About Dr Thompson

Elizabeth (“Lizzi”) Thompson, DVM, MANZCVSc, GradDipTeach, of Blue Mist Equine Veterinary Centre in Waihi, has been practicing in New Zealand for nearly three decades as Dr Thompson and now runs Blue Mist Equine Veterinary Centre near Waihi, in the North Island.

She has limited her practice to equine dentistry and postural rehabilitation in the Auckland and Waikato regions. She also performs referral equine dentistry for veterinary practices and dental technicians throughout New Zealand, including dental work for the ungulates at the Auckland Zoo. Lizzi will perform emergency calls for ill and injured equids as her health and schedule allow.

See this page for details about her current practice.

Dr Thompson’s Education and History

View Dr Thompson’s CV here

She attended the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she graduated in 1988 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM) after completing her BA degree with honors in Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

She practiced in the Sierra Nevada foothills area near Placerville, California in a joint practice with Les Wolford, farrier, until she met Judith Shoemaker DVM at a farriers competition.

She moved back East to learn from Judith the combination of modalities which would Liz would later name Postural Rehabilitation, once she moved to New Zealand.

While in Pennsylvania, she was fortunate to spend time with farriers Dave Duckett, FWCF, and Rob Sigafoos, CJF (at U of Pennsylvania New Bolton Horse Center).

She came to Aotearoa in 1991 and worked with Te Awamutu Animal Health Centre, a foundation practice for what was to become Vet Ent. While there, she qualified as a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist with the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in Australia in 1992.

After the birth of her first child in 1994, she started Blue Mist Equine Veterinary Centre, working the mobile practice from their farm in Te Pahu, on Pirongia Mountain.

The mobile practice continued, with the same name, after a move to the Waitawheta Valley, near Waihi, from where Liz works today.

With a belief that New Zealand needed more equine dental capability, she passed the Sydney Postgraduate Foundation’s year-long course in Equine Dentistry with her soon-to-be-mentor Dr Gary Wilson, of Veterinary Specialist Services and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queenland.

Liz achieved her Membership in Equine Dentistry by examination from the Australia New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (MANZCVS) the first year it was offered in June 2007.

Along with Glenn Beeman, DVM, MANZCVS, of Mountainview Equine in Ashburton and Oliver Liyou of Grafton, Australia, Liz and her associates were the first three candidates to pass the examinations and become MANZCVS in Equine Dentistry.

Following a spinal re-injury, Liz completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching at the University of Waikato in college-level Chemistry and Biology.

She taught locally while beginning to write fiction and continuing to write veterinary non-fiction, and has slowly resumed her practice as her back has permitted. The writing has continued and now she writes veterinary fiction as well.

Liz’s current practice now includes residents of the Auckland Zoo, amongst others! They provide a wonderful bit of variety from the equid species she loves so much!

Honours for Dr Thompson

Best Practitioner Publication 2010 Award

Dr Elizabeth Thompson’s three-part equine dentistry series for the Vetscript magazine was acknowledged with a unique award.

At the annual New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association dinner in Christchurch on 6 August 2010, Thompson was presented with the Best Practitioner Publication 2010 award, sponsored by Dr Jonathan Hope of Cambridge Veterinary Services and Cambridge Equine Hospital.

Dr. Hope sponsored the award because, as he says, “the profession’s been good to me. I thought this was one way I could put a little bit back and encourage equine practitioners to publish their thoughts and experiences to benefit other members of the profession.”

The impetus for the award was Thompson’s broad-ranging three-part series on equine dentistry in the May, June, and July 2009 issues of Vetscript.

In the series, she covered the basics of equine dentition and how dental problems emerge, and put the case for veterinarians to take the lead in horse dentistry.

She also examined the origins of dental pathology and discussed preventative techniques and equipment, finishing with a comparison of cheek tooth extraction techniques.

Best Contribution to Vetscript 2009

Liz was the recipient of award for the best contributions for 2009 to Vetscript.

Veterinary Leadership Positions Held by Dr Thompson

Past president of the Waikato Branch of the New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association 1993-1995.

New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association Dental Subcommittee 2007 – 2010

New Zealand Dental Advisory Committees (Equine Dentistry) 2010-current

Publications and Presentations by Dr Thompson

Liz has delivered eleven conference papers and has twelve publications in veterinary journals to her name, along with multiple assorted educational seminar talks and articles in lay equestrian magazines and newspapers.