Scratchings-and-Sniffings

National Holistic Pet Day

 

 

 

OMG! Did you know that today is National Holistic Pet Day? You're not alone, if you didn't. I didn't. Until Caroline told me.

Turns out that ninety-percent of the more than 700 pet owners surveyed by Halo, Purely for Pets, Natural Pet Food, didn't know, either! And, Halo wants to change that.

Here's the scoop (I love saying that)- HALO believes this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate and promote all the things we do (or should do) to take care of our pets' bodies, minds and souls... and how all of that relates to the way we live within the context of our broader pet community.

I have some data from the survey of the 700 pet parents, that uncovered what they do to live holistically with their pets, and what they'd like to do...

Bloat in Dogs - A Life-Threatening Condition

Dr. Larry wrote about this and most regular readers know that our Carmie passed on from this horrible condition. It involves bloating of the stomach that causes the stomach to twist inside the dog. It's a medical emergency and when Carmie developed it - we only knew she was in distress. I think if we'd been more aware, we could have saved her.

This video is a must watch - and share with others.

 

Diabetes in Cats & Dogs - A Scratchings and Sniffings Out Loud Podcast

How familiar are you with diabetes in dogs and cats? I've seen many a cat with this disease, but never a dog. The cats we treated at the cat hospital I worked in were almost all overweight and...sometimes a bit ornery.

You'll hear Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry explain how diet plays a part in this disease, and how easy it is to treat your diabetic cat or dog at home. If you have insight, do share. And visit the Cornell website for a great video on how to give an insulin injection to your cat.(sponsored by Purina Veterinary Diets.)

Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud: A Discussion on UTI

UTI refers to urinary track infection. Many male cats suffer from this. I remember many, many issues around urinary track infections, back when I worked at the Cat Dr.

It was mysterious then - though treatable. Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry share valuable insight here, including new dietary options. I hope you learn as much as I did and will share it with others. Highly recommended!

Come back again for our next S&S Out Loud - to learn about Feline Diabetes.

Pet Pain Relief is More than Pills

We've spent a couple of posts on the subject of pain. We've discussed how to recognize the signs of pain and several drugs that Veterinarians use to control pain. We are a pill popping culture, but pain relief for pets involves more than just medication. There are a number of "modalities" or different ways to manage pain that are being used successfully by Veterinarians in a more holistic response to pain management.

One of them is near and dear to my heart and involves nutrition. Since arthritis is the most common source of chronic pain in both dogs and cats, nutrition can play a basic role in pain relief. There are special diets that have proven anti inflammatory properties for dogs with arthritis pain. Obesity is a common complication for arthritic dogs and weight loss can be very helpful in managing arthritis pain and slowing the progression of degenerative changes in affected joints.

A Few Thoughts on Nutrition

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that it's sponsored by Purina pet food. Every now and then I read blog posts or articles about how bad prepared dog and cat food is for our pets. The people reporting on this topic consider themselves nutritionists, I guess. Some are professionals of a sort, but the reality looms large and it's this: grocery store pet food is nutritionally sound. I've fed all my cats and dogs grocery store food and all have lived long and healthy lives.

When people complain about pet food prepared by a big brand, they often cite ingredients as an issue, insisting that the list of ingredients on the dog food bag (or cat food bag) prove them right. Mostly they wish corn was taken out but... Dr. Grace can tell you, corn is not going to hurt anyone. In fact, it's a natural ingredient. Combined with the rest of the ingredients, it poses no harm or risk to our dogs.

Next Week Is National Pet Obesity Awareness Week

According to a 2009 study 45% of dogs and 58% of cats in the United States are overweight or obese. That translates to to 35 million dogs and 54 million cats. That's heavy man.

It's also kind of scary from a pet health perspective. Excess weight is just as serious for pets as it is for us. Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, cruciate ligament ruptures and even certain types of cancer are all more common in overweight or obese pets. Heart disease and respiratory disease are complicated by obesity, too.

Nutritional Needs for Cats: A Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud

Great Scratchings & Sniffings podcast with Dr. Larry and Dr. Grace on feline nutritional needs. I'm often struck by the notion some folks have that our cats can eat dog food - or, that dogs are fine eating cat food. Or, that both can eat people food. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most good pet people know this. But, some folks still cling to the idea that any food is okay, as long as it's food.

I hope this little podcast can shed some light on the true nutritional needs of cats because our cats deserve as much attention as our dogs, but often don't get it. I, especially, was paying attention because I plan on having the Grumpy Old Lady around for many more years beyond this 18th year of her life. And, nutrition plays a huge part in that. Listen up... (you'll notice Dr. Larry and I have new pics! I'll see if we can get updated pics of Dr. Grace)

Another Specialty for Veterinary Technicians

If you've ever spent much time in a Veterinary clinic you've undoubtedly spent time with a Veterinary Technician. Like their nurse counterparts in human medicine, they do the majority of the actual patient care and they provide a good deal of education in the process. 

I wrote a post about an eye opening discussion I had with the executive director of NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) just last winter. I didn't know that they had so many specialty certifications like Internal Medicine and Behavior for instance. Well now they have a new specialty and it's right up my alley. They just unveiled the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT).

Help With Pet Weight Loss is Here

In my humble opinion the reason people and pets fail at losing weight is that they try to go it alone. That's why I'm so excited about a new program from the Veterinary Division at Purina. It's Called Project Pet Slim Down and it's kind of like the popular reality TV show The Biggest Loser, except no one gets kicked out of Project Pet Slim Down.   

Project Pet Slim Down follows eight pets and their families in the quest for ideal body condition. There are videos on the Slim Down web site of these pets in their homes and at their vet clinics. It's basically a support program for owners and that's one reason I'm so excited about it. We talked about it with Dr. Grace just last week.