The Tails of Truth Podcast:

We Pressed Record on Our Weekly Check-In: Vaccine Reactions, Neurodivergent Dogs, & Puppy Fever

This is the episode where Dr. Angie and JoJo let you in to their weekly check-in. No guest, no script, just two veterinary professionals pressing record on a real Friday in practice. Inside this one:

  • A live vaccine reaction in a dog, and the honest debate about splitting vaccines versus giving them together
  • How a reaction actually gets treated, and why so many clinics never report them
  • Whether dogs can be neurodivergent, and the UK research that says the science is starting to agree
  • The shift in thinking about cats who pull their hair out (it may be dermatology related, not stress)
  • A rare cystine stone case
  • A foster puppy that tugged at JoJo's heart 

Underneath all of it is the truth Dr. Angie keeps coming back to: she wants every patient to get the latest and the greatest, which means she is always running to keep up. If you have ever wondered whether your vet feels as on top of it as they look, this one is for you, and the veterinary professionals listening will feel deeply seen.

Key Takeaways

  • Vaccine reactions in dogs are uncommon, and reporting them matters so we can build real data on breed risk and informed consent.
  • A reaction can show up fast (vomiting, then facial swelling within the hour) and is treatable with anti-nausea meds, Benadryl, and steroids.
  • When a dog has reacted before and you do not know which vaccine caused it, splitting future vaccines is the safer path.
  • New research out of the UK suggests dogs can carry genetic and behavioral traits that look like human neurodivergence. It is not a diagnosis, but the science is catching up to what many pet parents already sense.
  • Cats who pull their hair out may be dealing with a skin problem rather than stress. Dermatology is moving up the list of suspects.
  • Even an experienced veterinarian feels behind, because medicine changes constantly. That honesty is what good care actually looks like.
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Sound Bites

    Checking metafield_content: true

    Has value: true

    Children count: 6

  • "I think it's really important so that we can give people informed consent about how often we see vaccine reactions, which it's really truly not very often." ~ Dr. Angie

  • "I mean, I think we're just starting to name it in women. So we're not going to name it in cats and dogs for a while." ~ JoJo

  • "I want every patient that I see to be getting like the latest and the greatest." ~ Dr. Angie

  • "The thought on that, at least for cats right now, is that we're shifting, that it's rarely a behavioral problem, and it's more of a dermatological problem" ~ Dr. Angie

  • "I'm amazed at how many clinics are not reporting vaccine reactions. I'm like, make sure your vet reports that." ~ JoJo

  • "I'm gonna tell the truth about something. I started using CBD twice a day." ~ JoJo

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