Meet the Team
Vets
DR MERRIDIE FURY
Dr Merridie founded Tweed Coast Vet in Cabarita in 1995, and has continued to study and advance the standard of veterinary medicine in Cabarita Beach.
What part of your job do you look forward to doing? I really look forward to doing surgery. I have always been fascinated by opening things up and seeing what is on the inside – then stitching up again and making things get better.
What makes you love coming to work every day? I love the variety. I used to see all animals great and small but now it is mainly dogs and cats but they come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and with all sorts of problems. Life is never boring.
Who has been your favourite patient? I don’t have one. It is impossible to chose. I meet lots of wonderful people and their furry family every day
DR RACHAEL PARSONS
Dr Rachael joined us in 2002 and has never left, she loves the clinic and the region so much.
Which of your pets has the most character, and why? My one year old terrier x Ollie has the bounciest jumpiest legs for a little dog I’ve ever seen. He weighs less than 5kg but can jump as high as my nose. No one can figure out his breed, but I personally think he is part gazelle.
What is one of the weirdest cases you have been involved in? I think there have been a few involving marine mammals. I’ve treated seals that washed up on our beaches, and attended a baby humpback whale stranding as well.
What is your superpower at work?
Dentals!
(Note: So true. Dr Rachael has continued to study and ensure she is up to date with everything related to oral health. She loves dentistry and is our go to for all things teeth. )
DR CHRISTIE WOOLFORD
Dr Christie loves both medical and surgical cases, working each patient up individually.
If you weren’t at work, where would you be?
If I couldn’t be at work, I would be out in nature enjoying a sunset, going for a walk or bike ride, on camping adventure with friends and family or just spending time with my animals at home on our property.
What is the hardest part of your job and why do you keep doing it?
The hardest part would be treating animals that are very sick, sad or sore and feeling their pain and wishing I could explain it to them and that I am trying to help them. I keep doing it for those ones that I am able to make feel better and watching them return to their normal enthusiastic selves and then seeing them return healthy for routine visits later and sometimes even their gratitude.
What was your most interesting patient?
One of my most interesting patients was an echidna that was hit by a car. I was able to x-ray her and was relieved to find nothing broken but treated her pain and allowed her to rest. I knew she was ready to be released when she escaped her very secure enclosure in my spare room and I found her snuffling around in the bathroom at 2am with fluff all over her snout!
DR ANNA HUGENHOLTZ
Dr Anna comes to us with a global outlook on veterinary science. Anna was trained in the UK, and graduated from Bristol University in 2009.
What is your favourite part of the job?
If I’m not at work you’ll find me sailing in the Richmond River or teaching Veterinary Nursing at TAFE.
The most unusual species I ever dealt with was back in the UK when I treated an injured skunk
DR EMMA BURT
Dr Emma comes with a wealth of Emergency and Critical Care experience.
What brings you to work every morning?
There is great variety in our job which i like, a wide mix of people and animals, every day is different and every case is unique.
Do you have a favourite patient? Why ? I love the older patients, the apple of their family’s eyes, and being able to offer them the care they need and deserve in their later years.
If you weren’t at work, where would you be? If I couldn’t be here I would either be in the bush or in India patting stray dogs.
DR SARA KINGSLEY
What makes you excited to come to work?
I love solving tricky problems with the rest of the team. My main focus is ultrasound, so I get to work in on some of the the complex medical issues and problems. I get a little kick of joy each time when we work out what the problem is and what we are going to do about it. So often we all have a little pow-wow discussing the tricky cases out the back of the clinic and create a joint plan of action.
What is the most unusual pet you have treated?
My most memorable case was a Carpet Python named Charlie who had pneumonia from a a rare strain of bacteria. We taught his owner to inject the Abs under the scales at home.
What is your favourite story from work?
True story: Frankenchook (a chicken) fell in a barrel of water and almost drowned, so CPR was performed on her by her owner. Frankenchook developed hypothermia from being so wet, so she was placed near a heater, where her feathers caught fire. To top it all off, Frankenchook was a little too curious around the horses, so was trodden on by a Percheron causing a degloving injury. I saw Frankenchook, and was able to reattach the lost skin – my first ever chicken surgery. But from then on the feathers on Frankenchooks’ neck grew backwards! Thus the name change to Frankenchook