Dr. Marty Greer and Laura Reeves deliver unique, fun, fact based conversations about pet health. Greer is the 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Veterinarian of the Year and author of “Your Pandemic Puppy.” Reeves is the host of the wildly popular, award-winning Pure Dog Talk podcast.
From pro tips on selecting your new dog to what your dog’s runny eyes or your cat’s runny nose mean and what you should do about it, Marty and Laura will meet you where you are (in the car, on the treadmill, walking the dog) and bring you a good laugh, a great story and a bright idea every week.
The podcast The Marty & Laura Show is created by Laura Reeves & Dr. Marty Greer. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Marty and Laura are joined by Lindsay Stanton, grief coach and author to discuss managing grief after losing a pet.
"At the end of the day, grief and trauma run down very parallel paths," Stanton noted. "And depending on the type of grief that you're experiencing, it can be extremely traumatic. And depending on the way the person or pet passed, it can be extremely traumatic."
"If you're really a dog person or really a cat person, you understand the gravity of that loss," Marty said. "And society oftentimes minimizes it by saying, well, it's just a dog, it's just a cat, and it's really insensitive. And it's really inappropriate because we need to help people and for children especially, not that this is easy as an adult either, but for children especially, this may be the first loss that they experience before a grandparent or before a parent is lost, it may be a pet.
"And so unfortunately, this can be a learning experience for younger people to learn to navigate through, how grief happens, the stages of grief and how to be kind to yourself. Sometimes you expect more of yourself than you should be able to provide. So I think it's permission for people to learn how to grieve."
Stanton walks our hosts and listeners through various coping skills for managing grief, including yoga, meditation and reiki.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Marty and Laura take on the tough topic of seizures in our pets. They break down the types of seizures, what may cause them and treatment options based on the cause.
Sparked by a listener request to cover the topic when a client dog had a hypoglycemic seizure in a groom shop, this episode is for everyone who owns a dog. All dogs and cats can experience a seizure whether from low blood sugar, ingestion of toxin, various diseases and what is known as “idiopathic epilepsy” which literally means seizures of unknown origins.
“There's a lot of different reasons that pets can seize,” Marty noted. “First of all, it's really upsetting when it happens because it's scary. So it happens fast and they go from looking normal to not normal, and it can be pretty startling.
“The first thing to do if your pet is seizing is give glucose in some form and then seek veterinary care. Glucose can be ice cream, it can be honey, it can be Maple syrup, it can be Cairo syrup, it can be caramels. But the second thing you need to do is go to the veterinary clinic.
“(Glucose) can be absorbed through their gums, so you don't have to get them to swallow it. If you just have a liquid Karo syrup, honey, Maple syrup, dark Karo syrup, light cover syrup, I don't care. Any of those are fine. And they can absorb it right through their gums. Do not pry their mouth open and try and pull out their tongue. I can guarantee you'll get bitten and it is not worth it because they're not going to choke on their tongue.”
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Marty and Laura debate dog parks and doggy day care, weighing the risk versus the reward of each.
Dog parks and doggy daycare are convenient solutions to busy schedules. But they do have downsides. We're here to help walk you through some of the considerations.
"Some (doggy daycares) are run really well," Marty noted, "so I don't wanna say that they're all negatively associated. But there are some that have really done well and some that are really not done well.
"I think the most important aspect of a daycare experience for the dog is that it's regular, it's scheduled, and you know the playgroup that your dog is going to be in, rather than having it just be, you know, some random situation that just lets everybody out together where there can be a real brouhaha and create some significant injuries, illnesses and other issues."
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Marty and Laura tackle separation anxiety, a tough topic for folks trying to manage returning to office life while keeping their pooch entertained.
A lot of “pandemic dogs” that have never had 30 seconds of being by themselves, find a new way of life more challenging.
“So there are some things that you can do to help prepare them for being left alone,” Marty said, “whether it's to go to work or something more significant. And some of them are pharmaceutical and some are non-pharmaceutical. It’s okay to use pharmaceuticals if you need them because it can shorten the learning curve. So I don't want people to feel guilty or bad or any of those things if they feel like a pharmaceutical assistant to shorten the dog's learning curve is appropriate.
“A lot of dogs figure out pretty fast if they're going with you that day or you're leaving them for that day or they're going to daycare what's going to happen based on the pair of shoes that you put on, believe it or not, or which bag you pick up, or whether you've got this jacket or that jacket on.
“It’s called back chaining when they figure those things out is they first see you leave, and then they see you put on the shoes that you wear when you leave, and then they see you put the jacket and the shoes on before you leave, and then they see you pick up the keys. And so they start to back chain. So very quickly, you can see that they're developing anxiety as you're prepping to leave them or take them along.”
For a deep dive on this topic, check out this archived episode from Pure Dog Talk.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Marty and Laura walk through best practices for giving our pets the best chance for a long life.
Our hosts share their experiences with losing dogs in old and young ages, while providing detailed recommendations to help our pets live long, productive lives.
“So preventive care is going to be probably the most important,” Marty said. “And that means routine blood work. That means routine dental cleanings, that means the right nutrition.
“There's some really important things that we can do for (our pets) that are pretty simple and pretty straightforward. They're not always easy, but they're pretty straightforward.
“I think going in for a routine blood work, people are like, ‘ohh, I don't need any, he's fine.’ No, you're going to be surprised at what kind of things we can find and preemptively get ahead of whether it's kidneys, whether it's liver function issues, whether it's heartworm disease or some of the tick borne diseases, other disorders that we can see. So if you're veterinarian says, ‘I think we should do blood work this year and it's usually an annual thing then you should go up and down with your head and say yes, yes, I think we should do that.”
Marty continues with food recommendations, why dogs should be crated in a car, weight management and more.
Working through final decisions about our pets is incredibly emotional.
“My favorite current book is Promises to My Pet,” Marty said. “It was written by a social worker who wanted to help people go through the process to let their pet go. And basically they go in and you can take pictures from your dog when it was young and you could put all kinds of things in there. But essentially what you're doing is you're promising your dog or your cat that you are not extending their life beyond what you think would be reasonable.”
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
But it kind of gives us a feel for what we think of puppy, teenager, adult, elder. Marty and Laura walk through those life stages and some of the things that we can do to ease or utilize those times that we have with our dogs. Everyone says it's too short, and they're right. So we talk about some ways to look at it differently and to understand it better.
"Teenagers need to learn boundaries," Marty said. "Teenage dogs, teenage children, teenage ponies, they all need to learn boundaries. It's just a thing, and it's our job. It's our responsibility because we love our family pets, children, cats, dogs, horses; it's our job to teach them those boundaries."
"Now, if you've got an adult dog that's earned its place and it's got its life lessons, you can now do some great things with your dog. You can go do stuff and do events. I mean, like, this is the great part of dog life, this two to five, two to six time frame, and it's a blast; they're so much fun. So this is when you get out of the basic obedience class and you start doing fun things like agility or rally or scent work, or you start taking the dog to the national parks and the local lakes and all the fun things that you get to do.
"But, of course, you have to remember that not everybody loves dogs. 58% of the people own dogs. Another 42% probably don't want anything to do with them, so you can't just let your dog run up to everybody and slobber all over them because not everybody appreciates that. You can't let your big dopey dog run up to every other dog either. And just because your dog is friendly, it doesn't mean that the other dog is."
Next week we'll talk in depth about our senior dogs and the joys and sorrows of that life stage.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Lance walks us through Laura's "box of fish" and everything above and beyond in the colorful and spectacular world of home aquariums.
Filtration, salt or freshwater, fish friends (and frenemies!), tank size, and decorations—we cover the basics of Aquarium 101.
The Eclipse filter – everything in one top for the aquarium:
https://www.marineland.com/products/aquariums/bio-wheel-aquarium-kit.aspx
More beginner information on Marineland filters:
https://www.marineland.com/information.aspx
Species database:
Legendary plant tank guy (his stuff is stunning):
https://www.aquariumarchitecture.com/archive/legendary-aquarist-takashi-amano/
Reef Tank Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHxbMa2RVTQ
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
“Cats are not small dogs and dogs are not big cats,” Marty says. “So cats are a species unto themselves, and they have their own special wants, needs, desires, techniques, food, everything. It's a little different with the cat.
“This is why a spay or neuter in a cat at six or eight months is very appropriate. Now, I don't like to see them spayed or neutered when they're itty-bitty babies. I still think that there's some risk that goes with that. You know, those four, five, six-week-old kittens should not be spayed or neutered, and there are places that do that.
“A lot of the shelters, as soon as the cats weigh two pounds — and that frequently means two months of age, eight weeks — they'll start to talk about spaying and neutering, and there are some orthopedic problems that happen, especially in the boys' fat. So I care about that, but basically, you don't want to do that so young. Closer to six months is still a better choice, but not after, you know, don't wait until they're eight, nine, or ten months old, because by then you've already got some behavioral issues that are going to be difficult to manage.”
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
"Your dog scratching at his ears, not an emergency. You can wait. Cat can't urinate. That is an emergency," Marty says.
With the nationwide difficulty finding and accessing emergency services for our pets, a little bit of knowledge can save you an enormous amount of time, grief and frustration.
From bloat to dog fight to bloody stools, we take you through the details of what can and can't be managed at home.
Check out Marty and Laura's K9 First Aid 911 series.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
“Cats have a very serious medical condition when they cannot urinate. And you can only imagine how A, painful, and B, dangerous, that is, for cats, and it's almost always male cats. I can tell you, I can count on one hand the number of female cats I've seen obstructed, but male cats, pretty commonly. It accounts for about 3 % of all veterinary hospital admissions, so it is a common disorder.
“If you have a cat that's urinating inappropriately, male or female, blood in the urine, not in the litter box, straining to urinate. It can look like constipation also. Clients think this is a bladder infection, but cats don't get bladder infections the way that other species do.
“People think that their cat missed the litter box. Cats don't miss. If you watch them in the litter box, they dig a little hole and then they turn around and they look and then they dig a little bit more and then they look a little more and then they dig a little bit more. And then when they finally urinate or have a stool, it is nailing it right where they dug the hole. So cats don't miss.
“If they're not using the litter box, you absolutely, positively are getting the advanced notice from your cat that ‘I'm gonna be in trouble and you need to get this fixed fast before something goes wrong.’”
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Research has shown that early spay/neuter in dogs causes an increased incidence of several cancers as well as cruciate ligament tears and increased odds of both problematic and nuisance behaviors.
“They don't routinely spay and neuter dogs in the European countries and they don't have a pet overpopulation problem. They don't have a mixed breed overpopulation problem. So when I've traveled in Europe and you go places on the train or go to a restaurant or a cafe or whatever, and there's dogs there. They're intact dogs, and they know how to behave themselves because they have been trained to go out in public and behave.
"So it's a whole different experience, and they don't have oodles and oodles of puppies pouring out of shelters and rescues because they have inappropriately bred dogs. So I think we really need to take a hard look at ourselves as Americans to say, where have we gone awry? And what have we done wrong here? And what do we need to do to regain that? Because there's some really important information about the improvement in health and longevity by keeping our dogs intact.”
Below are links to a few of the studies and research Marty mentioned.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Learn about a “tick quest,” “tick nests” that could be under your bed, the potential role of ticks as vectors for diseases up to and including cancer, and more parasitology than you even knew was out there.
Catch up on the life cycle of fleas, the scourge of heartworm and mosquitoes, even “Kissing Bugs.” Then venture into the “bowels” of veterinary medicine with updates on one-celled organisms and actual worms that attack our pets.
We’ve got you covered, top to bottom and inside out! Lol
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Marty’s observations:
I think there's a lot of misunderstandings about vaccines, and I hope we can help clarify some of that information. I'm going to start off by saying that I don't want to come off sounding like I'm pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine.
When Jean Dodds and Ron Schultz started talking about vaccinations being given more frequently than they needed to be, I was one of the first people that got on board with it in 2002. So, three years after they started, I had already put my personal dogs on a three-year vaccination protocol and was then ready to move forward.
We felt in 2002 that it was appropriate to change from an annual vaccine for distemper, for parvo, and for some of these vaccines that historically had been given on an annual basis, to a three-year rolling protocol. But I had people signing consent for that because it was really not cutting edge; it was bleeding edge at that point.
We're going to break this down into some detail as we go through this, but overall, many of the vaccines in many of our pets can go to a less frequent system. And then, during COVID, vaccine hesitancy became a bigger deal. It happens on the human side. It happens on the veterinary side.
One of the big concerns is that, about 30 years ago or so, there was this big hoopla about vaccines causing autism in children, right? And that still floats around out there, even though it has been disproven, and we don't see autism in dogs or cats.
So, we need to make sure that we are all understanding the reason for vaccines and the reason to be thoughtful about what vaccines your pet needs based on their lifestyle and their immune response.
That being said, I think that vaccines have probably saved more lives in the world than any other medical breakthrough. You can look at anesthesia, you can look at sterile surgery, you can look at chemotherapy, you can look at all kinds of different medical breakthroughs that have happened, and yes, they are all really important. I mean, I wouldn't want to have my appendix out without anesthesia, without sterile surgery, and that saves lives.
But if you think about the number of lives, veterinary and human, that have been saved by vaccines preventing disease, I don't see that there's anything that has happened medically that's been a more significant breakthrough. So, I want to preface my remarks with, ‘I have a huge respect for vaccines.’ I have a huge respect for vaccines on the human side and on the veterinary side, but they need to be given thoughtfully and wisely.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Bird flu (H5N1) has caused the death of pet cats, wild cats at a sanctuary, and at least one person in the US. Marty’s recommendation is to feed a prepared diet. If pet owners insist on feeding non-commercial food, they should be sure it is properly cooked to kill potential pathogens.
From the CDC (Centers for Disease Control):
Preparing food:
For poultry: Cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses. People should separate uncooked (raw) poultry from cooked foods and foods that won't be cooked. Cook all poultry and poultry products (including eggs) all the way before eating. More information about the safe handling and cooking of poultry can be found here: Chicken and Food Poisoning
For beef: Cooking beef to the appropriate internal temperature kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses. Cook all beef products thoroughly before eating. Ground beef should reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F, and whole cuts of beef should reach 145°F, then rest for 3 minutes. Refer to CDC's safer foods table for a complete list of safe internal temperatures.Separate uncooked (raw) beef from cooked foods or foods that won't be cooked to prevent cross-contamination.
Unpasteurized (raw) milk safety: Choosing pasteurized milk and products made with pasteurized milk is the best way to keep you and your family safe. Unpasteurized (raw) milk and products made from raw milk, including soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can be contaminated with germs that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death. Pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, like avian influenza A viruses, in milk. Make the best decision for your health and the health of your family by always choosing pasteurized milk and products made with it.
Anyone, even healthy adults, can get sick from drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk. Based on the limited research and information available, we do not know at this time if avian influenza A viruses can be transmitted to people through the consumption of raw milk and products (such as cheese) made from raw milk from infected cows.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Puppies under six weeks of age need four meals a day. Most people don't get their puppies until they're at least seven to 10 weeks old. By seven to 10 weeks, three meals a day is appropriate. They should be fed three meals a day until they're six months old. At six months, you can drop to two feedings a day. Two meals a day are appropriate after six months of age for the rest of their lives.
Until then, feed three meals a day because their stomachs, colons, and intestinal tracts are small. The rule of thumb is that for every stool a puppy has in a day, you should feed one meal. So if they're having four stools a day, you should feed four meals a day.
Feed the Amount on the Bag
If you're feeding dry kibble, which is absolutely appropriate, the bag provides a good guide based on the puppy's weight or the expected future weight.
I prefer puppy food over all-life-stage foods. I like to feed puppies food specifically formulated for puppies. There are large-breed puppy foods, medium-breed puppy foods, and small-breed puppy foods. These aren't just about kibble size; they also affect the calcium and phosphorus balance, caloric intake, and fat and protein content.
Treats
There's something truly magical about the bond formed when you hold a piece of food, and it disappears down the gullet of another creature, leaving them happy. Whether you're a Jewish grandmother or a puppy owner, there's something special about the act of feeding that strengthens relationships. I'm in no way going to interfere with that relationship because I believe it is absolutely critical for building strong connections.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Hot Take #1: Crate training is a good thing. It's an amazing thing. It's a great tool.
And Hot Take #2: Housebreaking is really simple when you crate train your dog.
“It’s not easy, but it’s simple and it’s absolutely essential, because the number two reason people don’t keep their dogs is housebreaking issues. Number one is biting, and number two is housebreaking. In the cat world, it’s the other way around. Cats that don’t use the litter box—that’s the number one issue,” Marty noted.
“A lot of people have unrealistic expectations for how quickly a puppy housebreaks. In my world, it takes many puppies until they’re between 4 and 4 1/2 months old to understand the concept and to have the physical ability to control it, get to the door, communicate that, and get outside in time.”
“With crates, with bells, there are a few tools that we can use to make it better, but if you expect every dog to housebreak by 7 weeks of age, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and failure.”
Marty and Laura walk you through the simple steps to housebreak your puppy or litter box train your kitten for a happier start to the rest of your lives together.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
“When you double the number of cats, you quadruple the number of litter box issues that you have,” Marty says. “Number one, cats need to have one litter box per cat plus a spare, no matter what. So if you have eight cats, you need nine litter boxes.
“If you think you're just going to bounce a new cat into the household, then it's all going to be peachy. It's not likely to go that way.
“So you have to be prepared for that. And that's why having two kittens at a time can really help because those two kittens then are going to be a lot more accepting of other cats than a cat that's lived by itself for 10 years. And then you try to bring one or
two kittens into the house. That gets pretty rough.”
Marty’s Book Recommendation:
Feeling Outnumbered? - How To Manage & Enjoy A Multi-Dog Household
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
They’ll guide you through the process of finding the perfect companion for your lifestyle, making sure your new pet is a good match for your home and everyone in it.
"Home is where someone runs to greet you when you walk in the door." Let’s make sure that someone is the right fit! Marty blows up Laura’s brain with news about cat collar tags that trigger automatic feeders for multiple cats.
Laura reminds Marty about the Human Animal Bond Research Institute which provides empirical research into the benefits of pet ownership.
We’re excited to bring you these fun, fact-based conversations about pet health. From professional tips on selecting your new dog to understanding your cat’s cough and what you should do about it, we’ll meet you wherever you are—whether you’re in the car, on the treadmill, or walking the dog—and provide a good laugh, a great story, and a fresh idea every week.
We hope you’ll join us on social media and visit our website to sign up for an extra pet tip of the week. While you’re at it, please take a moment to leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
Hear about Marty’s journey back to college at 50 to pursue her law degree, why The Marty & Laura Show is a better source of pet advice than Dr. Google, and how a conversation in the women’s restroom sparked the idea for the show!
Marty and Laura bring their unique brand of pet knowledge to the larger pet-loving public in The Marty & Laura Show, launching on Jan. 1, 2025.
We’re excited to bring you these fun, fact-based conversations about pet health. From professional tips on selecting your new dog to understanding your cat’s cough and what you should do about it, we’ll meet you wherever you are—whether you’re in the car, on the treadmill, or walking the dog—and provide a good laugh, a great story, and a fresh idea every week.
We hope you’ll join us on social media and visit our website to sign up for an extra pet tip of the week. While you’re at it, please take a moment to leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.