Page 101 - Port Douglas Magazine 33

10

QUESTIONS “One of the main
inspirations for

opening a vet clinic
with here was the fact that

DR. CAMERON HENDRICKS we absolutely love
the place and really
wanted to live here...”

We have a chat with one of
the new docs on the block,
Dr Cameron Hendricks,
of Port Douglas Vets 4. What is one of your favourite holiday
destinations - past or future?
This is going to sound fabricated, but honestly
Port Douglas. Before opening Port Douglas Vets,
we had been holidaying up here every year for
years. While we always went bush during our
trips up here, a fair portion of the time was spent

in Port enjoying everything it has to offer. One of
the main inspirations for opening a vet clinic here

was the fact that we absolutely love the place and really wanted to quality veterinary facility offering a consistent service. Port Douglas
live here. Now that we are actually here and have been able to get has the small-town community vibe that is a big part of both our
involved in the community only reaffi rms our decision to move here backgrounds. It’s a great part of the world for lifestyle, exploring

and start the clinic. and raising a family. We knew from our market research that the
right Veterinary Service here would be warmly welcomed and
5. As pet owners what should we be mindful of in the Tropics? appreciated by the community, which has certainly been the case
Everything. Haha. It’s crazy, the climate together with the vegetation since we opened.

are perfect conditions for a number of nasties when it comes to the 8. What excites you about future developments in your field?
health of our pets. Paralysis ticks are a big one up here. They do
The t eam a t P ort Dougl as V e ts (L t o R) T yl er M ous, H arry W a t ers, J ade De vlin, Camer on H endricks. exactly as the name suggests, their toxin causes paralysis, which Probably the fact that there are always things to learn. There is
The team at Port Douglas Vets (L to R) Tyler Mous, Harry Waters, Jade Devlin, Cameron Hendricks.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy Lebeuf.
PHO T O CREDIT : J er em y L ebeuf . if left untreated can be life threatening. Thankfully there are great never a point where a veterinarian can confi dently say that they
preventatives on the market as well if your pet does acquire a tick, know everything there is to know and that they can do everything
there is also antiserum that we can administer against the toxin. that there is to do. We will learn something new every day, until
1.What inspired you to become a veterinarian? Leptospirosis is another disease of concern in the tropics. It is spread the day we retire. Scope for professional development is vast and
every year we attend conferences and workshops to improve our
Being a vet provides the perfect balance of technical and intellectual by rats and mice and while it can be lethal to your pet if they catch skills and knowledge. Every time that we learn something new our
the disease, it is also a human health risk. These two factors make
challenge, and the fulfi lment of helping an animal in need. Every it a must with respect to prevention. There is an effective vaccine patients benefi t as we are able to apply this expertise to our clinic

day is different from the last and you never know what new problem and the job that we do.
is going to walk through the door, and what skills and information available which forms part of our annual health assessment and
you’ll need to draw upon to help the animal. We both grew up vaccine protocol. 9. Any particularly interesting cases you have had through your
with animals and understand how they contribute to their family’s 6. Any advice to those thinking of pursuing a career in door or a funny story you can share?
health and happiness. The fulfi lment of being a vet relates not only veterinary science? We had one case of a staffy who happened to stumble across a

to helping the voiceless animal, but also in playing a role in the fi sh hook with bait attached. Before the owner could react this dog
positives of pet ownership. Study hard at school. Get a good grounding in the sciences, quickly gobbled the bait, fi sh hook, line attached and all. So he came
especially chemistry. After all, the course is called Veterinary
2. What is one of the biggest challenges working in veterinary Science. See if you actually like the industry and what we do. in, nylon fi shing line disappearing down his gullet. Quite happy
science? Spend some time in a Vet Clinic if possible, but also get out on with himself indeed. Owners were not as impressed as he was.
Obviously we couldn’t just pull the line as that would jag the hook
One of the biggest challenges is that every case requires your full farm, animal shelters, welfare organisations. University is tough, but into the esophagus. So we anaesthetized him, took radiographs
attention and expertise to achieve the very best outcome. You the workplace is tougher. Good work ethic and enthusiasm can’t be which showed the location of the hook in the mid-esophagus. Then
taught, but they are two attributes essential in this fi eld. Getting into
could perform a textbook perfect cat surgery, and then move onto the course is the hardest part initially as the demand for university with the use of an endoscope and an instrument called alligator
a sick dog, switch your mind from surgery to medicine in an instant places is very high. Academic excellence and a positive mindset forceps we carefully removed the hook via the mouth and surgery
and this process can repeat itself 20 plus times a day. Every life was avoided. The dog woke up from the anaesthetic none the wiser.
that comes through our door is as important and special as the life are what is required to stand out from the rest. And of course, don’t

that arrived both before and after. Staying constantly focused can give up on your dreams, they are achievable, but nothing hard ever 10. Coffee or Wine?
came easy.
certainly be challenging, but the rewards are well worth it. Depends on the time of day, but we are quite fond of and well
3. What does your perfect Sunday look like? 7. What attracted you to Port Douglas above other destinations acquainted with both. And sometimes espresso martinis please.
to open your practice?
Breakfast with my family. Long walk to get coffee. Relaxing fresh

seafood lunch. Fishing or diving in the afternoon. Picnic on the My business partner, Harry and I had both spent time in Port
Douglas before and loved the location, the community and
beach for dinner with a nice bottle of red or white depending on the surroundings. We felt there was a need here for a one-stop,
the dish. portdouglasvets.com