41. Feeding Smarter & Designing Better Lives for Pets

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00:00:00:04 - 00:00:15:02
Voice over
Pets add life. Your guide to the latest in pet trends, products and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonifati powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

00:00:15:04 - 00:00:32:00
Chris
Okay, everybody, welcome to another edition of Pets Add Life. I am one of your hosts, Chris Bonifati and I am joined, as always, by the glorious and gifted Kristen Levine. So, Kristen, how is your Thanksgiving?

00:00:32:02 - 00:00:38:02
Kristen
I'm still full. Yeah. It was it was fantastic. We had a really great time, but, I ate a lot.

00:00:38:04 - 00:00:43:10
Chris
I can eat again. I'll be honest. I could eat again. Just kind of like an empty void.

00:00:43:12 - 00:00:49:22
Kristen
Now, when is too long to to keep eating leftovers? Like, would you eat leftovers today?

00:00:50:00 - 00:00:53:03
Chris
Yeah. No such thing. Oh, okay. I'm still eating leftovers.

00:00:53:04 - 00:00:54:03
Kristen
Not sick of it by now.

00:00:54:06 - 00:01:18:03
Chris
I know I don't like I've got this weird thing. I don't get sick of foods. Like, if. If I'm hungry and it tastes good. It doesn't matter if I've had it the past 6 or 7 meals. I'm also pretty good at transforming things like, my brother actually came up with this recipe. But I steal it now, and it's a Thanksgiving fried rice, which is just, like, a great way to take.

00:01:18:04 - 00:01:39:05
Chris
Yeah, it's just like the brussel sprouts and a little bit of the turkey. And you got to avoid, like, the mushy things like the sweet potatoes and. Right. But you know, and just as if you were making regular fried rice, but you do Thanksgiving stuff, you just gotta get a little he got to put on. You ever see that, that show chopped on Food Network with like three ingredients?

00:01:39:09 - 00:01:42:06
Chris
It's like that. Or you just gotta. You just gotta let it rip, right?

00:01:42:06 - 00:01:44:22
Kristen
You get three Thanksgiving ingredients. You've got to make something.

00:01:44:22 - 00:02:02:16
Chris
You gotta make something with it. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Yeah. And we always do a little bit of, like, roasted ham as well. So, like, for breakfast every morning I've been eating, you know, ham and egg sandwiches, which I could eat a million of those and never get sick of it. But we are past Thanksgiving.

00:02:02:16 - 00:02:23:16
Chris
We're entering, the the winds of winter as they come. Slowly but surely. Definitely starting to get cooler up here. And speaking of being cooler, we've got a really cool show for all your cool cats and dogs listening at home. Back to our regularly scheduled programing. We've got two guests. We're doing two stories. We got two great products.

00:02:23:16 - 00:02:40:16
Chris
Will be answering two of your questions at the end of the show. So buckle up, buttercup. We got a good one for you. Hang on to your horses. It's raining cats and dogs, and I'm out of animal puns. So without further ado, let's start storytime.

00:02:40:18 - 00:02:44:12
Voice over
Kristen and Chris present storytime.

00:02:44:14 - 00:02:51:19
Kristen
All right, I have a story. Actually, this is this is unique is a positive story about a commercial airline.

00:02:51:19 - 00:02:57:07
Chris
That's great because I've got my story is a little less positive. So I'm happy you're brand.

00:02:57:10 - 00:02:58:15
Kristen
Usually I'm the down.

00:02:58:15 - 00:03:00:06
Chris
No, you're wrong. You just never get it down.

00:03:00:06 - 00:03:22:08
Kristen
I'm so glad that I'm not the downer today. So. And I know a lot of us are going to be flying for the holidays, so how about an uplifting commercial airline story for you? So I just I discovered this, when I was looking up information about, you know, the, the storms that we had back in the fall, in western North Carolina and in Florida.

00:03:22:13 - 00:03:48:01
Kristen
And I came across a really nice story about Southwest Airlines and one of their pilots. So did you know that Southwest Airlines donated it? I couldn't tell if this if there were multiple flights or not, but at least one cargo flight and crew to evacuate, homeless pets from shelters in Florida and, South Carolina and North Carolina and flew them up to Minnesota.

00:03:48:03 - 00:04:10:17
Kristen
And during during this particular flight that the story is about the pilot who they do not name, but he fell in love with one of the little kittens that was on the flight. And Kitten's name is Avery, and he he adopted Avery at the end of the flight. He decided when it was time for him to hand the kitten back to the shelter, and he's like, I can't do it.

00:04:10:17 - 00:04:31:18
Kristen
I'm in love. So he adopted Avery. But this is a tremendous effort where they flew about 150 pets from those areas that were affected by the storm. It was a it was a collaboration between, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Southwest Airlines and, Greater Good charities. So I thought that was a a nice, happy story to share.

00:04:31:18 - 00:04:32:06
Kristen
That's great.

00:04:32:08 - 00:04:57:09
Chris
Yeah. I thought you were just with the story. How, Delta's going to start serving Shake Shack burgers on their flights. And I was like, that's what I thought. And I'm like, Christian, that's not pet related, but it is positive news. But that that's that's really great. Yeah. I'm I'm I've got a story that's, pretty interesting, but it depending on how, superstitious you are, may be a bit of doom and gloom.

00:04:57:09 - 00:05:27:01
Chris
So I saw this story, on NBC about a oarfish, that had washed up on the shores of California. And oarfish are deep water fish. They live, according to the article, about 30 300ft under the surface of the ocean. So it's incredibly rare. Since 1901, only 21 oarfish have been recorded on California's shores. This is a pretty rare thing.

00:05:27:05 - 00:05:49:12
Chris
They are massive things. This one was 12ft long and was like a ribbon. Like a long ribbon. And for those of you who may play the, new Animal Crossing game, it is one of the fish. It is the same. Or if fish is in the Animal Crossing game, for all my nerds out there. But the reason that this is a bit of a doom story is in Japanese culture.

00:05:49:14 - 00:06:25:11
Chris
The oarfish is called the doom fish because it portends natural disaster. So, the most recent being. Let me find that little part in the article here. In 2011, it resurfaced in Japan, where 20 oarfish had washed ashore in Japan in the months leading up to that incredibly devastating earthquake that created this tsunami in 2011. And there are are many other stories that say, like, when you see a lot of these things, something bad is about to happen.

00:06:25:11 - 00:06:50:13
Chris
Now, the scientists have looked into it and they said there is no correlation between doom fish and actual doom. But scientists don't know magic. Scientists don't know superstition. You can't measure that kind of stuff. So I don't know what might happen. But there is some. I'm. I'll send the link to the article over for the story. There's some pictures of of this thing.

00:06:50:13 - 00:07:05:06
Chris
I mean, it is a massive, massive sea creature. Really cool, largely unstudied. So this this, particular specimen was brought to NOAA's Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California. To be.

00:07:05:10 - 00:07:06:06
Kristen
Toya.

00:07:06:07 - 00:07:07:07
Chris
La Hoya.

00:07:07:09 - 00:07:07:23
Kristen
La Hoya.

00:07:08:03 - 00:07:11:12
Chris
Why don't they? Why don't they spell it like that?

00:07:11:13 - 00:07:13:05
Kristen
I only know that because my dad lived there.

00:07:13:09 - 00:07:38:14
Chris
Oh, but why don't they spell it like that? Why is it j o la? I guess it's probably Southern California, so it's probably heavily influenced by Espanol, which makes a lot now that I'm looking at it. Yeah. Yep yep. Yeah, I'm looking at it now and I realize I'm dumb, but hey. But hey, that's why Kristen's here. Because if she wasn't going to correct me, I'm sure the comment section.

00:07:38:19 - 00:07:41:04
Kristen
Is the despairing. You from the comment section?

00:07:41:04 - 00:07:52:07
Chris
No, no, no, they'll still be there. They'll find something else. But that's it. So, prepare some canned goods, buy your toilet paper, be ready. California. Because the fish has come in.

00:07:52:09 - 00:07:54:16
Kristen
No, sure. It's not the older fish.

00:07:54:18 - 00:07:57:13
Chris
The oaa fish. It's got some British punk rock right

00:07:57:18 - 00:08:02:18
Voice over
beyond the leash. Exploring the untold stories of passion and professionalism.

00:08:02:20 - 00:08:23:06
Kristen
All right. You are going to love our first guest, doctor Ernie Ward, veterinarian and pet nutrition expert. So, you know, the holiday season often revolves around food. But it's not just about us. Our pets can be affected by food as well. And today we're joined by Doctor Ernie Ward, an internationally renowned veterinarian and advocate for healthier lifestyles.

00:08:23:06 - 00:08:51:06
Kristen
For pets and their people. Now doctor Ward is a leader in pet nutrition, obesity prevention and weight loss, and he has spent his career improving veterinary standards and promoting better care for animals. Doctor Ward is the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention and the World Pet Obesity Association. He's also the author of The Clean Pet Food Revolution and Chowhound Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter.

00:08:51:07 - 00:09:00:06
Kristen
So when the Holiday is Upon us, Doctor Ward's here to share his advice on everything from healthy eating habits to avoiding the dangers of holiday treats for pets. Welcome, doctor Ward.

00:09:00:10 - 00:09:14:08
Dr. Ernie Ward
Oh gosh, it's my pleasure. I'm just so glad to to be with you guys. You guys do such great work. I mean, educating pet parents around the world on how they can be better parents, right? I mean, this is really about the relationships. And we want to preserve their health and longevity, you know, long as long as possible.

00:09:14:12 - 00:09:29:14
Kristen
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And we're and we're really delighted to have you here today. But I'm going to just let's start it off with a really basic, question. And that is, you know, around the holiday time, what are some of the biggest feeding mistakes that, we are making as pet owners this season?

00:09:29:16 - 00:09:44:23
Dr. Ernie Ward
Yeah, I think it's a great question. And it's the one that we struggle with ourselves. It's just too much. It's overindulgence. I mean, we take this time to celebrate, and that's good, but we kind of sometimes go a little more than we should. And so I would say the main thing that I want pet parents to know is just be mindful, right?

00:09:44:23 - 00:10:05:05
Dr. Ernie Ward
I mean, I don't want to take away treats. I don't want to restrict any activities or gatherings. But I do want us to be mindful of what we're putting in their bowls or on their plates during the holiday season. So really stick with sort of single ingredient things, you know, like especially healthy crunchy vegetables for dogs, you know, maybe a little sliver of tuna or a turkey for cats, but just really be moderate in the amount.

00:10:05:05 - 00:10:23:05
Dr. Ernie Ward
And I think that if you've got guests coming in, make sure that everybody understands, especially if you have an older dog or cat who might have some nutritional, you know, needs, that you inform them on what to give and not to give. And, and one of the biggest mistakes we typically see around the holidays from a veterinary perspective is feeding high fat, high salt foods.

00:10:23:05 - 00:10:45:02
Dr. Ernie Ward
Right. So now we're enjoying this big feast around the table with all the fun and family, and suddenly people are slipping little stuff under the table. And before you know it, we've got a serious medical condition. This can be pancreatitis. I mean, this can be a lot of GI upsets that we can have vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration. So the main thing is just talk to the guests and say, hey, listen, you know, we want to make sure everybody's mindful of of treating.

00:10:45:02 - 00:10:51:15
Dr. Ernie Ward
We want you to give treats. But here's the treat jar. And everybody take one. Break it in half and and give it to Buster if you want.

00:10:51:17 - 00:11:08:17
Chris
Yeah that's great advice. I mean, one thing that you could trust dog and cats to be good at tricking people into thinking that they haven't eaten. Right. It's, And, you know, I think the other part of this is when you're looking at your, your animal. I think a lot of people, under guess what obesity is, right?

00:11:08:17 - 00:11:17:18
Chris
They think that that that the animal has to look a nearly grotesque or round for it to be considered obese, but it really isn't quite like that. Correct.

00:11:17:20 - 00:11:37:18
Dr. Ernie Ward
That. That's exactly right. And this mis perception, this, you know, I used to call it the fat pet gap and it's that people look at their dog or cat and they say, oh, you know, yeah, a little chunky, a little fluffy. You know, I got a little chunky cat. And they don't understand that, that excess adiposity, which is the medical term for excess body fat, belly fat, it's really harmful.

00:11:37:18 - 00:11:53:20
Dr. Ernie Ward
And so, you know, if you're just looking at your dog or cat, you know, you may not be getting the whole picture, so to speak. And this is why your veterinarian does something called a body condition score, where we look at musculature, we look at where the body fat is deposited. So is it around the hips and the ribs or is it in the abdomen?

00:11:53:22 - 00:12:09:04
Dr. Ernie Ward
All those areas really do make a big impact physiologically, because it's not just the weight. In fact, I'm not interested at all in your dog or cats weight. What I am interested in is the amount of body fat, and when it gets into an excess amount, that's when harmful, you know, consequences occur.

00:12:09:06 - 00:12:34:06
Kristen
Yeah. And and you've written extensively doctor word about pet food. And one of the most common questions, that that I get in in my pet world and that we get here on the show is pet parents asking us how to, how to make a decision about what to feed their pet, what is. Now that we have you here, I let's hear your advice because, you know, Chris and I have a pretty good idea of how to answer that, but we'd love to hear from you.

00:12:34:08 - 00:12:51:20
Dr. Ernie Ward
Right. Well, it's a complicated question because there's a lot of emotions involved. And so people have even dogmatic views on certain ways to feed. And the first thing I say to all people is that, you know, as long as it's complete, complete balance, we're meeting the macro and micro nutrient demands of your dog or cat that I'm okay with.

00:12:51:20 - 00:13:12:15
Dr. Ernie Ward
However, we present that food. So first and foremost, I'm not going to be judgmental on exactly the type of food that you feed or the format or the processing. I'm going to be concerned about the nutrients, right? Not the ingredients, but actually the nutrients. The first thing I think most people have to do is align what they're feeding their pet with their own personal food philosophies, you know, so I have people that are vegan.

00:13:12:15 - 00:13:30:18
Dr. Ernie Ward
I have people that are, you know, Whole Foods. I have people that are McDonald's fanatics. Right. And so we have this broad spectrum of beliefs out there. And so I say let's start with what you are comfortable with. What do you believe in. And let's sort of go down that road. Because what I found yeah, I've been a veterinarian now for 33 years.

00:13:30:20 - 00:13:50:21
Dr. Ernie Ward
If I try to impose my beliefs on that client, it's not going to go well, right. They're just not going to sustain that. And so what I try to do is match up and align those, their personal beliefs with what I can provide with them in a complete and balanced or even a therapeutic diet fashion. And so for me, it's really about, okay, let's do something that you're going to do, that you're going to feel comfortable with.

00:13:50:21 - 00:14:10:05
Dr. Ernie Ward
And then there's another part of this equation. The dog or cat has to like it. And I think that too often we forget that. Most fundamental fact is the fact that I can give you the most nutritious nutrient laden therapeutic diet on the planet. But if it doesn't taste good to your dog or your cat, it's worthless. And so we've got to then match your beliefs with what your dog or cat will eat.

00:14:10:09 - 00:14:25:16
Dr. Ernie Ward
And then finally, I hate to say it, but we have to take into account finances because, I mean, let's, let's let's be honest out there, there are some of these diets that are outrageously priced. And even though they may be superior in some aspect, if you can't afford it again, you know, it's just it's not it's a nonstarter.

00:14:25:16 - 00:14:41:09
Dr. Ernie Ward
So I really try to match up those three things. And then we go into more specific details. For example, there might be a dog or cat that needs to lose weight. So I would probably go with a high protein, high fiber formulation that might be a dog or cat with kidney disease. We're going to watch phosphorus and, you know, other little nutrients like that.

00:14:41:09 - 00:14:48:09
Dr. Ernie Ward
But for me it really says what do you feed yourself? You know, what is your dog or cat like and can you afford it?

00:14:48:11 - 00:15:19:02
Chris
So those are all incredible points. Answered way better than I ever could. But we're talking a lot about calorie in. But there's another half of this equation calorie out. And especially when we are all bundled up in the cold months of December, those dog walks start to get shorter and shorter and shorter. So how could we, as pet parents, do a better job of getting our pets the exercise that they need in these coming winter months?

00:15:19:04 - 00:15:38:03
Dr. Ernie Ward
Well, first, let's look at the math, because I think right there in the question, there was a bit of a misperception that it's half. And if you look at the literature and the research over the last 40 or 50 years in human and animal physiology, it kind of breaks down broadly like this. And I remember writing about this in 2008 and one of my first books on this topic.

00:15:38:03 - 00:15:55:17
Dr. Ernie Ward
And, you know, vets were kind of shocked, like, wow, I didn't realize people had actually done this research. But for human and dog weight loss, which is very similar, we have very similar physiologies and metabolisms. I mean, that's one of the reasons why dogs are man's best friend, because quite frankly, we were able to feed and eat and supply hydration at a similar rate.

00:15:55:17 - 00:16:20:22
Dr. Ernie Ward
So it's it's a really interesting relationship that I wrote about in Chow Hounds. Actually, I wrote an entire chapter on that. But if you look at that equation, weight loss is about 60 to 70% diet and only 30 to 40% exercise. Now for cats, which have a completely different physiology, this equation is skewed entirely towards diet. It's about 90% diet and only about 10% aerobic or physical activity.

00:16:20:22 - 00:16:37:22
Dr. Ernie Ward
So here's the first thing I'll say is, for most folks out there, if you're trying to maintain a healthy weight in your dog or cat, and if you're trying to lose weight, exercise is not going to be the path. It's going to help, and it's going to be so beneficial for support structures and physiology and mental right. So enrichment, that's all important.

00:16:38:00 - 00:17:07:07
Dr. Ernie Ward
But it's not going to be the pathway towards weight loss. So let's focus on the diet. So even when the days are short and cold you know you don't have to beat yourself up. Because really what you're doing in the food bowl is the most impactful. So you know, for me I really you know, I'm very careful because I think that a lot of folks and look, you know, I'm a I've been a certified personal trainer since 2005, and I typically see people want to exercise their way to a certain physique or esthetic, and you just can't do it.

00:17:07:07 - 00:17:20:20
Dr. Ernie Ward
I mean, you can do a certain amount of that. But honestly, you know, as we used to say, a six pack is born in the kitchen, right? I mean, that's where you build that. And so for us, we really want to focus on the diet and nutrition aspect.

00:17:20:22 - 00:17:35:08
Kristen
Doctor word. I, I, I'm curious, you know, you said you've been a veterinarian for 33 years. What led you, where did your passion come from to lead you to focus on pet nutrition and curbing pet obesity?

00:17:35:13 - 00:17:51:17
Dr. Ernie Ward
Yeah, it's a great it's a great question. And, you know, and it's when I like to share the story. I mean, basically as a younger veterinarian, I started seeing more and more obesity related problems. So I was seeing dogs with crippling arthritis. I was seeing diabetes in cats at astounding rates. And I was like, why is this happening?

00:17:51:17 - 00:18:11:23
Dr. Ernie Ward
I mean, you know, they didn't teach us this in vet school. And suddenly you start to realize that the common denominator is excess body fat. And of course, there's tons of literature and research to to support that statement. And so then, you know, I began this own personal journey, and I'm an ultra endurance athlete, you know, for many, many years, I mean, for 12 or 15 years, I was a competitive, you know, Ironman athlete.

00:18:12:05 - 00:18:31:10
Dr. Ernie Ward
And so, you know, I was taking this journey on my own and I realized, wow, I need to learn more about this. I became like a triathlon accredited, co accredited triathlon coach and a certified personal trainer. All of those kind of built this, that where I am today on the foundation of for pets. But I really would say all of this leads back to quality of life and longevity.

00:18:31:12 - 00:18:51:02
Dr. Ernie Ward
I want to make sure that the dogs and cats that I care for have the highest quality of life for as long as possible, and if you want to do that, the secret is lean muscle mass. I mean, it's just the amount of research that supports that simple statement is staggering. And so for me, it's like, okay, this is a huge problem out there.

00:18:51:02 - 00:19:12:14
Dr. Ernie Ward
I'm seeing all these co-morbidities like arthritis and heart disease and kidney disease and diabetes and so forth, and it all goes back to body fat. Well, we can do something about that. Now, what you're also seeing too, with the advent of drugs like, you know, Ozempic and Wigo V these GLP ones. And this is just the start of this, guys, we're understanding better now that this is a physiological condition.

00:19:12:14 - 00:19:32:00
Dr. Ernie Ward
This is a disease state. And so while we can do a lot, you know with diet exercise, nutrition and so forth, you know, we realize that there are going to be some folks and they're going to be some animals that are going to require pharmaceutical interventions. And so, you know, we're really just entering into this new era. Obviously it'll be several years before these drugs are approved for use in dogs and cats, but it's coming.

00:19:32:05 - 00:19:53:07
Dr. Ernie Ward
And for now, we really want to focus on therapeutic diets. We want to make sure that folks know that there are some sophisticated nutritional tricks we can use to help their dog or cat lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. And more importantly, these are affordable and they're delicious. So, you know, there's there's so many choices. You know, when I began this journey, you know, over 30 years ago, quite frankly, we had 3 or 4 choices, right.

00:19:53:07 - 00:20:10:22
Dr. Ernie Ward
And if it didn't work for your dog or cat, you were out of luck. And today, honestly, the choices are overwhelming. And so it's it's difficult. Like you mentioned before, I've got so many choices. An abundance of good, good choices that you kind of go on. All right. Which one of these great products are we going to try first?

00:20:11:00 - 00:20:31:02
Chris
Yeah. Speaking of choices, you know, I think a lot of people, they like to get their, dog or cat some special treats around Christmas time. But on the shelves, there's some stuff that's great, and there's some stuff that's not so great. So how do I become an informed shopper? And what should I look for to make that decision?

00:20:31:04 - 00:20:49:07
Dr. Ernie Ward
Yeah, I kind of hinted at it earlier. You know, when I'm looking at the the pet food aisles and know I'm just going, oh my gosh, there's hundreds of choices here. I don't know where to begin. I start to go back to my basic nutritional philosophy. And that is simple whole food ingredients. And so I do prefer, you know, those ingredients that are a single choice.

00:20:49:07 - 00:21:06:10
Dr. Ernie Ward
I mean, like, I like sweet potatoes. I mean, there's some amazing. So you find that thing, I mean, there's some blueberry treats that, someone sent me here recently. I was just like my dog said. Thank you so much. You know, so for us, we're looking for very simple. Whole foods is my first choice. I do avoid a lot of the ultra processed things.

00:21:06:10 - 00:21:22:09
Dr. Ernie Ward
I mean, I know that there's there's some delicious treats out there for dogs and cats, but I do tend to not recommend them in general. Typically, they are very high in fat and calories. They don't add any nutritional value. So, you know, I used to always tell folks, you know, if you're going to give a treat, make them count.

00:21:22:09 - 00:21:37:02
Dr. Ernie Ward
So let's get some kind of nutritional benefit. So again, if it's a sweet potato treat or wow, we're loaded. I mean, so many phytochemicals that are just going to benefit help that I prefer to give that than something that's just a carb fat heavy treat.

00:21:37:04 - 00:21:46:06
Kristen
Well and let's let's wrap up this conversation doc with just give us a little, little hint about what the book, your Clean Pet Food Revolution book is all about.

00:21:46:08 - 00:22:15:05
Dr. Ernie Ward
Yeah. That was a book that came out right at the beginning in January of 2020. At the time it happened. Right. The book tour gets canceled to kind of got buried and really got relegated to the bookshelves of of academic institutions, which is great. But, you know, it didn't reach the audience we hoped. But basically what I was trying to explore was the impact on climate change that the global pet food industry had, and that was something that really hadn't been discussed or are really covered much in the literature.

00:22:15:05 - 00:22:32:00
Dr. Ernie Ward
And so I wanted to do a deep dive at a fantastic coauthor who's an animal ethicist from the UK, a dear friend of mine, Alice Oven. And we, you know, so she kind of attacked the ethical some of those issues. I took the nutritional and welfare issues from a veterinary perspective, and I think we made an impactful book.

00:22:32:00 - 00:22:51:10
Dr. Ernie Ward
It did, you know, certainly influenced a lot of other research and influence, how people, I think, perceive it. But at the end of the day, this was basically a climate change book, and we wanted to point out that about 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions, are produced globally by pet food production. So it's not a minor contributor anymore.

00:22:51:12 - 00:23:06:04
Dr. Ernie Ward
And, you know, we do talk about some of the newer technologies that are, you know, evolving and, and some of the substitutes that might come in the future, especially with some of these cell based agricultural products. But again, that's some time away. But we wanted to give people hope as well that, you know, this is going to get better.

00:23:06:04 - 00:23:22:04
Dr. Ernie Ward
We also talked a little bit about the nutritional impact of some of these factory farming practices and sort of, you know, why we should concern ourselves with that. And maybe that would inform you if you're able to, to choose products that, you know, perhaps are more welfare, you know, friendly or minded.

00:23:22:06 - 00:23:32:07
Chris
That's all great stuff. Yeah. So if you're listening and you're like, I need more, I need more. Check out the Clean Pet Food Revolution. Doctor Ward, I assume it's anywhere awesome. Books.

00:23:32:07 - 00:23:39:21
Dr. Ernie Ward
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah. Amazon I think is probably the number one place these days. But yeah, it's available in other, other places.

00:23:39:23 - 00:23:55:15
Chris
All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us. All this great information delivered so succinctly. I feel a lot smarter. Just 15 minutes ago, that Chris was stupid. And this Chris is. Now I've learned, man. So thank you very much for taking the time out of your schedule to join us today.

00:23:55:17 - 00:23:57:12
Dr. Ernie Ward
Oh, I got to tell you. Thank you so much.

00:23:57:13 - 00:24:02:12
Kristen
Thanks, doctor. Ward.

00:24:02:13 - 00:24:04:13
Kristen
Wow. Jeesh.

00:24:04:15 - 00:24:09:22
Chris
I think I just lost my job. I think I just lost my job.

00:24:10:00 - 00:24:22:21
Kristen
No. You didn't. Yeah. He's awesome. You know, I've known doctor Ward for probably 20 years, and, he's just incredible. I don't know how he does it all. He's got to be super busy.

00:24:22:21 - 00:24:29:01
Chris
Keep. He kept the listing. Things he does, I know. How does he have the time?

00:24:29:03 - 00:24:42:11
Kristen
And next up, we're going to talk to one of my favorite cat experts. She is quite interesting. She's actually going to have her cats with her. So let's meet her now.

00:24:42:13 - 00:25:11:22
Kristen
All right. So joining us now we have the definitive authority on stylish and functional cat products Kate Benjamin. She's got a background in design consumer product development marketing and entrepreneurship. And Kate started her blog modern Cat in 2007. And she did that to fill a gap in the market for design conscious cat owners. Her love for designing cats led her to create House Panther, a brand that curates and creates stylish and functional products for cats and their owners.

00:25:12:00 - 00:25:38:18
Kristen
Kate is also the coauthor of two New York Times bestsellers, Cat ification. I love that title. That's awesome and Cat Ified to Satisfy, written in collaboration with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, Kate's expertise has been featured in major media outlets like The New York Times, the LA times, CBS Sunday Morning, among others, and Kate lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and 11 rescue cats.

00:25:38:18 - 00:25:56:20
Kristen
Welcome, Kate. Thank you so much for having me. Oh, it's so great to see you. I haven't seen you in many years, and I was so excited when I saw your name on the podcast guest lineup for today. Yes, I know, it's great to see you too. I love I've been following everything you do. I love it all.

00:25:56:22 - 00:26:20:20
Kristen
Oh well, I think the first question we wanted to ask to kick it off is to explain what inspired you to merge your passion for design with your love for cats, and how did that ultimately lead to the creation of House Panther? Yes. So as you said, I started writing about cats and design way back in 2007, so things were so different.

00:26:20:22 - 00:26:43:01
Kate
I really wanted I wanted to bust that crazy cat lady stereotype, show people that they can have a home that gives the cats what they need to live their really best lives, but in a way that they think is also beautiful. They don't mind living there. They don't mind having guests come over. Because that's how I felt.

00:26:43:01 - 00:27:02:03
Kate
I had a background in design at the time. I was working at a children's product company that focused on the same thing. Just because you have kids doesn't mean your house has to look like a daycare center. So I kind of said, well, how come nobody's doing this for cats? And back in the day, it was hard to find things there.

00:27:02:03 - 00:27:35:23
Kate
You know, I had to really search and look around. A lot of things came from Europe. There were a few companies who kind of were addressing good design for cats, but most of the focus in the industry, as you know, was on dogs at the time. And so flash forward to today. It's a completely different world. I mean, the whole industry has really stepped up, which is what I originally wanted was to just make more options accessible for people in terms of the things they need to have in their home and the style and design options that are available to them.

00:27:35:23 - 00:27:49:20
Kristen
And so now you can you can find anything you want from all over the world. Tons of them. Yeah. So it just it makes me so happy. You're a pioneer. Thank you for pioneering. And we have these cats and cat people everywhere. We finally.

00:27:49:20 - 00:27:50:12
Chris
Have.

00:27:50:13 - 00:27:51:04
Kristen
A cat that.

00:27:51:04 - 00:28:19:02
Chris
Has a fellow, cat dad. I don't have 11 cats. I have 121 year old grumpy cat. But thank you for being, such a pioneer. And what pioneers must do is blend form and function. Obviously, you're making some of this stuff for cats, and it is to serve a purpose. So can you talk about your philosophy and how you blend an esthetic with the actual function of some of this stuff?

00:28:19:04 - 00:28:43:15
Kate
Oh, absolutely. So my background in design comes from a really user centered design, place. Right. So both my undergraduate and my graduate degree really looked at, that concept of, okay, what is the functionality? In addition to the form. And so when you look at pet products, you have two users, you have the animal and you have the human.

00:28:43:17 - 00:29:05:12
Kate
And so you have to make something function for both. Right. So you have to understand that whole cat behavior world and environmental enrichment. And what are the things that cats need in order to thrive. And then you have to understand the ergonomics and like, is it easy to clean? Is it easy to move? Can you install it?

00:29:05:13 - 00:29:29:09
Kate
You know, our parts on, say, a tower or scratch or easily replaceable so that you don't have to throw the whole thing away and, you know, buy a new one. So you're really looking at those two areas of function. So it's a kind of a complicated project. Then on top of that, you're layering sort of current style and design trends, you know, what are people looking for in their home?

00:29:29:11 - 00:29:49:19
Kate
Different looking at different, other regular furniture manufacturers, designers, things like that for what are the current trends. So when I design products, I'm kind of keeping all those things in mind when I'm looking at products from other companies to feature to right about, same thing. I'm looking for people who are really on top of it.

00:29:49:19 - 00:30:12:23
Kate
And those are the changes we've seen in the industry. I think over the years is that everybody gets it. They're not everybody. But but a lot of the companies are starting to really understand, that you have to cater to both users and you have to look at current design trends. Okay. Let's talk a little bit about, you know, the costs of some of your, you know, your designs or some of the others across the industry.

00:30:13:01 - 00:30:36:09
Kristen
Does it cost more to have the the form, function and design implemented into your home then they're not, you know, the more traditional type of things that that are available. Not necessarily at all. Everything I do around cat ification, is, is about just giving it a little extra thought. Right? So I mean, that's what design is, right?

00:30:36:09 - 00:31:07:02
Kate
When you just sit down and you think about a decision, you're making a decision of materials and placement and colors and style and function. And so you don't have to go out and spend a ton of money. You can repurpose things, you can DIY, you can easily just look around your house and see what have you got that you love that could be used for something for a cat, like a beautiful decorative bowl could become a cat bed, right?

00:31:07:04 - 00:31:29:19
Kate
So you can DIY all of this stuff with simple materials from the home improvement store. Ikea is of course one of my favorite places to do Ikea hacks. And then for people who don't want to do that, there are plenty of companies now who have completely made things that you just take out of the box and you put right out, and your cat loves it.

00:31:29:21 - 00:31:38:16
Kate
So it's really a matter of effort and consideration, just really thinking about how you want to do things.

00:31:38:18 - 00:32:04:04
Chris
Well, you know, you're real cat expert, but let's take a moment to speak to maybe some rookies or potential cat owners. And I mean, a common case is, you know, people adopting two cats, right? And now they have two cats in their home and they they don't know anything. I think a lot of people, you know, when you get a dog, everybody knows, like, oh, I should really look up, like how I'm supposed to take care of this dog.

00:32:04:04 - 00:32:29:13
Chris
But with cats, sometimes people get sort of fall into it. And so we're talking about codifying your home and providing these environments. What is like an easy entry point for somebody who wants to create a space that is, comfortable and engaging for their cat? And something that's, that's attainable and doesn't require you to be an expert or even that creative, really?

00:32:29:15 - 00:32:53:21
Kate
Yeah. And that's I mean, you make a really good point is that people traditionally have just sort of thought, oh, cats don't need anything. They're fine. They're they're independent. They're on their own. Right. Well yeah they're fine. Do you want them to just be fine or do you want them to live their best life. So I feel I think there's so much more attention being given to what cats need in an environment to really make it enriching.

00:32:53:21 - 00:33:16:18
Kate
And so those basic things. So if somebody right out of the gate cats want to climb most of them, they want to get up high. And that just goes right back to behavior issues, right? Because a cat is both predator and prey. And if they can be up higher in a space, they have a better perspective of their surroundings so they can see threats and snacks and whatever they need to get or, you know, get them.

00:33:17:00 - 00:33:39:07
Kate
And so giving them a place to be up high. And if you're a new cat owner and you haven't done anything in your home, your cat is going to find their own place to go up high. And you might not like it. Same thing with scratching. That's a territorial thing. So a cat is going to scratch because it leaves a scent mark and a visual mark, and it marks their territory and making them feel more comfortable in the space.

00:33:39:12 - 00:34:04:07
Kate
If you don't give them a place to scratch, they are going to find their own. So with climbing, it means that there might try to jump up onto a little ledge and maybe they're going to knock some things off will clear that ledge off. Make it easy for the cat to get up there. Maybe put down a little carpet so it has a non-slip surface, and put a bed up there and really designed it in a way that works for the cat, but you like it to.

00:34:04:09 - 00:34:29:11
Kate
Same thing with scratching. You're going to have to experiment and find a scratching post so that the cat doesn't destroy your furniture. And then you want to think about placement in the home it needs to be somewhere that is territorial. Territorial is significant. So some place where you spend a lot of time because your scent will be strongest, on, you know, on your office chair and the bed, the, the, your favorite chair in front of the TV where you spend most of your time.

00:34:29:15 - 00:34:54:11
Kate
So that's where you want to have scratching climbing certainly enough litter boxes. So resources. Especially in a multiple cat household. Cats will become more nervous if they don't feel like they have all the resources food, water, litter, the good places to sleep, toys. So giving them all of those things that allow them to climb and mark their territory, have safe hiding spaces as well.

00:34:54:13 - 00:35:15:05
Kate
Any sort of a bed that's like a little pod or an enclosure gives the cat the option to have a little privacy and warmth, instead of hiding under the bed or in the back of the closet, which you don't want. So you want to give them acceptable spaces to feel comfortable and to hang out without them going and finding their own place.

00:35:15:05 - 00:35:18:07
Kate
That doesn't work for everybody. Does that make sense?

00:35:18:09 - 00:35:21:02
Kristen
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And actually.

00:35:21:02 - 00:35:33:16
Chris
It's actually the most sense I've ever heard. Okay. I mean, like I say, it seems so when I ask the question, I was like, this is a profound question. I'm really going to get away with this. And now I'm like, my question was easy because your explanation was so good.

00:35:33:18 - 00:35:53:08
Kristen
Yeah. And okay. Can you describe so for our listeners who are also watching the video, can you describe those beautiful things on the wall behind you and how their form and function works for cats? So this is actually from a company called My Zoo. And it has so many things going on. Can you see all of it?

00:35:53:08 - 00:36:00:18
Kate
Can you see the cat that's up there? Oh, I can barely see the kitty at the top yet. Jeremiah being dip is sleeping. And this little.

00:36:00:20 - 00:36:02:11
Chris
Jeremiah bean dip.

00:36:02:16 - 00:36:27:07
Kate
Oh my gosh. And his brothers are Horacio Queso and Pico de Gato. So we should have started this interview out with. Can you please share the names of all 11 cats? Oh, well, those three are the bastard. Okay, okay, okay. So. But this wall is actually a really great example. It's only about 3 or 4ft wide.

00:36:27:09 - 00:36:53:08
Kate
And one of the things we tell people when they're starting to codify is don't get overwhelmed, don't feel like you have to do the whole house. You don't have to create what we call a super highway that goes all the way around the room. You know, just pick a small space and and do something. And so in this case, it it maximizes it because we have a series of hideaways and levels and scratching surfaces.

00:36:53:08 - 00:37:12:10
Kate
So we've just hit on three of the major gratification pieces that you want to integrate, but all in this tiny little space. And I love anything that's mounted on the wall, if you can. I know not everybody can if they rent, but it gets it off the floor, so you're not tripping over it. It's easier to clean the floor.

00:37:12:12 - 00:37:32:23
Kate
And it just gives that the cats that height. And when we say climbing and height, it doesn't just mean up over your head, it just means even slightly off the floor. Like this bottom shelf here is just like 12in off the ground. So just different levels. I like what I call petting height, which is just like when you walk up to the wall.

00:37:32:23 - 00:37:53:12
Kate
The cat is right there for easy petting. So think about different levels. Some things that are enclosed, some things that are open, scratching surfaces. I added carpet tiles to the tops of all of these hexagons so that they're non-slip, so the cats won't fall off, because sometimes they do crazy zoomies on this wall and they're racing up and down and chasing each other.

00:37:53:16 - 00:38:18:23
Kate
But also, I love this in a multi cat household, there are sometimes four cats hanging out just on this wall, which and fine, they're all like perfectly fine. And sometimes some of them are not the ones that get along. But I've maximized a relatively small space, our condos on the 1100 square feet, and we have 11 cats. So by creating lots of different levels, we've really maximized the space.

00:38:18:23 - 00:38:27:08
Kate
And I think it really helps bring the stress level down for everybody. It gives them all their own territory. Plus it looks cool.

00:38:27:10 - 00:38:47:17
Kristen
It does look cool. So and I have to ask, with 11 rescue cats, was it extra challenging to to find ways to use your space really wisely to, to give them all the resources that each of them needed?

00:38:47:18 - 00:38:52:12
Kristen
I mean, you're an expert, so I wasn't that difficult, but I would imagine it was a little bit of a challenge.

00:38:52:14 - 00:39:15:02
Kate
Well, our our condo is definitely like a working laboratory. And also when you have this many cats, it's more like shelter design than residential design. So I have found because I'm doing a lot of cat shelter designs now and cat cafes and things, spaces for multiple many cats that have a big turnover.

00:39:15:07 - 00:39:42:00
Kate
So we don't have the turnover that you'd have in a space like a rescue or cat cafe. But we have the volume. So things definitely have to be durable or, you know, replaceable and easy to easily sanitize. The big reason I bought this condo is because it had excellent patio potential when we bought it, and then I immediately enclosed the whole back part is, is a patio that had a wall around it.

00:39:42:06 - 00:40:05:19
Kate
And then I enclosed it. So the patio is amazing. It dramatically extends the space. It gives the cats fresher outdoor time. But most of the litter boxes are out there, which is really good. So adding a patio is good. Adding the extra vertical space really increases. And it's just kind of been evolving over the years. It just I only had four cats when I moved in here.

00:40:05:21 - 00:40:27:23
Kate
And then in the time that I've lived here, I've had 25 cats, that have come and gone over, you know, over that, you know, period of time. So, it's had a lot of testers and we've had we've tried a lot of different things, but, it really is just a matter of trying it. See what cats like.

00:40:27:23 - 00:40:51:05
Kate
They'll tell you, they'll give you feedback. It might take time if somebody hangs up a shelf and a cat doesn't go near it, don't freak out and take it down. You know, maybe move some other things around it. Give them time to find it. Help them go up there with a toy or a treat or something. And, and they'll eventually realize that that space is for them, especially if you've been shooing them off of things for a while.

00:40:51:07 - 00:41:12:03
Kate
If you go ahead and give them something, they may only be like, I don't know, it's just for me, you know? So, yeah, you really just have to. And it's different with every cat, right? As some paths and the new ones come in, of course, it's just a completely different dynamic, you know, every time. Well, the great grocery.

00:41:12:05 - 00:41:13:16
Chris
No, no. You go ahead Kristen.

00:41:13:18 - 00:41:38:06
Kristen
Oh I was just going to say we're running up on time here. So I just wanted to remind everybody to check out the books cat ification and cats cat ified to satisfy. And Kate, where else can we follow you and, learn more about what you're working on? So my website is House panther.com, and that's the German spelling H8 u s, which is a shout out to the German bat House, the birthplace of modern design.

00:41:38:08 - 00:41:58:10
Kate
And then that same spelling house, Panther is on social media everywhere. On everything. And if you come to the website, you can sign up for the email and get my design. My feline design tips, which I'm constantly looking for things from all over the world that are things for cats and things for cat lovers as well.

00:41:58:10 - 00:42:08:07
Kristen
So anything that celebrates our love of cats in a stylish way and, you know, plus that crazy cat lady stereotype. Yes, you have definitely busted it.

00:42:08:09 - 00:42:10:15
Chris
Yeah. Myth busted. I'm saying it.

00:42:10:17 - 00:42:11:06
Kristen
For sure.

00:42:11:06 - 00:42:32:14
Chris
Now. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your your day, your busy schedule with 11 rescue cats to talk to us and all of our listeners about the wonderful life you lead. I was looking around your website. There's some really cool stuff on there already. Thinking gift ideas for maybe Christmas for my my, stereotypical crazy cat lady wife.

00:42:32:16 - 00:42:40:17
Chris
So, I thank you for that. So you may be seeing a couple orders coming in through Connecticut, but thank you so much for taking the time today.

00:42:40:19 - 00:42:44:23
Kate
Thank you for having me.

00:42:45:01 - 00:42:58:14
Chris
Kristen, I hope anybody out there who may be a realtor was listening because potential is a term you should be working in to your listing.

00:42:58:14 - 00:43:00:20
Kristen
So true. That's a great point.

00:43:00:20 - 00:43:17:17
Chris
Yeah, that's actually like it is kind of funny how when you're shopping for a home, if you're a pet owner, especially like a, like a hardcore one or a real advocate, how that fundamental changes what you look for in in a home.

00:43:17:18 - 00:43:29:13
Kristen
Absolutely. And you know, there are realtors that specialize in finding homes or selling homes for all right, being the buyer's agent for pet owners.

00:43:29:15 - 00:43:36:09
Chris
I didn't know that for a second. I thought you were going to tell me that there's realtors who represent dogs to, like, find their little dog houses.

00:43:36:11 - 00:43:38:13
Kristen
I didn't explain it very well, but you get the idea.

00:43:38:15 - 00:43:54:00
Chris
No, no, no, let's pull on this side more. There's got to be somebody out there who's like, like, dresses up in their little suit with their briefcase, and they go around to the dogs and take them all the different. They they line up a bunch of dog houses in the backyard and let the dogs try them out.

00:43:54:02 - 00:43:58:11
Chris
They get a they got a solid 2.5% cut on the deal.

00:43:58:13 - 00:44:00:09
Kate
That's nice.

00:44:00:11 - 00:44:01:19
Chris
Let's find one of those. Find me a.

00:44:01:19 - 00:44:02:00
Kristen
Dog.

00:44:02:04 - 00:44:02:22
Chris
Realtor.

00:44:03:00 - 00:44:04:10
Kristen
We want to interview that person.

00:44:04:12 - 00:44:28:18
Chris
Get him, get him on the show. We need a dog realtor on the show. But I mean, that that conversation was awesome. It really is impressive what you can accomplish when you commit yourself to a design. That is beyond just what you need as a person, because we're often as selfless as we could be in the way we treat our pets.

00:44:28:19 - 00:44:36:19
Chris
We can often be quite selfish in the way we treat our home in terms of the pet. So it was really cool to talk to Kate about stuff like that.

00:44:36:23 - 00:44:40:10
Voice over
The product of the week.

00:44:40:12 - 00:45:10:11
Chris
Okay, time for my product of the week. And, this one was heavily inspired by seeing all the lazy dogs laying down after Thanksgiving, including all the men in my family laying on the floor working on that digestion and, I was thinking, I gotta find a dog bed that could also arguably be used for people.

00:45:10:11 - 00:45:37:01
Chris
And I done did. Found it. So it comes from a brand called Buffy. Beautiful, beautiful beds come in all sorts of colors. But there's a few different reasons why I like it. A, the sustainable and, orthopedic materials, makes it just, Absolutely. I mean, the pictures of, in the reviews of these dogs, you know, when you see something comfortable because it just sort of molds itself over around a guess.

00:45:37:01 - 00:45:58:10
Chris
Looks nice. It's got a, pillow there that actually kind of gets, like, strapped down and around, so actually stays there. Because I know when we give our, family's dog a pillow, it kind of gets, gets, like, tossed around as they kind of work their way into the bed. And, so really great for those dogs that like to, to lay on.

00:45:58:10 - 00:46:08:03
Chris
It definitely looks comfortable enough that I would take a nap. And this bad boy. And here's the kicker the entire thing unzips super easily. Throw it in the washing machine.

00:46:08:05 - 00:46:08:19
Kristen
Nice.

00:46:09:00 - 00:46:33:11
Chris
Yeah, so absolutely great. Comes in three different sizes. On sale currently. We'll see. It's still on sale. As of the, the airing of this episode, but on sale with the small, size being going to run you about 80 bucks. The standard about 120, and the super duper oversize about 150 on sale right now.

00:46:33:11 - 00:46:43:09
Chris
But I'm telling you right now, I like I would sleep on this thing. I'm a floor sleeper. Sometimes, especially after after heavy meal. And this is right up my alley.

00:46:43:09 - 00:46:47:00
Kristen
Post-thanksgiving you would curl up on that bad boy.

00:46:47:02 - 00:46:51:11
Chris
The oversize one looks big enough that I think I could just lay down.

00:46:51:13 - 00:46:57:19
Kristen
Don't even get you could get a large. Like, even if you have a little dog, you could get a large bed so that you could curl up together.

00:46:57:21 - 00:46:59:20
Chris
Yes. And watch some dog TV.

00:46:59:22 - 00:47:35:18
Kristen
Or just have the dog sleep in bed with you. Okay, so my papa, Papa, Papa product is this. This came up because I was recently shopping in a large pet retailer. I won't say who it is, but one of the things that is kind of my pet peeve is all these rawhide treats that they make into, like, little Christmas decorations and, you know, shapes like a wreath or shaped like a tree or a candy cane, with the red rawhide, like, wrapped around it to make it look really festive.

00:47:35:21 - 00:47:54:13
Kristen
Well, I mean, they're really attractive, and it looks like, oh, that would be a great thing to get my pet. But Rawhide is not the greatest treat to give your pet. Veterinarians will tell you this. But rawhide is basically animal skin that is dried sometimes with chemicals, and then they spray it with flavor to make your dog want to chew on it.

00:47:54:15 - 00:48:21:19
Kristen
And that's not even the bad part. The bad part is that oftentimes if your pet swallows a chunk of rawhide, it can get lodged in their throat, in their intestine, and that can cause some big problems. So I'm always encouraging people to get healthier chews. Because we do want those long lasting chews for our dogs. And so I, I'm going to be recommending this holiday season the original Himalayan dog chew.

00:48:21:21 - 00:48:46:02
Kristen
Now these are made from yak milk and it's really just one ingredient. And they come from Nepal. And, they use this, you know, ancient tradition of combining the yak milk with. I think they actually use cow milk with the with the yak milk. They dry it and form it into these little sticks, and they make great dog chews.

00:48:46:04 - 00:49:12:00
Kristen
And the they are very hard. So they will last your dog a long time. But what's great about them is that if they do break off into pieces and your dog swallows them, they're going to be much more digestible than a chunk of rawhide that your dog might swallow. So there are tons of yak chews out there now, but I just thought I would, for my product of the week, I thought I'd pick the original, which is called Himalayan Dog Chew.

00:49:12:02 - 00:49:18:21
Kristen
You can get them in different sizes, different quantity packs, and a great stocking stuffer for your favorite dog.

00:49:18:23 - 00:49:20:00
Chris
Yeah. They're great.

00:49:20:02 - 00:49:20:13
Kristen
Yeah.

00:49:20:16 - 00:49:28:16
Chris
And when you get to the end and it becomes a choking hazard, you throw it in the microwave for like, 10s and it puffs out.

00:49:28:18 - 00:49:29:20
Kristen
Yeah. Like a piece of popcorn.

00:49:29:20 - 00:49:50:05
Chris
Yeah. Like a piece of popcorn. And then it's not like so much of a choking hazard. I think it's it's a really, really clever alternative. And there are a lot of people copying Himalayan. A lot of people copying. And imitation is the finest form of flattery. So great recommendation. Don't do the ride. Nasty.

00:49:50:07 - 00:49:52:05
Voice over
Q&A’s

00:49:52:07 - 00:50:12:19
Chris
Okay, Kristen, it's time for our favorite part of the show at least. Man, I don't want to speak for you, but, my favorite part of the show, where we answer two questions from our wonderful listeners. And I know what you are thinking out there. How do I get my burning pet related question answered by the wonderful Chris and Kristen Bell?

00:50:12:23 - 00:50:33:00
Chris
I've got great news for you. You can head on over to Petsaddlife.org/podcast. Real Simple. Type that into your little Google machine. Scroll on down to the bottom of the page. You'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you're feeling as brave as somebody who eats my brother's Thanksgiving fried rice, you can record a voice memo.

00:50:33:02 - 00:50:44:08
Chris
And that question may be played live on the show. But without further ado, let's get to our questions. What do we got? Kristen? What do we got for me?

00:50:44:14 - 00:50:51:11
Kristen
Okay, I've got one for you from Sarah, and she's in Bristol in the UK, so. Okay.

00:50:51:12 - 00:50:52:07
Chris
Wow.

00:50:52:09 - 00:51:09:21
Kristen
Yeah. Across the pond all over the world, including across the pond. And Sarah says, with so many pet food options available, how can I be sure that I'm choosing the right one for my dog's specific needs? Are there any ingredients I should absolutely avoid?

00:51:09:23 - 00:51:33:12
Chris
Yeah. I mean, this is a great question, and it is probably the number one question for new, dog owners or dog owners who are just starting to pay a little bit more attention. You do you do use the term here specific needs. So if your dog does have a specific need, should be talking to your vet about what that entails because, you know, there could be allergies, there could be sensitivities, in which case that's going to dictate a very specific diet.

00:51:33:18 - 00:51:55:19
Chris
The good news is there's all sorts of brands and choices out there if that's the case, but that's not the case. You just want to make sure you know what's a good food. The the bad news is with a lot of these foods, they don't have to list the ingredients out like we do with people food, but they do have to list out the contents of the food by a percentage.

00:51:55:19 - 00:52:19:22
Chris
And you want to make sure that the, an adult dog, most vets recommend that their diet contains, about 50% carbohydrates, at least 5% fat, and at least 10% proteins. And then you'll also hear this idea of 8020 being, you know, kind of whipped around where 80% of the diet is meat, 20% is other ingredients. And I've talked about this before.

00:52:19:22 - 00:52:44:03
Chris
Dogs are not carnivores. They are opportunistic omnivores. And they will eat things like grains and pumpkins and potatoes that are very good for them. They're very healthy. Dog doesn't need to just have a strict carnivorous diet to be healthy. Obviously there's going to be some ingredients that are better than others. There's going to be some foods that are better than others, but there's a few traps that I'm going to tell you to avoid.

00:52:44:03 - 00:53:13:04
Chris
The first is expensive. Food isn't always better. Go ahead and look at that, ingredient list on the bag. I know for a fact that the Kirkland brand dry dog food, with just a little bit of, topper supplement, can compete with almost every main brand, dry food. If you look at the breakdown of of its protein, crude protein, fat and carbohydrate content, that's as good as anybody else.

00:53:13:06 - 00:53:40:00
Chris
That said, your dog has to like it, eat it and enjoy it. So that's, you know, the other tough part, the other thing is grain free, not necessarily better. The other thing is raw, not necessarily better. I would say if your dog is eating a certain food and that food follows a20 follows those other, sort of ratio recommendations, and the dog acts healthy and the dog has energy, and the dog's coat is beautiful and shiny and you're good.

00:53:40:01 - 00:54:02:21
Chris
There's no reason. There's no reason to to get complicated. If the dog is happy and healthy, you're doing a great job. If they're not happy or they're not healthy, it might be worth either looking to just upgrade the food to a better, quality. Or it could be that your dog has some type of allergy or sensitivity, in which case it's time to go to the vet and get a recommendation for something more specific.

00:54:02:23 - 00:54:06:18
Kristen
Great answer Chris. Oh, thank you, Sarah for that great question.

00:54:06:20 - 00:54:28:20
Chris
My question for you, Kristen, comes, the other direction. We're going to Emily in Portland, Oregon. So across the country this time. Thank you, Emily, for your question. And Emily asks, I've heard that some breeds like huskies with autoimmune disorders or bulldogs with respiratory problems, are prone to certain health issues. How do I know if I'm getting one of.

00:54:28:22 - 00:54:38:06
Chris
How do I know if getting one of these breeds is safe? And does it mean a dog will definitely develop these conditions? This is a great question for me.

00:54:38:08 - 00:55:05:06
Kristen
That is a great question. Thank you Emily. So you are right. What you have heard is essentially most purebred dogs do have a predisposition to a particular type of health issue. If you are, if you've decided that you definitely want a purebred dog, I do have some advice for you. However, if you're still if you would consider a mixed breed dog, mixed breed dogs do tend to be a little bit hardier and healthier.

00:55:05:06 - 00:55:28:15
Kristen
Just Jen, that's a very general statement, but, it's it's widely known now, I've adopted most of my pets in the past, so I, I am not a breeder expert, but I can tell you that some things that you could do to prepare yourself would be, for example, start by researching breed specific health conditions and maybe what their costs would be like.

00:55:28:15 - 00:55:49:02
Kristen
I'm assuming you might have in mind a breed one or 2 or 3 different breeds are considering. I would just do some research on those. Also, talk to a veterinarian. Veterinarians can tell you, what the common ailments are and specific breeds that they see in their practice. And then you can also, talk to breed clubs.

00:55:49:04 - 00:56:15:07
Kristen
There's a lot of breed groups on Facebook, too. And I once you've decided on that particular breed that, that you want, I would visit multiple breeders in person before you make a purchase of that dog. And ask them for references so that you can talk to people who have purchased from this breeder to, you know, to confirm that, that they've had a good experience with the health of that dog.

00:56:15:09 - 00:56:37:02
Kristen
And, in the meantime, I'd consider getting pet insurance, because even if your dog is predisposed to a particular health condition, that's not certainly not guarantee they're going to have that problem. But accidents do happen and illnesses do happen. So just because you get a hearty breed dog or mixed breed dog doesn't mean you're not going to have a surprise visit to the vet.

00:56:37:02 - 00:56:44:05
Kristen
So, hope that's helpful. And, best of luck with your selection.

00:56:44:07 - 00:57:00:08
Chris
Great question, Emily, and great answer, Kristen. I've got I've got nothing to add. I've got nothing to add except that, you know, the bulldog respiratory thing is definitely real, Frank. That's a real. Yeah. I mean, it's totally real. Definitely. Especially Frankie's.

00:57:00:10 - 00:57:01:19
Kristen


00:57:01:21 - 00:57:04:21
Chris
They're they they barely breathe well.

00:57:04:22 - 00:57:19:04
Kristen
And the more popular a dog breed is, the more breeding is going to be done. And more people get into the breeding to make money as opposed to because they love that breed. So we have to be particularly careful with those breeds that are very popular, very trendy.

00:57:19:06 - 00:57:41:19
Chris
Great point, great advice. But unfortunately, that brings us to the end of our show. If you're not, Yeah. Want, want want. Fear not. We'll be back next week with another episode of Pets Add Life. As always, coming at you from, our beautiful homes in Connecticut and North Carolina. But until then, be kind to yourself.

00:57:41:19 - 00:57:46:06
Chris
Be kind to your animals, and we will see you back here next Tuesday.

00:57:46:08 - 00:57:46:21
Kristen
Bye bye.