Peninsula Vet Emergency & Referral Hospital

20/10/2025

Say Hello to Dr. Christine Lovatt – Our New Head of ECC! 🚨

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Christine Lovatt as the Head of our Emergency & Critical Care Department here at Peninsula vet Emergency & Referral Hospital! 💚

Christine is a specialist in emergency and critical care, and as Head of Department, combines expert clinical skills with leadership, mentorship, and innovation. She oversees the care of our critically ill patients, guides our talented vets and nurses, develops advanced protocols, and ensures our hospital runs smoothly even in the most high-pressure moments.
Christine is also passionate about teaching and research, helping our department grow while delivering the best care to pets in need. 🐱🐶

Join us in welcoming Christine to our team!

➡️ Read more about Christine and our entire team of specialists, registrars, and residents across ECC, medicine & surgery — here for you and your pets 24/7, 365 days a year:
https://penvetreferral.com.au/meet-the-team/

16/09/2025

🚨 Only 4 places left! Saving Dogs’ Legs From Cancer – Enrolling Now for October 🚨

This October, Peninsula Vet Referral Hospital is partnering with world-leading physicists and researchers to deliver synchrotron radiation therapy – a beam brighter than the sun 🌞 – giving dogs with distal limb soft tissue sarcoma the chance to keep their legs and live longer, healthier lives. 🐾

👉 Vets: if you or your clients have a dog that may be eligible, please reach out today.

🔗 penvetreferral.com.au/saving-limbs-changing-lives

10/09/2025

Your pet might not say much, but they notice how you feel. 💛 Today, take a moment to check in on a friend – and maybe give your furry companion an extra cuddle too. RUOK?

01/09/2025

Part-time or Full-time Experienced ECC Nursing Role!
Mix of evenings, nights & weekends | Leadership pathways available.

Bring your ECC experience and make a real impact, delivering hands-on, around-the-clock care for patients and their families. Be the eyes, ears, and hands of our vet team, and know the work you do truly matters.

💡 We don't just value our nurses, we showcase them. Tune in this Wednesday, 3rd September, to our VetWrap Podcast: “Life as an ECC Nurse” featuring Annabelle Tribe, ECC Nurse Team Leader (pictured), hosted by Jess Austin, Referral Surgery Nurse Team Leader. 👩‍⚕️➕👩‍⚕️

27/08/2025

👩‍⚕️ Spotlight on Dr Eleanor Woolley
🛣️ The Road to Specialisation

Becoming a veterinary specialist takes years of dedication. It requires exceptional skill, extensive supervised training, and passing a rigorous set of examinations.

For most vets, the journey involves:
🔹 A Bachelor of Science or Agriculture (3 years)
🔹 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (4 years)
🔹 Internship (1 year)
🔹 Residency training program under board-certified specialists (3 years)

Having now completed her surgical residency, Elee is a registrar, and currently preparing to sit her specialist exams. 📚

From helping pets walk again after spinal surgery to performing complex tumour removals and skin & reconstructive procedures, Elee brings precision, compassion, and innovation to every patient.

She’s also part of our Saving Dogs’ Legs Clinical Trial 🐕 — research exploring the use of synchrotron radiation to treat a range of canine cancers.
Read more about the trial and catch Elee in the podcast! https://penvetreferral.com.au/saving-limbs-changing-lives/ 🎧

21/08/2025

🐾 Say hello to Zeppelin – at 83 kg, this big-hearted St Bernard is still a lap dog. 💕

Pictured here on his owner’s lap before admission, Zeppelin came in for a laparoscopic gastropexy (to help prevent a dangerous condition known as GDV, or “bloat”) and a castration.

💡 Why gastropexy?
Large and giant breed dogs, like St Bernards, are at higher risk of GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus) – a life-threatening emergency where the stomach twists. A gastropexy tacks the stomach to the abdominal wall, preventing this twist and greatly reducing the risk of GDV.

By performing the surgery laparoscopically (keyhole), we minimise pain, discomfort, and recovery time, a small step with a big impact on long-term health.

📞 Do you have a large breed dog? Call us to see if we can help!

P.S. Zeppelin’s procedure went smoothly. 🤗

20/08/2025

👨‍⚕️ Spotlight on Dr Alasdair Renwick — one of just two board-certified small animal orthopaedic specialists in Australia — and the only one in Victoria!

Alasdair is dedicated solely to orthopaedics, and he wholeheartedly loves what he does. From advanced surgeries to trusted second opinions, he helps pets with complex bone and joint problems when standard surgical options aren’t enough.

His focus is always the same: getting pets moving comfortably again. 🦴

Having spent over a decade in general practice, Alasdair understands the importance of working closely with family vets to ensure every patient gets the right care at the right time.

🔗 Discover what drives Dr Alasdair Renwick and what makes our Specialist Orthopaedic Service unique:
https://penvetreferral.com.au/specialist-orthopaedic-service/

📞 For enquiries or referrals, call us on (03) 5979 9600

19/08/2025

🦴 True walking proof of innovation in action! We’re rewinding the clock to one of our favourite orthopaedic highlights — because some solutions deserve a second look! 👀

👉 Head to our website to learn more about Alasdair, our Orthopaedic Service, and what makes us different.
🔗 https://penvetreferral.com.au/specialist-orthopaedic-service/

Navy, the French bulldog, had a very complex fracture of the humerus (fracture of the upper arm bone), and it was highly likely that he would require a limb amputation. However, much to his owner's delight, the amputation never took place.

The turning point for Navy was when his vet referred him to Dr Alasdair Renwick, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, who utilised two tiny implants perfectly tailored for the French bulldog to save his leg.

"We are one of only a few hospitals in Australia using breed-specific implants, an option for humeral fractures in French bulldogs and spaniels." Said Dr Alasdair.

Navy is Alasdair's first patient to receive the new technology. Alasdair performed a practice surgery on an exact model of Navy's humerus bone, similar to the one pictured below, which we had 3D printed, so Alasdair could ensure Navy's leg was fixable before going ahead.

"I'm excited to share with the community Navy's great results. Due to the complexity of the fracture, he will always have a slight limp, but it has been wonderful to save his leg and see him happily trotting around the hospital at his three-month check-up."

If your pet has a complex fracture, speak to your vet about a referral to Dr Alasdair or call us.

13/08/2025

💙 Sometimes the best recovery starts with a warm lap and a gentle hug.

Yuki, the gorgeous 7-year-old Dachshund, was still a little drowsy after his CT scan today, and he chose the perfect recovery spot — curled up at the computer with Senior Surgery Nurse Nikki for some well-deserved cuddles.

His scan was to investigate a complex oronasal fistula — a hole in the roof of his mouth caused by a foreign body that just isn’t healing. Now that we’ve assessed him, we can get Yuki on the road to feeling much better. 💙

11/08/2025

Pugtato has some exciting news…
He’s the first pug to be part of a groundbreaking clinical trial of a toxin injection treatment “Snoretox” to improve BOAS “Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome“ and he’s now two week post injection day and his exercise tolerance and breathing has already substantially improved….
Dr Arthur at Peninsula Vet Emergency & Referral Hospital along with RMIT University Principal Investigators and the SnoreTox (modified Tetanus) team saw Pugtato yesterday and are all pleased with Pugtato’s improved breathing…

Dr Arthur again performed the trot test which Pugtato was no longer lagging behind like he did pre Snoretox injection day and he is no longer making really horrible sounds nor huffing and heaving…
Blood tests were again done..
Pugtato thought everything was fun…

Another check up in two weeks…
And we will continue on with daily videoing and record keeping the clinical trial team has asked us to keep…

Two weeks in this tox seems to be working which from our point of view…
Will be groundbreaking for dogs that BOAS surgery isn’t an option for or the dog has undergone gold standard BOAS surgery but their breathing is still compromised and there really is nothing else that even the most amazing surgeon can do…

Pugtato has lost 7kg+ and undergone gold standard BOAS surgery which helped him but he has high grade laryngeal collapse, causing horrible sounds when excited, snoring and heat, humidity and exercise intolerance as well…
Two weeks ago Pugtato’s blood, urine and general health was assessed along with his BOAS grading too…

Dr Arthur used the Brachy box along with Trot Test to help with airway obstruction grading…Pugtato under general anaesthetic and Dr Arthur & the Pen Vet Team performed a head CT on him…
Once the head CT scan was finished Dr Arthur, with the help of Snoretox’s Dr Tony, then carefully injected Snoretox (modified Tetanus) into both sides of the muscle under Pugtato’s tongue to hopefully cause tightening of the muscle and therefore pull the tissues/muscle/mouth structure forward in turn opening the airway up…
Pugtato then was then recovered and told he was a good pup..

Pugtato ###

👉🏻 INFO ON SNORETOX: https://snoretox.com/