Chapter 1: What topics are covered in the pet health episode?
Hello, everybody. Welcome to Health Chatter. We've been on a little bit of a vacation for a while, but our shows are coming into full view these days and great topics coming forward. Today we have a great one on pet health and also how the pets can help us as humans with our own health. We'll have a lot of questions. We have a wonderful guest with us today,
And Murphy would be really, really happy. My pooch that passed away back in October. So somewhere up there in pooch heaven, he'll be listening in as well. So we have a great crew. I like to introduce all of them. Maddie Levine-Wolf, Aaron Collins, Deandra Howard do our background research for us, our production team. And recording is done by Matthew Campbell.
Marketing and transcribing of all our shows is done by Sheridan Nygaard. Got a great colleague that's been with me along this whole ride, Clarence Jones. Second to none, as is Barry Baines, our medical advisor, who are both on the show today. So thanks to you guys for watching. all these great shows together and your friendship along the way. We have a great sponsor.
Human Partnership is our sponsor for all our shows. Great community health organization that does wonderful things out in the community to help all of us hopefully be healthier. You can check them out at humanpartnershipalliance.org. You can also check us out at healthchatterpodcast.com. If you like to listen to the shows, great.
If you want to read them, we have transcripts of all our shows on our website, and you can learn more about us.
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Chapter 2: How can pet food choices impact pet health?
And also, if you have questions, you can put them on the website, and we can get back to you as well. So welcome to everybody. Today, Dr. Kathleen McJunkin, who was... Murphy, my dog's vet, for many, many years. And she provided wonderful, wonderful care. Very, very compassionate. And whenever I brought Murphy in to see her, whether it be for a checkup or whatever, he was never nervous about
He always knew that Kathleen was great and very caring. And he also knew he would get treats. So that was the other. I guess vets know that. So welcome to you. So Dr. McJunkin has an interesting background. She was a clinical laboratory scientist at the University of Minnesota for many years in chemistry and molecular diagnostics.
And then on after that to veterinary school and practiced veterinary medicine for 22 years. And I will put in a plug for Blue Cross Animal Hospital on Lindale Avenue where she practiced. And not only she, but all the wonderful health providers there are second to none. So thank you for the care. Thank you for being with us. And off we go about talking about pets and pet health.
So, all right, you know, where to start? There's many, many questions, but let's start out with maybe an easier one, hopefully. Food. Okay, pet food.
Chapter 3: What role does diet play in pet longevity?
All right. So, you know, for those of us who have a little bit of gray hair, you know, when we were growing up and had pets, frankly, there weren't that many choices for food. You get, you know, Purina dog chow, and thank you very much. And, you know, oftentimes, actually, you can get it at a grocery store or wherever. And That was it, you know. So fast forward.
Give us your insights a little bit on pet food. I won't say dog food. I'll say pet food. Pet food, yes.
Well, I'm glad you brought up Purina because what would be frustrating for me with clients and marketing was that ā You know, they always, they'd go into a pet store and they would have a talk with the people maybe there and And these are people that maybe were in high school and really didn't know unless they were told, oh, yeah, this is a great product and dah, dah, dah.
And maybe that new product did not have a veterinary nutritionist on board, a board certified veterinary nutritionist. And that can cause problems. So. I would tell my clients when we're talking about food that, you know, Purina was one of the originals. They started doing research before, you know, long before all these other places came in, um, to effect. And, um,
Even Dr. Churchill, the nutritionist at the University of Minnesota, that is actually her favorite go-to. But there's a lot of other companies that I've used, which I'm so grateful for what they have done. It's really addressed so many health issues with our patients, which goes by Hill Science Diet. Science Diet is more the prescription ones. And then Rolcanin.
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Chapter 4: How do dental health and hygiene affect pets?
And trying to think of if I'm missing Hill's Roke and Purina. Those are the big ones, you know. There are some ones that do have some veterinary nutritionists that are becoming more popular. I checked with... Fresh Pet, I did find out there is a board certified veterinarian on board with that, which is good news. Now, I want to kind of go back a little bit.
So grain-free diets became very popular. And that was kind of pretty much developed probably for marketing things. And the nutritionists, I think, or not the nutritionists, but people wanted to get on board with making pet food and thought, oh, you know, do the pets really need these greens? Well, no. we found out basically that really they do and stuff because of this mistake that went on.
And now there might be some grain-free dyes out there that are okay to use. What happened is, and I had a patient that was lost even with the help of cardiologist and found out later, I'm like, oh my goodness. Um, It was Blue Buffalo that made this grain-free diet.
And, you know, they did not do this on purpose, but they just didn't probably have ā they didn't have a veterinary nutritionist on board to kind of ā figured this out maybe, and maybe they wouldn't have. The problem ended up being too many peas and legumes in it, and so they were lacking something, but it affected the hearts.
Now, on another part, these grain-free diets with cats, strangely enough, which you really think cats don't eat, but they will eat grass in the well, and you'll see grass for cats in the stores that you can actually get and stuff, but what I saw with some cats when they just switched over to this, cats can get, and dogs can get stones in the bladder, you know, and in the kidneys and stuff.
And due to these wonderful companies, we have special diets to avoid that. Well, then, you know, they found out this grain-free diet. Oh, we should try this. And there were a couple of patients I had that ended up,
having problems with the stones again because they had switched out of that and a dog or not excuse me a cat that um had never had a problem before and they went on a grain-free diet all of a sudden had that problem with getting crystals in the bladder and then stones and such so um
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Chapter 5: What are the common health issues seen in pets today?
we found out now we had to bring into our really address nutrition. Each, each visit, at least find out what they were feeding for the pets, which was maybe a good thing going on when we had that grain-free diet issue. And then it's, we could kind of guide them, you know, to watch more carefully what was going on.
Whenever I brought Murphy into, into, um, the clinic there, there weren't, you know, 50 different brands of food at the clinic. And it struck me that the ones you did have had a lot of research behind them. I mean, they've been around for a long time. So they're right in at least from, you know,
client perspective, you look at that and you say, okay, look, they've been in this business a long time and they're still in business. And I'm sure over the years they've done research and continue to do research. So there is something to be said about that. So maybe the bottom line with food is don't get sucked into the marketing Better to talk to your veterinarian.
Yes, definitely. In fact, when I was going through, unfortunately, all this stuff with clients, I, interestingly enough, had one of the clients, she goes, I just got on, General Mills had bought out Blue Buffalo. And she said, I just got on the committee to work on that, you know. And, you know, I told her the importance of getting a veterinary nutritionist, a board certified one. They got one.
And I was so thrilled. And she listened. And then someone else, I said, I really think it was a marketing thing. What happened with this? And she goes, I agree with you. I'm in marketing. So, you know, it just goes to show, you know, that she realized, yes, that's what's going on here.
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Chapter 6: How does pet insurance work and is it worth it?
Don't get sucked into the marketing. Talk to your veterinarian. All right. So. this is what's really struck me and i'm sure that for people that have had pets um all the years i'm certainly one of them um you know it's what what's what continues to to get to me is okay look we as humans have been successful in um extending our life expectancies So what the heck?
What's going on with man's best friend, a dog or a cat? We're not seeing longevity there. or unless I'm mistaken.
I think you maybe, because no, I haven't been in practice, you know, forever, but I've heard through the grapevine that pets usually did not live as long as a lot of them are doing now. And I think a lot of it can be, you know, the diet or just we're taking better care of them too.
And one of the big things, believe it or not, I think is that keeping the teeth healthy, which I think is one of the important things that's happened in humans, probably more in the 50s or something, and I'm not sure where, because my mom talked about, well, we didn't really go to a dentist when she grew up. She grew up on a farm and stuff, unless it was a problem.
And I just swear that that has kept, you know, these bigger dogs. I had one client who, oh my goodness, I don't think she'd mind if I said this, Tilly, wonderful dog, a bigger dog, you know, kind of 50 pounds, that type of thing, a mixed dog. And Beth was very into getting her teeth cleaned every single year. And she goes, the last time I cleaned the teeth, she was 17, this bigger dog.
And she says, she goes, I know she might not make it. But I want to do that. And sure enough, she made it. And then I saw her about five months later. She was just in with one of their other pets. And I could see a big difference in Tilly. And I just warned Beth. I said, Beth, you know, I'm concerned that life isn't as good with her right now.
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Chapter 7: What are the benefits of having pets for human health?
And Beth had young children and everything. And I said, just, you know, it was around the holidays. And I said, yeah, you don't want to have any problems. you know, saying goodbye now, but keep in mind and pay more attention. And you might want to just kind of in your mind, kind of set a time where this would be the appropriate thing to do, which she did. She came back in January.
There's several years ago on such, but, um, And I give her credit with really being attuned to getting those teeth cleaned and stuff. And, you know, just like with humans, some people have really bad teeth and dogs and cats and others do really great. And you may never have to.
get serious about cleaning the teeth, but that has made, I think a huge change in the health and the longevity of a lot of pets. Cause we see a lot of bigger dogs now living to 15 years and such compared to more like a 10, 10 year lifespan, 10 to 12. And that's, that's encouraging. Yes.
Yes. For those that, you know, and I, and I know Barry has gone through this too, where he recently lost his pooch. Um, I, I, um, You know, that last goodbye. Oh, my God. Whether you may, as the pet owner, if you make the decision to have to put your pet down or whether they die in your arms. which is what Murphy did. You know, it's just, oh, my God.
You know, you keep saying to yourself, I can't go through this again. And then, of course, you know, for us as pet owners, you go through it again. But anyway, Barry, what's your thoughts on all this?
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Chapter 8: What final advice does the veterinarian give to pet owners?
Yeah, actually, I would be raising my hand. I wanted to do one more thing, something that And I know an N of one is not good research. But it seems to me that I know that three of the last four dogs I had, my first one lived to 15 years. And then the next three all died around 10. And all of them wound up developing widespread cancer. And that's what they've
And it sort of, you know, just in my observation, I just wonder environmentally, especially with everybody that wants their lawns green, they use all these poisons on their lawn. And, you know, we walk dogs and, you know, they have their little signs up, you know, well, don't, you know, we spray to keep kids away and pets.
But I'm just wondering if from a veterinary practice perspective, you know, If there's been an increase in cancer in dogs over the past 20 or 30 years, because, I mean, obviously everybody, the end of one, I could be snake bit and the dogs that I get wind up with cancer. But it just seems that this has also happened with friends of mine that so many animals seem to be developing cancer.
not at the end of their longevity scale that we would suspect. And I'm just wondering if Kathleen had seen that or what the veterinary research shows on cancer in dogs.
Okay. Well, not being an oncologist, I'm not sure as far as the history, you know, on whether it has really increased. But the thing is, is that, Barry, can I ask you, what were your pets, your last ones that died of cancer?
Okay, so yeah, the last three... One was what I'll call a Heinz variety. It was a mix of border collie, lab, Australian cattle dog. It was just kind of a mix. It was a herding breed. Okay. And then the other one was an American water spaniel, which was like the first dog I had that lived to 15. Okay. Okay. And that dog, Suli, wound up dying at around 10.
Again, with what wound up, you know, being widespread cancer, some abdominal source, they couldn't even, you know, tell because it was so widespread. And then my last dog that just died a couple years ago was a standard poodle.
Okay. So did you say the mixed breed one? Had that passed away? Yeah.
Yeah, those three.
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