Holistic Vets

24/06/2026

Quick Life-saving Checks & Tools for Your Pet!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSQ5gzs4LQ&t=5s

Gum colour, which should be a salmon pink indicating health and vitality and not pale or purple. Pale gum colour might indicate shock or anaemia and red gums can indicate severe congestion or septicaemia. Purple or blue is dire and means there is a severe lack of oxygen. Some pets have black pigment of their gums and this is normal for them which is very useful to check and know before you are in a crisis and incorrectly misinterpret this!

Capillary refill time (CRT): reflects good circulation and hydration status. Identify a part of the gum which is pink, ideally above the canine teeth. Use a thumb to press it briefly with some light pressure. It will momentarily turn white and should turn pink again within two seconds. If this time is delayed beyond this then there is likely to be a serious problem.

Useful Complementary Therapy First Aid Tools (First Aid Kits with these are available from Holistic Vets)

My preference is to have user friendly, safe and effective tools on hand to complement conventional therapies or that I may recommend to my clients to have as part of their first aid kits at home for their time of need.

1. Flower Essences: First Light Stress (New Zealand Flower Essences), Emergency Essence (Australian Bush Flower Essences) or Rescue Remedy (Bach Flower Essences):

· a couple of drops may be applied to the inside of the lip or rubbed calmly through their coat every five minutes until the animal is stable or settled

· Generally, this works well and it is also often useful for the animal owner/guardian to have some too!


2. Traumeel: A complex homeopathic/low dose herbal remedy part of a range of products produced by Heel www.heel.com

· Available in tablets, drops, gel, cream and injectable ampoules

· It has powerful inflammatory modulating effects assisting in bringing down swelling, stopping bruising, relieving pain and speeding up healing generally


3. Vitamin C: A remarkable and safe all-rounder helping to combat infection and assist wound healing often with dramatic results. Ensure that you use a good quality product with high bio-availability

· It is a very useful support in cases of poisoning where it assists detoxification

· In very high doses, it can cause diarrhea

· Use 250mg per 5 kg animal weight twice a day

4. Wound and Rash Treatment:

• Aloe Vera Gel: Very soothing for skin rashes and fantastic to help stop hot spots from progressing (don’t use products with benzoic acid for cats as it may be toxic if the ingest it)

• Calendula: used topically it’s very effective at aiding the healing of skin and is also very useful to help stop bleeding. Don’t use in infected wounds

• Manuka honey has profound anti-bacterial properties and helps to provide the ideal environment to assist with wound healing and may be applied as a poultice

• Ozonated spray or gel can be useful to help reduce inflammation, promote healing and for its anti-microbial effects

In this video, I'll show you two really handy first aid tools for y...

16/06/2026

More Than a Vet Visit

What if your pet's symptoms were actually trying to tell us something?

At Holistic Vets, we believe in looking beyond the obvious.

An itchy dog may be telling us about allergies or gut health.
A cat with recurring illness may need more than a temporary fix.
A pet slowing down with age may benefit from a tailored approach to pain management and wellbeing.

We don't just ask, "What's wrong?"

We ask:

Why is this happening?
What can we do to support long-term health?
How can we help your pet thrive, not just cope?

By combining conventional veterinary medicine with holistic therapies, nutrition, and lifestyle support, we aim to give every patient the best chance at a healthier, happier life.

Because caring for animals isn't just about treating disease, it's about supporting wellness at every stage of life.

Have you noticed a positive change in your pet after making small changes to their diet, lifestyle, or care? We'd love to hear your story below. 👇

11/06/2026

🩺 What We Check

A health check at Holistic Vets is more than just a quick once-over

We assess everything from dental health and heart function to mobility, nutrition, and overall vitality.

It’s all about building a complete picture of your pet’s health, so nothing gets missed.

04/06/2026

Check out this months' newsletter!

· Homeopathy to Help!
· Dr Jeff’s AWE-SOME A’s – Remedies for First Aid
· Join HA! (Holistic Actions!) online - $1 for the 1stmonth!
· Quick Life-saving Checks & Tools for Your Pet!
· Little Blue Penguins at ARRC Wildlife Trust
· Dr Liza’s Vet Tales Excerpt – Blood, Sweat and Tears Building Business

I love having so many tools and therapies available to help our furry and feathered friends! While being able to do life-saving surgery with specialised equipment is such a privilege, I hugely appreciate simplicity and especially those incredible tools that nature provides which are not only helpful...

03/06/2026

19.06.2026 ***Update - still looking for a loving home***

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR PROFESSIONAL CUDDLE STAFF!

Meet this gorgeous 3-year-old girl who is currently seeking a new position as Chief Lap Warmer, Professional Smoocher, and Household Supervisor.

Her qualifications include:
✔️ Fully vaccinated
✔️ Desexed
✔️ Microchipped
✔️ Excellent health
✔️ Advanced purring skills
✔️ Expert biscuit-making abilities
✔️ Master’s Degree in Human Management

Her ideal workplace would be a home without dogs (she prefers not to share management duties with canine colleagues). She adores people and is an absolute smooch who loves affection and companionship.

In return for food, a warm bed, and occasional treats, she promises to:

Follow you to the bathroom
Judge your life choices from high places
Appear the second you open a packet of food
Fill your home with love and purrs

If you’ve been looking for a beautiful feline companion with plenty of personality and affection to give, this lovely girl may be your perfect match.

Please call the clinic if you are interested in Nyau ree (means cute cat in Nepalese)

27/05/2026

Titre Tests for dogs and now cats too!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVJNOqqHAj8&t=11s

A Titre test is the scientific method of detecting specific antibodies in the blood to reflect whether or not an animal is actively protected from certain diseases. Antibodies are produced by the immune system to combat an antigen (disease causing entity like a virus) and are created either through natural exposure to a disease or through vaccination.

Although vets use vaccination as an important tool to help prevent disease, it is the immune system’s response to vaccination that is the most important aspect. There are some animals who we vaccinate that don’t mount an immune response to these diseases and others that hold their immunity to these diseases for longer than what we predict that they will. Being able to find out whether an animal has antibodies to certain diseases can be invaluable to have peace of mind that they’re protected and also to prevent unnecessary vaccination.

A drop of blood is all that we need to conduct a titre test either at the veterinary clinic, which takes a few minutes, or a blood sample can also be submitted to a veterinary laboratory.

At Holistic Vets we have been doing titre tests for Canine Parvovirus and Canine Distemper Virus for many years and we’re delighted to see this becoming more mainstream.

We are very excited as we can now do titre tests for the main Feline diseases that we vaccinate against (Panleucopenia, Calici and Herpes viruses) as well.

19/05/2026

We are Blessed, in Memory of Dorothy Savage

Last month we were privileged to unveil a magnificent Patu and wonderful Blessing bestowed upon us by Mike and Dorothy Savage in 2024 after a tumultuous time that we had experienced prior to this.

Mike and Dorothy have been avid supporters of ARRC Wildlife Trust,s work for many years and we have always been grateful for their kindness and care.

Sadly, Dorothy passed away recently but her memory lives on, in our hearts and on our wall! In reception we unveiled our Patu, Blessing and a photo of beautiful and elegant Dorothy with Mike, family, friends and our team. My dad Rob was visiting from Australia at the time and it was a very special event. Thank you Mike and Dorothy, we are so grateful for your blessing and inspiration.

07/05/2026

Check out this months' newsletter!

· We are Blessed, in Memory of Dorothy Savage
· Farewell Dr Justis
· Frank’s Faring Fabulously!
· Titre Tests for Dogs and Now Cats Too!
· Tuis at ARRC Wildlife Trust
· Dr Liza’s Vet Tales Excerpt – More Adventures at The Rotorua SPCA

It has been a busy month with a very special event where we unveiled a magnificent Patu and wonderful blessing bestowed upon us by Mike and Dorothy Savage, displayed in our reception. We are so grateful to them. Read more about this below.

06/05/2026

From humble beginnings as a mobile vet service back in 2003, to the thriving clinic we are today, what a journey it’s been!

What started as a passion to offer something different has grown into a dedicated, down to earth team committed to providing exceptional care.

We’re so grateful for the support of our amazing clients and their beloved animals who have been part of this journey with us.

01/05/2026

At Holistic Vets, we don’t just treat symptoms, we look at the whole animal.

From nutrition and lifestyle to mobility and emotional wellbeing, every piece of the puzzle matters.

By understanding the bigger picture, we can create treatment plans that support long-term health, not just quick fixes.

Because your pet deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach