The PAWEDcast

Just in time for Veterans Day, Dr. Renzullo & Dr. Vernaleken interview former Military Working Dog Handler Tyler Falconer from Falco K9 in Boston, MA. Tyler is a Navy veteran and worked with police K9s before becoming a dog trainer and firefighter. He brings his experiences to discuss being a dog handler in the Navy and how he went from growing up with Golden Retrievers to training some of the most intense working breeds.

How do you become a Military Working Dog Handler? What is it like working with Belgian Malinois and Shepherds? How does protection training differ from regular dog training? Learn more about Falco K9 at www.falcok9boston.org

Check out Tyler in action: https://vimeo.com/688068786

Dr.'s Vernaleken & Renzullo interview Insta-famous cat celebrity Starlord (@stuntmanstarlord) and his human Christina. Starlord is quite the adventure cat and can be found skateboarding, frog hunting, breaking into kitchen cabinets, and causing double takes while out for walks on his leash!

His owner helps us answer: how do you leash train a cat? Is every cat a good candidate for leash walking? What are the risks and benefits of bringing your cat outdoors? How do you pick the right leash & harness?

Special thanks to our guest Christina Mosher who is a Veterinary Assistant at Capital District Veterinary Referral Hospital, and Starlord of course.

Dr. Renzullo interviews National Champion Agility Trainer Amber McCune from American K9 Country in Amherst, NH. Amber and her Border Collies have won the AKC National Championship and represented team USA at the World Agility Championships! She brings her expertise to discuss the world of dog sports from agility, flyball, dock diving, fast CAT, obedience, & more.

Can any dog breed of any age participate in dog sports? How do I pick the right sport for my dog? Is it dangerous for dogs? What are dog sports competitions like? Dog sports can truly transform your relationship and create a dialogue with your dog. We encourage you to give it a try!

Survey says... it's game night on The PAWEDcast! Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo compete against fellow emergency veterinarians Dr. Kramer & Dr. Lee in Ethos Friendly Feud! Play along as they guess answers to "name an awkward diagnosis to explain to pet owners," "name the most common foreign body you see in dogs," & more.

Then, all 4 doctors debunk common pet myths in Veterinary Myth Busters. Are dogs color blind? Are cats nocturnal? Is it okay for dogs to chew on sticks?

Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). But in veterinary medicine, that number jumps to 63% and at Ethos, 89% of the entire organization is female.

In celebration of Women's History Month, Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo talk with Holly Firestine, the Chief People Officer at Ethos, about the power of women in vet med. Along with reflecting on their own personal experiences as women in science and executive business roles, they discuss: how has the veterinary field shifted from a male-dominated to a more equalized industry? How have "traditional views" of working mothers, work-life balance, and who's the breadwinner changed for women? How can we continue to empower the young girls in our lives to get into STEM fields?

And: an update & future projects on how Ethos is building a culture of caring and learning & development for veterinary professionals to thrive in.

Emergency Veterinary Medicine: the thrilling field of medicine that many veterinary graduates are drawn to – so why are so many veterinarians leaving, or not going into ER at all? Low pay, burnout, the daunting task of proving yourself, the stress of the match system; there's many aspects of traditional emergency internships that just don't seem worth it. Two emergency veterinarians from Massachusetts are challenging the standard emergency training methods and expectations and building a new path for new grads with the E-VET Training Program.

Join Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo as they talk with Annie Wayne, DVM, MPH, DACVECC and Ali Pivoda, BVMS about how E-VET is bringing wellness and competency-focused training back into veterinary emergency training programs. And: why should you consider a career in ER? What does a day in a veterinary ER look like? 

To learn more about E-VET or to apply, click here.

Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo are joined by Veterinary Neurologist Baye Williamson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) from VERC Hawaii. Dr. Williamson is the first and only Veterinary Neurologist in the state of Hawaii! She brings her expertise to discuss the complex science of neurology in cats and dogs:

How do neurologic symptoms present in pets? How difficult are seizures to manage in pets? How have MRIs revolutionized veterinary neurology? And out of our own curiosity (and certainly not jealousy), what is it like practicing veterinary medicine on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii?

A purrfect ending to 2021 on The PAWEDcast, Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo talk all things cats: How do you manage a multi-cat household? How many litter boxes and feeding bowls do you need? Should you help feral cats? And other things to keep in mind before getting another cat.

Happy Holidays PAWEDcasters! Thanks for another great year. We'll see you next year for our January episode!

Urgent Care is an emerging (and very much needed) branch of veterinary medicine. Like urgent care centers for humans, they are filling the gap between your pet's regular vet and the ER.

How do veterinary urgent cares work? How do you know if your pet should go to an urgent care vs. ER vs. their primary care vet? And for veterinary teams: what are the benefits to working in urgent care? Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo talk with Associate Medical Director of the Urgent Care service at Peak Veterinary Referral Center, Dr. Gracey Welsh to answer all this and more!

Dr. Vernaleken & Dr. Renzullo are joined by Veterinary Anesthesiologist Andrea Looney, DVM, DACVAA, CCRP, DACVSMR (yes, that's a lot of credentials!) Dr. Looney is one of only a handful of Veterinary Anesthesiologist specialists in the country. She brings her expertise to answer common pet owner surgery & anesthesia questions: Is it risky to put my pet under anesthesia? How do veterinarians determine if my pet is a candidate for surgery? Are my fears of anesthesia reasonable? And, perhaps most importantly, how do veterinarians manage to anesthetize, relieve pain, and reverse the effects of anesthesia in multiple breeds & species?