Author / Dr. Susan Little

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 26: Dr. Debra Horwitz, part one

We love Dr. Debra Horwitz, a board-certified behaviorist who is the author/editor of many books and book chapters and a member of the Fear Free team. She is also one of the panel members for the American Association of Feline Practitioners consensus statement on How to Feed a Cat. We’ve learned a lot from her about cat behavior. In part one of our chat with Dr. Horwitz, we learn why cats would make good bomb detectors, why black cats get a bad rap, and how to determine if problem behaviors are abnormal or just unwanted. Are cats spiteful? Listen and find out!

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episodes 24 & 25: PurrPodcast Live! @VMX

Our first PurrPodcast Live! event was at VMX 2019. Our special guest was Dr. Sue Ettinger and our topic was gastrointestinal disease in cats, especially foreign bodies, lymphoma, and inflammatory bowel disease. Listen to episodes 24 & 25 and hear how to approach cats with GI foreign bodies, how to diagnose & manage IBD & lymphoma, and more. How did Dr. Sue’s own cat get diagnosed by her mother-in-law? How do you tell if a diamond is fake? Check out the episodes and find out!

Check out Dr. Sue’s website, her Facebook page, her YouTube channel, and follow her on social media @DrSueCancerVet.

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 23: Dr. Terry Curtis

Our first episode about feline behavior is with Dr. Terry Curtis, a clinical behaviorist at the University of Florida. Terry reminds us that we still have a lot to learn about feline behavior and communication. We explore the mysterious world of cats and litter boxes – learn the top 3 mistakes that owners make, and the downside of self-cleaning litter boxes. Terry also tells us the story of how she helped the famous polydactyl cats at the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida.

For more information on feline behavior, check out the American Association of Feline Practitioners guidelines on Diagnosing and Solving House-soiling Behavior in Cats.

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 22: Dr. Mary Gardner, part two

Our second episode with Dr. Mary Gardner is out! In part one, we talked about Mary’s path to co-founding Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and In-Home Euthanasia. In part two, we get into the details of providing this important aspect of veterinary care. Mary discusses whether to sedate pets before euthanasia (she’s a strong proponent) and the different routes for euthanasia drugs and how to choose. Did you know one of her signature tools for a compassionate euthanasia is a cupcake? We also discuss how emotionally taxing performing euthanasia is for veterinary team members and how to deal with it.

Be sure to check out the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care.

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 21: Dr. Mary Gardner, part one

Dr. Mary Gardner is the co-founder of Lap of Love along with Dr. Dani McVety. We were excited to have Mary as a podcast guest for two episodes and she did not disappoint us! In part one, we talk about our careers before vet med. Which of us wanted to be an Egyptologist? Can you guess who had a career in mortgage insurance? Who was a crack software developer? Mary talks about the origins of Lap of Love, now offering compassionate in-home euthanasias and hospice care with 130 vets in 60 locations. They have helped over 50,000 families say goodbye to a beloved pet and currently handle over 600 calls each day. It’s even more incredible since Mary originally wanted to be a marine scientist!

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 20: Dr. Dave Nicol, part two

In part two of our chat with Dr. Dave Nicol, he talks about success means in veterinary medicine. We talk about burnout in our profession, why it happens, and what veterinary team leaders can do to meet emotional needs. Dave talks about his VetX program and how it can help vets overcome fears, develop resilience and tenacity, learn how to have conversations with pet owners, and develop leadership skills. And you’ll hear what Jolle thought VetX meant!

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 19: Dr. Dave Nicol, part one

Dr. Dave Nicol’s Blunt Dissection podcast is one of the inspirations for our PurrPodcast, so we were delighted to sit down with him at VMX 2019 for a chat. Dave is well known as a practice management speaker, an author (So You’re A Vet … Now What? and The Yellow Pages are Dead), a blogger (The Hamster Wheel Blog), and the founder of VetX. A real underachiever. In part one, you’ll hear Dave explain how he got his first cat by accident, why he is like Dory in Finding Nemo, and how he learned to be a leader.

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 18: Tom Bohn, CEO of the NAVC, talks about the future for VMX

Tom Bohn, CAE became CEO of the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) in 2013. He works with the NAVC Board of Directors and staff to help the organization grow and innovate. In this episode, we explore a wide range of topics – how the Spark videos celebrate our profession, what the future holds for VMX, and a tongue-in-cheek look at his Swedish origins (with apologies to Sweden). Sadly, Tom is allergic to cats, so we discuss that too. Oh, and find out why his dog Winston has an English accent.

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio

by Dr. Susan Little

Episode 17: Elizabeth Green, CEO and Founder of Brief Media, talks about innovation in veterinary information

Elizabeth Green is an amazing person. She is the CEO and Founder of Brief Media, a giant in veterinary publishing. The flagship publication, Clinician’s Brief, appeared in 2002 and is the official journal of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. It has been voted the most essential publication by small animal veterinarians in the United States for 9 consecutive years. Beth is a Folio Magazine 2016 Top Women in Media honoree for entrepreneurship. Her forward-thinking approach has helped bring projects like Plumb’s Veterinary Drugs and New York Vet to Brief Media. In this episode, we chat about where veterinary continuing education came from, what the exciting possibilities are for the future, and how millennials shift the veterinary practice paradigm. You’ll find out what ‘old people cool’ means!

Listen here: Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio