The Vet Behaviour Team consists of Dr Heather Chee, Dr Amanda Cole and Dr Caitlin McQuarrie. Dr Chee and Dr Cole completed their Memberships in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine whilst working as “regular” veterinarians.
So what does that mean? In the human sense, it means we are like your GP and Psychiatrist rolled into one. We know all about your animal’s body and how it is intimately linked to its mind. As VBT is all about behaviour, we will let your own GP vet take care of all your animals physical needs, whilst we take care of its emotional ones.
We first formed a team together heading the Veterinary Behaviour Component of RSPCA NSW working regionally to help animals within shelters lead happier and healthier lives. It was during this time we both were made acutely aware of the crippling effect mental disease has on an animal and their human families. So we decided to get proactive by forming Vet Behaviour Team consultants to help families and their pets remain united, happy and healthy for as long as possible.
Dr Heather Chee has served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Veterinary Behaviour Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists and as Head Examiner for the Veterinary Behaviour Memberships. Dr Amanda Cole has served as President Elect of the Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group.
We have presented for the:
- Vet Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA)
- Australian Veterinary Association Conference 2015
- Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group (AVBIG)
- Science Week, the annual conference for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists www.anzcvs.org.au
We are so pleased to have Dr Caitlin McQuarrie join us in 2023! She graduated from the University of Sydney in 2016 and completed the Centre for Veterinary Education course in behavioural medicine in 2022 and is current studying for her membership examinations. Outside of work she is a ballroom dancer, seamstress, and am ruled by her three-legged rescue cat Puck.
Our webinars on Anxiety, Fears and Phobias for trainers and vets from Polite Pets Month are available free to AVA members: www.ava.com.au
