UF Health Podcasts

It might not just be your waistline that thins if you embark on an intermittent fast. Those lost pounds might take a few hairs with them.

That’s what Chinese scientists suggest in a new study. They report that this style of fasting significantly delays hair regeneration.

Intermittent fasting comes in several flavors. It can involve eating normally during a specific time window, say 10 a.m. through 6 p.m., but then fasting the rest of the day. Some subscribe to alternate day fasting — eating normally on one day, then eating nothing or very little the next.

In the hair study, scientists put 49 young adults on a strict 18-hour daily fast that reduced hair growth by 18%. A separate experiment that involved mice fasting 16 hours a day demonstrated significantly delayed hair regeneration.

The mice who ate normally took just 30 days to regrow lost hair. The dieting mice took 96. But mice have a higher metabolism than humans. So, the impact of fasting is less pronounced in people.

So, what’s going on?

Well, blame it on hair follicle stem cells that fail to adapt to the metabolic upset of fasting. When fasting, our cells tap fat for energy instead of glucose. In doing so, they can be overwhelmed by oxidative stress, causing hair cells to self-destruct.

Some remedies, however, appear to help. For example, topical vitamin E can heighten antioxidant capacity that helps shield hair cells during fasting.

Researchers are quick to point out that they don’t want to scare people from trying intermittent fasting. The benefits, they say, can have a positive impact on health.

Just know that it could have a hairy side effect.

Health care practitioners rarely measure or ask about a patient’s physical activity during annual wellness exams. But they should.

A new study from the University of Iowa suggests that because a lack of exercise is known to increase risk for many chronic diseases and early death, asking about exercise should be as routine for practitioners as slipping on a blood pressure cuff. In fact, the study suggests that measuring physical activity should be treated like a vital sign.

Over 7,000 patients at the university’s Health Care Medical Center participated in a survey asking about their physical activity.

The results were telling: Those who exercised at least 150 minutes per week — roughly the amount recommended for good health — had a significantly lower risk of developing 19 chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and an array of respiratory diseases.

On the flip side, those who reported little to no exercise were at a higher risk of developing these conditions.

Only 4% of those examined said they get no exercise whatsoever.

The study’s findings highlight a simple but impactful takeaway: Exercise reduces the risk of chronic illness.

The study’s recommendations include that health care practitioners prescribe exercise and dietary counseling to low-activity patients. They note that insurance companies frequently approve payments for exercise counseling services.

In short, the research not only emphasizes the importance of exercise, but calls for a proactive approach to improving patient health — even if it’s by asking one question at a time.

Now that 24 states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, many people have access to cannabis products. But when it comes to dogs, THC —  the psychoactive agent in cannabis — doesn’t produce a high. It just makes them sick.

Put simply, any amount of THC is toxic to dogs. It targets their nervous system, causing characteristic signs within an hour of ingestion. Even a small amount of THC can cause a dog to stumble, shake, urinate inappropriately or much worse. Keep in mind that some cannabis products contain up to 90 percent THC.

If your dog shows any abnormal signs that you suspect are due to cannabis ingestion, bring them to a veterinary clinic right away. Make sure to tell the veterinary team exactly what your pooch may have eaten so that they can provide the best care.

Microchips are key to reuniting lost pets with their families, but they only work if they’re correctly enrolled with a microchip registry. Unfortunately, over 40 percent of all microchips are unregistered because of faulty enrollment. A big reason for this is scams involving microchip registries.

Legitimate microchip registration is never free, so don’t fall for free online registration. These so-called services are scams to harvest and sell your data or target you with junk emails. They can even enable pet theft. The best way to avoid this is to enroll your pet’s microchip with the company that distributed the chip.

Another scam asks to you to pay for re-registration before your pet’s service expires. Microchip registrations for pets never expire, so don’t fall for this one either.

Mammary cancer — akin to breast cancer in people — is one of the most common cancers affecting female dogs and cats. The outcome depends on early detection and timely intervention — both of which can rely on a pet parent’s keen powers of observation.

Although a minority of mammary tumors are benign, up to 90 percent are cancerous and will spread without treatment. Spaying a pet before their first heat cycle dramatically reduces their risk of developing mammary cancer later on.

The most common signs of mammary tumors are small bumps or larger masses that can be seen or felt on a pet’s underside.  There might also be sores or discharge involving the mammary glands. Any abnormalities warrant a timely trip to the veterinarian for further evaluation.

Nearly one in four dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime. Less is known about the cancer risks in cats, but one thing’s for certain — as our pets live longer lives, their risk of cancer increases.

Cancer treatment for pets relies primarily on surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. And now, some advances in cancer treatment for people — like immunotherapy and targeted radiation — are being applied to animals too. The priority with pets is to ensure the best quality of life possible, so veterinarians concentrate on minimizing the side effects of treatment.

Since most of these therapies are costly, veterinarians can offer other options too. It’s important to discuss your goals before determining if cost is a dealbreaker for treatment.

You might have seen videos of drunk dogs meant to elicit laughs. But alcohol poisoning is no laughing matter. It’s deadly serious for pets.

Our beasty buddies aren’t able to metabolize alcohol as efficiently as we can. Within thirty minutes of ingesting beer or liquor, they can exhibit symptoms ranging from difficulty walking to trouble breathing and even seizures.

Anything containing alcohol should be kept away from pets. That usually means alcoholic drinks but also includes yeasty dough and hops used in homebrewing.

If your pet’s exhibiting symptoms of alcohol exposure, contact the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Pet Poison hotline or take them to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

Remember, no amount of alcohol is safe for pets.

Hamsters are often touted as “starter pets,” but that’s as inaccurate as it is callous. In reality, it takes lots of work to care for them properly.

It’s important to know that hamsters are nocturnal and solitary. Each requires a well-ventilated, escape-proof cage with space for daytime sleeping and an exercise wheel for use at night. Soft absorbent bedding helps them form sleeping nests and absorbs some of their waste. However, soiled bedding needs daily replacement, and all bedding should be changed weekly.

Hamsters need to be fed pelleted food formulated just for them. They can occasionally be fed small amounts of seeds or veggies, but just as treats.

Hamsters may only live for up to three years. During that time, they deserve the best life a pet parent can provide.

For over three decades, frog populations worldwide have been decimated by a fungal organism called Bd for short. While spreading like wildfire through every continent except Antarctica, Bd has caused the possible extinction of up to 200 frog species.

Now, researchers are cautiously optimistic that the tide may be turning. Some frogs appear to be developing natural resistance to Bd. Other species have moved to warmer habitats, exploiting Bd’s sensitivity to higher temperatures. Conservation biologists have been helping in this regard by building so-called frog saunas, easily accessible by frogs looking for warmer places to hang out. Some researchers are even investigating a virus that attacks Bd.

After succumbing to Bd for years, frogs may finally be developing ways to fight back.

The US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, recently approved a generic version of florfenicol, called Paqflor [PACK-floor], for certain species of freshwater-reared fish. The medication contains the same active ingredient as the brand name drug, Aquaflor.

Paqflor, like all medically important antibiotics for animals, requires oversight by a veterinarian. It’s a so-called veterinary feed directive drug that is only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

The FDA has determined that when used according to the label, any residue of florfenicol left in tissues of fish intended for food will not harm people. In addition, the FDA concluded that approved use of the drug would not result in significant environmental impact.