VET Talk Radio Podcasts

These days our pets have just about as big a choice of food as we do! But what about medicines?The way we look after our pets is changing every year. Conventional veterinary science continues to allow us to treat all kinds of ailments in our pets from skin conditions, dodgy tummies, anxiety and more. But did you know many of the things prescribed by both human doctors and veterinarians actually originated from plants? Take Aspirin for example… apparently the ancient Egyptians used willow bark as a remedy for aches and pains yet we take that medication for granted. Dr Barbara Fougere from All Natural Vet explains how she uses both holistic and conventional methods for treating animals in her practice at www.naturalvet.com.au

There are big changes coming to Fraser Coast's hugely popular caravan parks – thanks to ‘people power'.In late 2020 the Hervey Bay Council asked locals to take part in an online survey to provide feedback on which of a number of proposed changes should get the green light and there was an unexpectedly large response giving councillors a very clear insight into what people view as priorities.To find out more we caught up withJade Wellings - Councillor Division 5, Fraser CoastPREFER TO READ? - Full Transcript Here...https://bit.ly/CaravanParkUpdate

Being a veterinarian or vet nurse can be pretty challenging at times. With so many different animals to deal with every day - all of which they might never have seen before - can be 'challenging' to say the least. Bites, scratches and often upset pet owners means a less than perfect 'consult'. But a new program aimed at improving the animal handling techniques of vets and nurses is underway here in Australia - Veterinary Specialist Behaviourist Dr Kersti Seksel from Sydney Animal Behaviour Services - www.sabs.com.au - explains.

As the Easter bunny gears up for another busy night of delivering eggs to all the children around the globe, Pet Insurance Australia is reminding all pet lovers that Easter can spell disaster to an unsuspecting dog or cat.“This is a great time of year to celebrate with friends and family,” Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia says. “However it's important to take some simple steps to ensure you don't end up spending your precious long weekend, highly stressed at the local veterinary hospital.”With the main ingredients of Easter celebrations being chocolate it's a good idea to remind the children and the older chocolate lovers that this delectable treat needs to be kept out of reach from the family pet. In 2016 over 1000 pets were treated for Theobromine/Chocolate poisoning.“Hiding a box of chocolates behind the couch cushion won't suffice for a curious hound,” Crighton says. “Master scavengers will go to no end to find the hidden chocolates that can lead to a very sick dog.”PIA is also advising pet owners to be careful with flowers. “If your lovely Easter bouquet contains lilies it is vital you remove them or showcase them in an area your pet cannot access,” she warns. “Lilies are highly toxic to cats and dogs and can cause adverse reactions that can lead to death.” Many pet owners will also be travelling with their beloved pets around this time of year. Ensuring you are prepared will keep your pet safe.“Keeping pets safely secure in the car is not only paramount for their safety, but also for yours,” Crighton suggests. “Use specially designed seatbelts, harnesses and cages and don't forget your updated tags and leashes.”COMMON EASTER COMPLAINTS;•Chocolate poisoning•Foreign Object removal•Poisoning GREAT PET EASTER TIPS•Get your dog involved in all the fun! Don some bunny ears and enjoy a nice long walk in the Spring sunshine. •Yes, your dog can join in the egg hunt. A great tip is to pop the Easter eggs inside boxes or plastic containers to prevent them finding the treats before the children!•Make some doggy safe treats and encourage your guests to treat the dog from this ‘safe' jar and not their plate.•Use Easter baskets and have a special safe place you put these to keep them out of reach from the dog and cat. Don't forget to pick up all wrappings too!

Ok let's get technical here... Do you know what 'Eye Boogas' are? It seems that all of us at some time have had crusty eyes that we often call 'boogas' and think very little of it...For animals and humans as it happens - dry eye can also be a serious health issue that really needs to be "looked" at (sorry about the pun!) as soon as possible.Dogs, cats rabbits and yes even birds can all have 'dry eye boogas' as Internationally renown Complementary Veterinarian, author and lecturer Dr Barbara Fougere from All Natural Vet explains in this lighthearted chat we had with her.

While the weather this year has been, cold, wet then hot again... whether you're travelling or not, heat is a big factor in the health of our pets - in this case dogs! And we were reminded off that recently sitting in the shade under a tree having coffee with friends the other day when Kaye realised she had copped a nasty sunburn! Lesson learned – the hard way – That protective shade of the tree moved!! it's also a timely reminder for us and other pet owners to plan how to provide adequate shelter, water and cooling mats or jackets to protect our pets from heat stress or the even worse condition Heat Stroke.To help us and help you - we called on a friend who's treated many pets for heat stress to give us her best advice on what to do if you suspect your best friend is heat affected - Dr Karyn Wesselingh from the Animal Referral Hospital in Baulkham Hills Sydney

Have you ever noticed how animals are VERY good at hiding pain or showing they are unwell. This is a highly evolved 'protective mechanism' of course - no single animal wants to be the sick one in the pack/herd/flock etc...But how can we as pet lovers tell? Are they hot, cold, off their food? Are their gums red, yellow, white or pink? How are they standing? Is there a cough? How do you know if they have a heart problem? What is their fur like?Leading industry body 'Pets Australia' spokesperson Dr Jo Sillince explains some specific symptoms to look for in cats. For instance do you know what 'kidney coat' is?As always please see your vet for ANY signs of poor health in your pets.

We thought it would be good to find out if people actually said 'thankyou' to their vets and how it felt. So we asked the highly respected Veterinary Surgical Specialist Dr Sarah Goldsmid from the Animal Referral Hospital in Homebush Sydney what it's like to get a nice thankyou from a client.

We all know dogs love to play... Sometimes though that play can turn nasty. And too often what looks like an innocent 'dog say hello to dog' at the local park can leave not only the dog but the owner requiring urgent medical attention!Long time friend and well-known Dog Trainer Steve Austin knows only too well what can happen when there's a dog fight and says you really need to know what you're doing if you want to stop it without getting hurt!

Sadly at the Animal Refererral Hospital (ARH) they've seen a huge increase in the number of dogs that have been attacked by other dogs while out walking with their owners.In fact this has been happening in all the ARH locations across the country and as you might imagine is both distressing for owners as it is for their Emergency & Critical Care teams & Surgeons.Knowing that these attacks have occurred due to many people now ‘stuck at home' due to the various state ‘lock down' regulations thanks to COVID-19, we thought we'd ask well known Veterinary Behaviourist Specialist Dr Kersti Seksel from the Sydney Animal Behaviour Service for some advice on both Off-Leash parks and walking dogs in general.

It's hard to believe but Medical teams have been progressively improving anaesthetic products since they were first invented more than 170 years ago.The result being that today's surgeries being shorter and safer than ever before for both people AND pets.However, there's been a long-held myth by some pet owners that their aged pets shouldn't undergo the surgery – even if they're in pain.Specialist Surgical Vet Dr Sarah Goldsmind from the Animal Referral Hospital is keen to alleviate those fears by explaining how pre-surgery tests enable them to adjust the anaesthesia for that particular pet's condition enabling the surgery to go ahead.

Right across NSW and other parts of the country, families are being forced by the major drought to make decisions about affected livestock and their own future working on the land.But little has been mentioned about one of the most misunderstood members of the family... The Working Dog - also severely affected due to the lack of food available.But one very clever animal related business, the Erina Heights Veterinary Hospital on the NSW Central Coast has come up with a great initiative we can all get involved in - and on the line to tell us all about it is Vet Nurse Tanya Middleton....

Holistic Veterinarians who look at a pet's tongue can tell a great deal more about their patient's state of health/disease than say a GP asking a human patient to say ‘ahh'.A rapidly rising number of vets are choosing to learn Eastern techniques to use alongside their existing western scientific training to provide combined treatments for their patients. These might include Acupuncture, TCM (Chinese herbal medicine) and nutritional regimes.Internationally renown Complementary Veterinarian, author and lecturer Dr Barbara Fougere from All Natural Vet believes this trend in bringing the best of East and West together expanding as more pets enjoy its benefits.

If you've ever had a really, really bad stomach ache - spare a thought for large breed dogs... because they, unfortunately quite commonly suffer from an even more painful and in fact potentially deadly condition known as Bloat. Veterinary specialists still don't know why it occurs in some dogs, and not others, but it appears to be on the rise given a sudden influx of Bloat cases at Sydney's biggest privately-owned emergency and specialist centre, the Animal Referral Hospital However Bloat needn't be a death sentence as ARH's veterinary specialist surgeon, Dr Sarah Goldsmid explains.

Is a Poodle healthier than say a Chihuahua?. What about a Cavilier King Charles Spaniel compared to a Beagle or a Boxer?Dogs are not 'dogs' when it comes to health issues. Sometimes it's just genetics -eg; "in the breed" - at other times it could be poor breeding generally or even cross-breeding.So which breeds are generally more expensive to insure?Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia explains more

For many reasons some people only have one dog or one cat... And we hear a lot of animal behaviourists say that dogs in particular crave company - the old 'pack mentality'But is this true?... we thought we'd ask Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia what she thought about 'solo dogs'!

With the recent 'RU-OK' Day here in AU we thought you might also like to hear what well known vet Dr Anne Fawcett has to say about life as a vet!...Meantime - how busy is your day?... Did you actually find time to go to the bathroom, have a cup of tea or take 5 minutes out of your busy day to have a morning or afternoon snack - even lunch!?Most people get to do this pretty well anytime they like during work hours... But not people in the medical field - especially veterinarians and vet nurses.We chatted with the author of a great blog - Dr Anne Fawcett about the need for getting some more 'Me Time' into the lives of veterinary professionals.Dr Anne's original blog on Small Animal Talk can be read here: http://bit.ly/1RTQSKu

If you ever thought the topic of dentistry was boring, wait until you hear ARH Veterinary Dentist Dr Christine Hawke speak! - For instance 'Fangs' is not a word that usually comes to mind when talking about dogs and cats, but Dr Christine throws it around like an old sock in this very informative chat about Dental Braces....Oh and she also shares a very funny personal story about wearing braces herself as a child and ignoring her own dental specialists' 'warning' about eating lollies!

It's always good to hear who has received the latest award for work done in the small animal veterinary sector but even better news when it just happens to be an Aussie Vet!Well known for his work in the field of veterinary medicine and environmental health, Dr. Guyan Weerasinghe, has been announced by (WSAVA) ... the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and Hill's Pet Nutrition as the winner of the 2018 Next Generation Veterinary Award.We managed to catch up with Guy prior to him receiving the award at this years WSAVA event in Singapore to find out more.

Dogs, cats even birds have dental health problems - And poor dental health can lead to shorter lives and many life-threatening diseases. Did you know you can brush a dog or cat's teeth? - It's true... just ask your vet to show you how.Dr Barbara Fougere from All Natural Vet in Sydney tells us some of the signs to watch for with your pet's teeth.

Do you love dogs? Why not become a puppy carer or sponsor a puppy?Seeing Eye Dogs Australia are always looking for loving homes for puppies in your area. If you can't do that how about a small donation?In this short podcasts Seeing Eye Dogs Vision Australia's Dog Care Manager Dr Nicola Cotton explains how their great charity and various programs work.

Who looks after the pets in your family? Research shows it's almost always the Mum in the household – despite all those promises the kids made while begging for a puppy that of course they'd feed the dog and walk it and pick up after it. Now there's a new push to help make it easier for the kids to make good on those promises and really be a part of caring for the family's furry members… without accidentally over-feeding them.Vet Talk Online co-host Brian Pickering - tracked down the Purina National Education Manager Michael Zajac at Purina's Australian HQ in Sydney.

According to the Story Dogs website... "When children read to a dog, the outcomes are amazing! It is a non-judgemental setting, the children's focus improves, their literacy skills increase and their confidence soars.The accepting, loving nature of dogs gives this program its magic and helps children relax, open up, try harder and have fun while reading to a friendly, calm dog."In this 'Podcast With Pictures' we chat with one of the Melbourne (VIC) volunteers Cindy McGregor who explains how it works, why it works and how you can be involved too!Website: www.storydogs.org.au

*** DOUBLE BUBBLE = DOUBLE TROUBLE ***Bloat! - Is there a 'cure'? Can it be stopped?... and what are the signs?GDV or 'gastric dilation and volvulus' aka bloat is a life threatening condition in dogs where the stomach 'bloats' and twists on itself, cutting off major blood vessels and preventing gas from escaping the stomach. Our recent story on two fascinating cases - Kobi & Dallas - that happened at two separate ARH (Animal Referral Hospital) Melbourne locations on the same day prompted us to find out more. In this 'Inside ARH' Podcast from VETtalk ONLINE we chat with Emergency Vet Dr Megan Hemy who explains the condition, what can be done to help potential sufferers and a quick look at the cost differences between emergency & preventative care for this particualr condition....and yes we're pretty sure the animal in the photo of Dr Hemy is not a dog... but we liked it anyway :-)

OOOWWWCCCHH!... Poor little Gigi... this gorgeous little 11yr old French Bulldog just put her owners through absolute hell and nobody seems to know how it happened.Basically, Gigi's dad came home and found her blood soaked, standing like a statue totally frozen with what turned out to be an entire hanging basket hook lodged under her tongue.The photo clearly shows the hook poking out of the skin from under her jaw. No doubt it was extremely painful if she moved!Without even wondering how or why, Gigi's dad rushed her to the ARH Emergency Centre at Baulkham Hills. Lucky for Gigi he did!Combined with dad's quick thinking and our overnight ARH Emergency Team Vet Nurses Alex & Jess and of course Emergency Vet Dr Karyn Wesselingh, Gigi seems to have recovered nicely.Hopefully Gigi will stick to playing with tennis balls from now on! :-)Meantime - We finally managed to track down the very busy ARH Emergency Vet Dr Karyn Wesselingh to tell us in person all about this amazing case that confronted her at the start of her overnight shift at Baulkham Hills.

Feeling the chilly weather yet? Well if we're feeling the cold so are our pets! - And most domestic dogs and cats want to do just like us and curl up in front of the fire - whether it's an open one, gas or electric.But there are dangers all pet owners need to be aware of as Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia explains!

International Author, Speaker, Veterinary Business Coach and mentor Dr Diederik Gelderman (AVBA President 2015/2016), shares the simple, but little known and rarely applied secrets to Veterinary Success and an amazing rewarding life. His probing interviews of these highly successful practitioners reveals the simple and yet profound keys, mindsets, behaviours and strategies that help them achieve their success.

When a member of your family is unwell – it's not uncommon for the carer to feel overwhelmed by emotions when the doctor or nurse is talking about the health issue and explaining treatment options.It happens in both human hospitals and even more frequently in veterinary hospitals where the cost of medical procedures doesn't enjoy the same safety net that Medicare provides for human health care.Now – there's a new campaign to educate pet parents about what vets and vet nurses really have to endure on a daily basis which will hopefully help them think twice before criticising their pet's care-providers.WEBSITE:http://www.loveyourpetloveyourvet.com.au

What makes a good 'Cat Vet'?... Dr Kim Kendall say's cat lovers AND vets need to think more about what really makes a 'Feline Friendly' practice and offer some practical advice in this podcast.

So many 'old wives tales' get muddled up with 21st century science. Maybe you've been told this? "Are you pregnant? Then you MUST get rid of the cat as soon as possible!" It still seems to be a common thought among pregnant women around the world - one which sadly means cats being 'dumped' for no reason whatsoever. So who better to find out more about this controversial topic than the very colourful Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia "true or false - having a cat is dangerous for pregnant women?More Reading: http://www.vettalktv.com/audio/cats/Cats_and_Pregnancy-Pets_Australia.pdf

5 Freedoms… Freedoms From Whose Point Of View?Veterinary Professionals are by default often considered society's arbiters of what really constitutes ‘best care' for pets and livestock.For years, variants of the RSPCA's ‘Five Freedoms' have provided the benchmark for humane animal care… but is a human's perspective of best care… the RIGHT care?Pets Australia Board Member Dr Jo Sillince suggests it might be time to revisit and perhaps re-think the 5 Freedoms which we have reproduced below....1 - Freedom from HUNGER & THIRST: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.2 - Freedom from DISCOMFORT: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.3 - Freedom from PAIN, INJURY OR DISEASE: by prevention through rapid diagnosis and treatment.4 - Freedom to EXPRESS NORMAL BEHAVIOUR: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.5 - Freedom from FEAR & DISTRESS: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.Source: http://kb.rspca.org.au/Five-freedoms-for-animals_318.html

Ahh Haaa!... New genetic clue might explain why this breed is more food obsessed than any other... And the reason might actually help humans too! Vets tell us loveable Labradors are always on the 'over-represented' list when it comes to gastrointestinal foreign bodies. And while some dogs - just like we humans - will skip a meal simply because we don't feel all that hungry, when a Lab does it you probably should be a bit concerned! As Dr Anne Fawcett explains in her Small Animal Talk blog (link below) "There may be a genetic basis for this amazing appetite. According to a paper published in CellMetabolism this week, Labs and flat coated retrievers (the latter being a less common breed) have a gene alteration linked to canine obesity."More Reading: http://www.smallanimaltalk.com/2016/05/are-labradors-genetically-prone-to.html

Question: Do vets ever diagnose their own pet's ailments? You'd think with all their training - especially specialists & surgeons - that they'd know 'everything' - but it seems that's not always the case... And for good reason when you think about it - Of course they know all the basics all GP vets are required to know as part of being a registered vet but what if you're a specialist veterinary surgeon like Dr Sarah Goldsmid who spends her days literally 'opening animals up to fix them' but has her own cat at home who has a slight cough... What should she do?Ask an internal medicine specialist like Dr Narelle Brown for some advice of course!

Most of us have heard of the two-head turtle Thelma and Louise right... but a two-headed cat???Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia reveals that little gem and more in this week's show.

Giving blood is something we humans are asked to do every year - in fact about 17,000 of us do it every week of the year! But what about our animals? Many need blood transfusions or other blood by-products. So where does this blood come from?Vet Nurse Rebecca (Bec) Charteris recognised the problem and has spent the past few years setting up the Australian Animal Blood Bank - one of only two commercial blood banks in the country. She needs more donors and explains in this podcast how easy it is (it's also free!!) and the benefits for both donors and recipients.

Paralysis ticks… In Australaia they're more deadly than sharks or crocodiles but with the help of Surgery Nurse Kasey Findlay and Emergency Nurse James Perez-Christie from Sydney's Animal Referral Hospital, we'll show you how searching for them can also be fun!Listen to this podcast of watch the video! http://bit.ly/ParalysisTicks

It's well known by vets that for some reason cats seem to be the 'forgotten' pet. Dogs and even horses are being seen by vets more than the average cat.Is it because dogs are like kids and considered 'part of the family' and tend to say they need help (like kids!) whereas cats are lovely creatures but will often hide from view if anything is wrong?

Put a young kid and a cat together and it makes a pretty cute photo right? Maybe… unless you're the cat! Young kids, especially toddlers and especially boys can a cat's worst nightmare. This story is very close to home...Not too long ago our daughter needed help to solve a problem with her much loved 9 yr old cat Smokey and her then almost 3 yr old son Tyler. Smokey would disappear for the best part of the day then come out after young Tyler had gone to bed only to be all over mum and wanting 100% attention.So we thought we'd check in with Dr Kim Kendall – the Cat Vet from the Chatswood Cat Palace to help put some perspective on the problem.

***BULLIES *** !They're all around us. Online, at work, at home sometimes - even school. But what should you do?Linda Campbell is a neurolinguistic programming practitioner and clinical hypnotherapist and has a few options in this short podcast.

There's plenty of 'keep fit' electronic devices nowadays to 'motivate you' to get up and moving… But if you're one of those people who aren't right in to all that ‘technology'.What's the best way to keep our pets – and us - moving over winter?Former DOGSLife magazine editor Nadia Crighton has a plan - that works for her - and just might make all the difference for you and your pets to keep active this winter!

Hendra Virus Can Affect Domestic Animals & People Too!Recently the AVA (Australian Veterinary Assoc) put out a media release regarding a new outbreak of the Hendra virus in QLD.Normally this is something horse owners are more concerned about but it can also be deadly to dogs cats and people.We spoke with Dr Maurine Thomson, Registered Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and Surgical Oncology with the soon to be opened Animal Referral Hospital Brisbane - Dr Thomson was in fact part of the Vet surgeons board investigation into the Hendra outbreak of 2008.You'll also hear the latest on the soon to be opened ARH Brisbane Specialist Referral and Emergency Centre ...

Older dogs are often the last to be adopted and end up being 'just another statistic' in our already overcrowded pounds and shelters.But one lucky 11yr old boxer caught the eye of long time ARH team member Sue Thompson who chose to take the 'old girl' on. But Sue also has a 'gripe' about her experience she wants us all to think about.Also in this story you'll hear Mel Isaacs Founder of Team Dog, a registered charity passionate about changing how people recover impounded animals.

Being a veterinary surgeon sounds like a lot of fun... but is it?We asked Co-owner of the Animal Referral Hospital Canberra Dr Jacob Michelsen for the best case/worst case scenario...

Pet insurance is one of those things we rarely think about until we actually need it... Is it ok to simply 'save for a rainy day'? or does the cost of actual veterinary care - especially emergency care - make pet insurance worthwhile.In this podcast from Pet Insurance Australia, Nadia Crighton gives some great examples of how pet insurance has helped so many people.

'Poodlelicious' is one word to describe this awesome breed :-)...Ok, we're a little biased because we have had several over the years - and continue to be hooked on Poodles with our latest rescue 'Chica' - who you will also see in this short Podcast with Pictures as we chat with Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia about the Poodle Club of NSW's 'Poodle Fun Day'!

Timmy - a 13 year old Spaniel is the unlikely symbol of hope for Dementia sufferers around the world after receiving a unique form of stem cell therapy which appears to have restored his memory…and in so doing… saved his life!In this podcast you'll hear Timmy's 'dad' Tony Leeder-Smith explain how Timmy behaved at home before treatment. Assoc. Prof. Michael Valenzuela from the Brain & Mind Institute reveals how the stem-cell therapy works and Dementia Trial Co-ordinator Dr Sarah Toole outlines the process of determining whether the therapy has worked using a sand maze!You can also watch the video version of this story to see the 'classic' signs of CCD in dogs. http://bit.ly/1NUeyNm

You have a dream, you work hard studying then start work... So what's it really like after all that... being a veterinary nurse in Australia's largest 24hour Emergency Animal Hospital?ARH Vet Nurse Jess Thorpe explains in part 2 of 'Inside ARH'

Ever wondered what motivates people to do the work they do? This is the first in a series of short podcasts called 'Inside ARH' featuring Vet Nurse Jess Thorpe.The VIDEO VERSION can be seen here:http://www.vettalktv.com/vet-speak/1175-inside-arh-how-i-got-started-vet-nurse-jess-thorpe-part-1

Pet Insurance Australia has revealed an almost 600% increase in claims for Osteoarthritis related conditions over the past 5 years and nearly 700% increase in Cruciate Ligament claims due mainly to overweight and obese pets.Pet Insurance Australia spokesperson Nadia Crighton explains along with special guest appearance from ARH Surgical Specialist Dr Sarah Goldsmid

Ever had a dog impounded by your local council just because it was deemed a 'stray' because the delivery guy left the gate open?Council fees in Australia can be in the hundreds of dollars - part fine, part cost of care - just to get your dog back and this increases on a daily basis making it hard for many people on lower incomes to actually get their dogs back.This then means the dog is surrendered and put up for adoption.Team Dog is an initiative of Mel Isaacs who has some great ideas how both councils and pet owners can ultimately be 'winners'.

FEATURE STORY...Both pets and humans rely on our kidneys to deal with waste products without missing a beat. However some species are more prone to kidney problems than others… like cats, particularly older felines…So it was a shock when 4 year old Molly startled her veterinary nurse mum by displaying classic symptoms of chronic kidney disease. LISTEN to this podcast orWATCH the video here http://bit.ly/CatKidneyDisease as ARH Surgery Nurse Kasey Findlay shares her story.TIP: Ask your own vet for early symptoms to watch out for and how to use nutrition and annual wellness checks to keep your own pet's kidneys healthier for longer