Roving reporter Emily King came along to help me interview Dr Chris Brown, Channel 10's, Bondi Vet, we covered heaps of issues relating to parents and kids, Toxoplasmosis and cats during
pregnancy, avoiding your pooch getting his nose out of joint when the stork delivers, worms, fleas, breeds to avoid if you have kids, good breeds for kids, why he became a VET and if he is currently single...
J - I'm here with Emily King, my assistant; now Emily would you like to start with your two questions for Dr Brown?
E - Yes, Mum says I can get worms if I kiss the dog, is that true?
C - Technically it is true but it is a lot harder than people think, and the reason for that is that, and I shouldn't be saying this should I - there's going to be kisses all round, but generally dogs have their worms and people have their worms, and they're different breeds or species if you like, so it's hard for a dog worm you infect a person. It's possible and it does happen but it's quite rare. Having said that, you don't want to be the one who gets it because someone's going to get it eventually aren't they? So still be sensible with hygiene, so, yeah, don't kiss the dog, just maybe let them kiss on the side here somewhere rather than on the mouth. So avoid the mouth and you'll be ok, alright?
E - Yeah
J - And they should always wash their hands before eating after touching the dog, is that for the same reason?
C - It is yeah, so if you just follow the basic rules of hygiene which are not letting pets lick your face, not sharing food with them, so don't, you know, if they eat something, if they snatch a biscuit don't then take the rest of it. And just make sure you wash your hands after you've been playing and you're generally going to be ok.
J - Ok and what's your other question Emily?
E - How can I get fleas to leave my dog?
C - Well, leave your dog alone? The best way is to prevent fleas from being able to attach to your pet, and the way you do that is by giving them a little bit of medication every month. So you actually treat them before they even have fleas, and that way if a flea is brave enough to hop onto your pet then they hop on, they smell your dog or cat and they go 'oh hang on, there's medication here' and they won't bite your dog, they'll hop straight off before they get the medication because if they get the medication
they'll die. So that's how to prevent them, but if they do have them then you need to come to the vet and get a different type of medication that goes on the back of their neck which kills the fleas on them, but also you have to remember to treat the fleas in the house as well. Because you know sometimes when your pet has fleas and you'll be walking through the house and you'll get a flea jump on you, has that ever happened?
E - Yeah
C - That's because the fleas laid an egg in the carpet and those eggs have actually hatched. So you need to treat the house with a flea bomb and you need to treat the pet with just a little bit of liquid on the back of their neck.
J - So it's a different stronger medication from the VET than the one we've put on the back?
C - Yeah it is a little bit stronger. Yeah it is a different drug, although some of the ones now in the supermarket are the same as the ones from the VET, but speak to the VET about what's the best one.
J - Ok, Now I've got a question, pregnant women are advised to stay away from cats due to the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. How do you suggest cat owners do this, or reduce the possibility of infection?
C - Toxoplasmosis is one of those things, it's a protozoan organism, and a lot of people do get very scared about it and you hear extreme examples of people getting rid of their cats when they're pregnant but the reality is that the organism can't infect them at all stages of the pregnancy, it's just in the early stages. But also the other thing is that you have to be very unlucky to get the parasite and you also have to do a few things that are basically wrong to get it. The thing is that once the parasite is passed out in the faeces of the cat, it takes 24 hrs for it to mature enough that contact with a human could actually result in them getting it, and the only way they can get it is by swallowing it, yeah so this is the strange thing. But it sounds as though it would be really hard to get it, you can imagine if a cat defecates, it might then walk through it or have it dried on its fur...
J - And then jump up on the kitchen bench or something?
C - Yeah and so it's up there and just through normal patting the cat or putting your hand across the bench and then chewing your finger nails for example then you might then get the parasite into your system. But the reality is that over half Australia's population already has the parasite, has already been exposed to it and you can't get it twice and once you've already had it it's never going to affect your pregnancy. So that's the first thing to remember, but the other thing is that you're just as likely to get it from eating raw meat, or uncooked meat as you are from a cat.
J - Right, so cats could be held accountable when it's actually another source?
C - Yeah there is the other source. The thing is, the way its prevent is once again good hygiene, so always wash your hands, but also if you empty out your litter tray, if your cat is litter trained, if you empty out your litter tray every day, you can then not be exposed to it because it's already - inside that 24 hrs it can't infect you.
J - Got it. Can cats suffocate babies?
C - Hmm It's one of those things you hear about, but I've never heard of a real case of it. I think the important thing to remember with any sort of pet and children is to prepare your pets for the child's arrival. So the pets aren't freaked out by what this creature is, because you have to get inside the pets mind and realize that they're used to seeing people and being around people and they're very comfortable around people but they've never seen a person quite like a baby before. The normal view of people is someone this big to this big that walks on two legs, that's predictable, that talks and then a baby comes along which is this big, lies on its back, screams, it doesn't fit the normal pattern of a person, so they often don't even realize it's a person. The only way we let them know it's a person is through our actions and that's through holding it, and through comforting it and they realize it's an extension of us and once they realize that, once they know they know that this baby is an extension of us they're more comfortable and they understand that it is to be respected rather than almost eliminated from the house.
J - Well that brings me to babies that get the pooch's nose out of joint. What do you suggest new parents do to ensure the safety of the baby and help their pooch to understand they are loved and important even after the stork has delivered?
C - I think if you're a new parent trying to do something about it you've almost missed the boat to a certain extent. I would start around about a month before your baby is due, and I'd do three things. First of all I would download a baby crying sound effect off iTunes or something and start playing it around the house, just initially at a low volume so that the pet gets used to the crying sound, and over time turn it up just for like 20 minutes 2-3 times a day just to get used to the sound, because that's usually one of the huge sources of anxiety for them. And so then they're used to the sound of a baby, then get them used to the sight of a baby, so I'd actually get a doll, or something that looks like a baby and actually carry it around and they have to realize that whenever you're carrying that baby then they come second so if they jump up on you or they want attention or they come rushing over to play, you just ignore them, whenever the baby is there you ignore them. They learn that that's a symbol of them playing second fiddle to that child. The third thing is you need to decide whether you want them in the baby's room or not. If you don't want it to be in the baby's room then a month before the baby arrives make that room a no go zone. So every single time they walk in there say 'No' and get them out. So if you establish those rules early, then when the baby comes around, they've sort of seen it and heard it before and its not such a big source of stress for them.
J - That's great, that's really helpful
C - Probably the most important thing I think of all, is to be positive when they are around your child, so I did hear stories of people having children and the dog will rush up and they'll be like 'No no no' very negative. If that dog or cat starts to associate the baby with it being a source of it being punished then it's not going to love the child, it's going to fear the child. Whereas if you're comfortable and speak in a nice voice around the child and around the dog, then the dog think 'oh look you know it's fair enough that I'm playing second fiddle right now but my time is going to come when we're going to play' and make sure that does happen. So when you're not with the child, its sleeping, have some fun with the pet so it doesn't resent the child for depriving it of your love.
J - How can parents keep the cat out of the stroller or the cot, other than shutting the door?
C - I think it comes down to that early preparation. They know that it's not going to happen.
J - That you'll keep chucking them out of the room.
C - Yeah so have that room open so they can have a look and it's not too mysterious and you can have supervised visits into that room but only supervised, make sure that they're never in there by themselves. So there's no mystery about the room but at the same time they know that its not their room to be in. So if, for example, a cat wants to jump inside the cot or inside the stroller then you know a set of car keys thrown nearby makes quite a loud noise and it startles them and they just won't be comfortable,
or spray a bit of water.
J - Many parents will be considering buying a pet for Christmas. For those considering buying a dog, how old do you think their child should be to avoid hair pulling, biting etc? Should they wait say until their child is 5 and a little more responsible or introduce the dog earlier and train their child in animal handling?
C - I don't mind pets being around very young children provided the pet is of a temperament that is suited. So if you're smart about the type of pet you have, and also you educate the child about what it can and can't do then I think there's a lot of benefits for having children around pets. Not just behaviourally, they get comfortable and confident around animals. But you know medically they think that if kids are around pets they are exposed to a lot more bugs and it can be quite good for their immune system and they will be less likely to be allergic to different animals. But just be sensible in your choices, don't get a dog that has a short temper or bred for hunting, they need to be companion animals, they need to be understanding, they need to be patient. But if you don't want to take that risk, however small, then you know wait until the child is say 3-4 before you do it. But I think if you're sensible about it, it can be done if you're smart in your choice.
J - Ok, that brings me to my next question, which breeds are the most suitable to families with young children?
C - I think of the smaller dogs, a Cavalier King Charles is very good, very cute little dogs that are very understanding. I think some of the new crossbreeds like a Cavoodle or a Labradoodle, they make quite good pets. If you're going for a medium sized dog then, I should say, of the smaller dogs you're going to get far more, ironically you're probably going to get a lot more problems with small dogs than you would with big dogs around kids, for the simple fact that a small dog considers itself on par with a small child and so there's a bit of a competition situation there, where as a big dog is a bit more confident in itself. I do feel it's a case of small dog syndrome. With small dogs, if I'm going to be hard on two breeds, and I apologise to anyone who has them already, I think Maltese and Chihuahua's are probably the two dogs most commonly...
J - We've got a Chihuahua, well it's a cross, and we got it from the shelter, it was really abused.
C - That's why I apologized *laughs*
J - We couldn't go near him for nearly three months he was so badly abused but you can do anything with him now though.
C - I am generalizing here though, it's just they're the ones I do find a little bit snappy.
J - Which breeds would you advise parents to steer totally clear of?
C - Sorry, just on the breeds that were good, on small again I think Bichon Frise are quite good, as a medium size for kids that are a little bit bigger, because they tend to get knocked over when they're very young, I think Boxers are fantastic.
J - Really? They look so scary!
C - Yeah they're boisterous but they've got a nice temperament. Kids do need to be a bit older or they'll get knocked over but around kids, they're quite good. The Groodles, Golden Retriever cross Poodle's are good, I think Labradoodles fit to that category as well in terms of size. I think Schnauzers are a pretty solid dog. Another large dog would be Labradors; I would put Labradors over Golden Retrievers in a family sense. I think they're just a little bit less patient than Labradors are, but they're still very good. If you had one I wouldn't lay awake at night worrying... oh and Rhodesian Ridgebacks it think would probably surprise a lot of people. But I think they are very caring, very gentle dogs for a bigger breed.
J - And the breeds to absolutely stay clear of?
C - I'll mention Staffies just because people do worry about them. I think staffies probably get a bad rap. I think they're quite good around kids, where they get a bad rap is their behaviour around other dogs, they're generally not great around other dogs and will have a few squabbles with other dogs, but generally around kids they're very good. Just make sure that if you do get a Staffy make sure it is a Staffy and not a Pit Bull cross, because there are quite a few of them around. Obviously Pit Bull's aren't great, look I don't think that, as a general rule, I'm not convinced that the working breeds are fantastic around kids, but this isn't a blanket rule because there are some very good working dog breeds. For each breed there's generally two types of working dog, there's a working variety and a pet variety so make sure you get the pet variety, like a family Cattle Dog instead of a working Cattle Dog. Working dogs, generally they've been bred a certain way to be a little bit pushy, a little bit impatient and also the very nature of their work they have to be quite strong willed, and generally people don't want a strong willed dog. So I would say, Pit Bulls, the 'working dog' working dog, and that probably includes Malamutes and Huskies, I don't think they're fantastic.
J - What advice do you give to the children who look up to you and dream of being a VET?
C - Go for it, it's a great job, and it's a job where, I speak to my friends and see their jobs and their jobs tend to be fairly similar day to day, whereas as a VET you get heaps of variety, you're bound to work outdoors and see all sorts of different animals, and if that appeals to you then you should certainly consider it. It's got its highlights and its lowlights, and you have some great moments and some very cute moments with some very lovely animals but you do have some very sad moments as well so you have to be prepared. You will have some very tough weeks. But at the same time, don't let that put you off, if you think that's not for you then fine but if you think you want to make a difference then go for it. For me in those sad moments the very fact that able to at least help out in some way in a crisis is what gets me through it. I'd hate to be in that situation without knowing what to do and without knowing how to help. I think as much as its about knowing and the technical side of things its as much again about being a good people person and being able to communicate and relate to people because it is a very emotional job and you do need to be able to comfort people through very difficult and tough times so that's an important skill.
J - And when did you decide you wanted to be a VET?
C - There's two answers to this question, the first answer is that I think I always did, and the second answer is when I was 17, well my dad is a VET, I grew up almost living in a VET clinic so I was always around animals and always enjoyed having them around and was interested in what dad was doing with them and how he was making them better but at the same time, as a teenager and a young boy, whilst you respect your dad, and I still do to this day, you don't want to follow his footsteps, you want to be different, you know, be your own person, so that's why I fought it for so long, until I was 17. What happened when I was 17 was that my family pet at the time was a big standard poodle, one of those ones with the big afro haircut, and he developed a heart condition and when he was quite young, I think he was 7 years old and passed away quite quickly, within say 2 weeks of getting the heart condition and it really broke my heart, so that sort of shook me out of my denial and because I was so interested in what he was going through and what could be done, that's when I went 'Look why don't I just wake up to myself and just do what I want to do rather than try and find this magical other career that I don't think really existed'.
J - Now I would be really letting my readers down if I didn't ask, are you dating at the moment?
C - Yes I am
J - Ok girls he's off the market! Have you noticed an increase in women who own pets in the Eastern suburbs since you've become the star of the Bondi VET ?
C - That's a hard question to answer, we're a little bit busier since the show came on, but I still make time for all my clients and certainly if anyone wants to come in with their pets I'm more than happy to make time for people.
J- Thank you Chris, it's been lovely talking with you, I'm sure our readers will be delighted to read our interview.
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