The Vet Pod

Welcome to The Vet Pod

The Vet Pod is a one-of-a-kind veterinary podcast hosted by renowned veterinary consultants Charles Chavasse, Natasha Mitchell and Amy Barry. The VetPod provides learning through engaging and technical discussions. It is a CPD-accredited podcast for vets, vet nurses and anyone involved in a practice*.

The Vet Pod covers timely market and technical insights relevant for ruminant, companion animal and some equine.

The podcast will be educational in a fun and practical way. It will discuss the changes and future of veterinary in Ireland and brings Irish and international interviewees together to talk about a wide range of topics, such as changes in legislation, new research and how it applies to general practice. 

 *Subject to accreditation.

A CPD CODE will be mentioned during the majority of episodes. After you’ve listened to the episode, please submit your details and the code via this form. You will receive the credits for the episode once they have been approved by the awarding body. Please note that CPD points are only available to those with a paid subscription to The Vet Pod.

We welcome feedback and sharing of ideas/topics, please email info@thevetpod.com

Charles Chavasse BVMS CertDHH MRCVS

Charles graduated from Glasgow University Veterinary College in 1985 and spent the next four years in mixed practice, first in the Highlands of Scotland and then in north Wales. There then followed a three-year interlude away from veterinary, while he drove overland trucks with tourists across Africa.

He returned to Ireland and veterinary when he joined a mixed practice, predominantly dairy, in north Antrim for five years, before finally coming home to Dungarvan, Co Waterford. Here he became a partner in a four-vet practice, split 75% large animal and 25% companion animal. His interests at this point were predominantly dairy cows, particularly mastitis control and small animal surgery.

In 2010 he joined Pfizer Animal Health, which became Zoetis, as part of the veterinary technical team to support the sales team, veterinary practitioners and farmers. His areas of interest are calf health and welfare, cattle shed design, mastitis control and milk quality and the breeding management of cows and heifers in seasonal calving grass-based systems.

He took early retirement from Zoetis in August 2024. He is a member of three technical working groups for Animal Health Ireland: CalfCare, Parasite Control and IBR Free.

He is married with two grown-up children and lives on a farm with a small flock of sheep and some commercial forestry. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing, hill walking and wood turning.

Natasha Mitchell MVB DVOphthal MRCVS

Natasha graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine from University College Dublin in 1998. She worked mainly with small animals in Australia and the UK, where she developed a keen interest in ophthalmology after realising it was one of her weakest subjects. She obtained an RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2004.

She later joined the Eye Veterinary Clinic in Herefordshire where she completed an alternative residency programme for the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology, which she obtained in 2011.

Natasha is a Veterinary Council of Ireland-recognised specialist in veterinary ophthalmology. She has published journal articles, textbook chapters and two textbooks, as well as creating education apps in veterinary ophthalmology. She is a panellist for the BVA/KC/ISDS scheme and offers eye testing in dogs intended for breeding.

She is a mentor for the Fellowship in Veterinary Ophthalmology, provided by the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS), and has a resident program.

Outside of work, she enjoys caring for her many animals: dogs, cats, cattle and horses. She also enjoys competing in dressage and eventing.

Amy Barry MVB

Amy graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2018 with both a BSc(Hons) in Bioveterinary Science and a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine. During her intercalated Bioveterinary course, Amy undertook extensive research into BVDv and pregnancy loss which she was sure was the start of an illustrious farm career. However, upon deciding to stay living in London after graduation, the distinct lack of cows in the city meant that her career was funnelled in a different, fluffier direction. 

Amy's first job was in a companion animal hospital in North London where she was fortunate enough to gain experience in all aspects of GP work in such a supportive environment. After a few years, she took on a Lead Vet position in one of the clinic's branches and it was here that she found herself responsible for a huge dentistry caseload. Despite a steep learning curve, she found dentistry profoundly rewarding when done well and has been committed to increasing her skills since. Towards the end of 2022, Amy returned home to Cork and was delighted to take on the bulk of dentistry work within a local large hospital. She later pursued GP locum work for a brief stint before settling into her current positions where she splits her time between two independent clinics in Cork and Galway. Veterinary dentistry remains her main clinical focus and she is currently undertaking further training through the ESAVS.