UF Health Podcasts

When it comes to reading a dogs’ emotions, many folks interpret what they expect to see — instead of what’s right in front of them.

Researchers in a newly published study showed people videos of a dog reacting to positive and negative stimuli, including a treat, a leash, a vacuum cleaner and a scolding. Folks tended to assume what the dog was feeling by relying on the situational context rather than focusing on the dog’s behavior. In some cases, videos contained footage of a negative situation, such as a person showing a vacuum to a dog, spliced with a dog’s positive reaction to seeing his leash. Participants often assumed the dog was feeling bad, visual evidence to the contrary.

Bottom line? Pooch parents could benefit from taking a beat to really focus on their dog’s body language.

When it comes to pet food ingredients, corn gets a bad rap. But is that really justified?

Some folks think corn and other grains are common pet allergens. Truth is, food allergies are uncommon in pets, and most involve animal proteins, not plant proteins or grains.

Corn meal or ground corn — the kinds of corn often found in pet foods — are highly digestible grains. They’re a good source of energy and a great source of linoleic [lin-oh-LAY-ick] acid, an essential fatty acid required by dogs and cats. Corn also contains several B vitamins, potassium and magnesium. It’s also rich in carotenoids [cah-ROTTEN-oids], which have health benefits in dogs.

It often pays to look beyond the buzz. By objective measures, corn is a safe food ingredient that has a lot to offer our pets.

The healthiest diet for your rabbit or guinea pig is one that mimics that of their wild cousins. That means that about 85% of it should be fresh hay and grass. You may already know about hay, but what about grass?

Ideally, rabbits and guinea pigs should have daily access to grass — while grazing outside or munching on potted grass indoors. If grass is a new food item, introduce it slowly. Wild herbs and dandelions are also fine but avoid toxic plants. Also, never feed your furry friends lawnmower clippings, which can rapidly foster bacterial growth. Instead, use scissors to snip off grass and feed it right away.

Finally, don’t forget to round out your little one’s daily diet with a handful of fresh leafy greens, veggies and herbs.

One in three U.S. households has a pet cat, yet many feline conditions are less defined than those of their canine cousins. A big reason is that cats have been understudied for years.

But now, veterinarians are investing in making their clinics more cat-friendly. Some veterinary schools are also ramping up classes on feline health, and more researchers are studying environmental and genetic causes of feline disease.

Recently, an initiative called Darwin’s Cats was introduced for the long-term study of cats. Pet parents who enroll their cats for DNA testing also answer detailed surveys about their cats’ health and home routines. Researchers hope the information may highlight links between feline genetics and their health and behavior.

Recurrent uveitis [you-vee-EYE-tus] is a leading cause of blindness in horses. It involves repeated inflammation of the uvea [YOU-vee-uh], the pigmented layer of the eye.

In cases of equine autoimmune uveitis, a horse’s own immune system damages structures inside the eye and blocks light from the retina. In advanced cases, the damage is irreversible, but if caught early, treatment may save a horse’s sight.

Uveitis is typically treated with corticosteroids, but their long-term use is fraught with side effects. Now, University of Florida researchers are studying a topical drug that reduces inflammation through a completely different mechanism. So far, it has been shown to improve the eyesight in several severely affected horses. The next step is a larger clinical trial.

One of the toughest problems facing dogs and pooch parents is chronic canine diarrhea — the kind that lasts or crops up intermittently for weeks to months. There are many causes, and even after lengthy diagnostic testing, a definitive diagnosis may be elusive. That’s when modifying the dog’s diet may help.

An elimination diet trial is often recommended first to look for problematic ingredients. If no food allergy is found — and it rarely is — two approaches can be taken. Some dogs improve on a highly digestible reduced fat diet, while others, like those with inflammation of the colon, may respond to increased fiber.

Parents of affected dogs might consider working with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to help them through the diagnostic and treatment.

Like those of us who feel the sneeze, some of our feline friends suffer from seasonal allergies. Although cat allergies can occur any time of year, spring, summer and fall are usually the toughest seasons.

Feline allergies can cause sneezing and respiratory abnormalities, but signs of skin irritation are often more common. These include scratching, licking or biting at the skin, which can result in hair loss. Some cats develop red, watery eyes or ear infections made evident by head shaking, ear scratching or discharge. The discomfort can cause allergic cats to lose their appetite or develop behavioral changes.

If your cat shows any of these signs, see your veterinarian to get to the root of the problem.

About 1 in 10 dogs will develop heart disease, and though it’s less common in cats, they’re at risk too. That’s why heart disease should be on every pet parent’s radar.

Heart disease comes in many forms, some present at birth but most developing over time. Some breeds are at higher risk of specific cardiac problems, but heart disease can affect any dog or cat.

Clinical symptoms often first appear only once the disease has progressed. That’s when dogs may develop a cough or breathing problems. However, cats may never show any symptoms.

The average survival time from symptom onset to heart failure is  months to a year. But if a veterinarian detects a murmur or abnormal heart rhythm before symptoms develop, pets can often have more time. That’s why frequent wellness exams are crucial.

Brachycephalic [brake-ee-cef-AL-ick] — or flat-faced — dogs have lots of health challenges related to their altered anatomy. Their respiratory issues get lots of press but their ear problems, not so much.

Compared with dogs with normal facial anatomy, brachycephalic dogs have narrower ear canals, allowing dirt and bacteria to get trapped deep in the canal next to the eardrum. From there, infections can break through into the middle ear cavity near the brain. Nerves regulating balance, eye movement and blinking traverse this area too, so affected dogs can get dizzy and nauseous, develop a head tilt and even lose the ability to blink, which can severely damage their eyes.

That’s why any ear odor, shaking or discharge should be addressed right away with a veterinary visit — before a problem spirals out of control.

Animal-assisted intervention, or A-A-I, includes three types of animal interactions beneficial to people.

An example of animal-assisted therapy is using animals during counseling sessions. Animal-assisted activities use animals to decrease stressors — for example, in visits to hospital patients. In animal-assisted education, animals are used to improve educational activities — for example, in reading programs.

Mental health professionals agree that AAIs are calming and great for stimulating social connections, fostering emotional awareness and boosting academic success. And just to ensure such interactions work for the animals too — and we’re talking about a variety of species — the American Veterinary Medical Association has developed best practices for AAIs.