Park Ridge Animal Hospital

Meet Mr Bingley 🐾💙

At the time of this visit, the gorgeous Frenchie, Mr Bingley, was just seven weeks old. He completely captivated us from the moment he arrived, reminding us of just how much love, joy and personality a tiny new puppy can bring into our lives.

R U OK? Day is particularly important within the veterinary industry, where caring for animals often means caring for people through some of their most difficult and emotional moments.

Veterinary teams can face compassion fatigue, grief, challenging client conversations, financial pressures, unpredictable workloads and the emotional weight of making life-and-death decisions.

In such a demanding profession, checking in with our colleagues is more than simply asking “Are you OK?”; it is about creating a workplace where people feel safe to be honest, supported when things are tough, and reminded that they don't have to carry everything alone. R U OK? Day provides an opportunity to pause, connect with each other and strengthen a culture of kindness, compassion and genuine care within our teams.

Norman has been soaking up lots of vitamin D on these lovely Spring mornings 🌞

Fear Free Handling at PRAH

Recently, we have cared for patients who have found their veterinary visits particularly stressful. We understand that fear, anxiety and stress are natural behavioural responses in both dogs and cats, and every pet communicates these feelings in different ways. Learning to recognise the early signs can make a tremendous difference to your pet’s wellbeing and help us create a more positive experience together.

At our hospital, we work hard every day to create a calm, welcoming environment where pets and their families feel safe and supported, while still ensuring that the medical and surgical care your pet needs can be provided.

We encourage you to take a moment to review these Fear Free resources, which explain the subtle signs of fear, anxiety and stress that pets often show long before they become overwhelmed. These signs may include avoiding eye contact, turning away, lip licking in dogs, changes in ear position, pupil dilation, crouching, tail movements, or seeking reassurance from their owner.

You may already have noticed some of the Fear Free techniques we use in hospital, such as getting down on the floor with your pet, allowing time for gentle introductions, using plenty of praise and treats (everyone’s favourite!), and adapting our approach to suit each individual patient. For some pets, pre-visit calming medications can also play an important role in reducing stress and helping future visits remain positive.

Our goal is not simply to complete an examination or procedure; it is to prevent fear from escalating over time and to help every pet feel more comfortable and confident with veterinary care throughout their life.

Thank you for partnering with us and for your ongoing commitment to your pet’s health, happiness and emotional wellbeing.

Happy Father’s Day to the brave men of our veterinary family! 💙

Working in a predominantly female workplace takes a special kind of resilience… and we think our small but mighty group of male colleagues deserves some recognition!

They may be outnumbered on a daily basis, but they certainly hold their own amongst the chatter, laughter, strong opinions and occasional chaos that comes with working in a veterinary hospital!

Some are proud dads to two-legged children, some are dads to four-legged children, and some are constantly searching for that perfect pet.

But what we love most about our guys is the qualities they bring to our team every single day; compassion, care, humour, integrity and genuine kindness.

Whether they are caring for a patient, comforting a worried pet parent, helping a teammate, or simply making us laugh when we need it most, they are an incredibly valued part of our veterinary family.

So today, we celebrate our dads, pet dads, future pet dads and honorary dads; and the wonderful men who bravely survive being surrounded by women all day, every day!

Happy Father’s Day! 🩵
We’re very lucky to have you.

🎉🐾HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY, NED! 🎂💙

We’re celebrating a VERY special milestone today… our gorgeous patient Ned is officially 20 years old!

Two decades of cuddles, adventures, naps and being the very best boy - what an incredible achievement!

Ned has been a much-loved member of our clinic family, and we feel so lucky to have watched him grow into the distinguished gentleman he is today. ✨

Join us in wishing Ned a very Happy 20th Birthday! Here’s to a great day filled with treats, cuddles and happy memories!

Happy 20th, Ned! You have reached legendary status! 💙

Please comment below if your pet has made it to a great age! We would love to see a photo of them celebrating 👇

💙 The Kindness of Strangers 💙

This story is a real heart-wrencher!

Recently, we had a family sitting in one of our consult rooms, facing one of the most difficult decisions a pet parent can make. They were understandably heartbroken as they considered saying goodbye to their beloved companion.

At the same time, another client was waiting to collect their own pet from hospital. He noticed the family’s distress and quietly asked if they were considering euthanasia. Without sharing any details, we explained that no decision had been made yet.

He then asked a simple question: “Can I pay their bill?”

A few years earlier, he had been sitting in our clinic, facing a similar heartbreaking situation with his own pet. At that time, a complete stranger had quietly paid his bill for him. He had never forgotten that kindness.

Now, years later, he wanted to pay it forward. And he wanted to remain completely anonymous. He simply asked that, one day, if the family found themselves in a position to do so, they might offer the same kindness to someone else.

When we told the family what had happened, they were completely overwhelmed.
In the middle of one of the hardest days of their lives, the unexpected generosity of a stranger gave them a little reminder that, even in difficult moments, there is still so much good in the world. ❤️

We often talk about the incredible bond between people and their pets, but moments like this remind us of something equally special - the compassion we can show one another.

To the kind stranger who chose to pay it forward: thank you.
Your generosity meant more than you will ever know.
And perhaps most importantly, thank you for reminding us all that kindness really does have a way of coming full circle. 💙

🦷 Learning from the experts!

Recently, some of our veterinary team made the trip to Gatton for two days of intensive continuing education in veterinary dentistry.

They returned with refined practical skills, fresh knowledge and plenty of new ideas to bring back to our clinics and, most importantly, our patients. ❤️

We were incredibly fortunate to learn from two fantastic tutors, Dr Anthony (Tony) Caiafa and Dr Kayoko (Kayo) Kuroda.

Tony is one of only a handful of veterinarians worldwide to hold degrees in both Veterinary Science and Human Dentistry, bringing a wealth of experience in veterinary dentistry and education.

Kayo is a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Small Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery, and combines her clinical work with teaching and providing advanced dentistry services through the RSPCA.

Their knowledge, expertise and passion for veterinary dentistry made this an incredibly valuable learning experience.

We believe great veterinary care starts with great learning, and we’re committed to continually developing our team’s skills so we can provide the very best care for our patients. A huge thank you to Tony and Kayo for, yet again, sharing their expertise with us! 🦷