to the clinic. With a young family and the demands of a bush property, we decided early on to maintain a healthy work/life balance by establishing Wednesdays as our day to rest and recharge - a routine we continue to this very day.
Burnout is a serious threat in the veterinary profession as the nature of our work demands physical, mental and emotional resilience day in day out. We experience great joys and successes but also face tragedies and sad losses. We cultivate a caring culture in the workplace to help our team maintain their well-being and help our clients feel always supported.

Some animals we'll never forget like dear sweet Goat a rescued dog with a terrible bone infection whom we nursed at home intensively.
Some days are full of amazing surprises like meeting a dingo.
Some days are simply exhausting.

2004 - Our clinic had been through its first winter and as spring rolled in, so did the tick cases.
One day we had scheduled an interview for an additional vet nurse. Babs was highly skilled, worked at the Canberra emergency centre, was thinking of a sea change. As she arrived, quite suddenly we began to have tick emergencies rushing in, one after another. Thirteen animals in distress all needed help at the same time.
There was no time to waste.
We hired Babs on the spot, for the day and spent the rest of the day attending to 13 patients, running from room to room, adjusting iv fluids, dispensing tick serum and monitoring each case closely. It was intense!
With incredible team effort every single patient recovered. And as for Babs, she decided to keep her job in Canberra. None of us wished for a day like that again.

These days we offer more much effective and reliable tick protection with one option being an injection “Bravecto Quantum” (for dogs) which provides protection for a whole year. Come see us about this fantastic new option. And pick up the best tick remover on the market.

to be continued...

05/02/2025

Chapter 4 of our 21st Birthday Story

That Day in "Camel-lot"

In the early years Dr Carl not only worked as the vet in our clinic, but also did farm visits and monthly trips to Canberra clients. Looking back we cannot imagine how he found the time and stamina to manage it all!

One day we were invited to castrate three beautiful camels Tut-tut, Zut-zut and Lawrence at Tabandy Farm in Candelo, a remarkable homestead where all sorts of rescued animals come to be loved.

It just so happened that Carl's dearest friend and veterinarian Nick had arrived from England and was more than happy to lend a hand.
It was a family affair with Motria and the boys and wonder-nurse Kerrieanne joining in to help with the procedures. Motria glistened with excitement as Lawrence planted a big slimy camel kiss on her face before we started.

As we prepped we met a small crowd of camel lovers who'd come from afar to witness the event. Some brought cameras and video recorders.
In a paddock, we prepared our gear and medications, set up haybales to support the camels as they gently dropped under sedation. Each procedure went very smoothly with no complications. Each camel recovered quickly. Tut-tut staggered up and swayed for a while, Zut-zut lay dazed complaining until he finally felt ready to move and Lawrence got up as if nothing had happened, keen to graze.

All in all an extraordinary day. Thank you Tabandy Farm for an incredible memory 🐪🐪🐪

04/02/2025

Chapter 3 of our 21st Birthday Story

Simplicity. Community.

21 years ago Bermagui had a population of 1927 residents, 522 family households, median age 49.
Town had a small fishing village character. We enjoyed discovering our community and many fantastic stories were shared in our waiting room.

Our clinic design was simple but effective:
Handpainted window signs, an old fashioned rolltop desk and comfy seats to relax and welcome people.
The magnificent pelican became our symbol and logo.
We set up:
* One small laptop for bookkeeping and correspondence
* Two wooden boxes packed with index cards with handwritten notes for each patient.
* Desk diary to handwrite appointments (in pencil)
* A receipt book with carbon copy for each transaction
* A desk phone and mobile phone (with limited reception)
* A temperamental fax/copy machine

Radiology and pathology were outsourced and Dr Carl, supported by Motria, Kerrieanne and Jenny greeted and treated a wide variety of domestic animals and wildlife. There was one memorable afternoon where a miniature pony came in to be weighed on our scales!

Dr Carl also went out on farm visits, treating horses, cattle, sheep and alpaca. Perhaps one of our most memorable farm visits involved a trio of camels (great story coming soon).

to be continued...

03/02/2025

Chapter 2 of our Birthday Story:
Celebration!

What a day that was, meeting our community and showing off our shiny new clinic. We were joined by our 2 wonderful part time nurses Kerrieanne and Jenny, while Sarah Cooper prepared magnificent sushi platters for all to enjoy. There were gift bags and flowers and demonstrations and much excitement.
You might recognise many local folks in these pics. :)

(for some reason the camera date was off by a year lol)

to be continued...

02/02/2025

February 2025 marks our 21st Birthday!

Chapter 1 The Beginning

In 2001 Dr Carl and Motria with their 2 little boys arrived in the valley settling on a beautiful wild bush block in Brogo. Life in a tiny rustic cabin was full of memorable wildlife interactions and wild weather events , supported by a wonderful welcoming community. Carl commuted weekly to Canberra to work as a vet for the RSPCA and veterinary homeopath while Motria tended to the family and homestead. It was a time of great adventure, challenges and inspiration.
In 2003 we met Graham Hunt, a much loved veterinarian in Bermagui/Cobargo and his lovely wife Beth. Graham was looking to retire and invited Carl to locum for him. The idea of running our own clinic began to germinate and in February 2004 we signed the deal and Dr Carl von Schreiber officially took over the clinic. A flurry of refurbishments, new signage, publicity and equipment upgrades soon followed and we opened our clinic with great celebration and fanfare.

We made a promise to provide a high standard of care for every animal and to cultivate a caring rapport with our clients.
With 2 enthusiastic young sons and 2 remarkable nurses our story began.

to be continued....

31/01/2025

Throughout the month of February Bermagui Veterinary Clinic will be celebrating 21 years of service to our community.
We'll be sharing photos of years gone by, memorable moments and milestones.
Watch this space.

30/01/2025

Oscar found and reunited!
Many of you have been following the story of Oscar the lost dog. He was found yesterday and today he came in to the clinic for a health check and a very happy reunion with his adoring family.

What a happy story. Our thanks to everyone in Bermagui who helped search for Oscar. He is one very lucky happy chappy.

27/01/2025

UPDATE OSCAR HAS BEEN FOUND!! :)

LOST DOG

Can you help us find Oscar please?
The owners are holidaymakers needing to head home soon.
"The little white one on the right is named Oscar and he went missing from the Bermagui Fisherman’s wharf a short time ago. He may be dragging a red lead and if he has his collar still on there is a number to ring."
Contact 0438 212 096

Thank you