The Sydney Veterinary Anaesthesia Mission
Established in 2021, SVA has a very simple mission: to make the highest standards of veterinary anaesthesia available to the dogs and cats of Sydney.
Our pets are getting older, and chronic conditions are becoming more prevalent. That can make anaesthesia riskier. In the past, this may have meant that some otherwise beneficial surgical or diagnostic procedures may have not been undertaken due to this risk.
However with a specialist approach, including the right preparation, knowledge, skill set and tools, these animals may safely anaesthetised to facilitate procedures that may benefit and even extend their life.
This is our focus each day, to bring specialist veterinary anaesthesia to your veterinary hospital to achieve the best outcomes with your dog or cat.
Dr. Scott Cumming
BVSc (hons) MCom MANZCVS (Anaesthesia and Critical Care) MVS (Veterinary Anaesthesia) Dip. ECVAA
Sydney Veterinary Anaesthesia is owned and operated by Dr. Scott Cumming.
Dr. Cumming is a Registered Anaesthesia Specialist, a veterinarian with over 18 years’ experience, and is a Diplomate of the ECVAA in veterinary anaesthesia.
Dr. Cumming graduated from the University of Sydney in 2005 with First Class Honours. After practicing in small animal medicine for a number of years in Australia and the United Kingdom, Scott discovered a passion for anaesthesia. In 2013 Scott was admitted by examination to the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in the Chapter of Anaesthesia and Critical Care.
In 2021 Scott completed a three-year European College of Anaesthesia and Analgesia specialist training residency program at the University of Sydney, and was admitted by examination as a Diplomate of the European College of Anaesthesia and Analgesia.
Scott has also given seminars and training sessions to vets and nurses throughout Australia and in a number of countries around the world including the USA, UK, Japan, Taiwan, and South Africa.
Working with you on the tough cases.
“Working collaboratively with Dr Scott improves patient outcomes.”
- Dr Neil Hannan, Specialised Veterinary Surgeon
‘Working as a team, with an anaesthetist to look after the patient’s pre and intra-operative fluid therapy, pain management and general anaesthesia, leaves me to be able to focus entirely on the surgical procedure.’
“Huge thank you for your time and expertise on Wednesday – it was honestly a fantastic lecture”
- Dr Radha Ravi, VetPartners, New Grad Conference Seminar
‘Wanted to say a huge thank you for your time and expertise on Wednesday – it was honestly a fantastic lecture, you brought it back to basics, then built on it to cover off such a broad topic with ease. It was excellent'.’
‘Collaborating with Sydney Veterinary Anaesthesia has been one of the most successful additions to our service and has allowed us to provide specialist level care to our patients - from worried new pet owners who want to minimise all risks to the sickest, often oldest pets with multiple co-morbidities.’
- Dr Sam Kovac, Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic
‘Historically, higher-risk patients may be denied diagnostic and treatment due to concern of sedation and anaesthesia, leaving us recommending all too often that they 'live out their days' instead of being able to provide the same gold standard care to our other patients.
Working with Scott feels more like a true partnership (or alliance) with no question being too trivial for him to answer. He's even helped improve our anaesthesia protocols generally at the clinic.
SVA has empowered our staff and ignited a passion for providing more commitment to their own anaesthesia. This has lead many to take a more profound interest in advancing their anaesthesia education which represents another win for animal welfare in Sydney.
Clients have been very impressed with the professionalism of the approach and SVAs service has been very well received as many of our clients have had anaesthesia themselves and understand the importance of dedicated anaesthetist support. From a practice management perspective, has also augmented the reputation of the level of care and commitment to safety we take with our clients' family.
Above all, however, the patients benefit tremendously as it gives us confidence that the entire anaesthetic journey is made to be as safe as possible and leaves our team with just one less component of a patients journey with us to worry about.
We feel confident that if the smallest complication is to occur, SVA is there ready to respond and ensure a safe, complete recovery.’