Bobby’s veterinarian and podcast host Dr. Josie stopped by the Bobby Bones Show to answer all the pet questions.
Some listeners submitted questions for Dr. Josie via Bobby’s Instagram page and there’s a variety of questions about dental care, ear infections, dog bites, cat nip, and foods they shouldn’t be eating. When asked if humans can get viruses from their pets, Dr. Josie said it’s very rare however there are a few things that can transfer to humans like mange. Also, cats can get ringworm and it’s hard to see on cats, but Dr. Josie has been able to treat the cats because she’s seen ringworm lesions on their human owners. Several listeners wanted to hear about ears and teeth maintenance. Dr. Josie encouraged people to buy ear cleaner from the vet instead of store shelves, and it’s very easy to do yourself once a week. Ideally pet parents are brushing their pets’ teeth every day, however realistically once a week at least. Water alternatives for dental cleaning is ok, but it shouldn’t be used as a supplement for brushing. If a dog has chronic ear infections, there could be a number of things bothering them, but Dr. Josie encouraged people to work with their vet because the dog could have underlying food allergies. If a human is ever bit by a dog, Dr. Josie said the person should definitely be seen by a human doctor as animal bites can get really infected. When it comes to cat nip for the feline friends, it’s ok for them. For the cats with anxiety issues, Dr. Josie said there’s a plug in that pet parents can use that will really help them stay calm, it’s a product she will use to spray on herself as well when handling cats at the vet to keep them calm. The number 1 foods our pets should not be consuming is chocolate (especially dark chocolate), raisins and grapes. With the holidays around the corner, Dr. Josie also encouraged pet parents to keep candles away from any surface animals may be able to get to, especially cats.
Dr. Josie has loved getting to be a veterinarian because keeping pets happy and healthy directly impacts the pet owners. She noted that people think vets are in it for the money with how expensive veterinary care is, but they actually make a fraction of what human doctor’s make and they spend the same amount of time in school. While in dental school, Dr. Josie worked on a tiger that came in from the zoo. The tiger needed a dental done, so it was put under anesthesia and she got to help scrape tartar off the tiger’s canine teeth. When it comes to talking to our pets, Dr. Josie doesn’t think we are close to doing so even though their are animals going viral on the Internet for pushing buttons like they are communicating. She debunked those videos saying the animals are likely seeing a color of a button and associating it with a treat rather than understanding the word written on it.
Bobby was called out for potentially feeding his bulldog Stanley too much food and treats. He’s been training Stanley and Eller to go to their sleep spot at night and has been using treat enforcement to do so. However, Stanley can’t eat just anything, so the treats have likely been causing Stanley to have some diarrhea and when Bobby left for a weekend Stanley got better because no treats were being given. Dr. Josie did applaud Bobby for helping Stanley lose weight because he once looked like a bowling ball, but now he looks like a supermodel.
Listen to Dr. Josie’s podcast In The Vet’s Office to hear more stories and advice like this. One of the recent episodes she had on another veterinarian Dr. Amy Attas who treated Cher’s dog and there’s a wild story to go along with it.
