Is Your Cat Crunchy?
Dr. Mary Gardner joins me today to talk about "crunchy cats". These are the aging cats that seem to be getting frail. Did you know that there are tons of things you can do to make it better? There are products to try, books to read and people to ask to help you as your cats age. What type of food bowl do you have? What about litter boxes? Should your old cat be exercising? Find out the answers and tons more!
Listen to Episode #129 Now:
BIO:
There is nothing better to Dr. Gardner than a dog with a grey muzzled dog or skinny old cat! Her professional goal is to increase awareness and medical care for the geriatric veterinary patient and to help make the final life stage to be as peaceful as possible, surrounded with dignity and support for all involved.
Dr. Mary Gardner didn’t grow up hoping to become a veterinarian. After graduating from the University of Miami, she began working as a trainer for an enterprise wide order management software. After learning the intricacies of the software and the variety of ways different businesses used it, she moved into a Business Architect role where she led the design of new software initiatives. Her innate talent for understanding logistics in a client-centric organization developed a unique skill set for a veterinarian. After 10 years in software she found herself longing for something different and more meaningful – the path she selected was to become a veterinarian. She completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 from the University of Florida. She worked in general medicine at a veterinary clinic in south Florida for two years before discovering her niche in end of life care.
Dr. Gardner is a published author for many articles and a textbook, speaks all around the world on geriatrics and end of life care and was voted 2020 VMX Small Animal Speaker of the year!
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets!
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Kathryn Primm: Hey there, cat lovers.
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Kathryn Primm: Welcome back to Nine Lives with Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Kat on Pet Life Radio.
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Kathryn Primm: I'm your host, Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Kathryn: Primm, and I'm a small animal veterinarian and crazy cat lover.
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Kathryn Primm: Today, I have Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Mary Gardner with me.
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Kathryn Primm: She has been a guest on the show before.
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Kathryn Primm: She is sort of a specialist in managing geriatric pets, and so she's going to give us some hacks and tips for ways to make life better for older cats and maybe why we would want to.
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Kathryn Primm: So, we'll be right back with Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Mary after this short break.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.
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Kathryn Primm: Welcome back to Nine Lives with Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Kat on Pet Life Radio.
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Kathryn Primm: As I said, I have Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Mary Gardner with me today.
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Mary Gardner: Hi.
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Mary Gardner: Hello, how are you?
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Kathryn Primm: Great, I'm so glad to have you back.
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Kathryn Primm: You're such a fun guest.
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Kathryn Primm: And I think that this message is a really important one, that cats kind of hide things, and we need to be tuned in to what older cats need.
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Kathryn Primm: Don't you agree?
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Mary Gardner: I couldn't agree more.
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Mary Gardner: I think with dogs, it's so much more obvious to pet owners when things are troubling them, or they can't go for longer long walks anymore, or they're having trouble getting on or off the couch.
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Mary Gardner: And I just think that owners don't notice the signs of aging and struggles in our cats as much.
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Mary Gardner: So I think it's a great topic.
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Kathryn Primm: Me too.
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Kathryn Primm: And you have some interesting resources, I believe, and you even talk about caregivers taking care of themselves, as well as taking care of the cats.
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Kathryn Primm: And you have some books.
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Kathryn Primm: So there's like so much stuff that we can talk about that I just kind of get overwhelmed.
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Kathryn Primm: But let's start talking about old crunchy cats and what they might need.
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Mary Gardner: My favorite is the old crunchy cats.
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Mary Gardner: You know, I think we concentrate a lot in veterinary medicine on the medicine, which I think is so important to make sure that we've got up-to-date blood work and x-rays and other diagnostics when appropriate.
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Mary Gardner: But I think we sometimes forget about the life of the cat and the owner at home.
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Mary Gardner: And so I love to talk about home hacks for old cats and how we can make sure that the cats can not only get around, that they can also still find their hiding spots when they want to be kind of an introvert, if you will, and make sure that they're safe.
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Kathryn Primm: Well, you know, a lot in my exam room I asked, I kind of have learned what questions to ask now, but people sort of think that the cat not doing the things it used to do or whatever is just that she's getting old.
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Kathryn Primm: And I try to help people realize that there are things that we can do to make getting old better.
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Kathryn Primm: Aging is not a disease, right?
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Mary Gardner: I always say old age is not an excuse.
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Mary Gardner: And because that's what people say, they're just getting old.
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Mary Gardner: And I'm like, but it's not age, it's actually problems.
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Mary Gardner: There are things that are happening, and we can do things, whether it is medication, whether it is a change of diet, whether it's to make things a little bit easier around the house.
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Mary Gardner: We absolutely should not use that as an excuse to do nothing.
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Kathryn Primm: I agree.
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Kathryn Primm: Okay, but you know what?
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Kathryn Primm: I jumped right in with you because I know you, but I didn't give you the opportunity to tell us who you are and how you got to be here, and that's probably important for my listeners.
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Mary Gardner: I guess that we do know each other, so we just go right for the big guns and start talking.
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Mary Gardner: So I am a small animal veterinarian that has been doing exclusively hospice and end-of-life care.
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Mary Gardner: So I'm a co-founder of a company called Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, and we are an organization across the country helping families with end-of-life care in the home.
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Mary Gardner: And I think I've become a crunchy cat lover probably in the last 12 years or so because that's what I see.
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Mary Gardner: I see older cats and the owners that are saying goodbye to them.
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Mary Gardner: And so many people think that I must be extremely sad and with compassion fatigue because I help families say goodbye to their pets.
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Mary Gardner: But although it is sad, and I don't like to see people saying goodbye to any pet, what makes me most sad is when I go to homes and this crunchy cat has not been to their veterinarian.
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Mary Gardner: They don't know really what's wrong.
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Mary Gardner: They kind of have some guesses.
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Mary Gardner: But the biggest thing is that for probably at least a year or more, we could have helped this cat have a better life.
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Mary Gardner: I may not be able to extend the life, but can I have a better life and also the life of the families.
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Mary Gardner: So by doing end of life work with Lap of Love, it started to really kind of hyper-focus my attention to the old, crunchy cats and the weak and wobbly dogs.
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Kathryn Primm: And so it doesn't have to start when you get called in as a hospice veterinarian.
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Kathryn Primm: It can actually start much earlier and give them a better life the rest of the time, right?
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Mary Gardner: It absolutely should start years before they ever need to see us.
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Mary Gardner: And what's sad is that I did some research, and we looked at, I think, the cats.
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Mary Gardner: It was probably close to a half a million cats that were euthanized in the United States, and 55% of them had not been to their veterinarian a year before they were euthanized.
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Mary Gardner: That last year is like you and I not going to see our doctor for our last decade, right?
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Mary Gardner: Like generalization here, and then many of them hadn't been to their doctor for two or more years.
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Mary Gardner: And I think when people call us for hospice, I don't want to sound negative, like it's too late, but it's so late in the game that it's frustrating because we could have done more, and we could have made life better for that cat.
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Mary Gardner: We could have relieved some pain.
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Mary Gardner: We could have relieved some anxiety, and we could have relieved some nausea, whatever it may be.
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Mary Gardner: And so, I do wish that more senior cats did go to their veterinarian way before end of life conversations.
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Kathryn Primm: I agree, and I think that as a society, we're getting better with making recommendations for people at certain ages, and I wish veterinary medicine could sort of catch up with that, or maybe we can get the word out.
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Kathryn Primm: But I mean, as people age, you need to set up things like colonoscopies, or mammograms, or whatever, and your doctor tells you about those things, because research shows that early detection and early management of these things can make a difference for you.
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Kathryn Primm: So there are things that we need to be doing for our cats.
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Kathryn Primm: Let's talk about those things.
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Mary Gardner: Yeah, okay.
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Mary Gardner: And you know what, I was just thinking, I think because the lifespan of our pets are so much shorter, I think sometimes a lot of people say, well, what is Dr.
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Mary Gardner: Kat going to do?
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Mary Gardner: He's only got six months or a year left.
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Mary Gardner: So what's the difference?
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Mary Gardner: They kind of are, because the time frame is so short, but I actually have a really bad knee, and it hurts.
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Mary Gardner: And I can't imagine, I go up and down the stairs and I cringe, and I can't imagine me living the next 10 years, let's say, in this situation, let alone six months.
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Mary Gardner: And so I think at what point is time an issue?
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Mary Gardner: If I can relieve pain and suffering for a cat, even for a day, it's worth it.
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Mary Gardner: And so I think getting into it, the biggest problem, not the biggest, but a big problem I see that kind of often goes unnoticed is mobility issues in cats.
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Mary Gardner: And I think you probably know better than me, I think the percentage is extremely high, near 100% of cats have a form of arthritis when they're at a certain age.
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Mary Gardner: And with dogs, the number one risk factor of a dog to get arthritis is obesity.
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Mary Gardner: The number one risk factor for a cat to have arthritis is being an old cat.
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Kathryn Primm: Yeah, just being a cat.
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Mary Gardner: It's just being a cat.
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Mary Gardner: And so we see them slowing down, we see them not going to their sunny spot anymore, you know, maybe they're not getting on the couch, or they slide down off the couch or off the bed instead of jumping off, you know, they kind of race themselves, if you will.
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Mary Gardner: And because the cats don't typically go for walks with us, we don't notice their pain and their mobility issues.
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Mary Gardner: And so almost all cats are going to have some form of arthritis.
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Mary Gardner: And so we need to make sure that their stability and traction is good.
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Mary Gardner: So, you know, if you've got hardwood floors or tile floors, and they're slipping, that could be an issue.
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Mary Gardner: So having little runways of yoga mats or, you know, bath mats with rubber matting can be so helpful.
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Mary Gardner: Getting up and down to their sunny spot, that window sill may only be two and a half feet tall, but that's a lot for a cat.
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Mary Gardner: And just putting the intermediate step in the way or, you know, or stairs to get to the window sill, to get to the couch, to get into the bed.
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Mary Gardner: And there's so many products out there for cats to use.
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Mary Gardner: And it doesn't have to be super fancy and expensive, like a hundred dollar, you know, step.
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Mary Gardner: It could be a, you know, $10 step that you find at Home Depot.
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Mary Gardner: Or one of my favorite types of steps is little toddler toilet training, potty training steps, like for them to go to sit up on the toilet.
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Mary Gardner: These are tiny little steps that are so, you know, kind of cute, too.
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Mary Gardner: And you can put it next to your couch, so it doesn't have to be a really big expense.
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Mary Gardner: But making sure cats have stability and traction and can get to their, you know, sunny spot, their favorite spot, is really important.
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Kathryn Primm: And, you know, you mentioned your knee.
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Kathryn Primm: So, you know, what if you had a painful knee and you couldn't tell anyone?
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Kathryn Primm: These cats, 80%, I think, the statistic was 80% of cats over the age of eight.
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Kathryn Primm: Now, I might have messed it up, but I think that it's that.
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Kathryn Primm: And if you were suffering, so that's my pitch for my listeners.
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Kathryn Primm: If you have an older cat, an eight or above, see your veterinarian and let them assess because your cat can't tell you and really show you that your knee hurts or whatever.
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Mary Gardner: No, and you're right, it is about that percentage of over eight years old.
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Mary Gardner: But once it's over 12 years old, it is close to 100.
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Mary Gardner: Like, it's crazy how much percentage.
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Mary Gardner: But eight, you know, that's like kind of young to me.
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Mary Gardner: You know, it's still a senior cat, but it's they've got years ahead of them.
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Mary Gardner: So can you imagine years of living in pain?
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Mary Gardner: And so it's important to see your vet.
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Mary Gardner: And there's other things that I help families with like the food bowls.
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Mary Gardner: If that kitty cat's got some arthritis, whether it's in the front end or the back end, just leaning over into the food bowl can strain them.
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Mary Gardner: So although I love elevated food bowls, I like actually tilted elevated food bowls.
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Mary Gardner: So there's a tilt to them.
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Mary Gardner: So they just kind of walk right into the food bowl or the water bowl.
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Mary Gardner: And you could do that.
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Mary Gardner: There's inexpensive products on like Amazon or whatever, but you can also just kind of make your own.
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Kathryn Primm: Yeah, I love it.
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Kathryn Primm: Okay.
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Kathryn Primm: So I'm going to take a quick break and we're going to come back and continue with Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Mary with some more stuff that you can do at home to help make older cats' lives better.
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Kathryn Primm: We'll be right back.
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Kathryn Primm: Hey there, cat lovers, this is Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Kat from Nine Lives with Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Kat.
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Kathryn Primm: Did you know that there are an estimated 70 to 100 million free roaming cats in the United States?
00:12:46.676 --> 00:12:49.976
Kathryn Primm: And without spaying and neutering, that number is just going to keep growing.
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Kathryn Primm: Not only does spaying and neutering humane reduce the community cat population, but it also keeps cats healthier.
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Kathryn Primm: Scooter, the neutered cat, is on a mission to give cats an extra life by making it hip to be sniffed.
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Kathryn Primm: Visit his website, givethemten.org, to help pioneer a better world for cats.
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Kathryn Primm: That's givethemten.org.
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Kathryn Primm: Well, Nine Lives are great, but let's add another one and Give Them Ten!.
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Kathryn Primm: Dr.
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Kathryn Primm: Mary Gardner, the Geriatric Animal Specialist, is here telling us some tips and things and products to look for and other ways to make older cats' lives better.
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Kathryn Primm: So yes, elevating things, so eating is easier, so getting into your favorite spot is easier, and not slipping on the floor and seeing your veterinarian, those are really good tips.
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Mary Gardner: Yeah, and you know, we're talking about elevating, but now let's talk about, you know, making things lower.
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Mary Gardner: And one of those would be the litter box, the entrance to the litter box.
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Mary Gardner: And sometimes it's very high because we don't want them, you know, scooping the litter out onto the floor, but that's a high step for them.
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Mary Gardner: And so either putting a little tiny step in front of that, that way it's, you know, like two steps into their litter box, or simply lower in the edge.
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Mary Gardner: And I love big rubber maids where I'll either cut a hole out of it or I'll get the boxes that go under, like storage boxes that go under your bed.
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Mary Gardner: So they're only a few inches tall and they're wide.
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Mary Gardner: As you know, Dr.
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Mary Gardner: Kat, like every cat is different.
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Mary Gardner: And so some cats like to have privacy.
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Mary Gardner: Some cats don't want to have privacy and they don't like edges to their litter box.
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Mary Gardner: And then sometimes it's actually extremely difficult for them to walk in the sand.
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Mary Gardner: And so there's other litter options, you know, like pelleted newspapers and even just a training pad or a wee-wee pad on the floor.
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Mary Gardner: But there's a great product that is usually used for dogs, but it's a training pad holder.
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Mary Gardner: So it holds it in place.
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Mary Gardner: And so for one of my older cats, I had that and I put a wee-wee pad in that and it held it down and she went on that.
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Mary Gardner: And that was her life for the last year.
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Mary Gardner: And it was fine.
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Mary Gardner: It was better than her peeing right outside the box because she couldn't get into it.
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Mary Gardner: So, you know, the litter box was important.
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Mary Gardner: Some other things that I think we tend to forget about is, you know, they like orthopedic beds too.
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Mary Gardner: They're not just for dogs.
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Mary Gardner: And making sure that our cats have good comfort for where they're sleeping is not something to forget about.
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Mary Gardner: And then another problem with our older cats, and if I may, I'll do my impression, that it usually happens around 2 a.m.
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Mary Gardner: And that would sound like this.
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Mary Gardner: Roar!
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Mary Gardner: And that is, you know, a sign of, let's say, it could be some many things, but a sign of anxiety with cognitive dysfunction, which our cats get to.
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Mary Gardner: And so as they get older, they may get kind of like Alzheimer's in humans, where they get cognitive dysfunction and they have anxiety.
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Mary Gardner: And something that I really want to encourage families to do, though, is definitely see your veterinarian if you start to see those signs, because some other problems exacerbate that, like urinary tract infections and high blood pressure can actually show signs like that.
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Mary Gardner: So we want to rule those things out.
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Mary Gardner: And then we could add some some supplements and things like that to help our cats with cognitive issues, along with games.
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Mary Gardner: Old cats can learn new tricks, and we should be getting games for them and scratching posts and all these things to just keep their, you know, enrichment high.
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Kathryn Primm: I agree.
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Kathryn Primm: Old cats are not just ornaments.
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Kathryn Primm: They need to interact with us.
00:17:05.053 --> 00:17:06.653
Mary Gardner: Yes, they really do.
00:17:06.853 --> 00:17:11.613
Mary Gardner: And I think we need to interact with them also for our own hearts, you know?
00:17:11.633 --> 00:17:16.613
Mary Gardner: Like it is, I always say, you know, it's never long enough, and nine lives are not enough.
00:17:16.633 --> 00:17:18.853
Mary Gardner: And that's what I named my book for cats.
00:17:19.153 --> 00:17:26.633
Mary Gardner: And spending quality time with your cat is vital because after they're gone, you wish you had another 30 minutes, right?
00:17:26.653 --> 00:17:28.233
Mary Gardner: Like you wish you had more time.
00:17:28.793 --> 00:17:40.213
Mary Gardner: And so really dedicating every day where it's just alone time with your cat, you know, whether it's grooming them, because a lot of times they've got with this arthritis, they can't groom themselves really well anymore.
00:17:40.573 --> 00:17:45.453
Mary Gardner: So getting, I love the Zoom Groom, which is a really nice, soft, rubbery brush.
00:17:45.613 --> 00:17:47.413
Mary Gardner: And my older cats love it.
00:17:47.633 --> 00:17:54.573
Mary Gardner: And just really being there with your cat at the end, because it's so good for them and it's so good for us.
00:17:55.033 --> 00:18:00.013
Kathryn Primm: You know, it's funny that you mentioned that getting in and out of the litter box hurting.
00:18:00.673 --> 00:18:05.733
Kathryn Primm: I see patients all the time, and I actually like to work out.
00:18:05.873 --> 00:18:11.173
Kathryn Primm: And sometimes when I work out, it makes me so sore to get onto the toilet.
00:18:11.333 --> 00:18:13.853
Kathryn Primm: And it gave me a new appreciation.
00:18:13.873 --> 00:18:15.153
Mary Gardner: Holly, I know.
00:18:15.233 --> 00:18:22.593
Mary Gardner: Listen, I'm redoing my bathroom, and I was at the plumbing store, and they're showing me the toilets that are much higher.
00:18:22.773 --> 00:18:23.853
Mary Gardner: And I'm like, what?
00:18:23.893 --> 00:18:25.353
Mary Gardner: And I sat down and got back up.
00:18:25.373 --> 00:18:26.813
Mary Gardner: I'm like, that's actually really nice.
00:18:27.833 --> 00:18:29.153
Kathryn Primm: Yeah, I know.
00:18:29.173 --> 00:18:31.993
Mary Gardner: I hit the stage where I need an elevated toilet, which is...
00:18:33.313 --> 00:18:35.613
Kathryn Primm: So, you know, cats need a lower litter box.
00:18:35.833 --> 00:18:37.933
Kathryn Primm: You and me might need an elevated toilet.
00:18:37.953 --> 00:18:42.293
Kathryn Primm: But, you know, we just have to be respectful of aging, I think.
00:18:42.713 --> 00:18:44.293
Mary Gardner: Exactly, totally.
00:18:44.873 --> 00:18:51.593
Kathryn Primm: Okay, well, so we've talked about the food bowls and getting to their favorite sleeping spots.
00:18:51.993 --> 00:18:56.353
Kathryn Primm: What about encouraging them to move around?
00:18:56.813 --> 00:19:02.613
Mary Gardner: I know, and especially I do have one cat that's kind of just a blob right now, and she's, you know, up teen.
00:19:02.633 --> 00:19:05.593
Mary Gardner: I don't even know how old she is, but it is harder.
00:19:05.693 --> 00:19:08.233
Mary Gardner: I think, first off, we do need to manage pain.
00:19:08.253 --> 00:19:12.213
Mary Gardner: So there's a lot of great options out there now for pain management in cats.
00:19:12.453 --> 00:19:17.453
Mary Gardner: And once we start, you know, having that under control, they'll move around even more.
00:19:17.633 --> 00:19:29.093
Mary Gardner: So having enrichment in their environment, like the gains, like actually having, you know, I want them to try to go up the stairs and go up steps and things like that, because that's going to keep them healthy.
00:19:29.333 --> 00:19:32.153
Mary Gardner: Our muscles, if you don't use them, you lose them, right?
00:19:32.173 --> 00:19:37.373
Mary Gardner: And there's something called sarcopenia, which is basically muscle loss as we age.
00:19:37.393 --> 00:19:40.233
Mary Gardner: If you think about humans, and if you have ever looked at an 80-
00:19:40.253 --> 00:19:43.093
Mary Gardner: or a 90-year-old, they're usually very frail looking.
00:19:43.413 --> 00:19:44.933
Mary Gardner: And that's what happens to our cats.
00:19:44.953 --> 00:19:46.593
Mary Gardner: They turn into like potato chips.
00:19:46.773 --> 00:19:52.333
Mary Gardner: So we got to keep their muscles active to keep them in shape.
00:19:52.473 --> 00:19:59.713
Mary Gardner: So having activities, playing with them, the laser lights, whatever is what's most fun for your cat, try to do.
00:19:59.873 --> 00:20:06.513
Mary Gardner: But I think what's most important is that we get any pain that they may have under control, so that way they can enjoy it and want to do it.
00:20:06.993 --> 00:20:07.553
Kathryn Primm: I agree.
00:20:07.573 --> 00:20:12.293
Kathryn Primm: We have a lot of new stuff to help cats with pain, but that's another episode.
00:20:12.313 --> 00:20:16.693
Kathryn Primm: But yes, include your veterinarian because there are options now.
00:20:16.813 --> 00:20:22.833
Kathryn Primm: And you may not realize it, I really hear a lot when I tell people that I think their cat has pain.
00:20:22.853 --> 00:20:23.653
Kathryn Primm: They're like, really?
00:20:24.573 --> 00:20:24.813
Mary Gardner: Right.
00:20:24.833 --> 00:20:25.633
Mary Gardner: They just don't know.
00:20:25.793 --> 00:20:26.593
Mary Gardner: They just don't know.
00:20:26.613 --> 00:20:30.813
Mary Gardner: And it could be, we can do a physical exam so we can touch things.
00:20:30.833 --> 00:20:33.453
Mary Gardner: We feel them flinch a little bit and so many other things.
00:20:33.473 --> 00:20:39.333
Mary Gardner: But stuff like they're looking a little dandruffy in their back end or a little greasy.
00:20:39.333 --> 00:20:41.913
Mary Gardner: It's because they're not grooming themselves as much.
00:20:41.933 --> 00:20:43.193
Mary Gardner: And these guys are groomers.
00:20:43.493 --> 00:20:56.753
Mary Gardner: And so when you can't go down and clean your back and stuff as a cat, in human hospice, there's one thing that the human hospice and geriatricians need to do is look at the feet of humans.
00:20:57.053 --> 00:21:00.553
Mary Gardner: You can't bend over to cut your toenails as you get older.
00:21:01.073 --> 00:21:04.253
Mary Gardner: So the same concept in cats, they actually can't groom their feet.
00:21:04.273 --> 00:21:06.053
Mary Gardner: They don't pull out their nails.
00:21:06.433 --> 00:21:08.373
Mary Gardner: They don't groom their hind end as well.
00:21:08.493 --> 00:21:13.873
Mary Gardner: So looking at that, and it could also just be a simple sign of maybe fur standing up along their spine.
00:21:14.133 --> 00:21:20.333
Mary Gardner: It's subtle signs that not only if you're not looking for what you can't do again, like we mentioned earlier, Dr.
00:21:20.353 --> 00:21:26.393
Mary Gardner: Kat, is say, well, he's just getting old, and so he's going to look ugly, he's going to look scrappy, he's going to look scrawny.
00:21:26.653 --> 00:21:28.053
Mary Gardner: Like, no.
00:21:28.293 --> 00:21:31.053
Mary Gardner: You know, yes, they will, but no.
00:21:31.073 --> 00:21:36.273
Mary Gardner: There's so many things that we could do to help them feel better, and you just may not notice it.
00:21:36.493 --> 00:21:37.493
Kathryn Primm: Yep, exactly.
00:21:37.513 --> 00:21:41.733
Kathryn Primm: Your relationship with your veterinarian and mindful caregiving, I think.
00:21:41.773 --> 00:21:50.813
Kathryn Primm: So I know that you talk a little bit about caregiving and how difficult it can be to take care of a pet nearing the end of its life.
00:21:50.833 --> 00:21:52.873
Kathryn Primm: Can we go through that maybe just a little?
00:21:53.073 --> 00:22:02.593
Mary Gardner: Yeah, you know, there's something called caregiver fatigue and caregiver burden, and it's basically the stress that comes along with caring for your older pet.
00:22:02.953 --> 00:22:22.793
Mary Gardner: And I did a survey once of a couple thousand caregivers, and it's about three hours a day that they're caring for their aged pet, whether it's trying to, you know, different food options, pilling their cat, giving subcute fluids, cleaning up the poop or the pee because they've missed the litter box, whatever it may be, it's a lot.
00:22:22.953 --> 00:22:32.453
Mary Gardner: And also the just stress of cleaning up my cat who's older, the one that's older, she's having, you know, really bad diarrhea, and it's been happening for about a year.
00:22:32.473 --> 00:22:34.593
Mary Gardner: She's got IBD, and it's tough.
00:22:34.753 --> 00:22:39.453
Mary Gardner: Like she then gets it on her, and then she drags it around the house, and it's frustrating.
00:22:39.453 --> 00:22:43.593
Mary Gardner: And then she wakes me up at 2 o'clock in the morning, whatever it may be, right?
00:22:43.813 --> 00:22:50.973
Mary Gardner: It can add so much stress to our own lives with all the other stuff that we've got going on, and it can kind of, you know, damage the bond a little bit.
00:22:51.353 --> 00:22:54.353
Mary Gardner: So I always tell owners, give yourself some grace.
00:22:54.593 --> 00:22:59.733
Mary Gardner: And this is where if you're not getting the help from a veterinarian, you're going to have more problems.
00:22:59.753 --> 00:23:08.553
Mary Gardner: So we can actually help with some of these things to get better night's sleep for everybody, better hygiene for everybody, you know, all these things that we could do.
00:23:08.573 --> 00:23:15.133
Mary Gardner: You know, and like you said, another episode for some of the medications are now, some of them are monthly instead of daily.
00:23:15.153 --> 00:23:17.513
Mary Gardner: Like, there's so many great options out there.
00:23:17.713 --> 00:23:27.613
Mary Gardner: But I know the struggles that come along with caring for an older pet and be kind to yourself, you are going to get frustrated, then you're going to be mad at yourself for being frustrated.
00:23:27.853 --> 00:23:31.253
Mary Gardner: Like, it's this whole just circle of anxiety.
00:23:31.413 --> 00:23:33.913
Mary Gardner: And also a huge problem, Dr.
00:23:33.933 --> 00:23:37.853
Mary Gardner: Kat is deciding when it's time to say goodbye.
00:23:37.933 --> 00:23:42.533
Mary Gardner: And that adds a lot of stress, a lot of guilt, a lot of mixed emotions.
00:23:42.753 --> 00:23:44.293
Mary Gardner: Family members all don't agree.
00:23:44.313 --> 00:23:47.353
Mary Gardner: Like, it can be really, you know, a big struggle for pet owners.
00:23:47.553 --> 00:24:02.853
Mary Gardner: And that is a whole other conversation that I have with owners about how to assess the quality of life of your kitty cat and making sure that their last phase is really good and that we don't wait too long to say goodbye and have regrets later on.
00:24:02.993 --> 00:24:07.273
Mary Gardner: Because that is something that I hate families to have, is to have regrets.
00:24:07.673 --> 00:24:08.573
Mary Gardner: And it's hard.
00:24:08.973 --> 00:24:11.873
Mary Gardner: It will always be too soon until it's too late.
00:24:11.973 --> 00:24:19.893
Mary Gardner: And so caregiver burden is just so all encompassing of not only all the struggles you're having caring for your pet, but also the worries about when comes time to say goodbye.
00:24:20.373 --> 00:24:25.073
Kathryn Primm: Well, I think that letting your veterinarian help you is so critical.
00:24:25.093 --> 00:24:25.673
Kathryn Primm: I say that.
00:24:25.673 --> 00:24:26.553
Kathryn Primm: I'm a veterinarian.
00:24:26.573 --> 00:24:29.353
Kathryn Primm: That seems a little bit self-promoting, I guess.
00:24:29.373 --> 00:24:31.753
Kathryn Primm: But I want to help these people.
00:24:32.393 --> 00:24:32.993
Mary Gardner: Totally.
00:24:33.233 --> 00:24:34.713
Kathryn Primm: That's what I do.
00:24:34.913 --> 00:24:41.013
Kathryn Primm: And so reach out and communicate with your veterinarian what the problems are, because we've done this a lot.
00:24:41.733 --> 00:24:42.073
Mary Gardner: Right.
00:24:42.093 --> 00:24:43.013
Mary Gardner: We've done this.
00:24:44.193 --> 00:24:45.413
Mary Gardner: And I need to do it.
00:24:45.433 --> 00:24:49.253
Mary Gardner: Sometimes when I'm, quote, off duty, we never are, right?
00:24:49.333 --> 00:24:57.913
Mary Gardner: But I'll hear people and sometimes I just internally like, like, please just go to your vet because they just don't.
00:24:57.933 --> 00:25:01.933
Mary Gardner: And they'll ask Facebook group members questions.
00:25:02.233 --> 00:25:07.993
Mary Gardner: And then the answers are all, half of them say go to your vet, but then the other ones are just, they're not right.
00:25:08.173 --> 00:25:11.633
Mary Gardner: And like, it just, it can drive me a little bonkers sometimes.
00:25:11.853 --> 00:25:12.313
Kathryn Primm: Me too.
00:25:12.333 --> 00:25:12.873
Kathryn Primm: But you know what?
00:25:12.893 --> 00:25:15.853
Kathryn Primm: Maybe some people will say, listen to Nine Lives with Dr.
00:25:15.853 --> 00:25:16.213
Kathryn Primm: Kat.
00:25:16.633 --> 00:25:17.213
Kathryn Primm: There you go.
00:25:18.333 --> 00:25:18.653
Kathryn Primm: Right.
00:25:18.673 --> 00:25:23.193
Kathryn Primm: But no, I mean, they say rub a little essential oils on it or whatever.
00:25:23.433 --> 00:25:29.593
Kathryn Primm: But I'm saying communicate with your veterinarian, because we really are on your side.
00:25:29.973 --> 00:25:31.193
Kathryn Primm: So Dr.
00:25:31.213 --> 00:25:37.793
Kathryn Primm: Gardner has a website that has a lot of resources, and it is drmerygardner.com.
00:25:37.913 --> 00:25:45.053
Kathryn Primm: And there's a Pet Parents link that you can click on, where you can see some of the products that she talked about or how to get her books.
00:25:45.333 --> 00:25:51.273
Kathryn Primm: If you do not have your own veterinarian, that would be a good place to start, but you need your own veterinarian, too.
00:25:51.293 --> 00:26:02.693
Mary Gardner: Yep, to take a look at your cat, to really assess everything, learn about the history, and try some different suggestions that they have and see what good changes can come.
00:26:03.153 --> 00:26:08.493
Mary Gardner: And like I always say, just don't take for granted the short amount of time that we have with them.
00:26:08.653 --> 00:26:12.813
Mary Gardner: And I'd rather have that short amount of time be as best as it could be.
00:26:13.293 --> 00:26:20.533
Kathryn Primm: I think that my listeners would agree, and I think the people in my exam room say, I just want her to feel good, and so we're all on the same team.
00:26:20.713 --> 00:26:23.953
Kathryn Primm: Well, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with us today.
00:26:24.073 --> 00:26:25.153
Mary Gardner: You're very welcome.
00:26:25.173 --> 00:26:27.193
Mary Gardner: I love always coming on your podcast.
00:26:27.273 --> 00:26:28.433
Kathryn Primm: Yep, it's fun.
00:26:28.473 --> 00:26:32.613
Kathryn Primm: And of course, thank you to my amazing producer, Mark Winter.
00:26:32.933 --> 00:26:39.433
Kathryn Primm: And as always, my listeners, I want you to go out and have a purrfect day.
00:26:40.093 --> 00:26:43.033
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