We welcome back Dr Matthew Muir with a masterclass on functional veterinary medicine looking specifically at feline nutrition. microbiome and chronic disease.

Topics discussed include:

• How do we start providing better care to cats, especially with regards to their diet?
• All diseases start in the gut, is this also true for cats?
• In nature, what would cats self-select to eat and how does that compare to commercial diets? 
• Feeding management vs diet composition and their impact on diabetes mellitus.
• The impact of low protein diets on cats.
• What macronutrient ratio should we be aiming for in a cat's diet?
• How do diet needs change from kittens to senior cats?
• The role ultra-processed foods play in chronic disease.
• Can diets help manage chronic enteropathies?
• The importance of hydration in cats and does it change depending on their diets?
• How does nutrition impact mental health disorders in cats?
• What does a functional preventative protocol look like for a general practitioner?

 

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Dr Matt's resources:

https://icatcare.org/resources/five-a-day_felix_full_report.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6390407/

https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/How-to-Make-the-Trip-to-the-Vet-Hospital-Fear-Free_EDITED.pdf

https://catinfo.org/

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In this episode encore, Dr Sarah Howard talks to Dr Caroline Moeser about probiotics in practice.

Topics include:

• How Caroline became a vet and ended up at Guide Dogs Australia
• Caroline’s main interests in Veterinary medicine
• Dr Moeser talks about how probiotics can shape the gut microbiome and how they have helped the dogs at Guide Dogs Australia
• How probiotics has helped reduce the incidence of diarrhoea at Guide Dogs
• When is the right time to introduce the dams and pups to probiotics?
• Can probiotics help with allergic skin disease?
• The link between a healthy microbiome and development of behavioural conditions
• Besides prebiotics and probiotics, Caroline talks about other things that can help to keep a healthy microbiome
• Dr Moeser discusses faecal transplants in dogs, its indications and benefits
• Microbiome analysis in dogs

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In this episode encore, Dr Meng Siak talks about PEA and allergic skin disease. Topics discussed include:

• Dr Meng discusses what PEA is and how it works.
• How does PEA relate to the endocannabinoid system?
• The properties of PEA and where they act within the body.
• Meng goes over the literature that is available for PEA.
• What dermatology cases would PEA be beneficial for?
• Dr Siak discusses whether PEA can reduce the requirement for pharmaceuticals.
• What side effects can be expected with the use of PEA?
• Safety of PEA and interactions with other drugs.
• Dr Meng shares his practical advice on how to use PEA.

This was a podcast re-play, and the webinar link is no longer available.

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In this month's episode we welcome our first vet nurse guest, Jacinta Van Eeden to discuss the changes that can be implemented to create a calm veterinary clinic environment.

Topics discussed include:

• The importance of a calm clinic environment.
• Common signs that indicate a pet may be anxious or stressed.
• Ways to get puppies and kittens used to visiting vet clinics.
• How our tone of voice can impact a pet's behaviour.
• Practical tools that clinics can implement to provide a relaxing environment.
• Steps that pet parents can take to prepare their pets for clinics visits.
• Fear free certification for veterinary clinics.
• Jacinta shares how to reduce anxiety in pet parents when their pet has a vet consultation.
• The number on tip Jacinta has for pet parents to ensure their pet doesn't become anxious when visiting vet clinics.

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In this episode, Dr Sarah Howard speaks to Dr Matthew Muir on his functional approach to managing allergic dermatitis.

Topics discussed include:

• Dr Matthew Muir's approach to pets with allergic dermatitis
• The reason immunotherapy is so under-utilised and its limitations.
• Conventional allergy management pharmaceuticals and how they work.
• How diet plays a role in Dr Muir's functional approach (immuno-nutrition).
• The relationship between the microbiome and allergies.
• The nutraceuticals Matthew might use when managing a dermatology case.
• How can we manage acute cases outside of a pharmaceutical approach?
• Dr Matthew discusses what is new and emerging in this field.
• What can pet owners do to decrease the risk of skin allergies in dogs?

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In this episode Dr Nicole Rous breaks down the process of bringing a puppy home and providing the optimal environment for physical and behavioral development.

Topics discussed include:

• Tips on selecting the right puppy from a breeder, shelter or pet shop.
• The benefits of finding a good breeder and maintaining a good relationship.  
• How to get a good idea of the innate temperament of the parents.
• Puppy socialisation timeline and the value of positive socialisation.
• How the breed compatibility with the owner lifestyles matters to the development of the puppy.
• Dr Rous discusses how we should approach to puppy behavioural training and the common mistakes we make.
• Positive reinforcement training and understanding how to read behavioural signals.
• Common mistakes that pet parents make.
• Importance of the vet role in the fear free experience.  
• Nutrition needs for puppies, the benefits to their trainability and the optimal puppy diet.
• Dr Rous describes the considerations behind choosing a good chew for puppies.
• Desexing considerations.

To listen to Dr Rous' podcast on desexing, go to this link https://omny.fm/shows/pure-animal-podcast/neutering-insights-with-dr-nicole-rous

To register to Dr Matthew Muir's dermatology webinar, go to this link https://my.demio.com/ref/w0mUrHThNOb0WpKe

 

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In this month's episode, Dr Sarah Howard discusses nutrient based psychiatry in the veterinary field with Dr Matthew Muir.

Topics discussed include:

• Dr Muir explains what nutrient-based psychiatry is.
• How does Matthew apply nutrient based psychiatry in the veterinary field?
•  What research is available supporting the importance that nutrition and microbiome diversity has on behaviour in dogs?
• What nutrients are missing from some commercial diets?
• How important is diet diversity?
• Ingredients present in diets that can be detrimental to dogs.
• Choosing the correct nutritional diet for your pet.
• Dr Muir's number one advice for veterinarians when it comes to nutrition and behaviour.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss with Professor Caroline Mansfield, urolithiasis in dogs and cats and their relationship with the microbiome.

Topics discussed included:

• What are uroliths and how are they formed?
• The different types of uroliths and the risk factors for their development.
• The way in which the gut microbiome can influence the development of urinary crystals and stones.
• Can microbiome modification form part of urolith management?
• Links between development of urolith and gut disease.
• Is there a clear gut-kidney axis? Can dysbiosis contribute to kidney disease?
• Professor Caroline shares the management plan she uses for her urolith cases.
• Probiotics that could be helpful in urinary cases.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Dr Sarah Howard discusses healthy ageing in dogs with Dr Matthew Muir.

Topics discussed include:

• The reason ageing is currently a hot topic.
• What leads to an increased lifespan and better quality of life?
• Diet changes that can impact ageing in dogs.
• Dr Muir discusses what we should avoid in order to increase lifespan.
• Matthew goes into details of what dogs' diets should look like to prevent disease.
• How often should we be feeding our pets?
• What happens to the gut microbiome as dogs get older? 
• Dr Muir delves into supplements that can be beneficial for ageing and emerging tools that are becoming available.
• The importance of preventative medicine - proactive vs reactive care.
• Accelerators of biological ageing.

Additional resources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11991408/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11675035/https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1355560/full https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11505706/ https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/18/11/564https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4936929/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22216092/ 

 

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16. Marchi PH, Vendramini THA, Perini MP, Zafalon RVA, Amaral AR, Ochamotto VA, Da Silveira JC, Dagli MLZ, Brunetto MA. Obesity, inflammation, and cancer in dogs: review and perspectives. Front Vet Sci. 2022;9:1004122. doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.1004122
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19. Parker A, Romano S, Ansorge R, Aboelnour A, Le Gall G, Savva GM, Pontifex MG, Telatin A, Baker D, Jones E, Vauzour D, Rudder S, Blackshaw LA, Jeffery G, Carding SR. Fecal microbiota transfer between young and aged mice reverses hallmarks of the aging gut, eye, and brain. Microbiome. 2022;10:68. doi:10.1186/s40168-022-01262-3
20. Ulluwishewa D, Anderson RC, McNabb WC, et al. Regulation of tight junction permeability by intestinal bacteria and dietary components. J Nutr. 2011;141(5):769–76. doi:10.3945/jn.110.135657
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Professor Caroline Mansfield joins us again to discuss all about feline triaditis.

Topics discussed include:

• What exactly is triaditis?
• Understanding the underlying cause of this condition.
• Challenges of diagnosing triaditis and multi-organ involvement.
• When are antibiotics indicated as part of the management plan?
• Correcting dysbiosis as part of the management plan.
• Clinical signs to look out for with feline triaditis.
• Duration of inappetence for hepatic lipidosis to develop.
• Professor Caroline Mansfield's go-to diagnostic tools.
• Treatment strategy when managing triaditis.
• The importance of diet as part of the management protocol.
• Long term prognosis for cats with triaditis and follow-ups required.
• Caroline's top 3 tips!

To register for Professor Caroline Mansfield's webinar on the impact of the microbiome on non-GI diseases, go to this link - https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d50a6d23-31b2-4481-9324-0f1dbabcfe19@afa78dff-85bb-46f3-b036-b43bcf79c497

To listen to Professor Mansfield's previous podcast on management of digestive disorders, go to this link https://omny.fm/shows/pure-animal-podcast/episode-encore-management-of-digestive-disorders-w

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.