Balwyn Central Vet Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Veterinary surgeon

Balwyn Central Vet Hospital

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9890 6071

Address: 35 Whitehorse Road 3103 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.balwyncentralvet.com.au

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25.01.2022 WE ARE OPEN The Australian Veterinary Association Victorian Division has advised : *Veterinary clinics remain an essential service. Veterinary clinics and related services are permitted to continue operating. *There are no restrictions on clients attending veterinary clinics even if the veterinary clinic is not within a 5km radius of their home. Seeking veterinary care is considered ‘health and care’ and is therefore exempt from curfew hours although appointments should... be made within curfew hours, with emergency consultations only outside curfew hours. * Metropolitan Melbourne residents are to avoid travelling further than 5kms from their home. However , For veterinary care or collection of supplies from a veterinary clinic, clients MAY travel further than 5kms. Proof of appointment can be texted to your phone * In Metropolitan Melbourne, only one person per household should be obtaining services or products with the exception of accompanying dependants (children or at- risk persons). *** NOTE: Veterinary clinics have pleasingly reported no COVID-19 infections across Australia. This is not by accident the workplace processes implemented and precautions taken in relation to infection control by all veterinarians and their staff has been exceptional.

23.01.2022 For the dog lovers Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong . Hold on tight to your best and loyal friends

22.01.2022 Case of the month: bladder stones case. Rudi, a dashingly handsome cavoodle with an underlying hear murmur presented to us with blood in his urine but seemed to be urinating without difficulty. No infection was detected. A follow up urine test after a very uncomfortable urinating episode 3 days later showed that blood was still present. We admitted him for an ultrasound which revealed stones in his bladder. Stones can be very uncomfortable and can lead to life threatening urinary obstructions. Cystotomy was performed( a procedure to surgically remove the stones) and Rudi is now stone free and back to his happy self. Rudi is now on a special urinary diet to help prevent stones from recurring and his owners are happy with his progress.

17.01.2022 definitely the case with us

17.01.2022 For the Cat lovers ..!! enjoy your day with lots of cuddles and playtime!

16.01.2022 something to brighten your day All cat lovers will have been through this thousands of times A new condition diagosed !

14.01.2022 A powerful photo of the week We promote Kindness through example and education

10.01.2022 A huge thank you to Michelle our wonderful client , her mum Mary and her knitter friends who donated all these lovely possum pouches for us This is the time of the year where many may fall off their trees or are orphaned

08.01.2022 ONLINE BOOKINGS NOW AVAILABLE! ( 24 hours) for the convenience of our clients Book via a link BOOK NOW on the WEBSITE or on the FACE BOOK Page Goes live On Sunday the 9th of August

05.01.2022 Vale Esme loyal Guide Dog ( delivered by Dr Elaine on Jan 10 2010 by caesarian ) She and her owner Cassandra paved the way for many other Guide and assistance dogs in Singapore She is a legend RIP Here as a pup with her twin sister Elaine

04.01.2022 GOODBYE TO AN ICON It is strange for me to be writing this article with feelings of both sadness and joy in my heart. Nevertheless, it is something which must ...be done. I have the solemn obligation to inform you that my retired guide dog, Esme, who paved the way for many guide dogs after her, and opened the hearts and minds of Singaporeans to what it means for a disabled person to lead an independent life, died yesterday, 21st August 2020 at 9pm. I am heartbroken, of course, because I will never stroke her fluffy head, twirl her floppy Labrador ears, or feel her strong body lean against mine ever again. I will miss her, so very much, more than any of my other dogs who have gone off to the rainbow bridge before her. I write with a flicker of joy, and a small smile on my face, because Esme is in a better place, no longer feeling pain, while I get to have so many fond memories of her. Esme was born on 1 January, 2010 at Guide Dogs Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. I heard from the start that Esme was quite the heartbreaker, stealing the limelight even as a few-months-old puppy. She was featured in the Australian news all decked out in a garland for the Guide Dogs Christmas party. Dr. Elaine Ong, who assisted at Esme’s birth took the laminated news clipping off her clinic wall and gave it to me some years ago. Esme was puppy raised in Somers near Mornington Peninsula by the Wilson family who shared with me that Esme was a mischievous little puppy; chewing up their coffee table, and sometimes having a mind of her own, sitting in protest instead of walking when she wanted to go home. I must say the beach life did rub off on her, as throughout her life, Esme loved to sunbath and would often creep out into the sun when I was hiding at the bus stop, seeking shelter from the scorching Singapore sun. After her time with the Wilsons in Somers she went back to Guide Dogs Victoria for training. I first met Esme on 6 November 2011 when I went to Guide Dogs Victoria for a month-long training. Although Esme was my 1st guide dog, it was obvious from the very beginning that we were a perfect match. Whilst I could tell from our very first walk together, that she would give me the much needed independence as a blind person, I only discovered the true mettle of our partnership and Esme’s leadership in the weeks, months and years to come. On one of our exercises, we were dropped off somewhere completely new in the Melbourne city center and we had to find our way back to the Parliament train station to meet up with our instructor Aaron Horsington. I was completely clueless on what I was doing as a new guide dog user, lost in a city I did not call home, and did not know that Aaron was behind me all the way. With poise and determination, Esme skillfully guided me back to the meeting point, weaving through people, outdoor seating at the cafes, across slip roads and major junctions, all without a falter in her step. Esme started to be a symbol to me, of what independence for a blind person really means. Gone were the days that I was pulled by my sleeve or the tip of my white cane or pushed in the direction of wherever people thought I should be going. Besides being my mobility aid, Esme is also quite a character. During those first weeks at Guide Dogs Victoria, whenever I stepped out of our room without her, she would jump up to my bed and lay in wait from a vantage point to throw my stuffed teddy at me the moment I came back. A cheeky dog when out of her working harness, Esme would be up to no good in the middle of the night when I was asleep, stealing facial cotton squares, and kidnapping my stuffed teddy into her bed. When we got back to Singapore in December of 2011, Esme and my human daughter became playmates. Every evening, my daughter would dress Esme up with princess dresses and Cinderella glass slippers. The ever-patient Esme would even accept a fairy wand or tiara from time to time. Over the 7+ years Esme was with me; she was an inseparable part of me; we were joined at the hip and did everything together. However, Singapore was not quite ready for the spectacle of a blind woman running all over town with a furry sidekick. To say public access was challenging in the early days was an understatement. I had a small dream then, that one day, maybe not in my lifetime, my beloved Singapore will welcome the disabled with their assistance dogs. Over the years, with Esme’s poise, patience, grit, confidence, and charm, we slowly brought about more awareness on the role of a guide dog. We went to schools, businesses, various government agencies and shared about how a guide dog can give a blind person independence, confidence and safety. And more importantly, they are very well-behaved and will not cause any disturbance. Our advocacy work together is the subject of my book A Place for Us published by Ethos Books, you can check it out at https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg//a-place-for-us-cassandra-ch. I am humbled to share that Esme stole the hearts of everyone she met, and some in Singapore feel that Esme was an icon of inclusion for the disabled. Over the years Esme has been my trusted sidekick in my advocacy for a truly inclusive world for the disabled. Esme was my co-presenter about disability in general in order to help people understand that the real handicap of disability is not a lack of any bodily function but a lack of proper education and empathy. Esme also guided me over thousands of kilometers across the world, taking every trip with poise and confidence whether it was to Myanmar, China, Japan, Australia, Europe, or the United States. She was an incredible traveler and always up for a challenge guiding me through new places. I often said Esme is ‘bomb proof’: nothing fazes her, not even indoor fireworks, fake gun shots at Universal Studios nor -35 degrees cold in Davos, Switzerland. Our last trip was from Houston Texas to San Francisco to Singapore, a 27.5-hour trip when she did not even need the bathroom once. On that trip, I realized that my trusted sidekick was ready for retirement. she was more interested in the homeless and the pigeons on the streets of San Francisco. In the weeks after our return, I realized that Esme was no longer able to find the bus stop near my office after a long day and was easily tired after a short walk. At the end of 2018, I made the painful decision to let the icon of inclusion, my trusted sidekick, my symbol of dignity enjoy life for a couple of years and be free to chase the pigeons, and finally enjoy all the ‘yellow sticks’ aka French fries she so craved but never indulged in during her working life. Esme’s career as a guide dog is a testament to the tremendous difference an assistance dog can make in the life of a disabled person. She is a symbol to me of what dignity means for someone who is blind. Esme guided me to safety with poise and confidence when I needed to go anywhere. I would not have the little professional success I have today if it were not for Esme. I cannot say enough about the incredible job she did. Esme’s career is a testimony to her trainer, Aaron Horsington, and the entire team at Guide Dogs Victoria who are very dedicated in bringing independence to those who are blind and vision-impaired. I also want to thank everyone, from near and far, that made our partnership possible, too many to name here, but you know who you are. THANK YOU. In April 2019, Esme was adopted by her boyfriend, a good friend of mine whom Esme would stay with from time to time when I could not take her with me on some trips. She moved from my home and care, to a familiar and loving family who pampered her like a queen deserves. Esme’s inner foodie was indulged, and for the first time in her life got a taste of all the human wonders she could not try during her working career. Esme made it noticeably clear that retirement suited her well. Over the next 16 months I saw Esme from time to time, and in late June, Esme, Elke, my current guide dog, and I had a good time running around the place, and rough housing around. I have fond memories of my 2 gals, Esme and Elke running after each other, across the hall giving no care to whatever was in their way. My only regret is that COVID took away so much from all of us, and I lost precious moments I could have had with Esme. On Tuesday 12th August, I received a call from Esme’s new family who shared that after returning from the groomers, she has suddenly developed a limp in her left hind leg, we decided to book her for hydrotherapy treatment thinking Esme might had fallen off the grooming table, or somehow sprained her leg. Over the next 2 days Esme appeared increasingly uncomfortable, panted a lot, and was very tired. Worrying that something was not right, we took her into the vet on 14th August, and after some ultrasound, x rays, and a full blood test, the news was grim. The vet reported that Esme has chronic avulsion in the bone of her leg, and a lump at the base of her pelvis, and the lymph nodes around the area are swollen. There was also elevated phosphorus and protein in her blood indicating something sinister. The vet sent Esme home with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain killers whilst he sent the reports off to an expert in the US for a second opinion. He called the next day with bad news: the expert in the US believes that the lump in Esme’s pelvis is malignant. We could not believe it, how can she be so normal one week, and have cancer the next? The vet was discussing stronger pain management options, and all I could think was morphine are for old dying dogs, not a 10-and-a-half-year-old Labrador. Esme’s new family and I decided to get a second opinion but were reluctant to have any invasive surgery to ascertain the extent of the cancer. We did not want to cause her more pain, a bone biopsy is unimaginably painful. My bomb proof dog was already suffering so much in silence; I can feel the tenseness of her body, and the labored breathing. Over the weekend, I sent the reports to Esme’s vet in Australia, Dr. Elaine Ong who assisted at Esme’s birth. I woke early Monday morning at 5am to a reply that things are bad, and that we should consider strong narcotics to help with the pain, and that she will consult with an expert in Melbourne. A few hours later, she wrote back with more bad news. The opinion from herself and the expert colleague is consistent with that of the vets in Singapore and the US. On 17th August, 4 different vets in 3 continents confirmed that Esme has neoplasia, believing it to be metastatic, which basically means cancer has spread. I was advised to give Esme her favorite foods and consider doing the humane thing. But, how could I? Since then, I have been visiting Esme every day except 1, and her situation got worse each day. She could hardly walk one day, panted more the next, and barely ate after that. It pained me to feed her 1 dog food kibble at a time, whilst she lay on her sides. Every other kibble would fall out the other side of her mouth. It used to take her all of 54 seconds to eat her entire dinner. Over the next few days, I gave her all her favorite foods like blue cheese and strawberries, and sometimes all she could stomach was a little nibble or lick. By Tuesday 18th August, not even a week since we took her to the doctors, things got really bad. Esme had not slept during the night and was very distressed, had diarrhea 10 times throughout the night. Resolute and ever considerate, she asked to go to the grass each time and never soiled the house. We took her to the vets the next day, and Esme was given more pain meds intravenously. I stroked her whilst they shaved a patch off her side and applied a fentanyl patch to give her stronger pain relief. Whilst we waited for the meds to kick in, I lay on the floor beside Esme, held her paw, and stroked her head till she finally fell asleep. That night, I chose to stay away, to give Esme and her new family privacy and time. When she returned home, she just lay there, not moving, not eating or drinking and involuntarily soiled herself. When she panted from the pain, we administered more pain jabs and pills. The humans agonized over whether it was time to end her suffering. I spent all Thursday and the night with Esme, lying next to her, holding her paw and stroking her head. I syringed isotonic and silver water into her mouth, rubbed globs of honey on her gums, and checked on her throughout the night. With a heavy heart, I left Esme on Friday morning, after giving her another pain pill. On Friday evening, Esme started bleeding internally, and was in visible pain despite the fentanyl patch, she was rushed to the vets’ and I met them there. Weakly, Esme wagged her tail and raised her head when she saw me. Over the next hour, we anguished whether to let Esme go, and eventually I nodded my consent. I cradled Esme’s head, held on to her paw and nuzzled her face whilst the vet did what she needed to do. I whispered my gratitudes, and kissed Esme all over her cheek and nose. I could not tell Esme enough how proud I am of her, and how much I love her. Esme rested her snout on my shoulder like she was giving me a hug, and licked my face before her heart stopped beating and she breathed her last. How can I possibly say goodbye to a dog who has done all Esme has done and who selflessly gave of her soul and spirit to be my symbol of independence and dignity, to be an icon who represents inclusion for the disabled? How can a mere few thousand words ever do justice to Esme’s life, work, and memory? Esme has been one of the greatest blessings and gifts I have ever had the privilege to have in my life. God surely broke the mold when Esme came into the world. Esme’s leadership in our advocacy made me a better person without a doubt. I am very grateful for the partnership we had and the many lessons she taught me. Esme touched everyone whom she met and I am sure everyone’s path she crossed is better for knowing her. She inspired us all to co-create a better world for everybody and will continue to do so. Over the past few months, together with some friends, I have started K9assistance, an organization founded to expand the understanding and acceptance of assistance dogs for the disabled. I had come to realize that whilst Esme and I paved the way for the guide dogs that came after her, other types of assistance dogs who are trained to help other types of disabilities do not enjoy the same understanding and acceptance from the public. You can head over to http://www.k9assistance.sg to find out more about the work we are doing. Your continual support to Esme’s legacy will be deeply valued. Madam Esme, your memory and legacy will always be with us and I know your spirit will continue to touch us all. I know you are watching and you are near us. Help us all to be better people, but most of all be your goofy self wherever you are. I know you are pain free now. Be at peace and know that we shall try to love each other as much as you loved each of us in our world. Cassandra Chiu Psychotherapist, Author, Social Advocate Chairman K9ASSISTANCE

03.01.2022 Meet Kendrick . Gorgeous French bulldog Puppy . He was born with a hiatal hernia . There is a defect in his diaphragm which means that his stomach gets trapped in the hole and causes his oesophagus to balloon ( megaoesophagus ) He could not eat food without regurgitating . Thankfully with his dedicated parents feeding him small amounts and upright plus holding him upright for half an hour after each meal, he is able to keep most of his food down . Little man will require major surgery to repair his hiatal hernia