Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen ask Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets to explain the journey that fish take from their place of origin to your aquarium in a healthy way! - When asked the question where do fish come from, the Koi answer is to say from the water! But which ocean, sea, river or lake specifically? Which fish are better reproducing and being caught in the wild versus those being bred in captivity? Listen Saturday at 9AM when Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen ask Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets to explain the journey that fish take from their place of origin to your aquarium in a healthy way! Rick will detail the evolution of the pet shop industry from the 1960's to today and the massive changes that have transpired during those years making the industry today much more dynamic and accessible to all. You'll learn about the fish that come from the Gulf of Mexico and the Southwest Atlantic and the role that Florida played in dominating the fresh fish businesses early on. You'll learn what breeds of fish come from what geography and what methods are used currently for gathering and transporting fish in a safe, ethical way. Also, how technology and knowledge have changed making salt water reef tanks dramatically easier to maintain and are now much more common. Project Piaba, the fish of the orient and lots of puns on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio

this weeks guests Sean Murphy Rebecka Creed and Debbie Preuss on pet nutrition - How important is nutrition to pet health and well being? It's crucial! Listen Saturday at 9AM as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen learn all about nutrition for different categories of exotic pets! First up is Sean Murphy and Rebecka Creed talking about reptiles and small animal pets. Learn about the different requirements that exist species to species and within the same species. Learn about snakes, bearded dragons, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and many other breeds and the nutritious vegetable meals prepared by the Preuss staff. The bug bar is also the home of many nutritious snacks for many animals. Then Debbie Preuss joins the conversation discussing exotic birds, small medium and large and the unique requirements they each have. Equally important, Debbie emphasized the bonding that takes place with many young birds and their feeder. The trust that comes from providing food, safety, water and heat lead to bonds that can last decades between birds and their caregivers! Debbie is among the most knowledgeable from decades of experience and shares her feelings on how you can provide best care for your birds. Finally, Kapil Mandrekar is back to discuss nutrition for both fresh water and salt water aquariums. He'll discuss the evolution from flaked food of any color to now where a seafood menu is available in the frozen department at Preuss. Hear all about how you can feed your fish and your corals and different options for feeding fishes with different sized mouths. You'll learn a lot about exotic pets and how to care for them on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio

Rick , Doctor Schultz, and Lee talk pet safety guests are Doctor Wayne Beasley, DVM from Cedar Creek Veterinary and Kirbay Preuss - This is a rough time of year for pets. When it rains, it pours. Between the thunderstorms and the fireworks, many pets are frightened. And did you hear about the first day of summer or experience the heatwave this past week? Listen Saturday as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets , Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen talk about how to keep your pets safe these few weeks by reducing their anxiety. The guests are Doctor Wayne Beasley, DVM from Cedar Creek Veterinary in Williamston and Kirbay Preuss from Preuss Pets. Doctor Beasley talks about the heat issue for many different pets. Some breeds of dogs are more affected and what happens if the water in your aquarium overheats? Lucky for us, Doctor Beasley has so many pets of his own, he has figured out many ways to prevent the vulnerable animals from excessive heat and noise exposure. Doctor Schultz also assists in that and the explanation with protection from noise anxiety with a pharmaceutical discussion back and forth with Doctor Beasley. Then Kirbay Preuss joins the conversation to discuss some of the behavioral training solutions. She also discusses some of the retail products available that work for some like Thundershirts and other products that can comfort your dog and reassure them. She also talks about the CBD solutions that exist that may be successful in calming your dog during noise anxiety. It's a GREAT conversation between two vets with nearly a century of experience in Mid Michigan and tremendous reputations. Mix that with the Preuss father and daughter team and you get a must hear hour on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio

this weeks guests Katie McGlashen from Michigan DNR "Nature Awaits" program and Kirbay Preuss from Preuss Pets - How do you get fourth grade students, many of whom have spent their lives in urban and suburban settings, to feel welcome in a natural setting like a state metro park? Listen Saturday at 9AM when Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen learn about the Michigan DNR implementing a program through which, every fourth grade classroom in the state of Michigan can choose to visit a state park for a day, free of charge with even the cost of transportation reimbursed. Learn all about the details from Katie McGlashen, program coordinator for the Michigan DNR "Nature Awaits" program. You'll learn how the program was started elsewhere but brought to Michigan after Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist confirmed how he hadn't felt "welcome" at state parks and how could kids from urban and suburban backgrounds get introduced to one of Michigan's remarkable state parks. You'll also hear about Katie's intro to doing this type of work and why DNR is working diligently to give young people in Michigan desire and knowledge to spend time in nature. Then Kirbay Preuss from Preuss Pets joins in to share about the education programs for kids that are offered. Whether it is a private birthday party for up to 25 people or a free infant tea session with animals, Preuss is on the same page of bringing kids and animals (nature) together and teaching them to care for it. An interesting show where you can learn about how teachers can create a special day for fourth graders on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio.

Clinton County animal rehabilitator Cheryl Connell-Marsh - What do squirrels, songbirds, deer, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, minks and a weasel have in common? They are among the more than 11,000 animals that have been cared for by Clinton County animal rehabilitator Cheryl Connell-Marsh since 2009! Listen Saturday as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen find out about the recent goings on at the Nottingham Nature Nook in Bath which is the 501c3 started by Cheryl to help pay for the animal care and sanctuary. Cheryl will talk about the news and tv stories this week which told the tale of the two missing foxes that were in a private gated sanctuary until someone opened the gates allowing them to run off. Cheryl will talk about the fundraiser going on now for security cameras that will protect against or at least provide detail about similar events in the future. Cheryl then discusses the details about what goes on each day and shares the details about what they can and can't handle in terms of types of animals and quantities. This is an incredible story about one of nature's heroes and her quest to save animals on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio.

Doc, Lee and Rick speak with Mark Cusick, President of the Michigan Hawking Club! - Imagine trapping your own wild hawk and teaching it to return to your hand from free flight? What are the laws about doing such things? Are there many people in Michigan or in the United States who do this? Listen Saturday as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen learn all about "falconing" from Mark Cusick, President of the Michigan Hawking Club! Mark will explain how long the sport has been around and what the process is to become a falconer. It's not just buying a hawk and a glove! Learn about the rotation of birds many falconers go through by choice and the reasons why they are much more benefit to young hawks then people understand. You'll hear where to go to look for hawks and how they are trapped and trained to become "pet" hawks who will work in tandem with their handler to catch pray and return to the hand of the handler. In fifteen years, we never covered this topic until this Saturday, June 1 on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio

A conversation with Mark Jaeger, the president of the Ingham County Kennel Club and Professional dog handler Lihi Ruvio - How many of you got a chance to watch the dog show on TV and thought you might like to know more about what it takes to show a dog at a local dog show and what the judges are looking for from your dog? Listen Saturday at 9AM when Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen get the answers to both these questions from local people who have done it! First up is Mark Jaeger, the president of the Ingham County Kennel Club and the Mid Michigan AKC. Mark is a breeder owner who has now been judging for more then twenty years. He will explain everything about how the judging works, the requirements for entering shows, the best way to learn and many other aspects of how to raise and train a champion. Then Lihi Ruvio from Williamston joins us to talk about being a handler. She began at age eight handling her mother's Cane Corso dogs and began to experience enough success that they managed an invitation to show their dog at Westminster while she was a teenager.

This weeks guests Dr. Donald G. Sturz, President of the Westminster Kennel Club and Carol Bergmann from the Darbydale Kennel in Williamston - The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is kicking off this weekend with the group competitions kicking off Monday night. This show s the second longest running sporting event in the United States only trailing the Kentucky Derby (150). Listen Saturday at 9AM when Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen learn all about this year's show from Dr. Donald G. Sturz, President of the Westminster Kennel Club. Learn about Dr. Sturz history as a Junior Showmanship finalist, the number one Junior Handler in the U.S. for three years and a breeder. He then went on to Judge major shows worldwide including Best in Show (BIS) at Westminster in 2022. Then, Carol Bergmann from the Darbydale Kennel in Williamston returns to the show to discuss her twenty year anniversary of her winning BIS at Westminster with Josh the Newfoundland in 2004. Carol discusses the lead up to making Westminster and the prep you have to do to have a chance at winning. Carol also reveals that the Vet doctor who delivered Josh was our own Dr. Schultz who reveals that he had delivered three BIS dogs at Westminster during his career. If you are amazed by dogs or dog shows and want to learn more about different breeds, start out Westminster week by listening to this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio

The show welcomes Kelsey McCombs from The Constellation Cat Cafe and Kirbay Preuss from Preuss Pets - The Constellation Cat Cafe has made a significant impact on Mid Michigan by helping thousands of rescued cats get adopted and we've been told they make some fine drinks for you to enjoy while you spend time bonding with adoptable cats. Listen Saturday at 9AM as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets, Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen hear all about them from Kelsey McCombs, the current Executive Director of this element of the 501c3 organization behind it. Listen as Kelsey shares a general understanding of how the cafe is setup and what the customer experience options exist. She also shares the past results and why they are so confident in their future after their renovation is complete on their new home. It is located in the former Su Casa building in Old Town right next door to Preuss Pets! Kirbay Preuss then joins the conversation to share the products that Preuss has available for new and existing cat and kitten owners.

Rick, Lee and Dr. Schultz discuss the subject of ponds and water gardens and the various features you can install in your own yard! w Kapil Mandrekar, - Most people who know Rick Preuss, know that he is into ponds, literally and figuratively. This shouldn't be surprising since he loves koi and other pond fish and plants. Also because he has one in his yard and many people in Williamston who pass it call it the pond house. Listen Saturday as Rick Preuss from Preuss Pets and Kapil Mandrekar, returning guest from last week's show on goldfish, discuss the subject of ponds and water gardens and the various features you can install in your own yard! Doctor Will Schultz, DVM (retired) and Lee Cohen will ask about the types and sizes of fish, the types of plants, and how to care for them during winter. Rick and Kapil will expand the conversation into the amount of space you need, the amount of sunlight and other natural ways to keep your pond or water garden flourishing. They will also discuss the addition of water falls and other ways to keep the sound of flowing water to help keep you relaxed and healthy! From apartment balconies to large ponds, you'll hear about them on this weekend's edition of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on 1320 AM WILS on the radio.