Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Hot Animal News
We begin with animal news including Senator Feinstein takes an interest in horse deaths at Santa Anita Park racetrack, high pesticide residues present in common fruits and vegetables, Ohio’s state animal is now the shelter pet, the USDA ends a toxoplasmosis research program that killed thousands of kittens, and more.
High blood pressure in dogs and cats
Then, Veterinarian Robert Reed joins us to speak about high blood pressure in dogs and cats. Our understanding of high blood pressure in our pets has increased greatly over the past 2 decades. Most instances are caused by an underlying medical condition the cat or dog has.
The most common canine diseases that can lead to high blood pressure are chronic kidney disease, Cushing’s disease (an overproduction of cortisone by the body), and adrenal gland tumors. With high blood pressure, blood vessels can become thickened and stretched and may eventually rip and tear, causing bleeding.
Ways to reduce stress in shelter dogs
Peter then welcomes back to the show Professor Clive Wynne of the Arizona State University Canine Science Collaboratory to speak about the stress dogs have while in shelters. His group is working on developing ways to reduce the stress of dogs there.
Pain creams used by people pose severe risks to cats.
To finish up this show, we continue with a few more dog and cat items. According to a new FDA report, using pain relief creams (like flurbiprofen) on your body can pose serious health risks to cats.
People apply these topical pain creams to themselves to treat muscle or joint pain. Exposure to your cat can occur by petting, by the cat rubbing against your body, or via transfer from bedding.
Even small amounts of the medication are highly toxic and can be lethal. Lori also explains how topically applied hormone replacement creams can pose serious risks to pets in a similar fashion.
Then, Lori tells us about the most common causes of visits to the vet over the past year.
Leave a Reply