by Dr. Amy | May 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
The answer is likely to be, yes. But around this answer we usually see that along with their age, our pets’ lifestyles have changed. Just as in human behavior, there are things you can do to stave off some of the challenges of aging, and some of this is very specifically related to food. Additionally, there are conditions and diseases that affect aging cats and dogs; and in these, we can see some ways that changing foods, changing habits around eating, or adding supplements might help. First and foremost, and equally important in both cats and dogs, is the matter of weight. Obesity in pets can cause all manner of problems – from joint pain and difficulty in movement (which can become its own spiral of inactivity) to constipation, and the more serious diabetes, kidney, liver or heart diseases. You are in great control here, as you feed and exercise your pets. So their health is very much in your hands. Keep their weight down with a program of exercise and reduced portions of just the right foods and you will buy your pet years of health and comfort. While there is no evidence that changing the formula of your cat’s food is beneficial to their basic aging challenges, portion control is essential if your cat has moved into a more comfy lifestyle. Keep his calories down and his energy up. Make sure that exercise is part of your daily commitment to your pets. Dogs, of course, can and must walk and run and fetch and play, but we often forget that cats, especially indoor CityPet cats, need exercise...
by Dr. Amy | Apr 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Even though I always knew I would become a vet, it was the inspiration from reading my first James Herriot book, All Creatures Great and Small, at the age of fourteen that started my career in veterinary medicine. Many of my school friends had part time jobs scooping ice cream or baby-sitting, but I was single-minded in my wish to work in an animal hospital. Much more important than earning a very few extra dollars for movies or popcorn, I desperately wanted the experience of working with animals. My parents were full of encouragement as I tried to find my first job. This was long before the days of the Internet, and I sat at the kitchen table with the thick, yellow, Queens, New York Phone Book. There were pages of listings of veterinary hospitals, and I was determined to call every last veterinarian in the county until I found someone who would allow me to come and work with them. I ticked off the rejections one by one. Icy receptionists refused to even pass my call on to their employers. They all knew something that I didn’t; a fourteen-year-old girl in a professional medical practice was likely to require far more work than she might be able to offer in return. But one day I got lucky. The veterinarian himself answered the phone. Maybe he was sentimental or just worn down after work, but he agreed to let me visit the very next day after school – just to observe. He made it clear that he did not have a job for me, paid or otherwise, but he understood...
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