Peninsula Vet Emergency & Referral Hospital

25/06/2025

🔪 Surgical Complications: The Unspoken Truth Every Vet Should Hear
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In our latest Vet Wrap episode, Dr. Arthur and Dr. Chris tackle one of the most challenging and least talked-about topics in veterinary medicine: surgical complications — how to handle them, talk about them, and grow from them.

It’s Dr Chris’s farewell episode! Watch it now:

You Tube: https://youtu.be/KCEzWuZJd0E

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/59UrKGVhypyv4x0ZBvp2Jk?si=HY7yxcmxRXSOH1G3n84nfA

Vet Education Hub (exclusive for vet and nurse subscribers): https://penvetreferral.com.au/vets-login/
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23/06/2025

Last night, we spotlighted Dr Alasdair—now, meet his patient Bronte! She and her family travelled from South Australia twice to see Alasdair—each visit for a total hip replacement, performed eight weeks apart.

With a tail that never stops wagging. You’d never guess behind her playful personality, she was quietly suffering from severe hip problems.

Her condition was first noticed incidentally during a visit to a specialist vet for an unrelated issue. A clicking sound in her hips raised concern. Once it was brought to their attention, her family started noticing she moved differently—walking and running with an unusual gait. X-rays confirmed her hips were spontaneously dislocating.

“In dogs like Bronte, if hip replacement is delayed too long, the surgery can become much more difficult and the risk of complications increases significantly,” said Alasdair. “Given the likely lifelong pain and loss of mobility she faced, we decided to proceed with hip replacement on both sides.”

With two new hips and a whole lot of healing behind her, Bronte is back doing what she loves—without pain.

“She’s already going for walks and showing absolutely no signs of discomfort,” says her mum.

We’re incredibly grateful to Bronte’s family for going the distance—literally and emotionally—to give her the best chance at a pain-free future. And to Dr Alasdair, for making that possible.

Here’s to Bronte—hipper than ever 🐾

👉 Learn more about Dr Alasdair Renwick and our Specialist Orthopaedic Service:
penvetreferral.com.au/specialist-orthopaedic-service

22/06/2025

As part of the AO VET global faculty, Dr Alasdair Renwick teaches orthopaedics to surgeons around the world — and brings that same world-class expertise to support local GPs and their patients.

We’re proud to share that Alasdair was once again invited to teach at the prestigious AO VET Principles of Small Animal Fracture Management and Advanced Techniques in Small Animal Fracture Management courses — this time in Bangkok.

Alasdair is one of only two board-certified small animal orthopaedic specialists in Australia, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have him here at our Mornington hospital.

He brings not only exceptional care to his patients, but also valuable support to referring GPs — offering open, trusted communication, second opinions, and guidance on imaging or management without always needing a formal referral. Having spent 11 years in general practice himself, he understands the pressures GPs face and works closely with them to ensure their patients receive the right care at the right time.

His ongoing role with the AO Foundation reflects the high standard of care he delivers — both to his patients and the veterinary community.

👩‍⚕️🐶 Vets — if you’re interested, Alasdair will be teaching both a Principles and Master's course in Brisbane this August. Spots are filling fast — search AO Vet Brisbane to register! He will also be heading up our next CPD Night in October - watch this space. 👀

🔗 Learn more about Alasdair and our orthopaedic services: https://penvetreferral.com.au/specialist-orthopaedic-service/

19/06/2025

Sharing insights you won’t hear every day. These upcoming Vet Wrap Podcast episodes are honest, thought-provoking, and essential listening for every vet.

👨‍⚕️ The Unspoken Truth About Surgical Complications – 25th June
With Dr Arthur and Dr Chris – and yes, it’s Dr Chris’s farewell episode. Don’t miss it.

💊 Why Vets Need to Rethink PPIs – 9th July
Dr Kathryn Hogan (Internal Med Registrar) joins Dr Arthur House to shed light on when PPIs really help—and when they don’t.

🎧 Available soon on Spotify, YouTube and our Vet Education Hub.

🔗 Hit follow and subscribe, so you never miss an episode.

11/06/2025

Two years ago, we launched our Vet Education Hub to support ongoing learning within the veterinary community, and now, 500+ vets and nurses have joined us! With 40+ educational videos (and growing), there's never been a better time to dive in.

💡 Revisit where it all began with our Five Tips in Five Minutes series — quick, practical insights across ECC, Medicine & Surgery, tailored for busy vets.

👉 https://penvetreferral.com.au/vets-login/

Join the 500+ already learning with us — and here’s to the next 500!

Free to subscribe for vets and nurses.

10/06/2025

This month, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Dr Chris. While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly proud and excited for what lies ahead in this next chapter of his career as he moves into a new role as Head of Surgery.

Dr Chris began his journey with Peninsula Vet Care as a GP in 2010, and went on to bring to life the vision of our Emergency & Referral Hospital, which opened in 2018. Under the mentorship of Dr Arthur House, Chris completed his residency and successfully passed his fellowship exams last year, becoming a board-certified specialist in surgery.

Beyond his clinical excellence, Chris has been an integral part of our vet education hub, from our "Five Tips in Five Minutes" series and live-narrated surgery videos, to the more recent launch of our Vet Wrap podcast. His passion for sharing knowledge has left a lasting impact on both our team and the wider veterinary community.

Now, as a specialist and educator, Chris is spreading his wings. We couldn’t be prouder of everything he’s achieved, and all that is yet to come.

To someone who has given so much to Peninsula Vet Care, our patients, and our profession — thank you, and we wish you nothing but the very best.

From the entire team at Pen Vet 💙

08/06/2025

05/06/2025

Known as the Breathing Box, or Brachy Box as we like to call it — whole-body plethysmography is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that helps us measure how well a dog is breathing, specifically upper airway function in brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, Frenchies, and Pugs.

It provides a BOAS Index, a numerical score indicating whether a dog’s breathing is normal, or affected by mild, moderate, or severe airway obstruction.

Used alongside a full clinical exam, history, and exercise testing, it helps guide decisions, such as whether surgery is needed, or how effective previous treatment has been.

Watch the full video to see how this technology is helping us make more informed decisions, one breath at a time — and to hear about the breed organisations that made it all possible: , , and .

🔗 https://youtu.be/9zad1L36Xjs

02/06/2025

What a night! 🐾✨
Our Small Animal Essentials CPD evening was a huge success—thank you to everyone who joined us! From insightful sessions on brachycephalics, renal care, pain scoring and critical updates in veterinary practice, to swag bags and a buzzing welcome function—it was a full house with smiling faces all around.

Special thanks to our brilliant speakers and the amazing vet and nurse community who make events like this so rewarding.

Swipe through for some of the smiling faces who made the night so special, and stay tuned for more coverage of the fantastic content covered on the night!📸👇

28/05/2025

Turn up the volume — we haven’t enhanced the audio at all. What you’re hearing is the real difference in Theodore’s breathing after his LATE procedure with Dr Arthur House, our soft tissue surgery specialist.

🐾 Does your dog struggle to sleep? Still breathes heavily even after brachycephalic surgery? Snores loudly?

They may be the perfect candidate for LATE – Laser-Assisted Turbinectomy – a specialised procedure designed for flat-faced dogs with ongoing nasal obstruction.

Theodore and his mum travelled from Tasmania for the procedure, and it changed everything.

"After Theodore had the original BOAS surgery and still had horrible breathing, I didn’t think there was much hope for him. Very glad to have been proven wrong. We came up from Hobart and it was definitely worth it," says Theo’s mum.

🩺 What is LATE?
LATE removes excess nasal tissue (called turbinates) that blocks airflow in brachycephalic breeds like Frenchies, Pugs, and Bulldogs. It’s a precise laser technique that is:
• Minimally invasive
• Involves minimal bleeding
• Provides immediate improvement!

Now available at Peninsula Vet Emergency & Referral Hospital, LATE is a technique not widely offered in Australia – and it’s changing lives (and breathing) for dogs like Theodore.

🔗 penvetreferral.com.au/specialist-brachycephalic-dog-service
📞 Have questions about your dog’s health? We’re here to help. Call us today to book a consultation with Dr Arthur House and his team on (03) 5979 9600.