Podcast appearances and mentions of marty greer

Infertility Problem Solving Protocol Host Laura Reeves is joined by Dr. Marty Greer for a conversation about the problem solving protocol for infertility using a case study submitted in the private Pure Dog Talk Patrons group. Greer's first recommendation for fertility issues is to have a complete semen analysis on the stud dog. “There are six parameters that we should look at for semen quality. It should be volume, sperm count, the motility, the morphology, the longevity and speed of progression. …(I)t's much easier to analyze the fertility on a male dog that is a female.” Greer continues with discussion of “lifestyle” choices of the bitch. Nutrition choices, sunlight exposure and more. “The foods that we see that we have good success with, are going to be Purina and Royal Canin. Those are the two diets that we reliably see good fertility with. Purina, their Sport 30/20, which is 30% protein, 20% fat is a really good diet for fertility and the Royal Canin makes a pregnancy diet, the only pregnancy diet that currently is on the market. “Dogs need 14 hours of daylight. And if you don't have the opportunity to have it, if you don't live in a climate that you can do that. Where you're building isn't set up for it or whatever it happens to be. You can get full spectrum light bulbs and turn them on for 14 hours a day. “We also see high performing dogs,  dogs traveling with a handler or they're out at field trials every weekend and they're running hard or hunt tests or whatever activity you happen to be doing. Sometimes just being away from home can be really stressful for the dogs and we can see that affecting their fertility.” Greer continues with other potential infertility causes and treatments. Be sure to listen to the episode to catch her 2-2-2 "infertile bitch protocol."

Mastitis is not Metritis is not PyometraDr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves to walk through the differentials in diagnosing possible infections in the breeding bitch, including mastitis, metritis and pyometra.“There's a lot of reasons that postpartum bitches can run a fever. So I think it's a really good topic because when you go to the vet or if you know if you're calling for a vet appointment or you're getting to the vet, it can be a little more muddy than you think it should be.“Before you call your vet with a sick postpartum bitch, take her temperature. Please take her temperature because the second thing the receptionist is going to ask you is what's her temperature? And you'll be like, I don't know, I can't find my thermometer. So have a thermometer dedicated to the dog, have a jar of Vaseline, and be sure that you've taken it and written it down. Because by the time your postpartum bitch is sick, you are stressed, you are tired, and you can barely remember your own name. So write down the stuff.“How are the puppies doing? Are they gaining weight? Losing weight? Are they sick? Because there is a big difference. Both metritis and mastitis can cause the puppies to be sick as well. Because the bitch is sick. So mastitis is inflammation and infection of the mammary glands, and metritis is inflammation and infection of the uterus to be differentiated from pyometra.“The top two differentials are always going to be metritis: infection of the uterus, inflammation of the uterus, and mastitis: infection, inflammation of the mammary glands. Now, just because the mammary glands are firm does not mean the bitch has mastitis. And just because the mammary glands are firm does not mean you automatically slam her on antibiotics.”Marty continues with a complete discussion of metritis (within 24-48 hours of whelping), mastitis (not exclusively, but commonly 3-4 weeks post whelping) and pyometra which generally occurs when a bitch is not in whelp and normally is not accompanied by a fever.Remember, if you enjoy our conversations, check out our new show! Recorded for you, your puppy buyers, your non-doggy friends and your cousin's uncle's girlfriend, the show is designed to reach the general pet owning public with reliable accurate information in an accessible format.

Tube Feeding: When, Why and How with Dr. Marty Greer Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a run down of when, why and how to tube feed neonates. New born puppies who can't or won't nurse for whatever reason may be fed with a tube passed directly to the stomach. “I just want people to know that dying of starvation is not an option at my house,” Greer said. “Different people have different thresholds and that's my threshold, is you are not going to die of starvation.” Marty and Laura walk through the “why”s of tube feeding, along with when to make that decision, what to do and what not to do. “Usually it's just for a few days,” Greer said, “sometimes a week or two until they catch on, start latching, start gaining and then they do great. But some dogs are slower than others and I see some puppies that are just really slow to grow. They may be half the size the littermates. And again, they may have swallowing defects. There is a lot of things that (can cause puppies not to nurse well.” Greer cautions that all puppies should be checked for cleft palate to rule out that as a cause for failure to thrive/nurse well. “Number one is pre warm the puppy. The puppy needs to be at least 96° on a rectal thermometer. Do not feed a cold puppy #2 is pre warm the formula. Number 3 is pre measure the tube. You measure the tube from the tip of the nose to the last rib. Have a marker or piece of tape, something that you mark on the tube so that you know exactly how far the tube has to be to go to the last rib because the stomach is behind the last rib. The trachea divides about halfway there, so if you're only in halfway, you could be in the trachea. If you're in all the way, you have to be in the stomach. “When you pass the tube, you keep the chin down and you pass to the left. A lot of people throw the puppy's head up and look in the back of the oral cavity. And if you do that, you open up the airway. So keep the chin down so that you close the airway, you pass it to the left because the esophagus is left of the trachea. So go to the left. “And then the most important thing before you feed is you pinch the puppy on the tail or the toes and make sure it can cry and you can hear it vocalizing. If the puppy can vocalize, you're in the esophagus. If the puppy can't vocalize You could be in the trachea, so pull out the tube, take a deep breath, go get a cup of coffee, come back and try passing the tube again. Those tips will keep you out of trouble 99% of the time. Is there a guarantee? Absolutely not. But I'm going to guarantee you that your puppies aren't going to thrive if they don't get enough calories.” Marty's video and more details on Revival Animal Health's Learning Center.

Brucellosis or CHV? Deadly Diseases for Puppies Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a Veterinary Voice topic that can be devastating for breeders and deadly for puppies. Brucellosis and CHV (Canine Herpes Virus) can both decimate a litter. “If you lose even a single puppy in a litter, have testing done on that puppy,” Greer said. “Have a necropsy done of some form at your vet clinic or at a referral center or at a reference lab, so that you find out what happened because you can't learn from it if you bury your mistakes. You can't learn anything and you can't move your breeding program forward until you know what happened. “There is no diagnosis of fadubg puppy syndrome. So if your vet says that's what you have, you need to find another vet or dig a little harder with the one you're working with. Because you need to find out what happened. “Brucellosis hasn't gone away. There's no vaccine for it. So yes, you can have anything from a normal looking bitch and a normal looking stud dog to a stud dog that has inflamed testicles. You can see normal adult dogs develop brucellosis symptoms. “These can be uveitis, which is inflammation of the eye. They can be disco spondylitis, which is inflammation of a disc. So if you go in for a diagnosis at your vet clinic and you have certain symptoms, even in a normal dog that isn't a breeding dog they may test for brucellosis because it can cause other diseases. “In bitches we can see anything from apparent infertility where she looks like she didn't conceive but she actually conceived and lost the litter, to puppies that are born weak that died shortly thereafter, puppies that are born normal and die afterwards, bitches that have infertility. It is shared through venereal spread, which is male to female breeding, but it can be spread through any body fluid. So urine, placentas, all those things. “Brucellosis survives freezing semen, so it doesn't even get killed at that -300° that we see semen frozen at. So you need to be aware that when we say you should test for brucellosis, we're not joking around. You should test for brucellosis.” Listen in for more information. Learn more about USDA approved brucellosis testing HERE.

Lumps and Bumps: From Benign to Bad Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on the various lumps and bumps we see on our dogs, from benign to bad, from histiocytomas to osteosarcoma. “Histiocytomas are really, really common. And they are really scary looking because there are these pink bumps that show up on young dogs and they come seemingly out of nowhere. It's usually on the head, neck or on the feet, the front legs. You're gonna be afraid that it's something like a mast cell tumor. And mast cell tumors are bad, terrible, bad tumors. But histiocytomas are almost always in young dogs … if it's an older dog, it's more likely to be a mast cell tumor and not necessarily benign. A chance to cut, a chance to cure “And people are always under the impression that if you take (a lump) off that you're going to make it spread or it's going to be bad faster. And the answer is really that's not the case. You need to go in, take it off, take good enough margins that it's not likely to come back. But there are some masses that have little finger -like projections. And no matter how careful the surgeon is, they can sometimes be recurrent. And there's kind of two kinds of serious masses. They're the kind that are locally invasive and are likely to come back, but they're not going to metastasize to other organs like the lung, like the liver, other things like that. And then there's the bad ones that they're just gonna spread.” Listen in to the full episode for a complete rundown on everything from sebaceous cysts and lipomas to mast cell tumors and osteosarcoma, how to differentiate them, treat them and when to see your vet. Marty's pro tip is to be sure to physically locate and mark the specific lump or bump in question on the dog before visiting the vet. While generally not an emergency, various lumps and bumps should be evaluated clinically.

Pro Tips on Raising Orphaned Puppies Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves to discuss how to raise orphaned puppies. How to help dams not reject their puppies, increase milk production and deal with mastitis are all covered. Pro tip number one is avoid having orphaned puppies, Greer notes. Increasing the dam's calcium intake, using Adaptil collars and saving placental fluid after a Csection are on Greer's list of ways to encourage the dam's maternal instinct to kick in. Pro tip number two is helping dams increase their milk production. “I don't know what there is magical about a Bratwurst, if it's the fat, if it's the salt, and I'm sure there's other things as well, but that's what I've had great success with. It helps them to eat better. It helps them to lactate better. The things that people use on the human side for lactation nurses are oatmeal and vegetables like sweet potatoes. So those are some things that you can do and they'll eat those sometimes when they won't eat their regular dog food. “But whatever you have to do to get them to eat, jump through hoops to make it happen. Because if she is eating and drinking, then you don't have to feed the puppies nearly as much. So you feed the machine that feeds the puppies. “Now the other things that help. Are fenugreek and that is in the Oxy Mama product that Revival has for improving lactation. And then Reglan which is metoclopramide, a prescription drug that you can get from your veterinary clinic. And one of the side effects is that it improves lactation. “So fenugreek and reglan make milk and oxytocin lets the milk be released from the glands so they work complementary to each other neither one replaces the other.” Pro tip number three regards mastitis. “I don't wean puppies unless the bitch is really, really sick or there's a giant necrotic opening in a gland. I will typically let the bitch still nurse her puppies because the amount of antibiotic coming through the milk is infinitesimally small. “First of all, let's talk about preventing mastitis. That means bathe her with a Chlorhexidine shampoo 3 or 4 days before she has puppies. So she goes into this clean. Don't let her go out in the mud or herd your sheep into the trailer when she's got newborns. And put her on a probiotic because that's going to all reduce the risk of her developing mastitis. “If she ends up with mastitis, make sure she gets enough fluids. She needs to be on an appropriate antibiotic and I put them on pain medication to bring down the fever, to reduce the inflammation and that again is safe for the bitch to take and still have the puppies nurse. There's not enough that gets into the milk, but it's going to hurt the puppies. “It's not just milk, it's maternal skills as well. She's licking the puppies, she's stimulating the puppies, she's treating the puppies the way puppies need to be treated. No amount of human hand-raising can substitute for that. I know we do our best but it's still always best for a bitch to be with her puppies than it is to be separated if there's any possibility of making that happen.”

Resources for Veterinary Medicine Practices and Staff Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves with advice for veterinary medicine practices, vets, techs, staff and clients alike. “The veterinary field is full of really, genuinely great people in a way that we don't see in a lot of other career choices. It's an amazing field to be in,” Greer said. There are, though, plenty of challenges for staff and clients both. “Most veterinarians come out of veterinary school without a lot of experience, they understand how to do the medicine, they don't know how to do the business part. I remember being in vet school and they tried to teach us to us and we're like, ‘No, no, we want to just be a doctor.' Well, that was kind of short -sighted. And a year out of vet school, I started a practice. I'm like, ‘I should have been listening.' Greer offer her top recommendations for vet practices to succeed. “Number one, join IVPA, join a VMG group, join some other buying group so that you have the opportunity to improve your cost of goods, to understand the management techniques and principles, that's number one. “Number two get a great accountant and a great attorney that understand the veterinary practices. There are many veterinary specific accountants and veterinary specific attorneys. Use one of them. “You have to spend time working on your practice, not just in your practice. “Hire yourself a practice manager. It's really hard. It's really hard when you don't have enough money. You can't figure it out. Hire somebody to help you with your HR and with your bookkeeping and with all the parts of practice that you have to have because their practice manager can be a God Send. “A lot of people are afraid to start a practice because they think that because they have student loans that they can't afford to start a practice. And in reality, owning a practice is proven to be the fastest way to pay your school loans back because the profitability is better as an owner than it is as an employee. “We have a sign on the wall, ‘WWJHD.' What would James Harriet do? I love that because I want my staff and my doctors to think about what fits the needs of their client and their client's pet.”

Corporate Takeover of Veterinary Clinics Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a very current conversation about corporate takeover of veterinary clinics. “The trend to purchase veterinary clinics has been going on for probably about 12 to 15 years,” Greer said. “It started with just a couple of consolidators. It's now up to about 80 and some of the consolidators have consolidated. So we now see some of these groups recapitalizing and then moving on and being sold to another consolidator. “So it's been kind of interesting to watch and frankly pretty scary. Just before COVID, the prices of veterinary clinics were at an all -time high, and then it dropped during COVID. “They tell you that they will give your staff better benefits, and they probably do. They tell you we will unload all that stuff off of you that you don't want to deal with. The HR, the purchasing, all the back-office stuff that you as a veterinarian didn't go to vet school for, didn't learn in vet school, don't want to learn, don't want to know, don't want to deal with. “They'll say we're gonna lift all this off your shoulders, you can just practice medicine, it's gonna be awesome. And if you're a large producer in the practice, the owner or one of the bigger producers, they want you to stay for two years. “It has different impacts in different practices. The practices that we've really watched the most closely personally are the practices that have done a lot of reproductive services in our community, either in our immediate area or across the country because these are colleagues of ours. “And that to me has been really hard to watch because a lot of the practices have not continued to thrive after the sale of the practice.” Marty and Laura continue with a conversation about how breeders can work with the larger community to help change the conversation about dog breeding that trickles down to the people who become veterinarians.

Veterinary Advice on Free Whelping Following C-Section Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on the question of when your female has had a C-section and you breed her again. Is it safe to have the bitch whelp her puppies naturally? This question comes from a listener request. “The most important thing to ask is why did you have a C-section in the first place,” Greer said. “If you had a C-section in the first place, because she's a Bernese Mountain Dog or because she's a Bulldog or a Frenchie or maybe a Clumber or a Corgi, some of the breeds that are more commonly having their puppies by c-section, you still have a Clumber or a Bulldog. They didn't change breeds while they were pregnant, so that's the most important reason. “Secondly. What were the other reasons? Did she just have too many puppies? If she had 14 and she's going to have eight this time, yeah, that's a whole different conversation. If she had a puppy that was oversized or misdirected, that's a different conversation. But it's going to depend on what happened previously. So you really need to have a good history on what went on when this last C-section was done. “Statistically, according to the numbers, 75% of the time the bitch has the C-section because of a bitch cause and 25% are a puppy cause. So that kind of gives you some numbers to work with is 3/4 of the time you're probably going to need another C-section, but 1/4 of the time it was an anasarca puppy, it was a misdirected puppy, it was oversized, it had some other kind of a birth defect, two were coming at the same time, so you had a log jam. I mean you just have to try and sort that out. “That's the general thought. It's “V-back” on the human side, it's vaginal birth after C-section, V-back. So most of the time you absolutely can go ahead. From a safety perspective, there's reason to believe that it's going to be unsafe. You assume that the veterinarian did a nice job closing the uterus. “What I always kind of laugh about is when veterinarians say, ‘ohh, the uterus was paper thin when I did her C-section. You can never have another litter.' OK, you take a uterus and you put 14 puppies in it and you stretch it out like a pair of old pantyhose and you wonder why it's paper thin. It's supposed to be thin. That's the way your stomach looks after Thanksgiving dinner. That's the way your bladder looks when you need to go to the restroom. That's the way the organ works. It stretches out and it becomes thinner, but that doesn't mean that it's so thin that she can't have a normal pregnancy and a normal vaginal birth.”

Puppies and Kids: Expert Insight on Best Practices Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves talk about bringing home your new puppy, introducing it to your children, how puppies and children interact appropriately, and how to make that be a really positive experience. “The first place I would start,” Greer said, “is if you don't already have a breed that you have selected and you have children, pick a breed that's good with kids. “You know, why start off with something that's likely to set you up for a failure when you could get, oh, let's say a Labrador or a Golden Retriever, which are notoriously outgoing, happy dogs, and, you know, they're just easy to live with. They're great dogs to have her own children. So, you know, don't start off, and I don't want to badmouth anybody's breed, so I'm not going to specifically call up breeds that aren't good, but don't start off with a dog that you have concerns about. “Start out with something that's happy, friendly, outgoing and was raised in an environment that's likely to be successful. “There are situations where if the kids are inappropriate with the dog or really afraid of the dog or the parents aren't working well with the children, that I just simply have to say to them, ‘you know, this is probably not a good match. Let me help you find another breeder.' “For starters, I don't leave the children and the dog unattended ever until maybe the dog's five. That's what what XPens are for. That's what playpens are for. That's what crates are for. And you can put X-Pens up across doorways. “And it's also a great way to introduce a dog to children or a puppy to children. And vice versa, they can see each other without the puppy jumping on the child, without the child shrieking, without the child having a meltdown, or without the child doing something else that's inappropriate with the dog. So it's a really safe way to start off is for them to see each other and interact with one another, but through the xpen or through the crate.” Marty and Laura talk through dog body language, bite inhibition training in baby puppies and the sheer joy of kids and dogs raised together. [caption id="attachment_13012" align="alignnone" width="674"] The Dog Body Language Chart Marty Greer recommends.[/caption]

Shawn walks with Dr. Marty Greer about cat health.

Drinking from a Firehose: Puppy Enrichment Weeks 5 to 8 Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a continuation of their conversation about puppies and neonates. Puppies raised properly are given the best possible start to their future. Today's topic is enrichment, all of the things that we can do in the five to eight week period between “their eyes are open, they're eating solid food, they're probably weaned or close to it” and go-home day. Laura asks, “What's happening in those little tiny puppy brains in that five to eight week period?” Marty's response is, “They're taking in the world so fast, it's like drinking from a fire hose. “There's a lot of people who talk about this and a lot of people who pontificate about it. I think Sophia Yin talked about a hundred experiences in a hundred days. That gives you basically three months to get all kinds of information into their little brains. “Even when you don't think you're teaching your puppy something, you're teaching your puppy something. And so I think we have to be ultra aware of even the things that we do when we have our back turned that if we're making dinner or there's a puppy jumping on the other puppy or there's puppy going potty on the floor because they didn't get our attention to take them outside. We just taught them something. “You have to be ultra aware of everything you do. Not paying attention to them doesn't mean that they're not learning something. I think we really have to pay attention to that and there's lots of really fun things we can do to teach them cool stuff, but be careful, because they're learning every second. “If they learn that they put their feet on the breadboard and pull something off (the counter), even if you weren't looking, they just learned they can put their feet on the breadboard. And if it takes them 100 tries to get one thing the next time, it's like winning the lottery. “We think about our little tiny puppies and there's all this stuff going on. They've got littermates, they've got other dogs in the house, they've got smells, they've got sounds, they've got all this stuff. You don't want them to hear the ketchup bottle make that funny, squirty noise when it's almost empty when they're in their new home for the first time and it freaks them out. “So you have to really think about all the input that we want to have for our dogs. How do we set them up for success? How do we provide them those things? So I do smell, I do touch, so I give different surfaces, we do different visual things, we do different toys, there's different tastes, so there's so much we can do.”

What Your Puppies' Poopy Tells You Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for an extended conversation about puppy poopy. Color, consistency, contents and coating of the puppy's stool give detailed information about its gut health. They also discuss prevention and treatment of common intestinal upset. “A yellow, softened, seedy stool is absolutely normal (for the first two weeks),” Greer said. “It's not that they've eaten anything that shouldn't be in there. That's just normal milk curd being digested and the normal color with the digestive enzymes.” [caption id="attachment_12956" align="alignleft" width="483"] Puppy stool samples and what they tell you, at a glance.[/caption] To watch the entire presentation, with photos, click the link HERE. Intestinal parasites “If a bitch ever had roundworms when she was a puppy or ever had hookworms when she was a puppy, those will encyst in her muscles and they will reactivate during the stress of pregnancy and lactation and migrate,” Greer said. “Roundworms migrate through the placenta into the puppies. So, this is how puppies are born with intestinal parasites, is they're already born with them before they are hatched, they come out, and hookworms will migrate through the milk and into the puppies. “So this is how we end up with parasites that are going to cause problems in puppies. And they typically will start to become an issue when the puppies are right about three weeks of age. So just three to four weeks, just about the time you're starting to wean, about the time you're trying to get them on to solid food, they get sick, they feel puny, they have a belly ache, they don't feel good, you end up going to the vet. “Sometimes those stool samples are negative even if the parasites are there because the parasites need to be at least three weeks old to produce the eggs that it takes for them to see under the microscope.” Worming pregnant dams with Fenbendazole (Pancur) is the only guaranteed way to raised puppies not born with intestinal parasites. “So Panacur, you start at day 42 of the pregnancy,” Greer said. “And you give the dewormer every single day from day 42 of the pregnancy until the puppies are 14 days old. That is five weeks. The label says three days, and I understand the label says three days, but it is a five -week protocol. It is an off -label use, technically, but I can say that because I'm a veterinarian and I'm allowed to say those things. This protocol was published for the first time in the early 1980s. “We're giving 50 milligrams per kilogram once a day (to the dam for five weeks). If you give the suspension, not the tube paste, but the suspension, the liquid stuff that you shake up. That's given at one cc per four pounds of body weight. Safeguard, Panacur, fenbendazole is all the same thing. So if it's a 10 % solution, it's one cc per four pounds of body weight. Or you can use the granules. Now granules come in little packages, but they also come in a one pound tub, so there are very cost effective ways for you to get this. I'll tell you the bitches don't like the medication given daily, but you know what? I don't like worms in my washing machine and in my puppies, so I'm going with, I'd rather deworm the bitch."

Expert Tips for Expanding Puppies' Minds Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for their ongoing conversation about raising puppies. This month they're talking week four, when the puppies' minds are exploding with new sensory input. [caption id="attachment_12902" align="alignleft" width="528"] From Dr. Greer's "Canine Reproduction and Neonatology"[/caption] “When the puppies first open their eyes, first open their ears, we should have gentle lighting, we should have gentle sounds,” Greer said. “We shouldn't just have this loud TV with Rambo on. So, you know, things like just have the lights starting to come up, their vision isn't great, their hearing isn't great, but it went from almost nothing to something and so we want to ease them into that world.” Four weeks is when many puppies are introduced to solid food. Mothers of wild canids vomit for their puppies as their introduction to solid food. Laura describes making puppy food the “consistency of dog vomit.” Marty recommends shallow water bowls for puppies to prevent drowning hazards, as well as Lixit bottles for smaller breeds. 100 experiences in 100 days “I try to do a lot of variation in the enclosure. I have a rabbit hutch that's got a two story ramp on it so they can go in and out of doors and up and down the ramp. I have all kinds of little beds that have holes and places for them to go. Honestly the best toys are the kids' toys that I pick up at garage sales. So you pick up, you know, baby walkers and all kinds of toys and they're brightly colored and they're hard plastic. They're not durable enough for the aggressive chewer or adult dog. So you probably don't want them in with mom if you've got a lab that eats everything, but they're fun. They make interesting noise and you can do variability. “I think both Sophia Yen and Ian Dunbar, veterinarians that talk a lot about behavior and development, talk about a hundred experiences in a hundred days. “I have a series of 11 bath mats that are all different sizes, shapes, colors, textures. The mesh ones I put under the puppies when they're really young because the urine runs through and so they stay dry. When you're in that transition period between when mom stops cleaning them, that two to four week transition period when they start urinating on their own, they stay dry and it doesn't soak into a pad directly on their skin so it's cleaner and neater. “And those again can go in the washing machine. But I went to Walmart during COVID and they had 11 styles of bath mats. They had some with bristles, they had some that were shiny, some with round holes, some with square holes, some were dark colored, some were light colored. Just this whole variety and again I throw them in my washing machine when they get soiled and then I hang them to dry. And I have two sets so that they can rotate through. And you've just given now a puppy 11 different surfaces, so of the 100 experiences you need to do in 100 days, you just did 10 percent of them, with a bath mat.”

Neonates Deep Dive: Caring for the Dam and Hypocalcemia Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a continuation of their ongoing conversation about neonates. The discussion today includes hypocalcemia and eclampsia, how much calcium to supplement and when. “For some bitches, you need to continue (calcium supplementation) until the puppies are weaned,” Greer said. “It depends on the size of the bitch and the size of the litter. The smaller the bitch and the bigger the litter, the more you need calcium. It tends to be... in small breed bitches that develop hypocalcemia, eclampsia, that that tends to be an issue. “We don't see it in Labs, Goldens, Rottweilers, you know, the big dogs, but in the little dogs, and you know, I mean little dogs usually under 10 or 15 pounds, dachshunds, terriers, some of those small breeds, we can see hypocalcemia. In those cases the bitch will start to run a low grade fever. The first symptoms are going to be that she starts walking kind of goose-stepping like real stiffly, associated with the calcium becoming too low and then her muscles developing this tetany. “When the puppies are growing at about that two to three week time period, when the puppies are really growing fast, is when the demands of the calcium become the greatest on those small breed bitches and they just don't have the ability to mobilize enough calcium from their bones, their vitamin D levels are trying, but they just don't have the ability to mobilize calcium quickly enough. “And this is why you don't want to give calcium prior to the time that the bitch goes into labor and has her puppies. If you give it during the entire pregnancy, then you tell her parathyroid gland, "You know what, you can just take a vacation. "You don't have to worry about this, just hang out." And then their calcium doesn't mobilize adequately. “So you want them on a normal amount of calcium in their regular dog food, and then once they whelp, then that's when you can start adding the additional calcium in gel form, in tablet form, in powder form to the diet along with the puppy food to make sure she gets adequate amounts of calcium. “The powder, the gel, those are all going to be fine and safe because the GI tract is going to only absorb and the body's only going to take in so much. So you're okay to be pretty aggressive. Now there's definitely some things that you have to be concerned about if you're giving (calcium) by injection. But if you're giving oral in the powder or the tablet form, you know the petcal or the revival or the whatever product you want to use, those are all absolutely fine to give. You have to really screw up to give too much. But it does make a big difference and you basically titrate it until you see the effect that you're looking for. Greer touches on a variety of different topics in this wide-ranging conversation, so check out the entire podcast here.

Managing Your New Puppies' Critical First 72 Hours Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss managing the critical first 72 hours with new puppies. A recurring theme with breeders and new litters is the term “fading puppy.” “(Fading puppy) is basically we're just lumping a bunch of stuff together and calling it fading puppy,” Greer said, “because we don't necessarily have a confirmed diagnosis. We may not have a diagnosis yet. We may never have a diagnosis, but it is not a diagnosis. It's just a description of a puppy that fails to thrive. And I think that a better term is failure to thrive rather than fading puppy because it's more clear that it's not really a term of diagnostics. “I think a lot of owners and veterinarians tend to kind of throw up their arms and say, ‘well, it's a sick puppy. I don't really know what to do with it.' “Well, there's a lot of things you can do. Diagnostically, you can do almost everything to a small puppy that you can do to a big dog.  Now of course the bigger the puppy gets, the easier it is to do the diagnostics. But if you choose to pursue some of these diagnostics, it's not that difficult. You can do an x -ray, you can do an ultrasound, you can do blood work. At the very least, do a glucose level. “Worst case scenario, you lose a puppy. Don't just put it in the freezer and walk away, take it to your veterinarian, ask them to either open it up for you or send it in for diagnostics. “We've found things that are clearly one -offs. We've seen like the puppy doesn't have an intestinal tract, a large intestine. Okay, that's not gonna affect every puppy in the litter. But if you have herpes, if you have adenovirus, if you have distemper, if you have E. coli, if you have all these different kinds of diseases, the faster you can get a specific diagnosis and get a specific treatment put together, the better.” Greer observed that puppies who fail to thrive may present as crying constantly or weak and not moving with the “swarm” of the litter. Dehydration and low body temperature are common and correctible issues that can knock a puppy down and even out in the first 72 hours. Test hydration by monitoring urine color, Greer recommends, and be prepared to administer subcutaneous fluids if needed. Listen to the full episode as she walks listeners through this process and more.

Puppy Evaluation System Developed by a Woman Ahead of Her Time [caption id="attachment_12746" align="alignleft" width="360"] Virginia Apgar, who named the newborn evaluation system.[/caption] Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for their ongoing puppy discussion. This month Greer shares the story of Virginia Apgar, who named a now-famous newborn evaluation system after herself. Apgar was a human anesthesiologist who graduated from medical school in the 1930s, Greer noted. “She was the first female anesthesiologist admitted to the College of Anesthesiology back in an era where there were no women doctors. There were no women a lot of things. So she was truly remarkable, Greer said. “In that era, a lot of babies were born to mothers that were sedated or anesthetized. And so (Apgar) developed a scoring system to analyze the babies and it has stuck for the last 70 years and it's very impressive that it's something that people talk about every day, still using the word APGAR. The acronym stands for: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration.” The system was adapted for small animal veterinary use by a vet on staff at the University of Minnesota. “The advantage of a numerical score,” Greer added “is that it gives you something that you can measure and compare litter to litter, puppy to puppy within the litter over the course of time. And we have some really good data from Neocare, which we talked about last time, about what the relationship with the APGAR score and the survival of these puppies will be. So it's actually super cool that you can take all this information and turn it into something that you can use at home, you can use at your veterinary clinic, and that your veterinary clinic can help you with. So I would encourage people to learn to do APGAR scores. It's not hard, it's not mysterious. It's really pretty straightforward on what to do with it. “The value of this is when you go home (from a csection, for example) and you have a puppy that had an APGAR score of a four and a puppy that had an APGAR score of a nine, that you know the puppy with the four needs a lot more attention to have the kind of survival rates that one would hope for. We always hope for a hundred percent (survival), but reality is 100% is probably not a realistic goal. “Each of the five parameters, appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respirations gets a score of a zero, one, or a two. So collectively, if you get twos on all five of your items, you have a score of a ten. “It's really simple to do. It doesn't require high level assessment and like I said, a lot of us probably are intuitively already doing this. When you have puppy born, if it's fish breathing and gasping and gaping, that's not good. But, if it's got nice pink color and it's wailing and it's crying and it's wiggling and it's pink and it's all those things, you know that you've got a puppy that's in pretty good shape. But it's just nice to be able to give it a more numerical sign because that gives you data to work with. “The average puppy is gonna be seven and up. It does give you a numerical score. The value of this is knowing that from the Neocare information, that's from the University at the Toulouse -France Veterinary School, the puppies with an APGAR score of less than seven have a 22-fold increased risk of death in the first eight hours after they're born. “And they also know that puppies with APGAR scores between a four and a seven can achieve a 90 percent survival rate with the appropriate interventions. So, what does that mean? That means you suction them, you put them in oxygen, you make sure that they're staying warm. You're doing all those things that you already have been trained to do to help with puppy resuscitation so that they're not just you know laying in the whelping box kind of hoping that they do okay.” Greer's seminal book "Canine Reproduction and Neonatology" is available

Canine Influenza Outbreak and How to Manage It with Dr. Marty Greer Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss the current Canine Influenza outbreak, how to manage it and how it became an overnight sensation in the public. “Well, partially it's media, partially it's misinformation, courtesy of the media,” Greer said. “And partially there was a lack of vaccine. The vaccine insufficient supply appears to have been corrected or is being corrected. “So, things are better. In 2004 when this first happened, we didn't have any vaccine and no dogs in any part of the world that we know had immunity to this. So Ron Schultz,the vaccine guru from University of Wisconsin, made a recommendation that all dogs should be vaccinated against this, that it should be considered a core vaccine because no dogs had natural immunity. “It was like when Parvo happened in the late 70s and early 80s came out of nowhere, there was no immunity and bada bing bada boom we've got dogs that are desperately sick and dying. “Influenza is a respiratory disease and it is classified in the CIRD, the canine infectious respiratory disease complex. So a lot of times that's either called CIRD or it's called kennel cough. There's a whole bucket of stuff that falls in the kennel cough bucket and it's not necessarily a diagnosis. It's a description. It's a collection of disorders, diseases, but it's not necessarily a diagnosis. “So we have had outbreaks of canine influenza (before). The first known outbreak was in 2004 in a colony of Greyhounds, I believe in Florida, and they think it was a mutation from the equine version of influenza. “And that was H3N8. There's now also an H3N2 that we have identified and can vaccinate against. “Like all respiratory diseases, it causes a cough, but in this particular case, influenza can cause disease severe enough to cause hemorrhagic pneumonia and the death of patients. And there have been patients that have died in this last outbreak that occurred this fall (at the Golden Retriever national in Albany, Oregon). “It had to get to the Golden Retriever National somehow. It's not like the Golden Retriever group invented it, just drummed up a new virus, but it appears that it reared its ugly head there. There were a number of dogs that were there that then went back to all over the U.S. “So, they were East Coast, Midwest, everywhere. And these dogs were coming back with respiratory disease and it was easy to just say, ‘Uh, it's kennel cough, here's some medication, you'll be fine.' But one of my associates was involved with some of the Golden Retrievers that were at that show and I was in surgery the day she walked in and said, ‘You know, we've got these dogs that are coming back from the Golden National with a pretty bad cough.' And I don't know why but the hair kind of stood up on the back of my neck and I said, ‘We need to get these dogs tested for what kind of virus or bacteria we have.' “There was just something about, I don't know if it was her tone of voice or the number of dogs that were involved. There's something about that conversation that just said to me, 'We have problems.' “So, we swabbed the most recently started to cough dogs. We didn't want a dog that had already been coughing for a week by the time we did the sample collection and submitted that to our local diagnostic lab at the same time that a number of other people were submitting samples. “We weren't the only ones by any stretch of the imagination that felt we need a diagnosis on this. So, at our diagnostic lab in Wisconsin, they came back with influenza A. At some of the other diagnostic labs, they came back with influenza H3N2, I believe. Not that it makes that much of a difference if it's H3N2 or H3N8. It's influenza anyway. So, there were multiple labs with multiple dogs that had all been at the same event. “They were coming up with the same answer. And so, when I walked up to my front desk last...

Protecting Breeds Into the Future Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss AKC's newest service for preservation breeders. Greer was actively involved in AKC's development of the Purebred Preservation Bank, taking the idea from the Otterhound Club of America. We had the conversation with Joellen Gregory early on about the Otterhound's semen bank, and AKC has taken this and developed it into something that's available for all parent clubs. “(PPB will allow) AKC to fund the long -term storage of semen that no longer has an owner that wants to manage it,” Greer said. “So, you don't necessarily have to have passed away for this to happen. If you're at the end of your breeding program and you're sitting there with six beautiful dogs that have semen frozen, and you're like, ‘Well, I don't have anybody I've really mentored and my kids don't want it, so where do I go with this?' “That's when you go to the AKC website, you pull up the information on there, you sign the document that allows AKC to take ownership. And once you hand it off, you no longer are in control of that part of the semen. You may send all of your dog's semen, you may send part of that dog's semen, you may send all the semen that you have to the AKC, and AKC will then pay for the long -term storage. “Every breed club makes their own rules. Your parent club can put together their health committee, their genetics committee, a special committee for this. Your breed club will sit down and with some ideas from what other breed clubs have done, be able to say, ‘This is how we want the semen disseminated. Does the bitch have to have a CHIC number? Does she have to have these certain criteria? When is it appropriate to use? Has she had a litter before?' All those kinds of things, your breed club can decide. “But as you release the semen, you can't say, ‘Well, I don't like Susie Smith." Susie Smith is never going to get to touch my semen ever, ever, as long as I live, over my dead body. Maybe it will be over your dead body because now it's no longer yours. “Fifty years from now and 100 years from now, that's what we're looking at. We're not looking at what happens next Tuesday when a bitch has to be bred. We're looking at 100 years from now. Is your dog still of value? You might say things like, ‘Well, styles of dogs change,' and indeed they do. But sometimes those foundational dogs are structurally what you need. Sometimes those foundation dogs predate certain genetic disorders that have really worked their way deeply into the gene pool and could be very hard to breed your way out of. “AKC's role in this is to pay for the semen storage and to register the puppies. That's it. AKC is not there to start saying, ‘Well, we want you to do this with this and we want you to do that with that. And you have to have faith that 100 years from now, this mission, this vision is going to be held true. But it's not about Susie Smith. It's not about you. It's not about (any individual dog). It's about the overall health of the breed and where we can go with some of the genetics.”

Mentors, Mentees and All the Love Welcome to Pure Dog Talk. I am your host Laura Reeves, and today is episode 600. Like holy podcast palooza Batman. There has been an awful lot of water under the bridge since November of 2016. If you haven't, you should make a point to watch the Live@Five episode with Mary Albee from this month, where we talk about the creation of pure Dog talk. Everything from what to name it to her dragging me kicking and screaming into the role as host. It's pretty epic conversation. And for everybody who's listening, just know that you can go to the website puredogtalk.com and the blog post will have links to a bunch of these things that I'm talking about today. I have lots of thoughts, but instead of droning on about  how impactful this podcast actually is, which I know you know because I hear from you all on the daily, I want to dig into a topic that is front of mind for every single one of our listeners. Not a day goes by in one of the, I don't know, 9 million groups on dog book or in our own patrons group or somewhere. That there isn't commentary about mentors and mentees and the relationships they're in. I even touched on this in a conversation with Vicki Ronchette on her show Dog Prep School Facebook Live a few weeks back. The fact is, for me, the most moving and powerful moments of the last seven years have been when random strangers tell me that pure dog talk and the work that we do here has served as their mentors. That pure dog talk, me as the host and all of our amazing guests - shout out to every single one of y'all - that we're the reasons that they're breeding dogs or showing dogs or participating in a club. And that veterinary voice episodes with Marty Greer of literally saved their dog's life. That I, that I was their virtual mentor from afar, in a tiny, tinny voice over their smartphone. So I wanted to dive into the concept of mentorship more in this epic moment of episode 600. This day represents a truly mind-bending amount of time and energy. Learning, growing, succeeding, failing. And I guess I'd like to use that as an avatar for really a larger conversation. Growing up this podcast, this community, this ever blossoming dialogue is in many ways analogous to the effort involved as both mentor and mentee in any relationship. And as it turns out, the ability and willingness to share knowledge and accept the sharing of knowledge in a mentoring type relationship is not actually hardwired into the human brain. So I went searching for, you guessed it, some more insight and some more knowledge.

Puppy Strangles, Pyoderma and Neonatal Ophthalmia Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss some of the weird and scary diseases that can affect our puppies, including puppy strangles, puppy pyoderma and neonatal opththalmia. Puppy Strangles “Essentially what it is, is it's an allergic reaction or an over immune reaction to bacteria that are normally found on the skin. So we normally see streps and staph on the skin of mammals. Puppies, humans, whatever. And in a small population of puppies, we see this allergic reaction. And the reason we call it strangles is because the lymph nodes in the neck become enlarged, hugely enlarged. And sometimes that's the first symptoms that are seen. Sometimes they're skin lesions that are noticed first. “They typically start on the lips, at the very front of the face, at the very front of the lips. And then they'll move back, and then they'll move to the eyelids and then they'll move to the ears. It's sort of like when you have an anaphylactic reaction and a dog, a vaccination or beesting. It starts at the very tip of the nose and then moves its way back. “They'll see open draining wounds and they'll be really sticky. There's a lot of serum that comes out of them, so they're really sticky. Gooey, messy things and fussy. Puppy Pyoderma “A fair number of puppies have (this), especially the little girls, right in front of their vulva on their tummies where there's not much hair. They get urine scalds, they develop something (more) serious. “(It's) not a really serious condition. And anytime I can treat something topically just with cleaning it with wipes or with Chlorhexidine or a shampoo or applying a nice type of a cream or an ointment to it and get rid of it without using an oral antibiotic. I'm going to the same with vaginitis and balanoposthitis in the boys. Do not routinely put your little girls that have vaginitis or your little boys that have balanoposthitis, that green pussy stuff that comes out of the tip of the prepuce. They don't need to be on an antibiotic for that. It's not serious treat it locally. Be smart about it. Neonatal Opththalmia “Somehow bacteria got behind the sealed eyelids before they open their eyes. I've seen it happen with females that have had metritis. If you read the literature, it says that it's in unclean conditions. Well, in my experience it has been households that are incredibly clean. Like you could eat off their floors, but there's bacteria in the environment. Often from the bitch having metritis or mastitis something in the environment and the bacteria gets behind this sealed eyelids and turns into this little pocket of pus. It's quite disgusting. “This is a medical emergency. You need to come in immediately, get the eyelids open, get them on oral and topical antibiotics and you'll save their vision. And I have seen multiple puppies because it wasn't recognized, either the puppy didn't have enough swelling for the owner to recognize it or the eyelids didn't open on time. Or a variety of different things. And the puppies can be blind. I had one puppy that was blind in both eyes, so it's very serious and needs to be handled.”

Taking on the Taboos: Learn the Inside Story of Veterinary Procedures Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves take on the recently taboo subjects of veterinary procedures such as bark softening, tail docking, ear cropping and dewclaw removal. Greer covers the how, when and, importantly, WHY of these procedures. Debark Some people call it urban bark. Some people call it bark softening. It kind of gentrifies the term a little bit because you're really not taking away the bark. You really are softening it. And there's a lot of misconceptions about it. I've heard all kinds of stories about how cruel it is and how difficult the procedure is for the patient. And honestly, none of them are true. Dewclaws I don't see problems with the dewclaws coming off. I know there are people who feel that it weakens the carpal joint in the dog and I, to this day, have not seen a dog breakdown it's Carpus and have difficulty with its carpal joint related to a declaw removal. We do see dewclaws that get torn off during hunting, during other kind of activities …. I actually haven't seen any literature that suggests that they've got proof that (dewclaw removal) makes a difference. Tail Dock Nothing, nothing is more horrible than a broken, bleeding tail. Nothing. They crack them on the wall in the crate, in the kennel. And then they start to bleed. And then, oh my God, it looks like an axe murder happened in your house. It is unbelievable how much blood they can spray around from the end of their tail, and they're very hard to bandage. They don't heal very well, so they can be a real challenge. There's a lot of reasons that people do tails. It's not just about breed type, it is really about function as well. Watch Dr. Greer perform this simple procedure. Ear Crop Breed type is a big deal. If you don't crop the ears on a Doberman, it doesn't look like a Doberman. I think we have to be really honest with ourselves that it's about appearance, it's about breed type. It's primarily a cosmetic procedure and we have to be honest about it. But you have to decide what you're breeding for because again, ear set and ear leather has changed because people don't really pay attention to it. In Closing I will tell you that a lot of the procedures that (some folks) are telling people not to do are far less invasive and far more beneficial for the pet than spaying and neutering. Because why do we spay and neuter our dogs? Because we're too lazy to control their sexual behavior. It's not for their health. The American public has become complacent and will not (train) their dogs.

Kidney Diseases: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on diseases that affect the kidneys in dogs. They cover symptoms of kidney problems, causes and treatments for various common kidney issues. “The symptoms that most people catch first are a change in water consumption, an increase in water consumption and increase in urination,” Greer said. “Now, that's not the only reason that dogs can need to drink more and urinate more, and what goes in must come out. So those usually go hand in hand. “The most common things are changes in water consumption, changes in urination. Now other  things that frequently cause that are going to be diabetes; which happens in dogs and cats, Cushings disease; which happens in dogs, which is an adrenal gland dysfunction, and other things like pyometra, high calcium that can be related to different forms of cancer. So, there can be other things that we're looking for. But we're going to start looking at kidneys, diabetes and Cushing's disease in the dog most commonly. “We're going to get blood work and urinalysis as our basic starting point. But that's not the only place we're going to go. We're going to start with those two things. Because if the dog is still able to concentrate their urine, well, then that tells us something different than if the dog's urine was really dilute and the BUN and creatinine start to go up. “Once that happens, that means that only one fourth, only 25%, of the dog's kidneys are still working correctly, unless it's a secondary cause from dehydration like vomiting, diarrhea, other causes of dehydration, so it's super important. You go in and if your vet says we should do lab work, you shake your head up and down and you say yes, yes, yes we should. Please do not argue with them. Do not fight them on it because you can very quickly tell from a urinalysis and a blood panel. LR: Can a bladder infection go to the kidneys? “Number one, it can. It's not common, but it can.” LR: OK, so what's going to cause a kidney infection? Where's our causation? “It's usually hematogenous, meaning it starts off in the bloodstream, so can start as a pyometra. It can start as any way that bacteria gets into the bloodstream, but usually the kidneys are protected by the fact that the urine is concentrated so that helps to kill bacteria and remember urine is flowing from the kidneys down the ureters and into the bladder so that constant flushing should keep bacteria from being able to ascend up into the ureter and up into the kidney. So can they still happen? Yes, they can. They're not at all common, but they happen. And they're tricky to diagnose because sometimes it doesn't look obvious. So that's where that blood and the urine sample is really important because it is life-saving to a dog or a cat to have that diagnosed and be able to resolve that. Additional causal factors, Greer noted, can include tick born or infectious diseases such as Lyme Disease and Leptospirosis. For additional details on causes and treatments, listen in to the entire episode, or check the YouTube pod, and click to subscribe, @PureDogTalk.

Veterinary Industry Struggling with Overwhelming Staff Shortages Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to review her presentation at the NAIA conference on the struggles of overwhelming staff shortages in the veterinary industry. “It is estimated that the veterinary industry is 40,000 people short, not just veterinarians but veterinary staff,” Greer said. “It's a lot of people. So, if you divide that up into every state, that's a lot of people that your veterinary clinics are suffering with trying to get by without. So that's veterinarians, that's receptionists, that's managers, that's everyone. “So again, I know we've talked about this before and I just really need to keep beating the drum that we need to be sure that we're taking good care of the veterinary relationships that we have. I just got off the phone with another colleague a few minutes ago talking about practice sales and how that's impacting the relationship people have with their veterinary clinic and how that changes everything. Greer addresses the corporatization of veterinary clinics and how that is to the detriment of reproductive health, particularly, in our dogs. “It does play a role in all aspects,” Greer said. “I think the reproduction part is especially difficult because a lot of the new graduates have been trained to come out of veterinary school with the impression that breeders are not good people and breeding dogs is this terrible hobby. And so, I think it's really frustrating for people who have all the right intentions to breed healthy dogs to help these nice new graduates pay off their veterinary school loans. I don't really understand where they think healthy dogs are going to come from. “It's really important that we keep the existing good relationships and that we keep our veterinarians happy. From talking to financial planners, you really are in a better financial place by keeping your practice than by selling to what looks like an attractive number because by the time you get done paying all the taxes and all the other things and then you don't have the asset that you developed anymore. I mean we spent 42 years developing this asset. I'm not just going to hand it off to someone that doesn't have the best interests of my clients and staff in mind. So, take good care of your local veterinarian.” One of Greer's top tips is how to manage whelping and when/how to use Oxytocin. Here is her chart to print out and add to your whelping kit. [caption id="attachment_12246" align="alignleft" width="447"] Dr. Marty Greer's Rules for using Oxytocin.[/caption] Greer continues with GREAT tips on how to be prepared ahead of time for any situation, how to work with your vet and how to survive and thrive in this challenging climate. Listen to the full episode for all of the advice from one of our best veterinarians.

Dr. Marty Greer on Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, this year's Westminster Kennel Club and Trupanion Vet of the Year, joins host Laura Reeves to discuss Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in dogs. “Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is, as it sounds, an immune mediated disease,” Greer said. “But what it doesn't exactly describe is that in this particular disease, the target cells for the immune response are the circulating red blood cells. So in a patient that has autoimmune hemolytic anemia… people have it, dogs have it. Not as often in cats…. basically the body attacks its own red blood cells. “The dog goes from being pretty clinically normal, to being really profoundly sick, weak, out of breath, really, really sick. Sometimes with a fever, sometimes not, within a matter of hours to days. And when this happens, it requires an immediate diagnosis and immediate initiation of treatment. Sometimes requiring blood transfusions, 24 hour stays in the hospital, all kinds of stuff. So, it is a bad disease. “As soon as you flip the lip and you see that really pale mucus membrane color, like their gums are white or close to white. Sometimes jaundiced, just depends on how rapidly the red blood cells are being broken down and how those are being managed. The dog will look something like a dog with a splenic rupture. Or hemangiosarcoma of the spleen where they're bleeding into the abdomen. It's that same really profound anemia. Now, this tends to be most common, like I said, in middle age, to older female dogs, especially spaniels. “That being said. I've seen it probably in every breed. So, I don't think you can say, well you know, I have a corgi so it couldn't be that. I don't really think that's the case. “The other part of this is to try and determine if there's an underlying cause. It can happen spontaneously in the middle-aged and older female. It can happen after a number of vaccinations are administered at the same time, but we see a lot of it related to tick borne diseases. “(These) are thought to be triggers for this because something makes your body, say that red blood cell that's in your circulation, no, that's not my cell, that's not my protein. My immune system is going to attack it just like it would have bacteria, a virus or other foreign tissue.” Listen in to the entire episode for Dr. Greer's diagnostic and treatment recommendations. And click over to the Veterinary Voice ALBUM for a compilation of every one of Laura's in depth and practical conversations with Dr. Greer.

Temple Grandin to headline NAIA Conference in Portland Patti Strand, founder of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) joins host Laura Reeves to discuss the lineup of speakers at the conference scheduled for May 26-28 in Portland, OR. The annual NAIA conference kicks off under the banner “Preserving Our Breeds: Preparing for the looming dog shortage.” Strand shared her excitement about the keynote speaker, Temple Grandin, who has been actively involved in animal welfare for decades. Strand said that Grandin's most recent book “really speaks to me. It's called ‘Visual Thinking, the hidden gifts of people who think in pictures, patterns and abstractions.' And if you get into this book, she talks about different categories of work that people get into who have these gifts, and animal people are among them.” Additional topics are focused on preserving our breeds, breeding healthy dogs and raising well-socialized puppies. Dr. Marty Greer, Carmen Battaglia and Dr. Claire Wiley will join the star-studded speakers panel. “I could say the looming purebred dog shortage or the looming shortage of dogs that are deliberately bred rather than random bred or bred in countries that don't have the same standards that we have,” Strand noted. “There always will be dogs available as long as there are street dogs in developing countries. We're going to focus more on the deliberately bred dogs and talk about how we preserve them. “The big part of the conference is dedicated to helping people breed better dogs, raise their dogs better. You know, the socialization pieces are all about that. The DNA piece, Marty coming in and talking about different aspects of reproduction. “But again, in order to preserve their breed, a big part of that is breeding dogs. There are so many breeds today where you have a hundred or less dogs in the entire country. Not just 100 dogs that are intact, but just a hundred dogs of that particular breed. We need to encourage people to breed in a way that supports every aspect of animal welfare and so on, but breed dogs. It's part of this preservation piece, you can't preserve from if you don't breed them." Remember to check out the NEW PDT Albums today!!

Ears: Yeast, Bacteria and Dr. Greer's Mind-Blowing Tip for Hair Removal Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for important information on maintaining healthy ears in our dogs, diagnosing and treating ear infections and her *mind-blowing* tip for hair removal from the ear canal. “Ears are complicated,” Greer said. “It's not just go pick up a tube of Panalog and you're going to fix the whole problem. It is not that simple. I wish it were. Everybody wishes it were. Clients don't understand why we have these chronic, recurrent, never-ending problems. “Ears can be as simple as … the puppy got some water in its ears. It was out in the rain, playing around, rolled in the snow, had a good time, came in, got a little water in the ear, got an ear infection. However, a lot of dogs have these chronic, recurrent, never-ending ear infections. They can be bacterial, they can be yeast, they can be a combination, they can be allergic and some dogs just have itchy ears. “Our dogs should not have ear wax in their ears. Cats should not have ear wax in their ears. Children should. Ferrets should. Dogs and cats should not have ear wax. So anytime you see discharge in the ears, if you put a Q-tip or a Kleenex in and you wipe out something that's yellow, brown, icky. If you get stuff out, your dog needs to go see the vet. There's a problem. Pro Tip “Don't mess with a healthy ear. If your dog doesn't have a problem with its ears, don't start cleaning it. Don't start putting stuff in the ear canal if there's nothing wrong with it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it because you've now taken an environment that was healthy and you've changed it, so don't put something in the ear unless you need to. Mind Blown… “You can pluck hair on the ears (to help keep a drier environment). I think it sets up inflammatory changes …You're ripping hair out of the hair follicles. A lot of people don't know, and I learned this at a meeting. So, this is not Marty Greer going off the rails. This is actually from a dermatologist. You can put Nair in the ear canal and get rid of the hair. You wanna make sure that the ear drum's intact of course. And I usually use the one with aloe. “I'm careful when I do it. I usually put it down with a Q-tip. I don't wanna push a big squirt out of the bottle and into the ear and then have the dog shake its head. Because if you lose an eyebrow as your dog shook its head and then Nair flew out in your face, I am not responsible for this. “All the hair doesn't come out on the first treatment. It takes a couple of times to do it. I put it down in the ear canal. I give it about 10 minutes and then I'll go in with the Q-tip and just kind of spin the Q-tip and the hair starts to just lift out. It's really cool.” Listen to the full episode for more excellent information on healthy ears for our dogs.

Skin is Your Dog's Largest Organ, Keep it Healthy! Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on skin problems in our dogs, how to avoid them, what causes them and how to treat them. Pro Tip? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In previous episodes, Marty and Laura discuss allergies and external parasites, but today's topic covers hot spots, seasonal alopecia, demodex and other skin disorders. “The skin, believe it or not, is the largest organ of the body,” Greer noted. “So, it accounts for an important part of our dog's health and it accounts for a huge number of visits. A lot of people have noticed skin problems in their dog. In fact, at some point, almost every dog will have something wrong with their skin during their lifetime. So, the better prepared you are to deal with it, the better off you are. Hot Spots are a Hot Topic “Our typical response to a hot spot, as a veterinarian, is to grab the clippers and shave it. And so that makes it a bit of a challenge for us to try and manage these because a hot spot needs to be treated similar to a wildfire out of the forest -- you have to clear cut it. So, you have to clip out around it so that you're an inch or two out around the hotspot into normal skin to effectively stop the spread of it. And so this is where the show dog people totally freak out because that's that's a year's worth of hair coat. For some dogs that never grows back the same way. “And this is where having a good veterinary relationship really comes into play. Your veterinarian is gonna be a lot more sympathetic to your needs and expectations if you have developed that relationship. “It's not that we're unsympathetic to it, it's just that we have to balance what your needs are with the dogs health and so that's where this challenge comes in. “It's usually (caused by) a break in the skin of some kind, whether it's an insect bite or they ran into the fence or you know, something that just dinged the skin. Allergies. Anything that causes a break in the normal integrity of the skin then allows bacteria to develop. The official name for it is an acute superficial bacterial pyoderma. It's called a hot spot because it is hot, man. I mean, those things can spread … I've seen them double in size in 24 hours if you don't get it addressed. “You want to keep your dog healthy, their skin healthy. You want to keep them from matting. You want to be careful when you comb them or brush them that you're not breaking the skin. That you reduce their exposure to biting insects because that can initiate it, and if they do have allergies, that you get a handle on those. “Use your shampoos and conditioners carefully. Dilute your shampoo, rinse, rinse, rinse some more. Don't leave any residue. You know, just be smart about how you're taking care of your dog's coat because if the coat is important to you, then treat it as if it's important to you.” Listen to the full episode to learn more on the topic of skin disorders.

Canine Bladder Stones: Diagnosis and Treatment Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on bladder stones in dogs, how to diagnose and treat them. The following information is provided by Dr. Greer. Bladder stones are the quintessential “which came first, the chicken or the egg” question. By this, we mean that a dog can have a bladder symptoms that are caused by a bladder stone, or the bladder infection can cause bladder stones to form. Which then becomes a vicious cycle. There are two basic types of bladder stones – the first, struvite stones associated with a bladder infection or second, any of the following other bladder stones, caused by a metabolic disturbance that causes a stone to form in the urinary tract. How do bladder infections cause bladder stones? An undiagnosed, under-treated or recurrent bladder infection can lead to the development of struvite bladder stones. This is the most common type of bladder stone. Or another type of stone can cause irritation to the bladder which can cause a stone to form that is partly any of the types of stone below combined with a struvite stone. These form like a pearl in an oyster – the irritation of the infection or other stone type can cause a struvite coating on an existing bladder stone. Many metabolic stones are associated with a particular breed or disease condition causing minerals to deposit in the bladder, forming stones. These metabolic stones form with long term supersaturated minerals in the urine. With time, the crystals form which develop into a bladder stone. Other factors are the pH of the urine, inhibitors and promotors of stone formation, and macrocrystalline matrix. If something like suture is in the bladder, this can also allow a stone to form. Fortunately, most stones in the urinary tract are in the bladder itself, where they are accessible surgically. Stones in the kidney or ureter (tube from the kidney to the bladder) are not easily managed surgically or by physical removal. Stones that form in the bladder and pack together like sand in a funnel or slip from the bladder into the urethra (tube from the bladder to the outside of the body) cause urinary obstruction. This is a true medical emergency, more common in males that females due to the length and shape of the urethra, the tube from the bladder to the outside. Males have a design flaw – their urethra is more narrow and curved, causing a greater likelihood of urinary obstruction. On the other hand, females have a design flaw, a shorter wider urethra just below the rectum that allows bacteria to ascend into the bladder, increasing the risk that a female will have a bladder infection. That infection can often lead to the formation of struvite stones. Symptoms Symptoms of bladder disease can be virtually non-existent to severe. The symptoms can vary: No signs or very subtle signs of discomfort or urinary accidents. Signs of blood in the urine (often not noted until there is snow on the ground or when the urine is wiped up and blood is seen on a white towel), straining to urinate, frequency of urination, inappropriate urination, +/- fever, pain, and/or urinary incontinence. Dogs are rarely “sick” with a bladder infection – they eat, drink, and act normally other than increased trips outside or urinary accidents on the floor. If obstructed, there will be abdominal pain, vocalizing, vomiting, dehydration, depression, heartbeat irregularities, bladder distension, in advanced cases, bladder rupture, collapse and death. Blood work can show elevated BUN and creatinine, kidney values if obstructed. Blood work may show elevated calcium if calcium oxalate stones are present. Blood work may show liver dysfunction in patients with urate stones. Below is a table showing the different types of bladder stones, comparing the composition, cause, prevention and treatment...

Lessons from Orlando and Holiday Musings The extravaganza of purebred dogs that is the AKC National Championship week in Orlando has come to a close. I skipped the last couple years with the pandemic and all that entailed, so it was really good to be back with the people I so rarely get to see. I think we all learn something new each time… Like how it's possible to walk 10 miles and never see the sky…. Or just how many shiny suits St. Johns actually makes…. Or what we jokingly refer to as “snacks in Orlando” … where a cheeseburger, an appetizer and two drinks costs $100…. But there are some actually useful lessons to be learned, some that happened to friends, some observed, some that have happened to me over the years, so here we go. Wait, my dog is HIGH? First up, dogs put ridiculous things in their mouths. Even at high-end hotels, be observant and careful when letting your dog roam free in the room. My friend Ingrid learned this lesson the very hard way this week when her Chihuahua found and ingested marijuana in a hotel room on her trip to Orlando. She is now extremely aware of the signs of cannabis toxicity in dogs…. This has become something of an epidemic at veterinary practices, according to Dr. Marty Greer. So, for those who haven't experienced this, here are some tips. Also, take a listen to our past podcast on the topic of how cannabis can be useful in treating dogs in forms that do not contain THC. Cannabis contains more than 100 different chemicals (or compounds) called cannabinoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the cannabinoid that has the most psychoactive effects. It is also the compound responsible for some of cannabis' medicinal uses, such as treating nausea and improving appetite in cancer patients. Other compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have shown promise for medicinal use and do not have psychoactive effects. Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains, which means the effects of cannabis are more dramatic and potentially more toxic when compared to humans. A small amount of cannabis is all it takes to cause toxicity in cats and dogs. Per VCA Animal Hospital, most of the signs of intoxication are neurological. Pets may become wobbly and uncoordinated. They may be hyperactive or sleepy, disoriented, and/or very vocal. Their pupils may dilate, giving them a wild-eyed appearance, and they may drool excessively or vomit. They may also develop urinary incontinence (i.e., urine leakage). In severe cases, tremors, seizures, and coma can result. Physical signs include slow or fast heart rate, altered blood pressure, and slowed respiration rate (breathing rate). Lethargy and increases or decreases in body temperature may also be observed. Fortunately, these side effects are usually short-lived but they can still be dangerous and make your pet quite miserable. Diagnosis is based on an accurate history and clinical signs. Although there are tests to determine the level of THC in the urine, the results take time, making them impractical. Human urine drug screening tests are quicker but are not dependable in pets. The diagnosis is made much more quickly, and treatment initiated, when responsible pet owners provide accurate information regarding the pet's exposure. When a toxin enters the body, often the first line of defense is to get it out. If the...

Holiday Gift Guide, SuperZoo and Small Business Saturday Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves throw out some GREAT ideas for holiday gift giving for the animal loving family. Greer's recent trip to SuperZoo and strong support for Small Business Saturday provide heavy influence on the list! Find links below to many of the products mentioned on the podcast and more. Small Business Saturday Gift certificate for your vet Gift certificate for your groomer Tips for the groomers Goodies for your veterinary clinic – remember them when it ISN'T a holiday! NAIA Giving Tuesday Gift certificate for freezing and storing semen Gift a Pure Dog Talk Patrons Membership for a friend or puppy buyer APPLE AIRTAGS – WITH CASES FOR DOGS – chose a waterproof case that is durable. These are not meant to be dog tracking devices – they are for luggage and backpacks but….. Cats 1.     Litter boxes 1.     https://smartypear.com 2. https://www.amazon.com/Catlink-Self-Cleaning-Automatic-Control-Multiple/dp/B09L7Q9446?th=1 2.https://s23.a2zinc.net/clients/WPA/SZ2022/Public/eBooth.aspx?IndexInList=5&FromPage=Exhibitors.aspx&ParentBoothID=&ListByBooth=true&BoothID=157998 3.https://www.petivity.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maEUZr_VrykNz12IEJDUCEx2lcp0JYNvgTt5dj_kNWLDudcPvUl66dIaAqHlEALw_wcB 2.     Detection litter 1. http://www.catcaresand.com 2.https://s23.a2zinc.net/clients/WPA/SZ2022/Public/eBooth.aspx?BoothID=162909&Task=Products&ProdID=2182 3. https://checkupkit.com/check-up-strips-2/ 3.     Doc and Phoebes feeding system https://www.target.com/b/doc-phoebe-s-cat-co/-/N-q643leybvdp 4.     Meal toppers 1.https://www.austinandkat.com/products/purrfect-feline-formula-meal-enhancing-topper 2.https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toppers-for-pets 5.     Pre and probiotics Numerous 6.     Medipad – body composition analyzer – weight, water, BMI, Protein, fat, muscle mass, visceral fat, bone mass - https://www.thelittlecat.kr 7.     KittyRade hydration https://s23.a2zinc.net/clients/WPA/SZ2022/Public/eBooth.aspx?IndexInList=24&FromPage=Exhibitors.aspx&ParentBoothID=&ListByBooth=true&BoothID=159327&fromFeatured=1 8.     Hemp cat litter – 3x longer lasting, organic, odor eliminator https://responsiblyorganic.com 9.     Really Great litter – from soy

Dr. Marty Greer's Passion Project & Anniversary Episode Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves celebrate their fifth anniversary of sharing important veterinary topics on Pure Dog Talk. Greer's passion project is Breast Cancer Awareness in dogs. “People sometimes forget that dogs get breast cancer too,” Greer said. “It's not an uncommon kind of cancer to find in dogs, unfortunately. It is definitely linked to spaying at an older age. But, in spite of that, there are still some significant benefits in waiting to spay. So that's a whole ‘nother topic. “But essentially we see it in middle age to older, normally female dogs that were left intact after the age of two. So, anybody that's breeding their dog is typically not going to spay before two because of health clearances, because she needs to mature before you breed her. So this means that almost every dog in a breeding program is gonna fall into a possibility of breast cancer. Mammary tumors, same thing, different term, all the same stuff. “And I think it's really important that people know that there isn't a good treatment other than surgery. So early detection and surgery is going to be almost the only thing that we can offer. “So, really, early detection, finding a nodule, taking it off when it's small and then being very attentive for additional ones to develop is very important. “Dogs have five sets of memory glands. The littlest ones are at the front between the front legs, and then they go down a nice string all the way down, usually in a fairly straight line. Every now and then they'll be an extra nipple or something else thrown in, and that's OK. It's just a normal variation. “But what you want to do is go along that chain that goes down, so feel from one nipple to the next and in between the nipples and just gently manipulate the skin so that you can see if you find anything that seems abnormal. A breast cancer nodule will feel firm, like a pea or a little cluster of peas. They'll be firm. They won't be those soft kind of masses. They won't be on the belly button. They'll typically be off to the side. The most common place to find a tumor, and the most serious tumors, are in the glands closest to the back legs. “I strongly encourage people not to spend the money on a fine needle aspirate. A lot of veterinarians want to stick a needle in it and aspirate it, and because most mammary tumors are mixed of different cell types, that is not going to be an accurate assessment of what you have.” Listen to the full episode here and then flash back to the first episode, introducing Dr. Greer.

We're joined by Dr. Christine Aurich, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian and the Head of the Centre for Artificial Insemination at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Mikel Delgado interviews Dr. Aurich about her recent research in cryopreservation of dog semen samples, which are used in the artificial insemination (AI) process. Learn about what cryopreservation is, how it works, and why a breeder may want to consider it! Good Dog hosts monthly webinars with canine health experts, including Dr. Robert Hutchison, Dr. Marty Greer, and many more. Access all of our past webinars - and stay up to date on upcoming webinars - by visiting the https://bit.ly/36NRUH8 (Good Breeder Center).

Intussusception and Other GI Accidents Dr. Marty Greer, DVM is back with host Laura Reeves to discuss Intussusception and other GI related accidents that may affect our dogs. “Intussusception is when the intestinal tract invaginates, or folds up on itself, so accordions on itself,” Greer said. “So, a piece of the intestine slips into another piece of the intestine, all aligned. And unfortunately, what happens when that occurs, is the blood flow is compromised to that part of the intestines and very quickly the dog gets into trouble. “(They have) vomiting, diarrhea, they look really sick, really fast. So, it doesn't look like your garden variety, ‘I ate grass and vomited' or, you know, those kinds of things. It ranks up there in severity with parvovirus (and bloat). There's a lot of different GI things, intestinal and stomach things that happen as intestinal accidents. “So, it's one of those intestinal accidents that happen. If intussusception happens, they're almost always young puppies. They're almost always associated with a heavy parasite load. “Any parasite, usually roundworms, but any parasite, anything that can make the gut hyper motile. So, increase the motility of the activity of the gut to the point that it gets really angry and it just sucks in. It's sort of like if you take off your sock and you kind of pull it wrong side out for part of it. That's kind of how it looks. It has this double loop of intestines, so it's usually because of hypermotility, although it can happen also with linear foreign bodies. “A linear foreign body is something long and skinny that gets swallowed that shouldn't be swallowed. It's a non-food item, so it's pantyhose, it's string, it's yarn, it's balloon strings. Those long strands that come off of the rug. Those throw rugs, rope toys when they pull bits off the rope toy. So those are the things that tend to cause foreign body intestinal intussusception. “Most of the time those dogs and cats end up in surgery because of the risk of intussusception or sawing effect of the long string foreign body kind of thing that just cuts through the intestinal wall. It can be pretty ugly. “But intussusception is unique unto itself because it may or may not be related to a foreign body. It may look like parvo, 'cause, it's a young dog, comes in acute abdomen, vomiting, anemic, sick. The real interesting thing is either you can feel it or there's sort of a characteristic. look of how intussusception looks on ultrasound. “So, if you have the suspicion of this, a good diagnostic tool is ultrasound. It's much more effective than X-ray in making the diagnosis, but feeling it is oftentimes what we can do. I've seen this in puppies as young as six or seven weeks old, and those puppies are relatively easy to feel because they're not very big and there's not a lot of body fat.”

Umbilical Hernias – What are they and what does this mean? Dr. Marty Greer, DVM shares a deep dive into the question of hernias, different types, and whether dogs with hernias should be included in breeding programs. By Dr. Marty Greer, DVM An umbilical hernia is a weakness or opening in the muscle wall of the abdomen where the umbilical blood vessels pass prior to birth. Frequently abdominal fat is in the hernia but the skin is intact across the hernia, so there are no exposed abdominal organs. The fat may be omentum or part of the falciform ligament. There are several disorders seen in mammals that are similar to an umbilical hernia and may add confusion to the discussion. Other types of hernias Gastroschisis is when a puppy's intestines protrude outside abdomen through an opening off to the right side of the belly button/umbilicus with a bridge of skin between the umbilicus and defect. The intestines and abdominal contents are not covered by a protective membrane. Because the intestines are not covered by a sac, they can be damaged by exposure to amniotic fluid in utero, which causes inflammation and irritation of the intestine.  This can result in complications such as problems with movements of the intestines, scar tissue, and intestinal obstruction. It is also difficult to keep the intestines and other organs sterile, moist, contained, and undamaged during birth and handling shortly after birth. Omphalocele occurs when the newborn pup's intestines, liver or other organs protrude outside the abdomen though the umbilicus. Embryologically, as the puppy develops during the first trimmest of pregnancy, the intestines get longer and push out from the belly into the umbilical cord. The intestines normally go back into the belly. If this does not happen, an omphalocele occurs. The omphalocele can be small, with only some of the intestines outside of the belly, or it can be large, with many organs outside of the belly. In this situation, the organs are covered with a thin, transparent sac of peritoneal tissue. There are often other associated birth defects including heart and kidney defects. Additionally, the abdominal cavity may not be large enough to accommodate the organs when replacing them surgically. In humans, it is associated with heart and neural tube defects as well as other genetic syndromes. An omphalocele is worse than gastroschisis – it has more associated anomalies and a higher rate of mortality than gastroschisis. When a puppy is born with intestines exposed, whether an omphalocele or gastroschisis, immediate surgery is necessary. If the pup is born at the veterinary hospital, there is a better chance of successful interventional surgery. However, despite the best efforts of the veterinary team, some pups cannot or should not be saved. Surgery includes protecting the organs while transporting and preparing for surgery, keeping more intestines from pushing out of the abdominal cavity while handling, keeping the intestines sterile, and protected from damage, anesthesia of the newborn pup, enlarging the abdominal wall defect to reposition organs into the abdominal cavity, appropriate suture techniques, post op antibiotics, and post op pain medications. For most pups born at home, this cannot be accomplished. For some pups born by c-section, this can be accomplished with quick thinking veterinary team members, a skilled surgeon, owners willing to put forth the money and effort, no additional genetic disorders, and a lot of luck. Other hernias seen in humans and animals include inguinal hernias (in the groin region), diaphragmatic hernias, peritoneal-pericardia diaphragmatic hernias (PPHD) and traumatic hernias anywhere on the body cavity. Inguinal hernias are second to umbilical hernias in frequency. An open thoracic wall rarely occurs. In this case, the pup can rarely be saved as there is usually inadequate chest wall (ribs and skin) to close. Additionally, surgical intervention is too...

Dr. Marty Greer - Checkout Veterinary Dr. Marty Greer returns after our first interview with her almost one year ago, when she first started Checkout Veterinary Clinic in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.  The worlds first drive-thru veterinary clinic. We met with Dr. Greer today to find out how this new concept has been working and what has changed with her veterinary business in the past year.  The pandemic subsided, new pets were housed all over the country, creating more demand for veterinarians. Listen as Dr. Greer explains how her veterinary clinic has grown and learn from her revolutionary way to take care of our pets. Enjoy! Visit Dr. Greer here: https://www.checkoutvet.com/  

Breeder, Buyer, Vet: Let's TALK! Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, best-selling author, dog breeder and practicing veterinarian, is back with host Laura Reeves to talk about the delicate and critical communication protocols, best practices and successful strategies for Breeders, Puppy Buyers and the Buyers' Veterinarian. “This is a challenge,” Greer said. “How do you have that three-legged stool and make it all work?” Reeves questions, “How do we set our puppy buyers up for success? Is their language that we can send home with that puppy buyer, that they can then take to their veterinarian to help bridge this three legged stool?” “I think the first thing that really has to happen,” Greer said, “is before the puppy buyer gets their puppy, they need to research the veterinarian that they're interested in using. "Now they may already have a good relationship with the veterinarian that they trust, that they know is open to a certain protocol for vaccinations, delaying spaying and neutering, certain other medical management situations, but I think the first thing they really have to do is know who they're seeing. If they have a great relationship and they're already doing that, that's great. “If you find yourself in a situation where you have a veterinarian that you're butting heads with, you've chosen the wrong clinic. You need to start doing some research and finding other alternatives. It may mean that you go as far as somebody that does integrative medicine, holistic medicine. You may have to kind of go to that level to get the kind of care that you need. “But if that's what it takes, in almost every community there are going to be veterinarians that are open minded, that are willing to work with you, that are willing to talk to breeders, that are willing to accept the fact that you wanna do some of these things somewhat differently. But you gotta know who they are. You have to do it before you get the puppy or before you have a crisis. 'Cause in the middle of a crisis is not the time to figure this out. “You may kiss a couple frogs before you get there, but it's OK. Go in for something simple. Go in for something that isn't complicated. Go for a heartworm test. If the vet clinic does nail trims, go for a nail trim. Just kind of get a feel for who they are, what they are, how they do things. “You just really need to make good decisions. People come to us frequently, and this makes me and my doctors and my staff crazy, they come in and they say, ‘well, we come to you for the really important stuff, but we just go to the local place because it's just shots.' I'm like ‘no, no, no, no, no. They're not just shots!' First of all we don't shoot dogs, we vaccinate them. But as Dr. Ron Schultz and Dr. Lori Larson will say, vaccines are one of the strongest medications you give your dog. “Frankly, not every veterinarian has everybody's best interest at heart. Sometimes it's all about money. I hate to say that about any profession. But the reality is, you need to be very careful how you select your veterinarian, and how you work with them, because that will make or break your pets long term health. It is a hugely important situation that you work well with them. That you understand them. “It goes back to relationship. It may mean that you buy a bottle of wine for your veterinarian or take a plate of cookies to the receptionist or you take pizza for the whole staff. It really does all come down to relationships. The better relationship you have, the better communication you have, the better chances are that your dog gets the kind of care that you're looking for.”

Pre-Breeding Veterinary Exams and Why They Matter Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss pre-breeding veterinary exams for female dogs and why they matter. Among the important clinical observations may be vaginal strictures. “I think stricture kind of lumps together a couple of different disorders that probably shouldn't really be categorized together,” Greer said. “But we don't know where else to put them. So, a stricture is, by definition, the inability of the vaginal vault or vaginal opening to stretch adequately to allow either a natural mating with a tie and a penis or the vaginal delivery of puppies. “So what does that really mean? That means that when we do a vaginal exam, for whatever reason the normal amount of space isn't there. It can be that the lips of the vulva, the skin part are really tight and you just can't adequately get them to stretch. It can mean that there's a circumferentially stricture meaning all the way around, it's just not stretchy enough once you get into the vaginal vault. It can mean that there is a column of tissue, a septum, down the middle, usually it runs from top to bottom, so we can reach in sometimes and feel these when we're doing our pre breeding exams. “If you do find one, you may decide that you're not going to do the breeding at that point. You may see if it's something that's surgically correctable. Some of them are and frankly some of them aren't and until you're in that situation it can be really hard to know. Then we have to make a decision, do we put the semen in? Do we plan a C-section? Do we see what's going to happen…” Greer noted that brucellosis tests are currently being sent to outside diagnostic labs, so results are taking much longer to return. Regular testing of breeding animals should take place at least every 6 months, she added. Listen in for Greer's recommendations about additional complications that may hinder natural matings, including size mismatches, lack of libido or pain in the stud dog and poor ovulation timing.  

Today we are joined by https://www.ospedaleveterinario.unimi.it/staff/jasmine-fusi-riproduzione-ginecologia-e-andrologia/ (Dr. Jasmine Fusi) from the University of Milan. Dr. Fusi studies everything relating to canine (and feline) reproduction, including intensive care for neonates, artificial insemination, neonatal health, and much more. In this episode, we dive into her research looking at stress hormones & newborn puppies. Dr. Fusi uses a non-invasive method to measure hormone levels in puppies, which involves taking samples of their nails at regular intervals. We know that the conditions a human experiences in utero can have an effect on their entire life; Dr. Fusi is researching what different hormone levels (for example, cortisol) can do for a puppy's neonatal health as well as for their entire life experience. Contrary to what you might think, it's actually important for puppies to have a certain amount of cortisol to get them to take their first breaths (though too much cortisol is detrimental, so you need a balance!). Listen to the episode to get to know more about Dr. Fusi's research. Good Dog hosts monthly webinars with canine health experts, including Dr. Robert Hutchison, Dr. Marty Greer, and many more. Access all of our past webinars - and stay up to date on upcoming webinars - by visiting the https://bit.ly/36NRUH8 (Good Breeder Center).

Special Reproductive Considerations for Rare Breeds Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss some of the special reproductive considerations for rare breeds. Rare dog breeds offer specific challenges for their breeders including health concerns, limited gene pools, DNA testing mazes and infertility issues. April is Rare Breeds month here at Pure Dog Talk! Watch for upcoming episodes with deep dives into Norrbottenspets, Chinooks and Nederlandse Kooikerhondje. “Pick one thing a year that you're going to try to work through in your breed,” Greer said, quoting from Dr. Ian Dunbar. “Pick what your priorities are. You have to pick. I can't pick for you. You know your breed. You know your genes. At some point we have to really say this is what I'm going to focus on, this is what I'm going to try to breed for or away from, and try to take those incremental steps. You're not gonna get it all in one generation.” How do you eat an elephant... “I think that's so important in the rare breed community to emphasize the you eat the elephant one bite at a time,” Reeves added. “It's really important to recognize that and not get discouraged because you're trying to swallow a whole elephant. Be committed to that long term process. From a rare breed perspective, that's one of the things I always emphasize, this is not a fly by night operation. It's a process, something you're going to dedicate your entire life to.” “You work with other people and you're honest with other people,” Greer emphasized. “So we need to stop hiding things. We need to stop backbiting. We need to stop saying bad things about other people and we need to be really honest with each other and with ourselves so that when you look in the mirror you can say ‘I'm breeding the best dog that I possibly can.' Full disclosure “Nobody goes out and deliberately breeds a bad dog but there's so many aspects to how you have to make these decisions. Without full disclosure you really can't get there. So we have to be honest with each other. No breeder deliberately produced a dog with a genetic problem, but you've got to tell people if you have it because if you double up on it you're going to have surprises in your litter. “Longevity, I think, is seriously under-appreciated. I love breeding females that can still have puppies when they're older. I love breeding old males that still produce sperm. Now that doesn't mean you can't freeze semen when he's young, and you should because then you'll have access to him, but if he lives to be 16 years old and he was fertile till he was 14, you rock man! That means he didn't die of orthopedic disease, he didn't die of bad temperament, he didn't die because he ran away from home and got hit by a car. He didn't die from 1,000 things that he could have died from. Longevity for the win “Don't forget about those old guys and their genetics. Go back to the old publications of your breed. Go back to the old pedigrees and take a look and where are those dogs and what are they doing and how long did they live and what was their lifestyle like and what did they die from.” Greer also strongly recommends purchasing Dr. Jerold Bell, DVM's https://www.routledge.com/Veterinary-Medical-Guide-to-Dog-and-Cat-Breeds/Bell-Cavanagh-Tilley-Smith/p/book/9781591610021 (book) for learning more information on genetic diseases in specific breeds.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Diseases on Veterinary Voice Dr. Dan Griffiths, DVM, joins his wife Dr. Marty Greer, DVM to discuss trauma and diseases of the spine in this month's Veterinary Voice. “As far as spinal injuries or spinal conditions go in dogs,” Griffiths said, “I kind of look at it as there's about three or four things that can cause it. One is trauma, as you've been saying. It can be from hit by car, can come from a dog-on-dog type thing where they run into each other, it can be a running dog falling into a hole. Those are all trauma incidences. “Dogs with spinal injuries and/or conditions can also come from a congenital situation. The poster child for those is dachshunds, where they have disc compressions that just happen spontaneously, usually not related to trauma but are prone to it due to their genetics. And then we also get into other things that can be in the spinal cord such as tumors of the spinal cord. You can look at degenerative spinal diseases such as degenerative myelopathy, which we're very familiar with in our corgis and German Shepherds and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. So there's a number of things that all fit into spinal cord mishaps. Surprisingly enough there is a condition called FCE which is … actually a blood clot that causes paralysis because of getting caught in the spinal cord. We call it a stroke of the spinal cord. “Trauma is probably second (most common) on the list as far as spinal cord problems. The number one cause is the achondroplastic breeds like Dachshunds, where they have a congenital propensity to hardened disks and the disks exploding up and expanding up into the spinal cord causing partial paralysis or full paralysis. Discussing the use of DNA testing for IVDD, Greer offered a note of caution about how we use those results in a breeding program. “Like all DNA tests, I tend to be a little skeptical of the accuracy the application, how we use that information, but it's out there. It's something worth discussing, but be careful what you use it for,” Greer said. Treatment “Treatments can go anywhere from strict cage rest,” Griffiths said “and using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or a steroid drug to takedown inflammation of the disks to laser therapy. We use a lot of cold laser therapy on those situations. We use some other drugs such as gabapentin to decrease nerve pain. If it's severe enough where the patient is actually paralyzed or has no use of its rear limbs, surgery is indicated. “Most general practitioners aren't doing back surgery, you're looking at a neurologist to do back surgery or a very competent general surgeon, and also they have the capability of having MRI's or CAT scans available to diagnose and locate the bad disks. A flat film or a plain X-ray may give you some indication of a collapsed disk space where the vertebrae are closer together than what they should be. But the gold standard for these is MRI's or CAT scans where you can actually see compression of the spinal cord with the disc material at that time. That's what the surgeons are requiring now is to identify where the lesion is. Spinal joints “Between each vertebra there's about 8 joints. They're called facets. That's where they articulate between the two vertebrae. We do see a lot of damage to those in trauma. We also see arthritis in those due to aging. We see a condition called Spondylosis, where we have calcium bridging of those joints. So, arthritis in the spine is pretty devastating in older patients. They can have arthritis in their spine and do pretty well with it but if they have any type of trauma like falling down the stairs, being rolled by another dog those type of thing, it upsets all that arthritis in there and then you can see some pretty acute pain. “The whole goal of our crate rest and our anti inflammatories is to have that joint somewhat back to normal. Now most of these joints, if they are injured, our best case scenario is that they stabilize. But...

This is a replay of episode 9 of the Good Dog Pod. About Dr. Marty Greer: Dr. Greer is a renowned author, speaker, veterinarian, and canine reproduction specialist. In addition to being the Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health, she is on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. About Sheryl Bradbury: Sheryl Bradbury is the Owned Brands Manager at Revival Animal Health, where she oversees the Breeder's Edge, Doc Roy's, and Vet Basics brands. Sheryl grew up falling asleep in the whelping box and has bred champions from several breeds. Today she raises Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens and Lancashire Heelers. She is the president of the United States Lancashire Heeler Club and also holds board positions in various dog clubs and animal health foundations. In addition to her breeding experience, Sheryl brings 30 years of product management experience in the veterinary industry to her role at Revival. Reproduction is a luxury for a dog's body, and can only happen if the body is already able to take care of its vital organs. We can't overlook the nutrients that are often missed by the main pet food companies that are important to making a dog as healthy as possible for breeding. Thus, supplements are critical for keeping breeding dogs healthy for reproduction. Dr. Greer gives some specific examples of the nutrients required for healthy breeding dogs and what they do for the reproductive system, as well as what they do for the puppies' health. Dr. Greer also talks about the importance of getting the right nutrients to stud dogs for breeding, in addition to the more commonly-talked about health of the bitch. Sheryl talks about some of the products Revival Animal Health offers, and how they support dogs' reproductive health. She goes over the extensive research and development Revival Animal Health goes through to develop their products - making sure that they are created based on current reproductive and nutritional science and are reviewed by experts. Dr. Greer talks about the recent research surrounding folic acid and its benefits. Check out some current research about folic acid and cleft palate in brachycephalic dogs https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1fee/d982cf4bf5b70b6198ba76056e65e76d98f0.pdf (here).

Doing Battle Against Giardia and Coccidia Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss how breeders and dog owners in general can do battle against the dreaded "bad potty bugs," giardia and coccidia. These single cell organisms can become endemic, Greer notes. "You can't get rid of it (on your property)," Greer said. "And that's the bad news. There's no really great treatment for either of them. There's nothing you can do that's going to disinfect your way out of it. We can't vaccinate our way out of it. So we need to talk about all of our options. "Many of the organisms that we see in the GI tract, whether it's Giardia or coccidia or parvo, or tonight I got a text message from a lady in Florida about campylobacter, many of those are secondary to something else. "So good gut health in general is your best defense. That's really the primary backbone of what you can do. So that means a diet that's appropriate, that doesn't cause your dog to have diarrhea or loose stools. A probiotic that's appropriate to keep the right bacteria there. Making sure you vaccinate for all the things you can vaccinate against, such as parvo. And making sure that you get regular fecal analysis done. "One of the best defenses you have right now are the monthly heartworm preventives that you give orally... will give you better gut health because it controls intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms and whip worms. So the fewer other things your dog's body has to deal with, the healthier the gut, the better the dog's overall health is going to be. "The most commonly affected dogs that get sick are gonna be the younger ones or the dogs that are immunocompromised. So in general, if your dog has a little loose stool but they're feeling OK, they're eating OK, they're not vomiting, everything is OK other than their stools are intermittently or consistently loose, you take a stool sample in to your vet and ask if they can send it to a reference lab if they can't do Giardia testing. "Treatment for coccidia is Albon. Number one, you have to weigh (your dog) so your dose is accurate. Number two, if you're using the liquid, you have to shake it up really well because it does settle out. "Treatment of Giardia, there is no labeled drug for use in the United States, but there are a couple that are commonly used and very effective. Metronidazole, fenbendazole (Do not use metronidazole on puppies that are very young or pregnant bitches) Panacur, Safeguard, those are fine."

Tackling a Stinky Problem with Dr. Marty Greer Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves tackle a stinky problem – the dog's anal glands. Greer explains how to express them, what to do if they are infected or impacted and stinky stories from the trenches. “They're the same glands that are the scent glands on a skunk, the scent glands in a ferret,” Greer said. “The ferret ones are, of course, removed if ferrets are going to become pets. They serve as a communication function among animals. So for instance, when the skunk is upset or angry or being attacked or whatever, they'll turn and lift their tail and their anal sacks will express and that's a form of a communication and defense. So unfortunately, when our dogs get nervous, or scared, yeah, sometimes they express their anal glands. “There's just normal anal gland secretions, then there are the impacted ones, when the material gets thick and doesn't express normally. Then we can see them become infected. They can come in with a bloody kind of discharge in the anal gland. We can see them abscess through the skin, where the dog comes in, clients don't really understand what happened, it looks like there's this opening of this hole next to the rectum… “A lot of anal sac abscesses are associated with diarrhea. So if the dog has had a loose stool, then some of the watery stool, instead of it passing the anal gland, it will push down into the opening, set up housekeeping in that little gland and set up a bacterial infection. So, most dogs will comfortably empty them on their own, but if they don't and they get an infection then of course we have to treat that. “From a perspective of ‘does the dog need their anal glands,' really it's not necessary. It's a communication tool. So, when you see dogs greet each other, dogs that aren't familiar with one another, they go tails and nose, nose to tail, 'cause they're sniffing each other's anal glands as a handshake, as an identification. Really, it's only for social communication that the dogs need their anal glands. In today's society, they don't need to warn other dogs that there is a predator out there, they live on your couch. It's better off to not have them if you're having a dog that's having chronic problems.” Support this podcast

Pancreatitis: Acute, Chronic and Other Diseases of the Pancreas Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on Pancreatitis, a common ailment in our dogs seen during the holidays, and other diseases of the pancreas in dogs. “Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It is always an inflammatory condition. The pancreas is a very important organ in your body. It has two sections to it and it lives right outside your stomach and intestines. It does two jobs. One is it produces enzymes to digest your food and the other is it produces insulin to control your blood sugar. “There's a couple of different kinds of pancreatitis. There's acute and chronic pancreatitis and then there is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) and then there's diabetes. Those are the most common disorders that we see in the pancreas and the dog we can also on rare occasion see pancreatic tumors they're called insulinomas. (They're) not common … we see on average maybe one of these every couple of years … if we do see pancreatic cancer it tends to be the insulinoma kind, which causes the blood glucose to drop too low and then the dogs will come in with a seizure type of activity. “Most pancreatitis is associated with vomiting. About 90% of the dogs with pancreatitis present with vomiting. The reports are about half will present with abdominal pain. I can tell you having had four episodes of pancreatitis, that if your dog turns around and tries to bite your veterinarian during the time that they're feeling their abdomen, palpating it to check if there's any abnormalities that they can feel like masses or foreign bodies or anything, that dog is justified in biting the veterinarian because there is nothing that hurts much worse in my experience than pancreatitis. “(The cause) tends to be … the dog knocks over the trash and eats the drippings from the Turkey or the chicken or the ham fat or the scallop potatoes. One of those kind of fatty meals that are associated with what we do at the holidays. “That's a fairly typical history, but even without that high fat meal, we can still see pancreatitis. We also can see some of these patients that have recurrences, so they become that low grade chronic pancreatitis patient. Those dogs have to be managed long term very carefully on low fat well managed diets so that the patient doesn't have recurrences and flare ups. Eventually too many episodes of pancreatitis we feel can probably cause scarring of the pancreas and potentially lead to diabetes.” Support this podcast

Seizures in Dogs: Causes, Treatments and Considerations Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for this month's Veterinary Voice talking about seizures in dogs. Type of seizure, age of onset, causes and treatments are all up for discussion today. “Seizures can be actually epilepsy, which has probably got a genetic component to it,” Greer said. “Where the dog has an epileptic tendency. Typically those are going to be seen in certain breeds of dogs and they typically happen between two and four years of age for the first seizure. If we're seeing seizures or seizure type activity or episodes in really young dogs or dogs that are elderly, it's probably not primarily an epileptic situation. “If it's a very young puppy, the first thing we look at is blood glucose. If their glucose drops because they're not eating adequately, they don't have enough glycogen stores in their liver, and so they're weak or they're sick, they'll have a seizure type of activity. So, the first thing we do in anything that's really young or really old, is reach for some kind of glucose. You can reach your Karo syrup, you can reach for honey. If you have caramels and the dog is capable of chewing them, that's great. You can give sweetened condensed milk. Glucose can be absorbed right through the gums, so the dog doesn't actually have to swallow to get the effect of bringing up their glucose. “If you have an older dog (with seizure activity) the first thing to do is get some initial blood work. That's easy to do. You can check calcium, you can check glucose. It's easiest and most effective to check it very close to the time of the event. Glucose can go down for multiple reasons. I've seen it go down during severe pregnancy toxicosis. I've seen it go down because dogs have eaten xylitol, sugarless gum and candy. And I've seen it go down because dogs have insulinomas, which is a tumor in the pancreas. Those are functional tumors that create so much insulin that the dog's blood glucose drops precipitously. Anytime your glucose is too low you can have a seizure. I've also seen it go down in Addison's disease. “You want to be sure that you're comprehensive and complete on what's going on with the dog before you jump to any conclusions. There's always the toxins. So, xylitol we've talked about as a possible toxin, but there are some rat poisons and some other neurotoxins that we can see not the vitamin K type of rat poison. There's a lot of other kind of nasty toxins that are out there that dogs can sometimes get into. Sometimes our pharmaceutical medications can cause that as well, so appetite suppressants can cause it, there are a number of different drugs on the market that can cause seizure type of activities. It's really important that we get a good history on these drugs what they might have gotten into. “The other thing to know is that the new class of oral flea and tick medications can cause neurologic disease tremors. That can also include seizures in seizure prone dogs. If your dog recently had a dose of that, typically within 24 hours, you need to include that too. So you need to go through the list of anything that's possible, anything that's the dog was given deliberately or not deliberately so that we are not missing any information that could potentially be a problem. “Of course, in the older dog, there are structural abnormalities like brain tumors. That's diagnosed with either CT scan or an MRI … there's a lot of things that make dogs look like seizures, but it's not always epilepsy. Epilepsy is a diagnosis of exclusion. Typically, we diagnose it after everything else has been ruled out.” Listen in to the podcast for Dr. Greer's suggestions on treatment plans and more. And go back to https://puredogtalk.com/podcast/55-seizures-and-epilepsy-genetic-testing-for-the-cause-liz-hansen-2/ (Liz Hansen)'s conversation on the research in this area. Support this podcast

Episode 500!!! Celebration of Pure Dog Talk! Welcome to Pure Dog Talk! I am your host Laura Reeves….. These words hit the airwaves for the first time almost exactly five years ago … Five HUNDRED times later, I still have to think about my tone and cadence and inflection. Maybe just a bit less these days lol… Sort of like you guys learning to show your dog, I am entirely self-taught how to do this job and I am eternally grateful that you all have joined me in what has been a pretty incredible journey. Today's episode is a pure cork popping, champagne swilling celebration of our tribe. YOU guys shared some amazing stories about how this show has impacted your life in dogs. I dug around and pulled out some of MY favorite guests and interview moments. Pure Dog Talk is not and never has been *static.* It lives and grows, often faster than I can keep up! As we move forward in the coming years, there will be changes, of course. For example, I'll once again be podcasting *exclusively* on Pure Dog Talk. I've stepped waaaay outside my comfort zone and will be offering more Facebook Live and Webinar opportunities here at Pure Dog Talk (like the K9 First Aid 911 series with Marty Greer that is available on the website now) as well as moving back to more of the pre-pandemic live seminars and panel discussions over the course of the coming year. But mostly, I wanted to say thank you. To ALL of you. My listeners, my guests, my patrons, my sponsors, my supporters and even the best compliment of all, my competitors. You have all made me better at this role than I could have ever dreamed of being. My goal of offering meaningful education, FOR FREE, to as many people in our sport as I could possibly reach has absolutely come to pass. Thank you for taking me with you on your drives, your workouts, even your lawn mower… I am deeply honored to keep you company while you bathe, trim, condition and clean up after your dogs. Thank you for caring, so very much, about your dogs, your breeding programs and the sport of purebred dogs. Without your single-minded dedication, they would all cease to exist. Following are just a few of the hundreds of Stories of impact from our listeners: Diane Davis I first heard about Pure Dog Talk when something came across FaceBook about a handler friend of mine being interviewed about the Professional Handlers Association and how to hire a professional handler to show your dog.  I listened to the episode and thought it was well done, so I decided to try listening to a few more.  I was pleased to discover that these were also well done and informative.  I have about a forty-minute commute to work so I began to listen while driving back and forth.  It wasn't long before I got caught up on the episodes that I thought would be interesting.  But as I started to go through some of the others, what I discovered was that I learned something from every episode.  I began to look forward to the new episodes coming out and would listen to them several times so I didn't miss anything. Pure Dog Talk has become a big part of my life.  I love learning about other breeds.  The episode about the Bracco Italiano brought back a memory of the Bracco Axel floating around the ring to win the World Challenge Cup at Eukanuba the year I was there.  I loved hearing about judges.  As an owner-handler I always felt that judges were kind of unapproachable, but the interviews helped me to see that they were people too. Veterinary Voice with Dr. Marty Greer was invaluable.  The episode on pyometra gave me the tools to advocate for my girl with my vet when she developed pyometra on her first heat cycle.  We were able to medically manage her condition and she has since had two litters.  And speaking of puppies, Pure Dog Talk has taught me a lot about breeding, whelping and raising puppies. I hadn't bred a litter in nearly seven years because my last litter had been so hard, but with new knowledge, and new resources I have... Support this podcast

This is a rebroadcasting of an episode that originally aired July 22nd, 2020. The two most common problems with fertility are timing (with respect to the female) and having good quality semen that's delivered into the uterus. Another problem that's becoming increasingly important is the nutrition of the bitch and stud dog. About Dr. Greer: Dr. Greer is a renowned author, speaker, veterinarian, and canine reproduction specialist. In addition to being the Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health, she is on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. Laura and Marty start by discussing the importance of nutrition - what people feed their dogs, how they feed, and what consequences those factors can have on the success of a breeding. There is likely a nutritional component to the quality of a stud dog's semen in addition to fertility and the female - this is something that hasn't been very explored, but is becoming more evident. They then talk about the importance of progesterone timing and how using frozen vs fresh semen interacts with that. There's a narrow window of time during which the puppies need to come out - they also discuss the downsides of reverse progesterone testing (done at the end of pregnancy). Last, they discuss the importance of having your bitch in good physical condition - fit but not too lean. You also want your bitch to have good dental health. Overall, you want your dog to be in top notch shape for breeding.

Dr. Marty Greer - Checkout Veterinary Entrepreneurs always seem to have a plethora of ideas racing through their head.  Seemingly without notice you'll just get an idea and you come to a crossroads.  Do you pursue this idea, or do you let it lie?  This happens so often that you must say no to most ideas. Already a big name in the veterinary world, Dr. Marty Greer came up with an idea for a drive-through veterinary clinic.  It would remove some basic time-wasting tasks for patients and doctors alike.  It would also make things easier, something that we all can appreciate.  So Dr. Marty Greer did what any entrepreneur with an idea that keeps swirling around does.  She started another business.  Keep in mind, this is beyond her already successful and still operating other veterinary clinics, as well as traveling around the world speaking about and to other veterinarians. Listen as Dr. Greer explains the thought process and the joy of creating something new from a profession that has been around for generations. Enjoy! Visit Dr. Marty Greer at: CheckoutVet.com  

This week, Laura is joined by Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD to discuss the prevalence of obesity in dogs. In the US, having overweight dogs has become more and more common, thus shifting the public perception of what a dog should look like. Many owners overfeed their dogs because of their love for them - their dog is hungry, so why not continue to feed them? In reality, over-feeding and under-exercising dogs can lead to many health problems, and a shorter lifespan. Laura and Dr. Greer discuss some ways to continue feeding your dog more, while decreasing their calorie intake: replacing their typical food and treats with fruits and veggies, or giving them ice cubes to munch on are all great low-calorie substitutions. Dr. Greer goes on to explain how you can assess your dog's weight just with your eyes and hands, making sure to check that your dog's body conforms to the relevant breed standard.

Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD, joins us during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?" She's a fantastic veterinarian, repro-vet, attorney, and breeder. During the height of the pandemic, she wrote "Your Pandemic Puppy" -- a book covering your puppy's physical and mental well-being, as well as training and veterinary care. And, she also started a drive-thru vet practice called "Checkout Veterinary."  She's very generously sharing information pet owners everywhere might find helpful during our conversation.  More About Dr. Marty Greer Dr. Greer received her Bachelor of Science in 1978 and her DVM in 1981 from Iowa State University.  She has a particular interest in Pediatrics and Reproduction. In 2002, she opened a Canine Semen Freezing Center, International Canine Semen Bank – Wisconsin (ICSB-WI/IL). During her first attempt at using extended semen, she bred the practice's first litter of pups from frozen semen in 1998.  She and her family raise and show Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Danish Swedish Farmdogs. They have raised 5 puppies for Canine Companions for Independence, a service dog organization. Her practice has contributed to pharmaceutical and nutritional research as an investigator for Abbott Laboratory, Deprenyl Animal Health, Pfizer, Virbac, and Hill's Pet food Corporation. She has also been featured in articles in Veterinary Economics. In 2010, she graduated from Marquette Law School. She practices law part-time with her law partner, Attorney Sheila Kessler, at Animal Legal Resources LLC. In 2014, she wrote Canine Reproduction and Neonatology, a 470-page book about everything reproduction which was the Winner of Dog Writers Association of America's Dogwise Best Book Award. In 2019 she became certified as a Fear Free professional.  And, in 2020, she wrote Your Pandemic Puppy, which explains how to raise a well-adjusted puppy during a pandemic.   She is an active community member of AVMA, NEWVMA, AAVSB, APDT, AAFP, SVME, The Society for Theriogenology, the Fond du Lac Kennel Club, The Kettle Moraine Kennel Club, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America, Lakeshore Pembroke Welsh Corgi Kennel Club, and the Lomira Area Chamber of Commerce. And, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. She served on the Animal Welfare Committee and Education Committee for the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. She is also president of the National Animal Interest Alliance. She recently started working with Revival Animal Health as their Director of Vet Services.  Connect with Marty: https://www.facebook.com/MartyGreerDVM/ https://www.facebook.com/Checkout-Veterinary-100856988730575 https://www.facebook.com/VeterinaryVillage/   https://www.smallanimalclinic.com/ https://www.checkoutvet.com/   Get The Book - Your Pandemic Puppy  https://www.amazon.com/Your-Pandemic-Puppy-Well-Adjusted-COVID-19/dp/1943824509  

This episode of the Good Dog Pod explores canine orthopedic disorders. Host Laura Reeves is joined by renowned veterinarian Dr. Marty Greer to discuss some common orthopedic issues, as well as their symptoms, causes, and treatments. What should I do if my puppy is exhibiting orthopedic problems? Immediately contact your veterinarian, as many orthopedic issues are time sensitive and need to be treated as soon as possible. In addition to this, Dr. Greer outlines several questions you can ask yourself to better evaluate what disorder your puppy is experiencing. The breed and age of the dog is very important, as some orthopedic problems are found mostly in large breeds and others are found mostly in small breeds. Then, recall if there is any history of trauma/physical injury in the infected area. Determine if the hurt area is in one limb, multiple limbs, or constantly changing. Finally, take your puppy's temperature as a fever can be an indication of a certain set of orthopedic conditions.  What are some common orthopedic disorders? First, take note that some orthopedic disorders are genetic, while others are caused by infections. Dr. Greer lays out a list of common issues, as well as a comprehensive description of each. Panosteitis is a bone inflammation commonly found in large, rapidly growing breeds marked by shifting leg lameness. OCD is an abnormal development of bone cartilage seen in shoulders, and is often difficult to pinpoint in x-rays. HOD is a very painful flare at the growth plates. Legg-Calve-Perthes affects hip joints, mainly in small breeds. Hip dysplasia is one of the most commonly known issues, and mainly affects large breeds. Some infections that can cause lameness include lyme disease, cellulitis, and strep canis. Dr. Greer recommends keeping large breed puppies on a diet specifically created for them, which has been proven to reduce such orthopedic problems.

Hi there this is Krista with episode number 114 On the wag out loud pawdcast, are you aware that Sundowners syndrome happens in our dogs too? Well, just like humans as our pups grow older, they experience various health issues including behavioral changes. sundowning in dogs is believed to be caused by age related issues such as the breakdown of the central nervous system, oxidative stress, and brain cell death. is your dog wandering, getting stuck, pacing or barking for no reason? More often in the evening or the nighttime? these could all signal sundowning in dogs. Welcome to the wag out loud podcast where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall well being. If you'd like to support the show. Check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.Hi there dog lovers, thank you so much for taking the time to listen in, and for your interest in your dog's health and wellness. Today, we are so honored to have Dr. Marty Greer with us. And she is going to chat about how has dog ownership changed in the era of COVID? And what can you do for your dog? Dr. Greer, thank you so much for spending time with us today. Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us why you wrote the book Your Pandemic Puppy?Sure. So I've been blessed with a career that I love. I've spent 39, almost 40 years crawling around the exam room floor with puppies with clients with just like I have the best job in the world. All day, I get to work with clients, I get to help them with their pets, I get to help them with managing their breeding programs. I just feel really blessed to have had so much fun with a career where I really do get to play with puppies every day and all day. So the inspiration from the book was sort of a multitude of different things that all coalesce. one was COVID started. So I had some time out of my schedule that I wasn't going to be traveling I normally am traveling quite a bit in the spring and the fall, and doing presentations. But because of COVID we were grounded. So we were home. And I realized at that point, I had a little extra time on my hands. I love to write. So I thought well, I'll just rewrite my exam room material. So I'll just write like a 20 page handout and it'll be good and I'll just get everybody up to speed on what's new with vaccinations and heartworm and flea and ticks and spaying and neutering and all that. So that the material I have in my exam rooms is fresh, but at the same time, I had clients and other people in my ear talking about how many people were staying home and how they were all trying to acquire a new puppy or a new kitten. And the concerns that many people in the industry had about how that's going to look when people started to return to work and to school, leaving their dogs alone when they'd been used to a year or more 100% of our clients of their owners being home with their pets. So we were really concerned about that. And we wanted to keep dogs from entering back into rescue back into Humane Society, and keep those dogs in the loving homes that had decided that during COVID, it was an appropriate time to get a new dog.Wow! thank you for doing that. Because yes, it is a thing. And I think all of us can agree that the past 14 months have been super challenging and downright difficult. But one of the positives and you mentioned it is that COVID puppies and rescues adoptions were up. I think it's 40% more than the year before. And with that, I think a lot of people have discovered that their dogs are even more amazing because they spent so much time with them, and have formed even stronger bonds. So what do you think we've learned about dogs as a part of the family unit during this crisis?Well, I think people have come to appreciate their dogs, they've enjoyed being home with them, the dogs have enjoyed having people home. What we did think was pretty funny is at the beginning, we were seeing dogs for things that we normally wouldn't have seen them for, it would have been typically that someone would maybe call or just take care of something themselves, like, My dog is now having four stools a day. And we'd say well, how many times a day are you walking them.? But we used to walk them once. But now I walk them in the morning before I start homeschooling the kids, and then we walk them. And pretty soon you realize that the dog is getting four walks a day. And of course the dog is going to have more opportunities. And yes, they are getting more attention. And yes, they're getting more snacks. And yes, they're getting more food, but they're also getting more exercise and they're getting more attention. So people are picking up on things like that things like lumps and bumps, things like their breath doesn't smell good things that ordinarily would have kind of gone by the wayside. I think cats are kind of looking forward to people going back to work. They're like, really, you've been home long enough. And I really need to catch up on some sleep episodes that I've been missing out on so yeah, exactly Could you go? But what we also noticed was that we were seeing people that had never had a puppy or a dog before as an adult. So a lot of people had put off dog ownership. They have kids that are you know, in grade school, high school, and their kids were saying, Yeah, but mom, you promised us a dog all the time, and there's not a better time. So we started to see clients that had dogs as children that had never been responsible for selecting, raising and socializing an adult dog or dog to adulthood as an adult person. So it changed the dynamics of pet ownership, we had a lot of people coming in that really didn't know how to manage these dogs. And the other concern was making sure that we were managing them so that they didn't develop a separation anxiety when people went back to work so that they would be able to be crate trained. So that when they started going back to the grocery store, or work or school or whatever they happened to need to do the dentist, whatever, that the dogs were able to self soothe, were able to manage themselves at home, whether they were crated or left loose in the house or left in some confined area, that the dogs understood how to behave. And they were just comfortable in that setting. Because with people home 24 hours a day, or at least one person home all that time, the dogs were being raised in an environment that wasn't sustainable. That's absolutely right. And you alluded to it earlier, when you said we've been feeding more food and treats and I know that a lot of veterinarians are noticing increased rates of obesity and obesity was already an epidemic before COVID. And I think I read 30% of American dogs were overweight before the pandemic. So now with our quarantine 15 that I know a lot of us experienced. What do you say to people as far as how to check for the correct weight in their dogs? And what would what should we be doing to make sure that they're slim and trim?Sure. So you should be really careful that they're not eating any excessive amounts of food that you're basically feeding the same caloric intake as you were before. So that might mean a little bit less dog food if you're a little heavy on the stacks. The snacks can consist very comfortably of fresh fruits and vegetables with the exception of grapes and raisins which of course we know are toxic and onions and potatoes and corn which are kind of either starchy or potentially toxic. So we want to avoid those. But if your kids or if yourself you're looking at a snack and you're having you know fruit or vegetable that's a great opportunity for your dog to have that with you. You can cut back a little bit on their dog food and have up to 10% of their food be some other kind of snack like fruits and vegetables. And then of course the exercise. So if this time of year you'd like to go out and spend more time outside and spend more time walking, that's a great opportunity for your dog to start going out and Be with you. Now that the weather is nice, and in most parts of the country, it's warm, but not too warm, and it's rainy, but not too rainy. And it's just a really great chance for us to be outside with our dogs and get them used to that extra amount of exercise that they might have missed out on during the colder weather.Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Can you describe what it looks like for us to actually check our dog's weight, I know the rib test, how do you actually do that?The rib test is a great one. And you you can do this really easily. Basically, what you want to do is take your own hand. And what you want to do is make a fist and feel the back of your hand, it's not your knuckles, but the back of your hand, you can feel those four bones. That's what your dog's rib cage should feel like. If it feels like the palm of your hand where it's in that little heel part of your hand where it's soft and squishy. That's a dog that's overweight, it feels like the back of your hand. That's where you can feel the ribs. That's ideal. But if it looks like you can see the same kind of protrusion as you would when you make a fist, and you look at your knuckles, that's too thin. So it's a really good tool for people to use, because it's something that they have right in front of them, they can feel it, they can see it, they can relate to it. So it's really handy. Now there are going to be differences from one breed to another. But unfortunately, even the most athletic dogs are frequently thought of as being too thin when they're at an ideal body weight because Americans have become accustomed to their dogs being a little on the soft and squishy side. So our dogs should be fit, they should be able to keep up with you on walks. and that type of thing runs of course, are a different story, you have to be really careful with running especially with really young puppies or exercising really young puppies too hard. But if your dog is fit, they should be able to keep up with you on walks. And in fact, you know, you walk probably too slowly for your dog to be really interested in a lot of the things that you're doing. Like when you're walking, the dog is trying to sniff over there and look over there and check this out. Check that out. So our pace can be a little bit boring. But don't keep your dog just right at your heel. right in that heeling position all the time that you're on a walk, the dog should have a chance to smell posts and check out the fire hydrants and sniff the neighbor's flowers and you know, kind of check things out so that they have some stimulation on the walk too. it's not just hardcore, put your nose down and March as fast as you can up and down the sidewalk. So the dog should have fun. And of course, if you have a place that's safe for the dog to go and be off leash, that's ideal. Not everybody's in that situation. And you have to be really careful with dog parks, some dog parks are safe. And some you have to be really aware of, especially if you have a young dog or a really small dog. Not every dog in the dog park is necessarily safe with your dogs. So just be really aware of that dog parks can be fun, but they aren't always completely safe. So be be thoughtful about it, you know, be smart about it. Just like go into the beach with broken glass, you've got to be really careful that it's always a safe place for you and your kids to be.That's a great recommendation. I think we all know that our dogs take on our stress. And of course, we have been super stressed the last year. So I just wanted to ask you, are you seeing more dogs coming in with anxiety or health issues related to all of the unease that we've had within our own families? You know, we've seen a little bit of it. But the other thing that we've seen is the some of the dogs that are coming through rescues have gotten off to a pretty rough start in life. And we are being more lenient with them. At this point, there are fewer people willing to euthanize for behavior than used to be. So we have to be really aware that some of our dogs are just high stress dogs that are going to need some kind of behavioral intervention. And I want people to feel really comfortable with the opportunity to use behaviorists and also the opportunity to use your vet for behavioral management drugs. And there's nothing wrong with admitting to your veterinarian or your behaviorist, that you're struggling with a behavioral issue, whether it's separation anxiety, or generalized anxiety, or whatever behavioral issue your dog might have. It might be thunderstorms, it might be some other kind of noise phobias. But a lot of dogs carry baggage with them. And we don't always know where they've come from, what their early life was, like, how they were socialized how they were raised, what their genetics are, because some of these dogs that are coming through rescues are randomly sourced and not purpose bred. So they tend to come with more baggage than some of our purpose bred dogs. Now that's a generalization and it certainly doesn't apply to every single dog but I do want people to be aware of this. And to not be embarrassed not to not be afraid to say I'm struggling with depression, anxiety. I'm struggling with noise anxiety. I need help with this. And don't be afraid to ask your veterinary professional for medications that are appropriate. It doesn't mean that you're weak doesn't mean your dog is weak. It just means that we have tools now that we didn't Always have, that we can use to make your dog's life much easier. So you know, the little Snoopy cartoon with pig pen with that little black cloud that, or Charlie Brown that kind of has that little black cloud that follows him around, take them with a little crowd of death, or dogs shouldn't go through life under this little black cloud, they should have a happy, wonderful life. And there are many veterinarians who are really skilled at this. There's actually an association of behavior of veterinarians, there are great behavioral training people, and there's so much happier, and there's so much easier to live with and you should enjoy living with your dog, it shouldn't be a struggle. And people really don't want to get rid of the dogs that they've brought into rescue. They really want help. So don't hesitate to ask and if your veterinarians not familiar with it, look online. Like I said, there's an American Association of veterinary behavior, veterinarians that you can look up, there are people in your area that you can very comfortably contact and get some help with and some of these are even able to do telemedicine consults, not all of them. But some are able to do telemedicine consults. And what's cool about that is through the wonders of cell phones, see your dog in its own environment, see how things are looking in their life and help you sometimes even with a long distance, recommendation for how you can do things to make your dog's life much more comfortable and much more enjoyable.That's great advice. And I know that myself, I'm a believer in integrative approaches as are a lot of our listeners. So there are so many different treatments and modalities that we can look at to help our dogs with behavioral issues as well. And you mentioned telemedicine, so I want to go back. First of all, give a shout out to all the veterinarians and their teams for stepping up to care for our pets during the pandemic. Wow, you guys shifted I mean, I sat in the parking lot. You know, you guys had to come out, get my dog take him in. It was a whole different experience and telemedicine was available as an option. What do you think we're gonna see in the future? I know a lot of facilities practices are still doing the wait in the parking lot routine. Is that going to continue? Do you think we'll see more telemedicine calls?Oh, I think there's definitely going to be an increase in telemedicine because there are absolutely things that we can do better through telemedicine that we can hands on in the exam room, like I said, seeing their behavior, witnessing certain types of things like seizures, it's so much easier to do through telemedicine than trying to capture an event when you can't replicate it in the exam room. So I definitely think telemedicine is here to stay. the states are struggling. Each state has got their own set of laws on how telemedicine works for veterinarians. And they're all struggling with how to make it work so that it's safe and that we have a valid veterinary client patient relationship and the veterinarian that you're seeing has the ability to make recommendations, medical and others for your pet. So I definitely think telemedicine is here to stay. There are many platforms that have been developed in the last few years making video conferencing with your veterinarian a real thing. Some of them are allowing the veterinarians to charge for their time, which is really appropriate. If you're spending 30 minutes with a veterinarian, they should be monetized they should be paid for their experience and their expertise. So I think it's a great thing. In our personal practice, we only let one person into the exam room at a time since the start of COVID. We did not ever shut down completely but many veterinary clinics have and certainly if you have a doctor or team members that are immunocompromised, that might have to stay in existence for a while. We know there are plenty of veterinarians and veterinary staff out there that might be on chemotherapy or have some other kind of treatment for cancer or something else. And obviously, they need to keep themselves and their staff safe so that they can continue to practice medicine. But in our practice, we've let one person come in at a time and the other thing that we've done in our practices. For the last seven years, we've been planning a drive thru veterinary Wellness Center. And we did complete the construction of that about two months ago. So we now have clients that can pull into our garage as a patented system so they can pull into the garage they can have their pet either in the back of their SUV or minivan on an exam table in the garage with them or in an exam room that's visible through the window. So we now have clients that can be a participant in their veterinary visit without having to do it electronically. Now, if you don't have that option, electronic still works great. Because yes, your dog can be in the exam room or your cat can be on the table and in the treatment area. And you can be communicating through the telemedicine platform, looking at how the veterinarian and their staff is managing your pet talking you through the history talking you through the physical exam findings, discussing treatment options. It's really pretty cool what we can do through some of these platforms, so that you can be a participant in their care and in fact when we have one client in the exam room then we'll often have the other clients, that the spouse may be sitting in the vehicle. And so we just conference them in through FaceTime or AirVed or whatever platform we want to use for telemedicine. And then that client can be a participant in that whole discussion and not have to have the spouse go home, and try to repeat everything that you can. Because it gets to be really difficult to, you know, they say, Well, what do they say about this? And you're like, Oh, I don't really remember or Yeah, they said this, but I, but you wanted to ask something else. And so it's, it's really great to be able to use some of the technology that currently exists. And we're going to see continuing to be developed for our clients for our communication tools, because they can just get better and better.That is great. Good for you guys to think outside the box. I love it It's been a lot of fun.Well, that's cool. I hope other practices do something similar, because it's nice to have options, for sure. Were most people understanding during all the new processes during the past year?Most people have been really good about it, they understand the safety factor that we need to keep our staff safe. I mean, we're in a small exam room with somebody for 15 or 20 minutes. And, and their pet and you know, they have the entire family in there just really increases the density and the risk of developing any kind of infectious disease, not just COVID. But other things as well. I mean, most veterinarians have seen a healthier staff during this because we're not picking up the flu, and we're not picking up colds, we're you know, we're washing our hands, we're wearing gloves, doing things that we wouldn't have done before. So, in general, yes, clients have been really accepting of it, they understand they want to be safe. They, they want their pets to be safe, but they still want their pets to receive the care that they need. And like you said, there's an increase not only in pet ownership, but we've also seen an increase in the number of visits per pet. So it made making veterinary visits. To get into your vet is more difficult. Almost every veterinary clinic is overwhelmed by the number of appointments that we're trying to see. And if you're doing curbside service, it does take longer to do each appointment, because of the transition piece between appointments, we've had to disinfect rooms between clients, we've had to cut down on our density, there's just been a lot of things we've had to change. We've had a few clients that have been a little touchy, I think some of them are just in general kind of mad at the world. They're frustrated, they're tired of being home. Yeah. And sometimes we're the only social contact the clients had in a week, they don't go to the grocery store, they don't go to Walmart, they don't run errands. They're not going to PTA meetings, or soccer games or any, any after work activities. So sometimes we're their only social context for the week. And it makes it really hard for them. They're like so glad to see a person and have a face to face conversation. They're pretty excited. And then of course, there's the really emotional times where we would ordinarily just reach out and hug someone. And I know they've said this on the human side as well is when you're losing a pet when or when you're having something really fabulous happen. some really great news that your pet is healthy again, or that you've just had a litter of puppies or something really emotionally exciting. clients want that connection they want that hug I miss just shaking people's hands when I'm being introduced to them. It is just a really different experience, you lose a lot of facial expression behind a mask, you lose a lot of interaction through a video camera. So it has been more difficult to communicate. We've had more clients get kind of grouchy and kind of touchy about things. And so we all just have to take a deep breath and really be nice to one another and realize that everyone's under a lot of stress. Everyone's working really hard to make this system happen. And we're all trying really hard every veterinary clinic is just swamped, and they're trying really hard to get the care that everybody needs. But it's not always very practical to make sure that everybody gets the appointment when they need it. Most veterinary clinics are booking out several months from just routine care, because a year ago, we were not allowed to do any of the routine care. So things got pushed back. And now with an increase in pet ownership, our caseloads are much heavier. And our staff needs to get home and needs to decompress and needs to have their free time. And so it's been a real challenge to make everybody happy to keep the staff happy. And and to keep the clients satisfied with the kind of care that they're getting because it feels different.Yes, well, a big virtual hug to all of the veterinary practices out there. You guys have been doing amazing jobs. I just want to thank you for that. And in closing, let's touch on separation anxiety because it's inevitable. With a lot of dogs that have been your shadow. And when you start to leave, What tips do you recommend for separation anxiety?Well, I'm a big fan of using crates or some kind of a confined area when you're not going to be able to supervise the dog, especially young dogs. We see a lot of young dogs in particular, chew up things that aren't safe. We've seen toxicities. We saw a lot of marijuana toxicity at the very beginning of this Because people were their kids were coming home from college and not necessarily very tidy with how they were keeping their supplies. So we did see some interesting toxicities and some interesting foreign bodies, some, you know, just increasing numbers of dogs chewing up underwear and things because they were anxious because they were nervous because of changes in the household. So absolutely, the dog needs to be accustomed to being in a crate or some confined area that you can puppy proof and make it safe. So they don't chew through electric cords and into backpacks, and all the other things that can be unsafe. But they need to learn how to be alone in a crate how to be alone in the house so that they aren't distressed by that. So it's going to require practicing, create training and then practicing being gone. And initially, you want to be gone for very short periods of time, and the dog just has to become accustomed to that new routine. So you can put him in a crate or in a small room, just the first time or two just for literally a second or two. It takes a long time to build up to five minutes, it doesn't take as long to go from five minutes to an hour. But those first few minutes of the first few hours can be very challenging to get a dog accustomed to. I love the use of the kinds of metal muffin tins that we can buy at the store. They're great, you can put dog kibble mixed with yogurt in them or some put, just water in your dog kibble, you can mix all kinds of fun things with it, put it in the freezer, have it frozen and ready to go so that when you're getting ready to go to work in the morning, you take that out and instead of the dog gobbling down their food in the first 10 seconds that you put it down, you get ready for work or school, you latch the crate with the muffin tin. it needs to be a metal one that is silicone like because the silicone ones are too chewable, latch it with the crate door closed and the muffin tin inside. So your dog is now looking at the muffin tin and going, wait, my breakfast is in there. And I really wish you would hurry up and get going to work because I have a busy day ahead of me now. So you can do some really fun things to kind of shift your dog's mindset about instead of being put in a crate and being told, well, I'll be back in four hours. Good luck, right, you can now say, look, what I have for you. This is really great. I know you haven't had breakfast yet, you're going to love this. But it's going to take you two hours to eat your breakfast. And by the time they're done eating their breakfast, they're tired. So now they're going to take a little bit of a nap in the crate, it's good to have a neighbor come in or go to care.calm or some other service that you can hire somebody to come in the middle of the day, so that the dog get out to go potty and get some exercise, get some snacks, those kinds of things. So now as you're transitioning back to work, you're not just going to say, okay, Monday, we go back and you're going to be alone for 10 hours, I hope it goes well for you Bye. Because it's destined to fail, it's destined that your dog is going to be distressed, you're going to be worried about him. And even if you do something like put a video camera on him with furbo, or some other kind of video camera while you're at work, you're going to be worried about him and you're not going to be focusing on what you should be doing. So it's really important that we transition them that we teach them that they know that they can be alone that they know they can be safe and they know you're coming home. So that you put them back into a routine that they get used to a few minutes at a time and then a couple of hours. And so they they don't start to dread the fact that you're putting on your work shoes instead of your fun shoes, but that they know you're coming back, and then they're going to be safe, and they're going to be okay. And when you get home, you're going to do all kinds of fun things. But it does take a transition, you can't just walk out the door one day and say I'm sure you'll be fine, you were good when I was home with you, I'm sure you'll do fine without me. Because they may not we really have to be aware that dogs can be destructive, they can do dangerous things to themselves and your home. So there's nothing wrong with using a crate or an ex pen or some other way that you can confine the dog so that they're safe, and they're happy and they're content and you've given him stuff to do while you're gone. So stuffed stuffed toys, puzzles, muffin tins, all kinds of activities that are really safe for them. You need to think it through and and really plan ahead and know what your dog loves and what they're not allergic to and what they want to do and how they can spend their time so that they're happy and content in your absence.I totally agree. And I'm a believer, don't get all excited when you leave. Or when you come back. It's just okay. Fido I'll see you later. And then when you're back, you're you know, you're not having them jump up on you and high pitched voice. It's just part of the normal everyday routine, just be calm. Yep. They will get really wound up if you let them.Oh, absolutely. And they feed off of you. So right. And if you feel guilty about leaving them, they're going to know that they're not going to be happy. And they have to realize, you know what, if I'm going to buy your dog food and I pay your for your veterinary visits, I'm going to buy you the next new treat, I have to have a job, I have to have an income, you're going to have to stay here by yourself for a little while and you'll be fine. Sometimes they're better with another pet. Sometimes they're not you really have to assess each individual pet and what their needs and wants are and how well they get along. You don't want to leave two dogs alone together that you can't trust that they'll be safe together they might have some resource guarding that happens while you're gone. So be really careful with how you set up those, those environments so that your pet can be successful, they can be happy. You need a couple of months to transition your pet into this new lifestyle.Yes, totally agree. Well, Dr. Greer, I could talk to you forever. But unfortunately, we're running out of time. So where can everybody find out more about you? And your book, Your Pandemic Puppy?Well, it's available on Amazon. Your Pandemic Puppy on Amazon It's the only book called Your Pandemic Puppy there. My name is Marty Greer. I have my veterinary clinic website. And I also have the pandemic puppy website, you can find me on Facebook @YourPandemicPuppy you can find me at Revival Animal Health, you can find me at Veterinary Village. I'm happy to communicate with you if there's anything I can do for you. Please feel free and go out. Take a look at the book. If you know somebody that's getting a new puppy, get the book for them before because it'll help with pet selections. And give them a chance to read through it for people that are purchasing a dog as a purpose bred dog, get the book ahead of time, if you're getting a rescue dog, get the book ahead of time and be prepared with the supplies and the behavioral kinds of work that you need to do. It doesn't just go through behavior. It goes through all the medical care of spaying and neutering recommendations, which are different now than they were in past years. New vaccination protocols. It's all in there. It's very up to date. It was published in November. So it's a very up to date current book with all the new kind of information that the current contemporary pet owner, regardless of their age group should know about pet ownership.Dr. Greer, we can't thank you enough, everybody. Check out Your Pandemic Puppy on Amazon. And thank you for being with us. Dr. Greer. This was just fantastic information. And let's set up our dogs for success. Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit https://www.wagoutloud.com/ for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our bark about it page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. you're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time. Hey Winston, was that another tail wagging episode?We appreciate our sponsor: ABSC OrganicsUse the code WAG15 to receive 15% off your first order!Thanks for Listening!Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode.Special thanks to Trey for being on the show. Catch you next time!Also, don't forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO“The Wag Out Loud pawdcast is supported by listeners like you! The show started as a passion project that would help all of us make well-informed decisions for our dogs' health and well-being. After many amazing guests, intriguing topics and incredible feedback, the WOL pawdcast is hitting a nerve. 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In today’s episode of VetTalk with Royal Canin, we continue our discussion of the field of neonatology, including some of the concerns when caring for neonates, the latest research and innovation in the field, and why this work is important for the health and wellbeing of kittens and puppies.Panelists:  Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD and owner of Veterinary Village and International Canine Semen Bank Wisconsin-Illinois and Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine, Regional Scientific Communications Manager- Royal Canin, DVM, MSC, pHD diplomate of European college of animal reproduction

Health and Lifestyle Contributor Monica Leighton offers ways to protect your pets from toxins in observance of ‎Pet Poison Prevention Week | Author/veterinarian Dr. Marty Greer previews her new book "Your Pandemic Puppy: Finding and Raising A Well Adjusted Dog During COVID-19", an indispensable guide to finding and raising a well adjusted dog during challenging times.

Health and Lifestyle Contributor Monica Leighton offers ways to protect your pets from toxins in observance of ‎Pet Poison Prevention Week | Author/veterinarian Dr. Marty Greer previews her new book "Your Pandemic Puppy: Finding and Raising A Well Adjusted Dog During COVID-19", an indispensable guide to finding and raising a well adjusted dog during challenging times.

Top vet Marty Greer, author of Your Pandemic Puppy: Finding and Raising a Well‑Adjusted Dog During COVID-19, joins Jon and "Talkin' Pets."

Dr. Marty Greer joins us to discuss spay and neuter considerations. It's all too common when you go into the vet clinic for your new puppy's first appointment, that your vet is anxious to set up your puppy's spay or neuter. Or for some, it's us, the owner, that's anxious to have it done because we either don't want to deal with a female coming into season, or have been told a male will pee on everything.  Dr Greer takes the time to explain these myths and ideologies in this episode, and what it's actually like to live with intact dogs, and the risks and benefits to behavior, development, and overall health. 9:50 Spay Options 13:25 Physical appearance and effects of early spay/neuter 16:40 Male behaviors and the relation to being intact 19:55 Typical female heat cycle 25:20 Housing intact dogs and bitches together 27:50 Panties for the girls 28:40 False pregnancies 30:10 Breeding bitches back-to-back 31:00 DHA 35:55 Spay & neuter considerations as senior dogs 40:30 Recommended age for spay & neuter 42:40 Neuter options 47:00 Hip dysplasia and working dog considerations 48:30 Canine Reproduction and Neonatology Book 49:45 Your Pandemic Puppy Book --------------------------------------------------- Support this podcast on Patreon Thank you to our Partners: Dakota283 Kennels (promo code birddogbabe for 10% discount) Syren: Shotguns for Women BigFrig: Coolers, Tumblers and Dry Boxes for Your Way of Life Connect with Courtney Follow Bird Dog Babe: Instagram Facebook YouTube ------------------------------------------------- More about Dr Marty Greer Veterinary Village

About Dr. Marty Greer: Dr. Greer is a renowned author, speaker, veterinarian, and canine reproduction specialist. In addition to being the Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health, she is on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. About Sheryl Bradbury: Sheryl Bradbury is the Owned Brands Manager at Revival Animal Health, where she oversees the Breeder's Edge, Doc Roy's, and Vet Basics brands. Sheryl grew up falling asleep in the whelping box and has bred champions from several breeds. Today she raises Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens and Lancashire Heelers. She is the president of the United States Lancashire Heeler Club and also holds board positions in various dog clubs and animal health foundations. In addition to her breeding experience, Sheryl brings 30 years of product management experience in the veterinary industry to her role at Revival. Reproduction is a luxury for a dog's body, and can only happen if the body is already able to take care of its vital organs. We can't overlook the nutrients that are often missed by the main pet food companies that are important to making a dog as healthy as possible for breeding. Thus, supplements are critical for keeping breeding dogs healthy for reproduction. Dr. Greer gives some specific examples of the nutrients required for healthy breeding dogs and what they do for the reproductive system, as well as what they do for the puppies' health. Dr. Greer also talks about the importance of getting the right nutrients to stud dogs for breeding, in addition to the more commonly-talked about health of the bitch. Sheryl talks about some of the products Revival Animal Health offers, and how they support dogs' reproductive health. She goes over the extensive research and development Revival Animal Health goes through to develop their products - making sure that they are created based on current reproductive and nutritional science and are reviewed by experts. As part of a new partnership, Revival Animal Health is offering Good Breeders $10 off everything in their online store! Dr. Greer talks about the recent research surrounding folic acid and its benefits. Check out some current research about folic acid and cleft palate in brachycephalic dogs https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1fee/d982cf4bf5b70b6198ba76056e65e76d98f0.pdf (here).

The two most common problems with fertility are timing (with respect to the female) and having good quality semen that's delivered into the uterus. Another problem that's becoming increasingly important is the nutrition of the bitch and stud dog. About Dr. Greer: Dr. Greer is a renowned author, speaker, veterinarian, and canine reproduction specialist. In addition to being the Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health, she is on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. Laura and Marty start by discussing the importance of nutrition - what people feed their dogs, how they feed, and what consequences those factors can have on the success of a breeding. There is likely a nutritional component to the quality of a stud dog's semen in addition to fertility and the female - this is something that hasn't been very explored, but is becoming more evident. They then talk about the importance of progesterone timing and how using frozen vs fresh semen interacts with that. There's a narrow window of time during which the puppies need to come out - they also discuss the downsides of reverse progesterone testing (done at the end of pregnancy). Last, they discuss the importance of having your bitch in good physical condition - fit but not too lean. You also want your bitch to have good dental health. Overall, you want your dog to be in top notch shape for breeding.

The National Cancer Institute predicts that based on current breast cancer incidence rates, about one out of every eight women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time during her life. These are frightening statistics. Thankfully due to increased awareness, improved diagnostics and treatment options, the survival rate for this group of diseases is improving. But some members of our families, dogs and cats, are still dying needless from this potentially preventable disease. As pet lovers what can we do? If it is up to Dr. Marty Greer of Wisconsin, we will be sporting Pink Paws along our Pink ribbons. Questions or comments? Email Dr.Cruz at: thepetdoctor@petliferadio.com. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Pink Paw Update on Pet Life Radio. var ACE_AR = {Site: '845738', Size: '468060'};

You've seen them before. Those colored ribbons that people wear to bring awareness to the various causes. Probably the most recognizable is the pink ribbon that represents breast cancer awareness. Great advancements have been achieved against this potentially deadly disease. But not all of our loved ones have received the attention they deserve. A grass roots movement has been started to educate pet owners that their furry members of the family can also be afflicted. My guest, Dr. Marty Greer, is a veterinarian with a strong interest in canine reproduction and is also a 2010 graduate of Marquette Law School. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Pink Paws on Pet Life Radio.