Dehandré Oberholzer's Story
Dehandré qualified from Equine-Librium College in 2022 and joined APR in 2023 She treats dogs, cats & horses. Prior to qualifying as a Veterinary Physiotherapist, she obtained her Zoology degree at Tuks University in Pretoria. In addition to her studies, she has been a very busy lady, undertaking numerous voluntary positions including working for 3-years at a small animal veterinary practice & at the SPCA in Nelspruit, as well as with horses ridden by disabled children & at an Arabian stud Farm in Qatar. Dehandré loves treating the ‘pensioners’ as well as post-op pets, but for her the cats really are her purr-fect patients.
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Why do I love my job?
It’s a difficult question to answer because I believe I’m one of the select few in the world that get to live by the cliché quote: “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life”.
Yes, there are days where that feels a little far-fetched, but luckily they are few It brings me so much joy and fulfilment when I see nervous and anxious animals climb out of their shell as you build a relationship with them and their owners. My office and daily routine never looks the same and my patient’s keep me on my toes, because not one case is the same – and the challenge of having to critically solve and figure out every patient’s individual story teaches me something new every day! You can never stop learning from them.
My “job” is made easier by an amazing mentor, Dawn, and the rest of the APR team. They guide and support me every step of the way.
What does your animal mean to you?
Currently, I don’t own any animals. Studying the last 5 years of my life and constantly traveling didn’t provide me with enough stability or security to have animals of my own. Mentally, I have adopted about one dog, cat and horse per day of my studies 🙂
I’m currently on the lookout for kittens to adopt, but when the time is right and I find a house with a big garden, I’ll be adding a Golden Retriever or two to my family!