Vet Talk Radio

This Week... @ 01'13" - Are Genetics Making Labradors Fat? - Dr Anne Fawcett @ 06'12" - Pregnant? Get Rid Of The Cat! (True or False?) - Dr Jo Sillince @ 09'24" - Pets Who Drink Excessively - Nadia Crighton

Vets – do you remember your first day/first months on the job as a brand new practitioner of veterinary science? Scary for some, right? Well now there’s a new crop of Vets about to graduate who could really benefit from a mentor who can spare a small amount of time to make their transition into the workforce as smooth as possible. There are numerous benefits for volunteer mentors… including training, access to resources, VetEd points, plus the biggest bonus of all, according to the AVA’s Mentor Program co-ordinator Monika Cole; "the ‘feel-good’ altruistic factor of giving back to the profession you love."

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

Most pet parents know that animals are VERY good at hiding any symptoms of poor health. Some dogs - and cats - will often spend what seems like a lot of time at the water bowl and we'll think... "oh he's just a bit thirsty today" and not give it much more thought. But is frequent drinking of water a sign that something might actually be wrong with your pet? Former DOGSLife Editor Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia did some extensive research into the topic. Read More: http://www.petinsuranceaustralia.com.au/excessive-drinking-pets/

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

This week... @ 01'10"- Just Hiccups?... Or A Heart Attack! - Dr Jo Sillince @ 10'20"- Flea Treatment Overdose Warning - Dr William Park @ 14'30"- Working Dog Heroes - Steve Austin @ 23'32"- Show Dog & Breeders' Generosity

We recently spoke with Cathy Beer, the creator of Pets4Life - www.pets4life.com.au. Cathy is passionate about educating wannabe and current pet parents about taking time to look at everything involved in talking on the lifetime responsibility of pet parenting. It's one thing to have a great idea... but does it work? Meshlin Kouri put it to the test and told us what she and her family gained from the Pets4Life idea.

Pretty well everybody loves to have animals around - especially the cute, furry, feathered and fluffy kind right? So if that's the case, why do we still have so many animals in our rescue shelters despite trying to ban them for sale in pet shops and targeting unethical or backyard breeders? Sadly very few rescue groups actually try and educate potential pet parents merely trying to show "how many we saved this year"! But one very savvy animal lover - Cathy Beer decided enough was enough and created www.Pets4Life.com.au - a great resource for wannabe and current pet parents. She has a great free E-Guide called 'Before You Get A Dog'- 8 essential tips to get it right! In this podcast Cathy explains what really motivated her to start Pets4Life and reveals some of her successes.

Good friends of well known Aussie larrikin dog trainer Steve Austin might jokingly refer to him as being a "bit of wind" but in fact the phrase was coined by his mother(!) as you'll find out in this very entertaining podcast... Steve also talks about his new book called Working Dog Heroes (avail on Amazon.com) and some of the amazing stories he has amassed over the years

Vets tell us that just like we humans, any medication we give our pets can potentially have an adverse reaction, especially if we give them the wrong dose… even though by law, the correct amount is always clearly marked on the packet, along with warnings about possible side effects for dogs and cats even when given the right dose. However… sometimes pet parents – especially those with quite a few a few animals to take care of attempt to save money by buying the biggest size of a product possible and then dividing it up to treat their pets… sometimes with near-fatal results. In this case, a cat was accidentally overdosed with a well know flea treatment and had to be rushed to the Animal Referral Hospital for emergency treatment by Surgical Intern Dr William Park…

Would you really know if your dog, cat or bird was sick? – Animals are very good at hiding pain or other symptoms of ill health so we thought we’d ask an expert for the tell-tale signs!

The Frog and Tadpole Study Group of NSW - (www.fats.org.au) occasionally receive calls about injured frogs. A concerned homeowner recently called the Frogwatch helpline describing what sounded like a Striped Marsh Frog 'Limnodynates Peronii' whose rear leg had somehow become wedged under her wheely bin - (trash can for our US listeners!). The concerned resident and her mother drove it over to Monica Wangmann - from the Frog & Tadpole Study Group NSW (F.A.T.S) who quickly called Exotics vet Dr Jayne Weller at the Animal Referral Hospital in Sydney to see what could be done to save the frog. Despite the odds, an amputation was successfully carried out. This is one very plucky little girl and despite being a ground frog she has been jumping very high WITH her injured leg and is now 'boarding'with Monica. A great job by everyone... BTW, if you do nothing else just have a listen to this podcasts hear what they called the frog :-)

This week... @ 01'12" - Bloat - Deadly For Dogs - Dr Sarah Goldsmid @ 07'52" - Dogs & Hugging - Good Or Bad? - Steve Austin @ 16'30" - What It's Like Being A Vet - Dr Anne Fawcett @ 24'27" - Q-Fever - What You Need To Know - Dr Guy Weerasinghe All of these stories have separate podcast pages for easy sharing via www.vettalkradio.com.au

Is it ok to hug a dog?... How about if the dog likes to hug you? - Is that ok? A recent SBS TV show featured well known Aussie animal trainer Steve Austin - among others - trying to answer the question "Do Dogs Love Us?". We also had a listener wanting to have her say in this story which we've also included in this podcast.

You don't have to be working with cattle to be exposed to this problem! Q-Fever recently struck veterinary staff working with cats and dogs in small animal practice. The disease causes severe flu-like symptoms but can easily progress to the victim being unable to work for months, even years while suffering the pain of chronic fatigue symptoms, or worse, liver or heart damage. However Q-Fever is a disease which is entirely preventable thanks to Australia having the world’s only vaccine… but not all veterinary workers are currently protected… Dr Guy Weerasinghe who’s head of the Australian Vets for Public Health explains more.

Ever wondered why vets became vets? Want to know what kind of car they drive or if they use Dr Google to 'solve' cases?... These are just some of the questions we put to veterinarian Dr Anne Fawcett from Sydney Animal Hospitals. You can read more about Dr Anne on her popular blog 'Small Animal Talk' Here's what we asked Dr Anne: You can watch the chat right here or select a question - opens a new TAB on our YouTube site. * 00:00 - What made you become a vet ? * 01:00 - Is it easy educating pet owners? * 01:38 - What kind of car do you drive? * 01:54 - Are vets ripping us off? * 02:58 - What about pet insurance? * 03:32 - Veterinary suicide - What's your experience * 05:08 - Do you use Dr Google to solve cases? * 06:17 - Are you guilty of 'Vet Speak'?

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.

PLEASE NOTE: We are testing the 'live' feature of Spreaker, our podcast host - This story was also heard in VETtalk #37. Future 'Live'shows will be announced in advance - thanks for your continued support... we really appreciate it!

This week... @ 01'07" - Anaesthesia... Is It Dangerous? - Dr Sarah Goldsmid @ 07'20" - Home Made Diets... Good or Bad? - Dr Barbara Fougere @ 13'10" - Grass Seeds Can Be Deadly! - Nadia Crighton All of these stories have separate podcast pages for easy sharing via www.vettalkradio.com.au

Many vets tell us there's still an unfounded stigma surrounding the safety of anaesthesia for pets… sometimes resulting in desperately needed procedures such as a dental cleaning or extraction being put off, leaving the pet in pain. The rationale owners sometimes offer is " well, humans aren't put under just to have their teeth treated…are they?” So we thought we’d find out the truth from someone who uses anaesthetics on a daily basis – Specialist Surgical Vet Dr Sarah Goldsmid from the Animal Referral Hospital.