Animal Referral Hospital Essendon Fields

At ARH, we offer a comprehensive range of surgical solutions for dogs and cats, including orthopaedic, soft tissue, trauma, oncologic, reconstructive and neurologic surgery.

Our surgery department consists of 3 specialist surgeons, 1 surgical registrar, 1 surgical resident, and 2 surgical interns. Our surgeons are Dr Simon Kudnig, Dr Tania Shaw, and Dr Jiaying Ng, all of whom are Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). Dr Simon Kudnig leads the team, and in addition to being a ACVS Diplomate, he is also a Fellow of the Australian College (FANZCVS) and a ACVS Founding Fellow of Surgical Oncology. Our surgical team will assess your pet and talk you through a thorough plan to help ensure the best result for your pet.

Common surgical procedures performed at ARH include stifle (knee) stabilisation procedures for cranial cruciate ligament injuries, fracture repair, limb deformity correction, arthroscopy, abdominal surgery such as gastrointestinal foreign body removal, splenectomy and removal of bladder stones, open chest surgery, total ear canal ablation for chronic ear disease, correction of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), reconstructive surgery, spinal surgery for intervertebral disc disease, spinal stabilisation, and oncologic surgery for cancer.

We are fully equipped with the most up-to-date surgical equipment and implants, including:

• Standard and locking stainless-steel plates and screws for fracture repair
• Interlocking nails for fracture repair
• Minimally invasive (keyhole) surgical equipment for arthroscopy
• External fixation implants for limb deformity correction and fracture repair
• Total hip replacement implants
• Prosthetic ligaments for ligament injuries
• Pedicle screws for spinal stabilisation
• Bipolar vessel-sealing technology for ligation
• Stapling devices for organ removal
• Negative pressure wound therapy units for open wound management
• 3D printed guides for correction of angular limb deformities
• 3D printed prostheses to replace skull and bone defects
• Fluoroscopic assisted surgery to improve precision and allow minimally invasive procedures
• In-house access to CT, MRI, digital radiography and ultrasound, providing the most advanced diagnostic imaging options available

Our specialist surgeons are assisted by a highly qualified support team. The integration of surgery with internal medicine, oncology, diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia, and emergency and critical care ensures a seamless approach to your pet’s care. Exemplary post-operative pain management and care for surgical patients is provided by our 24-hour hospital and intensive care unit.

Our specialists are happy to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of patients with referring veterinarians by phone or email correspondence, including a radiographic appraisal of any case.

At ARH Essendon Fields, our Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) department operates 24/7, ensuring continuous care for patients at any time of day or night.

We provide a full range of in-house diagnostic services, including radiology, CT, ultrasound, endoscopy, and an IDEXX Vet Lab Station. Our facility is equipped with specialised oxygen cages, ventilator support, and blood transfusion services. With experienced overnight veterinarians and nursing staff on site, we are always prepared to deliver high-quality emergency and critical care.

Our ECC team works closely with Specialist Surgeons and Internal Medicine Specialists, giving us access to advanced diagnostic tools such as MRI, Ultrasound, fluoroscopy, as well as referral pathways for more complex medical and surgical cases.

Collaboration is at the heart of our hospital. Daily Hospital Rounds sessions bring together our ECC, Surgery, and Medicine teams to review and discuss every patient, ensuring continuity of care and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. 

ARH Essendon Fields diagnostic imaging suite is very advanced, allowing our specialists to obtain the highest quality images required for diagnosis, treatment planning and prognosis of your pet’s condition.

On-site, ARH Essendon Fields have:

• 16-slice helical CT
• CR digital radiography
• Two ultrasound machines, including colour flow Doppler
• MRI
• Fluoroscopy

Images are interpreted by our highly skilled clinicians and supported by specialist radiologists within the ARH group.

Our ARH nurses are highly skilled, compassionate people who will go above and beyond when caring for your pet. We have dedicated nurses in surgery, internal medicine, intensive care, and emergency. All our nurses undergo regular in-house training and attend conferences and lectures to ensure they provide the best care to our patients.

ARH encompasses a specialist referral service and emergency hospital in one business, which allows our nurses to provide seamless continuity of care to your pet. Whatever time of day your pet is being treated, our nurses will strive to provide a comfortable and anxiety-free stay for them.

ARH Essendon Fields offers on-site pathology through Idexx’s state-of-the-art point-of-care systems. This includes biochemistry testing, complete blood count (Lasercyte and Procyte), urine testing, cortisol, thyroid and blood coagulation testing.

This means your pet's test results can be available swiftly in an emergency, by providing life-saving information without the need to send blood samples to an external laboratory.

For intensive care patients, the Radiometer ABL-90 FLEX-PLUS blood gas analyser provides comprehensive, critical information regarding your pet’s blood pH levels, electrolytes and haemoglobin levels. Blood gas and electrolyte results are available in less than a minute once the sample is collected.

During normal business hours, we are backed by the full support of Melbourne’s leading veterinary pathology laboratories, including Idexx and Gribbles.