1. You may call or text 02 9086 9130 to request an appointment. As you can understand if we are with a patient we are unable to answer calls but will get back to you as promptly as we can.
2. Request an appointment online by completing this form and one of our veterinarians will call you back to arrange the booking.

No, your pet will be sedated first so that they are asleep before the euthanasia procedure begins. The drug is an overdose of an anaesthetic agent. By sedating them prior to placing the intravenous catheter your pet will not feel any pain, anxiety or discomfort. They will simply go to sleep and after the euthanasia solution is administered death comes within 30 to 60 seconds.

It is an entirely personal decision and there is no right or wrong answer. Some families choose to stay for the sedation and step out of the room for the final euthanasia and return to say one final goodbye, others choose to stay from start to finish. We are happy to accommodate your preference and your veterinarian will be able to discuss this with you during the visit.

This is one of the most common and most difficult questions to answer. Ultimately we are wanting to avoid your pet from suffering. Depending on your pet’s condition it will guide us to what is the right time. We use quality of life scales and pain scales to assess how your pet is coping. In addition, you know your pet best and so assessing some of the following can help you identify when is the right time:

• Eating habits: are they wanting to eat? Or are they off their food and require syringe feeding or are loosing weight because they are unable to eat enough to maintain their body weight? Do they vomit whenever they eat?
• Drinking habits: Are they able to drink enough to keep hydrated? When they drink are they able to keep it down?
• Toileting habits: Are they able to go to the toilet normally? Are they able to move away from their urine or faeces if they have an accident? Have they developed incontinence and secondary urine scalding? Do they have ongoing diarrhoea?
• Breathing: What is their breathing like? Are they coughing constantly or struggling to breath? Do they get out of breath very quickly?
• Mobility: How well are they able to move around at home? Are the limping? Can they take themselves to the toilet? Are they able to get to and from their food and water bowls? How are they handling stairs or slippery floors? Are they regularly falling over?
• Sleeping habits: Are they able to sleep comfortably through the night or are they restless and unable to settle?
• Personality/mentation: Are they still happy to see you? Do they still show interest in their favourite treats/toys/activities? Do they seem disorientated or distressed? Are they showing signs of separation anxiety or blankly staring at walls?
• Good days vs bad days: Are they having more good days than bad or is it the other way around?

When our veterinarian arrives they will discuss any questions or concerns you may have and will take time to explain the process and what to expect. Please ask as many questions as you like. The appointment will generally last 45 – 60 minutes. As our focus is you and your pet, we are happy to perform the euthanasia where you are most comfortable, this may be the living room or even in their favourite spot in the garden.

We ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure by providing our euthanasia patients with a gentle sedative to allow them to go to sleep amongst family prior to placing an intravenous catheter and administering the final injection. We take our time, listen to your concerns and do not rush the procedure. We do not want your last memory of your pet to be one of them in distress.

After, you may spend as much time with them as you need. Our veterinarian will step out to provide you with some time for a private goodbye. When they return they will have a small basket or flat stretcher and a blanket to transport your pet to the car.

Information regarding how and when your pet’s ashes will be ready will be discussed in detail. We are also able to give advice on burial at home.

Palliative care is not about prolonging suffering, but about alleviating suffering until their gentle in-home euthanasia. It is no longer about curing the disease but focuses on controlling pain, discomfort, and anxiety that might come from being diagnosed with the disease.

As our pets age, it is easy to assume there is nothing that can be done to ease the aging process. There is, however, plenty that can be done to maintain their quality of life and ensure they are not just surviving but thriving. Palliative care utilises a combination of medications, acupuncture, diet, supplements, physical therapies and mobility aids to significantly improve the day to day life of our senior pets.

We will assess your pet’s previous medical record, so we will need to know who your treating veterinarians are so we can read over their veterinary record and get an understanding of their current condition.

We will also email you a copy of a quality of life scale or pain scale to complete in advance of your appointment. This helps us to judge how well current medications and treatments are working to keep your pet feeling well.

When you book your appointment please let us know what you’re pets favourite treats are so that we can try to have them or something similar on hand to help your pet to feel comfortable with me.

It is a good idea to discuss with your family any questions or concerns you may have, write them down and have them with you during the appointment. We are always happy to answer your questions.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer in veterinary hospital care. If in hospital care is required during regular working hours then a visit to your local veterinary hospital is required or if outside of regular working hours you may need to visit your local after-hours veterinary hospital (Animal Referral Hospital in Baulkham Hills or Small Animal Specialist Hospital in North Ryde). If you do not have a regular veterinary hospital please feel free to ask us for a recommendation.

We do not fully understand how acupuncture works, however, studies have shown that acupuncture points are different to surrounding tissue at the cellular level and that inserting acupuncture needles into acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine view, acupuncture works by inserting needles into specific points in the body to achieve therapy and balance. It is based on a holistic concept of diagnosis and treatment and utilises the body’s own ability to repair itself.

It varies on the condition. We are generally treating geriatric patients with chronic conditions such as arthritis and so our recommendations tend to be weekly for approximately 4 weeks, which is then reduced to monthly or even three months depending on the condition. As the disease process progresses sometimes the treatment frequency increases again.

Acupuncture needles have round ends, not cutting ends, so they separate the skin and muscles. Some animals will feel some pressure or heat when the needle is inserted through the skin. Once the needle is through the skin the animal generally does not react.

When you book your appointment please let us know what you’re pets favourite treats are so that we can try to have them or something similar on hand to help keep them happy and distracted.

Try to have your pet a little hungry for their appointment. It will help them to want to take treats from me. If your pet is on a special diet and you would rather us feed that than please have some on hand for us to use.

We will try to choose a location that is relatively quiet and whilst we don’t mind if your pet moves around a little during the treatment we don’t want them wandering off around the house spreading acupuncture needles far and wide so we may need them to remain on a lead or us be confined to a smaller room.

Our acupuncture needles are beige and fine, so it is best if we can avoid your pet laying on knitted blankets or woven/natural fiber rugs (from experience it can be quite challenging to find the needles which fall out in these situations).

No, your pet is free to move around within reason during their acupuncture appointment. The arch-nemesis of acupuncture is the full body shake so where possible we try to prevent that from happening. We have plenty of tricks to help keep pets still during their acupuncture appointment with the top trick being treats. Most cats will rest comfortable or even fall asleep during their acupuncture treatment. Occasionally very fearful or stressed pets will be given a mild anti-anxiety medication prior to their treatment but for most pets, this is not necessary.

There are three common outcomes after the initial treatment:

1. No obvious change in the symptoms, but the animal may be brighter
2. Symptoms improve for 24-48 hours, then slowly declined but are always better than prior to starting the treatment
3. Symptoms get worse for 24-48 hours, and then steadily improve (similar to what you may experience after a massage or physiotherapy appointment)

• Musculoskeletal system – including arthritis
• Nervous system disorders
• Urinary tract disease – including FLUTD in cats
• Respiratory tract disorders
• Cardiovascular disease
• Skin disease
• Gastrointestinal disease