All Cats Considered Podcast

In our inaugural episode, we invite you to listen in as Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (Feline) and B. Duncan Lascelles, DVM, Professor of Translational Pain Research and Surgery, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine have an engaging conversation surrounding how he got interested in feline pain management, degenerative joint disease, and how he started researching and measuring movement in cats.

In this episode, we invite you to listen in as Ashley Saffire, DVM, DABVP (Feline) and Julie Byron, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Clinical Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, have an informative conversation about ureteral obstructions in cats and what to do when you encounter them in general practice.

In this episode, we invite you to listen in as Cathy Lund, DVM and Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, MS, DABVP (Feline) have an enlightening conversation about the current struggles in the veterinary team environment and how the principles of the Cat Friendly Practice® program and Cat Friendly Certificate program can help refocus and re-energize teams to deliver compassionate care.

In our first episode in our JFMS Clinical Spotlight Series, Katrin Jahn, DrMedVet, CertVA, MANZCVS(Veterinary Behavior), MRCVS joins Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, to discuss her recent article, Feline Stress Management During Air Travel: A Multimodal Approach, touching upon the challenges of air travel, aspects that factor into a cat’s “fitness to travel,” and considerations for which medications to utilize for air travel.

Cathy Lund, DVM sits down with Jessica Quimby, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM in this episode for an enlightening discussion on utilizing gabapentin and factors to consider when managing kidney disease in cats.Their conversation touches upon gabapentin recommended dosages, its side effects, and a few elements to consider when providing it to cats with other comorbidities. They also explore appetite regulation (and how a “picky eater” can signal dysregulation), its relation to quality of life, and why it’s important to be proactive in anemia regulation.

In this episode, we join Melanie Mills, CVT, AAFP Board Technician Representative and Ellen Carozza, LVT, VTS (CP-Feline) to discuss the “new” Veterinary Technician Specialty in Clinical Practice-Feline. As one of the creators of this new Veterinary Technician Specialty, Ellen sits down with Melanie to discuss how the VTS (CP-Feline) came about, what it takes to complete the certification process, and the importance of veterinary practice support in the process.

In our second episode in our JFMS Clinical Spotlight Series, Alix Freeman, MRCVS joins Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, to discuss the recent article, Mandibular Fracture Repair Techniques in Cats: A Dentist’s Perspective, touching upon approaches to repair techniques and diagnostic tips for general practitioners, plus much more!

Ashlie Saffire, DVM, DABVP (Feline) and Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB sit down for a chat about how to help caregivers manage a multi-cat household. Throughout their conversation they touch upon a number of different topics such as the power of videoing cat interactions; how best to advise caregivers on introducing new cats into the home, and the importance of the reintroduction process when cats come back from a veterinary visit.

In this episode join us to listen to a panel discussion from task force members from ISFM and AAFP of the recent jointly released guidelines, Cat Friendly Veterinary Interactions: Approach and Handling Techniques and the Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment. The four co-chairs – Nathalie Dowgray and Sam Taylor from ISFM and Ilona Rodan and Kelly St. Denis from AAFP – along with Sarah Heath, one of the task force members, sit down and discuss why these guidelines were updated and what has changed since the original handling guidelines were released in 2011.

In the third episode of the JFMS Clinical Spotlight series, Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, talks with Zoë Halfacree, VetMB, RCVS, ECVS (Small Animal Surgery) on her recent article, Urinary Tract Trauma in Cats: Stabilisation, Diagnosis and Management, which provides case examples of the new evidence-based approaches to dealing with urinary tract trauma in cats.

Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (Feline) and Christopher Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM) sit down for a wide-ranging conversation where they discuss how Dr. Byers got involved in veterinary medicine and his career path over the years. They also touch upon the medical benefits of the human-animal bond, how cats with a normal heart rate can still be in a state of shock, and emergency & critical care tips for general practitioners.

In the fourth episode of the JFMS Clinical Spotlight series, Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, sits down for a chat with Rodrigo Paulino, Veterinary Surgeon – Senior Surgical Intern, East Neuk Veterinary Clinic, to discuss his recent JFMS Clinical Spotlight article, “Chronic axillary wounds in cats: What do we know and how should we manage them.” Dr. Paulino provides insights such as the best approaches to the management of chronic wounds during surgery, advice to general practitioners on how to improve patient outcomes in surgery, and much more throughout the episode.

Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (Feline) and Christopher Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM) join us again for a chat about the latest updates and best practices when it comes to fluid therapy in felines. They discuss the nuances to consider when it comes to fluid therapy, how the shock state/type changes the staging approach for patients, the three questions to ask when considering your staging approach, and the recommended fluids that every practice should have stocked on their shelves.

Professor Stefano Romagnoli joins us in this episode to discuss the latest research in controlled feline reproduction methods for both queens and toms. This wide-ranging discussion covers the latest developments in feline reproductive drug regimens, preferred dosages and length of time for both queens and toms, and what side effects to be concerned about when treating pre-pubescent felines.

Ronald Gaskin, DVM joins us in this episode for a lively chat about his recent JFMS Clinical Spotlight article, “Flexor tenectomy: Salvage surgery following feline onychectomy.” Over a wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Gaskin shares how the studies in the article came about, how they determined which patients to select for the study, and how they were able to obtain such detailed radiographs that provided the new findings presented within the article as well as some additional tips for general practitioners in how to evaluate candidates for the procedure.

Alison Diesel, DVM, DACVD joins us in this episode for a lively chat about her recent JFMS Clinical Spotlight article, “The feline skin microbiome: interrelationship between health and disease.” Dr. Diesel shares how she became interested in the feline skin microbiome, benefits of next generation sequencing, what’s currently known in relation to grooming and how it affects both the skin and oral microbiomes, and what’s on the horizon for future studies on the skin microbiome.

Maria Soltero-Rivera, DVM, DAVDC joins us in this episode for an informative discussion about her recent JFMS Clinical Spotlight article, “Current concepts in the clinical management of feline chronic gingivostomatitis.” Throughout the course of the conversation, Dr. Soltero-Rivera dives into how the presence of FCV, FeLV, and FIV can impact treatment outcomes for FCGS; the importance of preparing and educating caregivers along the way of your treatment approach; and why pain management is so essential along the entire spectrum of FCGS treatment approaches.

Michael Barchilon, DVM, DAVCIM, joins us in this episode for an educational discussion on his recent JFMS Clinical Spotlight article, “Breathe easy: Inhalational therapy for feline inflammatory airway disease.” In the discussion, Dr. Barchilon provides some insight into how he found his way to veterinary practice, his deep appreciation for clear communication between veterinarians and caregivers, and how to know the difference between asthma and bronchitis. He also covers some practical tips and tricks on airway washes (and how to overcome the fear in attempting them), why he’s cautious in using bronchodilators, and some tips on how caregivers can train their cats to use inhalers, plus much more!

Diane Eigner, VMD, MBA, CVPM, CHPV, CFV and Katrina Breitreiter, DVM, DABVP (Feline), the chairs of the Hospice and Palliative Care Guidelines task force, join Kelly St. Denis, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) for a discussion about the new AAFP/IAAHPC Hospice and Palliative Care Guidelines. Drs. Eigner and Breitreiter discuss why this topic was important to be turned into guidelines for veterinary professionals, the importance of defining the different terminology around hospice and palliative care, and how to think of palliative care as an extension of senior cat care. They discuss key concepts such as “budgets of care,” “comfort care,” and the “unit of care” and how each concept relates to the other.

Daniel Low, BVetMed MRCVS Surgical Intern, Veterinary Surgeon, sits down with Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, to discuss his recent article, “Surgical Management of Feline Biliary Tract Disease: Decision-making and techniques.” They talk about how to decide if a surgical approach is needed, the importance of utilizing imaging in your diagnosis, and why a pre-abdomen survey before moving to the biliary tract is preferable. He also discusses when general practitioners should attempt biliary tract surgeries and when to utilize a specialist.

Daniel Ryan, winner of the 2022 JFMS Open Reports Best Practitioner Paper, joins us for a discussion about his winning article, “Lumbar intervertebral foraminal disc extrusion in a cat.” This wide ranging discussion covers different types of disc extrusions, the ways in which they can present in feline patients, and some tips for diagnosis.