Nelson Bay Vet

02/09/2026

😍 Look at that face!

Elegant little Ellie has been a frequent visitor as we've navigated anxiety and reactivity, a sensitive tummy, and a low-grade heart murmur.

We're pleased to be able to say that she still loves us and will happily pose for photos!

Looking forward to seeing you for your next visit in October, Ellie!



🖼 info: Ellie, a delightful and very well-groomed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Shih tzu, sits on the examination table at Nelson Bay Vet, looking directly into the camera. She looks calm and curious.

01/09/2026

Avian influenza has changed how we approach a case of a tired or sick shearwater/mutton bird. Migratory seabirds, shearwaters fly here all the way from Russia and Alaska, making it possible for them to not only have picked up avian influenza locally, but also to have brought it with them from another part of the world. If you're a wildlife lover, please familiarise yourself with this protocol from Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue Inc. Let's minimise the spread of avian influenza to protect our local wildlife as much as possible!

🩵 ⚠️SHEARWATER SEASON & AVIAN INFLUENZA ⚠️🩵

Shearwaters are migratory pelagic seabirds that travel incredible distances between their feeding and breeding grounds.

🪽 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters migrate south from Southeast Asian waters to breeding areas such as Muttonbird Island near Coffs Harbour from late August to early September.

🪽 Short-tailed Shearwaters begin their southern migration from the Bering Sea, between Russia and Alaska, towards breeding grounds in Bass Strait between Victoria and Tasmania from late September to early October.

During these migrations, shearwaters can sometimes become stranded on beaches due to exhaustion, starvation or illness.

⚠️ AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

There has been one reported case of avian influenza detected in a shearwater from Castaways Beach on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.

If you see a sick or dead shearwater:

🚫 AVOID contact. Observe from a distance and keep pets away. Do not touch, handle or allow pets to eat wildlife.

📸 RECORD what you see, including the location, number of animals and any unusual behaviour. Take photos or video only if you can do so safely without approaching the bird.

📞 REPORT unusual illness or deaths in wild birds immediately via the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888.

Signs of avian influenza can include:
• Lack of coordination, tremors or swimming in circles
• Twisted neck or abnormal posture
• Inability to stand or fly
• Diarrhoea
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing
• Swelling around the head, neck or eyes
• Cloudy or discoloured eyes
• Sudden death

When reporting, useful information includes the location, date and time, number of sick or dead animals, observed signs and contact details for witnesses.

🩵 These remarkable birds travel thousands of kilometres to breed in Australian waters. Let’s look out for them while keeping ourselves, our pets and wildlife safe.

A REMINDER!
Please do not bring birds to the ASTR premises. New biosecurity measures are now in place to prevent the spread of avian influenza

31/08/2026

Pondering life's biggest questions...

Question of the week:
Would you rather cry vinegar or sweat mayo?

Vote in our stories, or comment your answer below. We'd love to hear your reasoning 😅Our team came up with some good ones!

28/08/2026

starts at home... 😻

For cats, having a place to escape to gives them a sense of safety.
This floor to ceiling cat tower, built for Lilah, our practice manager Jess' cat, is perfect for that. It's also next to the window, making it perfect for bird watching and sunning.

Cats who feel safe and secure at home are less likely to be stressed by the travel and strange smells associated with vet visits. This is especially true when the cat carrier is part of the normal home environment, and the cat interacts with it on a daily basis.

Lilah spent some time with us in the clinic recently and was completely at ease during her stay, racing around the clinic like a menace. Simba was, ahem, not quite so impressed 😅

26/08/2026

Oreo 🍪

We removed the three teeth that day, and Oreo took it all in his stride. What a cool dude! 😼

🖼 1: Clockwise from top left: Oreo comfy under blankets and with a fluffy bed, Oreo being so well-behaved for IV catheter placement, Oreo on top of the sofa at home, in a fluffy coat, being all cool about everything that just happened
🖼 2: A collage of x-ray images of Oreo's teeth. We will often need more than one image of the same area, and positioning is crucial. As every animal is unique, we approach from different angles to ensure that we see what we need to see.

24/08/2026

Caught in the act - Simba's guilty pleasure is 😂

On the weekends, Simba will sometimes treat himself to a little getaway from hectic clinic life. This one, he tells us, was purr-ticularly good! 😻 5 stars, will be back again soon!



🖼 info: Main photo: Simba from behind, engrossed in the contents of a flat screen tv. He is lying on a very luxurious looking quilt-textured blanket. Inset: Simba still lying on the blanket, but looking surprised that anyone would accuse him of watching Love Island. "It was just on", he said.

23/08/2026

We are so, so grateful for your Google reviews 🥰
For small businesses like ours, they make a huge difference. The more reviews we have, the better the social proof for someone looking for a vet that prioritises a compassionate, caring and gentle approach, as we do.

We love helping and being part of this community. Here's the link to post a Google review if you'd like to let us know how we're doing: http://g.page/r/CZ6ohN_OzPTWEBM/review 🙏

Many thanks to Sue, for taking the time to write this review. It was lovely seeing Chiana again last week - she's grown so much!

21/08/2026

We think you got it all, Billie! 😂

Is this an advertisement for ? No (not intentionally)! It is, in fact, a technique for ensuring that Billie remembers coming to the clinic as being a very good experience. We've set her up for success at future visits, which may include times when she isn't feeling quite as well.

20/08/2026

We are very pleased to support Port Stephens News Of The Area's charity pages.
This month, they feature Hunter Region Botanic Gardens - a wonderland of native flora, which in turn, supports our wildlife.

Put it on the list of things to do on the weekend!