PetAbility Podcast

One of the most agonizing questions for any pet owner is how do we know if our beloved pet is in pain? And if they are experiencing pain, how much pain is it and where is it coming from? PainTrace can help to answer all of these questions and more. It is a non-invasive, wearable monitoring system that quantifies pain simply, objectively, and painlessly. Listen to Katie Hickey, BSc, MSc, describe h...

The Handicapped Pets Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to provide wheelchairs (Walkin' Wheels) for pets in need whose caregivers demonstrate financial hardship. Suzi Langer brings us through her personal story of receiving a wheelchair from this charity for her pug, Maxwell, to becoming president of the organization. If her passion is any indication of their commitment to the h...

Listen as Christina Powell tells us the story of Special Needs Animal Rescue League (SNARL). This SNARL is bound to make you smile! What started as a personal rescue of one wobbly German Shepherd became a multi-organization, multi-state/province, two-country machine that takes "red list" dogs from other shelters and finds them their forever homes. In other words, SNARL says "yes&quo...

Join us as we rewind to one of our most popular shows.   Should my pet get a ramp or steps to help him onto the bed? This a question that Cathy and Chris get asked all the time. Listen as they debate the pros and cons of each option to help you determine what is best for your pet. They cover what specifications to look for and offer some suggestions for making your own. In the end, they agreed tha...

Our pet's are living longer, surviving illnesses and traumas that were unthinkable in the past. Couple this with our ever-growing attitudes that pets are full-fledged members of our families, then the fields of palliative care and pet hospice become vital. Cathy Symons, CVT, CCRP, deftly explains the integral role that physical rehabilitation plays to 1) alleviate symptoms and stress from med...

A healthy pet starts with healthy nutrition, naturally! After all, “you are what you eat." That same adage applies to both us and our pets. Judy Morgan, DVM, CVA, CVCP, CVFT emphasizes that food is food - there should be no need to qualify what we eat as "people food,” nor what we feed our dogs and cats as “pet food.” Many commercial dog and cat foods contain the bare minimum to qualify...

Losing a pet is hard. In fact, for Erika Sinner, it is the hardest thing she has ever experienced. Erika feels her shar-peis are family - her kids -  and should be treated as such even after death. What does this mean and what did Erika do about it? Struggling to deal with her own pain and finding little out there to aid her in coping and healing, Erika wrote a book called Pets Are Family: It&apos...

Located in the knee, cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries are the most common orthopedic injuries in dogs. Yet there is little consistency or agreement about how to manage this condition. It goes well beyond surgery vs. no surgery.  Pet parents angst about what to do to help there dog's knee pain and function, then often second guess themselves once they decide. Rest assured that there is...

The ilio-so-what??? It may be hard to pronounce and even harder to spell, but every dog owner should know about this very important hip muscle. If you have a working or sporting dog, I bet you are very aware of how common and problematic it is to strain the iliopsoas muscle. Listen to Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT, tell us the iliopsoas's multiple functions, how it becomes i...

Have you ever thought about what happens to military or contract working dogs when they "retire" from active duty? Having served our country their entire lives, historically, these heroes have been abandoned or euthanized. Founded in 2013, Mission K9 Rescue, a non-profit welfare group, is working hard to change that. Listen to Bob Bryant, cofounder and CTO, explain their mission to rescu...

Feet of all creatures are amazing structures that serve multiple purposes. This episode focuses on canine feet: their intricate anatomy, things to watch for, the importance of proper care, including nail trims, and the foot's role in overall health and well-being. These extraordinary assets not only allow for locomotion, traction, and protection, but are so sensitive that they give our dogs r...

This is a game changer! DogLeggs is a company that has provided innovative, quality products since the formal inception of small animal physical rehabilitation. One of Cathy and Chris's favorites is their Shoulder Stabilization System which offers a way to protect a healing shoulder joint to allow for safe rehabilitation and activity at home while mitigating reinjury. All of their 21 products...

Have you ever wondered what your pet would say if they could actually talk? Listen to Danielle MacKinnon, a luminary in the realm of animal communication. With a rare and innate gift, she bridges the gap between humans and the animal kingdom, and has dedicated her life to unraveling the mysteries of interspecies communication. Her deep connection with animals transcends the ordinary, allowing her...

Many every day movements using every day surroundings can become exercise that can profoundly impact your dog's performance, quality of life, and longevity. Bobbie Lyons, CCFT, KPA CTP, Cert CF, describes just how easy it can be. However, we need to first observe what our dog is doing repetitively - the patterns of posture and movement that may not be ideal and contribute to injury - and then...

Did you know that a pet pig has the intelligence of a 3-year old child, can be easily litter-box trained, is affectionate and craves companionship, and that the pig's primary senses are smell and taste? These are merely some of the fun facts that Susan Armstrong-Magidson of Ross Mill Farm and Pig Placement Network shares with us from over 33 years of experience raising and caring for pet pigs...

When your dog exhibits signs of stress, did you know that pain could be the trigger? If pain is left untreated, the signs of stress can escalate into aggression. Many of us are not aware of these early signs and even if we are, we certainly may not attribute them to pain, but perhaps some other factor like fear or displeasure. Ran Courant-Morgan, M.S., Behavior Analysis, and Stephanie Keesey-Phela...

Your young dog starts limping on his front leg; there was no injury that you know of. You bring your pup to the vet and the doctor tells you it could be elbow dysplasia. Now what? Listen to veterinary radiologist, Dr. Marjorie McMillan, DVM, ACVR, CCRP, explain what elbow dysplasia is, how it's diagnosed, and the various treatment options. This is a condition in a complex joint that needs to...

Patty Ramirez is not your average pet owner. Patty took something potentially devastating and turned it into something positive. She lost her dog, Gideon, to lymphoma. Then she adopted Zeke, an anxious, deaf Boxer, who helped Patty not only learn the importance of checking her pups for lumps and bumps when she found a mast cell tumor on him, but also to pay it forward with a public campaign to rem...

Listen to Cathy and Chris as they pounce into the world of cat physical rehabilitation. Discussing everything from recognizing when your feline friend may be in pain to  rehabilitation tips and tricks to modifying your cats living environment.  This episode is sure to get you purring about all the pawsitive measures you can take to ensure your cat is not only comfortable, but also embracing life t...

Very common in toy breed dogs, but occurring ever more frequently in large breeds such as Labs, is a condition called patellar luxation, also known as a kneecap dislocation. Listen as Karen Pastor, DVM, DACVS, explains why patella luxation occurs, how it's diagnosed, and how to treat it, both surgically and conservatively. Have you ever noticed your  dog "skip" when walking?  This i...

The Calm & Cozy Cat Wrap is a game changer. It’s an extra needed set of hands if you work with cats and kittens. Invented by veterinarian, Surell Levine, VMD, CEO, to make vet visits easier for cats, this unique and effective wrap holds our feline friends in a calming hug while allowing special access points for common procedures and nail trims. It also has a plethora of benefits for cat owner...

Have your ever seen a dog dragging their foot? Heard them scraping their nails? Or even witnessed them actually standing or walking on the tops of their feet? Listen to Cathy and Chris talk about knuckling - what is it, why it happens, and what to do about it. This episode focuses on anti-knuckling devices - maybe something you've never considered, but should know about if you have a dog - or...

Cathy and Chris pick the brain of Diane Dewberry about flower essences and how they are used to rid our pets of emotional trauma and bring them back into balance. Safe for ALL animals, including people, learn how these gentle, yet powerful, essences may help your pets with such things as anxiety, grief, and behavioral issues. What are flower essences and how are they used? What conditions are comm...

Ticks are everywhere! Ticks carry bacteria that cause diseases, most notably Lyme Disease. Listen to our esteemed guests from Merck Animal Health, Kathryn Duncan, DVM, PhD, DACVM, an expert in parasitology, and Laura Greene, DVM, DACVIM, an expert in internal medicine, as they educate us about what we need to know. They lend their individual expertise to discuss the following and more: How Lyme Di...

Listen to Kathy Keenan, MS, DVM, explain yet another exciting advancement in veterinary medicine called Renal Replacement Therapy. This life-saving treatment is done for cats and dogs with many conditions including acute kidney failure, immune-mediated diseases, cancer, toxin ingestion, and drug overdoses. Renal Replacement Therapy treats the pets blood by filtering the blood in a specialized mach...