Chris and Cathy talk often about enrichment in their podcast.  But what exactly is enrichment for our pets? Listen to animal enrichment expert, Amanda Shyne, help us understand why enrichment is not simply a nice to have but a need to have. Enrichment is the action of improving the quality of something - in our case, an animal's life. Enrichment brings joy and makes our pets feel alive, a need that contributes to their sense of well-being beyond the basic requirements of food, shelter, and medical care.  Enrichment satisfies your pet’s physical and psychological needs by providing a perception of control over their environment, often mimicking natural behaviors, and offering choice. To put it simply, enrichment is caring. Creating an enrichment practice with your pet is easier than you think and can take on a variety of forms! Listen to this episode to learn how.

Find Amanda at Data Driven Agility or email her at [email protected]

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

Vital Vet is a comprehensive, online platform on a mission to eradicate the words, "if I had only known" from our vocabulary. The platform offers over 500 products, as well as physical rehabilitation consults, blogs, videos, online education, and so much more. Aimed at pet parents, physical rehabilitationists, and all veterinary professionals, this vast hub of information  provides one-stop shopping designed to meet the needs of pet owners and rehab professionals striving to provide the optimal quality of life for the pets in their care. Vital Vet funnels information seamlessly so we can stay up to date with the most cutting edge products, services, and news. This site is, to say the least, VITAL!

To access the Vital Vet platform go to VitalVet.org
Find Ilaria at Thera-Paw.
Email: [email protected]
Go to AnimalAid.USA for the rescue charity of Ilaria's brother, Lorenzo Borghese.

Go to YouTube at PetAbility Podcast for the corresponding visual content of this episode, including navigation of the Vital Vet site.

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

Did you know that there is good inflammation and bad inflammation? The good inflammation is your friend, necessary for healing from injury or recovering from illness. The bad inflammation is your enemy, it lingers too long, causing persistent pain, unhealthy compensations, and fatigue amongst other things. Listen to Chris and Cathy's lively banter about inflammation to learn how to control inflammation so your friend does not morph into your enemy. Great for not only your pets, but you, too!

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

Prepare to be inspired as you learn about pets living with three limbs. The thought of your beloved pet losing a limb is devastating and scary.  Bringing them home after amputation is often overwhelming and a bit shocking. Turning to a community of pet owners for support and resources who have traveled this path before you can make all the difference. You will find this and more at Tripawds.com - the largest online community for 3-legged pets and their people. All the resources that you can imagine are here in one place in a variety of formats. After listening to founders, Jim and Rene, who were inspired by their own 3-legged dog, Jerry, you will surely be convinced that “it's better to hop on 3 legs than limp on 4!”

To learn more about Tripawds and their community go to:
Tripawds.org - 501c3 charity
Tripawds.com - resources galore!
Tripawds on Facebook
Tripawds on Instagram
Tripawds on Twitter

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

Most dogs that drown do so from exhaustion. This episode introduces an innovative collar, called HedzUpPets watercollar, that can save your dog from drowning, even if they lose consciousness. A typical doggie life vest cannot. Exhaustion can develop when dogs are unable to extricate themselves from a pool or they start swimming across the lake after those ducks. Sometimes the intention may not be for your dog to swim at all – they fall into the pool or out of a boat or off a cliff into a river when running in the woods. Imagine seeing your dog flailing; they are unable to get out of the water despite your desperate attempts. Of course, you can jump in if your dog is small enough to lift out of the water, doesn't dunk you under in the process, and you have adequate aquatic life-saving skills. But what if you don't see it? What if you are not there? There are some things in life that are far too precious to leave to chance, and your dog's life is one of them.

To learn more about HedzUpPets watercollars and order yours today go to: SaveDogsFromDrowning.com
Follow on social media at:
FaceBook: Hedzuppets
Instagram: @Hedzuppets

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

If you’re listening to PetAbility, then you’ve likely had a fantasy at some point in your life about having a rescue, likely for dogs, cats, or even farm animals. But I bet you never dreamed of having a fish rescue!! Dive in as fish rescuer extraordinaire, Gwendolyn Church of Friends of Philip Fish Sanctuary, tells us what it takes to properly care for fish while dispelling myths and bringing tons of compelling information about fish ownership to the surface. Her goal is that our fish not simply survive, but actually thrive in their homes! “Fishes are sensitive, intelligent animals who deserve so much more than we give them,” says Gwendolyn. Fish are different from ALL other animals because they have gills, fins, and live only in the water. However, these differences don’t mean that they are any “less than” our furry friends. So let’s make an o’fish-ial commitment to spread the word about our fish friends and the care they warrant!

To learn more about Friends of Philip Fish Sanctuary and support Gwendolyn's work, please go to their social media pages:
https://www.instagram.com/friendsofphilip_fishsanctuary/
https://www.facebook.com/friendsofphilip

Click here for the amazing video by GeoBeats Animals

To find a veterinarian who specializes in fish, go to The American Association of Fish Veterinarians

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

Buddy’s downward dog stretch you see in the early morning is integral to his overall wellness. Stretching maintains or increases the flexibility of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, etc.) and helps to prevent injury by prepping the body for activity. Proper flexibility makes any movement easier. Pets tend to lose flexibility as they age or as a result of an injury – both situations limit their ability to stretch on their own. As owners, we need to stretch our pets to help them move easier or heal faster. Listen to Cathy and Chris give tips on how to:

• Get your pet's cooperation for a stretching session;
• Warm up the tissue before stretching; 
• Stretch the major muscle groups; and
• Monitor different signals while stretching your pet.

Listen to this episode and stretch your mind so you can stretch your pet. Everyone will feel better!

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

What do you get when you take people and dogs of all shapes and sizes and ask them to race through an obstacle course? AGILITY! Of course, there's lots more to it than that, but agility is fundamentally about enhancing the relationship with your dog. Essentially, you learn to talk to one another!  You learn how to read their signals, motivate them, and communicate your desired outcome through verbal and non-verbal cues. Agility is a very versatile sport that can accommodate any team that wants to try it, but mostly it's tons of fun. You may choose never to compete (and most don't), but you can still reap the benefits of relationship building, physical exercise, mental acuity, confidence boosting, and enrichment - and that's just for you, not to mention your dog!! So go find an agility class near you and embrace the obstacles on the course!

To find Nolan, email her at [email protected] or contact Riverside Canine Center in Nashua, NH.

To learn more about agility in general, search the following agility organizations:
AKC agility
CPE agility
NADAC agility
UKC agility
UKI agility
USDAA agility

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

So your dog has an injury? Lesson one: the nervous system is adaptable. Lesson two: don't be afraid to touch your pet! It does more than you might ever imagine. Whether it’s a neurologic or orthopedic injury, providing sensory input can help the body to heal faster and more fully. Sensory input is smell (a huge part of the dog's brain in devoted to this so give them something savory to smell), hearing (play a relaxing soundtrack), vision (bring them outside to watch the squirrels), taste (give them their favorite yummy treat) and touch - warmth/cool, massage, brushing, vibration, pressure, etc. Why is all this important? Because it changes your pet's brain to promote healing. By providing comfortable, novel, positive sensory experiences, we can impact our pet's ability to recover from trauma. Listen to Amie Hesbach, PT, DPT, MS, NCPT, CCRP, CCRT, CKTP, describe how new pathways between the brain and the body are created to teach old dogs new tricks given the right sensory input and environment!

To find Amie go to Empower Physio Pet or Empower Physio Teachable.

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...

What do you mean you've never had a pet tortoise? Well, neither have we! Listen to pet parent, Kasey Kuchinski, talk all about what its like having a tortoise for a pet. There's lots to ensuring that a tortoise like Ethel thrives. For Kasey and her husband, Dan, having Ethel is a match made in heaven. Every aspect of Ethel's care is addressed from diet to habitat to enrichment activities. You will be astonished at the amount you learn in this episode, from  plethora of fun turtle facts to one shocking revelation!

To find Ethel, go to EthelTheGlamourTort on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Disclaimer

VitalVet.org, a platform for all things related to pet rehab - product information, education, and resources abound!
MedcoVet (show sponsor) Luma - advanced red-light therapy therapy that puts healing in the hands of the pet owner in the comfort of home!

Use Promo Code PETPOD22, to receive discounts from our affiliates! You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% to help support our show (unless stated otherwise)!
Ruff Ramp - a safe alternative to stairs.
Optimum Pet Vitality - Education/coursework to help you and your pet!
Dr. Buzby’s - The Senior Dog Company – Toe grips to prevent slipping, Encore Mobility joint supplement, and Brain Boost cognitive supplement.
You receive 10% off and PetAbility receives 10% from your first order.
Extra love – use this link and the entire 20% goes to support our show!
Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap - a...