Dr Shaun Wynne BVSc (Hons) 1991 & MACVS (Surgery) 2005

Arrived at WVH in 1983 for Secondary School Work Experience, in 1991 worked for 2 weeks as a veterinary Student, in 1998 became a full-time Senior Veterinarian and in 2006 bought the practice!

Special interest: Member of Unusual and Exotic Pets Group of the AVA. Since passing examinations to be admitted as a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons, Shaun's main interest has been advanced surgery. This includes Advanced Knee surgery (stifle), TTO - Triple Tibial Osteotomy surgery, Tibial Plateau Levelling Operations, de-Angelis suture and a range of other orthopedic surgery. 

Most memorable veterinary moment: A pug presented in respiratory distress on a particularly hot day. He sounded like a clogged up, overheated steam train. His throat was occluded by an excess of soft tissue, his nostrils were closed over and the little pockets next to his vocal chords (in his larynx) had everted. All this is called BOS - Brachycephalic Obstructive Syndrome, and it had put little "Buster" into life-threatening Heat Stroke. We gave him a "nose job" (rhinoplasty), a soft palate resection and we cut out the everted Laryngeal saccules - all referred to as BOS surgery. After we cleared his airways, his energy levels increased better than they had been for years and he could breathe easy. For some years prior to surgery his loud snoring had filled the bedroom, and because Buster's owner was used to the background noise, she had some adjusting to do, waking several times a night to check that he was OK.   

Married to Kristen (a physiotherapist and owner of Ashburton Physiotherapy and Pilates Centre) with a son, Jack (10), Mia (8) and Lucy (5)

Pets: Priscilla - 16 year old tabby. Likes watching television curled up on my chest. Priscilla had Hyperthyroidism (an overactive Thyroid gland due to a benign tumor). This meant she was skinny despite being persistently hungry, she drank a lot (including a passion for water in the shower recess), had a dull unkempt coat and she had a tendency to vomit (on our best couch, on Kristen's favourite rug or on Shaun's briefcase if he left it lying on the floor!). She is happy and healthy now that she underwent Radioactive Iodine Treatment in mid 2010.

Teddy - 18 month old brown labradoodle. At 12 weeks of age he ran under the car of a moving vehicle in the driveway at Shaun's parents farm (the heath bed & breakfast). Teddy fractured his leg through the growth plate in the hip. Shaun & Rod reconstructed his hip with 2 stainless steel pins. He has made a full recovery and apart from having one leg slightly shorter than the other, he is expected to lead a normal active life!

Ollie - 1 year old blue budgie. Ollie lives in the family room. He is a self-declared "pretty boy" a phrase he repeats over and over, interspersed with general chatter and wolf whistles!

Proudest moment: Playing 'Mr. Mom' when Kristen works late (and on weekends)

Proudest achievement: Passing exams to be a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons in Small Animal Surgery

Dr Rod Wynne BVSc(Hons) 1988

Rod is also a partner at Whitehorse, having first worked with us as a veterinary student in 1984. Graduated from Melbourne University in 1988 with honors and worked in our local area until 2001. Rod worked for the Salvation Army from 2001 to 2005 in Melbourne, before working as a vet in Adelaide from 2005 to 2008. Rod joined our team again in 2008 as an experienced full-time vet.

Married to Lisa (Children's Pastor of Activate Church in Ringwood) with 2 sons, David (19) and Matt (18) and daughter Michaela(16)

Special Interest: 20 years of experience as a vet means Rod has seen most things. Rod particularly enjoys microscope work, conditions of the skin and ears (such as allergies) and dealing with lumps, bumps and cancer diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy

Most Memorable Veterinary Moment: A vet nurse's Akita dog presented in severe distress. Having to think quickly, Rod listened to the chest and immediately knew he had to puncture the chest in a life-saving move that released pressurized air from the chest cavity.  Having temporarily saved his life, he underwent surgery to remove a ruptured lung and went on to make a good recovery.

Personal Hobbies: Fishing or Golf with the boys.

Pets: Rod has an adorable Devon Rex, Lily. She is 4 years old and the princess of the house (2^nd to Michaela!)

Dr Elisa de Bont

Elisa arrived at WVH in January 2010. She graduated from Melbourne University in 2005 with first class honours. Prior to joining our team, she has gained 4 years valuable general experience in Vet Hospitals in both rural Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne.

Special interest: Elisa completed a course in Internal Medicine of Dogs and Cats in 2010 and is studying to sit examinations to be admitted as a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons in Internal Medicine. This covers just about any reason a dog or cat might feel sick or unwell. She has a real passion for medicine and is also a very capable and experienced surgeon. Her interests include cardiac (heart) disease, diabetes, hormonal diseases, gastrointestinal, liver and kidney disease. She also enjoys seeing the smaller pets, especially rabbits.

Most memorable veterinary moment: There are many "Eureka moments" in dealing with illness in pets. By this I mean the moment when an idea pops into your head, when you gather all information about a pet and ponder the possible causes of illness, you can get a hunch that you should examine or test for a specific condition. When that hunch leads to a diagnosis and treatment that returns a pet back to good health, it is a great feeling! These moments provide one of the greatest joys of being a vet. There are too many to list, but here is an example:

Like many old cats, "Puss Puss" came in with increased thirst, intermittent vomiting, weight loss and general lethargy. He was mildly dehydrated and held his head tucked under towards his chest (a sign of muscle weakness). Blood and urine tests suggested that his kidney function was not far off normal. The main problem was with his body salts (potassium and phosphate were reduced) and his muscle enzymes were elevated. We ran a very rare test that showed he had an excess of aldosterone (a hormone that controls body salt levels) which lead to secondary muscle damage. We diagnosed Hyperaldosteronism. We treated with potassium liquid and a diuretic tablet and he returned to normal.

Pets: Frisbee - my Balinese 9 yo cat is living with cancer. She has had a soft tissue sarcoma surgically removed from her nose on 3 occasions. Elisa keeps a close check on the surgical site and is pleased to say she is currently in remission. Despite belonging to a vet, Frisbee will not let Elisa brush her teeth! Due to a chronic gum disorder, she has had 27 out of 30 teeth extracted, but still eats her teeth-cleaning dry food eagerly!

Squeaker - the 4 yo kelpie cross gets her name because she squeaks when she barks. She is a playful active dog, like most kelpies, and is currently undergoing therapy to help her overcome her fear of hairbrushes!

Personal hobbies: Elisa has an active, busy life, including classes  in gymnastics.