Veterinary Podcast by the VetGurus

Did you know blue-tongued skinks have UV emitting tongues? Now you do. Who is Pizza the polar bear and why should you care? Why are most dolphins called Bruce, and what’s with all the questions??  All these questions and more are answered in our news section. Product reviews: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury gets a 9.451 out of 10 from Brendan. Fencing wire for use as an endotracheal stylet ge...

Does the human race do anything right? Well, we are very good at eradicating other species. Greyhound racing is banned in the Australian Capital Territory and giant predatory worms have invaded France! So what exactly is the Icarus project and why are we excited about it? Listen to our news section to find out. A rapid fire discussion of 10 conditions of unusual pets is our main topic this week. B...

Calls to ban trade in amphibians from Asia is our first news story. Do therapy dogs like their work? – we find out. The sad story of the Vaquita, the smallest porpoise species in the world leaves us depressed, so in our final news story we are amazed as a crow steals a credit card and tries to buy a train ticket! We interview Doug Black from Microchips Australia for our main feature this wee...

The news just keeps on coming… this week Mark discusses stress in the veterinary workplace and the love life of Dora the hawk. Brendan discussed the amusing husbandry and feeding of veterinarians for new owners guide. Dingoes and some myths about these canines is the last story this week. Mark’s product review is the rabbit appeasing pheromone. He refuses to score it, as it is not avai...

The news kicks off with the announcement of our competition winner. Congratulations to Elizabeth Pearson! Your signed book is on its way. In other news we report on a potential threat for the rarest ape in the world, the naming of species after celebrities, and the difficulties of livestock live export. Another non-veterinary ‘product’ review by Mark today, with a lowdown on a music vi...

Should we be more like sloths? In our first news story we discuss this important topic. In other news a tiger cub found in a bag is recovering well after being rescued, the unusual sex life of brown widow spiders, and veterinary interns speak out against exploitation. A flurry of emails last week with more entries for our book competition. The competition is now closed and we will announce the win...

Death is in the news this week with the end of the world’s oldest spider at the age of 43, the weird and depressing world of hummingbird love charm trafficking, and we follow the trail of the London thylacines. Brighter news is the novel approach to control of locusts in China through the use of a chicken army! Brendan has a book review this week: Clinical anatomy and physiology of exotic sp...

News is a bit depressing this week with a story about a kangaroo in a zoo stoned because it wasn’t hoping for visitors; popular animals facing higher extinction rates and the severity of the 2016 Great Barrier Reef bleaching. Brighter news is the story of Toby the cat who found a new home after his owners rejected him. The product review from Mark is a bit left-field, with his take on the st...

Quirky news again this week, which begins with talk on empathy – can it be learned, is there a genetic factor or who cares? A field study of Mary River Turtles in Australia reveals an ageing population. The cannibal Red Squirrels of Yukon and the death of Australia’s last flamingo are our last news stories. Our main topic discusses the benefits of desexing, with particular emphasis on...

Brendan has lost his mind – literally. He outlines his recent experience with transient global amnesia and a stay in hospital over the Easter period. In other news birds are pests in Melbourne –  or are they?; and the concerns about backyard chickens and human health. Our main topic this week is dental disease in rabbits. We regard this as such an important (and often requested) topic...

A dog in a park, Sea Turtles on a Mumbai beach, and a billboard built for birds in Sweden are the varied news items this week. In other news, Mark ponders on how rabies causes aggression. Our main topic is eggs and incubation. Mark talks us through the process of candling eggs to determine if the embryo is viable, the basics of incubation and tips to maximise the chance of the eggs hatching. We th...

The news topics just keep on coming: How can dogs help us understand cancer? Can we use cats to control feral rats?; and some quirky facts (and fiction) about platypus. These are the news items this week, together with the sad tale of the last male northern white rhino dying. Sorry is the title of our main topic this week, as we delve into the complex matter of dealing with complaints. Brendan and...

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...