Why MASH?
Why Referring Veterinarians Choose MASH
When you refer a patient to MASH, you're choosing more than a service — you're choosing a partner committed to gold-standard care, transparent communication, and outcomes you can trust for your shared patient.
As a privately-owned specialist hospital, our focus is on care at the highest level: the right specialists, the right equipment, and the right support team around every case. We believe this translates to genuine value — not just for the procedure itself, but for the entire patient journey.
Specialist Referral Services
Surgery
Led by Dr Ralph Webster (DACVS-SA) — a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and a Registered Australian Specialist in Small Animal Surgery.
Our specialist surgical team manages a wide range of soft tissue, orthopaedic, and neurosurgical cases, with the full support of our hospital's imaging, anaesthesia, and critical care departments.
Internal Medicine
Led by Dr Alison Stickney (DACVIM) — a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a Registered Specialist in Internal Medicine.
Our internal medicine specialists work up complex, chronic, and diagnostically challenging cases, with a full suite of diagnostic capabilities including flexible endoscopy, comprehensive laboratory services, and on-site specialist imaging.
Critical Care
Led by Dr Merrin Hicks (FANZCVS) — a Registered Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care — our ICU supports the management of complex, unstable, and critically ill patients around the clock, with capabilities including mechanical ventilation, advanced monitoring, and high-dependency nursing care.
Our departments work closely together — a critical surgical patient in hospital overnight is cared for by our specialist-led ICU team; a medicine case requiring advanced imaging has it on-site, same day. This means continuity of care for your patient, and one point of contact for you.
24/7 Emergency Department
In addition to planned specialist referrals, MASH has a 24/7 emergency department for patients who need urgent care. Clients can present directly at any time — no appointment required. If you have a patient in an emergency situation, please call us on 1800 838 787 so we can be ready on arrival.
The Difference Behind the Scenes
Many hospitals may appear to offer similar specialist services. What's harder to see — but makes a real difference to outcomes — is the strength of the team supporting that front-line specialist.
At MASH, patients referred to Surgery, Medicine, or Critical Care benefit from our on-site Diagnostic Imaging and Anaesthesia departments. This means specialist-grade imaging (including CT) is rapidly available to support diagnosis and surgical planning, and specialist anaesthesia input is available for cases where it matters most — particularly higher-risk, complex, or critical patients.
It's this depth of support, often invisible from the outside, that allows our specialists to deliver the outcomes they do.
Advanced Intensive Care Facilities
Our ICU is equipped to manage a wide range of critical patients, with access to advanced monitoring and life-support capabilities, including:
High Staffing Levels, 24/7
We maintain high veterinary and nursing staffing levels around the clock, supporting:
Gold-Standard Care, with Practical Flexibility
We will always recommend the diagnostic and treatment plan we believe is best for each patient — but we also recognise that every family's circumstances are different.
Our team works collaboratively with owners to tailor investigations and treatment plans wherever possible, aiming to provide compassionate, clinically appropriate care within each client's individual circumstances.
Supporting Referring Veterinarians
We value strong relationships with our referring veterinary community and are committed to:
Refer a Patient to MASH
To discuss a case or refer a patient to our Surgery, Internal Medicine, or Critical Care teams, contact us on 1800 838 787 or info@mashvet.com.au.
Our specialists are available to discuss cases and provide guidance, even before a formal referral is made.
