Dr Caroline - ZenVet Holistic Therapies

24/10/2024

Dachshund lovers, are you coming?? I will be giving a talk at 10.50am at the Homestead, Tocal. See you all there!

15/10/2024

I really enjoy collaborating with Dr Ilona Hudson on Tuesdays at Noahs Ark in Medowie. We are a dynamic duo ☯️

👪 Bring the family...
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Now that the wonderfully skilled Dr. Caroline is working with us on Tuesdays, we were able to treat two of this adorable family of Golden Retrievers at once!
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Dr. Caroline is trained in acupuncture, TCM and animal biomechanical medicine and we are thrilled to have her on board.
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While Dr. Ilona treated Wally, Dr. Caroline took care of Lilly, who are both receiving treatment for issues related to illness as younger dogs.
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Contact us for more information about our services or to book an appointment
📞 (𝟎𝟐) 𝟒𝟗𝟖𝟐 𝟗𝟖𝟗𝟗
📩 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞@𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝.𝐜𝐨𝐦.𝐚𝐮

11/10/2024

Try Lyka - 50% Discount Off Your First Box
ZenVet Holistic Therapies is proud to be part of the Lyka Partner Program.
Lyka Pet Food is a minimally processed, natural pet food company delivering fresh, wholefood meals direct to customers. Lyka is Australian owned and Australian made with 85-95% of each recipe made from Australian ingredients, and they only use wild-caught, grass-fed and free-roam animals. Lightly cooking below 90°C helps preserve the nutrients your pup needs to thrive and allow their body to absorb as much of the goodness as possible.
Their 7 recipes are made using human-grade ingredients in their Sydney kitchen, frozen for freshness and delivered straight to your door in portions specific to your dogs needs.
To subscribe to their service, click the link below (the 50% discount will automatically apply), create a profile and answer a few questions so they can tailor make a plan for your animal. Select the recipes you'd like to try and they will be delivered to your door! Enjoy the benefits of Lyka without the commitment - skip a box, pause or cancel anytime - the subscription is 100% flexible for your convenience.
https://lyka.com.au/join/ZENVET

10/10/2024

🐾 Rehabilitation Journey 🐾

Meet our brave pup, Enki! 🌟 After being swiped by a car 5 months ago, he suffered a brachial plexus injury, which resulted in damage to the nerves down his left arm. Luckily he suffered no broken bones or brain damage. 🐶

✨ Rehabilitation: his loving family bring him for weekly laser, electroacupuncture and massage sessions. Enki is such a sweet boy - he just chills in my lap while the machine is working its magic.

✨ Patience and Positivity: Recovery takes time. We make sure to create a calm and encouraging environment, filled with love, patience, and lots of cuddles. 🥰

💖 We hope that with time and supportive care, anything is possible! If your furry friend is on a similar journey, know that you're not alone. Together, we’ll keep wagging tails and spreading positivity! 🐾💪

12/08/2024

My new online booking system allows you to make an appointment, change an appointment, cancel an appointment... so convenient!

You can also manage your animal's details, add a new furry family member to the portal etc.

Go to my website - www.zenvetholistic.com.au, click on the "online bookings" link and go from there.

09/08/2024

Did you know that we have the option to book your appointments online? You can click "book online" on my website to see our booking portal, locations, my availability, update your contact details, add a new animal, or check your upcoming reminders.

You can book in-person consults at both Pet Shop Boyz and Warners Bay and telehealth consultations, during business hours. For appointments after 4pm or any other appointment types, you'll need to contact me via text, email or phone.

Why don't you see if you can book your next appointment via the portal and let us know what you think?

06/08/2024

On Tuesdays I am working with Dr Ilona at Noah's Ark Veterinary Services at Medowie. To book in for a mobility consult, call the vet team on 49829899.

🐾 ɴᴜɢɢᴇᴛ 🐾
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Regular acupuncture and laser treatment with Move Unleashed keep nugget feeling and moving as good as he looks!

31/07/2024

🥦This morning, make sure you tune in to ABC Radio to catch me talking to Paul Turton at around 10.40am. This month I will be giving listeners some tips on how to quickly and affordably add real food to their dog and cat's diets, to optimise health and wellbeing.🐶

🎤Listen live on ABC Radio (AM 1233), through the ABC website (https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/newcastle-mornings) or via the ABC Listen app.

19/07/2024

PATIENT HIGHLIGHT - OREO🐾
Oreo is a 7 year old Brittany Spaniel. Oreo and her human are training for a 20km endurance test in August, where Oreo's human will ride a bike and Oreo will run next to her on a trail at a pace of approximately 10km/hr.
🐶Oreo has been coming to see me for pre-training treatment session to make sure she is in the best physical health to undertake this challenge. Oreo presented with some soft tissue tension in her back, which I treated using laser, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustment. Oreo will come to see me twice more before the test to prevent injuries and ensure she is fit for function, and then again after the trial to assist her recovery.
☯Pre-habilitation and rehabilitation techniques can be used to treat injuries and assist recovery, but treatment is also commonly sought for fitness in sporting dogs and or any dog needing to build fitness and prevent injury.🏆

19/06/2024

Arthritis Treatments 🦴💥
So you think your animal may have arthritis or mobility issues - what next?
It's important to keep our animals at a healthy weight, especially if they are slowing down and have mobility issues. Keep them moving, even if they're stiff (it's important to keep moving to stay strong and to move energy throughout their bodies) - even if it's just a slow walk down the street or in the yard. Speak to your vet about appropriate exercise modification to suit your animals condition.

There are a large range of options when it comes to treating arthritis in our animals. Some of the options we offer are:
• Acupuncture
• Laser therapy
• Physio/adjustment/physical rehab with Dr Caroline
• Supplements - PEA Powder, and Antinol (both available on our online store)
• Herbal, homeopathic and conventional medications, and CBD.
• Pentosan (cartrophen or synovan) injection which helps joint fluid
• Beransa Injection - newly available injection that neutralises nerve growth factor (NGF) that can show benefits in some animals. Beransa is for dogs only, but Solensia is the cat version of this drug. We stock both.
Get in contact to book a consult to discuss your dog or cats mobility or arthritis and how we can improve their quality of life!
Pictured here is the sweetest Peach (Ash's dog) getting an adjustment from Dr Caroline after her monthly laser and acupuncture.

29/10/2023

This is Nunsy, snoozing after his treatment 🐶. Nunsy comes to see me for regular laser treatments to help him with his mobility and arthritis, and he loves it 🐶

Laser is a great option for dogs (and cats) that don't like needles, like Nunsy.

The key benefits of laser treatments are:
✴️ Reduced pain and inflammation
✴️ Non-invasive and typically painless, making it a low-risk option
✴️ Improved joint mobility and range of motion
✴️ Minimal side effects and well tolerated by animals
✴️ Improved recovery from injury and surgery (e.g. knee, hip, elbow and IVDD)

12/10/2023

We'll be back soon! 🐾
Dr Kathy and Dr Caroline are away for a conference until Tuesday next week, so if we're slow to get back to you, please be patient! Please text, email or book online in case we can't get to your voicemail. Thanks for your support, as always!
Dr Linda is business as usual 💚

Beautiful Image by Lucy Pickett Illustration

21/09/2023

❓Did you know that at least ¼ of Dachshunds will be diagnosed with IVDD? 😥

🐶Disc disease is a genetic condition affecting the majority of Dachshunds, more than any other breed of dog. It is very distressing for dogs and owners when they become painful in the back and even paralysed! Often back surgery is presented as the only treatment option available, which has a huge financial cost💲and takes months to recover from 🤕.

❓ Did you know that studies show that electroacupuncture can improve the chances of a dog recovering from paralysis? ⚡Electroacupuncture can be used as the main treatment modality, or it can be used after surgery (hemilaminectomy) to improve recovery and patient outcomes. ☯️

💕Helping these dogs recover from incontinence, stand up and then take their first steps is truly and honour and a privilege.

19/09/2023

🐕 Congratulations to Secret, the Aussie Shepherd 🏆 She won 3 show titles over the weekend including Best of Breed🥇🥇🥇

Dr Caroline uses techniques in Animal Biomechanical Medicine to help dogs maintain peak physical fitness.

15/08/2023

Ex-racing greyhounds like Roger really benefit from cold laser therapy and acupuncture for their mobility and comfort. Old injuries, tensions and sore muscles can be soothed in a relaxing, nurturing space. As you can see, Roger is the ultimate Zen master, exploring a whole new level of relaxation 😴 ☯

10/08/2023

Great advice from our Behaviour vet, Dr Kathy Cornack 🐶

Dog Parks - Do's and Don'ts
A new off-lead dog park has just in Maryland so we thought it would be a great time to discuss dog parks in general. Dog parks can provide an opportunity for dogs to exercise off-lead without the risk of escaping, but we always recommend exercising caution as there are still many other risks.

🐾Do
• Supervise your dog at all times. Too often people get to chatting or scrolling their phone and aren't aware of what their dog and other dogs are doing.
• Consider whether your dog is a suitable candidate for an enclosed park with other dogs - are they timid, reactive or aggressive? Then a dog park probably isn't a good choice for them.
• Beware of other people bringing reactive and aggressive dogs to dog parks - this may be common sense to some, but it happens very often and fights/attacks are often heard of.
• Bring p**p bags, there may or may not be some available.
• Bring a portable water bowl or bottle and discourage your dog from using the public bowl as this could be a risk for disease.
• Practice your recall and collar grab frequently - in case of an incident or even just to move them away from a dog who isn't interested in them. Always keep these positive!
• Learn dog body language - this is a great tool for anyone with a dog, but reading their body language can help prevent frustration, unwanted interactions and fights.
✨Don't
• Don't bring your dog to the park if they are sick
• Don't bring a female dog who is in heat
• Don't allow your dog to mount/hump other dogs. Body block if necessary to communicate that is not acceptable behaviour.
• Be careful if bringing treats/food to the park - other dogs may follow you or show guarding or aggressive behaviour around food. This also applies to toys - use at your own discretion and remove if there are any dogs showing guarding or bullying behaviour.
• Don't let your dog crowd dogs entering the dog park. It's best to keep your dog away from the entrance to prevent them from crowding and overwhelming newcomers.
• Don't let play with other dogs get too rough or one-sided - pinning, chasing, nipping, barking, dominating - study your doggy body language!

Consider whether your dog actually likes the dog park. Sometimes dogs prefer the company of humans, or a small group of dogs they already know - perhaps they'd rather go on a long walk. If you notice that your dog doesn't interact positively with other dogs at the park or remains near you, they may not be enjoying it. Honour what their behaviour is telling you and consider taking them elsewhere for some special outdoor time.

21/07/2023

Great read from our newsletter about CBD. Book a consult to discuss how CBD can be added to your animal's treatment plan. 🌿

CBD Part 1: Are CBD and H**p the same thing?
🌿What is CBD?
Cannabidiols (CBD) are a group of powerful plant chemical obtained from the cannabis plant. There are many hundreds of different compounds in this group that are of interest for medical use in human and veterinary medicine. Interest in the use of these powerful substances has been growing in recent years and has become very topical. There are cannabis plants grown specifically for medical use which contain a different range of active chemicals to the cannabis plants grown for recreational use. The later have been selected to contain higher levels of THC, which then becomes activated to produce the high when the plants are heated. They are different but related plants.
Medicinal cannabis plants have been selected to contain a different profile of active chemicals. Dr Kathy often describes the medicinal cannabis plant as god's gift to medicine, as it has a myriad of clinical applications due to it's strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. There is no heat extraction, so no high.

🌿What’s the difference between CBD and h**p products?
H**p products are from the related h**p plant. Think h**p used as rope or for clothing. These plants are related to medicinal or recreation cannabis plants but are not the same. They have different characteristics and contain a different range of compounds. The main health benefits of H**p (typically oil or seed) are as a healthy fatty acid supplement. H**p products are being increasingly marketed as healthy treats for both humans and pets. While h**p may provide health benefits, it doesn’t contain CBD oil or the therapeutic benefits attributable to CBD oil. H**p seed oil is a good source of omegas and has health benefits of its own. H**p seed oil is not the same as CBD oil and does not offer the same therapeutic benefits. H**p products are almost exclusively a nutritional supplement.

🐾All our vets have extensive knowledge on medical cannabis. Talk to them at your next visit about how CBD might be able to help your animal. In our next newsletter we will discuss more details about medicinal cannabis: how to obtain it and its clinical uses.