Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa

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VSA delivers specialist veterinary care, supporting pets and vets across New Zealand. 🐾

15/10/2026

🎓🖤 Graduation Day for Horace! 🖤🎓⁠
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After being diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma, 7-year-old DSH Horace started chemotherapy with our Medicine team.⁠
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We're thrilled to share that Horace graduated from his chemotherapy protocol after 14 treatments over 30 weeks.⁠
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At his recent two-week post-chemo recheck, the news was even better: Horace remains cancer-free and in complete remission. ✨⁠
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A big fan of licky treats, Horace took his treatment visits in stride. In fact, he was more than happy to let us pop on his graduation cap... as long as there was a tasty reward involved! 🎓😸⁠
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It's a wonderful milestone for Horace and his family, and we're happy to celebrate this news with them.⁠
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🖤 Congratulations, Horace. 🐾⁠
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10/10/2026

🐾 Staff Pet Sunday: Meet Kora! 🐾⁠
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Introducing Kora, the gorgeous Shetland Sheepdog belonging to our VSA Christchurch Junior Vet Nurse, Maison. ⁠
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Turning 11 this month, Kora has been part of Maison's life since puppyhood and has grown into a photogenic, energetic girl with plenty of personality. One of her most distinctive features is her adorable perky ears, which didn't quite fit the show-dog rulebook but definitely make her even cuter! 🐶✨⁠
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Kora is the ultimate emotional support dog and alarm clock. Every morning, she likes to greet people by placing her nose just millimetres from their face without actually touching them. 😂⁠
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When she's not working up the courage to climb down from scary heights like the bed or couch, Kora can be found spending time with her favourite people, keeping herself firmly underfoot wherever they go, and playing with her beloved Buzzy Bee toy. 🐝⁠
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After nearly 11 years together, Kora remains Maison's constant companion, whether they're curled up at home or heading off on an adventure. A few grey hairs may be appearing, but she'll always be the baby of the family. 🤎🤍⁠
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👉 Swipe to see more of this beautiful girl!⁠
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09/10/2026

🟢 Meet Zero 🟢⁠
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Some patients leave a lasting impression on everyone they meet, and Zero is definitely one of them. This gentle giant won over our team from day one with his friendly nature, love of attention, and endless tail wags. 💚🐶⁠
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Zero came to VSA after a rapidly growing mast cell tumour was identified near his preputial region. Because of the tumour's size and location, our Surgery team performed a complex procedure to remove as much of the tumour as possible while also creating a new pathway for him to urinate normally.⁠
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Following surgery, Zero faced a few bumps in the road during his recovery, including some urinary challenges and a severe episode of abdominal bloating that required intensive monitoring and treatment. Thanks to the dedication of our team, Zero continued to improve and showed the same sweet, resilient attitude throughout his hospital stay.⁠
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Today, Zero is back home, and while his treatment journey continues, we're delighted to see him doing so well after everything he has been through. ⭐⁠
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Thank you to his owners for trusting us with the care of such a special boy. 💚⁠
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03/10/2026

🤍 Staff Pet Sunday: Meet Aggie (aka Chonk)! 🤍⁠
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Introducing Aggie, a 9-year-old Scottish Shorthair belonging to VSA's IT & Business Analyst, Kaylene.⁠
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Aggie joined the family at two years old after being returned to her breeder when her previous owner moved into a care home. Kaylene fell in love with her the moment they met. 🥰⁠
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Aggie's favourite activities include sleeping, eating, chasing bugs and shadows, and surprisingly... stealing cucumber! While meat can be left unattended, no salad is safe when Aggie is around. 🥒💚⁠
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As the pet of VSA's IT guru, Aggie occasionally likes to "help" by turning off the household Wi-Fi while perched on the TV unit watching birds or keeping an eye on the neighbour's cat, Thomas. 📶🐱⁠
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Whether she's causing minor IT outages or spending 90% of her day asleep in her bed, Kaylene says Aggie is pure joy. ⁠
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👉 Swipe to see Aggie hard at rest 😴, plus a glamour shot showing she's not always asleep 🪑✨ ⁠
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02/10/2026

🐾🌙 A Hidden Injury, A Life-Saving Operation 🌙🐾

When 6-year-old Fox Terrier cross Luna was brought to VSA Auckland West struggling to breathe, the cause traced back to a car accident she had been involved in just a few weeks earlier. Although she initially seemed to be recovering well, her condition suddenly took a serious turn. 🚑💛

Investigations revealed a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia, where a tear in the muscle separating the chest from the abdomen had allowed part of Luna's liver and small intestine to move into her chest. The displaced organs were compressing her lungs, making it increasingly difficult for her to breathe.

👩‍⚕️🩺 After emergency stabilisation, Luna underwent surgery with specialist surgeon Dr Yasmine Messiaen. Her organs were carefully returned to their normal position, and the tear in her diaphragm was repaired.

Following several days of intensive hospital care and a carefully managed recovery at home, Luna continued to improve. Today, she has made a complete recovery and is back to enjoying life with her family. 🐶💛

Luna's owner, Natalie, recently shared this update with us:

💬 "Luna would have died without surgery and she is a very important and loved member of our family. Everyone at VSA was kind and caring towards Luna and also me when I was scared that we might lose her. Luna is back to her normal self having made a complete recovery and we are so grateful to still have her in our family."

Receiving updates like this means a great deal to our team. Judging by the second photo, Luna has resumed her important duties as household supervisor! 🛋️🐾👀

30/09/2026

🧠🐾Is your pet still having seizures despite medication?⁠
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Managing epilepsy can be challenging, especially when seizures continue, medications cause unwanted side effects, or treatment plans become increasingly complex.⁠
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Our dedicated Seizure Clinic at VSA Auckland West provides specialist care for dogs and cats with difficult-to-control epilepsy. Led by Dr Sam Khan, the clinic offers comprehensive case reviews and tailored long-term management plans for both pets and their families.⁠
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✔ Refractory or breakthrough seizures⁠
✔ Medication intolerance or side effects⁠
✔ Complex treatment plans⁠
✔ Specialist epilepsy consultations⁠
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📅 The Seizure Clinic runs Thursday afternoons by appointment, with phone and video consultations also available.⁠
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If you're concerned about your pet's seizure management, speak with your regular veterinarian about a referral.⁠
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🔗 Learn more: https://www.vsahospital.co.nz/services/neurology-at-vsa/⁠
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29/09/2026

📞 Tomorrow morning our phones may be a little slow off the mark.⁠
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From 8:00am, our phones are getting an upgrade which may cause a brief interruption to both of our hospital phone lines:⁠
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📞 Auckland (North Island): 09 320 5645⁠
📞 Christchurch (South Island): 03 777 7645⁠
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If you can't get through immediately, please try again shortly. Thanks for your patience while we get things moving again! ⁠⚡
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Address

1 Te Apunga Place, Sylvia Park
Auckland
1060

Telephone

09 3205645

Website

http://www.vsahospital.co.nz/

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