Southpaws Specialty Surgery for Animals

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Australia
Kingston, VIC
Southpaws Specialty Surgery for Animals

Australia's premier specialist referral and emergency hospital.

11/09/2025

R U OK? 🐾
Today and every day, let's check in with the veterinary professionals in our lives. Behind every healing touch and compassionate decision is a human heart that sometimes needs our care too.

If you're struggling, you're not alone:
🐾 Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
🐾 Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636 - beyondblue.org.au
🐾 Sophie's Legacy - sophieslegacy.com ("We're Only Human" campaign)
🐾 Flynn's Walk - flynnswalk.com.au (Community walks & su***de prevention)
🐾 Australian Veterinary Association - ava.com.au (Professional wellbeing resources)
🐾 VetLove - vetlove.com.au (Mental health support for Australian vets)
🐾 R U OK? - ruok.org.au (Start life-saving conversations)
🐾 1800RESPECT - 1800 737 732 (24/7 counselling)

To pet owners: Your vet sees families at their most vulnerable moments. They balance medical expertise with emotional support, often working long hours for less than you might think. When costs are high, remember - there's no Medicare for pets, and your vet wishes they could help for free. Client abuse is one of the leading causes of poor mental health in this profession.

To the veterinary community: Your compassion is your superpower, not your weakness. The same heart that comforts a scared animal deserves that same gentle care. It's okay to not be okay. Seeking help doesn't make you less capable - it makes you human.

To everyone: Be kind to your vet and their staff. Say thank you. Bring them coffee occasionally. Understand that difficult conversations about prognosis and costs aren't personal attacks - they're professionals doing their job with your pet's best interests at heart.

10/09/2025

Today on World Su***de Prevention Day, thinking about our veterinary family 💙

The weight you carry isn't just the medical decisions or the long hours. It's the emotional labor of being present for others when they're losing their best friend. It's the impossible balance between business realities and your calling to heal. It's dealing with client abuse when you're already emotionally drained from putting animals to sleep and comforting grieving families.

We lose a vet to su***de every 12 weeks in Australia. Vets are four times more likely to die by su***de than the general population. Behind every statistic is someone's daughter, son, friend, colleague.

Dr Sophie Putland was 33 when she took her own life in 2021, shortly after experiencing client abuse. Her family created Sophie's Legacy - now sending "We're Only Human" posters to every vet clinic in Australia, reminding clients to treat vet staff with respect.

Dr Flynn Hargreaves died by su***de in 2018. His friend Jack Levitt started Flynn's Walk - community walks held across Australia where vets, their families, and supporters come together to talk openly about mental health and break down the stigma.

Both organisations have turned personal tragedy into powerful advocacy, creating change in an industry that desperately needs it.

The veterinary profession is one of the most rewarding yet challenging careers. Let's support the people who dedicate their lives to saving our animals.
Share this post. Start conversations. Be part of the change.

09/09/2025

Sometimes it really is that simple. We care. 💙

We care about your pet - like this sweet bulldog who melted all our hearts today.

We care about the journey - every moment, every touch, every interaction along the way.

And we care about our team - because when we support each other, your pet gets the very best of all of us.

That's the Southpaws difference. It's not complicated. We just care.

08/09/2025

🌟 Client Feedback 🌟

We love hearing from our wonderful clients! Your feedback helps us continually improve and provide the best care for your furry friends. Thank you for trusting Southpaws with your pets. 🐾💖

05/09/2025

🐕 Why does your dog still limp even after they've healed?
Meet "pain memory" when your dog's nervous system remembers an old injury and keeps sending pain signals long after healing is complete.

This can cause:
Hyperalgesia – normal touches feel extra painful
Allodynia – gentle strokes that should feel good now hurt instead

The result? Your pup may still limp, guard their body, or avoid play even though they're physically healed.

The good news: Modern pain management treats both the injury AND the nervous system, breaking the pain memory cycle before it becomes permanent.
Early intervention is everything, the sooner we address pain properly, the better chance your dog has of moving freely and happily again. 🏃‍♂️

Talk to your vet about receiving a Pain Clinic referral and let's talk about how we can help your dogs pain. ❤️‍🩹

04/09/2025

Precision isn't just skill, it's responsibility.

03/09/2025

Did you know that splenic tumours in dogs can be silent but serious?

Many develop without obvious signs, or start with subtle symptoms like reduced energy, poor appetite, or mild weakness. In other cases, dogs may show vomiting, abdominal swelling, or even collapse — these signs can sometimes point to something serious happening inside and should never be ignored.

Not all splenic tumours are malignant (aggressive, invasive), but approximately two-thirds are, and of those, about two-thirds are haemangiosarcomas (HSA) — an aggressive cancer of the blood vessels that can rapidly spread to major organs like the lungs, liver, heart, brain, and beyond. In fact, around 25% of dogs with HSA will also have a heart mass at diagnosis. Prognosis is unfortunately poor: without treatment, survival after spleen removal (splenectomy) is typically 1–3 months, while combining surgery with chemotherapy can extend life expectancy to 6–9 months. Only a small number of dogs survive beyond a year.

The most powerful tool you have is vigilance. Stay tuned in to your pet’s behaviour, and seek veterinary advice promptly if something seems off. Diagnostic tests — including physical exams, bloodwork, imaging (like X-rays and ultrasound), and urine analysis — help detect abnormalities such as these tumours early and guide the best course of treatment. Early action can make a real difference in both quality and length of life.

02/09/2025

Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships.....?

More like, Was this the face that launched a thousand treats and melted a million hearts? Correct!

01/09/2025

🐾 Your dog isn't being "dramatic" they might actually be in pain 🐾
Here's the thing nobody talks about: pets are masters at hiding pain. That limping after walks? The reluctance to jump on the couch? The way they've gotten "grumpy" lately? These aren't just signs of aging, they're SOS signals.

This Pain Awareness Month, let's get real about something every pet parent needs to know: pain changes everything for our furry family members. Their appetite, mood, sleep, play, even their love for you can seem different when they're hurting.

That's exactly why we built The Pain Clinic at Southpaws . Our specialist-led pain management team doesn't just treat symptoms, we detective work our way to solutions. We're here backing up veterinary professionals AND making sure no pet has to suffer in silence.

Your pet's comfort isn't negotiable. Neither is yours as their human.

29/08/2025

Sometimes you need a Milo break in your day 🤍 This sweet GSP reminds us that the best things come in speckled packages. Look at that trust and pure joy!

Seeing young pups like Milo come through our clinic just fills our hearts - we love being part of giving them the best possible start in life. Every consult, scan, and procedure helps ensure these little ones get to enjoy years of playtime, adventures, and love with their families. Nothing beats knowing we're helping create a lifetime of tail wags and happy memories! 🐾

28/08/2025

We know unexpected vet bills can be stressful, especially when your furry friend needs specialist or emergency care. That’s why at Southpaws, we’ve got your back—and theirs. 💙

💳 Here’s how we make it easier for you:

🐾Paypaws: Our flexible in-house payment plan, because life happens.
🐾Afterpay: Spread the cost over 6-8 weeks—no surprises!
🐾GAPonly: Hassle-free claims for insured pets.
🐾Vetpay: Tailored financing to give your pet the care they deserve.

At Southpaws, we are here to help and that means in every step of the journey for you and your pet.

27/08/2025

When the boop is too much for us to handle ❤️ Sometimes you meet a nose so perfect, so beautifully boopable, that your heart just can't take it. This sweet baby's snoot has officially broken our boop-o-meter.

Address

3 Roper Street
Kingston, VIC
3189

Telephone

+61395531775

Website

http://www.southpaws.com.au/

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About Southpaws

Southpaws is a practice consisting of vets and nurses who work with animal lovers who have pets with serious medical conditions by providing expert compassionate care so that their pets have the best chance for recovery and a return to a normal life.