Tag Archives: Bird

28: Bird Breath

Avian, Birds, , ,

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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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25: Hatch

Avian, Birds, Reproduction, Reptile, ,

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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

Contact us: VetGurus@gmail.com      Twitter: @VetGurus

Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/vetgurus

Episode 17: Zoo-noses! Feb 9 2018

Avian, Birds, , ,

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A thunderstorm, dodgy wifi and noisy neighbours make this weeks podcast special! Topical news includes discussion on a new species of Lemur discovery in Madagascar; a birding Facebook group gets all haughty and bans owl photos, and we wrestle with an article discussing the effects of war on wildlife.

Mark gets off his couch to review an avian book full of pretty photos

Then we wade into zoonoses as our main topic of the week with a discussion on avian chlamydia and salmonella in reptiles and their effects on humans.

The book review by Mark is Owls,Frogmouths and Nightjars of Australia which he rates 8 out of 10.

Links:

Local Facebook birding group bans owl photos

Elephants, lions and other wild animals are exquisitely sensitive to the effects of war

Big-Eyed, Fluffy-Tailed Lemur Species Discovered

CDC advice for reptiles and amphibian care

NSW advice for safe handling of fish and reptiles

Psittacosis advice sheet Australia

Contact us: VetGurus@gmail.com      Twitter: @VetGurus

Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/vetgurus

Episode 14: An eerie feeling – Jan 16 2018

Dog, Parasitology, Rabbit, Surgery, Veterinary, , , ,

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We are excited about our new professional recorded intro and outro. Lots of news this week: including how to cope with ‘vet shaming’; an automatic bird identification system program excites Mark; natures smallest rainbow found – on a spider; a lethal bat fungus sees the light, and Brendan dreams of heading off to Richard Branson’s private island.

For our product review Brendan looks at the free PDF e-book Australasian Parasites Inside and Out.

Ears are our topic for this week. We discuss the treatment of aural haematomas, and chat about various ear conditions in unusual pets, and ask the question ‘Why do most ferrets have grotty ears?’

Links:

Coping with vet shaming

Automatic bird identification system

Nature’s smallest rainbow on spider

Lethal bat fungus may be susceptible to UV light

Richard Branson’s Koala Conservancy

Australasian Parasites Inside and Out free e-book

Contact us: VetGurus@gmail.com      Twitter: @VetGurus

Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/vetgurus

Episode 13: Lucky for some

Rabbit, Reptile, Rodent, , , , , ,

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Here we are already half way through January. Brendan and Mark are both back at work fighting the good fight against pesky parasites, belligerent bacteria, vexatious virus, and cranky clients.

In news, snake eggs are found in a school sandpit in Australia, pumas (or wild mountain lions) are picky when choosing their sleeping sites, and the Mekong region reveals over 100 new species. Mark fires Brendan up with a story about the animal inspirations behind the newest Star Wars creatures, then brings us back to earth with an article about the mental health of animal shelter workers.

Since this is our 13th episode – lucky for some – we decided to make our main topic a chat about the lifespan of pets. How old can we expect our small mammals, birds and reptiles to live for? No spoilers – subscribe and listen to learn the answers.

Links:

Snake eggs found in Australian school sandpit

Pumas sleeping habits revealed

Mekong region reveals 115 new species

Greater Mekong region

Animal inspiration behind the Last Jedi creatures

Why do animal shelter workers burn out?

Contact us: VetGurus@gmail.com      Twitter: @VetGurus

Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/vetgurus

Outro music courtesy of Canadian Lee Rosevere from happypuppyrecords.ca

Episode 10: Christmas Special

Equipment, Veterinary, , ,

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Ho Ho Ho. In this special edition Mark and Brendan spread some Christmas cheer. Each of us review items for use over the holiday period – some veterinary based and some not.

In news we talk about the world’s heaviest flying bird and a fossil named after Darth Vader.

Looking for some new equipment to spice up your practice? Then consider the great fold-away and portable Buster ICU enclosure, which will pay for itself in no time. Or keep your patients toasty with the aptly named HotDog pet warming system. The Rycom non-contact clinical thermometer is a useful temperature measurement gadget that Mark uses – 5.9/10.

Suprelorin (deslorelin) implants are reviewed by Mark, as well as bird foraging video.

Tired of vet life and need something to take your mind off work? Look no further than the intriguing documentary about Vivian Maier. It’s a great true mystery documentary about a street photographer and excellent viewing even for those with little interest in photography, as it is also about the human condition and is very poignant. 9.2 out of 10 From Brendan.

A novel to read over the Christmas break is Artemis. It is a science fiction novel set on the moon by the author of The Martian, which was made into a film starring Matt Damon. Artemis is the story of Jazz, a small time smuggler on the moon and her adventures. A fun, fast paced, easy to read novel perfect for the post Christmas period, recommended by Brendan. Or consider the book The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, a thought provoking read for the holiday period.

A non-fiction text to consider is the Avian Anatomy, Textbook and colour atlas. This second edition text is a high quality production

For some Christmas cheer consider a beer from the Grand Ridge Brewery, located in Mirboo North, east of Melbourne, Australia in the Gippsland region.

Links:

Hot Dog Veterinary Patient warming system

Kruuse Buster ICU enclosure: A PDF detailing the enclosure can be found here; It can be purchased in Australia from various suppliers including Sound Veterinary Supplies

Foraging for birds

Suprelorin (deslorelin) implants information for ferrets here

The Finding Vivian Maier movie is listed on IMDB. The official movie trailer is on YouTube. You can view many of her amazing street photos on the official website vivianmaier.com

Artemis novel by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian.

Avian anatomy textbook and colour Atlas

Grand Ridge Brewery

Rycom non-contact clinical thermometer

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

The comedy wildlife photography competition winners can be viewed here.

Our contacts:

VetGurus@gmail.com

Twitter: @VetGurus

Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/vetgurus

Outro music courtesy of Canadian Lee Rosevere from happypuppyrecords.ca

Episode 7: Yolkal

Birds, , ,

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This week we have an update on the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery program in the news section, together with a dramatic follow up regarding rabbits and their flatulence. The main topic this week is a discussion of egg coelomitis and egg binding. What species are prone to these conditions, how do we treat, and what is the prognosis?

We are very excited about our upcoming Christmas special. The special will have lots of reviews – both veterinary and non veterinary. Send us a link to any products you think we should include in the special. Email us at vetgurus@gmail.com.

Links:

Tasmania Government official Orange-bellied Parrot Facebook site

Orange-bellied Parrot recovery program

Definition of Yolkal from the Urban Dictionary

Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) special interest group of the Australian Veterinary Association

Outro music courtesy of Canadian Lee Rosevere from happypuppyrecords.ca

VetGurus@gmail.com

Twitter: @VetGurus

Episode 4: Worms!

Parasitology, , , , , ,

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Mark chats about his weekend away glamping and reveals some wildlife photography tips, then jumps into the frying pan. Two-stage euthanasia of unusual pets. Melbourne weather.

Topic of the week: Intestinal parasites in exotic and unusual pets. Bird, small mammal (rabbit, guinea pig, rat, mice and ferret), and reptile intestinal parasites are discussed. What parasites do we need to worry about in exotic species? Strategies to prevent parasites and effective use of antiparasiticides. What is a pseudo parasite? A new term is coined – pseudo-yeast – you heard it here first.

Links:

A selection of veterinary parasitology texts

Veterinary Parasitology Reference Manual 5th Edition. Spiral bound, highly rated by clinicians and students.

Veterinary Clinical Parasitology 8th Edition Good spiral bound text for quick reference for students or busy clinicians.

Georgis’ Parasitology for veterinarians  Comprehensive text, probably best for those with a deeper interest in parasitology.

Satin Bowerbird taken by Mark on his Glamping trip