The last episode of the nose-to-tail series covers everything from the armpits to the knees...including, yes, *down there.* 

Apologies to any Australian listeners.

Picking up where we left off left week (more or less) with the nose-to-tail series, we talk more about skin, lumps, rashes, and how to take the best picture or video you can - even though your vet will probably tell you to make an appointment anyway.

In the wake of some bitterly cold weather in many parts of the US, Dr. Chris and Autumn return to the Not Your Vet podcast to talk about how the freezing cold can affect the animals in your life. Plus, Autumn explains how she was able to betray the trust of a cat and Dr. Chris tell us all about how the lions, tigers, bears, and other species behave when it's cold.

In this podcast we talk about what you can do for your pet, what your vet can do for you, or what your vet can do for you pet, but what can you do for your vet? Dr. Chris is here to talk about what a good veterinarian/client relationship looks like at his clinic and the best way to keep your vet and their staff happy to see you.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, it can bring all kinds of hidden dangers to your pet. Dr. Chris is putting on his Capt. Safety hat today to help us get through the holiday dangers checklist and how to keep your emergency vet bored this holiday season.

Last week was dogs, this week is cats! Dr. Chris talks about what vaccines your kitten might need to start a happy, healthy, and long life with you.

If you're looking for the websites we talk about in this podcast:

The American Association of Feline Practitioners: catvets.com

The American Animal Hospital Association: aaha.org

As ever, we hope that what you hear in this podcast sparks a conversation with your vet, because we are not your veterinarian.

Today we go over what vaccines your newest canine companion might need to start a happy, healthy life. Plus, Dr. Chris talks about the new respiratory illness that has started appearing in the U.S. dog population. He also does his Winnie the Pooh impression. You know, just to keep things light-hearted.

If you would like to take a look at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines for vaccines, follow this link: https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/vaccination-guidelines/

Or you can use this one from the National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7166872/


As ever, we hope that what you hear in this podcast sparks a conversation with your vet, because we are not your veterinarian.

We talk about rabies. Just rabies.

Autumn and Dr. Chris talk about what you should be doing to make sure your pet is in good hands if you suddenly become ill, are injured, or pass away. Hey, it's a heavy topic, but somebody needs to talk about it.

In honor of Halloween, Dr. Chris and Autumn talk about black cats and the Black Cat bias.

Overweight pet can struggle with the same issues overweight humans do. But what can you do to help your best, furry, four-legged friend lose weight?

Well, the Not-Your-Veterinarian vet, Dr. Chris Pagel, has a few ideas about what it's going to take to get your cat or dog to shed those extra pounds.

Today Dr. Chris talks about how to get your dog or cat to take their medicine.

The nose-to-tail series continues with skin.  This is part one of a two part episode and covers rashes, lumps, and parasites.  (You've been warned.)

Everyone knows someone with allergies and sometimes that someone is your pet. Dr. Chris Pagel once again shares his knowledge - explaining why allergies usually show up as skin conditions in our pets, what you can do to help your pet, and why "allergies" might be the last diagnosis your vet reaches.

Pets, like their people, can get bored. Dr. Chris is here to talk about how you can tell if you have a bored pet and what you can do about it.

Most of us who own pets know that they can get very anxious during thunderstorms, fireworks, or when we leave the house. But when that anxiety starts to cause problems for the person and the pet, what can we do? And why are they so worried anyway?

As ever, there’s no substitute for a real life visit with a real life vet, who knows your pet and your situation. Though we hope you’ve found our podcast inspiring, we are not your veterinarian.

Pets are sometimes picky eaters, but did you know that there’s a reason your pet might be picky? And that it’s a reason you should really know?

Dr. Chris, board certified Wisconsin vet, talks about why a pet might be a picky eater from the start or why they might have suddenly become one.

As ever, any questions you have about your pet should be discussed with your veterinarian. While we are a veterinary podcast, we are not your veterinarian and no podcast, message board, forum, or anything else should take the place of a real life conversation with your vet.

We talked about mosquitoes in our episode on heartworm and ticks in the episode on Lyme, so to round out the big three bloodsuckers, today we talk about fleas – how your pet gets them, how to get rid of them, and how to keep them from showing up in the first place.


Questions about Cat Scratch Disease? Use the links below to learn more:

American Academy of Family Physicians: Cat-scratch Disease

Centers for Disease Control: Cat Scratch Disease

Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Cat-Scratch Disease (CSD)

Fish! As promised at the end of our last episode, we set out to talk about fish. However, the topic is bigger than expected, so we try to focus on just one aspect of fish-keeping - the aquarium. You know...the tank the fish live in. The glass box thing.

Only trouble is, Dr. Chris has real trouble staying inside the box on any topic and now is no exception.

According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, feline hyperthyroidism will affect 10% of cats over 10 years old, making it the most common endocrine disorder in middle-aged and older cats. Dr. Chris Pagel joins us (as ever) to talk about how hyperthyroidism develops, how you treat it, and how it can be cured.

Alright - it doesn't matter where or how you've gotten a kitten, but you have one now. It's old enough to be away from it's mother, but...now what?

Dr. Chris, the Kittenarian himself, is here to answer that question and go over more things a kitten owner needs to know.

We start with talking about potty and crate training and somehow get to talking about training in general. Maybe we should try some of that focus training we talk about.

Nobody likes going to the dentist and your pets are no exception. However, like people, just because they don’t like it, doesn’t mean they don’t have to go. Veterinarian Dr. Chris Pagel talks about the apex importance of making sure that your pet’s mouth says healthy and how to see that it does – hopefully without the massive bill.

The nose-to-tail series continues with eyes.  Was this supposed to go in order from nose to tail?  Yes.  Did we completely loose focus and forget about eyes?  Yes.  Is this podcast going to cover everything Dr. Chris knows about eyes?  Of course not.  Are we gonna try to anyway?  Oh yeah.  

Humans and dogs share many things in life: companionship, living space, adventures, snacks, and Lyme’s Disease. Wait. What? Here to talk about Lyme in dogs (he’s not qualified to treat humans) is Wisconsin veterinarian Dr. Chris Pagel.

Note: this episode was recorded back in May, before the podcast went live. We meant to save it for next year, but due to an unanticipated scheduling gap, we figured, “Hey, ticks are still out there, this is still pertinent information, let’s release this now.”

If you think your dog might have Lyme (or anything else for that matter), make sure you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian, because we are not your veterinarian and no podcast, message board, forum, social media platform, or anything else can replace a real-life veterinarian who can see your pet.

Arthritis has been a part of getting older since the time of the dinosaurs (no, really, it has) and animals can suffer from it in their golden years just like people can. Dr. Chris explains what arthritis is, what can make it worse, and how it can be treated.


Remember no podcast, website, message board, forum, or anything online can take the place of a real life analysis by a real life vet. If you have a question about your pet or any treatment we talk about in today’s episode, make an appoint with your veterinarian.

When it comes to taking care of cats, litter is generally pretty far down on the list of things cat owners – uh, I mean, staff – like to do. However, it’s one of the most important, and stressful, parts of having a cat and Dr. Chris is here with all the ins and outs of litterbox issues, litterbox use, litter type, and the rest.

Sometimes the question is not, "What should I know before taking my pet to the vet?" but "Should I take my pet to the vet?" or "Do I go now or do I wait?"

Though nobody can answer than question is except you - and YOUR veterinarian - you can get some guidance from Wisconsin vet Dr. Chris.

Autumn and Dr. Chris talk about travelling with your pet - what you need, what they need, and why it might not be the best choice at all - whether it's a dog, a cat, a horse, or a monkey.

Summer sees an uptick in vet visits every year. Whether it’s the heat, the lake, the barbeque, or any other Interesting Outdoor Thing, pets - dogs in particular - can face some serious dangers. Dr. Chris goes over some of those dangers and how you can protect your pet.

Dr. Chris and Autumn talk all things heartworm releated - what they are, how animals get them, how you treat them, and, most importantly, how you prevent them.

It's easy to get overwhelmed in the pet food aisle. What do all the cans, bags, photos, and claims mean? Which ones are important? What's just marketing? What's this stuff really made of? And what the heck am I supposed to feed my pet?

Though it's always important to get your own vet to answer any questions you have about your pet's food, we're here today to at least explain what some of that stuff on the bag, or the can, really means.

To read the American Association of Feed Control Officals' explination of what's what in pet food follow the link: AAFCO: Understanding Pet Food

Everyone will have a first vet visit - whether its a new vet, a new pet, or a new owner - and today we're going over all the things you need to know for your first trip to the veterinarian. Also, tips for experienced pet owners (especially those with difficult pets) for those follow up visits.

The nose-to-tail series continues with tails.  You'd think it would end with tails, but due to the usual inability to focus, tails have become an odd midpoint in the series.

The nose-to-tail series continutes as we talk about paws, wrists, ankles, ligaments, tendons, and what you should do if your pet is limping.  (Spoiler alert: you should call your vet.)

Continuing the nose to tail series with a detour to feet....or at least that's where it starts.  As usual we get snagged on a tangent and this week's tangent is claws.  Hopefully we can get back on the subject of feet next week.

We continue the nose-to-tail series with ears, where Dr. Chris explains that there's more to your pets' ears that just hearing.

This episode launches the Nose-to-Tail series - where each episode focuses on a part of your pet, how it works, and what it can tell you about their health. Today's episode is all about noses. And there's more to them than just being cold and wet (or even warm and dry).

Though we already talked about how clients can improve their relationship with their veterinarian, the relationship in the other direction is important too. Dr. Chris talks about what vets can do to make their relationship better with clients and Autumn adds her two cents about what she expects and likes to see from a veterinarian.