“I don’t think that western medicine can offer enough answers to the vast array of diseases and conditions that we now see in small animal practice. I have dabbled in homeopathy and acupuncture for several years and have seen some incredible successes. Why does it work? I have no idea except to say that when we started using penicillin 60 odd years ago we had no idea how it cured people of infection. Since then antibiotics have become the greatest discovery. I have worked with Tamara since 2003 and she has performed acupuncture and homeopathy on several of my cases with great results.”  – Geoff Golovsky March 2009

Dr Tamara Carlin BVSc

Tamara is a member of the Veterinary Holistic Association. She has been performing acupuncture on a variety of cases from rabbits to Dobermans for the last 12 years. She balances traditional western Medicine with eastern techniques with excellent success.

Tamara has been practicing as a conventional vet for the last 17 years, using acupuncture for 12 years and homeopathy for 6 years.

She is a certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and a holistic vet. Tamara is a member of the Holistic and Acupuncture Veterinary Special Interest Groups of the Australian Veterinary Association. Her veterinary skills have taken her to the UK, Canberra, Adelaide and throughout Sydney. She has appeared on TV on ‘Animal Hospital’ and performed live to air acupuncture on the ‘Sunrise’ program.

No creature is too big or too small for her attention and as such she has treated horses, dogs, cats, birds, bats and even a guinea pig!

Most acupuncture sessions take about 30 minutes and involve the use of fine acupuncture needles varying in length from10-30mm, but for needle shy animals or very painful zones Tamara also has a portable infrared laser unit and may employ the traditional chinese warming herb called Moxa, which is burnt and held over the relevant spots. Surprisingly it is rare for patients to need any sedation during treatment.

Acupuncture is a wonderful therapy for chronic pain such as many types of arthritis (and regular medications can be continnued as usual) but also for acute muscular spasms, some cases of disc disease, sprains, strains and general holistic type healing e.g. improving digestion, organ function (such as kidney) and even helping some behaviour problems.

Tamara is available for consultations but must be pre booked ahead.

Dry Needling – a western approach to Chi

As a western trained veterinarian, it is very hard to come to terms with the concept of Chi, ying and yang, hot and cold, wood and fire. I started a certificate in Chinese medicine and quickly realised that my brain could not handle the massive paradigm shift of understanding something that to me is unexplainable. The result was I sought out a course in ‘Dry Needling’. This is a ‘cookbook’ approach to acupuncture. With the training and experience I have received from the first vet to bring I Acupuncture to this country I have successfully managed many orthopaedic diseases. My approach does not in any way replace Tamara’s involvement in Vet HQ but is another service I can offer my patients.