Pete the Vet's Podcast

This week, I was delighted to be interviewed by Andrea Hayes, who I have worked with previously in a television series called Animal A&E. Andrea is passionate about animal welfare, and we had a useful discussion about the latest developments in Ireland, including the recent discussion in the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) about dog licences, microchips, dog breeding establishments and greyhounds.

A new report highlights that pugs are 54 times more likely to suffer from breathing issues compared to other types of dog. The report authors say that Pugs can "no longer be considered typical dogs". To find out more, listen to this podcast.

In my home town of Bray, Co Wicklow, a new bridge over a local river has been proposed. The design includes a screen of vertical cables that will create an obstruction to the many swans that live in the area. To find out more, listen to this podcast

Over 600 pets have been imported into Ireland in recent weeks as companions for refugees from Ukraine. To hear more about the details of how this is being organised, listen to this podcast.

In this 5 minute podcast, Pete outlines the essentials behind the serious issue of chocolate poisoning in dogs. This is especially important at Easter when chocolate eggs are so common in our homes.

In this week's podcast, we discuss puppy farms and online advertising of pets, the risk of dogs being poisoned by chocolate over Easter, and the background to the pets of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland.

In this podcast, Pete discusses the ways that the crisis in Ukraine is having adverse effects on animals.

It's been made illegal to breed British Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on animal welfare grounds in Norway. To hear more about this, listen to this podcast.

My weekly podcast from East Coast FM this week featured the common problems of asthma and chronic bronchitis in cats and dogs

In news from Hong Kong, hamsters were blamed for the introduction of COVID from overseas. This podcast goes on to discuss the background to how COVID can affect - or not affect - different types of animals.

Dogs are prone to chewing - and swallowing - objects that then become lodged in the stomach or intestines. Listen here to find out about this common cause of vomiting in dogs.

Pete is just back from the Pet Innovation Summit in Boston, USA, where he learned about the latest happenings at the cutting edge of newness in the pet world.

Pet obesity is an increasingly common problem, shortening the life of many dogs and cats, and adversely impacting on their quality of life. Listen to this podcast to learn how find out if your pet is carrying too much weight, and to discover what you can do about it if they are.

In this podcast, Pete explains the reasons why it's a mistake to get a puppy as a Christmas present

In this short discussion, Pete discusses steps to take to ensure that your pets stay comfortable and safe when there are fireworks going on outside

This short podcast discusses the issues that have arisen at this time when COVID lockdowns are over and people are returning to work, leaving their pets at home.

In this interview, Pete discusses the options when a puppy has grown into a tough-to-manage young adult dog.

In this week's podcast, Pete discusses the latest development sniffer dogs from Helsinki airport, where they are being used with 100% accuracy to screen incoming passengers for Covid19.

As the world adapts to changes to heading back to work after staying at home due to Covid-19, it's a time of change for our pets. This week's podcast discusses ways of making the transition easier for animals, going on to discuss the issues of dog theft and the boom in puppy prices.

A brief snippet explaining what to do with your pet if you are sick with COVID19

This podcast, recorded on 4th March, explains the basic facts of Coronavirus and pets. The context is that this was before the virus had become to dominate our lives in the way that it does today, just three weeks later, but the information is still pertinent. The podcast goes on to discuss rabies, indicating how low on our priorities the Coronavirus was just three weeks ago.

Many dog breeds have specific issues relating to their particular breed: this year, the overall winner at Crufts was a Dachshund, a breed which has a particularly high incidence of inter-vertebral disc disease because of their long backs. This week's podcast discusses this topic in more detail.

In this week's short podcast, Pete discusses the hectic schedule of farm vets, caused by the fact that most cattle and sheep give birth during the springtime. Pete then answered a listener's query about a condition called cherry eye in dogs.

Pete the vet is Scottish - but has been living in Ireland for nearly thirty years now. The separation of the UK - including Scotland- from the EU means that he will no longer be an EU citizen from the end of this year. East Coast FM's Declan Meehan quizzed Pete on whether or not he will become an Irish citizen, so that he can remain an EU citizen into the future. Then it was on to the usual animal...

This week's podcast covers three topics: the seasonal dumping of unwanted pet dogs into animal rescue centres in Ireland, the issue of animal hoarding, and the situation in Australia where millions of native wildlife are dying.