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

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.