Fresh Scoop

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks with Dr. Judi Stella, Research Associate at The Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine, and a Morris Animal Foundation-funded researcher. The two discuss cat welfare and her research to find strategies shelter managers and private practice veterinarians can use to reduce stress for cats.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks with Dr. Valerie McKenzie, Associate Professor in the University of Colorado, Boulder's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a Morris Animal Foundation-funded researcher. The two discuss the worldwide problem of the chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Dr. McKenzie's recent efforts to stop it in boreal toads.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks with Dr. Kate Hurley, Director of the Koret Shelter Medicine Program and the University of California, Davis, and a Morris Animal Foundation-funded researcher. The two discuss the history of animal shelters in the United States and Dr. Hurley explains her study on how to decrease cases of feline respiratory disease in shelter cats.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks again to Dr. Missy Simpson, Study Epidemiologist for the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. The two discuss the first substantial findings of the Study, about how spaying or neutering large-breed dogs can put them at a higher risk for obesity and, if done when the dog is young, non-traumatic orthopedic injuries.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks about laminitis with Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Morris Animal Foundation's Chief Scientific Officer. The two cover the disease's scope, current treatment and new research addressing it. They also discuss what horse owners can do to help prevent this debilitating disease.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks with Dr. Jordan Karubian, Associate Professor at Tulane University's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, about his latest study, which found that mockingbirds exposed to sub-lethal levels of lead in urban areas display heightened aggression. He says the findings highlight the possibility that sub-lethal lead exposure may be common among other wildlife living in urban areas and more work is needed to better understand its full effects.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks about equine herpes virus with Dr. Tracy Stokol, Professor of Clinical Pathology at Cornell University. The two cover this devastating disease, as well as Dr. Stokol's recent Morris Animal Foundation-funded research into certain white blood cells, called monocytes, to help horses fight equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV1) infections.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks about gastric acid secretion issues in dogs and cats with Dr. Katie Tolbert, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Texas A & M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Tolbert also discusses her Morris Animal Foundation-funded work to evaluate the effectiveness of a commonly prescribed drug for chronic kidney disease in cats.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks about spinal cord injuries and diseases among cats and dogs with Dr. Natasha Olby, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at North Carolina State University. Dr. Olby discusses her Morris Animal Foundation-funded work to find treatments and optimize recovery for these issues.

Dr. Kelly Diehl talks about mitral valve disease in dogs with Dr. Kate Meurs, Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Meurs discusses her Morris Animal Foundation-funded study to identify genetic mutations to recognize dogs that would be at risk for developing the disease, and how veterinarians might intervene.