Siobhan Menzies

Dr Siobhan Menzies

BVM&S, GPCert(WVA&CPM), LFHom(Vet), MRCVS

Siobhan Menzies graduated from the Royal [Dick] School of Veterinary Studies in 1990. After 2 very enjoyable years in mixed practice in Dromore she moved to small animal practice in Bangor. She studied acupuncture with the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists eventually serving as a council member.

Siobhan left general practice and established HolisticPet in order to provide complementary therapies in particular acupuncture for pets in NI. In 2007 Siobhan attended the Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner program provided by the University of Tennessee. Inspired by this course she opened the province's first dedicated pain management clinic with Earlswood vet referrals housing Northern Ireland's first underwater treadmill. She is the first veterinary professional in Ireland to hold the prestigious CCRP [Canine Certified Rehabilitation Practitioner] qualification, a RACE approved university qualification in canine rehabilitation. Further study with Longview veterinary services and the Western Veterinary Acupuncture group led to a GP Certificate in Western Veterinary Acupuncture and Chronic Pain. In addition she has studied Canine Sports Medicine with the Canine Rehabilitation Institute under world famous sports medicine and rehab vet Chris Zink.

She is passionate about pain management and continues her studies into all aspects of multimodal analgesia. She is a member of the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists; the British Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Association; the International Association of Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical therapy; the British Small Animal Veterinary Society. She also serves as a council member for the AVSPNI[ Association of veterinary surgeons practising in Northern Ireland] and is on the advisory board of the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance.  

She has lectured on a variety of subjects including Veterinary Acupuncture, Chronic Pain Management, Rehabilitation and Medicinal Cannabinoids for VOA,BVNA; BSAVA; Hills pet nutrition; BAHVS; Longview veterinary services; Canidol pharmaceuticals as well as presenting in-house CPD. She is currently preparing a practical rehabilitation course for vets and nurses as she is passionate about encouraging this valuable therapy within the profession. 

Elsa Izaguirre

Dr Elsa Izaguirre

LV MSc MRCVS

Elsa qualified from Leon University (Spain) in 2011, and immediately showed an interest in the field of animal rehabilitation. Once she had finished her veterinary degree, she studied a course in Small animal rehabilitation. She then worked in the rehabilitation area of a veterinary referral hospital in Spain for a year until she moved to Belfast where she met Siobhan who introduced her to the world of acupuncture and pain management. Elsa has focused in the Pain Clinic while also working in a first opinion clinic that helps her keeping her veterinary skills up to date. She has a special interest in feline medicine, especially pain in the geriatric cat.

She lives with her cat 3 year old cat Elvis, who arrived to her life as a stray who had to recover after being hit by a car and still behaves really well whenever he needs acupuncture treatment. He has made an amazing recovery and is now hard to believe he was so lame then.