Episode Details

Something is draining the cattle dry at the Goshen Stampede. The locals say it is the Chupacabra. The veterinarians say it is something far worse — and a whole lot smaller.

Welcome back to All Creatures — the scripted dramatic podcast series from Vet Candy that wraps real veterinary science inside stories you genuinely cannot stop listening to. Episode 3 takes on invasive species, forensic veterinary investigation, and the creeping horror of a tick that clones itself — all set against the glorious backdrop of a Connecticut rodeo, deep-fried everything, and one beloved Airstream named Cloudy.

Fangs on the Farm: The Chupacabra Files.

Brought to you by PRN Pharmacal.

Dr. Greathouse and Dr. Smalls were just supposed to enjoy the rodeo. Bull riding. Chainsaw competitions. Fried food of questionable origin. A perfectly normal weekend. But when prize cattle start turning up dead — drained of blood with surgical precision and not a wound in sight — the cryptid rumors start flying and the real investigation begins.

The Chupacabra is a great story. The truth is scarier.

Featuring the brilliant forensic expertise of Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, the pathology wizardry of Dr. Aleksandra Zuraw, and a bombshell from tick expert Dr. Risa Pesapane, this episode unravels one of the most genuinely alarming emerging threats in livestock medicine — the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. Invisible to the naked eye. Pesticide-resistant. Capable of cloning itself. And perfectly capable of draining an entire herd.

Oh — and there is also a con artist selling Chupacabra merchandise and deep-fried Chupacabra Balls. Because All Creatures has never been just one thing.

Featuring recurring cast members Quisha Brown, Vasko Kostovski, Angela Sojanovska, and Martin Manev alongside series leads Caitlin Palmer and Clay Palmer — and one unforgettable rodeo finale that nobody saw coming.

🎙️ What makes this episode stand out: A fully scripted dramatic story with professional actors, immersive music, and cinematic sound design Real veterinary science from a forensic investigator, a pathologist, and a tick specialist woven seamlessly into the narrative A storyline ripped from actual emerging disease headlines — the Asian longhorned tick is a genuine and growing threat to livestock across North America Humor, heart, and a dramatic Airstream sacrifice in the name of public health

🔥 What you will learn in this episode: What Haemaphysalis longicornis is, where it came from, and why it matters for livestock and companion animal medicine How parthenogenetic reproduction makes the Asian longhorned tick unlike any other tick species established in North America The clinical presentation of severe tick infestation and what extreme blood loss in cattle actually looks like How forensic veterinary investigation works — and what Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore's real-world VetStigator expertise brings to an unusual case Why invasive species cases require rapid interdisciplinary response and how that plays out in practice What your clients need to know