Animal Airwaves

Do you ever feel like it’s our cats’ world and we’re just living in it? At the very least, we spend considerable time trying to decipher — and adapt to — their behavior.

Take a cat’s nearly uncanny ability to slip through almost any opening. It makes you wonder whether they know how wide and tall they are — that is, whether they have body size awareness. In a series of at-home experiments, researchers studied cats’ ability and readiness to squeeze through increasingly smaller apertures. When it came to narrow spaces, the cats never quit trying, but they seemed to know their height limit.

In practical terms, cats know just how to use their impressive flexibility. That can help us design more stimulating feline play areas and keep our buddies safe at home.

Providing enrichment for dairy calves may not be an industry requirement, but it improves their well-being. The resulting stress reduction may even have production benefits down the road.

Calves generally need five types of enrichment to engage in normal behavior. Sensory enrichment can be offered by wall-mounted brushes, which all ages of cattle tend to enjoy. Social enrichment — like housing calves in pairs or groups — increases their resilience to stress.

Providing nipples on bottles and wall-mounted pacifiers satisfies their urge to suckle. And offering hay provides both occupational and physical enrichment by keeping calves mentally and physically engaged. Providing space for exercise is essential too.

While beautiful flowers and plants can add vibrancy and interest to a garden, many of these can also cause harm to your pets if ingested. Because animals explore the world with their mouths, it’s important to ensure your garden and your yard are free of plants that could cause gastrointestinal upset or even death. For example, sago palms are common household and landscaping plants that be lethal if ingested, even in small quantities as all parts of the plants are toxic. On this show, Dr. Chris Martyniuk, a toxicologist, will discuss what plants to be wary of or eliminate if your animals spend any time outdoors.

These days, a variety of dietary supplements are available to complement traditional veterinary care. Veterinarians frequently recommend supplements for a variety of conditions in pets, from arthritis to skin health to digestive issues. With so many supplements on the market, what should pet owners keep in mind when discussing the use of supplements with their veterinarian? On this show, Dr. Erin Miscioscia, a clinical assistant professor of integrative and mobility medicine, will discuss the pros and cons of veterinary supplements and how to choose safe and effective supplements for your pets.

Veterinary pain management specialists who focus on anesthesia and analgesia are always looking for new ways to detect and minimize pain in animal patients undergoing anesthesia for a medical procedure. But what if they were able to predict ahead of time the level of pain anticipated? On this show, Dr. Ludovica Chiavaccini, a specialist in anesthesia and analgesia, will discuss an exciting new research project that uses deep learning modeling and video technology to analyze facial expression as a predictor of pain in domestic goats, and how such a tool could potentially benefit patient care for a variety of species in the future.

Sometimes animals need blood transfusions just like people do — for blood loss, surgery or serious illnesses.

We’ve talked before about the millions of birds that die annually after crashing into buildings. However, the statistics have been off. Tragically, the more accurate count is in the hundreds of millions.

We may be done with hot weather, but it’s likely not done with us — or our pets. So, now’s not the time to let your guard down about pets in cars.

In people, removing creases around the eyes is usually done via a cosmetic procedure dubbed a “nip and tuck.” But in animals, periocular surgery — or surgery around the eye — is usually an essential procedure performed to improve the animal’s quality of life.

It’s that time of year when hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding can batter small farms — but a disaster plan can help mitigate the dangers to livestock.