UF Health Podcasts

Since its 2007 discovery in the United States, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats during their winter hibernation. Now, after years of research, scientists are testing ways to help bats survive.

One approach involves using a chemical that coats fungal spores and prevents their growth. Spraying it onto the walls of empty caves in the summer might kill spores by the time bats return for the winter.

Researchers have also found that bats in cooler parts of caves have better survival odds, so another tactic involves cooling some hibernation sites.

Another strategy aims to fatten bats in the summer by planting flowers and grasses that attract a feast of insects. The added energy should help bats survive winter infections.

For the millions of dogs suffering from skin allergy conditions, there’s a new drug that may help control symptoms.

In September 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved once-daily Zenrelia [zen-REH-lee-ah] tablets for the control of itching associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of environmental allergies — also known as atopic dermatitis — in dogs at least one year of age.

Zenrelia works, in part, by suppressing the immune system. Since vaccine protection relies on a strong immune response, dogs should not be vaccinated at least 28 days before or after treatment with Zenrelia.  

As with other drugs of its class, Zenrelia is only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

There’s nothing fishy about the health benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These healthy fats have been known to lower cholesterol, improve mental health, and generally keep our brains healthy.

A recent study from the University of Georgia suggests we might soon add another notable health benefit to the list: protection against a variety of cancers.

Simply put, the study — which followed more than 250,000 people for over a decade — suggests that those with higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in their plasma are less likely to develop certain types of cancers.

Of those participants, almost 30,000 developed some type of cancer during the study period.

Omega-3 was associated with lower rates of lung, colon, stomach, and other digestive tract cancers. Omega-6 appeared to be more effective in preventing 14 types of cancers, including melanoma and brain or bladder cancer.

The study proposed that risk factors like physical activity, alcohol use, and body mass index did not prevent omega fatty acid benefits.

While omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are found in fatty fish, nuts, and some plant oils, most people likely do not maintain recommended levels of these fats. The researchers said fish oil supplements are an easy way to get enough omega-3 and omega-6. The popular supplements are already believed to help lower risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.

The researchers noted that in the study, high levels of omega-3 were shown to be associated with a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer. So, while taking the supplements should be an easy choice for women, men ought to keep that risk in mind.

With millions of pets on flights each year, airlines are struggling to safely and comfortably accommodate them. That’s where Bark Air comes in — at least for dogs.

Launched in May 2024, Bark Air touts canine-centric flights without a dog crate in sight. Charter flights transport the dogs — with or without their parents. Upon booking, a Bark Air concierge collects the dog’s information and later facilitates check-in. During the flight, pooch pampering includes calming blankets and pillows, spa sessions, snacks and drinks and more.

So far, Bark Air only flies between New York and Los Angeles — at a cost of $6,000 — and between New York and London — at a fee of $8,500. To date, that hasn’t deterred hundreds of pet parents from using their services.

Degenerative myelopathy [my-ah-LAH-pah-thee] is a progressive disorder that targets a dog’s spine, ultimately reducing their ability to use their hind legs.

The cause remains a mystery, but it likely involves a genetic mutation. Larger breeds — like German shepherds, boxers, huskies, and Labrador retrievers — are at greatest risk, especially as they age.

Parents of affected dogs may first notice their buddies having trouble rising, their hind legs stumbling or exhibiting generalized weakness. The condition isn’t painful, but usually worsens over weeks to months.

If your dog displays this sort of behavior, contact your veterinarian. Other spinal diseases can have similar symptoms, so it’s important to have a diagnosis before making treatment decisions.

Do you ever feel like it’s our cats’ world and we’re just living in it? At the very least, we spend considerable time trying to decipher — and adapt to — their behavior.

Take a cat’s nearly uncanny ability to slip through almost any opening. It makes you wonder whether they know how wide and tall they are — that is, whether they have body size awareness. In a series of at-home experiments, researchers studied cats’ ability and readiness to squeeze through increasingly smaller apertures. When it came to narrow spaces, the cats never quit trying, but they seemed to know their height limit.

In practical terms, cats know just how to use their impressive flexibility. That can help us design more stimulating feline play areas and keep our buddies safe at home.

Providing enrichment for dairy calves may not be an industry requirement, but it improves their well-being. The resulting stress reduction may even have production benefits down the road.

Calves generally need five types of enrichment to engage in normal behavior. Sensory enrichment can be offered by wall-mounted brushes, which all ages of cattle tend to enjoy. Social enrichment — like housing calves in pairs or groups — increases their resilience to stress.

Providing nipples on bottles and wall-mounted pacifiers satisfies their urge to suckle. And offering hay provides both occupational and physical enrichment by keeping calves mentally and physically engaged. Providing space for exercise is essential too.

Ordinarily, taking time off from the gym may leave you feeling guilty. You might think that taking a break is a one-way ticket to losing all your hard-earned, protein powder-fueled gains.

But a recent study from researchers in Finland reveals a different story: A 10-week hiatus from strength training might not be as bad as your Instagram trainer would have you believe.

The study set out to compare the effects of continuous training over 20 weeks versus taking a break in the middle of a workout program. The results were surprising … both groups showed similar levels of maximum strength and muscle size by the end.

While the participants who took a break midway experienced some muscle size loss, their strength held up better than expected. In fact, when they returned to training, they quickly bounced back to their pre-break levels — often within just five weeks. The researchers suggested muscle memory might be the reason for the quick gains.

Notably, the study may indicate that the nervous system changes we gain from lifting weights stick around longer than the physical muscle size itself. This means that if you maintain a consistent training schedule most of the year, a temporary break shouldn’t send you spiraling into despair that you’ll be having to relearn how to do a push-up.

The takeaway? If you’re feeling burned out or just need a little time off, don’t sweat it. You can take a breather without sacrificing your progress, or your strength, and even emerge feeling newly ready to tackle those weights and judicial gym mirrors.

Slow and steady wins the race — or maybe in this case, the arm-wrestling match.

Nothing is immortal, of course, save the heavens and the earth. And truth be told, scientists tell us even the stars and the planets have expiration dates. But their demise is inconceivably distant. Think billions of years. So, go ahead and plan next year’s vacation. The odds of Yellowstone National Park still being there are excellent.

For humankind, however, the time scale of our lives is a relative blink of the eye. The average American’s lifespan is about 77 years.

How far might science further extend our lives?

A new study suggests humanity is very close to the limits of human aging. The average lifespan is no longer growing significantly in the developed world and, the study says, significant increases in average age are unlikely.

Beyond a certain age, and even with medical advances, curing one disease simply means another will claim its spot. We cannot reverse cellular aging ­— yet.

Scientists examined population data from the eight nations with, on average, the longest living people, plus the U.S.

France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland are on the list. Data show jumps in average lifespan have slowed since 1990.

The study predicts that over the next three decades, humans are likely to gain no more than 2.5 years.

Our main risk factors for death now are related to biological aging, the accumulated damage over time to cells and tissues. There is hope that some future gene therapy could reverse cell aging. A Harvard scientist contends that the first person who will live 150 years has already been born.

Of course, this young Methuselah doesn’t know that.

You’re checking your inbox and ping! You’ve just been invited to a holiday party you have no interest in attending. Do you pretend to be sick? Fake an emergency? Or do you slog through several hours of small talk in questionable sweaters?

Fortunately, you might have an out, and it’s backed by science. Research suggests that declining an invitation to something you don’t want to go to is good for your mental health.

Researchers from West Virginia University and the New York Institute of Technology conducted five studies involving more than 2,000 people in which they gave participants real and hypothetical scenarios to ponder.

In one, participants imagined they had turned down a friend’s invite to attend a museum exhibit and were asked to identify the negative ramifications, from the friend’s perspective.

The imagined fallout included possible relationship harm, fewer future invitations, disappointment, and anger.

Other participants imagined a friend had turned down their museum exhibit visit invitation and were asked to identify consequences.

Results showed that the participants being invited overestimated the negative impacts that followed their decline. Inviters did not feel as strongly about the decline as invitees expected.

The findings could help ease holiday-activity burnout because knowing that inviters don’t mind as much as we think they do could lessen our fears.

So, the next time you get invited to a cookie-decorating party or a white elephant exchange and you really don’t want to go, rest assured that a quiet night on the couch likely won’t cost you a friend.