Scratching the surface of skin & coat conditions

The skin is the largest organ of the body and carries out many important functions, including serving as a barrier between the animal and the environment.

The general condition of a pet's skin and coat is a good indication of their overall health and unfortunately skin conditions are also very common amongst pets.

We are therefore very excited to be talking to leading Australian Veterinary Dermatologist Dr Dani Hoolahan to learn more about the skin and coat of our pets.

In this practical episode, Gabe (who is flying solo as Dr. Mike is finishing a well-deserved holiday) will discuss key tips to care for, manage and treat the skin and coat of your pet. Specifically they will cover:

• The common skin conditions and issues seen in practice by Vet dermatologists
• How to recognise a healthy skin and coat (and an abnormal skin and coat)
• How to diagnose and treat certain skin conditions 
• The connection between skin disease and ear related conditions
• Diet recommendations for skin and coat health
• The different types of skin allergies and how to diagnose them
• The do's and don't of shampooing and washing dogs
• Specific skin conditions in cats
• Top tips for dogs and cats parents

If you notice a certain level of licking, scratching or chewing with your pet, it is probably abnormal - Dr Dani Hoolahan 

ABOUT OUR GUEST - DR DANI HOOLAHAN :

• BSc
• BVMS
• ACVD Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist

Dr Dani graduated from Murdoch University in 2007 with honours. She worked in busy, small animal general practices both in Sydney, Australia and Portland, Oregon before completing a dermatology internship in Perth, Western Australia and then moving to the University of California, Davis to join the dermatology service at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital as a resident.

She completed her residency in 2013 and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in the same year. She has worked in busy dermatology referral practice since 2014 and is the founder of the Veterinary Dermatology Clinic.
She is also currently the Chief Veterinary Officer for PetSure (one of the largest Pet Insurance in Australia).

Dani is a proud Pet Parent to Spike, Daisy and Oliver (a trio of Labradors) Lola (a French Bulldog), Ghost (a Lykoi kitten), Hobbes (a domestic shorthair cat), and Fuzzy (a domestic medium hair cat). The fur family keep getting bigger !

SHOW NOTES:

To get in contact with Dr Dani Hoolahan or one of her specialist team members, you can visit the website of her Veterinary Dermatology Clinic - they have clinics throughout NSW, ACT, VIC and TAS.

https://vetdermclinic.com.au 

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Learning about Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM)

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) may seem like a foreign concept to most pet parents, especially in the Western world. But in fact, it is a medical system that has been used for thousand of years to treat animals from common ailments.

To understand more about this fascinating modality we are joined today by Integrative Veterinarian and TCVM practitioner Dr. Neal Loh.

In this episode, Gabe and Dr Mike will uncover the tools a TCVM practitioner uses to diagnose and treat their patients. More specifically, they will discuss:

• How Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) translates to animals
• What brought Neal to Veterinary Medicine and now TCVM
• The typical cases Dr Loh sees and treats & the importance of the pet parent relationship
• The role and place of TCVM onside conventional / western medicine
• Nutrition and food therapies
• The use of TCVM to relieve stress & anxiety
• The future of TCVM in Australia and around the world

It's what TCVM is all about - we just want to find balance in pets - Dr. Neal Loh, Integrative Veterinarian

ABOUT OUR GUEST - DR NEAL LOH:

• BSc BVMS, CVA, CVCH, CVFT
• Integrative Veterinarian
• Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist,
• Chinese Herbalist,
• Food Therapist
• Director of Holistic Pet Vet
• Co-Founder of Holistic Pet Health

Dr. Neal Loh graduated from Murdoch University (Perth, Western Australia) as a veterinarian and has worked in various clinics & hospitals prior to starting his own holistic practice – Holistic Pet Vet. Neal is also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Food Therapist after obtaining his post graduate qualifications from Chi University (Florida, USA).

Neal is one of the rare few integrative veterinarians who specialises in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) in Australia. He utilises the synergistic effects of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine as well as nutrition to improve the health and quality of life in companion pets. Empowered with the knowledge from both Western conventional science & Eastern traditional medicine, he is able to best address root causes and achieve sustained desired results from his patients. He sees patients with a wide array of issues such as musculoskeletal ailments, endocrine pathologies, seizures, allergies as well as cancer. He has special interest in canine and feline gut related disorders.

Besides consulting, Neal dedicates his time to continuing education, expanding and deepening his horizon on integrative therapies in veterinary medicine. He is also currently an adjunct guest lecturer at the veterinary nursing college in Perth. In 2020, Neal co-founded Holistic Pet Health with his wife Jeri, where they are dedicated to providing healthy and natural treats, meal toppers, plus a range of essential oil blends for various needs. Work aside, Neal is a father to three young children where they make sure he gets no other free time. As a family they enjoy spending time outdoors hiking.

SHOW NOTES:

To get in contact with Dr Loh you can visit his website Holistic Pet Vet:

https://www.holitreats.com.au/holistic-pet-vet

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 Decoding the cat / human relationship

Cats are ofter misunderstood and often treated as "little dogs". It was time for Dr.Mike and Gabe to dig deeper into some feline topics and decode the world of our feline companions.

In today's episode of A Modern Animal we are delighted to be joined by Chris O'Neil, a passionate and experienced cat behaviourist and founder of the cat behaviour solutions online platform - Catology.

Together, they explore how to answer the needs of cats and keep them happy and well balanced. More specifically, they investigate:

• How Chris got into the feline space and became a cat behaviourist
• The top 5 cat issues experienced by cat owners
• The cat / human dynamic
• How to best manage change with cats
• Cat diets and correlations with behaviours
• How to setup the right environment for cats to thrive

"With cats it is less about training and more about creating the right environment" Chris O'Neil, Cat Behaviourist & Founder of Catology

ABOUT OUR GUEST - CHRIS O'NEIL:

Chris is a cat behaviourist and the founder of Catology – Cat Behaviour Solutions. Like most people who end up working with animals, he grew up with a household full of them. And from a young age he aspired to be a veterinarian. In high school, he approached his local vet and asked if he could join in on consultations and see how things were done. Amazingly, they accepted, and Chris attended twice a week after school for many months, until he was offered a job maintaining their cattery and looking after the cats.

Fast forward many years, Chris unfortunately didn’t become a veterinarian, and instead spent most of his adult career in the corporate world. During this time, he and his partner at the time fostered several kitten litters and adopted three cats of their own (the ‘triplets’). As the triplets were growing up, typical aggressive behavioural issues began to emerge. Chris spent countless hours researching cat behaviour and “fixes” for these issues. Eventually, with lots of trial and error, and some patience, the triplets were living back in harmony. Chris realised that if they are having these issues, many others must be too. During his time working at the vet surgery, he saw many cats being medicated and even euthanised for similar behaviours. He now realises that these "bad" behaviours can be changed. Chris went on to complete a Diploma of Animal Behaviour Science and Technology, specialising in Felines, through the highly-regarded Companion Animal Sciences Institute.

Since then, he decided to leave the corporate world and pursue his passion helping other cat guardians live peacefully and harmoniously with their cats. When Chris isn’t helping individual cat owners all around the world, he loves to write educational materials, teaching owners how to keep their cats happy, healthy and fulfilled. He has authored a popular eBook “It’s Not Your Cat, It’s You!”, manages an online club “Club Catology”, and authors two regular newsletters, “The Daily Meow” and “Confessions of a Cat Behaviourist”.

SHOW NOTES:

Chris has developed plenty of great resources for cat parents.

More about Catology - cat behaviour solutions:

https://www.catology.com.au/

Chris's eBook - it's not your cat, it's you:

https://catology.lpages.co/its-not-your-cat-its-you-aus1

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