Yes, it's Pet Chat with Amanda McCreet, that's me, and Dr Fiona Giblin. How are you, Amanda? I'm good, thank you. No Cheryl today. She's got an appointment, but I reckon she's got an appointment at the pool. Look, it's a good day for it. Maybe not right now in the middle of the day, but I reckon I'll be jumping in our pool sometime today for sure. Yeah, actually, it's probably a good time to talk about water for the animals as well. Yeah, absolutely. If your pet's outside today or inside, no matter where it is, make sure it's got access to water. But not only that, it's often really sensible to have a backup.
water source as well in case they accidentally knock one over. Make sure you've got two there and make sure that, you know, they're full and they're cool. And you can even add like big two litre frozen blocks of ice, that sort of thing, to the water bowl to keep it nice and cool for the day. That's a pretty good idea. Good idea for me as well. Yes, keep us cool with our ice too. Everyone, everyone, stay hydrated. Yes. Now, what else are we going to talk about today? Well, we have delved into our source of research and discovered that it's National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. Relevant in America, but I thought, you know, we can talk about, you know, what adopting and fostering dogs involves and, yeah.
how they can enlighten our lives and bring a lot to us as well as help them. Hi, Warwick. How can we help you? Well, I hope so. You can help me. We've got two little multi-sisters who are 11, 11 and a half years old and they've developed little funny little lumps on their back. Okay. Like skin tags. And when they come off, they've got that sibling ward-like look. My wife is a little bit worried, but I think it's just an old age thing, a bit like me. Sure. Now, have they both, have they got multiple lumps, Warwick, or have they just got a couple each? Oh, they've got, one's got about four or five, the other one's only got a couple, yeah. Okay. And how big are they?
Small fingernail size. Okay. All right. They are more than likely what we call adenomas. They're benign. They're non-problematic. Well, if they're an adenoma, they're benign. They're non-problematic. I affectionately refer to them as old dog lumps. I've got some of those myself. My almost 16-year-old Terri has got a couple on her head and they do grow a little bit. They can probably grow up to 8 to 10 millimetres, I'd say, and they can get a bit crusty and a bit sort of gunky. That's what they do. They get a little bit crusty. They get black weather from dirt and stuff and that sort of scrapes off and leaves that little stippling effect.
Yeah, they can sort of be a bit knobbly in appearance as well. I guess, yeah. If they're getting really large or if they're just overwhelming the dog, I think it would be worth a vet visit. But otherwise, probably just draw it to your vet's attention next time they go in for their checkup and vaccination. But yes, more than likely an adenoma, which is non-problematic. And unless you were concerned, it's probably something that they can get more of them as they get older. But it sounds, Warwick, like you're describing some old dog lumps.
That sounds like it's part of the family, don't you? Good on you. Thanks so much for the call, Warwick. Just a quick, quick thing. You're in good company. I just discovered this morning that the CEO of Flight Centre was a vet in his early life. Well, there you go. I didn't know that. Yeah, in Yorkshire and England. Oh, fascinating. Fact of the day. Good on you. If you bring Flight Centre for a trip, you might mention the fact you're a vet and you might get a good deal. Oh, look, it's worth a try, isn't it? Good on you. Thank you very much for your help. Thanks, Warwick. Thanks very much, Warwick. And right now we're going to talk about Make a Dog's Day and Adopt a Shelter Dog Day. Yeah, look, it's...
Made us think, I guess, you know, how important it is to think about how many dogs are in shelters and how many dogs are in pounds when we decide, you know, we desperately want a dog. You know, do we really need a puppy or could we open our hearts and consider a foster dog or a shelter dog? The last three dogs that our family have had have all been rescues, coming about through all sorts of weird and wonderful circumstances. But, you know, they've all opened our, you know, they've been such pleasures and such wonderful dogs. And I think a lot of people just assume adopting a dog comes with a lot of problems. You know, you might be.
inheriting a really traumatised dog or whatever that's had a tough start in life. But there are... There are those, but there's also plenty of others. And cats as well. They've got lots of love to give. Oh, absolutely. So much love to give. Once they realise that you're their forever person and that you're, you know, a good person, they've got so much love to give. And it's amazing to think, you know, how traumatised some of these pets are and how much of a tough start to life they've had and yet they can just be the most beautiful dogs and cats for that matter. Yeah, well, mine's the rescue as well. Yes. And we've had her for a year now. And when we got her, she was scared of everything. And now she rules the roost. It's so often. Yeah, it's so often is the case. So, yeah. And the other thing, I guess, that's really good about adopting a dog,
helping to relieve the pressure on all the pounds and the shelters and that sort of thing. You almost get a chance often with fostering to try before you buy. It sounds really terrible, but often pound situations and shelter situations, there's a two week trial period where you can take a pet and it gives you the opportunity. Obviously we've talked about the fact that they can change a lot, but it does give you an idea of, okay, what am I getting? And is this pet right for me? So I think that's a fantastic bonus of adopting a dog as well. Definitely. You get a bit of a try before you buy. And from the more reputable rescue and adoption.
associations, you're also going to get a pet that's vaccinated and microchipped and de-sexed. So that's one less thing you have to worry about as well. They've had that health check from the vet and it's going to highlight their major health problems, have they got a clean bill of health, that sort of thing. So that's a real added bonus. But not to mention the feel good part of it. It feels good to help those dogs and those cats that otherwise might have had a really ordinary life or might have had their life cut short if the pounds of the shelters can't take them or can't keep them. So yeah, there's lots of benefits.
for the pet and for us. But also there have been a lot of studies and I'm not going to quote them, but lots of studies that show how much having a pet improves our lives. Yes, there has been. I've been talking about that as well. Yeah. So, you know, pets that, you know, if you've got a dog that has to be walked every day, it's going to drag your, you know, drag your backside out the door, put your joggers on. So you both get the exercise. You both get the mental stimulation of being out and about. One of our dogs at the moment is recovering from surgery and so she hasn't been able to walk for a couple of weeks. And I've noticed that I've done a dramatically less exercise while she's not being walked because...
there's less incentive to get up and go. So, you know, getting that exercise is obviously fantastic, having a pet. And then there's, you know, there's added benefits of lowering your blood pressure, decreasing your stress, living longer. Like that's pretty awesome side effects of adopting a pet. That's right, good incentive. Yeah, definitely. And then the companionship as well, you know, providing that source of companionship, helping it with, you know, if you live by yourself or you don't have a large social circle, you know, you might feel less alone and less isolated, less lonely with that pet.
You know, pets mean the world to their owners and they really are an excellent source of companionship. Well, I was reading that millennials seem to be getting pets as emotional support pets. Yeah, which is interesting. Yes, I guess you kind of assume that it's maybe the older generation that would benefit the most, but apparently not necessarily. No, well, I guess there's so much anxiety going on in the world and yeah, all the millennials are very anxious and they need an emotional support pet. Getting support pets. That's right. Well, you know, it's... Whatever the reason, I think it's great. Yeah, so yeah, we just, I guess, decided that it was an important thing to bring to our listeners' attention that if you're thinking about
a pet, just don't forget the, yeah, forget those pounds, forget the shelters, forget the leftover forgotten pets who've maybe had a hard time to start with that they might be the next best thing to happen to you. Yes, exactly. And we're going to talk about Pet of the Week after. So if you're interested in looking at a cat or a dog, you can check out our website and we'll talk about that shortly on 2NURFM. Now we're going to talk to Kate from Newcastle. Hi, Kate. How can we help you? Good afternoon. My pop has actually snapped off her bottom spang. Okay. The problem is it's a second set. It doesn't seem to be ailing her. She's only 11 months old.
Okay. When you say her second set, Kate, what do you mean by that? Well, her second set of teeth, you know, she's already lost her first set of teeth, her puppy teeth. Okay. So this is an adult tooth that she's broken? Yes. Okay. And you said you used the word fang. I assume that's meaning the big pointy ones? Yeah, down the bottom. Yes. Okay. Okay. Good job. And do you know how she did it, Kate? Well, I'm pretty sure just eating bones. She does do, you know, whatever she gets in her mouth being a puppy. She has a thing with a rock out the backyard that we've had to put away. Okay. Good choice. Yeah. But yeah, she does. She loves the bones.
Okay. All right. She gets a lamb shank most mornings. So, yeah. Okay. And just to touch on that, it's always raw, not cooked? Always raw. Okay. Excellent. Even occasionally gets a frozen chicken leg. Okay. You know, she eats that straight away. It's like a nice block to her. Not my idea of fun, but it sounds like good for her. Again, it's raw, yes? Yes, that's correct. Excellent. Now, do you know how long ago she did it, Kate, or you said you don't quite know how it happened? No, I don't know how it happened. It's more noticeable now. It doesn't pain her at all.
Like you can touch it and it's not, there is no, it doesn't seem to be any worry, but I am worried about future. Yes. You know, if it starts to give her ailment or, you know, I don't think they're cat teeth for dogs, but I would just. Well, believe it or not, they actually do, Kate. Yes. And we've got a couple of vets in Newcastle who are excellent, excellent at it. So I have a couple of major concerns with a fracture of an adult canine tooth. She's taken the top of it. Sorry? She's taken the top of it. Yeah. What percentage of the tooth is missing, do you think?
Just the actual tip itself. So like a millimetre or a centimetre? I'd say maybe a millimetre if lucky. Okay. All right. Okay. So if it's a teeny, teeny, tiny fracture, she might get away without any major damage. But I'm going to talk throughout the benefit of our listeners as well, what can happen with a fractured tooth. So in the center of our teeth is a canal called the pulp canal, and that contains the nerves and the blood vessels that supply the tooth. Now you'd know yourself if you have something like an ice cream that's really cold and it gives you that sort of sharp, sensitive feeling, that's because the nerves are functioning and doing their job. So if we have exposure of that pulp canal, there is a very, very, very high risk of an abscess developing in the tooth.
Okay. Now, the other thing that's really important in a young puppy like her is actually the concern around tetanus. Okay. So tetanus tends, it's obviously a human. problem, we can get tetanus, from the bacteria in the soil normally or rusty items. Puppies with a fractured tooth and exposure of that pulp canal are also at risk of tetanus, okay, which can be treated, but it is a fairly long hospitalisation and fairly intense recovery. So for peace of mind, I would 100% recommend your vet checking it to see whether we've got exposure of that pulp canal or not, okay, because often the dogs will act like there's nothing wrong.
They won't act painful. But if we've got exposure of that pulp canal, then our options, the best options for the dog are either removal of the tooth or root canal or capping, as you talked about. We can do that in dogs. I personally can't. I'm in awe of those that can, but it is a procedure that can be done. And the best part of that option is we're salvaging and saving a fairly important tooth in the mouth. Yeah, that's right. Particularly as such a young puppy. So yes, whilst it sounds like it's good that it sounds like puppy's not.
painful and not sort of gone off her food or anything. But we definitely want to just check that pulp canal, see what state it's in and see whether we need to take any further action. Well, as you say, it could come down to it. She's in pain and she's just used to it. That could be a problem too. And they're just so stoic. Often dogs and cats can have horrendously painful dental disease and owners will come in and say almost all the time, they're eating fine. There's nothing wrong. She doesn't have any bad breath yet. I keep checking that.
Excellent. Excellent. Yeah, no, I definitely suggest you make an appointment in the next few days, Kate, and just get the vet to check whether that pulp cavity is an issue or not. And hopefully it's not, but my suggestion would be for peace of mind and to prevent further problems down the line to get it checked. Yeah, well, I did get her insured for this sort of problem. Excellent. That's what insurance is for, for peace of mind. So, excellent. Thanks very much, Kate. Thanks for your call. Thank you so very much. Have a great day. You too. Bye-bye. Bye.
Look at our pets of the week. We were talking about make a dog's day and adopt a shelter dog day. And so if you were thinking about adopting a pet, we can have a look at these ones. Firstly, we're going to start with chilli. Yeah, so Chilly is a 20-month-old cream-colour Stuffy Cross. Looks to me like a slightly larger dog than a Stuffy, just for our listeners. Adores people, loves life, full of energy, just wants to be around her people, loves cuddles and attention, loves, loves, loves water and sand. So, you know, living near a lake or a beach so that she could enjoy that. Obviously, you know, we're very privileged to be in Newcastle to have plenty of those options. 100% toilet trained, very food motivated and crate trained, which is always a bonus because you'll sort of seek that.
crate out as a safe space, which is always handy. She does come with a couple of sort of anxiety-related issues. Can be a bit scared to start with, particularly around men, it says, but she will come around to them in time. Also a little bit unsure around other dogs and children. So probably best for an adult household. No other pets would be perfect for Chile. But yeah, she's...
Potentially someone's perfect companion. So if you're interested, have a look at our website on Chilly. Yeah, and she's a beautiful looking dog. And if you click on the link to their website, you'll see some more pictures as well. Very cute pictures. Same with Archie. Archie's gorgeous. Yes. So our cat lover, Amanda, is quite enamoured with Archie. You could adopt Archie. No, Tiffany Two Socks McCreed would not have another cat in the house and we would know about it. Well, on the plus side, Archie is super social, loves other cats and is keen for their company. So if you do already have a cat and you're after another cat, then Archie would be an appropriate choice. Cats don't always.
want to be with each other, but Archie is certainly, according to his little bio, loves being social with other pets. So social butterfly, confident, playful, investigating toys and spaces, likes the other company of cats, loves being a little lounge lizard or a little hot water bottle for your lap. He eventually has enough of his pets and he'll let you know, but he does love his pets and would fit into most homes. He's child-friendly, has a high activity level, he's cat-friendly. It says he hasn't...
met a dog, but with his personality, he probably would be appropriate with a slow introduction. So, yeah, some great pets up there today. Yeah, so if you're interested in having a look, to when you are fm.com.au is the website to go to and just click on the link for our lifestyle programs. You'll find Pet Chat and then you'll find Pet of the Week. And Fiona, what are we going to talk about? Look, it's hard to go past the extreme weather. You know, we're all trying to escape it today and I think it bears mentioning.
Don't forget your fairy companions. Also easy to forget things like rabbits and guinea pigs and those that might be outside, making sure that they've got extra shade, making sure they've got extra water. We used to have guinea pigs and on days like this, we'd freeze just like your ice packs that go into kids' lunch boxes and just stick them in the cage. And it just gives them an opportunity to cool the air a little bit around that. And even sometimes we'd come down and they'd be lying on the ice packs. So just giving them the option of...
keeping cool because our little fairy friends are particularly susceptible. I've actually got a fun fact about guinea pigs. Yes. I actually did it as a trivia question the other day. So in Switzerland, it's illegal to have just one guinea pig. I did not know that. Yeah, because they're such social animals. They need company.
Oh, good on the government for making that a rule. That's hilarious. Oh, very good. Very good fun fact, yes. So very relevant, yeah, for our guinea pigs and rabbits and that sort of thing outside today. And then making sure our outside pets are adequately cared for. So we talked about this morning making sure you've got two sources of water rather than just one just in case something happens to one of them. And then freezing, again, a bit late now, but, you know, we're heading into summer, so plenty of opportunities. Two-litre ice cream containers when they're empty. Great opportunity. Fill them with water, stick them in the freezer. And then you can actually either just...
dump that directly into the bowl of water with water around it, obviously. But you can also pop little treats in there, you know, freeze dry dog food in there. In water? Yeah. And then it's a toy for the dog once it's frozen. So it's like, you know, you've got a big frozen brick of water and then within that water might be some dry dog food or might be some pieces of chicken or might be whatever the dog's favourite treat is. And then it just takes them longer.
to get to that treat, but they get to keep cool at the same time. Right. But wouldn't the treat get all mushy? Well, it probably depends what you use. Right. So maybe dry dog food was a bad example. But, you know, pieces of chicken or, you know, something, whatever your dog likes. I mean, the dog's not going to be fussy if it's mushy. Keeping cool, shade, brachycephalic, our short breed dogs, even more particular, they spend an hour out in this, whether you're potentially going to kill them. So very serious. Keep everyone cool. Plenty of air con, plenty of water. And if you're worried or concerned for your pet safety, then give your vet a call. Good idea.
All right. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Fiona Giblin. Pleasure. And we'll catch up with you again next week on Pet Chat. I'll be here. 2NURFM. Thanks for listening to this podcast from 2NURFM at the University of Newcastle. Topics range from gardening to health, well-being, pet care and travel. You'll find them all at 2NURFM.com.