Veterinary Podcast by the VetGurus

In this special edition we interview Australian exotics veterinarian Tristan Rich. Tristan ‘ went viral ‘ after he performed a tumour removal from a goldfish, recording hundreds of thousands of hits on local media and articles relating to the surgery were published in around 150 newspapers worldwide. Tristan was interviewed at the UPAV exotics conference in late 2018, and we discuss ho...

News The luxury market for shahtoosh is imperiling the Tibetan antelope Report claims koalas ‘functionally extinct’ Would you wear a sweater made out of your dog’s hair? Why do purple martins have such big houses? Main Topic: Dental Disease in Rabbits – complex cases We continue (following on from previous podcasts) a discussion on dental disease in rabbit. We delve deep in...

News Why do bumblebees have stripes? Only in the Territory: Three-eyed snake found near Darwin Your dog can hear you, even when it’s noisy Every year, this hummingbird comes back to the man who saved him Main Topic: Australian Veterinary Association Annual Conference 2019 Brendan spent a few hectic days recently at the Australian Veterinary Association national conference, held in Perth, Wes...

News New Gecko Sheds Skin on Demand Scottish woman’s shock at finding snake in suitcase from Australia Badger buries and consumes cow Female Anaconda Strangles Male After Sex Main Topic: ? Ferret care: The basics. We dive into aspects of ferret care – for clients and vets and veterinary nurses/technicians. Get the lowdown on how to look after these inquisitive pets. Support our sponsor...

News Notre Dame rooftop bees appear to have survived the fire African Swine fever spreads through China How to identify a bird in 5 steps Here’s what you need to know about exotic pets in Australia Main Topic: The Reptile Mite Reptile mites – the bane of herpetologists – and many vets so it seems. Don’t despair as Mark and Brendan provide answers to commo...

News Woman treated for having 4 bees living inside her eye Russia will release 10 orcas, 87 belugas from overcrowded ‘whale jail’ Evidence of rabbits in UK in Roman times, say academics Threatened birds still alive on King Island Main Topic: Discharging Patients We cover the basic steps in ensuring an uneventful – or happy – discharge of patients from the hospital. This inc...

News Underwater Photographer of the Year 2019 How mosquitoes sniff out human sweat The odd reason flamingos are flocking to Mumbai Dogs can detect an odour humans emit during epileptic seizures Main Topic Constipation – a right pain in the #$#. This week we discuss constipation in reptiles; why do they get it, how to treat it, and how to prevent it. Together with some usual crap by Brendan a...

News That time scientists put a ferret in a giant particle accelerator… Dolphins found suffering from Alzheimer’s Lake District hotel launches lemur yoga classes If you want to feel happier, just spend 20 minutes in nature Main Topic: Basic Fish Care This week we cover the main things to consider to provide a proper setup for pet fish. The discussion includes thoughts on water quality, filtr...

Welcome to the VetGurus podcast! Hello to all our new subscribers – thanks for the vote of confidence – enjoy the podcast. Don’t forget to drop us a line to say hi: VetGurus@gmail.com. OR post a comment here on our website. Also, visit the sites of our generous sponsors that help pay for our production costs – see their details below. News Eating Insects: Cultural Differenc...

News: Platypuses in polluted water could ingest ‘half a human dose’ of antidepressants Denmark builds anti-pig border fence amid swine fever fears Armando, the ‘Lewis Hamilton’ of racing pigeons, breaks auction record e New spiders named after the Stormtroopers in Star Wars Main Topic: Pododermatitis aka bumblefoot is our main discussion this week. Brendan and Mark stumble...

News: We get serious and discuss saving of Australia’s native animals and debate culling methods for feral species. Brendan gets centred performing Yoga with friends, and we note an outbreak of a calicivirus variant in the UK. Main Topic: Grass seeds – Yes, those annoying little bits of plants. What species do we see grass seeds issues in, and why? Mark and Brendan discuss their prefer...

What is it with crossbreed dogs? Why do we have to call them a ‘new’ breed. Brendan get a tad fired up about breed naming conventions. Mark gets all zen with a story on rainfall and prediction of bird colours and wonders why some cats are neurotic. In our final news story Brendan finds a use for old mascara wands…. just in cases you needed to know! Urinary issues in guinea pigs i...

Duct tape and reptiles don’t mix – especially when used to smuggle animals as Brendan discovers. Mark reveals a Frigatebird that has broken a record – what record? – listen to find out! In other news a long term bond between two turtles is broken, and we list Australia’s 10 worst invasive species. The main topic is part 2 of our discussion of reproductive problems in...

Geckos are on the run – how exactly do they do it? Are fish self-aware? How do you monitor the wellbeing of captive elephants? We attempt to answer these questions in our news of the week. Don’t blink – you may miss the final news article. Reproductive issues in lizards is our main topic this week. Mark and Brendan discuss the various problems encountered in lizards when things g...

Dog food made from insects, snakes used as torture, and legally recognising animals’ feelings are news items this week. Mark finishes off the news with a story about smart birds – so what happened to the phrase ‘bird brained’? Our main topic is remembrance – dealing with the body after the death of a loved pet. Mark and Brendan talk about options for clients including...

News this week: Scheme to improve health of brachycephalic dogs The use of Jiggers in horse racing Are you drawn to male or female dogs? 7 spectacular facts about yaks Our main topic this week is an interview with author Laura Greaves, who has just had her 6th book published: The Rescuers – Incredible stories of life-saving dogs. You can find more information on Laura’s book here . Con...

News for this week: Freezing bird feet, technicolour squirrels, rabbit calicivirus in the UK area and a stowaway parrot…  The main topic this week is feathers – Mark walks us though the do’s and don’t’s of wing clipping in our feathered friends. Links: First UK hares test positive for RHDV2 Why don’t birds’ feet freeze in the cold? Meet India’s beaut...

We love our big statues here in Australia, so the fight over the Biggest Moose between Canada and Norway has us intrigued in our first news story of the week. The search for new species goes on – and 3 new salamander species have been found in Texas. The sad facts behind so called mini pigs are evened, and in the final news story Mark in angry about a cartoon racoon. Social media, its use an...

A good news story – Icelandic goats saved from extinction- and Brendan gets extremely emotional about this story. Mark then gets serious and talks about river systems and culverts for protection of fish.  This week we have another Top Ten: Tips for dealing with snakes for clinicians who are unfamiliar with reptiles.   Links Meet the woman who saved the Icelandic goat from extinction   Barrie...

Veterinary student numbers increase in the UK, as they do in many other countries: Brendan and Mark discuss the implications. The secret fighting lives of hummingbirds are revealed, and we find out why killer whale pregnancies fail. Do you have a floppy-eared dog? Is it cute? We find out why floppy ears are thought less threatening than erect ear. How to Train Your Vet. The main topic is a discuss...

How does chicken soup make you feel better? Brendan explains. Mark dives deep into the question of how to monitor waterway health via monitoring fish sounds and investigates Turtle Rain. in the final news story Brendan summarises a recent publication on anaesthetic deaths in pets. Heating is our main topic this week. We discuss the details of how to provide adequate heating for unusual pet enclosu...

In this New Year’s special we interview James Harris. We interviewed James at the Adelaide UPAV conference and it was a pleasure to chat to him. James is universally known and loved as a living legend in exotic pet medicine, with a phenomenal reputation as an exotics and wildlife veterinarian. He outlines his journey from the UK to the USA, and eventually Tasmania, where he now resides. Jame...

It’s our Christmas special with Mark and Brendan getting into the holiday spirit (literally) as they reminisce over the happenings in 2018 and look forward to 2019. News: The winners of the 2018 Comedy Wildlife Awards are out.. and, not surprisingly, they are quite humorous. In other news, a dog digs up a bone. We wish all our wonderful listeners a safe, happy and restful holiday period and...

We’re back!!! Brendan is back for his pilgrimage to the far reaches of India, and he shares a few stories about his adventures. We catch up with some news: Will our generation be remembered by the chicken bones we leave behind? What is the background of China’s legalisation of the rhino horn trade? Brendan muses over animal societies thriving without males, and Mark investigates the ha...

Its goats and more goats this week: Brendan talks about weedbusting goats and a list of things you didn’t know about this fascinating species. A good news story with heroic huskies rescuing a hiker in Alaska, and are cities making animals smarter. Main topic: Limb and tail amputation in reptiles. Why is this such a common procedure? Mark and Brendan give their thoughts, and tips for performi...