The Chatty Vets Podcast

What would you do? Tell us🚨 This might be one of our most controversial episodes yet…Welcome back to Episode 14 – Two Week Takedown on The Chatty Vets Podcast 🎙️This week, we’re tackling some of the biggest topics currently circulating in small animal practice — the kind that spark real debate in the consult room and beyond…💨 Are vapes putting our dogs at risk? 🐶 The ongoing brachycephalic breed debate — where do we stand? 🦷 PLUS a special dentistry segment with Jonathan Frost from Frost Referrals. If you want to learn more about Jonathan’s work, head to: https://frostdentalvet.com/We’re also covering: 🐱 The UK cat overpopulation crisis 🦠 Giardia recurrence in dogs 🥩 Raw feeding — risks, hygiene, and reality 🧠 The future of the canine microbiomeAs always, it’s honest, practical, and based on what we’re actually seeing in practice — no fluff, no lectures.🎧 Perfect for vets, RVNs, and students who want to stay up to date in a way that feels like a genuine conversation.📖 Read more & explore our blog: https://www.chattyvets.com/blog📲 Follow us for more: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechattyvetspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechattyvetspodcast💬 Got thoughts on these topics? We’d love to hear them — drop us a message or join the conversation online.

What would you do? Tell us🚨 Starting your first GP vet job soon? Read this before your first consult…Episode 13 is here — and this one’s for every vet who’s about to take that leap into practice (or remembers exactly how daunting it felt 👀).In this Bonus Episode, we break down your ultimate survival guide to getting started as a GP vet — from landing the right job to actually surviving those first few weeks on the clinic floor.We cover: • How to choose the right first job (and the red flags you should NEVER ignore) • What your first day really looks like vs expectations • How to build confidence when you feel completely out of your depth • The mistakes most new grads make (and how to avoid them) • Tips to settle in, earn trust, and actually enjoy those early monthsWhether you’re a final-year student, a new grad, or a seasoned vet wanting a reminder of where it all began — this episode is honest, practical, and exactly what we wish we had starting out.🎧 Listen now and start your career the right way.On the hunt for the perfect job?! Click this link to help us find the perfect one for you! https://www.chattyvets.com/vet-and-rvn-jobs-shownotes📖 Read more & explore our blog: https://www.chattyvets.com/blog📲 Follow us for more: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechattyvetspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechattyvetspodcast💬 Got thoughts on these topics? We’d love to hear them — drop us a message or join the conversation online.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 12 – Two Week Takedown 🎙️Difficult clients. Aggressive patients. Big surgical decisions in general practice… and no antibiotics for pyos?! 👀In this fortnight’s Two Week Takedown, we’re diving into some of the real-life challenges that every vet team faces but doesn’t always talk about openly.We kick things off with the tricky topic of “difficult” owners — how to manage expectations, communicate effectively under pressure, and keep consultations on track without burning out. Then we get into the realities of handling aggressive or fearful pets, sharing practical tips, honest experiences, and where the line sits between safety and patient care.From there, things step up a gear… Spinal surgery in GP?! We explore the growing conversations around what procedures are (and aren’t) appropriate in first-opinion practice, and the risks, ethics, and pressures behind those decisions.And finally — a hot topic that’s been stirring debate: No antibiotics for pyometra? We break down the thinking, the evidence, and what this could mean for how we approach one of the most common emergency conditions in small animal practice.As always, it’s honest, unfiltered, and designed to feel like a conversation you’d have in the staff room after a long shift.🎧 Whether you’re in GP, referral, OOH, or training — this one will definitely get you thinking.📖 Read more & explore our blog: https://www.chattyvets.com/blog📲 Follow us for more: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechattyvetspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechattyvetspodcast💬 Got thoughts on these topics? We’d love to hear them — drop us a message or join the conversation online.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 11 - EXTRA Bonus Episode! Toxicology in Dogs and CatsIt’s Easter… which means chocolate, hot cross buns, daffodils… and a waiting room full of potential toxicology cases.In this bonus episode, we’re diving into the common toxins we see in dogs and cats — with a seasonal focus on the Easter classics (yes, we’re looking at you, raisins, chocolate, and garden-loving puppies with a taste for daffodils).We talk through how we approach these cases in real-world practice, including:• The most common toxicities in dogs and cats • Easter-specific risks and why this time of year gets busy fast • How to identify toxic exposures early • Practical treatment approaches and monitoring decisions • When to escalate, when to admit, and when to breathe again • The mysterious world of intralipid therapy • Tremorgenic toxins and those slightly chaotic neurological presentationsAs always, this isn’t textbook toxicology — it’s practical discussion from the consulting room and prep area, covering the cases we actually see and the decisions we actually have to make.If you want a seasonal clinical refresher (before the Easter chocolate disappears into the wrong patient), this episode’s for you.For more information in all the toxicities we mention within the podcast, please visit our BLOG post at https://www.chattyvets.com/blog      <-- Click here!* To be clear, alcohol is NOT a chelating agent in ethylene glycol toxicity, it simply acts 'like' one by inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase. In doing so it blocks the conversion of ethylene glycol into it's toxic metabolites. ** Within the episode we say that we think Bromethalin is a vitamin K antagonist - CORRECTION: Bromethalin is not an anticoagulant rodenticide; it is a neurotoxin that kills rats and mice. It works by disrupting cellular energy production in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to brain swelling, paralysis, and death.

What would you do? Tell usEp 10 – Two Week Takedown. The big scary Brucella… GV20 injection site, and who actually follows the vaccine schedule?!Vaccinations ontop of the head? Brucella isn't a thing in the UK, is it? And who actually sticks to the vaccine schedule anyway…In this Two Week Takedown, we dive into some of the topics that reliably spark debate in small animal practice — including a deep dive into the increasingly talked-about (and slightly nerve-wracking) topic of Brucella.From new viral injection techniques to the practical realities of vaccination protocols in the consulting room, this episode tackles the questions we all get asked (and sometimes argue about).We also take an in-depth look at Brucella: when to worry, when to test, and how it’s actually impacting everyday GP decision-making.Alongside this, we break down vaccination approaches using the latest WSAVA guidance, discussing how the recommendations translate into real-world GP decisions, client conversations, and those slightly awkward “but they’ve always had it yearly” consults. As always, this isn’t textbook perfection — it’s honest, practical discussion from the surgery floor, with a bit of Chatty Vets chaos along the way.If you enjoy practical CPD, clinical debate, and the kind of conversations vets actually have between consults… this one’s for you.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 9 - Bonus Episode! Vomiting in Dogs and CatsVomiting… or is it regurgitation? And how worried should we actually be?In this bonus episode, we’re diving into one of the most common — and sometimes most stressful — presentations in small animal practice: the vomiting dog or cat.From working out whether it’s true vomiting vs regurgitation, to spotting the red flags that turn a routine consult into an emergency admission, we talk through how we approach these cases in real-world GP practice.We cover:• Vomiting vs regurgitation — and why it matters • Emergency presentations and when hospitalisation is needed • Practical diagnostic workups (without going straight to “scan everything”) • Treatment options, medications, and decision-making in the messy middle • Plus the everyday clinical judgement calls that never quite make it into CPD lecturesAs always, this isn’t textbook perfection — it’s honest, practical discussion from the consulting room floor.If you see vomiting cases every day (so… all of us), this episode’s for you.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 8 - Two week takedown.Lap spays, leaving uteruses behind, ketamine enthusiasm, and the never-ending neuter list…Welcome back to another Chatty Vets Two Week Takedown — where we break down the real clinical topics that have been filling our consulting rooms and operating theatres recently.This episode we chat:• Laparoscopic spays in bitches • Ovariectomy vs ovariohysterectomy — what are you actually doing and why? • Using sub-cutaneous ketamine in practice • Anaesthesia protocols for elective neuters • Plus plenty of the real-world decision making that never quite makes it into CPD notesPractical. Honest. Occasionally chaotic. Always relatable. LISTEN NOW!

What would you do? Tell us🎙️ Ep 7 – Two Week Takedown: Turmeric on Chicken Legs, Seasonal Fleas, Dental Chews, Euthanasias & WhatsApping Clients?!It’s time for another Two Week Takedown — where we round up the cases, conversations, and clinical curveballs that have been keeping the vet world busy lately.In this episode, we’re covering everything from the slightly bizarre (yes… turmeric on chicken legs 🫠) to the genuinely challenging realities of practice life. We chat seasonal flea myths, the truth about dental chews, the emotional weight of euthanasia decisions, and the ever-growing question of whether we should really be WhatsApping clients…Expect real-life cases, practical discussion, a few strong opinions, and plenty of the honest, staff-room style chat you know and love. Educational where it matters, relatable where it counts, and always with a bit of humour to get us through the shift.Perfect for listening on the commute, between consults, or whenever you need some vet-to-vet company.🎧 Press play and join the conversation.

What would you do? Tell us🎙️ Episode 6B – Bonus Episode: Deep Dive into Dyspnoea (Part 2)Same breathless patients. New level of confidence. 😅🫁In Part 2 of our dyspnoea deep-dive, the team at The Chatty Vets Podcast build on Episode 6A and take things even further — helping you turn uncertainty into clear, practical decision-making 🐶🐱We wrap up our discussion on thoracic POCUS 👀📟, explore what other diagnostics can really help in respiratory emergencies, and break down the most common differentials in dogs and cats — plus how to actually treat them in real-life practice.From pleural space disease to cardiac causes, airway issues to trauma cases, we talk through what fits, what doesn’t, and what to do next.Expect: 🩺 Clear, step-by-step clinical thinking 💬 Honest, relatable discussion 😂 A few laughs  🫁 Confidence in tricky respiratory casesNo textbooks. No jargon overload. Just two vets chatting through the cases you see every week — and helping you feel more prepared when the next dyspnoeic patient walks through the door.🎧 Press play and finish the deep dive.#TheChattyVetsPodcast #VetLife #VetMed #VeterinaryMedicine #Dyspnoea #EmergencyVet #VetPodcast #POCUS #SmallAnimalMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

What would you do? Tell us🎙️ Episode 6 – Bonus Episode: Deep Dive into Dyspnoea (Part 1)Breathing difficulties. Worried owners. High-pressure decisions. 😅🫁In this bonus deep-dive, the team at The Chatty Vets Podcast tackle one of the most stressful presentations in practice: dyspnoea in dogs and cats 🐶🐱From that first “this doesn’t look right” moment, to emergency stabilisation, hands-on clinical exams, and those crucial early decisions — we walk you through it all in our usual relaxed, real-world way.And yes… we’re getting into thoracic POCUS 👀📟 What to look for. How to use it. And how it can save you precious time when every second counts.Expect: 🩺 Practical, usable tips 💬 Honest discussion 😂 A few laughs 🫁 Confidence-boosting knowledgeNo lectures. No judgement. Just two vets chatting through the stuff we all deal with — and helping you feel a little more prepared for the next breathless patient.🎧 Hit play and dive in. Part 2 coming soon…#TheChattyVetsPodcast #VetLife #VetMed #VeterinaryMedicine #Dyspnoea #EmergencyVet #VetPodcast #POCUS #SmallAnimalMedicine

What would you do? Tell us🎙️ Episode 5 – Two Week Takedown: THAT Panorama Episode, Cuffed ETTs in Cats & Tricky Cases…In this week’s Two Week Takedown, Brendan and Charlotte are joined by very SPECIAL GUEST @cat_the_vet for an honest, hilarious, and refreshingly real deep-dive into life on the vet front line 🐾From that Panorama episode everyone’s been talking about, to cuffed endotracheal tubes in cats (yes, really), and difficult cases we struggle thinking about after the fact — nothing is off-limits.Expect: 🐶 Real-world clinical insights 🐱 Relatable practice-life moments 😂 Plenty of laughs 🩺 Thoughtful discussion on tricky cases 💬 And the kind of chat you’d only hear in the staff room after a long shiftIt’s conversational, educational, and unapologetically honest — with Cat the Vet bringing her trademark warmth, wit, and wisdom to the mic.Whether you’re in practice, studying vet med, or just love an inside look at the profession, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.🎧 Hit play, grab a brew, and join the conversation.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 4: Two-Week Takedown. Is Librela dangerous and a new weekly NSAID...It’s time for another two-week takedown 🎙️ and we’re back with the things that have been filling up our consult rooms, group chats, and on-call brains over the last fortnight.In this episode, Brendan and Charlotte dive into the new weekly NSAID, daxocox—how it works, where it might fit into practice, and the questions we’re already being asked. We also tackle the big Librela debate, sharing honest thoughts, clinical experiences, and why opinions seem so divided.Along the way, we chat about teddy bears for guinea pigs, the lighter (and sometimes stranger) moments of clinical life, and much, much more that’s been cropping up in day-to-day practice.As always, it’s a relaxed, candid conversation between two practising vets—covering the news, the nuance, and the real-world realities behind the headlines.If you want to stay up to date, feel understood after a busy shift, and have a laugh while you’re at it, this one’s definitely worth a listen 🐾

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 3: Deep Dive – Head TiltThat's right, the dreaded neuro! But don't worry, we're here to break it down for you.In this episode Brendan and Charlotte talk through how to approach head tilt cases across species, from vestibular disease in dogs, to working up head tilt in cats, and the truly impressive head tilts we can see in rabbits. We cover how to assess these patients in the consult room, what to focus on in your clinical exam, how to build a sensible diagnostic plan, and how treatment and prognosis can vary depending on the cause.We also discuss those tricky decision points—what you can manage in first opinion, what needs further investigation, and when referral is the right call.If head tilt makes your heart sink a little, or you just want a clearer, more confident approach to these cases, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can use straight away in practice.

What would you do? Tell usEpisode 2: January 2026 Two-Week TakedownIt’s our first full episode 🎉 and we’re kicking things off with the January 2026 two-week takedown.In this episode, Brendan and Charlotte chat about festive toxicities, questionable foreign bodies, the CMA report and what it could mean for the profession, dreaded dentals, and the joys and challenges of dealing with particularly feisty feline patients.As always, this is a relaxed, honest chat between two practising vets—covering the news, the clinical reality, and the things that have been filling up our consult rooms and WhatsApp chats over the last couple of weeks.If you want to stay up to date, feel seen after a busy on-call, and have a bit of a laugh along the way, this one’s well worth a listen.

What would you do? Tell usHi and welcome to The Chatty Vets Podcast! 👋 We’re Brendan and Charlotte; two UK-based small animal general practice vets. If you work within the Veterinary Profession, then this is the podcast for you.In this short intro episode, we explain who we are, why we've started this podcast, and what’s coming up. Expect twice-monthly “two-week takedown” episodes where we chat through the latest UK vet news, drugs, papers, events, and the cases that have made us laugh, learn, or lose sleep. Plus, a monthly bonus episode where we deep dive into a clinical topic, consensus statement, or hot issue in practice.If you want to keep up to date, feel a bit less alone in practice, or just have something educational (yet a little bit silly) to listen to on the drive to work or during night shifts, this podcast is the one for you.