VETtalk Online Podcasts

It’s hard to believe but Medical teams have been progressively improving anaesthetic products since they were first invented more than 170 years ago. The result being that today’s surgeries being shorter and safer than ever before for both people AND pets. However, there’s been a long-held myth by some pet owners that their aged pets shouldn’t undergo the surgery – even if they’re in pain. Special...

It’s the bane of bird fanciers everywhere – how to deal with their feathered friend’s primal urge to become a mum – and the very real concern the bird might become egg-bound. It’s a problem Exotics Vet Dr Jayne Weller has helped many bird owners confront, so she was well-prepared with a mix of solutions when she joined us on the recent VETtalk ‘Live’ podcast to answer caller questions.

Dogs, cats even birds have dental health problems - And poor dental health can lead to shorter lives and many life-threatening diseases. Did you know you can brush a dog or cat's teeth? - It's true... just ask your vet to show you how. Dr Barbara Fougere from All Natural Vet in Sydney tells us some of the signs to watch for with your pet's teeth.

It seems Australia's 'Long Hot Summers' are becoming even longer - especially with the El Niño effect. The result? - S N A K E S ! - And unfortunately the snake bite is not always the end of it. If your pet survives there are often other even even more costly side-effects that need to be treated. Prevention is better than cure according to Nadia Crighton who has some simple yet often forgotten tip...

Is a Poodle healthier than say a Chihuahua?. What about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel compared to a Beagle or a Boxer? Dogs are not 'dogs' when it comes to health issues. Sometimes it's just genetics -eg; "in the breed" - at other times it could be poor breeding generally or even cross-breeding. So which breeds are generally more expensive to insure? Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia e...

We've had chooks (chickens for our overseas listeners!) for many years now. They're a great source of eggs and believe it or not are VERY socialiable. Given the chance they love to cuddle and get involved in the day to day activities around the home - including coming inside the house to see 'wassup'! Exotics Vet Dr Jayne Weller also has chooks so this story might be a little 'biased' :-)

Many vets tell us there's still an unfounded stigma surrounding the safety of anaesthesia for pets… sometimes resulting in desperately needed procedures such as a dental cleaning or extraction being put off, leaving the pet in pain. The rationale owners sometimes offer is " well, humans aren't put under just to have their teeth treated…are they?” So we thought we’d find out the truth from someone...

Ok let's get technical here... Do you know what 'Eye Boogas' are? It seems that all of us at some time have had crusty eyes that we often call 'boogas' and think very little of it... For animals and humans as it happens - dry eye can also be a serious health issue that really needs to be "looked" at (sorry about the pun!) as soon as possible. Dogs, cats rabbits and yes even birds can all have 'dry...

If you have pets and love travelling as much as we do, there's NO WAY we're going to leave them behind is there?... A very helpful chat with experienced traveller, dog lover and Veterinry Nurse Kylie Kavanagh

Put a young kid and a cat together and it makes a pretty cute photo right? Maybe… unless you’re the cat! Young kids, especially toddlers and especially boys can be a cat’s worst nightmare. This story is very close to home... Not too long ago our daughter needed help to solve a problem with her much loved 9 yr old cat Smokey and her then almost 3 yr old son Tyler. Smokey would disappear for the bes...

Have you ever noticed how animals are VERY good at hiding pain or showing they are unwell. This is a highly evolved 'protective mechanism' of course - no single animal wants to be the sick one in the pack/herd/flock etc... But how can we as pet lovers tell? Are they hot, cold, off their food? Are their gums red, yellow, white or pink? How are they standing? Is there a cough? How do you know if the...

For many reasons some people only have one dog or one cat... And we hear a lot of animal behaviourists say that dogs in particular crave company - the old 'pack mentality' But is this true?... we thought we'd ask Dr Jo Sillince what she thought about 'solo dogs'!

These days with a lot of people living in apartments or townhouses the idea of a dog or cat is often out of the question for many of them – so we thought we’d take a look at something a bit smaller – like a mouse! We chat with Cindy Cairns - originally from the aptly named ‘Rodent Ranch’ (now closed) 

Question: Do vets ever diagnose their own pet's ailments? You'd think with all their training - especially specialists & surgeons - that they'd know 'everything' - but it seems that's not always the case... And for good reason when you think about it - Of course they know all the basics all GP vets are required to know as part of being a registered vet but what if you're a specialist veterinar...

So many 'old wives tales' get muddled up with 21st century science. Maybe you've been told this? "Are you pregnant? Then you MUST get rid of the cat as soon as possible!" It still seems to be a common thought among pregnant women around the world - one which sadly means cats being 'dumped' for no reason whatsoever. So who better to find out more about this controversial topic than the very colourf...

Many listeners will know we have a couple of chooks that we like to let free range in the backyard from time to time... but recently we heard a lot of commotion and raced outside to see of all things ... a BLACK cat! ... We don't know anyone in our street who has one but we do live by a small suburban forest and we immediately suspected a feral cat. And while this was just one recent incident we h...

Holistic Veterinarians who look at a pet’s tongue can tell a great deal more about their patient’s state of health/disease than say a GP asking a human patient to say ‘ahh’. A rapidly rising number of vets are choosing to learn Eastern techniques to use alongside their existing western scientific training to provide combined treatments for their patients. These might include Acupuncture, TCM (Chin...

Well even though it says it in the title - 'fun' is not necessarily what what you would call dealing with this problem in dogs mainly. But as always Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia describes the condition, causes and solution in her own humorous way for the benefit of us all :-)

BENEFITS OF DE-SEXING (Spay/Neuter in the US!) There are many reasons why pet owners should desex their pets. As well as helping to stop pet overpopulation, the following are some of the other benefits associated with desexing cats and dogs. Health Reduced risk of getting cancer or other diseases of the reproductive organs, such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer/disorders in males, and cystic...

Is it ok to hug a dog?... How about if the dog likes to hug you? - Is that ok? A recent SBS TV show featured well known Aussie animal trainer Steve Austin - among others - trying to answer the question "Do Dogs Love Us?". We also had a listener wanting to have her say in this story which we've also included in this podcast.

We've all known it ever since we've started having pets of our own, but a study out of Queensland Uni now proves the health benefits of pet ownership - for adults as well as kids! Study proves pets are good for our health! Former DOGSLife Magazine editor Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia tells us that recently in Queensland, research has revealed that spending time in parks and nature ca...

What makes a good 'Cat Vet'?... Dr Kim Kendall say's cat lovers AND vets need to think more about what really makes a 'Feline Friendly' practice and offer some practical advice in this podcast.

As the Easter bunny gears up for another busy night of delivering eggs to all the children around the globe, Pet Insurance Australia is reminding all pet lovers that Easter can spell disaster to an unsuspecting dog or cat. “This is a great time of year to celebrate with friends and family,” Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia says. “However it’s important to take some simple steps to ensur...

Feeling the chilly weather yet? Well if we're feeling the cold so are our pets! - And most domestic dogs and cats want to do just like us and curl up in front of the fire - whether it's an open one, gas or electric. But there are dangers all pet owners need to be aware of as Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia explains!

These days our pets have just about as big a choice of food as we do! But what about medicines? The way we look after our pets is changing every year. Conventional veterinary science continues to allow us to treat all kinds of ailments in our pets from skin conditions, dodgy tummies, anxiety and more. But did you know many of the things prescribed by both human doctors and veterinarians actually o...