Pete the Vet's Podcast

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.

Veterinarian Pete Wedderburn has written a book about his life as a vet in practice: you can buy this book on his website at www.petethevet.com. This podcasts explains more about what's in the book.

The message of this podcast is to think very carefully before taking on a pet: it is a decision for the entire lifetime of the animal, which means looking 10 - 15 years into the future. A dog can bring great pleasure to your life, but it's a serious responsibility that takes up time, money and energy.

Black dogs spend longer than lighter-coloured dogs in animal rescue centres, and there's no good reason for this. #BlackDogAppreciationDay is an effort to undo the unfounded negative feelings that some people have about black-coloured pets. Plus StopTober is a campaign to get people to stop smoking: the additional aspect discussed in this podcast is the fact that pets can suffer serious consequenc...

Dog ownership causes people to take significantly more exercise, and it improves people's moods. Also, what will happen to pet travel after Brexit.

Dogs have been domesticated by humans over thousands of years. To find out how this has happened, and what complications have arisen as humans have been increasingly selective, listen to this podcast.

This podcast starts with a public service announcement for Brayvet clients (my own vet clinic) and then goes on to discuss Harvest Mites and how they affect pets at this time of year.

Dogs lose heat by panting, so when the environmental temperature is high, dogs overheat far more quickly, and they easily become dehydrated. Listen to this podcast to learn more about how to keep your dog cool and healthy.

In this week's podcast, Pete talks first about his love of doing triathlons, and he then discusses the dangers of heat stress to dogs.

Research from Sweden has proven that the inclination to like dogs is primarily caused by nature, rather than nurture. In other words, if you like dogs, it's because of your genetic make up.

A recent study from Sweden has shown that dogs get stressed in ways that parallel the stress felt by their owners. This is the first time that trans-species stress empathy has been proven. To learn more, listen to this podcast.

Dogs are prone to eating anything that they feel like eating, and that means that sometimes they eat substances that can do them harm. And since many dogs spend unsupervised time in the garden, there's a risk that they may eat toxic plants. Listen to the podcast below to find out more on this topic.

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, and at Easter, there's so much chocolate around that it is common for dogs to eat a toxic amount. To learn more about the risk, listen to this podcast.

The Irish government is talking about banning the sale of dogs online. Is this a realistic option? Or are there other measures that should be used first to help animal welfare?

On St Patrick's Day weekend, snakes come to mind. St Patrick may have ensured that Ireland is snake-free, but snakes are back. They're a popular pet these days, and in this podcast, Pete discusses basic snake care.

In this podcast, recorded on International Women's Day, Pete discusses the changing gender balance of the veterinary profession, with the trend for more females, and less males, to graduate as vets.

Humans have to work with pets, to keep them under control. Whether it's a dog straining at the leash, or a cat objecting to having a blood sample being taken, there are good ways - and bad ways - of handling animals. Listen to this podcast to find out more.

Do you need to get a coat for your dog in winter? And if so, what type of coat is best? Listen to this podcast to find out more.

Globally, pets consume around 20 per cent of the world’s meat and fish, and this is set to grow further with the trend for feeding human grade meat to dogs and cats. Insect-based foods are the latest idea to try to address this issue; they also are animal welfare friendly, and they can be used for pets that are allergic to regular pet food.