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Port Macquarie Veterinary Hospital Dr Chris Livingston is offering a full range of surgical procedures to the pets of Port Macquarie. Having justt obtained his Membership in Small Animal Surgery, he is poised to achieve new surgical heights.
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hris Livingston and his wife Louise, both vet science graduates from Sydney University purchased the business (and its resident cat Elmo) in 2004 from its original owner, Dr Frank Arnell. Since then it has had a significant facelift and continues on its journey to treat future generations of dogs, cats and horses that walk through its doors (and rear paddock gate). Port Macquarie Veterinary Hospital (PMVH) was the first purpose-built veterinary hospital in Port Macquarie situated at the top end of Gordon Street (opposite Grower’s Market). Chris, tell us a bit about yourself ... I have always had a strong interest in surgery. My first job was in Kempsey in 1999, which was a year of James Herriot-style outcalls, calvings, caesareans, small and large animal emergencies. Feeling motivated, I decided to pursue further studies and obtained a Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Studies (Equine Medicine and Surgery) at Sydney Uni in 2000. After a year working in the UK, it became an easy decision to plant roots in Port Macquarie, and I have worked in general practice here for the last decade. Starting in 2010 and whilst managing our veterinary hospital and raising 3 small children, I decided it was finally time to pursue my dream. Following two years of structured study, surgery workshops and assignments. I then sat a combination of written and practical examinations in Sydney and the Gold Coast. Thankfully I passed, and I was awarded my Membership of the Australian and New
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Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Small Animal Surgery (MANZCVS) earlier this year. This is a qualification for vets in general practice who want to further their expertise in a particular area and is one of the stepping stones to becoming a registered specialist. What new services will you be able to deliver with these qualifications? My main objective is to provide clients and companion pets of the Hastings with the option to have more advanced surgical procedures performed here in Port Macquarie, rather than having to travel to Sydney or Brisbane to see a specialist. I already have a wide range of experience in orthopaedics, including anterior cruciate ligament repairs, tibial crest transpositions, plating of fractures, external fixation of fractures (even in koalas) and joint fusions (arthrodeses). I also really enjoy challenging soft tissue procedures, such as lung or liver lobe removal, as well as removal of large tumours requiring skin reconstructive techniques for closing defects. At the end of the day, it’s about helping more and more animals. A common scenario we face is the dog that has suffered paralysis of the hind legs due to intervertebral disc prolapse, and desperately requires surgery to enable it to walk again. So frequently, the cost and time required in travelling to Sydney, means that euthanasia or a poor outcome becomes the result. This is frustrating and something I aim to change by being able to offer this type of surgery in the future. Our other major aim into the future is to move into endoscopic surgery (keyhole surgery) which is commonplace in the human field, but
not in the veterinary field as yet. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery such as reduced recovery times and reduced pain are obvious. This is definitely the future for veterinary surgery as well. How does all this complement current services? PMVH will continue to practice routine soft tissue, dental and orthopaedic surgeries which will be performed by myself and our team of veterinarians, Dr Louise Livingston, Dr Tim Reed and Dr Vicki Lawrence. So we now have 4 vets able to service a range of species and between us have a combined 50 years of veterinary practice experience. We also have a dedicated team of support staff who are the backbone of the practice.. Please introduce us to Tim, the new vet who has joined the practice. Dr Tim Reed has just joined us from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. We are incredibly lucky to have him as part of our team, not only for his 20 years’ experience in veterinary medicine and surgery and broad knowledge, but he also genuinely cares about his patients. “Tim, please stop calling us on your day off; your patients are fine!” Throughout his career, he worked extensively in the UK as well as South Africa, where he recently (alone) managed a rescue centre for stray dogs. When we asked him how he decided to settle in Port Macquarie, put simply, he took a “leap of faith” and moved with his wife and 2 children over to the great lifestyle of Port Macquarie. If you walk into the practice on any given day, he will be the tallest gentleman in the room with the funny accent. Overall as a practice, what can you now
offer? Experienced vets, providing more advanced surgical options for your pets without the need to refer to expensive specialists. Stem cell therapies are becoming increasingly popular in dogs and horses, and studies have shown that the majority of animals show improvement following injections with stem cells. This year, we will offer stem cell therapies as an option to our surgical patients. We will also offer this procedure to our patients who suffer from arthritic joints, immune-mediated disease and horses with ‘bowed tendons’, to name a few. As an interesting addition to the veterinary world, a mixed breed DNA identification test has now become available, which is a simple blood test that can accurately determine your dog’s breed and breed ancestry. This can have many indications, including knowledge of breed-related inherited traits and therefore diagnostics and treatments. I have performed this on my own mixed breed rescue dog, with very surprising results! We are forever being asked what breeds our cross-bred patients might be, and now we can truly answer that question. Our practice also provides ongoing chemotherapy services, which has significantly prolonged the life of many of its cancer patients over the years with minimal side effects. Final words? We plan on being around for a long time, so watch this space. I would personally like to thank our dear clients for giving us their friendship and trust every time we treat their family members. And Happy New Year. Thanks Chris.