By XAVIER SMERDON
LIONS, tigers and bears. When it comes to the kinds of animals that Dr Sasha Herbert has treated, these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Dr Herbert is the Exotic Pet Registrar at the Melbourne University Vet Hospital in Werribee.
Her job requires her to treat all the unusual pets that come through the hospital’s doors every day.
For the past 20 years Dr Herbert has travelled the world caring for animals that might not fit the normal vet’s bill.
She told Star that since settling in at Werribee her usual clients consisted of rabbits, ferrets, rats, reptiles and amphibians.
Last week she was treating a wild turtle that had sustained serious injuries, possibly after being run over by a car, and a guinea pig, Cookie, that was undergoing chemotherapy to treat lymphoma.
“People can be very judgmental of which pet is deserving of surgery or medical treatment, or which kind of animal is deserving of having money spent on them for medical procedures,” Dr Herbert said.
“But they are all loved pets.”
Her new best friend is Hellenki the carpet python which was surrendered by its owner after it was discovered it had a rare disease, the Sunshine Virus.
Dr Herbert decided to adopt the snake herself so that it could be studied and more could be learned about its disease.
“It’s not making her sick which is the amazing thing,” she said.
“By studying her we’re hoping that we can eventually learn a lot more about the virus, such as how long it takes for snakes to shed it from their system and how it is transmitted.”
Dr Herbert, who has even performed intricate surgeries on frogs, said Wyndham residents would be surprised to learn that the services she offered were available on their doorstep.
“We get people from all over Melbourne coming here to have their pets treated,” she said.
“I love working at the university too because there’s so many clever people walking around.
“No matter what I’m dealing with there’s always someone who can add their expertise.”
