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Dr Sabine Wilkins

B.VSc. MSc. MANZCVS(Veterinary Behaviour) Fear Free Certified
Senior Behaviour Veterinarian

 

Dr Sabine Wilkins is a fully qualified Veterinarian with further training and experience in veterinary behavioural medicine. She is available for behaviour consultations Monday to Thursday and occasionally on Saturdays.

Early interest in Behavioural Medicine

Before becoming a vet, Dr Sabine studied Biology in Berlin and developed a special interest in the study of normal behavioural patterns in animals (ethology). This interest was rekindled when Dr Sabine adopted her dog ‘Jessie’ who impressed on her just what an impact mental health in pets can have on owners.

Since then, Dr Sabine has followed her vision to improve the lives of pets and by extension, that of their owners. She is committed to constantly finding new ways to help her patients and clients.

Qualifications and Experience

Dr Sabine completed a Masters of Science with the Freie Universität Berlin in 1990 before joining her husband in Sydney. After several years of working as a scientist, Dr Sabine decided to follow her dream and study Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, where she graduated with First Class Honours in 2014. Since then Dr Sabine has worked in small animal general practice, and has enjoyed tackling complex medical cases, while at the same time undertaking many hours of continuing education.

Four years ago, Dr Sabine decided it was time to follow her passion into behavioural medicine of companion animals. She sees behavioural medicine as an extension and integral part of veterinary medicine. She understands that mental health has a profound effect on well-being, and physical health has a profound effect on mental health.

In 2021 Dr Sabine was awarded a Membership (by examination) of the Behaviour Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists. This means that she has proven by examination to be highly knowledgeable in the field of veterinary behavioural medicine.

Since Dr Sabine spends 100% of her professional time working on behaviour cases, she has had much more experience working in the field compared to most other vets, even those with similar qualifications.

Continuing Professional Education

Our knowledge and understanding of veterinary science and medicine is constantly evolving. It is therefore important to keep up-to-date with the latest developments. Dr Sabine loves reading about the latest advances in behavioural medicine in particular, and veterinary science in general. To this end she continues to uphold her alumni library membership with the University of Sydney, and attends conferences whenever possible. In addition, Dr Sabine has completed the following courses and seminars focusing on behaviour:
  • CVE Distance Education in Behaviour Medicine with Dr Kersti Seksel, arguably the gold standard course for behaviour vets in Australia.
  • Better Veterinary Visits, a Karen Pryor Academy course focusing on how to make veterinary visits a positive experience.
  • Fear Free Certification, as well as Stress-Free certification.
  • Feline Behaviour, an online course provided by the CVE.
  • Tag Teach Workshop with Bina Lunzer, clicker training for humans.
  • European Congress of Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare in Berlin in 2018.
  • Combined ASAV, SSGV & AVBIG Conference in Melbourne, 2018, a conference organised by the Australian Veterinary Association’s special interest group in veterinary behavioural medicine.
  • VetFest 2020, a week-long conference organised by the Australian Veterinary Association.
  • “What’s Behaviour Got to Do with It?” A three-day conference organised by the Centre for Veterinary Education.
  • Science Week 2021 – the definitive three-day conference in veterinary medicine and behavioural medicine in Australia, organised by the Australia and New Zealand Council of Veterinary Scientists.
In addition to the continuing education in behavioural medicine listed above, Dr Sabine has attended many continuing education courses in avian and exotic animal medicine, as well as small animal internal medicine topics, such as oncology, feline medicine, pathology and pharmacology.

Other Interests

In her spare time, Dr Sabine loves to explore the local waterways by kayak and boat with her husband, and hang out with the family. She also loves to satisfy her creative side by melting glass to make glass beads and use them to make one-of-a-kind pieces of jewellery. Other hobbies include growing and taming bonsai and growing vegetables.