Businesses of Banyule’ presents – Lower Plenty Veterinary Clinic, Lower Plenty

Dr Avinder Pasricha has always enjoyed interacting with animals and now, as a vet, seeing the difference he can make in the lives of pets and their owners.

After migrating to Australia in 1991, Avinder, as he prefers to be called, completed his degree in Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland. In 2004, he opened the Lower Plenty Veterinary Clinic, dedicating his life to ensuring that all animals are given high quality care and attention when they need it.

The clinic offers a broad range of affordable, quality services related to general wellness, dental care, nutrition and surgery. In a point of difference to most other vets, the clinic practices conventional medicine as well as offering holistic therapies, such as homoeopathy, acupuncture and herbal medicine, which has attracted interest from pet owners.

Avinder decided to be a vet at a very young age and after giving his new cheeky and playful puppy Rosy her first bath, an experience that didn’t go as well as expected. “One day when I came home from school, I noticed she was quite dirty so to help mum I gave her a bath myself. I set up a cold bath for Rosy and began scrubbing. After a few minutes, Rosy’s tail stopped wagging, her movement began slowing down and a stunned expression appeared across her face. It then occurred to me that the water may have been too cold for Rosy, especially since she was only six weeks old. I immediately took her out of the bath and wrapped her in a dry towel. I then ran over to the kitchen and heated up some milk, which I fed to Rosy. Soon after, her movement increased, her usual playful facial expression returned and of course, her tail started wagging again. I was so relieved. This is when I decided that I would become a vet – so I could help animals to the best of my ability, even though I was the one who gave Rosy a cold bath!”

Avinder also wants to inspire passion and learning in others. This comes from his experience working in England during an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in farm animals in 2001. He was with vets from all over the world who were helping to tackle the disease. “Those six months made a difference to my life. It was a fantastic learning opportunity for me and I especially enjoyed getting to know the English farmers and other vets from different countries and sharing our experiences,” he said.

Now, Avinder makes sure the clinic hosts year 10 work experience students from local and surrounding schools, with some going on to pursue a career in the veterinary profession. The practice also offers work placements for veterinary nursing students and provides them with practical training so they can complete their degree.

For more information call 9434 5699, or follow the clinic on Facebook @LowerPlentyVet or Instagram @Lower Plenty Veterinary Clinic.