Zoo and wildlife medicine is one of the most competitive and idealised areas of veterinary practice. From the outside, it’s dramatic, exciting, and very different from other veterinary careers. But what is the reality?

In this episode, Dr Lottie is joined by Dr Noi Psaroudaki, a zoo and wildlife veterinarian, to explore what zoo medicine actually involves and how the role differs from more traditional areas of veterinary practice.
Together, Dr Lottie and Dr Noi discuss not only the clinical aspects of the job, but also the ethical, emotional, and practical challenges that come with working in zoos and wildlife settings.
Dr Noi shares reflections from her own career, including cases that have shaped her approach to zoo med, the pressures that come with public scrutiny, and why zoo medicine is rarely what people expect when they first consider the field.
This episode is wonderful for veterinary students, new graduates, and vets who are curious about zoo or wildlife medicine, as well as anyone wanting to learn more about this non-traditional area of vet med!

Resources from the episode:

• EAZA Best Practice Guidelines: https://www.eaza.net/BPG/
• News stories covering the white tiger cub case: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/born-free-statement-white-tiger-cub/, https://www.theanimalreader.com/2023/03/19/news-greece-zoo-save-white-tiger-cub-garbage/, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-19/athens-zoo-fights-to-save-tiger-cub-found-in-garbage/102116700

Find Noi on Instagram: @noi_the_animal_doc
TikTok & Instagram: @veterinaryvista

Current Vet is an educational podcast intended for veterinary students, veterinary professionals, and individuals with an interest in veterinary medicine.

All content provided in this podcast and its associated materials is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as, and must not be considered a substitute for, professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and alignment with current evidence at the time of publication, veterinary medicine is a rapidly evolving field, and recommendations may change over time.

In this episode, Dr Lottie talks about osteosarcomas.

Instagram & TikTok @veterinaryvista

Further Reading

• Ettinger & Feldman (2020). Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine: Diseases of the Dog and Cat, 8th ed., Elsevier — pp. 1325–1328.
• Tilley, L. P., Smith, F. W. K., & Oyama, M. A. (2021). The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline, 7th ed., Wiley-Blackwell — section on Osteosarcoma (OSA).
• Makielski, K. M., Mills, L. J., Sarver, A. L., Henson, M. S., Spector, L. G., Naik, S., & Modiano, J. F. (2019).**Risk Factors for Development of Canine and Human Osteosarcoma: A Comparative Review. Veterinary Sciences, 6(2), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci6020048
• Boerman, I., Selvarajah, G. T., Nielen, M., et al. (2012). Prognostic factors in canine appendicular osteosarcoma – a meta-analysis. BMC Veterinary Research, 8, 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-56

References

• Szewczyk, M., Lechowski, R., & Zabielska, K. (2015). What do we know about canine osteosarcoma treatment? – review.Veterinary Research Communications, 39, pp. 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-014-9623-0
• Frimberger, A. E., Chan, C. M., & Moore, A. S. (2016). Canine Osteosarcoma Treated by Post-Amputation Sequential Accelerated Doxorubicin and Carboplatin Chemotherapy: 38 Cases. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 52(3), pp. 149–156. https://doi.org/10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6315
• Bush, J. M., Fredrickson, R. L., & Ehrhart, E. J. (2007). Equine Osteosarcoma: A Series of 8 Cases. Veterinary Pathology, 44(2), pp. 247–249. https://doi.org/10.1354/vp.44-2-247
• Bloomfield, R. (2015). Stereotactic radiation therapy in veterinary medicine. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 56(1), pp. 95–97.
• Rohrer Bley, C., Meier, V., Turek, M., Besserer, J., & Unterhirkhers, S. (2024). Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Planning, Dose Prescription and Delivery in Veterinary Medicine: A Systematic Review on Completeness of Reporting and Proposed Reporting Items. Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, 22(4), pp. 457–469. https://doi.org/10.1111/vco.13011
• de Moura, F. B. C., Amorim, R. L., & Fonseca-Alves, C. E. (2025). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in canine solid tumours: a systematic review of indications, response and safety. Veterinary Oncology, 2, 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44356-025-00036-1
• Makielski, K. M., Mills, L. J., Sarver, A. L., Henson, M. S., Spector, L. G., Naik, S., & Modiano, J. F. (2019). Risk Factors for Development of Canine and Human Osteosarcoma: A Comparative Review. Veterinary Sciences, 6(2), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci6020048
• Boerman, I., Selvarajah, G. T., Nielen, M., et al. (2012). Prognostic factors in canine appendicular osteosarcoma – a meta-analysis. BMC Veterinary Research, 8, 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-56

Current Vet is an educational podcast intended for veterinary students, veterinary professionals, and individuals with an interest in veterinary medicine.

All content provided in this podcast and its associated materials is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as, and must not be considered a substitute for, professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Any clinical cases discussed in this podcast are fictional, and are designed to reflect typical or likely clinical scenarios for educational purposes. They do not represent specific real-life cases, clients, or animals.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and alignment with current evidence at the time of publication, veterinary medicine is a rapidly evolving field, and recommendations may change over time