Call the Vet - an insider's guide to dog and cat health – Details, episodes & analysis

🔍 "The improvement in pet health care may not be the best thing for you and your pet." What?! Before you get the wrong idea, let me explain what's behind this statement.

1️⃣ First off, veterinary advancements like Apoquel and Cytopoint for itchy dogs are amazing but come with higher costs—sometimes prohibitively so for many pet parents. 2️⃣ Consider cruciate ligament disease: while TPLO surgeries have outshined older methods like lateral sutures, the cost difference can be staggering. 3️⃣ Oncology advancements have significantly improved, but at a huge financial burden with relatively smaller life expectancy gains for pets. 4️⃣ Overall, the low-hanging fruit in veterinary medicine is gone, leaving behind improvements that are costlier and less impactful. 5️⃣ Reflect on your own circumstances. Is spending thousands for an additional month or two with your pet worth it for you?

💡The key takeaway here is to balance the benefits and costs of advanced veterinary treatments with your pet's quality of life and your financial situation. Not all interventions, even the latest and greatest, guarantee what you would consider significant benefits.

Head over to the full show notes to learn more - https://ourpetshealth.com/podcast/diminishing-returns

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Are you tired of shelling out big bucks for your pet's medications while knowing their human counterparts cost a fraction?

Tune in to this eye-opening episode where Dr. Alex Avery exposes the secrets of the pharmaceutical industry, reveals how stringent regulations handcuff your vet's prescribing options, and offers savvy tips to save on your furry friend's medical bills. 🐶💊🐱

From the shocking reality of the 'prescribing cascade' to legal minefields that could land your vet in hot water, we're pulling back the curtain on a topic every pet parent needs to know. Whether you’re a seasoned pet owner or a new fur parent, this is one episode you can’t afford to miss.

📢 **Highlights:**

- The dramatic price hikes in pet-specific medications

- Why your vet's options are more limited than you think

- Five actionable steps to get the best value on pet meds

Don't let high medication costs catch you off guard. Discover the secrets and save! 🌟

We took the notes for you at https://ourpetshealth.com/podcast/cheaper-pet-meds

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

Overvaccination of pets is a controversial topic with serious health implications? 🤔

In the latest episode of Call the Vet Show, I delved into the hot potato issue of vaccination, addressing the concerns and risks associated with overvaccination. 🎙️

I talk about the importance of vaccinations as a core strategy to prevent dangerous infectious diseases, like the parvovirus outbreaks currently occurring in various parts of New Zealand. However, I also highlighted the need to avoid overvaccination, explaining the normal vaccination schedules of the essential core vaccines along with assessing the need for "lifestyle" vaccines.

And don't worry, I also address the potential of vaccine side-effects, the risks of overvaccination, and one big vaccine alternative...

The key learning from this episode is to carefully consider the individual risks and benefits of vaccinations for each pet, ensuring they receive necessary protection without being over vaccinated unnecessarily. 🐶

Dive deeper into all of the issues discussed in today's show over in the full show notes - https://ourpetshealth.com/podcast/pet-overvaccination-risks

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

Vaccines are a fundamental step in having the healthiest dog (and cat) possible. It is though important to only vaccinate against diseases that actually pose a threat. Otherwise, the risk of side effects outweigh the potential benefits.

Vaccinations is just one of the 5 topics I discuss in my free guide Pet Health Essentials

Although vaccines are very safe, you do need to be aware of potential side effects, and deciding on the type of vaccine and frequency of administration is very much based on a risk:benefit assessment performed in conversation with your veterinarian.

Head over to the full show notes

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

Large and giant breed dogs are at risk of a number of fairly unique conditions that affect their bones and joints. Understanding the implications of this can save you a lot of heartache and ensure you know exactly how to manage them for optimal health.

Download my free guide Pet Care Essentials here

Hypertophic osteodystrophy in dogs is a bone disease that occurs in young, fast-growing large and giant breed dogs like Great Danes, boxers, Labrador retrievers - particularly severe in the Weimaraner and Irish Setter.

It causes lameness, increased temperature, anorexia, and dogs suffering from HOD can be truly painful and miserable.

All is not lost though, as the prognosis is likely better than you might expect...

Full show notes

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Having an itchy dog or cat can be incredibly frustrating!

Finding out why they are itching is not always easy and then finding a management or treatment plan that stops your dog or cat scratching all the time can take forever.

Join me as I work through the causes of itching in dogs and cats, how you can diagnose the problem in your pet, and then what you need to know about treating their skin condition to stop them from itching and scratching for good!

At the very least, you need to know itchy pet causes which include parasites, infections, anal gland problems, other skin disease, and allergies. It's also important to know that your pet might not be itchy! Boredom, stress, and pain can make them appear to be scratching but the problem is something else.

Check out the Our Pet's Health Academy

Full show notes

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

Getting your picky dog to eat can be hard enough, but it’s even more worrying if you think they are too skinny…

I understand how frustrating having a picky dog can be, especially if you are worried that they are underweight.

There are 2 steps you need to take:

1. Find out if your dog is actually a healthy weight or not. Hopefully your vet should have given you some indication as to whether or not he is a healthy weight. If not then answering a few questions will help you to find out, which you can read about in my article all about how to condition score your dog.
2. Next, you should study my top tips for how to make a picky dog eat, and once you have settled on a strategy stick to your guns!

Download my free guide "Pet Health Essentials"

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

A lot of owners feel like their pet’s health is out of their hands, and simply put their trust in luck. The reality is that this approach compromises their pet’s health and ends up costing a lot more money.

Click here to learn more about the academy

The fact is that since I graduated from vet school in 2006, it’s become increasingly clear to me that the most common diseases and injuries I see in my patients are almost completely preventable...

The biggest causes of poor health and a reduction in quality of life in both dogs and cats are obesity, dental disease, and arthritis. As well as the impact these have on your pet, being overweight alone is said to cost a dog owner $2,026 per year, and a cat owner $1,178.

These are the diseases that you have the power to prevent, or at least significantly reduce their impact on your pet’s life, by taking a proactive approach. Even better, taking the right action doesn’t take a lot of resources or cost a lot of money.

I know by being part of this community that you are willing to take action

Today I’m excited to share with you how the Our Pet’s Health Academy could add years to your pet’s life, reduce their chance of developing the most common threats to their health, and ensure they are living their best life possible.

This transformation from your pet being a walking veterinary bill into a picture of health will take place through:

• a range of targeted courses (and the list is rapidly growing!)
• a comprehensive resource library
• live monthly training sessions on key topics with Q&A for all your queries
• an exclusive forum to share your experiences with other dedicated dog and cat lovers.

 Taking the time to invest in your pet's health really does make a world of difference when it comes to them living a healthy, happy, and full life.

Click here to learn more about the academy

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

If your cat is shredding the arm of your favorite sofa or scratching your curtains all the time, one of the best solutions is to get your cat to use a scratching post instead.

Getting your cat to use their new scratching post is more complicated than simply adding it to the corner of your room. But using these proven steps will help them quickly make the transition!

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Steps to Getting Your Cat to Use a Scratching Post

• Making sure the scratching post is at the angle your cat prefers (some like horizontal, others like vertical surfaces).
• Trying different materials - carpet vs cardboard - some cats can be put off if their nails keep getting caught in loops of carpet.
• Putting the post in the area that your cat prefers (start off near the furniture they currently scratch).
• Attract your cat to the area using catnip or Feliway spray.
• Give your cat a tasty reward as soon as your cat uses the post.

Stopping Your Cat Scratching the Furniture

• Put a heavy blanket over the arm of the couch or temporarily tie up the curtains to help break the habit
• Don’t punish your cat - stress causes more scratching or urine spraying
• While most cats will successfully transition to using a scratching post, for those who don’t you could consider trying claw covers that you can glue on.
• NEVER declaw your cat.

Download the guide "Pet Health Essentials" for free

Head over to the full show notes

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review

The last thing I want is to see as a veterinarian is my patients come to see me at the vet clinic because they are unwell or injured. Especially if it is something that could have been prevented in the first place (or at least the risk massively reduced).

Download "Pet Health Essentials" for FREE here

The fact is, it is well within your reach to take the right steps to optimize your dog and cat’s health and ensure that your pet is living their best life and improve their happiness.

While you might think that your pet’s health is mostly a matter of luck, the reality is that the most common diseases and causes of poor quality of life are almost completely preventable. A few surprisingly simple steps can make all the difference!

Whether you are a new puppy or kitten owner or have a senior dog and cat, concentrating on my 5 top tips for a healthier, happier pet is all it takes to take your pet's health to the next level!

Full show notes here

Love the show? Sharing this episode or leaving a review helps others know it's worth a listen! - https://ourpetshealth.com/review