Vet Talk Radio

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 with Jade Wellings - Councillor Division 5, Fraser Coast PREFER TO READ? - Full Transcript Here... https://bit.ly/CaravanParkUpdate

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 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.

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....

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 :-)

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.

***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.

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 ...

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 condit

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...

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 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.

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!

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