Veterinary Podcast by the VetGurus

How long have you had your pet? We meet a woman who has had the same pet for 56 years. Mark gets the claws out and becomes haughty about declawing, and is anxious about caring for sick pets. In the final news item we put to bed the age-old question – can a newt kill you? This week’s main topic is how to make the surgical vet visit run smoothly from the client and pet perspective. Tips...

Brendan may have Man Flu but that doesn’t stop the vet gurus from releasing another podcast full of veterinary goodness! He soldiers on, delirious, to warn us not to feed the monkeys, and directs our attention to a cute polar bear cub born in the UK. Mark presents 6 unusual facts about Tapirs and muses over the potential demise of the world’s smallest porpoise. Our review this week is...

Mark is looking resplendent in his Lacoste Polo shirt this week – trying to convince us he wears it for a good cause. In other news dogs are in the bad books – threatening wildlife and wreaking havoc on beaches, whilst Brendan ponders the choice of colour in a newly discovered giant slug. Mark’s book review is 1Q84, a dystopian novel. You can find more information here . He rates...

Mark is angry about dogs licking their faces, yet happy about horses roaming free. Brendan flexes his muscles with talk about a squirrel glider gym and is pleased that the 1st International Snail Grand National has been cancelled – ready, set, escargot for this and more from the VetGurus! Wildlife care is our main topic this week. A discussion on triage of wildlife brought into veterinary cl...

We marvel at the 2017 Wildlife Photo competition winners, watch some 3D with our praying mantis friends, and a cow joins a herd of wild bison in the news this week. A subscriber puts Brendan and mark on the spot by asking about the ethics of keeping unusual pets – or any pets for that matter. Our main topic this week is gastrointestinal stasis in rabbits  – often referred to as gut sta...

Mark is back from a holiday in Fiji, refreshed, tanned, and full of hot air. The news is mostly about birds this week, where we learn about bird brains, the pros and cons of feeding wild birds, and the sad life of a New Zealand Gannet. In brighter news, the invention of an edible 6-pack may help protect marine mammals. Our book review this week is a reptile text of great value and use for general...

A thunderstorm, dodgy wifi and noisy neighbours make this weeks podcast special! Topical news includes discussion on a new species of Lemur discovery in Madagascar; a birding Facebook group gets all haughty and bans owl photos, and we wrestle with an article discussing the effects of war on wildlife. Mark gets off his couch to review an avian book full of pretty photos Then we wade into zoonoses a...

In news Mark talks about his sighting of the Regent Honeyeater, a critically endangered bird. Brendan reviews the Fujifilm Instax SP-1 Smartphone printer, a great promotional tool for clinics. The main topic for this week is something we are frequently asked about: the basics of reptile surgery. The discussion includes fluid therapy, suture selection and patterns, and heat retention and loss. Link...

It’s the Australia Day holiday down under and Brendan and Mark are in a festive and feisty mood. News Mark jumps in the deep end to ponder on the meaning of Australia day – and what exactly should we be celebrating? Another load of news stories this week: Songbirds struggling with noise; banning of circus animals; and animal welfare campaigners protest a proposed dog breeding facility....

We are excited about our new professional recorded intro and outro. Lots of news this week: including how to cope with ‘vet shaming’; an automatic bird identification system program excites Mark; natures smallest rainbow found – on a spider; a lethal bat fungus sees the light, and Brendan dreams of heading off to Richard Branson’s private island. For our product review Bren...

Here we are already half way through January. Brendan and Mark are both back at work fighting the good fight against pesky parasites, belligerent bacteria, vexatious virus, and cranky clients. In news, snake eggs are found in a school sandpit in Australia, pumas (or wild mountain lions) are picky when choosing their sleeping sites, and the Mekong region reveals over 100 new species. Mark fires Bre...

Welcome to 2018. We hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday period and wish all our listeners the best for the coming year. 2018 is off to a flying start, though perhaps not for birds in Brighton, England, where residents have installed spikes in trees. In other news, sea stars (starfish) make a comeback, a new species of spider is named after a famous musician, and brain surgery is performed in...

Having (just) recovered from their Christmas festivities, including a face-to-face catch up in Melbourne, Mark and Brendan reminisce over the happenings in 2017. They look into their crystal ball for 2018 and consider the future of veterinary science. We receive a fascinating email from a subscriber in Singapore, who educates us on the otter population in Singapore. In other news we report of a fi...

Ho Ho Ho. In this special edition Mark and Brendan spread some Christmas cheer. Each of us review items for use over the holiday period – some veterinary based and some not. In news we talk about the world’s heaviest flying bird and a fossil named after Darth Vader. Looking for some new equipment to spice up your practice? Then consider the great fold-away and portable Buster ICU enclo...

This pre-Christmas special of the Vet Podcast is for the week ending December 22, 2017. In news, the genome of the Tasmanian Tiger has been sequenced and we discuss the consequences. Mark reveals that an extinct marsupial has been ‘rediscovered’, and we list 8 things about Guinea Pigs that you may or may not know. Spotted recently in Tibet has been Snow Leopards. The Metabolic Bone Dis...

Lots of news this week: Vets save lions from illegal zoo in Bulgaria. Australian vets no longer require licensing for examining dogs and cats for export. Mark walks on the wild side with his experience dealing with venomous animals, and we discuss pigeon brains. Brendan provides some insider tips to Melbourne culture and explains why the ‘magic’ is his new favourite beverage and how it...

This week we have an update on the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery program in the news section, together with a dramatic follow up regarding rabbits and their flatulence. The main topic this week is a discussion of egg coelomitis and egg binding. What species are prone to these conditions, how do we treat, and what is the prognosis? We are very excited about our upcoming Christmas special. The spec...

In news, we chat about species extinction. Johnathan the giant tortoise, who is over 186 years old, is newsworthy, possibly not for the right reasons. Brendan reveals his medicinal tea secret. Mark reviews the Olympus tough TG-4 camera for in-clinic use. We welcome new subscribers from the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. The main topic this week is head tilt in rabbits. We put on our t...

We launch our new domain name – VetGurus.com. News and book review. Our first listener email is answered. How long to fast exotic pets before routine surgery? Mark interviews Brendan about the Melbourne Rabbit Expo which was held last weekend. Do Rabbits Fart? Discussion on the toothpaste method of removing uroliths in Guinea Pigs. To contact us send an email to vetgurus@gmail.com Book revie...

Mark chats about his weekend away glamping and reveals some wildlife photography tips, then jumps into the frying pan. Two-stage euthanasia of unusual pets. Melbourne weather. Topic of the week: Intestinal parasites in exotic and unusual pets. Bird, small mammal (rabbit, guinea pig, rat, mice and ferret), and reptile intestinal parasites are discussed. What parasites do we need to worry about in e...

Advice for new graduate veterinarians and vet nurses/technicians: job interview tips; how to choose a practice; lifestyle choices; Brendan’s Yashica camera. Book review: Desert Vet by Dr Alex Tinson, an Australian veterinarian who went to the United Arab Emirates to look after camels. Links: Desert Vet by Alex Tinson: Bookdepository link  or Amazon Kindle link Australian Veterinary Associati...

Amusing patient names, backyard chickens and the chaotic life of a vet are discussed this week. The main topic is urinary tract diseases of guinea pigs. Join Mark and Brendan as they slowly unravel – and unhinge – at the end of a busy week.

Our first episode. Employment options for new graduate veterinarians, discussion on analgesia in animals – Do unusual and exotic animals require pain relief? What drugs to use? Do they work? Download. Listen. Enjoy. Subscribe and send feedback. Links: Anne Fawcett’s Small Animal blog Vet Cook Book