Steve Dale's Petcast

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos on how to keep pets out of the pet ER over the holidays, and it begins with being safe rather than sorry when it comes to tinsel and a special hint for preventing cats from toppling Christmas trees. Discussed are foods to keep pets away from and an idea to offer appropriate holiday food and treats so the pets aren’t begging for turkey or ham from the Christmas table. Also, Steve Dale’s dramatic reading, “A Pet’s Night Before Christmas”

Arguably the most important non-profit in the cat world is the EveryCat Health Foundation (formerly Winn Feline Foundation). Guests on this Merrick Pet Care Petcast are Vickie Fisher, president of the Board of Directors at EveryCat and Past President International Cat Association and EveryCat Executive Director Jackie Ott Jaakola discuss the rich history and impact this organization as nearly all we know about all cats was once funded over the past 53 years by this non-profit.

I too am involved, as I am Secretary of the Board of Directors, and explain how I created a fund called the Ricky Fund for heart disease in cats, and why that is important to all cats, and we are making progress.

Progress is the key word for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), once fatal and now considered treatable as a result of funding from the EveryCat Health Foundation. This is newsworthy because FIP is caused by the feline coronavirus (not the SARS coronavirus-2 now impacting people around the world), but as a result a drug called Remdesivir was found to help people.

Cats are living longer than ever before, and now the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has created Guidelines for Senior Cats called Senior Cats Have Special Needs. My guest in this Merrick Pet Care Petcast is Dr. Hazel Carney, feline practitioner and Co-Chair of the AAFP Guidelines Committee.

We cover LOTS of ground in this Petcast, from rattling off lots of very subtle signs of pain in cats you might not be aware of to defining feline cognitive dysfunction (sometimes dubbed ‘Kitty Alzheimers’). We talk about how learning throughout life and providing an enriched environment might even delay or prevent the onset of cognitive impairment with age. And how Dr. Carney has fun surprising older cats with crickets (her idea of fun might not be the same as yours, but cats enjoy it). We also discuss nutrition and how to create a comfortable environment for senior cats (ranging from night lights to kitty step stools).

Talk about heavyweight guests, In this Merrick Pet Care Petcast, Dr. Mark Johnston, chairman of the trustees of Our Special Friends and VP World Small Animal Veterinary Association Foundation with Dr. Patrick Flynn, president elect of the Human Animal Bond Association and Professional Services Veterinarian at Zoetis.

This Petcast features the very first announcement: International Human Animal Bond Day is November 8. And Dr. Johnson and Dr Flynn both explain that indeed it’s all about celebrating our relationships with dogs, cats and other companion animals but the human animal bond is truly much deeper than that. And what exactly is this bond? Both offer fascinating examples.

Also, another exciting announcement, the Human Animal Bond Academy, which launches soon.

Arguably, there’s an epidemic of overweight and obese cats. Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, lead veterinarian Merrick Pet Care feels so strongly about this topic because, though we love them more than ever before, our cats are suffering more as a result. As one example, diabetes in cats is at an all-time high. We discuss other repercussions of cats being overweight or obese.

Dr. Lobos offers tips on both prevention – so the cat isn’t overweight or obese in the first place. And we absolutely talk about how to get that extra weight to gradually come off.