The Pet Doctor - Keeping your pets healthy & pet wellness - Pets & Animals on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

We are all familiar with the life stages of cats…kittens – frenzied bundles of fur and fun and rare medical problems, adult – sometimes playful, usually sleeps a lot and no health issues. And then we have our seniors – sleep, more sleep, eat, poop and sleep some more. Health concerns tend to erupt overnight without warning. But on closer examination, the life stages for our felines are much more complex and with a healthy dose of proactive veterinary care your cat can live a longer health filled life and you can have reduced veterinary bills. My guest is Dr. Jessica Quimby. She is board certified in small animal internal medicine and completed a PhD studying feline chronic kidney disease (CKD). She is currently an associate professor at the Ohio State University. Her research includes improving supportive care and quality of life in cats with CKD. Dr. Quimby has received the International Renal Interest Society Award and an AVMF/Winn Feline Foundation Research Award.

Were you one of those folks that resisted getting a pandemic pet? Thought there was enough craziness in this world and adding a pet to the mixture was more than you could handle? But recently you have been toying with the idea of having a baby in the house? Dog…might take too much time and not sure if you have the room. Cat…you’ve had them in the past, they are pretty easy…litter box, food, water, occasional trip to the vet. Yeah, easy peasy. Maybe not. My guest is Dr. Ellen Lindell. As a board certified veterinary behaviorist, she is a firm believer that when a pet owner understands how kittens grow physically, mentally and emotionally, you greatly increase the chance that they will thrive, behavioral issues can be minimized and the bond between human and feline will be strong and nurturing.

Wooohoooo…it is finally winter. Hot sticky weather is behind us. Winter sports and cozy days wrapped in layers of fuzzy warm clothing and snuggling with our pets. And finally an end to having to worry about all those pesky parasites that our veterinarians continue to nag us about…fleas, ticks, internal and external parasites. What a pain in our budgets having to give those preventives. Besides, you haven’t noticed any issues and are beginning to feel as though your vet is just trying to sell you medications you and your pet don’t really need. My guest is Dr. Craig Prior. He is veterinarian and past president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council and currently serves on their board of directors. We will discuss some of the myths of winter health risks for your pet from inside and outside of the home.

GI issues are one of the most common reasons why pets are presented to veterinarians. Dogs love to eat first and think later…one of the reasons why our canine companions are prone to the heartbreak of diarrhea. Cats however are more prone to becoming constipated. Occasional slow down of our bowels happens to all of us but chronic constipation can be life threatening. How do you know if your cat is constipated? What can you do to prevent it? How do you treat a cat that is full of it? My guest is Dr. Anthony Carr, Board Certified in Small Animal Internal Medicine and Professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

According the Nationwide Pet Insurance claims data for 2019, the most common reason why dogs were taken to the veterinarians was for allergic dermatitis with ear infections coming in a very close second place. I reality the allergic dermatitis probably led to many of the ear issues. Why do dogs get these pesky, painful and pricey problems? And why do they seem to keep coming back? What can you do at home to decrease the likelihood that your dog will be affected? My guest is Dr. Darren Berger. His a board certified veterinary dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, IA.

To let your cat outside or not, that is one of those vexing questions that cat owners wrestle with… the pros and cons are almost limitless. Pros: Envision your cat scampering up trees, stalking butterflies in the tall grass or lazily basking in the sun…what an idyllic life for a cat. Cons: the cat fight on your back fence that results in a deep bite wound and the subsequent deadly Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) infection it contracts, or the encounter with a speeding car as it attempts to cross the street and let’s not forget about the mauling on your own property by a free roaming dog. Cats love to go outside but we know that there are innumerable dangers just beyond your backdoor, even in your backyard. But is it fair to keep them solely inside? Won’t they get bored, fat, destructive? What can concerned responsible cat owners do to keep their cats and the wildlife that cats are drawn to predate safe? Dr. Kelly St. Denis is the president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. She is certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in the specialty of feline practice. Dr. St. Denis is proudly one of the 6 Canadian feline specialist members of Cat Healthy Canada.

It wakes you up in the middle of the night. That noise…where is it coming from? Did you really even hear it? You strain to listen not wanting to get out of bed…there it is…is it a cough, a gag, your cat hacking up a hair ball? In the morning this feline sleep wrecker seems just fine, eating and purring like normal. But there it is again…the cat looks like it is trying to clear its throat? Should you worry? Is it worth a trip to the vet? Cats can be a mystery. And like your car, you may get it to the veterinarian’s only to find that it doesn’t make the noise. My guest, Dr. Lynelle Johnson is currently a professor in the Department of Medicine & Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and a clinician in the Internal Medicine Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Dr. Johnson's research interests include clinical respiratory disease of dogs and cats and interactions of the heart-respiratory system. She is an expert in feline asthma.

Diversity in veterinary medicine has traditionally been viewed as the inclusion of more women in the profession. The first woman, graduated from McKillip Veterinary College in Chicago in 1903. Very slowly more women entered this field of medicine. 1970-89% of veterinary college enrollment was held by men. 2007, only 37 years later was dubbed ‘the year of the female veterinarian’ with 75 percent of that year’s graduates being women. 2009 was the tipping point for the profession with 55% of the licensed DVMs being female. As of 2017, 80% of all veterinary students were women, and currently 64% of the practicing veterinarians you’ll encounter will be women and 90% of the veterinary nurses are also women. Improving inclusivity is a major focus of veterinary medicine recruitment and advancement. But the question remains as to how we got to our current status, what is being done to have the profession more closely mirror the general population and why it is important. My guest is Dr. Tierra Price. She is part of a very elite cadre of veterinarians. Dr. Price is also is one of the 2.1% veterinarians in the United States who are African American. We are going to discuss the challenges in becoming a veterinarian when no one looks like you, how she and the profession are attempting to remedy this disparity and the organization she founded, the Black DVM Network.

You have likely heard of the medical condition know as diabetes. There are actually 2 forms of this condition, diabetes mellitus and insipidus. The most common type is also known as sugar diabetes. It was first documented in 1552 BC in an Egyptian papyrus. It was diagnosed by the sweet taste of the urine. Glad that we now have more scientific ways to determine if there is sugar in the pee. According to the CDC, it is estimated that it affects more than 100 million US adults. Veterinary data has shown that 1 in every 300 dogs and 1 in 230 cats will develop diabetes during their lifetime and the prevalence over that past 10 years is increasing. The diagnosis of diabetes in not a death sentence but it is a condition that needs to be controlled and monitored or else dire consequences can ensue.

We all have a bucket list. Those things you want to own, see, do, eat, drink, experience before we kick the bucket. What’s on my bucket list? There’s really isn’t anything I want to own but there are so many things I want to see and experience. High on my list is an African safari. The only trophies I want to bring home are memories and photos. But I am afraid that my window for seeing the Africa I envision…. free roaming animals, a delicately balanced eco-system, local populations who have tasted “modern society and advances” but are still practicing traditions that are centuries old. Sadly, disease, climate change, political upheavals, crushing poverty and lack of opportunities are decimating people, animals and the environment in much of Africa. Can one individual make a difference on the African continent…yes. Can that difference is dramatically amplified if we act together? Most assuredly. My guest, Ralph Waterhouse is an expert in leading safaris to Zambia and is raising awareness of the challenges this corner of paradise is facing. I hope that you can help him in making a difference.

Times of stress I vividly remember was when I was in veterinary school and it was a particularly hard time I was having with classes. I was studying like crazy. My diet was crunchy Cheetos and Diet Coke. Sleep was a luxury I couldn't afford. And I had a horridly itchy rash everywhere. I went to the school's infirmary and was surprised at the diagnosis. My rash was due to stress. So go figure. I pass my classes, got good grades, got some sleep and the rash miraculously disappeared. My guest today is Dr. Nora Grant, veterinary services manager for Ceva Animal Health. We're going to discuss how stress can make your pet's skin crawl, just like mine did, back in school.

What does an older cat do when it feels good? Sleep. And what does an older cat do when it doesn’t feel good? Sleep. Cats are masters at hiding their signs of illness. As we get older, things start wearing out in our bodies and we awaken to new aches and pains almost daily. But pet parents are often shocked to discover that their cats have an advanced disease. A very common malady is osteoarthritis. It seems to creep into a cat’s life unnoticed. We can’t stop arthritis but there are ways with which we can slow down and process and improve our feline’s quality of life. Dr. Joyce Login is the Senior Manager, Veterinary Medical Affairs, supporting Feline and Canine chronic pain products for Zoetis

If I could come back as a pampered feline…lazy around all day, be fed gourmet food, showered with diversions and gifts and receive only the best in healthcare… sign me up! In reality too many of our cats don’t agree that they are leading an idyllic life. To their detriment, cats are masters of hiding the fact that they are really stressed out. How would you know your cat is stressed and what can you do about it? You might think that I would interview a behaviorist to answer these questions but today I am going to speak to a board certified veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Rebecca Mullis, the Associate Manager of Scientific Affairs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition and adjunct faculty at Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.

I have a very good friend who has been the pet parent for 7 Australian shepherds and 2 cats since I have known her. The care and love that she has bestowed on all of them has been touching to observe and it has always been a pleasure to assist her in keeping her kids healthy. When the time came to let each leave her side, I have watched her go through agonizing pain. Each time she has moved forward but the pace has been slower and slower and her pain has become debilitating. Dr. Liz Fernandez is a certified hospice and palliative care practitioner. Several years ago she wrote a marvelous book, “Sacred Gifts of a Short Life, Uncovering the gifts of our Pets End of Life Journeys”. She continues to assist pet parents and veterinarians in handling transitions with grace and peace.

My aim as a veterinarian is to keep you, animals and the world we share healthy and thriving. The novel corona virus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the delicate balance of keeping zoonotic diseases controlled. Zoonotic diseases are those that are shared by people and animals. And one of the most common worldwide zoonotic diseases is one that you probably never heard of. ‘Stay-cations’ are likely going to be the norm for most Americans this summer. Getting outside with your dog, playing in streams and other waterways is the perfect way to cool off and get some exercise. It is also the perfect way to be exposed to a vaccine preventable, potentially fatal disease, leptospirosis. My guest is Dr. Emilio DeBess.