Cat Eats Nothing But McDonald's For A Year
Bridget Bull, New Zealand Waikato SPCA

Bridget Bull worked for the New Zealand Waikato SPCA, the organization that rescued Frankie, a cat who survived on a McDonald's diet for a year.

Frankie was a stray, who was abandoned when his owners moved out of their apartment. He basically then took up residence in the McDonald's drive-thru, as it wasn't long before Frankie learned that people would toss him scraps.

Frankie had two favorite items on the menu. He liked the burger patties; most people would order a burger and then order an extra patty for Frankie. He also liked the chicken nuggets.

The Waikato SPCA unfortunately doesn't have the capacity to rescue healthy animals, so they kept an eye on Frankie for a year, as he was looking healthy at the time. But when they noticed his condition was deteriorating, they knew they had to act.

Surprisingly, Frankie was not overweight after this diet, but his fur became matted, his third eyelids started showing and his face had become very swollen.

Frankie was so addicted to fast food and was at first resistant to switching to a healthier diet other than McDonald's food when they took him in. It seemed he wanted fries with everything!

The McDonald's cat's diet became more traditional; water and dry cat food. After a few weeks of care, he returned to good health, clear-eyed and shiny-coated.

Frankie's story drew a lot of attention and many people came forward to adopt him. Frankie got a new home and did very well.

There is a big stray cat problem in New Zealand and the Waikato SPCA tries to reduce the cats' numbers by educating the public on the importance of having their animals fixed.

What's Your Vet-iquette - How to Be a Good Veterinary Client - Dr. Debbie

Sure you think your vet visits go off without a hitch, but do you know how to be a good veterinary client, the kind veterinarians rave about? Follow these suggestions to participate as a vital part of your pet's medical care, to ensure your pet gets the most efficient care and to always be greeted with beaming smiles.

Be Prepared
Before you arrive at the office with a sick pet, know your pet's ins and outs. Without a pertinent history from you, your veterinarian may need more diagnostic tests to sleuth out the answer to the problem. That takes time and can cost you more in veterinary bills. Expect the questions your vet is likely to ask you. Has your pet been eating? What types and brand of food do you feed him? Is there diarrhea or constipation?

Bring Evidence
Nothing is more useful to your veterinarian as seeing something with her own eyes. Bring evidence like stool samples, vomited material and medications your pet is receiving. Has your pet chewed on some unusual plant in the backyard? By all means bring a sprig of that plant. Document video on your smart phone. This can be immensely helpful to your veterinarian to witness behaviors that may be intermittent. I've been thankful when owners bring smart phone video of seizures, separation anxiety behaviors and respiratory ailments. Video eliminates misinterpretation by pet owners and can permit a quick veterinary diagnosis. Vomiting and regurgitating may look similar, but are caused by different disorders. Pets strain to defecate with both diarrhea and constipation. Inspiratory wheezing, coughing, congestion and reverse sneezing are often described similarly by owners.

Trust Valid Resources
By all means do your research in advance of your veterinary visit. Know what questions to ask. But remember that the internet is abounding with both good and blazingly incorrect information, some based on opinions and conjecture without any sound medical basis. Pet owners who value Dr. Google's opinion over their veterinarian, who has examined their pet, could put their pet's health care in jeopardy.

Confine Your Pet
Make sure your pet is secure before entering the veterinary hospital. Don't underestimate the unpredictable things pets do in a noisy, crowded waiting room. Birds fly off shoulders landing in snack zone of nearby dogs. Dogs instigate fights and cats flee the waiting veterinary staff's arms. Pay attention to where your pet is and don't allow your pet to approach other animals without the owner's consent. Some animals are there because they are sick and could bite in unfamiliar surroundings.Dogs should be on a secure leash. Flexi leashes are dangerous in the veterinary hospital allowing dogs to bolt quickly toward another dog, or to entangle limbs of humans or other animals in the waiting room. Cats and exotic pets should be secured in an appropriate pet carrier. If you have a pet that has been or could be aggressive to veterinary staff, absolutely share that information before the visit starts. Veterinarians look out for the safety of people in their employment and appreciate a heads-up in advance to avoid potential staff injury.

Optimize Your Face Time
So now you are in the exam room with the doc, so make the most of it. Put the cell phone away and, by all means, don't waste time taking a phone call if medical staff is standing in front of you. Avoid distractions that will limit your ability to communicate with your veterinarian. This might include a roomful of boisterous children or other pets. If possible, arrange child care or pet sitting so your sick pet gets prime attention and you don't miss any details of the visit.

Emergencies Happen
At the vet office, we recognize how valuable pet owner's time is and try to minimize the wait. But recognize that emergencies are unforeseen and create delays for other pet owners. Most folks understand that emergencies happen and are accommodating during situations as this. But making a scene or outburst about your wait time, while the veterinary staff tends to a critical pet, is just inconsiderate. Recognize that one day your pet could be in that same place and you would be appreciative that your pet's medical emergency was triaged ahead of the waiting routine appointments.

Don't Attack the Messenger
Emotions can run high when you have a sick or injured pet, but it isn't an excuse to be abusive to hospital staff. Obscene language and overly aggressive behavior doesn't help your pet get the care she needs, nor does it endear yourself to those people working hard for your pet's health.

Own Your Own Reality
Pet owners have the daunting responsibility for the health and well-being of pets in their care. That means accepting the level of veterinary care you can pursue and recognizing choices if finances are limited. Pet insurance can help defer the cost of veterinary care, but there isn't government sponsored Obamacare for pets. Don't blame your veterinarian for your pet's health maladies, or expect her to cover the costs of treatment. People in the veterinary field do what they do because they love animals, but they shouldn't be expected to take financial responsibility for everyone's pets. I once heard a veterinary colleague respond to a client's question, "Doc, why can't you just do my Sasha's surgery for free?" His response was, "Because my staff needs to get paid and my kids need shoes." Recognize that veterinary offices aren't lending institutions, but rather are small businesses with pressing bills, just as anyone.

Share Your Feedback
Share feedback with the hospital management about service excellence or shortcomings. Every hospital appreciates the opportunity to improve, or the chance to pat staff on the back.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend." Dr. Debbie's books.

Dogs Go Postal
Dogs go postal in Los Angeles more than any other U.S. city. The U.S. Postal Service ranks the best and worst cities for dog attacks on mail carriers. Los Angeles recorded 65 incidents in 2023. Houston came in second with 56 incidents and Chicago followed with 49 incidents. Columbus, Ohio was the safest city with just 33 attacks. Dogs attacked almost 6,000 postal workers in 2023.

Old Video Causes New Problems
An old video posted online caused new problems for two Florida men, one of which was seen jumping on top of a manatee and her calf. The video was first posted on Facebook years ago, with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launching an investigation. Officers already identified the men in the video and say they could face state and federal charges for harassing the endangered mammals.

How To Scare Egrets
Residents in Fort Worth, Texas try to scare away egrets before they nest. The egrets invade neighborhoods, leaving behind droppings that fill the air with flies and turn some lawns brown. Because the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects the egrets, the giant birds cannot be disturbed as they nest. So residents took preventative action and armed themselves with air horns and bells to scare off the giant birds if they flew around looking for places to build nests. People don't want the birds to get comfortable nesting in their neighborhoods, adding that residents will probably have to scare off the birds every year. In the future, some neighborhoods are looking into building areas where the egrets can nest in peace.

Hat Transforms A House Cat Into A Lion
A designer in Seattle came up with an easy way to transform an average house cat into the king of the jungle: the lion hat. The designer said that the idea for the feline headpiece came from her sewing group. While making something to fit the cats' and dogs' theme that week, she came up with the so-called hat that allowed the cat to sport a lion's mane. The product even came in multiple colors, including golden brown, black, grey, ivory and husky. She then sold the hats online through Etsy, and said she never would have expected to receive orders from all over the world.

Dogs Good For Our Hearts
The American Heart Association (AHA) declared that pets, especially dogs, are good for a person's heart. Further proof that dogs are among the best friends a person could have. The AHA writes that owning a dog, "may help reduce cardiovascular risk," perhaps due to dogs bugging their owners into taking them for walks on a regular basis. Dog owners were, according to the AHA's studies, more likely than non-dog owners to get the suggested amount of exercise. Good news, no doubt. But one shouldn't expect a dog to offset unhealthy lifestyle choices. If someone adopts a pet, but still sits on the couch and smokes and eats whatever they want and doesn't control their blood pressure, that's not a prudent strategy to decrease their cardiovascular risk.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1326)