Vet Talk Radio

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 say's you really need to know what you're doing if you want to stop it without getting hu

They often joke & call themselves 'The Village Idiots!' but Dr James Carroll & Dr Anthony Bennett are far from that! With a couple of series already of the popular TV show 'Village Vets' under their belts, they're now among the 'top billing' at this years Sydney Dog Lovers Show. When we were offered the chance to chat with any of the stars of this year's Sydney Dog Lovers Show - Dr Chris Brown, Dr Katrina Warren or The Village Vets... it was a very hard choice - but guess who we chose? - Yep Dr James Carroll & Dr Anthony Bennett - not just because we've spoken with Dr's Chris & Katrina before but it just so happens we recently met these two loveable characters at a fund raiser called 'Connecting Paws' - and immediately hit it off. In this podcast James & Anthony give us a bit of a heads up with what to expect at the show PLUS we have 3 double passes to giveaway - details in the podcast! It's a lot of fun and we hope to see you there!

This Week... @ 01'38" - The Sydney Dog Lovers Show - The Village Vets @ 10'09" - All Cats Need Boxes - Dr Anne Fawcett @ 14'58" - How To Stop A Dog Fight - Steve Austin @ 21'25" - Careful With Cats & Toddlers - Dr Kim Kendall

This Week... @ 00'21" - Are Fat Cats Pushing Our Buttons - Dr Jonathan Bowen @ 05'00" - How To Trim Your Pet's Nails - Christine Speerin @ 11'07" - Are Ferrets Really Good Pets? - Sue O'Keefe @ 15'03" - Study Shows Pets Are Good For Our Health! - Nadia Crighton

We've all known it ever since we've started having pets of our own, but a new study out of Queensland Uni now proves the health benefits of pet ownership - for adults as well as kids! Study proves pets are good for our health!Former DOGSLife Magazine editor Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia tells us that recently in Queensland, research has revealed that spending time in parks and nature can positively impact on blood pressure and overall mental health and well-being. The study, which was led by The University of Queensland and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, suggests that having a good dose of nature is good for your health.

VETtalk #48 - This week: @ 00'17" - Dealing With Dry Eye 'Boogas' - Dr Barbara Fougere @ 05'50" - How To Tell If Your Pet Is Unwell - Dr Jo Sillince @ 12'00" - Vets Diagnosing Vet's Pets! - Dr Sarah Goldsmid & Dr Narelle Brown

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.

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!

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.

The first-ever ‘Connecting Paws’ event (Sat 25th June 2016) focusing on issues within the veterinary and farming sectors was a great success thanks to two very passionate practice managers/vet nurses Sarah Curtis & Liz Armstrong - ably assisted on the night by Anthony Bennett & James Carroll aka The Village Vets. With a mixture of humour and frankness they spoke of the issues they had encountered personally as vets and didn’t hold back in detailing the issues which affect everyone dealing with animals and clients in highly emotional ways and why it’s imperative to openly discuss things – before they reach breaking point. This podcast is their talk in its entirety LIVE on the night plus you'll hear Sarah and Liz as they explain the how and why they created the 'Connecting Paws' event for veterinary professionals.

This Week... @ 00'45"- National De-Sexing Month…all July! - Nadia Crighton @ 08'28"- Why Vet Pros Shouldn’t Stay Silent - Sarah Curtis & Liz Armstrong @ 18'30"- Stop Broody Birds From Laying - Dr Jayne Weller

Australia’s first-ever ‘Connecting Paws’ event raised much-needed funds to battle mental health issues, but even more importantly, prompted people to start talking opening about the veterinary industry’s hidden crisis – the rise in suicides. The event was held in Wollongong and attracted a large number of vets, nurses and specialists who very generously bid on numerous prestigious hampers donated by Industry supporters Hosts for the evening were the stars of TV’s ‘Village Vets’, Anthony and James, and while they’re best known for their larrikin good humour, the duo didn’t hold back in detailing the issues which affect everyone dealing with animals and clients in highly emotional ways and why it’s imperative to openly discuss things – before they reach breaking point. Event organisers Sarah Curtis and Liz Armstrong joined us to discuss the evening’s take-home messages, in particular James view of over-the-top clients.

It’s the bane of bird fanciers everywhere – how to deal with their feathered friend’s primal urge to become a mum – and the very real concern the bird might become egg-bound. It’s a problem Exotics Vet Dr Jayne Weller has helped many bird owners confront, so she was well-prepared with a mix of solutions when she joined us on the recent VETtalk ‘Live’ podcast to answer caller questions.

BENEFITS OF DE-SEXING (Spay/Neuter in the US!) There are many reasons why pet owners should desex their pets. As well as helping to stop pet overpopulation, the following are some of the other benefits associated with desexing cats and dogs. Health Reduced risk of getting cancer or other diseases of the reproductive organs, such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer/disorders in males, and cystic ovaries, ovarian tumors, acute uterine infections and breast cancer in females, and also other diseases like mammary cancer, perianal tumors and perianal hamias. Females can suffer from physical and nutritional exhaustion if continually breeding. Pets generally live longer and healthier lives. Behavioural Pets are less prone to wander, fight, and are less likely to get lost or injured. Reduces territorial behaviour such as spraying indoors. Less likely to suffer from anti-social behaviors. They become more affectionate and become better companions. Eliminates "heat" cycles in female cats and their efforts to get

Ever wondered what emotional challenges vets and vet nurses REALLY go through on a daily basis? We had a very candid chat with two amazing ladies who created an event called 'Connecting Paws' aimed at educating veterinary professionals as well as pet owners about what it's really like to work in the profession - You might be surprised!

This Week: First an update on our very first LIVE podcast earlier in the week. Then... @ 01' 35" - Greyhound Puppy Gets Lucky Break! - Nora Anderson-Dieppe @ 07'25" - My Dog Ate WHAT! - Nicola Craig & Dr James Browne @ 14'16"- ‘Top Dog’ May Wong Wins Consecutive AUSGROOM PLEASE NOTE: On our website for two of these stories there are links to the Podcast PLUS Pictures stories

Ever thought of having a duck as a pet? Long-time friend and our former PetTalk Radio assoc. producer Wendy Herne has one called Dorothy. Dorothy The Duck (c) Wendy HerneNow it seems that THIS Dorothy thought she’d try and find her own ‘Wizard Of Oz’ which you’ll hear about in this story… but what you’ll also find amazing is how Dorothy was eventually found. This story was just one of several that were in our first LIVE podcast with Exotics Vet Dr Jayne Weller & Wendy and was so interesting we thought we'd bring it to you here.

The ‘friendly’ sport of competitive grooming is gaining popularity with new competitions for groomers announced for most capital cities this year. However it’s the original and most prestigious National Ausgroom titles which always attract the most competitors and this year entries were the biggest yet despite the first ever WA AusGroom event being held just the week before the national titles in Sydney. Best In Show Winner May Wong from Melbourne’s skills caught the eye of International Judges Christina Pawlosky and Judy Hudson-Doyle who awarded May her 2nd Best In Show but not without stiff competition from the huge field including runner-up Annett Whitelum.

Greyhounds are probably the most misunderstood dog breed around. And - sadly in the wrong hands they’re also often the most abused and mistreated. Pedia Pazu & Nora Anderson-DieppeerThere’s already a number of very well organised Greyhound rescue groups in Australia which Nora Anderson-Dieppe has been a volunteer with over the years, but since she and her husband Ed have been building their interior design business, time has been a little tight… But that hasn’t stopped them setting up their own small rescue group ‘Nora’s Foster Hounds’ to help even more dogs find forever homes. Recently they were told about a dog – a puppy – that had been part of a whelping farm – basically a greyhound breeder – that was covered in faeces and had a broken leg. No-one is quite sure how this came about but Nora was very quick to say she would take him on.

Check out our very first LIVE podcast with Exotics Vet Dr Jayne Weller and passionate bird lover Wendy Herne. Some great questions answered by Dr Jayne about bird behaviour, feather plucking and more. PLUS... Should we be vaccinating exotics? - Ferrets in particular? - Stay tuned for more LIVE shows soon.