America’s Veterinarian and
a National Humanitarian
Robin spends the first half of her show chatting with America’s Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker. Dr. Becker is author of 22 books and is well-known for his appearances on “Good Morning America” and the “Dr. Oz Show.” Later, Robin catches up with Paris Hilton, the recent recipient of American Humane Association’s National Humanitarian Medal who discusses what it means to her to be humane.
Photos by Lucien Capehart Photography & Pet Life Radio
"I love social media, and I think it's amazing how we can reach people all around the world for these animals who don't have a voice and they can't speak for themselves."
— Paris Hilton
We dive deep with Dr. Becker on fear-free veterinary visits, an initiative stemming from his childhood experiences and veterinarian expertise, aiming to transform stressful vet trips into peaceful encounters for our animal companions. He'll also dish out practical advice on pet care during the allergy season and highlight common household hazards every pet owner should avoid.
Dr. Robin Ganzert, the driving force behind the American Humane Association, extols the virtues of adopting older pets, shares in the excitement of fear-free certifications, and provides insightful commentary on our special guest's contributions to animal welfare.
From pondering the benefits of spring walks to discussing the vital role of American Humane and Red Star Rescue, this episode promises to leave you more informed and inspired to create a more humane world alongside your pets.
So, make sure your furry companions are cozied up next to you, it's time to embark on a journey of empathy and expertise on BeHumane, right here on Pet Life Radio.
BIO:
Dr. Marty Becker
Through education and entertainment, Dr. Marty Becker strengthens that special relationship between pets and people he calls, "The Bond."
As a veterinarian, media personality, author, lecturer, educator, contributor, influencer and recipient of many prestigious awards, Dr. Marty Becker has become known as the "best loved family doctor for pets." Despite his demanding writing, speaking and television schedule, Dr. Becker still enjoys his work as a practicing veterinarian, at the North Idaho Animal Hospital.
For more than ten years, Dr. Becker has been the popular veterinary contributor to ABC-TV's "Good Morning America." More recently, he has started appearing on the new "Good Morning America Weekend." He has also taped special features called the GMA Pet Clinic which are one minute vignettes on topics such as giving medications, stopping bleeding and taking a pet's temperature. Dr. Becker has also hosted a nationwide PBS pledge special produced by Detroit Public Television called, "The Pet Doctor with Marty Becker." Additionally, he has appeared on Animal Planet, and is a frequent guest on many national network and cable TV and radio shows
Dr. Becker's syndicated column, Pet Connection is carried internationally by the Universal Press Syndicate. He produces the weekly feature along with his writing partner, Gina Spadafori, and a team of top animal-care experts including Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp of AnimalBehavior.net. Dr. Becker previously wrote for McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (formerly Knight-Ridder Tribune Services). Dr. Becker has been a contributing editor for Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy and has written for Reader's Digest. He was the Chief Veterinary Correspondent for Amazon.com.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton is one of today’s most recognizable figures, known around the world as a savvy businesswoman, entrepreneur and media icon. She is one of the most photographed women in modern society and the topic of endless media attention. She has built a successful global brand empire spanning all corners of the world, from Tokyo to London and Dubai; Paris Hilton is the portrait of a modern businesswoman.
Paris Whitney Hilton was born February 17th in New York City. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels.
Paris was singing and acting all the way through her childhood. She used to sing at family events with her sister, Nicky Hilton. Paris began her career as a teenager in New York, where she walked the runways for Fashion Week shows and modeled for high profile magazine and brand campaigns. Her father, Rick Hilton, encouraged her to pursue business and by the age of 18 she was an entrepreneur with a growing brand.
Hilton is commonly recognized as the pioneer of reality TV after introducing the new genre of American television into the homes of millions. As the star of ‘The Simple Life’, Hilton, along with friend and co-star Nicole Richie, helped revolutionize TV. From 2003 – 2007 her comedic antics on FOX’s hit show made Hilton a household name and in 2009 FOX awarded Hilton with the award for ‘Innovator of Reality TV.’
In 2006, Paris Hilton Entertainment was established to leverage the appeal and talents of Paris Hilton as a designer, recording artist, actress, model and author, and has since become a billion-dollar company. PHE manages all brand licensing, entertainment and endorsement deals for Hilton, and as the face of the company, Hilton takes an active role by overseeing product development, design, marketing and promotion. Paris Hilton’s 17 branded lines include shoes, handbags, watches, lashes & nails, sunglasses, clothing and more, and are sold in Hilton’s stores in more than 40 countries across the globe.
Since 2004 Hilton has released 15 fragrances, grossing more than $1.8 billion, and is currently working on her 16th. In 2011, Variety magazine – the entertainment industry’s leading trade authority – awarded Paris Hilton as a “Billion Dollar Entrepreneur” in recognition of her successful business and global brand.
In 2012 Hilton was able to accomplish a lifelong dream, and follow in her family’s footsteps by venturing into the world of hotels and real estate. Opening in late 2013, the Paris Beach Club at The Azure, in the Philippines will be Hilton’s first venture in the real estate and hotel business. By partnering with leading real estate firm Century Properties, Hilton’s Beach Club will include a string of luxury resort residences.
As a trail blazer and pioneer of new trends it’s no surprise that 2013 was another landmark year for Hilton who quickly became a key player in electronic dance music when she landed a coveted DJ residency at Ibiza super-club Amnesia. Performing weekly throughout the summer, Hilton led a crowd of more than 5,000 club goers through an energetic music show and is now in high demand to DJ at venues all over the world.
However it was Hilton’s record deal that firmly put her on the map as a music artist this summer. Hilton signed to renowned music label Young Money Cash Money Billionaires, the label founded by impresario
Transcript:
Announcer [00:00:00]:
Pet Life Radio.
Announcer [00:00:02]:
You're listening to PetLifeRadio.com.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:00:14]:
Welcome to Be Humane on Pet Life Radio. I'm your host, Dr. Robin Ganzert. We've got a fantastic episode for you today with a pair of superstar guests. A first is one of my favorite people. You know him as America's veterinarian, and I know him as just Marty. Dr. Marty Becker.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:00:32]:
And later, we'll be joined by Paris Hilton, who was the recent award recipient at American Humane Association's gala luncheon in Florida. She'll stop by to talk about what she's doing to make the world a better place for her animal friends. Well, after a long, cold, snowy winter, it's finally spring. And, you know, I'm from North Carolina, and one of our rites of passage of spring is, of course, march Madness. We've always got brackets on the brain, and this year was certainly no different for all of our basketball friends and fans. Well, here at American Humane association, though, we participated in our own version of March Madness this year with the National Fire Dog Monument, entered in the Washington Post Monument madness bracket challenge to determine the best monument in the nation's capital. How much fun was this? The monument madness challenge, this beautiful bronze sculpture. And those of you that have seen the photos of the National Fire Dog Monument, you know how incredibly inspirational it is.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:01:35]:
It honors the brave work arson dogs and their handlers do to protect our families and communities from this deadly and costly crime. You might remember a few weeks ago we had on Heather, Paul from State Farm and Paul Gallagher from the main arson dog program, and we really explored in that episode what it is to be an arson dog and how those dogs are so highly trained to do their very important work. Well, you know, it was an honor for american humane and state farm to have our national monument be in the running against american iconic images like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial. But thanks in no small part to our dedicated listeners and fans, I'm so proud to say that the National Fire dog monument won the tournament. Yes, we won Monument madness, and it was so exciting. All the arson dogs I know were cheering. It's a hearty thank you to everyone who voted for this monument. Throughout the tournament, we had a hard fought final round against the national CB monument at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:02:38]:
But in the end, my friends, the dog had its day. So if you're in the Washington, D. C. Area this spring and summer and you want to check out the monument that folks voted as the best in this city, chocked full of monuments, it's on permanent display outside of Engine company two at 500 F Street Northwest. The address again is Engine company two at 500 F Street northwest in our nation's capital. Well, with the weather finally starting to get a bit nicer, I'm sure many of you are taking your dogs on longer walks. I say dogs, but there are certainly a few of my friends who walk their cats. And to those who do, I say, more power to you.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:03:20]:
I know my cats don't want to be on a leash, but some have been so well trained, and I wish I would have done that earlier on with my little kittens. Well, there are so many added health benefits for both you, your dogs and your cats when you take them on those enjoyable springtime and summertime walks. And, of course, there's wonderful exercise if you also go on a walk for at least 30 minutes or more. I love the fact that when we have our puppy who's chewing things and getting into all those things that they shouldn't in our house, taking them on a walk is a sure way to alleviate their boredom and cause them to chew less. Walking even helps to aid their digestion so they can process their food better. And having them on a regular walk schedule also means you're less likely to find certain surprises around the house. And then there's the bonding that'll happen between you and your know at American Humane association. Our mission statement is to unleash the power of the human animal bond, and we're strong believers in what that power of that bond can mean in our lives.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:04:20]:
So enjoy the nicer the weather, enjoy the special bonding time with you and your pet. Your pet will thank you, and you'll be glad you did. Speaking of pet Health, we have America's expert. We'll be speaking with America's veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker, when we come back. You're listening to be humane on Pet Life Radio.
Announcer [00:04:42]:
We'll be right back, right after these messages. Stay tuned.
Announcer [00:04:48]:
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Announcer [00:05:32]:
Let's Talk Pets on PetLifeRadio.com.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:05:47]:
He's spent his entire life working for better health for our animal friends and the people who love them. He was the resident veterinary contributor on Good Morning America for 17 years and is the founding member of core team Oz for the Dr. Oz show and a member of the Dr. Oz medical advisory panel. You know, he has written 22 books that have sold more than 7 million copies, including three New York Times bestsellers, one of which is the fastest selling pet book of all time, chicken soup for the pet lover's soul, one of my favorite reads. You know, we are just thrilled today to have Dr. Marty Becker join us for the Be humane radio show. And I'm so proud that we have his expertise on our board of directors at American Humane association.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:06:36]:
Proud to join and welcome Dr. Marty Becker. Dr. Becker, how are you today?
Dr. Marty Becker [00:06:41]:
Oh, my gosh. You know what? God can just say life is. Know, God is good. I've got the love of my life. I'm married to. I love where I live. I love what I do. I love my.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:06:53]:
Just somehow I felt like somebody played favorites with me along the way. I don't know. But you know what? If this is a dream, don't wake me up.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:07:02]:
Well, that's great, Dr. Becker. That's wonderful. And, you know, I think that you probably have been so blessed because of all the blessings you've bestowed on our best animal friends. I mean, you have been just an amazing, inspirational leader as a veterinarian, one who has practiced and also shared with all of America and folks around the world how we can better improve the lives of our animal friends. You have such a busy schedule between your tv appearances, lectures and so much more. Can you tell us about some of your recent highlights, especially about your new initiative, creating fear free visits for pets? Can you tell us about that?
Dr. Marty Becker [00:07:39]:
Well, I'll tell you a long story in a short way, if I can. I was born and raised on a farm in southern Idaho. So when you think of Idaho, you think of potatoes. And, yes, we did raise potatoes. And also small dairy herd, beef, cattle herd, horses, chickens, pigs, sheep. It was like the ark dumped over there. It was on the farm. And I always wanted to be a veterinarian for the time I was six or seven years old.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:08:02]:
And I remember people along the way, a high school teacher talking about, should be a writer. You're really gifted at writing. No, Mrs. Hughes, I want to be a veterinarian. And then in college, Mr. Randall got to be a writer. I want to be a know who would have known that you would have gone from being a veterinarian that was also a writer and a communicator. But I grew up on a place where these dairy cows had know.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:08:25]:
You'd call them in. You could call Sally. Come on, Sally. Come on. Know. And so she'd reluctantly come in with their old bag of swinging, and she trots into the barn. And I learned from my mom and dad about, really a reverence and a love for all animals. And I was lucky.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:08:41]:
When I went to veterinary school, I was going to be a mixed animal practitioner, what you call somebody that would know cows and sheep and horses and dogs and cats, all those things. But the first day of veterinary school, Dean Leo Bustad, who many people kind of know as America's James Harriet, one of the co founders of the Delta Society, which has become pet partners, he gave this talk about the human animal bond. And I went from the back of the room to the front of the room at the end to sign up for the people pet partnership that matched elderly people with homeless pets. So between my dean and my upbringing, I've always had this love of not just being state of the art in practice, just good medicine, but also reverence for the bond, that affection, connection we share with pets. And this has really led me to where I am today. People know me for the human animal bond. They know me for the healing power of pets. But this understanding about the human animal bond has led me on this initiative to create fear free visits.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:09:36]:
And basically what this is right now in most veterinary hospitals, you've been taught over the years, you have to have good medicine, not good medicine, great medicine in one hand to have a successful practice. And the other hand is all the other pieces. Customer service, leadership, motivation, marketing, inventory control, all those things. Well, really, what I'm on this mission is to keep the one hand being great medicine, but the other hand is really the emotional well being of pets. So you have the physical well being at one hand, the emotional well being in the other. And what I found out, I had one of those kind of aha. Moments that some people have in their life. And having run seven large hospitals and been in hundreds of hospitals and lectured to veterinarians on six continents, I was up at a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Dr.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:10:17]:
Karen overall, who's a very well known veterinary behaviorist, talked about the fact that fear was the worst thing a social species could experience and causes permanent damage to the brain. And there's different kinds of fear. There's adaptive and maladaptive fear. Now, adaptive fear, if you see somebody running into the building or into the gun, it's a good idea to run out the back door. That might be a good fear. Or if you got stung by a bee and it hurt the next time you maybe won't get quite so close to those flowers. If you're a young kid, that's a good kind of fear to have to be careful. But what happens with maladaptive fear is they're exposed to the same circumstances and they have worse fear and anxiety each time.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:10:53]:
So like a pet that comes in for its first vaccinations and it's lifted off its feet, it's put on a slippery table, it gets an injection. I don't think there's any of us that love to get our annual flu shot or something. I mean, it's not like, oh, wow, this is fantastic. I'm going to go into our local grocery store at the pharmacy and get my flu shot today. Woohoo. Then the second time they come in, it's worse. The third time it's worse. And now they have maladaptive fear and it's at least 80% of dogs and cats have extreme fear, anxiety to go to the veterinarian, and thus they don't take their pets to the vet.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:11:24]:
They'll just go to Dr. Google on the Internet and try to see what's wrong in a treatment plan. They'll skip preventive health care programs. So really, everybody benefits. If we can create a fear free visit where we take the pet out of petrified and the pet will want to come in if it's a dog. It'll accept coming in if it's a cat, and the pet owners don't mind bringing them in.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:11:44]:
So I love that phrase, taking pet out of petrified. I love that.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:11:49]:
Well, Robin, this is not one of those concepts where people out there listening are going, I wonder what he's talking about. Even in a veterinary crowd. I'll be in a crowd of 500 veterinarians and I'll say, how many of you take your own pet to the vet? Or these are people, maybe technicians or nurses or office managers, they hate to take their own pet to the vet. So we're able to solve that. We've been working on it for five years and I'll say, stay tuned. Within a year, you will start seeing certified fear free practices. Certified fear free Receptionists, certified fear free technicians. It's going to transform our profession.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:12:21]:
Bravo. Bravo. And for those of us who are cat parents, cat owners, I can tell you that's my hardest to get to the vet and to have a good experience has always been our feedline friends. And so I am so thrilled that you're doing this. This is incredible.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:12:34]:
Can I add to this a second? I'll give you an example. In the past, we've had a cat that you would label a fractious cat. There's three things a cat does in a hospital right now. They all start with f freeze. That's the one. Everybody loves the cat that just becomes just rigid and doesn't move. And we're thinking, this is great because you can do anything to them. Although they're scared to death, that's why they don't move.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:12:54]:
Two is flight, and that's where they fly around the room and climb up the wall and knock stuff off or run around and hide under the cabinet.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:13:02]:
Right.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:13:02]:
The third one is fight. And those get labeled a fraxis cat. And often it's in the medical record. It's on the computer screen. They'll even put a little thing on a cage. It's like an alligator clip with a permanent plastic scientist fraxis cat. And what fraxious cat means is there's special precautions have to be taken to protect the humans. In the practice, that means welding gloves, throw a towel over it, who's going to go into combat? We threw all those away.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:13:28]:
We replaced it with fearful cat. And that special precautions have to be taken to protect the cat. It's coming in on something to calm its stomach. A chill pill, we call them. It's coming in on a magic carpet ride of pheromones. It's in an emotional isolation word, kind of like a physical isolation word for communicable disease. But it's put in a place where it doesn't have all the crazy activity. At the back of a veterinary hospital, there's special music plays, the lights are dimmed.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:13:52]:
And I'll tell you what, I had a cat last, well, it's a week ago when I was practicing, and it's the third time I've seen the cat. And it went from being cautioned, fearful cat to the cat went into the exam room because it's got a metabolic condition. We're trying to get under control. It got up on this towel that was laying there with pheromones in it. We don't approach cats from the head anymore. So typically, if you've been a veterinarian, it's tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. We always approach cats now from the behind and then don't ever get up in front of them. And the cat came over and rubbed its cheek up against me and started purring.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:14:25]:
So it actually marked me as being feline approved and purred. And the cat owner gasped and the technician gasped, and the hair just rose up on the back of my neck. So here's a cat that formerly was scared to death that thought it was going to die every time it came, and now it comes in and was purring.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:14:40]:
Wow. That's a major breakthrough. That's incredible. Incredible. I can't wait to see my practice, where I take my wonderful best friends become a fear free certified location. So thank you for that, Becker. That's amazing. You know, we're entering spring, and so many of our human friends and family members suffer from allergies, and I know I will have allergies, I'm sure, as soon as I get back home to North Carolina with everything in bloom.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:15:07]:
What about our dogs and cats? Are they affected by pollen and all the allergens in this?
Dr. Marty Becker [00:15:13]:
Know, I was laughing to myself the other day when spring officially started, because we all have these sayings that our moms and dads said, and then you find yourself saying the same sayings now to your kids, and they roll their eyes just like I rolled my eyes when my dad would say, and he'd say, the spring is sprung and the grass is was. We were farmers, and so he'd always say, spring is sprung and the grass is riz, Marty, we got to get to work. And he'd start seeing dust out somewhere where farmers are working their field. And away we went. And everything was starting to come up out of the ground or come up out of the buds. And humans get red, watery eyes. We sneeze, we sniffle. And for pets, it's primarily lick, chew, scratch, bite, and they get these allergies that affect their skin.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:15:58]:
And I'll tell you a few things about this. The key is always try to prevent problems if you can, and something that is brand new. Now, just the last couple of years, I was taught in veterinary school and preached this to my clients for years, that you shouldn't bathe the pet very often because it stripped the essential oils off of them. And it's simply not true. In fact, what veterinary dermatologists recommend is bathing your pets once a week throughout the year and twice a week or more during the height of allergy season. So a good example is we bathe our dogs every week. My daughter has pugs that are especially susceptible to allergic skin allergies, and she bathes them two to three times a week this time of year. And basically, if you use a dust mop or a swiffer, most of, I think, use swiffers anymore.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:16:41]:
Those electrostatically charged pads that pick up stuff. And when I'm in a house and you use it on our wood or tile floors, and you get ready to throw it in the trash can and you look at it and just go, oh, God, it's gross. I didn't want to touch it. I feel like I want rubber gloves on, latex gloves to touch it. You can't see the spores and the pollen and stuff that's on there, too. So think of your dog as a four legged swiffer, and everything that's on that floor is on that dog. And what you want to do is you want to flush those allergy triggers off of them, because often what happens is it builds up an allergic response, and they'll have been fine when they were younger, and all of a sudden they reach middle age and they explode. And cow is licking, chewing, scratching.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:17:21]:
There's red underneath their feet. They're biting like it's fleas. And scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch with a jingle jingle of the chain so you can really diminish the suffering by frequent bathing. Also, this is a good idea to have some unscented baby wipes. Just buy them at bulk, whether it's Costco or Sam's club or Walmart. And just every time they come in from outside, just wipe the trunk of their body down and throw the baby wipe away. There also is a new drug out that I'm excited to tell people that have had pets that have suffered for years. It's called apocalyl.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:17:53]:
It's apoquel, and it's literally a miracle drug. It stops the itch cycle at a histamine. When you think of histamines, when you get a bite or you get a scratch and something itches that's caused by histamine. That's why we take antihistamines. And this novel drug breaks that histamine cycle. So it's not a steroid, it's not an antihistamine. Some people have used cyclosporins, which are used in cancer, as another type of drug that's used for itching. But this works.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:18:20]:
First day you give the tablet, they stop itching. And when they stop itching and scratching and biting, by day five, they stop stinking because they don't have those secondary bacterial infections and they are cured.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:18:30]:
Wow.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:18:31]:
Talk to your veterinarian. The only problem, it's a product by a company called Zoetis, which is the largest animal health company in the world. It has proved so popular that they had a three year supply starting out. They thought it handled the market for three years, and it was gone in three weeks.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:18:45]:
Wow.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:18:46]:
It's that good a product. So talk to your veterinarian about apocalypse and get on the list.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:18:50]:
Okay, that's great. That's great to know. We've talked about allergies. We've talked about creating fear free visits, which is an incredible initiative. I know something that you're very passionate about because we've talked about it. And that's your work with Operation Gray muzzle. Can you share with our listeners and our friends what you do with Operation Gray muzzle? Because I just think that's such incredibly important work. And a great.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:19:14]:
What happens is gray muzzle works with those. There's two types of people that go into a shelter. There's some that are drawn to the puppies, that wiggling mass of puppies, or that thing with puppy breath. And they go, a puppy's eyes are the same size when they're young as they are when they're adults. And that's why we're so drawn to them. It's like, oh, God, it's like a cartoon with puppy breath. And the same thing with kittens. This kinetic mass of earthy smelling kittens we love, that are acrobatic, like cirque soleil performers.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:19:43]:
And then there's the gray know. They're Johnny hip bones and they're gray muzzles. And they're slow to rise. Where the puppies rush, the know, they may not even get up. And that's what the gray muzzle organization works for, is finding forever homes for those pets. And there's just so many great pets that just want to live out the last of their life. Not in a cage, but at the couch, at somebody's home. And in talking to people that have adopted these, it's often like, I'm not sure who rescued who.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:20:14]:
I just had the greatest experience with this pet that is so appreciative of what's been done for it. And if you look at. We've sometimes romanticized puppies and kittens, and I tell people getting a puppy is like getting a three year old with ADHD and a chainsaw turning loose in your house. Because they're just puppies. So you're going to see them go through the terrible twos and the teenage years in one year, while these older pets, man, they're just settled into the sunset side of life. And so easy to take care of. It's so appreciative and so good for us.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:20:49]:
Yeah, that's wonderful. And we do need to make sure that they get a forever loving home for as long as they have here on this earth. So I think that's beautiful. Operation Gray muzzle for our friends who want to look more into that organization. And it's wonderful. Dr. Becker, you've written an astounding 22 books. And I love those teachers who have said to you early on in your elementary and middle school what a great writer you were.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:21:12]:
You should be a writer. You should be a writer. You've certainly done a great job of marrying your passion for animals, your leadership on the national, international stage as an, a veterinarian, and your skill as a writer. Is there going to be another incredibly exciting book coming out from you soon? I mean, 22 books is amazing.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:21:31]:
You know, I've actually written 24. The two of them are ebooks. I'm of the age that I don't even count those, but I should.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:21:40]:
24.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:21:41]:
I'll probably do some more ebooks. But really, the most excited about communicating on the Internet now, I myself find that's where I go and when I want questions. And so our online home is vetstreet.com. And also my daughter, who's a very well known trainer, thank God she looks like her mother. She got the love of animals from both of us. She might have got some drive from me, but luckily she looks like her mother. We're both, our online home is vetstreet.com. And then also I also write for my own website@drmartybecker.com.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:22:13]:
But that's where people are finding more information. And that's where whether know, true short stories celebrating the special effects or connection we have with pets or just hard hitting medical news or like one of the things, I was just on Dr. Oz recently and talking about taboo table foods from home, and somebody yesterday was shocked that you couldn't give pets raisins and a small dog. Just a few raisins can put them into kidney failure. So grapes and raisins are taboo. We got back from Hawaii earlier this year, and macadamia nuts cause rear leg paralysis in dogs, and you can't give onions. And the worst threat now we're finding the number one thing that people call animal poison control for is the purposeful or accidental ingestion of human prescriptions. And that means somebody might try a human prescription for a dog or a cat.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:23:00]:
What happens more often is it gets knocked down and they scoop up a pill or crack open the bottle that's been left by a nightstand. But the second thing is xylitol. And xylitol is a sugar free sweetener that's in lots of gums, lots of mints, and it's even in nasal sprays and some other things you wouldn't expect. And it causes a precipitous drop in blood sugar and can send them into liver failure, and it's not treatable. So if you think of a dog that can sniff out bedbugs, termites, accelerants, and arson cases, bomb sniffing dogs, I mean, these dogs have an exquisite sense of smell, and don't think they can't smell that gum in your purse. So think of a pack of gum or mints or nasal spray having a Mr. Yuck sticker on it, and you have to keep it up where they can't get into it because a single slice of gum, piece of gum that we would take can take down a 25 pound dog.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:23:52]:
I had no idea, and I'm sure many of our listeners had no idea. So this type of information, we can go to you on your website and learn so much more. Is that right?
Dr. Marty Becker [00:24:01]:
Yeah. Go to vetstreet.com and also follow on Facebook. Dr. Marty Becker. We're close to a half a million followers, and it's really, you know, there's certain themes you won't find. Don't they call it, like, farming? Some people are always out there. If you think the puppy is cute, hit like, and we don't do that. Ours is all media information.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:24:22]:
The only time we would ask people to share is, like, there's a pet food recall or something like that that needed to get the word out quickly. But find a community of people that love pets, like family, that just almost need a dose, a daily dose of something about celebrating, protecting, and nurturing the human animal bond. And I also want to say, why so, so delighted to be part of the American Humane association over the years? Because of, you do have a lot of media profiles, a high profile in the media. You get asked to do lots of things. And I am on three local boards of humane societies, and I'm also on pet partners, which used to be delta side and gray muzzle and world vets. But my purpose, passion, and plan lies with the American Humane Association. I actually sought this group out because of, I grew up on a place where farm animals were treated very well. And through humane heartland, we already watch after 10% of the nation's farm animals, and that number is going to rise.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:25:20]:
So I love that part, the part, the focus that's always been there with children and pets. Children, pets are another things. And then looking after really good research in the human animal health connection, the education, you know, four or five things. And also the things, one of my really good colleagues and friends, Quan Stewart, is the veterinarian that kind of hits your Hollywood group. There's six or seven other veterinarians at work. So veterinarians are the true pet health experts. And so we've got veterinarians watching after animals on set. We've got a great group of people looking after the nation's farm animals.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:25:56]:
And the other thing is some organizations, I'll leave it unnamed, but they make a big show of some dramatic thing. They go out and do it. It's almost like, let's set it up. And how do we optimize this then, for a direct consumer campaign online that we did this. And meanwhile, there's the red Star rescue vehicles that AHA has that are deployed across the country that respond day after day after day rather than feeding an organization. Ninety seven cents a day, you'll do this when it actually goes into lobbying or a big promotional thing. This actually goes for the American Humane association to really help pets on the ground and animals on the ground.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:26:37]:
Thank you for saying that, Dr. Becker. And your testimony and support of american humane means so much to all of us who are out here doing this work. So we're very grateful and we're so appreciative of your leadership on our national board.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:26:49]:
It's my honor. Until I draw my last breath, I'm going to support this organization. And it doesn't matter if you're able to give a dollar or a million dollars. I'd love people to feel part of this and feel the pride that I do of seeing what happens every single day, whether it's a humanely raised turkey, butterball turkey, or it's a humanely raised eggs that you're going to eat, or it's seeing horrific cases of animal abuse, like horses that are eating bark off the trees because they're starved to death. And age eight comes in with the red Star vehicle or responding to natural disasters or even in these know, like a loved war horse that Steven Spielberg movie, saw the play, saw the movie. And to think back, the real war horses in World War I, Aeha was there with the real war horses. And here they are on farms in Tennessee helping real horses. I just love this organization, and I would encourage people listen to get more involved with it in some way.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:27:49]:
Thank you. Thank you so much. Well, I know you have so many fans out there, Dr. Becker, and they know they can reach you@drmardybecker.com. That's doctor with Dr. Drmardybecker.com and, of course, through vet street as well. And Dr. Becker, on behalf of all of your friends at American Humane association, we thank you for your leadership.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:28:10]:
And we thank you for all you do every day for our animal friends.
Dr. Marty Becker [00:28:14]:
My blessing.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:28:15]:
Thank you. We'll be right back with Paris Hilton, who just won a special award, and we'll share that with you in a moment. Thank you so much.
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Let's Talk Pets. Let's Talk Pets on Pet Life Radio.
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Pet Life Radio
Paris Hilton [00:28:59]:
PetLifeRadio.com.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:29:09]:
Welcome back to Be Humane. A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending American Humane Association's gala luncheon in Palm Beach, Florida. There we were able to recognize an incredibly inspirational figure, someone who was able to reach millions and millions of people with a public service announcement supporting responsible pet ownership and her personal love of animals. This year, we were proud to bestow a special award on Paris Hilton, who has a long legacy of making the world a better place for animals. Right after we presented her with this very special honor, I was able to sit down with our friend Paris for a few minutes to talk about her work. Here's a little bit from that interview.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:29:55]:
Hi, this is Dr. Robin Ganzert, and this is be humane. We're so thrilled to be here with Paris Hilton today. We've just presented our national humanitarian medal for all that Paris does to share her compassion and her love for animals. Paris, how does it feel to be the winner of the national humanitarian medal?
Paris Hilton [00:30:12]:
I am so honored and proud and happy and excited for this. I love animals so much and I do so much for them. So to be honored for something like this is just an incredible feeling. And what a beautiful luncheon. And I'm just so happy to be a part of such a great cause.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:30:30]:
Well, Paris, I tell you, everyone at the luncheon was just in love with your animals. I think we saw so many gorgeous photos of beautiful cats and dogs and I think a mini horse. Can you tell us how many animals you have?
Paris Hilton [00:30:42]:
I am a huge animal lover. I call my house the zoo. I have 35 pets.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:30:47]:
Wow.
Paris Hilton [00:30:48]:
Seven dogs, six flying squirrels, three cats, six ferrets, a pony, a parrot, rats, and a partridge and a pear tree.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:30:59]:
Parrots. I think that's wonderful. Well, you know, I know all of our fans of American Humane association, and your fans know that you did a wonderful PSA, a public service announcement, really talking about the work of American Humane association, and that one public service announcement reached over 30 million people in a matter of minutes. That's past fall. How does that feel that you can reach so many people about your love for animals in such a short amount of time?
Paris Hilton [00:31:24]:
It's really incredible. I love social media, and I think it's amazing how we can reach people all around the world for these animals who don't have a voice and they can't speak for themselves. So the fact that I could do something as filming a video or tweeting or something about a cause that I really believe in, that there's going to be over 30 million people around the world watching and listening and seeing and raising awareness for those who are really in need of it. And that's what really matters.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:31:53]:
Well, what do you have planned for the rest of your spring? Because I know lots of friends are on spring break as we are recording this show. So what do you have planned next?
Paris Hilton [00:32:01]:
Oh, my goodness. My spring break is very full of work. I've been traveling all around the world. I just got back from Germany two days ago, and now I'm here in Miami. I'm going to be going to Miami after this for the ultra music festival and finish recording my new album. And then I'm off to the Philippines again for my new real estate project, and I'm just enjoying springtime.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:32:22]:
Great. We all saw and read about your real estate project. Are those wonderful new hotels pet friendly?
Paris Hilton [00:32:27]:
Of course they are.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:32:28]:
I thought they would be, so that's wonderful. Any final comments or remarks to our friends?
Paris Hilton [00:32:34]:
Want to say hello to everyone. All the animal lovers out there. I love you all. And everyone should continue fighting for animal rights and doing what's right and giving back in life. And that's why I love american humane and Red Star rescue because they are incredible. They have saved so many lives, and I want them to continue to do that. So everyone support them. And thank you for listening, and I love you guys.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:32:58]:
Thank you.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:32:59]:
That was Paris Hilton, the recipient of our national humanitarian medal. This is Dr. Robin Gantzer. Thank you. And remember, be humane.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:33:06]:
What an inspiration to so many and really a force of nature. Paris Hilton has done so much for animals. And again, through her work and her outreach, we were able to reach tens of millions of people on one evening just to educate them about how to be responsible pet owners and how to really get engaged with American Humane association. It's a testament to her good work that people came to see her and celebrate with her just a few weeks ago in know. We thank Paris for her leadership in the humane movement. Especially want to thank our special guest today, Dr. Marty Becker, for his incredible contributions to just not only the veterinarians in this country, but to all of us who have a very special animal in our lives. I hope you'll tune in next week for another episode of Be Humane.
Dr. Robin Ganzert [00:34:00]:
Until then, let's all work together to build a more humane world. Thank you. And let's remember to all be humane.
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Let's Talk Pets every week on demand, only on PetLifeRadio.com.
Timestamped overview:
00:00 Honoring arson dogs' bravery and victory.
03:20 Cats and dogs benefit from regular walking.
08:41 Transition from mixed animal to human-animal bond.
10:17 Karen Overall discusses adaptive and maladaptive fear.
15:58 Veterinary dermatologists recommend frequent pet bathing.
16:41 Electrostatic pads pick up dirt and allergens.
22:13 Pet health risks: grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, prescriptions.
24:22 Promoting love, protection, and nurturing pet community.
26:49 Passionate support for animal welfare organization.
31:24 Social media empowers global advocacy for animals.
33:06 Paris Hilton's inspirational work for animal welfare.
Key topics and bullets:
Certainly, here is a sequenced outline of the topics covered in the episode of "Pet Life Radio," along with sub-topics for each primary topic:
1. **Introduction to Guests**
- Dr. Marty Becker's accolades and background
- Paris Hilton's recognition as a national humanitarian
- Dr. Robin Ganzert's role with American Humane Association
2. **Paris Hilton's Humanitarian Work and Pet Advocacy**
- National humanitarian medal awarded to Hilton
- Hilton's extensive pet family
- The impact of her social media influence on animal causes
3. **Paris Hilton's Current and Upcoming Projects**
- Plans for a new album and travel
- Real estate developments, including pet-friendly hotels in the Philippines
4. **Pet-Friendly Initiatives and Advocacy**
- Support for American Humane and Red Star Rescue
- Dr. Robin Ganzert's appreciation of Hilton's advocacy
5. **Dr. Marty Becker's Animal Care Insights**
- Reflections on his father's sayings
- Effects of spring on pets and pet bathing misconceptions
- Introduction of Apoquel for pet allergies
- Operation Gray Muzzle's mission for older pets
6. **Older Pets and Fear-Free Veterinary Practices**
- Benefits of adopting older pets
- The transformation from mixed animal practitioner to promoting human-animal bond
- Concept of fear-free visits and certification for veterinary practices
7. **Comprehensive Pet Care Discussions with Dr. Becker**
- Allergy triggers for pets in spring
- Potential hazards for pets, including toxic foods and substances
- Importance of education on pet health via vetstreet.com
8. **Involvement with Animal Welfare Organizations**
- Dr. Becker's commitment to the American Humane Association
- Dr. Robin Ganzert's gratitude for support from Dr. Becker and Paris Hilton
9. **Recognition of Paris Hilton's Contributions**
- American Humane Association's acknowledgment of Hilton's efforts in promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare
10. **Conclusion**
- Encouragement to create a more humane world for pets
- Promotion of the Pet Life Radio platform
These topics highlight the key discussions and messages conveyed in "BeHumane Episode 12: America’s Veterinarian and a National Humanitarian" on the Pet Life Radio podcast.