Game Changer Removes Massive Tumor in Just 30 Minutes
When Dr. Elaine Cebuliak first opened her clinic, she was the only veterinarian in the area, so that meant no referrals to specialists. Having no choice, she quickly became adept at nearly everything, including dentistry and brain surgery. That skill and grit is helping her save many lives.
Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker
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STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Dr. Elaine Cebuliak, nominated for a Game Changer Award by Catherine G., is an integrative veterinarian based in East Brisbane, Australia
- When Cebuliak first opened a clinic in Queensland, she was the only veterinarian in the area, so she quickly became adept at different specialties, particularly dentistry but even brain surgery
- At her clinic, Animal Wellness, they offer a wide range of natural treatments and alternative therapies, from traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture to herbal remedies and pet dentistry
- Cebuliak has a passion to teach other veterinarians and colleagues about how to treat animals using a different path and inspire pet guardians to help their pets naturally
- Cebuliak also works tirelessly to make the world a better place for animals, performing volunteer veterinary work in New Zealand, Bali and The Cook Islands
We call them "Game Changers" — the exemplary, hardworking individuals who have gone the extra mile to promote animal welfare all around the world. Every week, we feature a special Game Changer, so if you know someone in your community who deserves this award, nominate them and help us get the word out about the magnificent work they do! Click Here to Nominate a Game Changer Today!
Dr. Elaine Cebuliak, nominated for a Game Changer Award by Catherine G., is an integrative veterinarian based in East Brisbane, Australia. She feels she was destined to work with animals from the time she was a child:
“We lived in Hawaii growing up. So, Hawaii, naturally, you're exposed to the elements and to a certain amount of family and caring. My dad really loved animals and he had a dog when he was quite young, and he gave me a puppy when I was about … 7 seven … I remember raising this puppy.
And then the neighborhood kids, if they found a bird with a broken wing, from about that age, would bring them to me … and so I kind of learned bandages and stuff like that. So, I think I was always destined to do that.”
When Cebuliak first opened a clinic in Queensland, she was the only veterinarian in the area, so she quickly became adept at different specialties, particularly dentistry but even brain surgery.
“We had to invent everything … I had to learn how to do things. There was nobody to refer to. There were no specialists. So you just had to figure it out,” she says. Cebuliak knew, inherently, however, that there were problems with the way pets were being fed. “it never made sense to feed a packet of dried food ever, did it?”
Growing up with a “mom who was a good cook” and a dad who was a chiropractor and into supplements, she said, “I just knew that a pre-packaged cereal didn't make a lot of sense.”
“And then our nutrition book did state that the nutrient requirement level for carbs was about 5% for dogs. And that was back in the literature back in the day in 1975 to 1976. So, I kind of knew that obviously kibble wasn't the way to go,” she said.
At her clinic, Animal Wellness, they offer a wide range of natural treatments and alternative therapies, from traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture to herbal remedies and pet dentistry.
Using Ingenuity, Skill and Grit to Help Animals in Need
When asked what she loves most about being an integrative veterinarian, Cebuliak said, “I like to see people and pets get better — and quickly.” Toward that end, she doesn’t give up easily and often succeeds in extending pets’ healthspans when no one else can. In one example, she was able to successfully remove a cancerous tumor from an elderly dog in under an hour:
“There was a dog that had this huge cancer. Old dog, 17 plus, maybe 19 … heart murmur, went to all the other vets, ‘can't operate because he's got a bad heart, can't do surgery.’ I'm like, well — I did standing cows, I did standing horses. We took lumps off with local.
So it was a Saturday morning. I had two nurses. I felt it, I could get my hands underneath it … And I said, ‘Oh, why don't you go and have coffee across the street and we'll see what we can do with that.’ So acupuncture for calming, spray lavender, nice nurse holding, calm, calm, calm …
So I clipped it, cleaned it, got the clamps under it … clamped it, cut it off with a scalpel blade, got the bleeders, stapled it closed … she came back, half an hour and it was gone. And she just about fell over and collapsed. And she went, oh my God, you're kidding … we got another two plus years out of that dog.”
Educating Others and Helping Animals Throughout the World
Cebuliak also has a passion to teach other veterinarians and colleagues about how to treat animals using a different path. At her clinic, they’re focused on helping animals get rid of sources of pain and promoting oral health. “We're back to pain and pain prevention and flipping the lip and recognizing dental disease. I think that's a real biggie,” she said.
She also offers workshops at her clinic for pet guardians to learn techniques like animal massage and acupressure, essential oils and natural immunity support. Cebuliak also works tirelessly to make the world a better place for other cultures in other countries, using herbal treatments, nutritional strategies, massage, laser therapy, acupuncture and other treatment protocols so animals have a longer life.
In addition to performing volunteer veterinary work in New Zealand, Bali and The Cook Islands, she supports reforestation projects in Indonesia, helping coordinate ecotours. She also set up a charity veterinary clinic in Bodhgaya, the Bihar province in Northern India, which is now a leading group for animal welfare in third world countries.
“I hope to inspire other people to keep this on, because none of us get to live forever,” Cebuliak said. “None of us do it by ourselves. It's always a team … I'm so grateful to my contacts in Indonesia that run with my ideas and I'm like, you can do this, guys. Come on, let's do it … So, I can see it as a bigger picture thing.”
To learn more about Cebuliak and her Animal Wellness clinic, visit their website, Animalwellness.com.au1 or find them on social media.
Sources and References
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