Veterinary student Elizabeth Whitt is back with us today to talk about heartworms. She walks us through what heartworms are, the impact they have on our pets and how important prevention is. We get a little carried away with the discussion and we go a bit longer than our average episode, but we feel passionately about this topic.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• Heartworm Life Cycle video from the American Heartworm Society
• Heartworm Incidence Map from the American Heartworm Society
• Microfilaria Under a Microscope video
• Heartworm Extraction Surgery video *Warning: Graphic video*

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]

Ep. 66 - Pet Photography  – Show Notes

Every pet parent loves a good picture of their family pet. But getting that perfect picture can sometimes be quite a challenge. This week, we invited Patricia Drach, a professional pet photographer, to talk about her experiences with snapping those perfect shots and to give us advice on how we can be better pet photographers ourselves.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• Check out Patricia’s work at her website
• You can find her on Facebook and Instagram
• 7 tips for taking your pet photography to the next level from ProFoto
• When is golden hour & how to do golden hour photography from Adobe Studios
• The Walk My Dog Program has just two more weeks and Patricia is this week’s sponsor

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 65 - My veterinarian has an app for that.  – Show Notes

As we come to live more and more of our lives through our mobile phones, the veterinary industry has begun offering apps that allow pet owners to keep track of their pet’s health records and stay connected to their veterinary providers. Using client engagement apps, pet parents can schedule appointments, submit prescription refill requests, confirm appointments, track vaccinations and more.

Mary Schwartz is Senior Sales Enablement Manager with PetVisor. She brings her knowledge about client engagement apps and walks our listeners through the benefits of using the veterinary tools.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• Learn more about PetDesk at their website PetDesk.com
• Why Has a Group of Orcas Suddenly Started Attacking Boats? from Scientific American

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 64 - Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box? – Show Notes

Inappropriate elimination is one of the leading causes of calls to the veterinarian from cat owners. Most often, this is caused by medical issues like urinary tract infections or urinary stones. However, there are times that the problem is a behavioral issue rather than a medical one.

Dr. Amy Pike is a board certified veterinary behaviorist and is co-owner of the Animal Behavior Wellness Center. She is a published author and frequent conference speaker focusing on overcoming behavior issues that harm the human-pet bond. Dr. Pike joins the podcast to help educate our listeners about the steps to identifying behavioral problems and addressing them.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• Learn more about Dr. Amy Pike at the website of Animal Behavior Wellness Center
• The Indoor Pet Initiative from Ohio State University is a great source of information
• You can find “Decoding Your Cat” on Amazon.com though we encourage you to buy it from your local bookstore in order to support local businesses
• You will be able to find more from Dr. Pike at The Behavior Buzz podcast that will begin in July

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 63 - Help! My puppy pees EVERYWHERE!!! – Show Notes

Still time to register for the 4th Annual #WalkMyDog challenge!

Potty training your new puppy is one of the most important, and sometimes difficult, aspects of acclimating a new furry family member into the home. Stephen is experiencing this first hand as his new puppy, Winston, is not taking well to potty training. 

So we brought Heather Moore of Wag It Better Dog Training back to the podcast to work with Stephen, and all of our other curious pet parents, on how to properly potty train a new puppy. She also provides some resources for listeners to learn more at home.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• Learn more about Wag It Better training offerings at their website
• Potty Training That Works from Wag It Better
• Crate Training That Works from Wag It Better
• Ring a Ding Ding Training from Wag It Better

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 62 - Socializing Your Dog – Show Notes

One of the most important steps a dog owner can take is to properly socialize their dog. Whether as a puppy meeting the world for the first time or as an adult canine learning about new aspects of life outside the home, the process for socializing a dog is critical to an enjoyable ownership cycle.

Heather Moore of Wag It Better Dog Training joins the podcast today to explain the importance of socializing our dogs through introducing them to new people, new places and other dogs. She also provides some resources for listeners to learn more at home.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

Register for the 4th annual Walk My Dog Challenge! All you have to do is walk your dog, log your miles, and win prizes!

Learn more about Wag It Better training offerings at their website

• Calming Signals - Learning to Listen video on “speaking dog”
• If you have questions about canine body language, check out iSpeakDog
  
  

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Show Notes are coming!

Ep. 60 - Rutherford County PAWS (Part 2) – Show Notes

Rutherford County Pet Adoption & Welfare Services (PAWS) is working in partnership with the community to create a safe, healthy and caring environment for both our citizens and animals through education, adoption and courteous, effective enforcement of the Tennessee Codes annotated relating to animals in Rutherford County.

Michael Gregory is the director of Rutherford County PAWS located in Murfreesboro, TN. He is joined on the podcast by Gracie Martin, the Public Relations and Media Specialist for PAWS. They chatted with us about adoptions and PAWS programs.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• You can check out PAWS at their website
• PAWS is on Facebook and Instagram
• Learn more about the process of Lost & Found pets

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 59 - Animal Control Laws and Enforcement with PAWS – Show Notes

Rutherford County Pet Adoption & Welfare Services (PAWS) is working in partnership with the community to create a safe, healthy and caring environment for both our citizens and animals through education, adoption and courteous, effective enforcement of the Tennessee Codes annotated relating to animals in Rutherford County.

Michael Gregory is the director of Rutherford County PAWS located in Murfreesboro, TN. He oversees the county’s effort to provide for animal control and enforcement of the laws related to animal welfare. He joins the podcast today to discuss the work of PAWS and shares how local residents can support the work.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• You can check out PAWS at their website
• PAWS is on Facebook and Instagram
• Learn more about the process of Lost & Found pets

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected]. 

Ep. 58 - The Canine Review – Show Notes

The U.S. pet industry saw more than $135 billion in spending last year. However, there are few journalists covering the “pet industry beat.” From issues surrounding government regulations of the industry to the business financials of giant corporate entities providing for pet care, consumers regularly encounter a void of information. Trying to fill that reporting void is The Canine Review.

Emily Brill is the founder and executive editor of The Canine Review, an online news service

providing dog owners, animal health professionals and industry stakeholders with original and independent reporting about the pet industry. While the enterprise reporting and features in The Canine Review are obviously focused on dogs, the companies and government entities involved span the entirety of the pet industry.

Here are links to information we talked about today:

• You can check out The Canine Review at their website
• The Canine Review is on Facebook and Instagram

Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected].