The Vetpodcast - Talking About Animal Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back to another episode of Better Work Stories by The Vet Podcast. I'm veterinarian, Dr. Bryan Gregor. Now, relaying bad blood results to clients can sometimes be difficult and stressful for veterinarians. But this [00:01:00] discussion with a client just takes the cake. Can you imagine, or more likely not imagine, What was going on inside this poor old guy's head?

This is, this is one of these situations where you really have to wonder what the client was thinking. It was a busy afternoon and I got a phone call from my receptionist, got a call from my receptionist and she said that Mr. Smith's on the phone and he would like to talk to you about his. Yep, that's fine.

Flick through my files and found a file there for a cat belonging to Mr. Smith. Now these cat results, blood results, didn't look particularly good. They indicated end stage kidney failure. The cat was stuffed, not too much to do so. Picked up the phone and, uh, Mr. Smith, how are you got through the normal pleasantries?

He says, right, tell me about the blood results. So I said, look and went through them. The kidneys aren't that flash and went through all of the parameters and anemia and all this sort of thing. And he was okay. So what do we do about that? I put on my best bedside manner and said, um, look, I think. Probably the best thing that we can consider would have to be euthanasia.

I think it's just the kindest. It's going to stop any suffering, which is if not happening already, will be happening soon. There was a stunned silence on the phone. Nothing. It was just dead. About 10 seconds, 15 seconds later, he came back to me and he said, Can you do that? And I said, do what Mr. Smith? And he said, Euthanasia.

And I said, yeah, of course, euthanasia is not a problem at all. Um, we can do it whenever you want, actually. And my advice would be sooner rather than later. Again, a stunned silence. And I said, Oh, do you want to book that in? Or do you just need to have a think about it or have a talk to the family? And he says, Oh, look, I would actually really, really like to talk to my family about this.

This is a huge step. I did two things. One, I didn't know you could do that. And two, I wasn't expecting these results from the blood tests. All I did was called into the doctor for my regular six monthly blood tests. And I said to him, hang on a minute, what do you mean called into the doctor for your six month blood tests?

And he says that, well, I called into the Highfield Medical Center to get My blood test taken. Then the penny [00:04:00] dropped. We are the Highfield Veterinary Center and just by coincidence we had run some blood screens on a cat belonging to a Mr Smith and this poor old bugger thought that I was suggesting that he be euthanized.

Better work stories everybody.

If you are a veterinary professional and you have your own better work story, why don't you email me at vetpodcast@gmail.com or search your socials for vetpodcast. If you can, why not tell the world? Better work stories, eh?

After almost a year off (for reasons you will find out in the podcast!) I am back. I am Dr Bryan Gregor, a veterinarian from New Zealand. During my long life as a veterinarian, I have seen a lot of weird, quirky funny and just down right bizarre stuff! This is just one of them.
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This is the first of 2 episodes discussing the history of veterinary medicine with Dr Bruce Vivash Jones.  Bruce is a retired veterinarian, veterinary historian and author and has authored what is possibly the most complete account of the history of veterinary medicine published. In this first instalment, I discuss the origins of veterinary medicine as we know it, but we start some 4000 years ago with superstition, sacrifice and religion with a bit of the classical history on the side.   

Whether you are a vet, vet nurse, RVN, allied veterinary professional or a pet owner, if there is only one episode of The Vetpodcast you ever listen to, please let it be this one.  

It is heart-breaking. I read with absolute despair that another of our veterinary colleagues have taken their own life – again!

The statistics relating to suicide, and for that matter mental health in our profession are shocking. 

I make no apologies for repeating this podcast I posted a year or so ago, it is just so important.

Not One More Vet! #NOMV

Here in New Zealand, apart from the obvious religious significance of the festival there are 2 icons that you cannot escape. Chocolate Easter eggs and raisin filled Hot Cross Buns. Unfortunately, both chocolate and grapes are potentially toxic to dogs so without pouring cold water on your festivities, what is all the fuss about?

Most men of a certain age can tell you exactly where their prostate gland is. The doctor has pointed it out to them literally on more than one occasion. Male dogs can also have issues with their prostate glands, and yes, just like our human colleagues, one of our best diagnostic tools is our index finger!

In this episode of The Vetpodcast  I discuss that scourge of older men, the prostate gland, and the issues this gland can cause in dogs.  

Something like 16% of dogs do it. Almost 100% of humans find it disgusting. It makes me gag! I am talking about coprophagia. 

What is coprophagia? – Eating faeces

I chat to Jess from nutritionRVN about this less than savoury behaviour.

We talk about:

-Is there a risk to either dogs or humans?

-What causes it?

-How to stop it?

I would normally say sit down with a coffee and a bit of cake but for this episode but perhaps give the cake a miss this time!

News bulletins are full of disaster stories. In the case of a disaster have you got a plan for your pet? I talk to Sue Kinsella and Alison Vaughan from RNZSPCA about “disaster preparedness”.

It is as simple as:

- Microchip your pets

- Have a cage or crate handy

- A collar and lead and perhaps a muzzle

- 48 – 72 hours feed

- Any medication required

- A copy of any relevant veterinary information

- Vaccination certificates

- A simple first aid kit (bandages and dressings, antiseptic, brushes and combs).

There is nothing worse than being woken up in the middle of the night by that hacking coughing sound of a cat bringing up a hairball unless it is standing on it in bare feet. We discuss causes, treatment and prevention of hairballs.

As a veterinarian, it is not uncommon for a pet to be presented to me on behalf of a frail older person by a friend or family member and having the forceful if not somewhat chilling statement made to me “this wee dog is all that is keeping mum alive. If the dog dies, mum will have nothing to live for, and she will probably die”. Unfortunately, and quite soberingly, on more than one occasion, not long after an elderly client’s beloved pet has passed away their name will appear in the death notices. It would appear their pet was all that was keeping them alive. 

The animal/human bond is strong, but it appears to be even stronger in Senior Citizens. In this episode of The Vetpodcast, I have a closer look at the relationship between senior citizens and their pets.