Phil Sacks
(BSc, BVSc, BVSc(Hons), MRCVSc, MANZCSc (Bird Medicine)
Dr Phil is an empathetic, relaxed caring bird veterinarian, with post graduate qualification in Bi...
Phil Sacks
Dr Phil is an empathetic, relaxed caring bird veterinarian, with post graduate qualification in Bird medicine and surgery - experienced in treating birds and well qualified to give excellent care to birds, and dogs, cats and other pets.
My Expertise :
- Have done Post graduate training in avian medicine and surgery, with bird specialist vets, and and am a member by examination of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Avian Medicine and Surgery as a result.
- I have done post graduate training in small animal medicine at an academic Veterinary University teaching hospital and received a BVSc honors degree for it.
- Have worked in a bird referral veterinary clinic for over 15 years
- Am a honorary Senior Fellow of Melbourne University veterinary teaching hospital and am involved in student teaching
- Have been an external examiner for veterinary science students in their final exams.
- Have taught at veterinary teaching hospitals in both South Africa and Australia
- Write for Talking birds, an avian interest news paper.
- Present at bird groups and clubs
- Have worked with Bird Specialist Dr Pat for over 14 years.
All this enables me and our avian trained staff to offer bird owners and carers, reliable, expert advice and treatments based on years of experience in both in academia and in private practice.
Please feel free to contact the clinic for an appointment and read our website for further useful information
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Ruth Barrett
Veterinarian (BVSc)
Dr Ruth Barrett - Avian VeterinarianRuth has been a valuable part-time member of our veterinary team...
Ruth Barrett
Veterinarian
Dr Ruth Barrett - Avian Veterinarian
Ruth has been a valuable part-time member of our veterinary team for more than 5 years. As well as avian medicine, she is experienced in dog, cat, rabbit and guinea pig clinical practice and surgery.
Ruth has worked as an avian vet in multiple clinics in Victoria for many years, making her one of the most experienced avian vets in the state.
Behind the scenes, Ruth is well known for going that extra mile with her hospital patients. She's the first to come in out of hours if she's worried about a hospital patient or if she thinks they will benefit from extra care. She goes over and above for all of her patients - even after you have left a consultation.
Ruth is experienced with all types of animals, not just birds. She is a wealth of information when to other small animals such as rabbits and obviously your dogs and cats are in safe hands too.
Ruth is particularly fond of cockatiels. She's a little biased because she has three at home.
In her spare time, Ruth likes to take her kids on outings to nature parks and the zoo. Both her children want to be vets when they grow up and they love to visit the clinic to see the quakers and eat the biscuits from the staff kitchen. (Staff input: we know who eats all the lollies!)
Outside of work, Esther enjoys swimming, cafe-hopping, reading, cooking and going for walks with her Japanese Spitz 'Angel'.
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Mel Vincent
Administration Manager (Bird Behaviourist )
Bird Trainer, Avian Behaviourist & Practice ManagerMel chose to behaviourally focus on birds mor...
Mel Vincent
Administration Manager
Bird Trainer, Avian Behaviourist & Practice Manager
Mel chose to behaviourally focus on birds more than 15 years ago. With clients across the globe, she is easily one of the most experienced and knowledgeable bird trainers out there. Mel runs her own bird behavioural company Works For Birds and is well-known for her blogs and collaborative work with the international bird training company Birdtricks.com.
Having studied psychology at Melbourne University, she has always had an interest in behaviour. Her animal behaviour journey started many years ago when she took skateboarding classes with her dog (the dog was more coordinated than Mel).
Having been very active in wildlife rescue work since a very young age, Mel changed her career direction after the Black Saturday Bush Fires. It was while studying Animal Veterinary Biosciences at La Trobe that Mel realised she had a real passion and talent for animal behavioural work.
If you ask Mel what the most worthwhile qualification she has ever undertaken (and there a lot of them) she says hands down Susan Friedman's Professional LLA course tied the science of psychology together with animal training better than any other course she has seen.
An active member of the IAABC, ASZK and ATA communities, Mel is well-connected in the behavioural industry.
She is frequently sought after for public speaking and group training sessions. A published writer, she has written regular columns for numerous magazines and newspapers. She has written blogs for multiple websites, particularly focusing on her specialty of birds. You may have seen her being interviewed in news articles on tv and has been called as an expert in multiple court cases.
Putting all that aside, Mel doesn't just stick to the behavioural side of things. Competent with avian medicine, you will find her supervising anaesthetics and performing all normal veterinary nursing duties.
Mel hasn't always focused on the veterinary industry. She has held managment positions in many large companies and has qualifications in both retail and general management.
As a practice manager, she has been instrumental in building the current clinical team. She jokes that Dr Phil should never have left her alone with his credit card because she has a terrible habit of buying an infinite number of bird toys and has effectively converted reception into a high turnover pet store. So much so that the clinic now runs an online pet store that specialises in bird safe bird toys! It turns out that the rest of our staff are also obsessed with spoiling pets.
Mel maintains a close relationship with multiiple animal rescue organisations. She fosters an ever-changing collection of animals until they are ready for adoption. Mel is always heavily involved in organising various charity events.
At the clinic, when she's not performing management or nursing duties she's seeing clients. Mel has a very large behavioural client base and sees clients both in person and virtually. You can book to see her by calling the clinic or through our online booking system.
Mel's specialty includes working with some of the most difficult behavioural clients. She has an unrivalled success rate when it comes to turning around plucking and self-mutilating behaviours. If your bird is biting, screaming, overly hormonal or just needs general training - Mel Vincent is the expert you need. She runs parrot school, chicken school, harness training and recall flight classes at the clinic.
If you want to keep up with what Mel is currently up to, or read some of her most recent blogposts, check out her business website worksforbirds.com.au you can also follow her business page on facebook or instagram.
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Shereni Joshi
Lead Veterinarian (B Sc (Conservation Biology) Cert IV (Vet Nursing) )
Experienced VeterinarianDr Shereni qualified in 2002 from the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort....
Shereni Joshi
Lead Veterinarian
Experienced Veterinarian
Dr Shereni qualified in 2002 from the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort. She spent over a year in the UK working as a small animal veterinarian. She then returned to South Africa where she worked at the SPCA and did some work at the Pretoria Zoo. In Pretoria, she opened a companion animal private practice where she was involved in many welfare organizations assisting with sterilization campaigns, and treatment of rescue and feral animals. She has completed a course in companion animal behaviour.
Her involvement included community projects which included both human and animal welfare. She ran Pet Care Camps and had discussions at schools where the focus was on educating children and the community regarding pet care. This encouraged children to volunteer at animal welfare groups and shelters.
Some of her highlights in working as a vet were treating wild animals at the zoo and exotic animal treatment are some of the many exciting opportunities presented in the veterinary field. She is now learning about avian medicine which is fascinating.
She has been with our team full-time for a while now, so many clients are already familiar with her work.
Behind the scenes, her surgical skills have helped many of our most complicated avian clients. Some of you may have seen Molly the galah on our Youtube channel and Shereni's ability to intricately stitch up the most difficult wounds saved his life and many more.
Shereni and her family share their life with an overly energetic kitten and guinea pig. Her animal family is growing since moving to Melbourne though, so we're fairly certain this very short list will be out of date before we know it. (We know a few birds that are desperately trying to adopt her!)
Qualifications:
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Pat Macwhirter ( no longer working with us)
Specialist Veterinarian (BVSc(Hons), MA, PhD, FANCVSc (Bird Medicine))
SPECIALIST BIRD VET - Dr PatDr Pat Is no longer working with us Dr Pat Macwhirter, founder of Burwo...
Pat Macwhirter ( no longer working with us)
Specialist Veterinarian
SPECIALIST BIRD VET - Dr Pat
Dr Pat Is no longer working with us
Dr Pat Macwhirter, founder of Burwood Bird and Animal Hospital and one of a handful of registered pet bird medicine specialists in Australia.Pat holds post graduate qualifications from both Australia and the University of Pennsylvania in the USA and is Senior Academic Fellow at Melbourne University.
Dr Pat Is no longer working with us.
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Nekitta
Veterinary Nurse
Nekitta is one of the newest members of our team. Fully qualified, Nekitta brings a wealth of exper...
Nekitta
Veterinary Nurse
Nekitta is one of the newest members of our team. Fully qualified, Nekitta brings a wealth of experience to our team.
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Kelly Gan
Veterinarian (BVSc)
VeterinarianDr Kelly Gan is the newest member of the Bird Vet Melbourne team. Which explains why we...
Kelly Gan
Veterinarian
Veterinarian
Dr Kelly Gan is the newest member of the Bird Vet Melbourne team. Which explains why we haven't chased her around with a camera much yet!
Kelly graduated from Melbourne University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
During her final years in vet school, she discovered her passion for birds and now aspires to sit her membership exams in avian medicine and surgery.
Harold, Kelly's pet rooster is living proof of Kelly's passion for birds. When Harold came into Kelly's life his prognosis wasn't great. Kelly managed to turn it around and now - well we think Harold is one of the best looking roosters around. The star of Chicken Day, he wore his tutu proudly and had all the girls looking at him.
Aside from working at Bird Vet Melbourne, she also loves dog and cat medicine and works at a small animal general practice clinic in Geelong.
When Kelly is not working, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her pet white bellied caiques, cockatiels and rooster- Mia, Zoe, Penny, George, and Harold
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science (Zoology)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
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Eithan Giles
Veterinary Nurse (Certificate 3 Animal Technology, Dip Ecotourism)
Senior Avian NurseEithan Giles joined our team in November 2020 as a fully qualified veterinary nurs...
Eithan Giles
Veterinary Nurse
Senior Avian Nurse
Eithan Giles joined our team in November 2020 as a fully qualified veterinary nurse.
Eithan found his way to vet nursing while sitting in our waiting room with his sick cockatiel Zelda. He decided to become a vet nurse while waiting for his appointment because he was inspired to look after animals.
These days, Eithan is our senior nurse and plays a significant role in the management team. He’s also very well known as our “tech guy”. When we break a computer (or want a new one), he’s the one we bug. As we’ve recently had a significant software upgrade, Eithan’s work is never-ending and no question is too stupid.
Eithan’s real strength though is in his ability to monitor anaesthetics in addition to all round nursing duties. He is very well-experienced with most breeds of animals, so it’s hard to surprise him with something different.
Our student nurses have come to rely on Eithan for training and it’s something we’ve learned to trust him for. He actively gets his students involved in every aspect of clinic life and word has spread that students aren’t just stuck cleaning during their placement shifts. Eithan is the reason we have a placement waiting list.
Eithan has completed his Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and is always looking into extension studies.
Eithan really should have a warning label stuck to his back (sometimes nurses get to the stickers and he actually does). If he ever asks you to open a small wooden box, run away.
Eithan lives with his 4 cockatiels, 2 conures, quaker and 2 dogs. Watch this space he’s likely to end up with a galah as he has a soft spot for them.
When Eithan is not at the clinic, he’s often pet-sitting. We’re never entirely sure where he’s living, but it’s ok, he still shows up.
Outside of the clinic, Eithan competes in paintball. He enjoys gaming. He’s the one that gets us lost on dog walks.
"Let’s turn left guys. We’re not going to die on a mountain full of leeches."
Areas of Expertise:
- Veterinary Nursing
- Student Manager
- Warehouse Manager
- IT expert
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Michelle Sutherland
(BVSc and MRCVSc in Avian Medicine and Surgery.)
Michelle no works here (no longer works here)Avian and Exotics Veterinarian - In 2016 - Resident a...
Michelle Sutherland
Michelle no works here (no longer works here)
Avian and Exotics Veterinarian - In 2016 - Resident at Bird Vet Melbourne - studying to becoming an Avian veterinary specialist. in Bird medicine and surgery. The bird specialist degree is through the Australian College of veterinary Science.
Dr Michelle No longer works at Bird Vet Melbourne.
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Dakota
Veterinary Nurse (Veterinary Nurse)
Experienced Avian NurseDakota joined our team in early 2021 as a placement student nurse and became ...
Dakota
Veterinary Nurse
Experienced Avian Nurse
Dakota joined our team in early 2021 as a placement student nurse and became part of our permanent team in September 2021.
Dakota came to the veterinary industry because she was driven to help animals and make a change in their lives. While Dakota is known as a cat person (she’s not a crazy cat lady yet she swears), she loves all animals. She still comes on the clinic staff dog walks, even though she doesn’t have a dog (yet).
Dakota loves working at Burwood because of the large variety of animals that come through the clinic. She loves that she learns something new every day in this job.
Dakota has completed her Certificate III in animal studies (specialising in vet nurse). She completed her Certificate IV in Vet Nursing at the end of 2022.
Outside of the clinic, Dakota explores her artistic side. She loves painting. You may even have seen the portrait of Tickles the clinic Quaker on the wall at the clinic.
She lives with her overweight (it’s possibly just fluff) Persian X, named Pickles. She’s the staff member who can always be counted on to be covered in long cat fur.
Despite being known as a cat person, there is a secret bird person hiding behind all that cat fur. Dakota is the aunt of Frank the B&G macaw, who lived with Dakota for quite a long time and is now frequently with Dakota for babysitting. Then we have to acknowledge Dakota's bond with Blue Toast the Quaker. While it remains a mystery why Dakota thought Toast was a good name for a bird? (She obviously likes Toast.) Their bond is undeniable. Toast is particularly obsessed with redesigning Dakota's hair.
Qualifications:
- Certificate 3 Animal Studies/Skills with Vet Nursing
- Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing
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Katlyn
Veterinary Nurse (BVSc (Hons), MACVSc (Avian Medicine), MACVSc (Wildlife))
Experienced Avian NurseKatelyn has come to the career of vet nursing because of her incredible passi...
Katlyn
Veterinary Nurse
Experienced Avian Nurse
Katelyn has come to the career of vet nursing because of her incredible passion for animals. For as long as she can remember, she was always bringing rescue animals home. She is well-known for her volunteer wildlife rescue work, going over and above to ensure our natives are here for generations to come.
Always the first to help ensure our wild patients end up in the best care situation possible, the advantage of her experience and connections to our patients is obvious.
We have come to rely heavily on Katelyn's experienced hands during surgeries. Confident with her anaesthetic skills, she regularly helps train our students. Experienced in wildlife, bird handling comes naturally to Katelyn.
Katelyn plays a lead role as one of our buyers. She takes responsibility for sourcing and ordering a lot of the products you will see at reception and on our online store. If there's one thing we've learned about Katelyn, she likes buying toys and anything fun for every animal she sees and this has led to a significant growth in the items we stock. Fortunately, Katelyn has amazing organisational skills, so she not only helps maintain our stock range, she ensures it is well-organised out the back.
At home, Katelyn's Miniature Austrlian Shepherd Zeke rules the house. Zeke has become well-known with his own instagram page. Zeke has driven a new passion for dog training, with Katelyn taking every opporunity to train and work with dogs that she can.
Qualifications:
- Certificate 2 Animal Studies
- Certificate 3 Animal Studies/Skills with Vet Nursing
- Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing
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