Calm Pet Vet

24/10/2024

It's nearly here!!!
Melbourne Dog Clinic open TOMORROW - and we're consulting there in Veterinary Behaviour on Friday 22nd November, so get in quick to book an appointment 😘
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23/10/2024

📣 Exciting news! 📣
EDIT: Friday 22ND November!
Thanks to , Dr Channy can now offer Fear Free in-clinic behaviour consults at the Camberwell site - contact us to schedule your appointment!
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14/10/2024

Current feels 🤣

*Feline inclusive! 🐱

13/10/2024

If you can teach a bear this, why are we still forcibly restraining pets in practice?
Go Fear Free Pets CattleDog Publishing - The Legacy of Dr. Sophia Yin low stress all the way
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13/10/2024

Exciting news!!
While we may have been a bit quiet lately, that's because we've been building some great connections with like-minded businesses & organisations. Calm Pet Vet is proud to announce that Dr Channy will be consulting out of Melbourne Dog Clinic one day per month towards the end of the year
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Contact us to schedule your appointment

11/10/2024

Tomorrow marks two weeks away from our opening date so, with that in mind, we are EXCITED to announce the second of our three Partnerships. The Calm Pet Vet, Dr Channy, will also be working out of Melbourne Dog Clinic.

With over 12 years experience, Dr Channy has been counselling pet owners and Veterinarians alike on the benefits of understanding animal behaviour.

As a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists within the Behaviour Chapter, they are one of only a handful of Veterinary Behaviour Counsellors in Victoria. 

Dr Channy will offer counselling sessions with clients one day a month beginning at the end of November. Visit our website link for more info.

Veterinary Pet Counselling aims to help support pets with problem behaviours through any combination of evidence-based management, medication & modification or training. 🐾

05/10/2024

Pet Perspective nails it - there are ZERO reasons why we should ever reach for a shock/e/"vibration" collar. Period.

It's that time of year when snakes are more active in Australia. The best way to avoid pets getting bitten is prevention.
- Keep grass short and gardens tidy.
- Block holes that snakes may use to access your home.
- Use rat (and snake) -proof chicken sheds and compost bins.
- Use a snake proof house-yard or dog-run outdoors on rural properties, or keep pets indoors when you can't supervise.

If you walk your dog off leash or on longlines through the bush, or areas where snakes are likely to be present, then you may consider 'Snake avoidance training'. This can be taught using positive reinforcement for a behaviour like "When you see a snake, return to me and nudge my leg with your nose". There is no need to use shock, force or fear.

Regardless of what training and prevention program you put in place, snake bites can still happen. Know the signs of snake envenomation (dogs may show one or more of these signs):
- Sudden weakness followed by collapse (even if the pet then seems to recover)
- Shaking or twitching of the muscles
- Vomiting
- Dilated pupils
- Blood in the urine
- Weakness or paralysis
If you see any of these signs, bring your pet into your veterinary clinic immediately.

If you find your pet with a snake and the pet may have been bitten, then have them checked by the vet just in case. Don't try to capture or kill the snake.

Pet health insurance is worth considering as snake envenomation can be life-threatening and often requires extensive treatment including anti-venom and hospitalisation.

18/09/2024

No breed needs a heavy hand 💜

17/09/2024

Dr Channy is speaking on Fear Free euthanasia November 2nd at the online AVPCAC conference, among a line up of other amazing topics, from welfare and ethics to dentistry and self compassion. Follow 🔗 in bio for more details and tickets!
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AVPCAC aims to develop and support best end-of-life care practices within veterinary medicine, encourage cross discipline interaction between veterinarians and allied health practitioners to improve patient outcomes, and be a source of practical advice for veterinary practitioners looking to increase their clinical skills in this area.

AVPCAC also endeavours to openly encourage conversations about death and bereavement within the veterinary and animal health field 🌻

11/09/2024

Indeed - tired can look like a lot of things! The trick is to not over do training. Fewer reps with better technique 😘

22/08/2024

Common responses to uncomfortable situations in all animals (including humans) can include (but not limited to) the 5 F's;

Fight
Flight
Freeze
Fiddle
Fawn

Recognising the signs of emotional or physical discomfort is a responsibility all caregivers share, although so many folks are unaware of how to read their pet's body language. Trust your CERTIFIED, FORCE FREE professionals (trainers & veterinarians) to help you navigate learning this new language.

Following accounts such as Companion Animal Psychology , R+Dogs Jersey & Co and ChirrupsandChatter are beneficial, as they post about evidence-based behaviour in pets.

If your trainer or veterinary professional recommends anything forceful, aversive or abusive (including prong collars, electric fence collars and choker chains), RUN. There are a million better ways to help address problematic behaviour without scaring or hurting your pet!

Feel free to contact us about any problematic behaviour from your pet. If we can't help or the problem is not medical, we can at least direct you to an appropriate source of support 💜

Behaviors that demand patience, not punishment.

22/08/2024

The facts on these tiles are everything!!! We love R+Dogs and their informative posts. Definitely worth a follow! 😘

21/08/2024

Would you believe Calm Pet Vet has been operational for TWO YEARS??!!?? Two years of helping caregivers understand their pets' problematic behaviour and strengthening the human-animal bond.
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We have been all over Australia, consulting, speaking and studying Veterinary Behaviour Medicine, collaborating with skilled trainers, as well as Dr Channy successfully sitting their Membership exams to the ANZCVS.
What a 2 years it's been!
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We are currently out of office until Sept 16th 2024, but still available for enquiries and remote consults 🌻

04/08/2024

We love this!

24/07/2024

We LOVE Cooperative Care!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 well done Pixel and Friends 💜💜💜

22/07/2024

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Instead of asking, “How do I get my dog to obey me?” we should ask, “Is my dog happy?” and “How can I make them happier?”

18/07/2024

Out of Office! Summit was super privileged to hear from .palipana , and carers Pablo and Geret about trauma recovery, gratitude and human connection.
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TVK Summit 2024 is a diversity, equity and inclusion conference for the veterinary profession including techs, nurses and students. We're discussing moments acheived, current DEI climate & discrimination in practices, vet schools and also the research space, and where we want to go in the next 18 months.
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The Calm Pet Vet is committed to ensuring from inception that we are the safest, most inclusive & thriving work environment. We volunteer our time & resources to NFPs like TVK and who share our values of justice, opportunity for all and progress. We don't just talk, we walk.

12/07/2024

Does your dog love their ball, or are they addicted??

08/07/2024

Set your home up correctly to meet your cat's needs! 😸

How to set your house up for your cat. Do you provide these five things that your cat needs?

03/07/2024

Renee from R+Dogs nails it every time!! 🥹

27/06/2024

Pretty kitty Lilly the senior came in for a blood test with Dr Channy at
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HOW DID WE DO IT?
😸 Some happy drugs before her appointment to avoid fear, anxiety and stress (FAS) from the carrier & car trip
😸 Bringing some comforting smells from home, with sprayed 15min before go-time
😸 Allowing Lilly to come out of her cage in her own time (took less than 5 minutes) rather than pulling or tipping her out
😸 Letting Lilly acclimate to our smells and touch on the consult table in our CAT-ONLY room, and plenty of before we handle her
😸 Simply having 2 litter trays (one covered, one open) for her to relieve herself if appropriate
😸 Quiet environment, no slamming doors, loud laughter / conversations and calming cat music playing
😸 Plenty of TREATS (.aus Creamy Treat and and a )
😸 Keeping Lilly and her mum together, NOT taking Lilly "out the back" for reassurance
😸 Touch gradient (chest, neck & shoulders first is polite)
😸 Gentle restraint WITHOUT towel wraps or anything to stop Lilly from running away - we simply guided her chin up with two fingers
😸 Quiet clippers & numbing cream
😸 Brand new needles every time (sharper = less pain)
😸 Good knowledge of anatomy to be able to easily identify the vein and successfully collect blood with minimal attempts
😸 Recommending that Lilly's carrier stay out as part of the furniture ALWAYS, with a comfy bed, nice location (in the sun!) to make it another bed / igloo in the house

As you can see, lots of small changes add up and make a BIG difference to the experience of our patients and their caregivers. Lilly is likely to need another blood test in a month or so; by giving her a pawsitive experience now, that will make our job easier next time 😽

Reminder to self: Film procedure next time!! 😆

26/06/2024

YES!
Anthropomorphism is not a dirty word, it has transformed our thinking, understanding and empathy, especially with pets with big feelings 🥹

For decades, the concept of anthropomorphism—attributing human characteristics to dogs—was met with scepticism among dog trainers, behaviourists, and other professionals. It was considered an unscientific approach that could mislead our understanding of canine behavior and needs. However, with a...

25/06/2024

Who/what is the Calm Pet Vet?

I thought I should reintroduce us as it's been a while!

I'm Dr Channy (she/they) and I'm an Australian Behaviour Veterinarian!
After spending over a decade in GP practice, implementing Fear Free techniques into veterinary teams across Naarm (Melbourne), my love for behaviour and supporting pet's mental health needs lead me to sit my exams to obtain Membership to the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists. No stranger to a media op, I have also been public speaking as long as I can remember and deliver presentations, training and workshops to veterinary teams and caregivers. Calm Pet Vet is the manifestation of a dream I once thought would never be a reality!
I am currently looking at options and logistics (and cost! 😳) of doing a residency in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine to become a fully fledged Specialist. Watch this space...

Outside of studying veterinary psychiatry, I do a LOT of lived experience advocacy work for the veterinary profession, volunteering with the and The Veterinary Kaleidoscope as well as upskilling frequently with The Equality Project - Australia . I work one day a week with the University of Melbourne to help expand in their veterinary curriculum.

NONE of this would be possible without the tireless support of my AMAZING husband who keeps the business running behind the scenes, writes clever computer integrations to make my life easier and is my rock in all the chaos. He just rolls with whatever I schedule and is the world's best ally to this

Together, we are Calm Pet Vet!

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