animal health consulting

Christine King  BVSc, MANZCVS (equine), MVetClinStud

I'm retired from general practice, but there are some things I'm still passionate about and will continue to do. My work is now focused on optimising animal health and well-being in these key areas: food and feeding, the use of trace minerals and herbs as food and medicine, and the emotional bonds we share with our animals. In other words...

Food and friendship. When we get those things right, everything works better. When those things are out of order, nothing works right, no matter what we do.

Here are the consultancy services I currently provide:

Feeding healthy animals

* selecting and refining species-appropriate diets (all domestic animal species)

* feeding for specific needs — life stage, activity, age, breed, etc. (all domestic animal species)

* forage testing of pasture and hay (all livestock species)

* pasture management for optimal nutrition and parasite control (all livestock species)

* supplements — why they're needed, and when they're not (all domestic animal species)

Clinical nutrition (eating our way back to health)

* using food and feeding to better manage medical problems

* how food affects behaviour

* how food affects athletic performance

* how food affects fertility

* how food affects growth and future health & performance

* using herbs as food and medicine

* probiotics — how, when, what, and why

Human-animal connection

* enhancing the emotional bonds we share with our animals, for our mutual benefit

* exploring the spiritual aspects of physical and behaviour disorders

* improving communication with our animals

* appreciating the (not always obvious) gifts of the 'highly sensitive' animal

Consultations

* all consultations are by appointment only; please email to book a suitable time

* most consultations can be conducted by phone or video conference (FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.)

* please note that, while I may request information via email, I do not conduct consultations by email or text

Please note: I am currently registered as a veterinarian only in Victoria.

Fees

* my consultation fee is based on an hourly rate of $200/hour

* first consultations for single animals typically take 1 to 2 hours ($200–$400)

* first consultations for herds or multi-species families typically take 2 to 3 hours ($400–$600), sometimes longer (although usually by that point we're all spent and need to stop)

* the trip charge for in-person visits depends on your location and thus on my travel time; please email for an estimate

* follow-up consultations are generally much shorter, and are billed accordingly

* forage testing is additional and based on the current laboratory fees and postage costs

* payment may be made by cash, direct deposit, or PayPal (Visa, MC, Discover, AmEx)