“What I love about working at Bentons Road is that it is a truly integrative vet hospital. Such a vet hospital is rare and inspirational”
Hi I’m Dr Michael,
But you can call me Mike. I have been working at Bentons Road Vet Clinic since mid-2022 although you may not have seen me. That’s probably because I focus mainly on surgery, so I’m usually in the surgical theatre more than in the consulting room.
Over the past 30 years, I have owned and managed two veterinary clinics, and while I really enjoyed being a practice owner, I am now happy to be able to focus completely on the patients in my care again. What is most exciting for me now, is to be working in a clinic with such experienced and skillful vets. The collaborative nature of the team has amazing benefits for all of our patients…..TCVM, acupuncture, herbal medicine, advanced surgery, dentistry, in-clinic pathology, and nutrition guidance. You just don’t come across this type of veterinary practice every day. It’s very rare.
Over the years, I have experienced a wide range of surgical cases and have developed skills in both soft tissue surgery (such as cancer surgery, abdominal surgery, BOAS surgery for brachycephalic dogs, ear and eye surgery, and others), dentistry, and orthopedic surgeries.
I can also offer surgical repair plans for fractured bones. Thankfully most fractures I see aren’t like the ones I used to see, fracture repair due to motor vehicle trauma is less common these days (thanks to leads and locked gates!). When I’m not doing fracture repairs I’m more likely to be doing TPLO knee reconstructions for ACL ligament ruptures.
I’ve also found that I enjoy helping out dogs with airway problems due to their facial structure. I’ve had great results with BOAS surgery for our ‘squishy-faced’ breeds. Helping these dogs breathe better so they can play more and have a better life is so rewarding.
During my holidays, I usually travel to India and Nepal to help local veterinary NGOs develop their capacities for street dog management and care. I help train the local vets and nurse teams in anesthesia and surgical techniques. Desexing the street dogs and vaccinating them against rabies helps the dogs, but also helps the people. Rabies is a terrible, fatal disease that can only be controlled by managing the local dog population in the correct way. I am so lucky that as a vet, I can also make a difference to human health as well.
All my trips are always voluntary, and I enjoy contributing to fundraising efforts via the local Melbourne NGO Vets For Compassion (VFC). Some Sundays you might even find me desexing stray cats in warehouses around Melbourne for VFC or helping the Greyhound Adoption Programme – GAP – by performing desexing, dentistry, and health checks at their facility in Seymour.
