Newdegate Machinery Field Days: Vet Sheree McDonald travels near and far to care for animals

Travelling veterinarian Sheree McDonald has an affinity with animals and would drive an extra mile to extend a healing hand to family pets and farm animals. Born on her parents’ Newdegate farm, where 1200 Merinos roam the paddocks, Ms McDonald re-visits her upbringing once a week after starting McDonalds Vet Service in 2022. “Mum and Dad have always loved animals — Mum was always caring for injured and unwell wildlife and Dad would frequently bring sheep back to the shearing shed for treatments,” she said. “I also had a legendary nanna, who after owning a Welsh Pony stud for years, was quite the expert in poultices and bandaging, so she was always a wealth of knowledge when caring for animals — I was very lucky for all their influence. Dr McDonald takes in a range of visits around the town’s farming community, looking after cattle, sheep, as well as cats and dogs and the occasional rabbit. “On one of my recent visits to a Newdegate farm to look over the family’s pets, the cat was nowhere to be found, quite typical of a feline to disappear when the vet calls by,” she said. Since starting her mobile vet service, Ms McDonald has invested in equipment to run blood work during her on-farm visits. “My biochemistry machine has results within 20 minutes of blood draw — it’s a game-changer when you want to dispense medications but need to check the patient’s kidney and liver function first,” she said. Dr McDonald currently travels a 250km area to provide veterinary care to a range of different animals, and also works at the Katanning Vet Clinic. ‘‘The clinic has just recently had a major renovation and has a new purpose-built hospital which is just stunning,” she said. Dr McDonald graduated in veterinarian science from Murdoch University in 2011, after attending Methodist Ladies College as a boarding student. Her first vet job was at Northam Vet Clinic working alongside Dr Graeme Penno and Dr Ingrid Knipe. “It was difficult to leave all my animals at the farm when I left Newdegate, but now I’m back in the country and loving it,” she said. “I also help dad on the farm with his cropping sector and get to do some sheep work on my Quarter Horse Raine when needed. Dr McDonald often ends up caring for orphaned animals. One of them was Toffee, a Merino–Suffolk cross who as a five-day old lamb, had bacterial arthritis and was abandoned by her mother. After her 10 days of treatment, she hasn’t looked back and has grown into a very large and mischievous ewe. “Being a vet is a very interesting career — there’s certainly never a dull moment,” she said. “It’s been really nice being able to help the animals and clients in the community that I grew up in.”