Meet Dr Catherine, your friendly avian and exotic pet veterinarian. Originally from Brisbane, she’s had a lifelong passion for animals, especially birds, ignited by her childhood companion, Georgie the cockatiel. Over the years, she’s cared for various avian friends, along with chickens, guinea pigs, horses, and cats. Her deep connection with cockatiels drove her to become a veterinarian.
Dedicated to educating clients, Catherine thrives on sharing insights into enrichment, species-specific diets, and cage design, ensuring your exotic pets have the best possible care. Graduating from The University of Queensland in 2017, she honed her avian skills at an exclusive avian clinic and small animal practices. In 2019, she joined The Unusual Pet Vets Jindalee team, where her avian expertise found its perfect home.
Driven by her love for diverse animals, Catherine pursued further studies and, in 2021, became a member of the Australian and New Zealand College Veterinary Scientists, specializing in the Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets Chapter. Notably, she also featured in the TV show “The Bizarre Pet Vets,” which was filmed at The Unusual Pet Vets.
After completing a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Wildlife Health, Dr Tom graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2015. Shortly after, he started work in a semi-rural mixed practice in Sydney, where he particularly enjoyed working with exotic animals and wildlife.
In 2019, Tom moved to the UK to gain further experience with exotics, and some of the animals he would regularly see included lizards, snakes, tortoises, fish, small primates, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small mammals, plus a large variety of birds.
Since living in the UK, Dr Tom has focused his career on exotic pet medicine. He was awarded an ESVPS General Practice Certificate in Exotic Animal Practice (GPCertEXAP) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Exotic Animal Practice (PgC EXAP). He has been certified as an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine. Dr Tom has also worked with some small and medium zoo collections, including lions, penguins and small to medium primates. He was promoted to the position of Head Exotics Vet for a busy, predominantly exotics practice, developing a keen interest in endoscopy, orthopaedic surgery and ultrasonography in all exotic species. In this role, Dr Tom began an orthopaedic surgery service and endoscopy service. As part of his role at this practice, he was responsible for the clinical exotic pet medicine placement for Nottingham University for their final year students. Dr Tom also provided locum veterinary services for Twycross Zoo in Nottingham, which focused heavily on primates of all kinds, from small marmosets to chimpanzees and orangutans.
Alongside teaching veterinary students, Dr Tom has a keen interest in contributing to the ever-growing body of knowledge in exotic pet medicine, contributing to publications for new surgical and diagnostic techniques, and understanding diseases.
Tom has always been excited about keeping and learning about exotic animals. From a young age, he kept all kinds of pets, including bearded dragons, geckos, snakes, tropical fish, axolotls, budgies, cockatiels, and rabbits. I have also previously bred geckos and pythons. He looks forward to getting back into herpetology as a hobby when I am back in Australia.
Dr Zak blends a unique background in conservation biology with a passion for exotic animals. Graduating from Colby College in 2014 with dual degrees in Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, he embarked on a journey spanning international relations, conservation biology, and fisheries. Inspired by childhood memories of the documentaries on the Australian Outback, Zak pursued a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Science (Honours) at the University of Queensland.
Zak’s professional expertise now aligns with his love for the diverse array of patients he sees at Brisbane Bird Vets. With a rich background in veterinary science and a commitment to wildlife preservation, he brings a holistic approach to caring for your feathered companions.
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