Veterinary Specialist Group has two specialist surgeons, Alex Walker and Richard Jerram. The Surgery Department offers a complete service in all areas of orthopaedic, neurologic and soft tissue surgery. Our Surgery team works closely with the referring veterinarians to diagnose and treat complex surgical conditions in dogs and cats. We frequently utilize the services of the other VSG^® specialists in Internal Medicine and Radiology to assist us in case management.

Surgical services available at VSG^®:

1. Arthroscopy
   • Elbow Dysplasia In Dogs
   • Shoulder Lameness
2. Fracture fixation
3. Total hip replacement
   • Hip Dysplasia
4. Triple pelvic osteotomy
   • Hip Dysplasia
5. Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy
   • TPLO
6. Lameness diagnosis
   • Elbow Dysplasia In Dogs
   • Hip Dysplasia
   • Shoulder Lameness
7. Thoracic surgery
8. Upper respiratory tract surgery
9. Abdominal surgery
10. Urogenital surgery
11. Skin and reconstructive surgery
12. Oncological surgery
13. Laminectomy
    • Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Disease
14. Cervical spondylomyelopathy
    • Cervical Intervertebral Disk Disease
15. Lumbosacral decompression
    • Lumbosacral Intervertebral Disk Disease
16. Neurological diagnosis & treatment
17. Physiotherapy

ALEX WALKER, BVSc (Dist) MACVSc

Registered Specialist Small Animal Surgery

Alex graduated with distinction in 1978 from Massey University and spent two years in small animal practice in Auckland. In 1981 he was accepted for a residency in small animal surgery at the University of Missouri at Columbia (UMC). Alex spent two and a half years at UMC where he received the Graduate Student Teaching Award. In 1984 Alex started a veterinary referral practice with Dr Chris Warman (Registered Specialist in Small Animal Radiology). Alex gained his MACVSc in 1985. In 1998 he became registered as a specialist in small animal surgery. In 1999 Alex was made an Adjunct Lecturer in Surgery at Massey University. In 2000, Alex, along with two other veterinary specialists (Dr Chris Warman and Dr Mark Robson) founded Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG^®) in Auckland becoming the first "stand only" veterinary specialist referral practice in New Zealand. Since 2003, VSG^® has offered a post-graduate internship for Massey graduates wanting to follow a specialist path. In 2003 he became President of the Surgery Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. Alex became an Honorary Research Associate in the School of Natural Sciences at Unitec in 2006.

Over the last 20 years, Alex has authored and coauthoured the publication of many papers in national, international journals and proceedings. In 1990, he and Dr Steve Fox, introduced canine total hip replacement into New Zealand. Alex is passionate about continuing education for the New Zealand veterinarian and has made presentations at national and international conferences regularly since 1984.

RICHARD JERRAM, BVSc, Diplomate ACVS

Registered Specialist Small Animal Surgery

Richard graduated from Veterinary School at Massey University in Palmerston North with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1987. He spent seven years in general practice in the Waikato. During this time, he worked with both farm animals and pets but developed a special interest in surgery of dogs and cats.

In 1995, Richard began a one year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University, Texas, USA. This led to him completing a three year residency program from 1996-99 in small animal surgery also at Texas A&M University. This residency program involved training and experience with all areas of surgery in dogs and cats under the supervision of leading American specialists. In February 2000, Richard sat and passed the Board certification examinations to become a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in Small Animal Surgery.

Richard is a Registered Specialist in Small Animal Surgery in New Zealand and has been working at the Veterinary Specialist Group since 2001. Richard is interested in all aspects of surgery of dogs and cats but has special interests in diseases and surgery of the nervous system (particularly surgery of the spine), canine arthroscopy (enabling visualization of the inside of joints without open surgery), and plastic surgery (reconstruction of major skin wounds). Richard regularly lectures to veterinarians and has published numerous articles on surgical topics in veterinary journals.

Richard is married to Carron (former Silver Fern netballer) and have 4 children, Marcia, Cameron, Tyler, and Braden. Richard is a former All Black trialist and Waikato rugby player winning both the Ranfurly Shield and the National Championship in the early 1990s.

Richard has a crazy Catahoula Leopard dog (Queso) and two demanding Burmese cats (Shiner and Tuscan).

MICHAEL KING, BVSc, MS, Diplomate ACVS

Registered Specialist Small Animal Surgery

Mike graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2000, and went on to complete a 1-year surgical internship at Franklin Veterinary Services in Papakura. He was then accepted into a year-long Small Animal Medicine and Surgery internship program at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, in the USA.

This resulted in Mike being selected to begin a three-year Residency and Masters Degree program in Small Animal Surgery at Virginia Tech, where he was exposed to a wide range of cases in Orthopaedic, Neurologic, and General surgery. During the residency Mike had the opportunity to be trained by twelve different board-certified specialist surgeons, as well as working with specialists in nine other veterinary disciplines. He also completed and successfully defended a Masters thesis on feline kidney surgery, and published several research papers in veterinary surgery journals.

At the completion of his residency in 2006, Mike stayed on as a surgical instructor at Virginia Tech, and in February of 2007 passed the American Veterinary Surgical Board Certification examination, to become a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

After a year in London as a referral surgeon, Mike returned to his home town of Auckland in November of 2008, to join the VSG team. Mike has interests in all areas of Small Animal Surgery, but particularly in urinary surgery, wound management & reconstruction, and oral/facial surgery.

Surgical Nursing Team