28/08/2025
Hello everyone,
Many of my clients and people close to me know that I was sitting my Fellowship exams earlier this month. This was the final step after six years of hard work gaining experience, doing coursework, research and studying books and papers related to veterinary behavioural medicine.
Veterinary behavioural medicine is a vast field, covering (in a nutshell):
Natural behaviours of all domesticated species as well as non-domesticated species commonly in human care
Understanding how and why behaviours differ in all species from an evolutionary perspective
Emotional neurophysiology and how it can vary between individuals depending on genetic and epigenetic differences
Behavioural presentations of illness and pain in a variety of species
Social and physical environment and its impact on behavioural development and current behaviour
How all species learn, both emotionally and cognitively
Sensory differences between species
Perception and how it is affected by experiences
Communication systems in various species of animals
Detailed knowledge on the use of medication for animals with behavioural problems
Understanding the importance of the human-animal bond
How human-animal interactions affect animals and humans
Using animal behaviour to assess welfare
Meeting animals’ behavioural needs, alongside other welfare parameters to improve welfare
So, I’m excited to say that I passed!
The journey has required a lot of time away from family, much fewer hours of sleep, and significant chronic stress, which is ironic, because I’ve spent much of the last 6 years studying the negative impacts of chronic stress!
I could not have done this alone. I would like to make some public acknowledgements :)…
My family, and firstly my husband Jules. Jules has been by my side this whole time, and every time I thought I wouldn’t make it, he would help me through, even though he was spending 3 to 4 days of the week as a single parent, while I was gaining experience working at the specialist centre. He stayed home as a parent while I jetted off to conferences and courses. My child, Frankie, now fully grown and more and more successful in studies and life every day, faced me in stress mode throughout adolescence and COVID lockdowns, but also helped at home looking after their younger brother. My son, John, has missed out on having me home for a lot of his childhood, and while other kids were heading off on family holidays, he was being cared for by his dad and sibling while his mum was away at a conference or course, or doing study rotation at a specialist practice to learn from specialists in other fields, such as internal medicine, dermatology, neurology, equine medicine, avian medicine, zoo animal medicine.
Bec Hogan. I honestly could not have made it without her. Almost 3 years ago, Jules told me I had to employ someone. I had planned to wait until after residency due to the long periods of no income on top of the costs of residency, but Jules was there to support me financially and saw that I needed help. I have never looked back. Bec does so much for me that she does more for me than I even understand. She is growing Animal Progress with me. She is integral and her values are so important. She has a very strong sense of how an animal experiences the world and works hard to get the best situation possible for the animal and caregiver. She takes on roles and suggests roles she can take on. She and I share a vision for the future in which we educate people so that animals have better lives and better health.
My clients, who have taught me so much through their unique bonds with their pets, and through their own life experiences and knowledge. My clients who will tell me their own instincts about their pets and let me run that through my mind with what I have learned from books and journal publications. We are always learning together.
To the wonderful primary care vets who work with me, and call me to discuss one of our mutual cases. I can learn if an animal needs an earlier revisit, and the veterinarian provides the veterinary investigation needed when I worry that there is an underlying physical problem that needs ruling out. I love it when we put our minds together and work towards a better outcome for the animal and their caregiver. Collaborating means better service and better welfare. We all have different strengths and skill sets.
To my fellow residents and my study group. You guys are my professional support. You are the only ones who truly understand. But you all also have your own journeys, and I am in awe of how you are each navigating it. Well done!
My mum, who always worries that I work too hard, and my dad, who worries that I worry my mum. I’m lucky to have such love and support. My sister, Kate, who always believes in me and supports me. I always know she is there. My brother and other friends who I miss because I have been on a 6-year journey that has flown past and I have missed seeing so many people from my life. In recent weeks, I have caught up with people and it has been wonderful. My husband, Jules, has been smiling a lot and saying, “it’s nice to have you back.”
The book club girls! Who support me and welcome me, although I’m almost never there!
Others need to be acknowledged but are less likely to read this and are receiving or have already received my gratitude separately, but I wanted to list them publicly: These include my mentors, other specialists in behavioural medicine and other fields that have helped me in my journey, sharing their knowledge, AVA and AVBM, CVE, VIN and my fellow consultants and Melbourne Polytechnic.
I’m sorry if there is anyone I missed. I’m still in a bit of relieved amazement that I passed and can look towards the future.
