How does chicken soup make you feel better? Brendan explains. Mark dives deep into the question of how to monitor waterway health via monitoring fish sounds and investigates Turtle Rain. in the final news story Brendan summarises a recent publication on anaesthetic deaths in pets.
Heating is our main topic this week. We discuss the details of how to provide adequate heating for unusual pet enclosures – reptiles, birds and mammals. There is also a short discussion of heating for critically ill patients and Brendan and Mark also touch on heating requirements for amphibians and fish.
A deaf and blind dog missing for 5 years is reunited with its owners in yet another good news story from Brendan. Mark is enthused about the educational aspects of octopuses, and wonders if having a dog increase your chance of a tinder date? To balance things out, the final news story is about cats: Are cat lovers under the influence of Toxoplasmosis? Perhaps not, though that kitten is very cute…
UV lighting in reptiles is our main topic. Brendan and Mark outline the basics of this fascinating topic, including the practicalities of how to provide adequate UV for captive reptiles.
Chemical Essentials. Cleaning and disinfection products and solutions for a wide variety of industries throughout Australia, as well as specific markets in New Zealand, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. The sole importer of the internationally acclaimed F10SC Disinfectant and its related range of advanced cleaning, personal hygiene and animal skin care products.
Specialised Animal Nutrition. Specialised Animal Nutrition is the Australian distributor of Oxbow Animal Health products. Used and recommended by top exotic animal veterinarians around the globe, the Oxbow range comprises premium life-staged feeds and supportive care products for small herbivores.
We welcome our new ‘beardie’ patron: Sandy from Canberra, Australia. A big shout out to Sandy for helping cover our production costs, and thanks for the thought-provoking email – keep them coming! Why don’t YOU become a patron of our show, become famous, and feel good on the inside and outside? Visit Patreon.com/vetgurus for more details.
In news this week California passes a bill banning the sale of cosmetics tested on animals and we bemoan the extinction of some bird species. In the final news story we discuss whether a puppy can save endangered owls.
Endoscopy basics is the main topic of this week. Mark and Brendan get excited and enthuse about all the places you can shove a metal tube into! We outline the basics of endoscopy for those wishing to get started. It’s fun, easy to start, and a lot more inexpensive than you think. As Arnie would say: “Do it, do it now!”
Specialised Animal Nutrition. Specialised Animal Nutrition is the Australian distributor of Oxbow Animal Health products. Used and recommended by top exotic animal veterinarians around the globe, the Oxbow range comprises premium life-staged feeds and supportive care products for small herbivores.
Chemical Essentials. Cleaning and disinfection products and solutions for a wide variety of industries throughout Australia, as well as specific markets in New Zealand, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. The sole importer of the internationally acclaimed F10SC Disinfectant and its related range of advanced cleaning, personal hygiene and animal skin care products.
The news kicks off with the announcement of our competition winner. Congratulations to Elizabeth Pearson! Your signed book is on its way.
In other news we report on a potential threat for the rarest ape in the world, the naming of species after celebrities, and the difficulties of livestock live export.
Another non-veterinary ‘product’ review by Mark today, with a lowdown on a music video by Childish Gambino.
We are on the road this week, reporting from the Australian Veterinary Association 2018 annual conference in Brisbane, Queensland. We have interviews from the trade floor, discussing products available from Specialised Animal Nutrition and Chemical Essentials, and learning a bit more about the owners of these companies and the journey they have taken to get to where they are.
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!
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.
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
