The Vetpodcast - They never mentioned this at vet school!

This is a podcast I could have made a long time ago. Maybe I was in denial. I've been retired from clinical veterinary practice for six years now, but I have only just relinquished my practicing certificate. Why did it take so long? They never mentioned this at vet school. It seemed so final, ticking that box on the veterinary council registration page that said Retired . I'd been doing enough vet...

Times change, treatments change, and medications change. If you have been in an industry for a long time, at the start of your career you mix with colleagues who are at the end of theirs, so by the end of your veterinary career you have a direct line to methods and treatments that are perhaps 80 years old. Some of them have passed the test of time. Some of them perhaps not.

They never mentioned this at vet school. Life as a veterinarian is never boring. What happens when a dog is locked in a garage with a commercial volume of wine for the night? Have a veterinary story you would like to share? Contact me at vetpodcast@gmail.com

As a veterinarian, it is not uncommon for a pet to be presented to me on behalf of a frail older person by a friend or family member and having the forceful if not somewhat chilling statement made to me “this wee dog is all that is keeping mum alive. If the dog dies, mum will have nothing to live for, and she will probably die”. Unfortunately, and quite soberingly, on more than one occasion, not l...

I have always been of two minds about veterinary programs on television. In truth, the reason I took up this wonderful profession in the first place was my love of the James Herriot books and the original television adaptation of them. Without James Herriot, who knows what I would be doing now. On the flip side, I have found myself screaming at the television when a vet dazzled in the camera light...

If you are in the United Kingdom or receiving veterinary news from there, I am sure you have heard about, and quite possibly viewed The BBC Panorama documentary on the price of taking your pet to the vet, and probably more specifically the effect the rise of corporate practices are having on the cost of veterinary care. Now, as I am in New Zealand and also retired from veterinary practice I am not...

Come on a journey with me as I look back at the history of The Vetpodcast, listen to some of the funnier moments, tell a couple of my "Better Work Stories" and ponder the exciting future of The Vetpodcast. 

Welcome back to another episode of Better Work Stories by The Vet Podcast. I'm veterinarian, Dr. Bryan Gregor. Now, relaying bad blood results to clients can sometimes be difficult and stressful for veterinarians. But this [00:01:00] discussion with a client just takes the cake. Can you imagine, or more likely not imagine, What was going on inside this poor old guy's head? This is, this is one of...

After almost a year off (for reasons you will find out in the podcast!) I am back. I am Dr Bryan Gregor, a veterinarian from New Zealand. During my long life as a veterinarian, I have seen a lot of weird, quirky funny and just down right bizarre stuff! This is just one of them. Follow me on social media @vetpodcast and as they say, like and subscribe to my podcast... The Vetpodcast

When undertaking a scientific study on the efficacy of CBD in pain relief in dogs an issue that didn’t occur to me was the problem of getting the CBD across state borders in The USA without being tagged as a drug dealer. The answer – move the study to Canada. We again catch up with Dr Kelly Diehl, Senior Director of Science & Communications for The Morris Animal Foundation to find out about so...

Having spent my working life in veterinary practice, a lot of it as a practice owner, I am well used to comments about how much veterinary services cost, some in jest, some in shock and occasionally some in anger. Is this fare criticism though? Let’s take a closer look. Often the comments are in jest. I have been introduced a few times as “this is Bryan Gregor, my vet, the richest man in Timaru”. ...

Unfortunately, the veterinary profession can really take a toll on the mental health and wellbeing of those in it. In this episode of The Vetpodcast I have a frank discussion with Canadian veterinarian Dr Marie Holowaychuk who is a passionate advocate for veterinary team wellbeing. Marie is CEO and founder of Reviving Veterinary Medicine   and host of the  Reviving Vet Med podcast . If you are an...

Following the disastrous floods that have hit the north of New Zealand following cyclone Gabrielle last week, I think it is opportune to revisit a podcast I recorded a year or so ago with Sue Kinsella and Alison Vaughan from RNZSPCA. If you have the responsibility of looking after animals, you should listen to this!

“Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill”  A quote directly from The World Health Organization. This isn’t hyperbole, this is potentially our future (as if there aren’t enough other things to be concerned about!). And then we have the British Health Secretary giving her left over antibiotics to family and fr...

One of the givens in this world is that things never stay the same, we are always learning and we are always improving. This is as true for the veterinary profession as it is anywhere else. The information changes are based on must come from somewhere though.  Many of us will be aware of the change in recommendations as to the timing of desexing dogs. When I trained it was almost written in stone...

If you have been a listener of the Vetpodcast for a while you may recall an episode we recorded back in early 2021 with Dr Melissa Trupia discussing end of life decisions and treatment. In this episode we are taking the inevitable next step today and discussing euthanasia. It is a topic that perhaps isn’t discussed as often as it should because but lets face it, almost all pet owners have to go th...

This is the second part of our discussion on the history of veterinary medicine with Dr Bruce Vivash Jones.  Bruce is a retired veterinarian, veterinary historian and author and has written what is possibly the most complete account of the history of veterinary medicine published. Bruce’s comments on the events that changed veterinary medicine, the current state of our profession and the possible...

This is the first of 2 episodes discussing the history of veterinary medicine with Dr Bruce Vivash Jones.  Bruce is a retired veterinarian, veterinary historian and author and has authored what is possibly the most complete account of the history of veterinary medicine published. In this first instalment, I discuss the origins of veterinary medicine as we know it, but we start some 4000 years ago...

Whether you are a vet, vet nurse, RVN, allied veterinary professional or a pet owner, if there is only one episode of The Vetpodcast you ever listen to, please let it be this one.   It is heart-breaking. I read with absolute despair that another of our veterinary colleagues have taken their own life – again! The statistics relating to suicide, and for that matter mental health in our profession ar...

Here in New Zealand, apart from the obvious religious significance of the festival there are 2 icons that you cannot escape. Chocolate Easter eggs and raisin filled Hot Cross Buns. Unfortunately, both chocolate and grapes are potentially toxic to dogs so without pouring cold water on your festivities, what is all the fuss about?

Most men of a certain age can tell you exactly where their prostate gland is. The doctor has pointed it out to them literally on more than one occasion. Male dogs can also have issues with their prostate glands, and yes, just like our human colleagues, one of our best diagnostic tools is our index finger! In this episode of The Vetpodcast  I discuss that scourge of older men, the prostate gland, a...

Something like 16% of dogs do it. Almost 100% of humans find it disgusting. It makes me gag! I am talking about coprophagia.  What is coprophagia? – Eating faeces I chat to Jess from nutritionRVN about this less than savoury behaviour. We talk about: -Is there a risk to either dogs or humans? -What causes it? -How to stop it? I would normally say sit down with a coffee and a bit of cake but for th...

News bulletins are full of disaster stories. In the case of a disaster have you got a plan for your pet? I talk to Sue Kinsella and Alison Vaughan from RNZSPCA about “disaster preparedness”. It is as simple as: - Microchip your pets - Have a cage or crate handy - A collar and lead and perhaps a muzzle - 48 – 72 hours feed - Any medication required - A copy of any relevant veterinary information -...

There is nothing worse than being woken up in the middle of the night by that hacking coughing sound of a cat bringing up a hairball unless it is standing on it in bare feet. We discuss causes, treatment and prevention of hairballs.

As a veterinarian, it is not uncommon for a pet to be presented to me on behalf of a frail older person by a friend or family member and having the forceful if not somewhat chilling statement made to me “this wee dog is all that is keeping mum alive. If the dog dies, mum will have nothing to live for, and she will probably die”. Unfortunately, and quite soberingly, on more than one occasion, not l...