The Vet Chat NZ

In this episode of The VetChat NZ, host Ellen Eyre sits down with registered veterinary dental specialist Dr. Crystal Loh to talk all things small animal dentistry. From her origins as a dairy cattle vet to becoming a board-certified specialist, Crystal shares her journey and offers practical wisdom for every member of the veterinary team.

The episode explores how clinics can shift from reactive "Grade 4" rescue missions toward proactive, preventative oral care. Crystal tackles common general practice challenges, discusses how we can maximise vet-nurse collaboration, and chats about realistic home care plans for pet owners. Whether you’re a vet, nurse, or practice manager, there is something for everyone in this episode! 

To get in touch with Crystal and her team, visit https://www.nzvetdentistry.com/.

Mary van Andel, Chief Veterinary Officer at MPI, joins Matt to discuss the implications for vets of the recent arrival of HPAI in New Zealand.  They cover the likely effects on birds ranging from poultry to native wildlife, and the spillover into mammals such as seals, cats and dairy cattle that has been seen in other countries.  There are also some recommendations on what to do if members of the public bring sick wild or domestic birds to vet clinics.

Below are links to further information that are mentioned in this episode:

NZVA resources: https://nzva.org.nz/clinical-resources/general/hpai

Vet Council Guidelines:  https://hub.vetcouncil.org.nz/veterinary-guidance-for-managing-public-presentations-of-sick-or-dead-wild-birds-during-an-hpai-outbreak

MPI Information for Veterinarians:  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/pest-and-disease-threats-to-new-zealand/animal-disease-threats-to-new-zealand/bird-flu/information-for-veterinarians

MPI video for backyard poultry owners:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaQAfwwN9VU

In this episode, Kristina Mueller, Associate Professor in Dairy Cattle Health and Production at Massey University, joins Matt to discuss how to do a caesarean in cattle.  They work through the procedure from start to finish, covering patient selection (8:12), equipment and suture material (24:26), anaesthesia and pre-op medications (37:20), incision and calf removal (49:12), closure (1:01:30), and calf revival (1:13:10).

Additional Resources: 

Paravertebral Nerve Block Video 1

Paravertebral Nerve Block Video 2

Paper 1: Karvountzis, S. Factors affecting outcomes of bovine cesarean sections, with a focus on maternal survival to 14 d after surgery.

Paper 2:  Clinical Tips: C-section.

Paper 3: Mueller, K.  C-section Technique and Abdominal Surgery.

In this episode, Matt and Katrina discuss how vets are ideally placed to be consultants/advisors, in a world where farms have more information and data than ever.  They talk about what a consultant really does and how rewarding it can be, and give tips on how to get started and develop your skills - below are details of a new course to help vets with this.  Katrina also shares some insights from her Kellogg Project on farmer-vet advisory relationships as part of her 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year prize, including how much farmers really value their vet relationships.     

Katrina's email: KRoberts@anexafvc.co.nz

Rural Partnership Flier

Kellogg Partnership Report

On this episode of The Vet Chat NZ your host Sue Campbell, is joined by Angela McEwan to discuss how to Never Waste a Good Crisis- considering where we find ourselves with cattle parasite resistance in New Zealand.

Angela openly discusses her experience and challenges of helping PAMU farms address triple drench resistance in cattle. From how we can reframe the thought process from one of fear to one of opportunity in how we can grow cattle better and faster, Ange shares her experience and her approach for why addressing drench resistance is a must. With practical considerations to take away, and discussion around how vets and other experts can help, there is something for everyone in this episode.

The opportunity for improving how we grow our young stock is immense, so come and have a listen to Ange's experience with how people's attitude, monitoring and farm management practices changed over time to improve parasite resistance.