Pet Talk
Pet Talk: ‘Big shoes to fill … but those shoes aren’t mine’
Wednesday 15 November 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Mark Twain had the dubious pleasure of seeing his own obituary printed in the paper and over the last week I have had a similar feeling. While far from being an obituary, a Facebook post about me leaving has attracted heaps of comments, writes Dr Michael Baer, the outgoing Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Pet Talk: Fur-ever grateful for the support
Wednesday 1 November 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Less than three weeks until I finish at Te Are Manu (TAM) and as always when something is about to end, my mind drifts to what has happened, what was then, and what is now. And how lucky I have been, writes Dr Michael Baer, the outgoing Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Pet Talk: Aitutaki – A parting gift for Te Are Manu veterinarian
Wednesday 18 October 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
November 17 will be Te Are Manu’s final visit to Aitutaki for the year. It will also be my last visit to Aitutaki, for the monthly clinic, and my final day working for Te Are Manu, writes Dr Michael Baer.
Pet Talk: ‘Don’t eat reef fish, or feed it to your pets’
Wednesday 4 October 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Ciguatera poisoning, or as we know it, fish poisoning, occurs all over the world in animals and people. We can’t cure it in animals, all we can do is make them comfortable, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Pet Talk: The round eternal
Wednesday 20 September 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Banjo Patterson, the man who wrote the words printed on the Australian $10 note, described his office job as “the round eternal”. It never ended, it never really started, and it was very difficult to see any progress, writes Dr Michael Baer.
Pet Talk: Learning good behavior
Wednesday 30 August 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Puppies are cute, they are soft and their proportions are such that they appeal to the protective aspects of our nature, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Pet talk: Kitten season is on the way
Wednesday 2 August 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
I really love this time of year. The whales are here and put on a show for anyone who wants to see them. They jump, roll, slap their tails; generally, they just seem to be having fun, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Pet talk: Fishing for dogs and cats
Tuesday 18 July 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Sharp and with a nasty barb, fishhooks do not look terribly appetising to me. Dr Michael Baer writes.
Pet Talk: Tethering, tying or torturing?
Wednesday 5 July 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
There were several complaints. People were very distressed to see the degree of damage. And she couldn’t walk writes Dr Michael Baer.
PET TALK: Unwanted puppies and how to stop them
Wednesday 21 June 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
I have always admired people who are able to start a job and see it through, despite not seeming to make progress, writes Dr Michael Baer of Te Are Manu Vet Clinic.
Pet Talk: Food glorious food
Wednesday 7 June 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Sitting down to dinner is the best. The best. Well at least the best since breakfast. We can eat food for pleasure, but the reason we need food is for energy, writes Te Are Manu clinic medical director Dr Michael Baer.
Dr Michael Baer: Pa Enua visits for work ‘but still a pleasure’
Wednesday 24 May 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Local, National, Opinion, Pet Talk
I have been very lucky. Travelling to the outer islands regularly has become part of my job. In the last fortnight I have been to Mauke and Aitutaki. I went for work, but it was still a pleasure, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Working together for the animals of the Cook Islands
Wednesday 10 May 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Local, National, Opinion, Pet Talk
As you read this I will be in Mauke, thanks to Air Rarotonga and the New Zealand High Commission, both of whom have supported our work in the pa enua.
Dr Michael Baer: Animal health and welfare
Wednesday 29 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
From March 13 and 17 our team from Te Are Manu and the SPCA were in Mitiaro for the second leg of our Southern Pa Enua project.
Water – the most essential nutrient
Wednesday 15 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
We have had a bit of rain, at last, after a month or so of hot weather. During that hot weather we had a group of British volunteers working at Te Are Manu. They were great; enthusiastic, talented and very knowledgeable. But not very heat tolerant.
PET TALK: Cattle are extraordinary
Wednesday 1 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Cattle are multipurpose. They can produce meat and milk, and make excellent tractors. They pull ploughs, they tow trailers. They harvest their own fuel and provide fertiliser in return for fuel, writes Te Are Manu clinic medical director Dr Michael Baer.
Pet Talk: They’re not ‘acting’ the goat
Thursday 2 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Whether you keep goats for meat, or for milk, which is tasty, fresh, lactose free, and nutrient rich, or for the pleasure of watching them get up to their antics, especially the kids, goats are pretty cool animals, writes Dr Michael Baer of Te Are Manu Vet Clinic.
Pet Talk: Something to crow about . . .
Wednesday 18 January 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
When I was a child, we lived in a small country called Swaziland. It has since changed its name, to Eswatini. I can remember a lot about the country and our time there, even though it was a long time ago. One of the things I remember well are the bags of chicken heads and feet, sold in shops as “Walkie-Talkie”. A fantastic name.
Taking care of your ears: Why it’s so important
Thursday 24 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
What do ears do? The obvious answer is – hear sounds. Without getting too scientific, that is true. But ears do other things too, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
Staying vigilant: ‘Thankfully none of these diseases are in the Cook Islands’
Wednesday 9 November 2022 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
Parvovirus is a dreadful disease. The world over it costs pet owners a small fortune in routine vaccination costs. Closely related to panleukopaenia virus in cats, it destroys the cells that line the gut.
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