The pursuit of helping animals is worldwide and the compilation of specialists coming together to help general practitioners learn more couldn’t be more welcomed by VetPrac. Dr. Orly Zemer, a Small Animal Surgery Specialist, has focused her life around fixing animals. Trying to embrace the “no worries” state of mind, Dr. Zemer is relocating her life from Israel to Australia to join the University of Melbourne, U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital to lecture the student in surgery and act as the attending small animal surgeon. VetPrac is excited help welcome her into the country and show her the Auzzie way when she joins us at the upcoming Fix the Face workshop this November!
Orly has wanted to be a doctor since she was young. She shares with us “I examined my dolls, fixed their broken arms (thanks to my brother who broke them) and gave them medicines. When I grew up, I realised that I am better off treating animals rather than dolls or people. One of the challenges in veterinary medicine revolves around the fact that animals don’t talk or complain, therefore you have to be more thorough and meticulous when approaching a sick animal”. In the pursuit to fulfil this, Dr. Zemer obtained her BSc in Animal Science and then her DVM in 2006 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Surgery and emergency were always her passion. After serving 3 years as an Emergency and Critical Care doctor, she decided to gain knowledge and training in surgery. Orly states “Both are combined fields in medicine, accomplishing instant satisfaction in ‘fixing’ those that need to be fixed”.
As a new diplomat, there are lots of new challenges from treating unique cases and performing vanguard surgeries! Dr. Zemer gets to perform a variety of procedures each day and she is quite fond of thoracic surgery and orthopedics. She also really loves teaching, “transferring my knowledge and experience to the next generation of veterinary is a mission I believe in with all of my heart” says Orly. She enjoys that you have to be up to date with the latest literature and research, confronting questions and alternative ways of thinking, expanding one’s perspective into directions never considered before.
After a long day at work, Orly has a houseful of love to come home to. Her husband is her biggest influence in life (although it may be safer if her doesn’t know that or he’ll never stop bragging about it)….and her three children keep her young at heart. She also has two wonderful fur babies.. Batya (which translates to “daughter of god” in Hebrew) is their perfect 2 year old Border Collie and Malka (which means “queen” in Hebrew) is their 4 year old DSH cat.
Dr. Zemer has many practical tips which she has learned from her mentors and colleagues over the years. Some of which are “take your time”, “an incision heals from side to side and not from one end to the other”, and “handle the tissues as it was your own”….She’s got a few more under her sleeve but you’ll have to come hear them in person at the Fix the Face Workshop! Click HERE to register.
Thank you Dr. Orly Zemer for being part of the VetPrac team of educators.
Written by Alena Felkai.