Country Star Tanya Tucker Guests

In 1974, Rolling Stone ran a cover story on Tanya Tucker with the headline that said "You're Gonna Hear From Me." Truer words have never been spoken.

Musician Tanya Tucker joins the Thanksgiving celebration live from sunny Nashville. She has a menagerie of animals and plenty of anecdotes to go around. Tanya has 2 Chihuahuas, a Golden Retriever, a rescue dog and her son has a Lab. She says she has lots of dogs and horses, but the Chihuahuas rule the roost! Tanya always thought she wanted to live in town to be in the middle of things, but she currently lives just outside in the country where she can be close to her horses.

Everywhere she goes, Tanya takes her pups with her. Years ago, Tanya tells us that she lost one of her Chihuahuas in the hills of Malibu, California, for 9 months. He was eventually found about 60 miles away due to a microchip. She was in Nashville when she got the call and they had an incredible reunion, with both of them going crazy!

For four decades, her sultry voice and vivacious stage presence has helped to make her one of the most admired and respected female vocalists in the Country Music genre. Tanya's reign includes 23 Top 40 albums and a string of 56 Top 40 singles, 10 of which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. Along the way, she has provided some of the biggest country music hits of each decade, including, "Blood Red and Goin' Down," "Would you Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" and "Texas (When I Die)," just to name a few. Tucker is also the recipient of numerous awards, including two CMAs, two ACMs, and three CMT awards.

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John O'Hurley is Back
National Dog Show Presented by Purina

Co-host of NBC's Thanksgiving Day National Dog Show, actor John O'Hurley (J. Peterman on Seinfeld), is back to share fun stories about the dogs in his life.

Along with co-hosting the dog show, John writes a yearly poem that he reads at the National Dog Show. His previous poem, "The Perfect Dog" was an answer to his son's question, "Is the dog that's Best In Show - is that the perfect dog?" It has since been turned into a successful children books and even a musical. The Perfect Dog is about Sam, a twelve-year-old perfectionist, who searches for a flawless dog to enter in the town's dog contest. Unable to find a canine that measures up, Sam must resort to training the family dog, Max, who is less than eager to obey commands. In the end, Sam and Max learn that there is no such thing as perfect, but there is such a thing as being perfect for each other.

The Annual National Dog Show Presented by Purina will spotlight three new, AKC-recognized breeds.

The three news breeds to be introduced are:

Russian Toy
The Russian Toy originates from the Russian aristocracy. They come in longhair and smooth coats and are eager to please their humans. In 1907, they were almost wiped out by the Russian Revolution, but after the death of Josef Stain, they made a comeback. They are an active and cheerful dog and happy to either be running around or snuggling on your lap. They will compete in the Toy Group.

Mudi (pronounced moo-dee)
The Mudi was originally an all-purpose farm dog in Hungary. Dr. Deszo Feyness, in 1930, was one of the first breeders to separate this breed from the rest. He was a director of the museum in Balassagyarmat and gave the Mudi it's name. They have curly coats that are medium in length. They are agile, intelligent and courageous, making them the perfect dog to work with stubborn livestock. In 1936, they were an officially recognized dog breed. They will compete in the Herding Group.

Bracco Italiano
Bracco Italiano is also known as the Italian Pointing Dog. They have also been called the older European pointer, with it's history tracing back to the fourth or fifth century BC. They were popular among the Italian aristocracy during the medieval period, but then faced a sharp decline in the 12 century. Unfortunately, the breed had a number of health problems and by the 19th century, the breed was facing extinction. However, diligent breeding helped them recover, and today the breed is known for it's adaptability in hunting as well as intelligence. They will be competing in the Sporting Group.

At home, John has two dogs, a Cavalier King Charles named Sadie and a Havanese named Lucy. John says that everything he knows about dogs he learned at the National Dog Show from the breeders and from walking up and down the aisles full of dogs. So when he was looking for new family members, he knew what type of dogs he wanted. John states that dogs are not trials. You should learn about the dog you are interested in and shouldn't get a dog to try it out and see if it will work. The shelters are unfortunately full of too many dogs that were trials.

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My Cat From Hell - Creating Cat Friendly Home
Jackson Galaxy, Catify to Satisfy

Animal Planet host, Jackson Galaxy, is back to yap about his awesome book, Catify to Satisfy. Jackson and Kate Benjamin (his partner in crime) will show you how to make your house cat-friendly without forsaking aesthetics.

They show how to design a home interior that addresses common cat behavior problems. Jackson takes you deeper into the world of thinking, living and feeling like a cat. Kate delivers more tips and tricks to give you confidence in creating successful outcomes for your cat and your home!

Jackson states that you need to pro-active and build for your cat so that you don't have behavior problems. He states he sounds like a broken record, as he constantly tells people to think "up," and think of a vertical world, because the cats are already one step ahead of us. When they walk into a room, they are always looking up.

The best thing we can do in a multi-cat household, a household with cats and dogs, or a household with cat and small kids, is to allow the cats to survey the domain from up above.

Jackson says that knowing your cat to begin with is key. You want to make sure that whenever you're building something vertical, that you are building for your particular cats. Jackson is a big proponent of providing equal measures of comfort and challenge for our cats.

For example, if you have a cat that hides under the bed when people come over, Jackson suggests that you block their access to underneath the bed. Any place where they go to chose to be small or invisible and not a part of the conversation, should not be given to them.

Most people tend to over-comfort their cats and will even build beds in the closet for their "scaredy-cats." Jackson states you don't want to do this. You want to give them the concept of being close, but in a way that works for building confidence. You will find more on this subject in his book.

The full-color Catify To Satisfy is filled with: DIY instructions, plans, and diagrams; explorations of beautiful catified spaces with full color photos and portraits. You no longer have to have your cat home look shabby with dusty-rose colored shag carpet that is all torn up. You can actually have gorgeous, clean looking furniture for your cat.

Jackson currently has many cats and dogs in his home. Just outside of his house is his feral family of another five cats.

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Don't Stuff Your Pet With Thanksgiving Leftovers -Dr. Debbie

Thanksgiving is all about enjoying time together - family, friends, and great food. In many households the family pet may also sample a taste from the holiday table; a morsel of turkey breast for Tabby or a side of fixings for Fido. Tuned in to those enticing smells, our pets know how to manipulate us with a flutter of sad puppy dog eyes or incessant meowing.

Sharing these Thanksgiving goodies with our pets can put their health in jeopardy, but many of us do it. Over 60-percent of pet owners confess to sharing their holiday meal with their pets, but that doesn't make it wise.

Here's why:

Dog's and cat's digestive systems thrive on a stable, consistent diet. Toss in a few leftovers and your pet will respond with a thankful tail wag, but could leave him with gastroenteritis, and leave you with vomit and diarrhea messes sprinkled about the house.

Sharing Thanksgiving leftovers can risk more than just an upset belly though. Feeding human food to our pets can trigger pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that results in release of digestive enzymes into the abdomen. Pets with pancreatitis develop vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and abdominal pain, often demonstrated by a hunched abdomen. Pancreatitis is painful and life-threatening and may result in bleeding disorders or heart arrhythmias. Treatment for pancreatitis includes hospitalization, intravenous fluids, pain medications and anti-nausea medications.

Pancreatitis risk is greatest in obese pets or those that ingest especially fatty foods like greasy meat trimmings, sauces and other rich side dishes. Be especially cautious with Schnauzers, who have an increased risk of pancreatitis due to breed predisposition.

Thinking of handing that turkey bone to your dog? Fugettaboutit! Any bones, even cooked bones, have the potential to splinter, damage the digestive tract, or cause an intestinal obstruction. Bone chewing also leads to damaged, chipped teeth which may require root canal surgery or surgical removal. You are better off to just brush those pearly whites than risk tooth pain and a costly dental procedure.

If you are looking for a safer way to include your pets in the holiday cheer, have a handful of pet treats on the ready. Better to stick with snacks you are certain will agree with your pet's digestive system. But if you must look on the table for your pet's treat, offer a small amount of white turkey meat without the skin or bones. Skip the sides, sauces and deserts. And be wary of foods that are toxic to pets such as raisins, grapes, onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate.

After the meal is done, do a thorough cleanup and discard the turkey bones in a secure, outdoor garbage can away from pet access. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or where pets cannot reach them. Keep on the watch for the curious pets with a nose for trouble. Pets will ingest the turkey string, foils and any items with juices dripped on them.

Being thankful for your pets doesn't mean you have to stuff them with leftovers. Veterinary clinics across the country see a surge in sick pets every year after Thanksgiving. Be informed about Thanksgiving dangers and you'll avoid that unwanted emergency room visit this holiday.

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.

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Animal Radio News - Lori Brooks

Banning Shock Collars
The Scottish government asked residents for their opinions on electric shock collars used to train cats and dogs and if they believed the collars should be banned. Wales, Sweden, Denmark and Germany have already banned shock collars, but supporters of them say they can be used successfully as a last resort - and have compared the pain inflicted to a static shock.

Kangaroo Farts
Australian and Swiss researchers revealed that while kangaroos emit low methane with flatulence, transplanting their unique gut bacteria will not render the same results in other animals, contrary to what other findings claim. It has always been known that kangaroos would produce little methane in large populations, mostly because kangaroos pass gas, rather than burp like cows and sheep. Scientists say kangaroos produce low amounts of methane because of the way food moves through the kangaroo stomach and not because of a unique gut bacteria. The Journal of Experimental Biology study debunks other studies that claimed introducing the kangaroos' unique bacteria to cows and other high-methane producing animals would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Pets Lower Incidents of Childhood Asthma
We report on all kinds of research that show how beneficial it is to have animals and pets in our lives. And here's another one. The good news here is this study specifically mentions asthma, which is a big problem for many families. This study showed exposure to dogs or farm animals at a young age is linked to a lower risk for childhood asthma at age six. In the study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers looked at over 650,000 kids and found a possible benefit to being around animals early on. Exposure to dogs during the first year of life was linked to a 13-percent lower risk of asthma in school age children and farm animal exposure was linked to a 52-percent lower risk for school age children and a 31-percent lower risk among preschool age kids. Researchers say their findings fell in line with the hygiene hypothesis, which suggested that lack of exposure to germs and microbes during childhood could lead to more allergies and that exposure can lead to a more favorable immune system. Other research has linked living with pets or livestock to a lower allergy risk.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1198)