• The Clinic
• Animal Wellness
• Our Approach
• Meet the Team
• Consultation Info
• Contact Us
• FAQ

• Dogs
• Cats
• Horses

To provide a holistic and integrated service to you and your animals, we need a special team of professions. Each member of the Holisticvet team has their own specialist areas of expertise, but they also understand the need for a holistic and integrated approach to animal healthcare. By sharing the vision of Wellness, the team collaborates to provide you and your animals with a truly holistic and integrative service. This means calling on other team members for input as the need arises, and also working closely with the referring family vet and other specialists.

• Dr Megan Kelly BVSc, DipVet.
• Dr Sarah Peters BVSc
• Bridget Hammond EBW
• Cara Williams MA
• Christelle van Wyk

Dr Megan Kelly BVSc, DipVet.
VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURE, PHYSICAL REHAB
Dogs, cats
Dr Kelly is a qualified Veterinary Surgeon with a special interest in pain management and rehabilitation. She qualified in 2001 and spent 4 years in the UK practicing in mixed and small animal practices. In 2005 she studied Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, USA) and Western Scientific Acupuncture through the British Veterinary Acupuncture Society. Together with the Bryanston Veterinary Hospital in Gauteng, she was involved in importing the first Canine Underwater Treadmill in South Africa.

Email: megan.kelly@holisticvet.co.za

Articles by Dr Megan Kelly

• Hip Dysplasia

Dr Sarah Peters BVSc
VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURE, HERBAL MEDICINE
Dogs, cats, horses
Sarah qualified from Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria, in 2000, but her passion for horses and the equestrian sport present from school days already. She worked for a few equine and mixed practices after qualifying before making the realization that medicine has a further, by her previously unexplored, branch: Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. After the miraculous recovery of her dog thanks to acupuncture, Sarah ventured to the USA to learn this ancient, "new", modality. It was the Chi Institute that triggered an interest in Chinese herbal medicine, and led to her enrolment to the IVAS herbal course.

Email: sarah.peters@holisticvet.co.za

Articles by Sarah Peters

• Acupuncture and Horses - What to Expect

Bridget Hammond EBW
BODY WORK
Dogs, cats, horses
Bridget is a qualified equine body worker and is currently doing her externship in myofascial release and canine massage. She has been working in the field of animal physical rehabilitation for the last 3 years.
In the 7 years that Bridget worked at the Two Oceans Aquarium, she worked with the Seals, Penguins, husbandry of the smaller exhibits in Diversity Hall and Quarantine.  While working in Quarantine, she saw the need to start and formalize the Marine Turtle Rehabilitation.  Many of her “patients” were 3-4 month old hatchlings as well as sub-adult loggerhead, green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles.  This was the beginning of an interest and passion for Animal Physical Rehabilitation.
In December 2005, she took her first course in Equine Sports Massage, through a South African franchise of an American company.  Since then she has done further courses in Canine Sports Massage and Myofascial Release and continues to work through their curriculum.
Bridget has also had two years practical training in Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Pulsed Magnetic Field Therapy and Laser Therapy. Along with the above mentioned modalities, she uses massage, passive range of motion, stretching, cryotherapy, heat therapy and active exercises in her rehab treatment sessions.

Email: bridget.hammond@holisticvet.co.za

Cara Williams M.A. (UCT), member of ABC of SA
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
Dogs, cats, horses
Cara graduated with an MA in Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology, from the University of Cape Town - where she lectured and tutored Health Psychology. In 2006 she moved to the UK to work and study at the Natural Animal Centre, a specialist animal education centre which combined her interest in Psychology with her passion for animals. Cara undertook training as an equine and canine behavioural scientist, lectured the equine and canine behaviour qualifications and was involved in running the business as Deputy Manager of the centre. At the end of 2008 she returned to South Africa with a dream of making the science of animal behaviour and welfare accessible to all. Cara's approach is to empower horse and dog owners by explaining the science of animal behaviour and offering practical solutions to positively influence the lives of animal and owner.   Her compassionate, holistic and scientific approach to solving behavioural problems helps ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of companion animals.

Email: cara.williams@holisticvet.co.za

Articles by Cara Williams
• Science of Learning
• Benefits of Positive Reinforcement
• Habituation versus Sensitisation
• Flooding and why we don't use it in Behaviour Modification
• Introduction to Clicker Training

Christelle van Wyk
PHYSIOTHERAPY
Dogs, horses
Christelle qualified as a human physiotherapist from The University of Stellenbosch in 1998 but her real passion was for the 4 legged variety. She relocated to the UK to gain experience and specialize in Veterinary Physiotherapy at the Royal Veterinary College of London. She received her PG Dip in Veterinary Physiotherapy in 2002 and established her Animal Physiotherapy Practice in the South of England. She specialized in K9 & Equine rehabilitation, performance enhancement and injury prevention. She gained valuable experience working at Greyfriars Hydro & Rehabilitation Centre for dogs.  Her equine experience includes all fields (racing, polo, dressage, show-jumping, showing, eventing) and all levels from the beginner to the Olympic rider. She also volunteered at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust and was fortunate enough to be involved in the rehabilitation of one of the male wolves who sustained a very serious neck injury - truly unique experience.  She was involved in the education of physiotherapy students and the running of various courses for professionals, dog owners and horse riders. In 2006 she moved back to Cape Town with her husband, 2 cats and a dog, and started her Veterinary Physiotherapy practice on home soil. Christelle is  a board member and volunteer for The SAID Foundation, a non profitable charity that lies close to her heart.  Since her return to South Africa she has added 2 little boys to her family.  She is a big believer in the multidisciplinary approach to animal care and for this reason is very excited to be part of the team at Holistic Vet.

DR MEGAN KELLY interviewed on SAFM.

Listen to the 9-minute interview for an overview of Holisticvet.
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