Professional Background

My connection with dogs began long before veterinary school, with the dogs I grew up with. They taught me how completely a dog can become part of a family, and how deeply their health, happiness and eventual loss affect the people who love them.

After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2009, I began my career working with dogs and cats. Over the years, I found myself increasingly drawn to geriatric medicine, chronic disease management and palliative care. This interest was shaped by years of caring for older dogs and sitting with their families through some of the hardest conversations in veterinary medicine.

When I meet a dog in the later stages of kidney disease, heart disease, cancer or age-related frailty, I often think about the months or years that led to that point. Many of these dogs had subtle changes long before their illness became obvious. If those changes had been recognised earlier, there may have been opportunities to intervene sooner, manage emerging problems or preserve their comfort and function for longer.

My work in geriatric and palliative care gradually led me towards canine longevity. I came to see them as part of the same continuum. Caring well for an older dog should not begin only when that dog starts to look or act old. It should begin years earlier, while there is still time to protect muscle, support organ health, recognise subtle changes and influence the path ahead.