Geelong Animal Referral Services

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Australia
Newtown, VIC
Geelong Animal Referral Services

Staffed & Accepting Referrals 24/7

Leading Veterinary Specialist and Emergency Centre

•Surgery •Medicine •Imaging •Anaesthesia •Oncology •Mobile Vet

We believe that our close communication with your local vet is essential in achieving the best care.

10/11/2026

This Remembrance Day, we honour and thank the brave men and women who have served our country, acknowledging their courage, sacrifice and dedication.

We also recognise the significance of the purple poppy, a symbol of remembrance for the countless animals who served alongside our troops, providing protection, companionship and unwavering loyalty, often at the cost of their own lives.

To all who served, on two legs or four, we remember your sacrifice.

Lest We Forget.

09/11/2026

... cause he's cute and is trying really hard to be brave ❤️🥒

05/11/2026

Bit of BTS with Dr Adrian Wallace 📸

Rolo, a 6-year-old Bull Arab cross, was referred to GARS after his family noticed changes in the way he was walking.

Advanced imaging identified severe, multilevel cervical spondylomyelopathy, commonly known as Wobbler Syndrome, with significant compression of his spinal cord.

Dr Adrian (specialist surgeon) and the GARS surgery team performed a three-level distraction fusion from C4 to C7.

Seeing Rolo walking comfortably again after this surgery is a pretty special milestone!

04/11/2026

Rolo, a 6-year-old Bull Arab cross, was referred to the GARS Surgery team after his family noticed changes in the way he was walking.

What initially appeared as occasional knuckling of his right hindlimb progressed rapidly. Rolo became increasingly unsteady on all four limbs, began falling towards his right side and occasionally yelped when getting up or down.

Advanced imaging identified severe, multilevel cervical spondylomyelopathy, commonly known as Wobbler Syndrome, with significant compression of his spinal cord.

Given the extent of the compression, Dr Adrian Wallace (specialist in surgery) and the GARS Surgery team performed a three-level distraction fusion from C4 to C7. Titanium cages, locking plates, and screws were used to stabilise the affected vertebrae, with bone graft harvested from Rolo’s shoulders to encourage fusion.

Post-operative imaging confirmed excellent implant positioning.

Eight weeks after his surgery, Rolo showed remarkable progress. He is walking independently without obvious lameness or ataxia.

For a dog who was becoming increasingly unsteady on his feet, seeing Rolo walking comfortably again is a pretty special milestone.

02/11/2026

Bit of Monty Monday!

We look forward to seeing you again 🩷🥹🐾

"The team at GARS are a very special group of people.

We researched surgeons prior to choosing GARS and I can say that we are so pleased we did.

Our experience with our pup Monty has been less stressful because of their professionalism, communication and compassion, not only towards Monty but his human parents too.

His hip replacement surgery has gone well and recovery is also going well; I put that down to their thorough discharge planning for us to take home and provide Monty the best chance of a full recovery. We have, at all times, had confidence and trust in all the advice given to us and would recommend any pet owner to get in touch and have a chat with the GARS team. We live 5 1/2 hrs from GARS but they always remind us they are a phone call away 24/7.

We will be returning early next year for his other hip surgery and by then we should be experienced carers 🤞🏼🤗”

30/10/2026

🎃 Happy Halloween, Trick or Treaters! 👻🕷️🕸️

We hope everyone is getting into the spooooky spirit of Halloweeeeen! 🎃

As the festivities begin, GARS would like to remind our community of some veterinary horrors that can accompany Halloween celebrations.

🍫 Chocolate: Toxic to dogs and cats, particularly dark chocolate.
🍬 Lollies: Sugar free treats containing xylitol can be life threatening to dogs.
🍭 Wrappers: Can cause choking or intestinal obstructions if swallowed.
🚪 Trick or Treaters: Unfamiliar visitors, loud noises and frequent doorbell ringing can frighten pets.
🕯️ Decorations: Candles, electrical cords and small decorations can cause burns, injuries or obstructions.
🐈‍⬛ Escaping Pets: Keep pets secure as doors open and close throughout the evening. It’s a good idea to check if your pet’s microchip details are up to date.

Our Emergency and Critical Care team is available 24/7 today and across the weekend should your pet need us. 🎃

When in doubt, reach out! 💚

Stayyyyy Spoookkkyyy 👻

30/10/2026

It’s Hallow-eve! 🎃👻🕷️

And what better way to kick off the Halloween weekend than with these gorgeous little creatures getting into the spooky spirit! 🐾🧡

29/10/2026

After being rushed to, and stabilised by our GARS Emergency department, Stella was transferred to Dr. Ricky Cashmore for surgery to carefully remove the fractured skull fragments that had entered into her brain tissue.

🚑🏥‼️

The procedure involved delicately retrieving the bone fragments and relieving the pressure they had caused.

As a result of the surgery, part of Stella’s skull is now absent, leaving the frontal portion of her brain protected only by the overlying soft tissues. This means her family will need to take extra care around this area, and those who meet Stella will have to avoid patting her on the front of her head.

Despite the severity of her injury and the complexity of the procedure, Stella is recovering exceptionally well.

Stella may be tiny, but she is one tough little puppy 🐶💪

28/10/2026

This tiny little Dachshund was kicked in the head by a horse, landing her in our GARS Emergency department.

On her way to her regular vet, Stella suffered a grand mal seizure and was referred to GARS for treatment of a traumatic brain injury.

When she arrived, Stella was dull and depressed. She was admitted for blood tests, advanced imaging, IV fluids, and supportive care while our team worked to determine the extent of her injuries.

We suspected a fracture of the frontal sinus, and imaging confirmed our concerns.

Stella had significant bone fragmentation of her skull and frontal sinus, with fractured bone penetrating into the brain tissue and placing pressure on her brain.

This required urgent surgery to remove the damaged bone and relieve the pressure.

Follow along to see Stella’s surgery and find out how this tiny little fighter went.

24/10/2026

Sunday shoutout to some of our recent blood donors ❤🥰🫶

Address

Units 9/10 7-21 Newcastle Street
Newtown, VIC
3220

Website

https://garsvets.com.au/

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