Monthly Archives: April 2018

28: Bird Breath



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 state of Australian basketball. We’re not sure what it has to do with veterinary medicine, however his enthusiasm is infectious and he gives the Australian basketball a perfect score of 10. Not much room for improvement!

Avian anaesthesia, with emphasis on how to keep the patient stable .. and alive.. during the procedure, is our main topic. Brendan quizzes Mark to learn the secrets of bird anaesthesia, including a discussion on mounting, fluid therapy, thermal support and more.

Don’t forget to send in an email to vetgurus@gmail.com with a veterinary story for a chance to win a signed copy of A Guide to Health and Disease in Reptiles and Amphibians. Shipping to the winner – wherever they are located in the world – is included. So drop us a line, say hi and tell us a story!

Links:

A kangaroo wouldn’t hop – so zoo visitors stoned it to death

Popular animals face higher risk of extinction

Toby the cat walked 12 miles to get back to the family that didn’t want him

How the 2016 bleaching altered the shape of the northern Great Barrier Reef

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27: The Kindest Cut



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 small mammals. What are the other benefits of desexing apart from the obvious prevention of breeding and helping control behaviour issues? Mark and Brendan point out significant reasons why we need to desex our small mammals.

Links:

Can you learn empathy?

‘They might just disappear’: warning over ‘punk’ turtle’s future

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26: Smile – Rabbit Dental Disease Part 1



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 that this is part one of a series of podcasts on rabbit dental disease.

Links:

Lyssavirus in Queensland

Transient Global Amnesia

Increased numbers of long- billed Corellas in Melbourne

Backyard Chickens and Human Health concerns

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25: Hatch



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 then provide an overview of the approach to infertility in birds – what to do when a client brings infertile eggs into the clinic for advice.

Links:

Priam Parrot Breeding information

Sea turtles return to Mumbai beach after 20-year absence

How does rabies cause aggression?

Photographer captures bittersweet spirit of a dog who has been living in a park for 13 years

Swedish billboard is quite literally for the birds

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