The Chatty Vets Podcast

What would you do? Tell us
Episode 27 – Two Week Takedown: Catastrophic Aspiration Pneumonias, Giant Breed Dog Disasters, Dentistry & Burnout
We’re back with another Two Week Takedown, chatting through some of the cases, conversations and general chaos that have been keeping us busy in practice recently.
This week we’re joined again by Jonathan from Frost Referrals for a chat about all things teeth – the realities of dentistry in general practice, gingivostomatitis in cats, feline oral pain syndrome, staging dentals and much more...🦷
We also chat about a genuinely awful aspiration pneumonia case, the difficulties of managing these patients and just how quickly things can go catastrophically wrong.
There’s plenty of discussion around giant breed dogs too – are we taking size to the extreme? We talk about some of the potential welfare concerns, as well as the very real practical problems of trying to examine, handle, move and treat these enormous patients in everyday practice. 🐕
And amongst all of that, we have a really important conversation about burnout and mental health in veterinary medicine – the pressures of the profession, why so many veterinary professionals find themselves struggling and the impact the job can have on the people behind the scrubs.
As always, expect honest opinions, real cases, plenty of tangents and a very realistic look at life in veterinary practice.

Heading to London Vet Show later in the year and want to come and say Hi? Here's the link to the chat we're going to be having with Carus Animal Health, talking about all things GI related!:
Confessions of a GP Vet: Real gut cases, and the decisions that changed our thinking

If you want to learn more about Jonathan’s work, or to read some of his information on all things dentistry, head to: https://frostdentalvet.com/

If anyone has been affected by the discussions we had in this podcast about burn out and mental health in Vet Med, there's some great resources out there to help. Head to https://www.vetlife.org.uk/ or get in touch, we're all here for each other remember!

📖 Read more & explore our blog:
 https://www.chattyvets.com/blog
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💬 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
Heatstroke. SIRS. Two words that can make even experienced vets feel uneasy.
In this bonus episode of the Chatty Vets Podcast, we take a proper deep dive into the challenging world of heatstroke and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) — from what’s actually happening inside these patients to how we can realistically manage them when they arrive in practice critically unwell.
These cases can deteriorate incredibly quickly, become extremely complex and, sadly, often carry a very poor prognosis. We explore the pathophysiology behind heatstroke and SIRS, the complications that can develop, what we should be monitoring, and the practical considerations around stabilisation and ongoing treatment.
But this isn't just an ECC-level discussion.
As always, we try to take the complicated physiology and bring it back to everyday general practice. What can you realistically do when a severe heatstroke patient walks through the door? What should you prioritise? What should you monitor? And how can understanding what's happening physiologically help you make better decisions when things start going wrong?
We cover the science, the practical management and the difficult realities of treating some of the sickest patients we see.
Whether you work in GP, emergency or referral practice, this episode aims to leave you feeling a little more prepared for the next heatstroke or SIRS patient that comes through the door.
🎙️ Grab a coffee, get comfortable, and join us for a deep dive into one of veterinary medicine's most challenging emergencies.

Loved this episode and want to hear more about ECC cases? Or still confused and wanting a bit more help with these tricky emergency cases? Come along to our new ECC CPD events! The first session is being held entirely ONLINE on Thursday 24th September 2026, and we'll be covering how to manage DYSPNOEIC CATS in GP practice. Click the link below for information and tickets, get yours NOW before they sell out!
https://www.chattyvets.com/event-details/how-to-ace-emergencies-in-general-practice-dyspnoeic-cats

Interested in the CRI calculation we were discussing? Here's the link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DV6aZBhDIFW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

📖 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
🎙️ Episode 25: Two Week Takedown!
This episode is proudly sponsored by Carus Animal Health 🐾
We’re back with another Two Week Takedown – aka, what’s happened in vet med over the last fortnight that’s made us stop and go “oooh… we need to talk about that.” 👀
This week, we’re getting properly stuck into GIQuest and faecal calprotectin testing. What is it? When might we actually use it? And could it make navigating those “the diarrhoea is back…” cases a little less painful? 💩
Elsewhere in the episode:
🐱 CKD cats & chronic anaemia – there are new treatment options on the horizon, so naturally we have questions.
❤️ CHF in dogs – could another new medication be joining our cardiac toolkit?
🐶 Kennel cough… but in humans?! When a client asks, “Can I catch this?” what do we actually tell them?
As always, expect clinical chat, questionable tangents, things we’ve learnt over the last two weeks and probably a few opinions nobody asked for.
A huge thank you to Carus Animal Health for sponsoring this episode and supporting The Chatty Vets Podcast.

Interested in listening back to one of our CPD events? Access our CPD library HERE:
https://www.chattyvets.com/learn

Interested about learning more about GIQuest? See the links below for more information:
Book a Lunch and Learn and get a free sample! GIQuest - Book a lunch and learn
 What is GIQuest? GIQuest - Carus
GIQuest resources: Resources Archive - Carus

📖 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
🎙️ Ep 24 – Two Week Takedown
Surgical nightmares, neutering controversies, vitamin D rodenticides & RVNs changing lives abroad.
Ever had a case that still makes you wince when you think about it? 😬 In this week's Two Week Takedown, we're sharing the surgical complications and nightmare cases that have stayed with us—and, more importantly, the lessons they taught us.
We also dive into one of the biggest areas of debate in small animal practice: when (and if) we should be neutering cats and small furries. We explore what the latest evidence says, challenge some long-held beliefs, and discuss how we approach these conversations with owners in general practice.
Plus, we cover an important clinical discussion on vitamin D rodenticide toxicity, and shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done by veterinary nurses volunteering overseas with a fantastic charity (link below if you'd like to find out more or get involved).
🐾 In this episode:
😱 Surgical nightmares, complications and the cases we'll never forget.
🐱 The latest evidence on neutering cats and small furries.
☠️ Recognising and managing vitamin D rodenticide toxicity.
🌍 How RVNs are making a difference through overseas charity work.
💬 Honest conversations, practical tips and plenty of stories from life in general practice.
Whether you're a new graduate or a seasoned vet professional, there's something here to make you think, learn... and hopefully reassure you that we've all had those cases we'd rather forget.
🎧 Listen now, and if you enjoy the episode, we'd love it if you could follow the podcast, leave us a rating and share it with your veterinary friends and colleagues—it really helps us reach more of the profession.

Interested in watching some of our online CPD? The New Grad Consult Day is now available to purchase and watch online, follow this link to find out more information:
https://www.chattyvets.com/learn

Interested in finding a new job within the Veterinary profession? We've partnered with Global Veterinary Careers... visit the link below to find the perfect role for you!
https://www.chattyvets.com/vet-and-rvn-jobs-socials

Interested in finding out more about Jackie's charity, UK Vet Nurses Worldwide, click the link below!
https://ukvetnursesworldwide.com/

📖 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
🎙️ BONUS EPISODE! Episode 23 is LIVE!
Chronic pain is one of the biggest challenges we face in practice, so we couldn't resist bringing Matt Gurney from The Zero Pain Philosophy back for Part II!
In this episode we tackle some of the biggest talking points in veterinary pain management, including:
🐾 The Librela controversy
💊 When (and if) we should be using paracetamol and gabapentin in arthritic patients
🧠 Why amantadine and memantine might be some of the most underrated drugs in our pain toolkit
🦴 The potential role of regenerative medicine in chronic pain
😌 Matt's 'Chill Protocol' for nervous dogs
...plus plenty of practical tips, myth-busting, and clinical pearls that you can take straight into practice.
Whether you're a vet, nurse, or just love staying up to date with the latest thinking in pain management, there's something in this episode for you.
🎧 Have a listen, and if you enjoy it, share it with a friend or colleague—it really helps us reach more people!
One tiny disclaimer... this was one of the first interviews we ever recorded, and my microphone was apparently being managed with a "zero sound philosophy." 😅 Stick with it though—Matt's insights are more than worth it!

📖 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.