Comments for Tracie Hotchner Blog

Comment on Understanding Cancer Chemotherapy by mlutz

mlutz — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 01:55:22 +0000

Tracie,

This is Gil’s daughter, Megan. I want to thank you for the episode that you did with the experts on Evie’s death.

I sat down and listened to it this weekend when I knew I wouldn’t be interrupted. The show answered so many questions and made me feel a little better about the situation. I hope this will be a great resource to people who find themselves in a similar situation. It will be valuable for them to know about Oncura Partners and Dr Spector. I will definitely be contacting Donna next time I have a large medical issue to contend with in one of my pets.

I think that Tumor Lysis is probably what happened. If Oncura Partners or Dr Spector had been involved, at least we would have known what to look for and she could have gone to the vet right away once she started exhibiting symptoms. That still might have not saved her, but at least she might’ve had a better and more comfortable last day.

Thank you again for taking the time to do the research and get the experts together. Even though I know this was a rare occurrence, people need to know about the support that can be offered by Oncura Partners and Dr Spector – especially because there are so many people who live in areas where there aren’t cancer specialty clinics and they need to rely upon a local vet.

My Dad says he already told you that he is going to get his new dog this weekend – a male yellow lab. I can’t wait to meet him! Once they get back from training, they are going to come to Chicago for a bit so the dog can get used to traveling, going out to restaurants, non-stop shopping and doing all the fun stuff we do when my Dad comes to visit.

Megan

Comment on How Did Our Veterinarians Become Dog Food Salespeople? by stefvet

stefvet — Tue, 24 May 2011 19:08:10 +0000

Hi Tracie,
I was just researching some things and ran across your site- well done. I am a vet who graduated in 2007 and have just gone through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) Course and now practice as a veterinary acupuncturist with holistic focus. I had always heard that vets did not receive much training in nutrition during school but did not understand this statement when people would state it.
At my university we received about 6 months small and large animal nutrition. Even though I am a small animal vet, the large animal nutrition was very well taught and very easy to understand why and how horses, cows, etc. need to eat what they do.
When it came to the smallies, I lacked the focus and it did not make much sense. But who was I to say anything? These were my professors who had advance degrees in small animal nutrition. After I graduated and started working for a corporate veterinary company who pushed Royal Canin and Science Diet, I began to feel the foods were making the pets worse. I started questioning why is it that they want me to feed a dehydrated food to, let’s say, a dehydrated kidney failure cat? Or dry food to a urinary disease cat when they need to continually flush their bladder out? I asked the reps from Royal Canin who said, “It’s ok because our food encourages them to drink more.” And of course after that statement I asked them to explain how it does that. They could not answer me. I came to find out by researching for myself, the magic ingredient is adding a large amount of salt. The same thing happened about adding fiber and carbs in a dry kibble for constipated cats in Royal Canin’s new Intestinal formula. When I argued with them that they needed more moisture to push things along and they’re bodies were designed to be carnivores, the rep sighted an inconclusive paper from Germany saying that when they necropsied street cats, the intestinal contents contained higher amounts of carbs. Well, I can just imagine that people would throw out more breads than meats and that’s what is left in trash cans.
When I started the IVAS course, everything started to make sense and the realization that VETERINARY SCHOOLS ARE SPONSORED BY SCIENCE DIET, ROYAL CANIN, AND PURINA! I am a sensible person and I’m even saying that these companies are there to brain wash the new vets to sell their product for life. Even after graduation, they sponsor lunch time seminars for vet clinics, give them free lunch and books, and discounted or even free pet foods. The veterinary text books are written by these companies to allow them to sell cheap, biologically inappropriate, unhealthy ingredients at extremely expensive prices to make the most profit for the companies. For instance, even though a food says it has high protein, read the ingredients and make sure the protein is coming from meat, not soy and corn.
There are growing numbers of vets who are beginning to come around to think for themselves but I believe they are still few and far between. I do encourage all my clients to research for themselves and start asking questions if they think something does not add up. Real food is always better food.
Two of my pets now (both a dog and a cat) had previously diagnosed kidney insufficiency and now with proper diet, their kidney enzymes are normal and they are drinking normal amounts of water. As well, my other kitty had chronic intestinal disease and with proper diet his intestines are now working great.
Thanks for your time.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Stefanie Scheff

Comment on Sorry, But No Safe Cat Remedy For Ticks by Tracie

Tracie — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:01:31 +0000

Thanks for noticing this – maybe you’re right! I may have misread it but since I never got a response to my reply to her, I guess they solved their problem one way or another! But I sincerely wish they wouldn’t let their cats run free – the dangers outweigh the benefits, for sure, and ticks and fleas are just one part of it.

Comment on Sorry, But No Safe Cat Remedy For Ticks by GAPeachy

GAPeachy — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:45:24 +0000

As I read the question, it seemed like the listener was asking about how to treat the ticks after the fact, i.e. remove them.

Comment on Lonely Kitty by Tracie

Tracie — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:58:00 +0000

I am proud to have Dr. Donna Spector as the Official Second Opinion vet for my radio shows because as a board-certified veterinary internist she has so much valuable information – and can help support your situations and your own vets challenges in managing your pet’s care.
Thanks for your questions! You are on the right track here….indeed cats should not be eating dry food (especially with kidney and bladder issues) and meal feeding is recommended for their best health. While you didn’t give specifics on Elsie’s kidney values, it sounds like she doesn’t have significant kidney failure at this time. Once a cat has been diagnosed with any degree of “kidney problems” all too often they get relegated to a prescription “renal diet” that is significantly protein-restricted in hopes of halting the progression of kidney disease. There is now a general consensus that restricting protein intake is best suited to more advanced stages of kidney disease (stage 3 and 4 when the creatinine goes over 4) and can help cats feel better in those instances. All research evidence fails to support a recommendation for protein restriction in earlier kidney stages—in fact, if a cat eats an inappropriate protein-restricted food they can lose muscle mass and their creatinine values can actually go up! Other beneficial properties of “renal diets” include: increased levels of omega 3 fatty acids, increased levels of B vitamins to compensate urinary losses, and added antioxidants. These are all supplements that can easily be addressed without using a renal diet. Based on your email it also sounds as though your cat may be dealing with bladder inflammation. The most common bladder problem of cats (which accounts for almost 70% of all problems) is a sterile inflammatory stress-related condition called Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). A one year study was performed in hundreds of cats affected by this condition and the ONLY treatment that consistently resulted in significant improvement in their urinary signs was to INCREASE THEIR DAILY WATER INTAKE. The easiest way to increase their water intake is to feed canned food. You can also add water or broth to your cat’s food, try giving ice chips as treats, use unique water bowls, dripping faucets or free-flowing water fountains to help increase water intake. Urinary signs recurred in only 11% of cats fed exclusively canned food as compared to in 40% of cats who were eating dry food. The signs were also less severe in cats on canned food. It was also documented that this condition is not only a bladder problem but related to excess stress. Common stressors included litter box issues, competition with other cats or people for food, water, space, toys and attention. Cats were documented to experience worse urinary signs if they were stressed or their home environment was not stimulating enough for them. A leader in the field has created a website that gives unique tips on how to minimize stress to help control urinary problems: http://indoorpet.osu.edu/.
At this point, I would recommend you choose a really high quality natural meat-based CANNED food diet and go with it for your crew! If you have other questions or want to have me review any of your cats’ medical history and records, please contact me at DrDonna@SpectorDVM.com to arrange a consultation. Visit my website http://www.SpectorDVM.com for more information. Good luck and hope this was helpful.

Comment on Cat Dishes: Great Tips from Catster Readers by Tracie

Tracie — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:26:46 +0000

Hi Catherine and welcome! The best way to ask me q question is to call into CAT CHAT any Wednesday night from 8-9 PM EST (or 1:1:30 PM on Wednesdays) 866-675-6675 which is toll free and you don’t have to be a subscriber to Sirius/XM to call in! Otherwise you can write to me on the FB page of Pets Best insurance where there is an “ASK TRACIE” section. But for now, I will tell you that the cat probably needs an antibiotic ointment in her eye but if your vet has already tried that, then a veterinary opthamologist can see whether there is something imbedded in the eyelid or a blocked tear duct, etc. This is the perfect case of why you need to get pet insurance the very minute you add a pet to your family – because you never know when the bills will start to pile up. Pets Best pays 80% of 100% of your vet bills – I have been thrilled with the service and the peace of mind that I can take my dogs to the vet anytime there is a problem and not be scared of a possibly big bill!

Comment on Cat Dishes: Great Tips from Catster Readers by cat.onyx.willow.

cat.onyx.willow. — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:50:35 +0000

I have a question and being new I’am unsure where to ask, I don’t even know if this will get answered, well here it is- about 10 months ago a very sick Himalayan was dropped off at my work she had infection From head to toe, and mats all over her body. So after 2-3 weeks on a top quality food her mats actually fell out while I was brushing her and the only thing left that still the vet have been unable to treat is her eye infection, her third eye is always swelled up, red and irritated. She looks so much better then when I first got her but I always think about how painful her eyes must be. I would appreciate any help or suggestions. Sincerely Catherine

Comment on Weruva’s Food is Made in Thailand to Higher Standards than USA Pet Foods! by Daryl

Daryl — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:05:12 +0000

Our cats LOVE Weruva’s Mac & Jac .. I read somewhere that the Weruva BFF is easier on their kidneys .. is this true? Our older cat, Rose, is on the ‘cusp’ and I’d like to do all I can to keep on the healthy side .. any reccos?

Comment on Why is Menadione in Weruva? by Tracie

Tracie — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:43:34 +0000

I have started a new BLOG about this – but want to post the answer here in case somebody does not think i replied to this
This is another negative comment about Thailand as a location for Weruva’s food production and it discourages me that Americans are so incorrectly convinced that everything American is necessarily better- and everything from anywhere else (especially the continent of Asia) is automatically under suspicion. I have written a number of blogs explaining this and urge everyone to please take the time to read some of the blogs I take time to think through and write and post here. First of all, products from China are worthy of your suspicion and history has shown they should be avoided whenever possible. But Asia is a very large place, and Thailand is a highly regulated and civilized country. We all need to work together to improve the lives of our pets and the products we offer them. A fantastic company like Weruva is working TWICE as hard as any other company to make sure that human grade ingredients go into their cat food – which is made in a human food facility – and is made to the MUCH higher EU food safety standards – so they need to be applauded. Here is the posting that just went up on my blog at the tail end of another posting.

Okay, so here’s what I need to say to this person: many pets have digestive disturbances when they go from an all-dry diet to a wet one. This also can happen when they go from an inferior canned product to one that has a higher protein content and real vegetables, like Weruva does. So if this is the case, it means the cat’s digestive system needs to be introduced to this superior food slowly- add it in small increments to the cats existing diet. Go slowly when changing a cat’s diet – and make sure the cat eats slowly. Sometimes cats who are giving up “kitty crack” can wolf down the wet food so quickly it comes right back up, so you need to feed very small amounts at a time (like 1 teaspoon every few minutes). As for this person’s “research,” he can rest assured that the food safety standards in the U.S. are definitely a challenge both to people and pets so choosing a food made according to the more strict EU (European) standards means you are getting a food made more safely. And it is made in a human food facility – American pet foods (except for a small handful of companies) are made from the rejected food from the human food chain and are regularly contaminated and also may contain no meat at all, only bones, beaks and feathers.

Comment on Why is Menadione in Weruva? by stonemason

stonemason — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:32:10 +0000

Bought the “Paw Lickin’ Chicken” and 3 of my pets have thrown up and have diarrhea. I can’t say it’s from this food, but strange that 3 would have same problem after eating. I read the label again. Noticed the small print says “PRODUCT OF THAILAND”. WHY is the food from Thailand? Is it processed in Thailand??? This really concerns me. Why can’t they make in USA??? From my research, it’s very difficult to prove products are really processed to safe standards OUT OF USA even though claim. I’m not happy about this. Won’t buy again unless they use USA food & process in USA…and even have to be careful with USA commercial foods!!