As a South African Liza soon found her passion in harmony and balance in nature as her childhood was spent in the natural environment and wildlife of her beloved country. Her love of animals was fuelled by real life encounters with elephants, cheaters, turtles, rhinoceros, cats and dogs, monkeys, and a pet goose called Golda.
Although Liza enjoyed her outdoor life and sports, she realised that she could not bear to see sick animals and with her ‘if there is a will there was a way attitude’ she followed her passion and trained as a vet. This gave her a wealth of traditional methods to heal but she soon became aware that there were more holistic ways to restore animal health and ensure their wellbeing.
Following a move to NZ via Auckland, where she was paid to do what she loved best – a vet in an urban practice, she bravely started out on her own with a mobile vet service in Papamoa and everything went from there!
Liza founded Holistic Vets with a permanent residence in Fraser Street, Tauranga. Here, she and her team welcome a wide range of animals (and their owners) that need help, care, health restoration and long-life wellbeing. Owners, as well as animals, are involved in animal treatment plans and guided in how to continue to love and help their animals through their treatment, recovery and continued good health.
An abundance of knowledge and experience as well as treatments and techniques are brought to bear when animals are brought to the practice. Initial consultations gather as much information as possible on the animals’ overall body health, the symptoms being presented as well as its environment and animal behaviours experienced by the owner. By using this method to find the root of the problem options for treatment can be lined up between the owner and vet, a way forward determined and constantly reviewed.
Treatment plans can include homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture (using chartered pressure points from Chinese medicine), massage, Reiki, reflexology, and Body talk. Whilst techniques using Neurological Integration System (NIS), Bowmen Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy(HBOT) &Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provide a wide range of restorative practices together with traditional techniques where needed.
HBOT has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects as well as accelerating wound and tissue healing. This effect was used to heal a little Blue Penguin, who was tumbled by sharks and paralysed. HBOT and acupuncture treatment healed her legs, and she was eventually able to walk again and live a new penguin life.
A holistic approach centres on restoring balance. The inherent healing wisdom of rest/relaxation, nutrition and exercise supports physical mental and emotional wellbeing needed to achieve that balance in animals and humans!
The Clinic team use combinations of technology, techniques and treatments. Complementary therapies and integrative care is the basis of their clinical service. Homeopathy is often seen as an inexact science, not black and white, but its individual success is often experienced by the team who work on a range of animals.
Here are some examples:
Bubbles the Cat-had a stumpy and short tail continually bitten red and raw which could have led to amputation. The root of the problem had not been addressed. With nutritional herbs and homeopathic treatment, Bubbles is now an old lady with a slinky tail!
Salvador the cat – displayed inappropriate urination peeing in all the wrong places, this was prevented by using passionflower based remedies making the owner and cat a happy pair.
Satcha, a German Shepherd had scratchy skin, sore joints, gloopy eyes which disappeared by changing his diet to contain doses of omega 3 acids
Willy the dog’s sore back and legs prevented him from running around. Numerous X-rays and specialised tests found no specific problem but through chiropractic and acupuncture treatments happy walks were restored!
A Pony who had an inflamed hoof was treated with a combination of nutrients including Vitamin C and Omega 3’s and walks without pain.
A prize dairy cow had a stomach ulcer leading to severe bleeding. Surgery to stop the problem proved very risky. With herbal medicine and High doses of Vitamin C she gradually recovered.
Monday the goat developed worms in her gut which would have been treated with chemical drenches. With a combination of Herbal and homeopathic treatments, her immune system increased, and the worms decreased which led to a happy goat again.
Due to the notoriety of the team, wounded wildlife were increasingly brought to the Clinic after experiencing environmental hazards:
Blue penguins with crud encrusted legs from swimming in the harbour,
Moreporks and hawks from car accidents and birds hurt from waste fishing lines and hooks even an Axolotl (the most difficult case so far!).
An Albatross with a broken wing, found floating offshore unable to fly, was able to fish again after using the HBOT and TLC.
Along with the team, ten very dedicated volunteers help to keep the wildlife service running, especially, in the spring when fledglings (30 last year) arrive in quick succession. But it can be very heart breaking with 700 cases per year with a 40% survival rate.
A wonderful result of this challenging work, together with education talks in schools, resulted in a published series of wonderful heart warming children’s adventure books based on true case stories. The stories encourage children to make a better environment for wildlife and how to be responsible animal owners.
But the story doesn’t end here. Liza wanted to embrace the wildlife aspect of her work and combine it with conservationism in the Tauranga area.
Along with other like-minded people she founded a wildlife trust- the Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre – ARRC. Funded and supported by The Department of conservation, Bay Trust Conservation Alliance, TECT, local vets & council, and Animal Advocates Collective Impact NZ.
Their website is astounding and well worth a look as it’s full of interesting information and advice, as well a shop for the Children’s Books.
To extend Liza’s work further in sustainable health care and in respect of the circle of life, the clinic also provides Pet Aquamation – pet cremation with water not fire. A simple but specialised method, that delivers a low carbon footprint, which allows loving owners to take remains away that have been created by a sustainable technique
Gaining a wealth of experience, love of nature, and practicing high standard of holistic animal welfare coupled with conservationism and sustainability, has been the centre of Liza’s life and achieved her much deserved success. A legacy that, we all agreed, will continue.
U3A Beachside - Papamoa, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke 