Sick As A Dog

Sick As A Dog is a podcast series about an industry in crisis - a crisis that is killing the people who care for our animals. Whether you are a pet owner, wildlife lover, consumer of animal products or work in the industry, this is for you and about you. It is a whole of community issue, that without change could have dire consequences for us all. This is a deep dive into the mental health crisis in the vet profession. It shines a spotlight on the many challenges, but also explores the potential solutions that exist - solutions that you and I are very much a part of.

Episodes

Episode 8 Sophie's Legacy

May 17, 2023 • 44 mins

As the saying goes, sometimes the end is just the beginning.

For Kate and Garry Putland, losing their daughter Sophie to suicide was the start of their campaign to make the veterinary profession safer for other vets, so no other family would go through what they have.

Sophie’s Legacy is on the cusp of being launched, and it is focused on how we can help save lives. But there are also solutions to the vet crisis, from the profession i...

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Episode 7 Outside Looking In

May 10, 2023 • 25 mins

Jack Levitt isn’t a vet, he’s a guy who lost a mate. And when Dr Flynn Hargreaves took his life, it sent Jack on a search for answers. He started Flynn’s Walk and Flynn’s Talk to honour his friend’s memory, encourage conversations and spread awareness of the mental health challenges faced by veterinarians.

He is just one of the growing band of grassroots campaigners ‘outside’ of the vet profession who are trying to do their bit, to ...

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Episode 6 Back to the Beginning

May 3, 2023 • 28 mins

Have you studied long and hard or witnessed someone in the thick of it? Then you’ll know how stressful it can be. But what if it was so psychologically damaging that it turned you off the career you had longed for? That’s what happened to veterinary student Claire Bensted.

"I didn't realise that I was going to struggle with mental health during the degree. I thought that was a problem for later Claire.”

And she’s not alone. Vets are...

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Episode 5 Who's Responsible

April 26, 2023 • 31 mins

Vets take an oath to treat and care for all animals. But while there’s someone to pick up the tab for pets and livestock needing medical care – koalas, kangaroos, echidnas and the rest, don’t come with a credit card or a purse – so who’s footing the bill?

Vets treat wildlife for free. That’s on top of their normal client list, usually at the last minute, often at the end of a long day and sometimes in the middle of the night. But i...

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Episode 4 Critical Shortage

April 19, 2023 • 30 mins

Working as a vet in regional Australia is a no brainer for Dr Tiaan Gobius, but he’s in the minority. The vet shortage across Australia is critical beyond the city limits – clinics are closing, leaving towns without animal doctors, and the practices that remain, are under even more pressure.

The bigger picture though is that animal welfare and biosecurity are under threat because of the shortage – so how do we lure more vets to rura...

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Episode 3 In Their Shoes

April 12, 2023 • 30 mins

They get kicked, bitten, spat on and some spend their days with their arm up an animal’s rectum. But have you ever wondered what it’s like on the frontline for veterinarians? The thrill of complex animal medicine and those life and death moments.

Let’s take a walk in their shoes and spend a night at an emergency animal hospital where vets and vet nurses work hard and fast to save lives, solve problems, all while dealing with the pre...

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Episode 2 Burnout

April 5, 2023 • 29 mins

Cam and Emily dreamt of becoming animal doctors. It was the career they always wanted, until it wasn’t. They met at vet school, and now married with a baby, this compassionate, conscientious, and clever pair are exactly the kind of vets you want treating your pets.

But a mere five years into the job and they are reassessing their futures. Unrealistic expectations – like worrying about keeping up with consults in the middle of surger...

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Episode 1 Breaking Point

March 29, 2023 • 30 mins

Vets sign up to save animals, never thinking they might need saving themselves. Dr Sophie Putland was one of those – a passionate, talented young vet who hit breaking point with devastating consequences.

Sadly, her story is not unique and this episode establishes the gravity of an industry in crisis, one where the mental load is enormous, burnout and quitting are common, the suicide rate is higher than the general population, staff ...

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Coming Soon - Sick As A Dog

March 5, 2023 • 3 mins

Sick As A Dog is shining a light on a crisis that’s making the people who care for our animals very sick, and in some cases it's killing them. Veterinarians signed up to save animals, they didn’t realise they would be the ones who need saving.

From mental health, burnout, and suicide to client abuse, working conditions, and critical staff shortages – they need help. It is a whole of community issue, that without change could have di...

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