VRH is a specialist referral veterinary hospital with a 24/7 emergency department. We offer sp... For more information please contact us on 1300 385 874.
We offer specialist service in surgery, medicine, neurology, oncology and diagnostic imaging.
Don’t be fooled by Sierra’s sweet face! 👀 🥰
At only 4 months old, this cheeky monkey made a weekend emergency visit for ingesting coffee beans.
She was given medication to cause emesis and empty her stomach contents. After successful decontamination, Sierra was sent home with activated charcoal to help bind to any remaining contents and reduce its toxicity effects.
She received many cuddles from our team and promised she’d be a good puppy! 😜
🌟 Behind the scenes 🌟
Dr Alejandro Riesco, Neurology and Neurosurgery Resident, is performing a preliminary assessment of a patients brain MRI scan.
👏🏻 Thank you to our wonderful speakers Dr Aaron Levin, Lucy Tissot and Dr Mei Ong for their presentations at our recent seminar, Transfusion Medicine.
Happy kitten cuddles for your Thursday! 🐱
📸 Specialist Anaesthetist, Dr Leah Bradbury.
Thank you 🙏 🥰
🤩 FUN SCRUB DAY 🤩
Once a month our team pulls out their funkiest scrubs. Strutting their stuff, the halls are lined with bright colours, cool patterns and smiles.
🔈 CALLING ALL VETS AND VET NURSES 🔈
🩸 VRH is excited to announce our upcoming FREE seminar on Transfusion Medicine. With both a vet and nurse stream, we welcome all veterinary professionals.
Join us for a fun, free night of learning, networking, drinks and nibbles.
🗓️ Thursday 15th of August, 6pm-10pm
📍Atura Dandenong, 5-17 Doveton Ave, Eumemmerring
Follow the link to register:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1257392
We can't wait to see you there! 😊
✨ Committed to training and development ✨
One of our specialist Anaesthetists, Dr Leah Bradbury, recently gave a tutorial on analgesic medications.
🏥 At VRH we value literature and practice evidence based medicine. With advancements often being made, it’s important for us to continue to stay up to date to deliver our high standards of care.
📸 The team come to gather to learn about analgesia.
Have you heard about our Complete Care TPLO Surgery Package?
❤️🩹 We understand navigating a cruciate rupture with your pet can be stressful, but our specialty surgical team are here to help.
With patient and client care in mind, our approach to tailored care and continuity for you and your pet is at the forefront of our service.
📍 Our detailed care package includes:
• Consultation with the surgeon who would perform the surgery (if indicated) to ensure continuity
• All required radiographs including sedation
•Specialist anaesthetist supervision including advanced pain relief techniques
•Dedicated nursing care including an overnight stay
•All necessary revisits are included to ensure recovery is on track
•Complete coverage for 12 months
Want to know more? We’re happy to help.
📞 Reach out to our friendly client services team o 1300 385 874.
❗️Referring vets: we are accepting referrals and our surgeons welcome your contact to discuss cases further.
Congratulations to Dr Zach and Dr Nevin for passing their membership examinations! 🥳
It takes dedication and determination to prepare for such a challenging exam. This success is a testament to their commitment to further studies and excellence in veterinary medicine.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Meet gorgeous Cookie! 🍪
This sweet girl was recently cared for by our surgical team under our Complete Care TPLO Package.
She has made an excellent recovery and showered the team with kisses at her revisit! 🥰
📸 Pictured with rotating intern, Dr Christie Leung, and Specialist Surgeon, Dr Cameron Broome.
We'd like to sincerely congratulate Dr Adrian Bryce on passing his examination and being accepted as a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (Radiology chapter).
📚 Adrian graduated from JCU in 2014 and soon developed a special interest in radiology. After working in various roles in general practice, shelter medicine and in a speciality hospital, he went on to take a position as a Radiology resident at the University of Melbourne in 2020 and subsequently Animalius (WA) from 2022.
Undertaking a Residency includes comprehensive 3-4 year training program, significant study, and many hours of clinical work and placement. Adrian's hard work and dedication to his role is a testament to the incredible board-certified Radiologist (FANCVS) he is!
Working alongside our other specialty departments is Adrian's passion. He has a particular interest in unusual and unique cases and working closely with our specialty teams on achieving optimal patient outcomes.
Having a board-certified radiologist sets VRH apart from other specialty hospitals in Melbourne and enhances our ability to provide your patient with the best care.
👏🏻 We are so proud to have him as part of our team at VRH.
Farewell Dr Alex 👋🏼
Dr Alex Cleversley has been an integral part of our medicine team over the last 2 years. Originally undertaking a rotating internship in 2022, Alex then went on to take the position of internal medicine intern in 2023.
✈️ Headed to the University of Virginia Maryland in the US, Alex will commence a three-year small animal internal medicine residency. This will credential her to become a specialist in this area.
Alex’s commitment and dedication to our patients and clients has always been second to none and we will miss her greatly.
🥹 Thanks for being such a wonderful vet and even better person, Alex!
Introducing our newest specialist, Dr Babka! 🩺
(….Babka has been hired for good vibes only 🕺)
Happy Gotcha Day Bailey! 🎈
This sweet senior recently underwent a splenectomy (spleen removal) with our surgical team.
Under the care of surgeon Dr Jana Kolichis, an anaesthetist and dedicated nurses, Bailey did exceptionally well and has made a wonderful recovery at home.
Last week he had the chance to celebrate his 12th Gotcha Day (rescue birthday) with his family 🥰
Meet Greta! 🥰
This beautiful senior girl recently underwent emergency surgery at VRH.
🏥 Under the care of our surgery and anaesthesia teams, Greta underwent critical surgery to remove her gall bladder (a cholecystectomy). Whilst anaesthetised, she also had an oesophageal feeding tube and central venous line placed to aid in her recovery.
Greta was transferred to our intensive care unit for recovery. She remained in hospital for 3 days receiving around the clock medical care and TLC.
We are so pleased to report Greta has recovered and is doing very well at home! ☺️
A special thanks for the surgery team 🙏
One of our lovely clients bought along some delicious tarts to spoil our surgery and anaesthesia teams, as a special thanks.
It was such a lovely surprise and was very appreciated by our team.
Thank you Jennie and Wonji 🥰
Good luck Dr Katy! 👋🏼
Sadly, we farewell Neurology intern Dr Katy Seddon as she embarks on a new journey to the UK.
Headed to the prestigious Royal Veterinary College, Dr Katy will undertake a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery. Training programs such as this are highly sought after and incredibly competitive.
👏🏻 Katy’s success is a testament to the incredible veterinarian she is and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Meet Jed! 🐶
The gorgeous 8 month old kelpie recently underwent a complex thoracotomy (open chest surgery). His story is very unique and we will share it in more detail next week!
We are very pleased to report he is recovering well at home 🥰
🌟 Committed to training and development 🌟
Our surgical nursing team recently did a refresher session on surgical hand preparation and surgical gowning with lead surgeon, Dr Cameron Broome.
Our nursing team is now equipped to scrub in and assist in theatre when required 💪🏻
We understand having your pets in hospital is a stressful and worrying time. Rest assured knowing our team work tirelessly 24/7 to best to deliver exceptional medical care, whilst tending to patient wellbeing too 🥰
Pictured is Emergency Clinician, Dr Jamie Low, taking a moment for a cuddle with Golden, Hera.
🐦 We see a significant amount of wildlife though our hospital. From birds, possums, wombats, kangaroos, echidnas to many other species, we always try to provide them optimal care.
🩻 Part of our bird assessment involves radiographs. This allows us to ensure the bird is not suffering from any injuries such as fractures and ensures we can provide them with appropriate treatment.
We work with some incredible wildlife shelters and carers such as Wild Days Wildlife Shelter and G’Day Birdie Sanctuary. Thank you for your exceptional care you provide our Aussie natives 🙏
🏥 It’s incredibly important that wildlife rehabilitation is undertaken by experienced carers. If you find injured wildlife, please take them to your closest veterinarian for care.
Mabel the Bernese Mountain Dog was recently diagnosed with a heart condition after examination for an orthopaedic concern.
🫀After visiting cardiologist Dr Richard Wooley from Cardiopulmonary Pet Referrals, Mabel was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia called Lone Atrial Fibrillation.
She was fitted with a Holter Monitor. This provides a non-invasive means of recording of Mabel’s heart rate and rhythm over a 24 hour period.
Mabel is doing well and and under observation for her condition with our Medicine team, but does not currently require any treatment. This story highlights the importance of regular pet check ups and examination of the entire patient 🐾
Seeing triple? 👀
It’s Drs Leah, Leah and Leah!
Dr Leah Wingett (Emergency Clinician) , Dr Leah Bradbury (Specialist Anaesthetist) and Dr Leah Wright (Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care).
🤝 Recently the trio were all on shift and came together to care for a patient in need. Each brings a diverse skill set and expertise with a common goal: delivering excellence in patient and client care.
☀️ Neurology nurse, Petra, spending some time with her patient in the sunshine.
Sometimes TLC and going that extra mile is just what the soul needs 🥰
Wishing our Hospital Manager, Tracey, a very Happy Birthday today! 🥳
👀 Behind the scenes with our surgical team performing abdominal surgery to remove a toy causing an intestinal obstruction.
36 Lonsdale Street
Dandenong, VIC
3175
| Monday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Tuesday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Wednesday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Thursday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Friday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Saturday | 12am - 11:59pm |
| Sunday | 12am - 11:59pm |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Veterinary Referral Hospital posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Veterinary Referral Hospital:
✨ BEHIND THE SCENES ✨ come with our surgical team to transfer a patient from theatre, to radiology for post orthopaedic surgery X-rays.
Introducing our newest specialist, Dr Babka! 🩺 (….Babka has been hired for good vibes only 🕺)
“I had my ankles microwaved” -Lottie
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 🎄🎅🏻 This year we have seen more than 6000 patients through our 7 specialty departments. With new pets and their families coming through our doors every day. 📞 Our emergency team are here 24/7 over the holiday season. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to call our friendly team on 1300 385 874. 🍫 Please remember to keep the Christmas treats away from your pets! 🙏 If you are visiting VRH during the holiday season, your kindness and patience is appreciated. A special thanks to our incredible team working through Christmas and New Years! ✨
Thanks to our wonderful veterinary colleagues for their attendance at last week’s Oncology and Surgical seminar! 👏🏻 👩⚕️ Specialist oncologist Dr Claire Cannon, spoke about the various options for Mast Cell Tumour management and treatment. Later in the evening, Surgical Registrar Dr Jana Kolichis, discussed the surgical treatment involving skin flaps. We hope to see you at our next seminar night! ☺️
🌟 SURVIVING SEPSIS SEMINAR 🌟 What an incredible night! 🥳 Thank you to all who attended and supported our incredible team. We hope you found the session informative and interesting. 🙏 Thank you to our wonderful VRH team of speakers, organisers and facilitators. 🔈 Shout out to Brownstone Micro Brewery for hosting us. ❗️Stay tuned for more educational nights.
Snapshot of a day at VRH 📸 #vrh #veterinary #vet #veterinarian #vetnurse #referral #surgery #medicine #neurology #behindthescenes #snapshot
Come perform surgical skin preparation with us! 👏🏻 #surgery #specialist #referral #skinprep #vet #veterinarian #veterinary #vetnurse #aseptic #vrh
🐱Archie the cat was presented to our Emergency service when his family noticed that he did not have his usual appetite, was a bit more lethargic than normal, and that he had vomited a couple of times at home. 🏥 He was admitted to hospital for sedation (as Archie is a particularly spicy kitty) in order to run diagnostic tests such as blood work and abdominal radiographs (xrays) to further investigate. 🩻 Archie's bloodwork did not give any clues as to the cause of his lethargy and vomiting. However, when he had radiographs performed, it was revealed that he had something foreign within his stomach (green arrow) that was causing an obstruction in his gastrointestinal tract! Archie was placed on IV fluids, and given medications to make him feel more comfortable, while the team decided on what the next step forward in his plan was. 👩⚕️ Archie was taken to exploratory-laparotomy (surgery!) with ECC vet Dr. Cristina, where he had a gastrotomy to remove 11 hair ties from his stomach! 🧐 However, this wasn't the end of Archie's woes, as he also developed a urinary tract obstruction (likely due to the stress of being unwell and in hospital), so he needed to have a urinary catheter placed and his bladder flushed ahead of his recovery. After looking closer through his medical record, this was not the first time Archie had seen Dr. Cristina in emergency, as he had a visit with her back in 2019 - for potentially eating a hairtie (which thankfully did not cause an obstruction that time!). 👏🏻 Archie had a smooth recovery from his anaesthetic, and was sent home with a plan to aid his stress and recovery at home. After discharge, Archie's owners have reported that he has been doing well, he was eating and urinating normally and that all hair ties have been removed from the house!
Happy Halloween! 🎃 #halloween #vrh #celebrate #decorate #enjoy
How long does it take a to organise a group photo? 😆 #gxsymposium2022
Happy Vet Nurse Day! ❤️❤️❤️
Meet Lottie. She’s a 4 year one Bernese Mountain Dog belonging to one of our nurses. 🤒 Last week Lottie became acutely unwell developing severe lethargy and hemorrhagic diarrhoea. She stopped eating and had changes on her blood work. Under the care of our wonderful Emergency Team, Lottie was hospitalised. Dr Aaron performed a CT scan and we found something! 🫣 🌽 A corn cob 🤦🏻♀️ The last time there was corn in the household was 2 weeks prior, so the assumption is she much have consumed it then! Although present, the cob was not causing an obstruction and Lottie was not showing classic signs for obstruction, such as vomiting. The following day she was transferred to our Medicine Team where Specialist Dr Lucia Yu planned to attempt removal via endoscope. With assistance from the nursing team and Anaesthetist Dr Eleanor Holden, the procedure was a SUCCESS! 🥳 Immediately post recovery Lottie began eating for the first time in 3 days. She was discharged that afternoon and has continued to gain strength and is now fully recovered 🥰 Lottie’s story highlights the danger of corn cobs and that dogs will really eat anything. #bernese #bernesemountaindog #corncob #emergency #medicine #endoscope #lucky #recovery #vrh #anaesthesia #vet #veterinarian #vetnurse
🏥 We try and perform locoregional anaesthesia whenever we can for our patients because it is an important component of a complete analgesic plan. Here is our anaesthetist Dr Eleanor Holden is performing an ultrasound-guided local block called an ESP (erector spinae plane) block for a patient undergoing spinal surgery. 👩⚕️ 💉 We are depositing local anaesthetic between muscles where the nerves are found so they can be blocked, and the area becomes desensitised (or numbed). This also means we can use less of other pain medication like opioids that can make some patients a bit nauseous or a bit off their food. Our specialist anaesthetists are always utilising different ways to provide the best pain relief to our patients 😊
THANK YOU to all who donated to our Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser ☕️ We had an excellent spread of goods in the hospital whilst raising funds. An extra thank you to team Oncology for leading this cause 🙏 There’s still time to donate! https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/vrhonco/biggest-morning-tea-vic?show-donation=true&utm_source=QR_code_donate&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=abmt2020
MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎄 🎅🏻
🎃 Happy “Howl-o-ween”! 🎃 Here at VRH we love to celebrate, and our pets do too! Each of our departments have covered the hospital with their spookiest decorations and baked up some delicious masterpieces. Our staff pets have also joined in the fun, showing off their costumes 😆 ❗️On a serious note, Halloween can be a very dangerous time of year for our pets. There may be people opening your front gates and letting your pet out onto the street, and of course all the chocolate and sweets that may be easily accessible. 🍭 Chocolate and sweets are very poisonous to our furry friends. Please ensure your pet is kept safe if you have visitors this weekend and keep all those goodies far away from them! Show us your costumes below ⬇️ If your pet does eat something they shouldn’t, or encounters an emergency, we are here to help. 📞 1300 385 874 📍 36 Lonsdale St, Dandenong 💡 Open 24/7 for emergencies
Groomfinity Grooming Competition
Bennet Street
