Advice on how to get a pet, from the experts - episode 185

So you want to get a pet, but are wondering how to integrate kids and pets. Or, you’re not sure what kind of pet to get, where to get one, or what it will cost. We’re tackling those questions and so many more with the help of two pet experts: Dr. Katy Nelson of The Pet Show, and Dana Humphrey, The Pet Lady!

Kids and pets
Whether you’re looking to add a pet to kids you already have or a kid to pets you already have, there are a lot of factors to consider. The benefits of having a dog for kids can be huge, but so is the responsibility, time, and financial commitment! We invited a couple of pet experts on our podcast to help us sort out what to do and how to do it.

Dr. Katy Nelson
We started with Dr. Katy Nelson, who is a veterinarian and also the host of The Pet Show. She tackled some great pet questions, like

Should you get a rescue dog?How much does a dog cost over it’s entire life?Should you get pet health insurance?How much of a commitment are smaller pets, like rabbits or birds?Do you need to pet-proof your house or apartment?Should you crate train your dog?Should you hire a trainer?Is grain-free dog food better?

From Dr. Katy’s bio:

Dr Katy Nelson is the host and executive producer of “The Pet Show with Dr. Katy” on Washington DC’s WJLA, as well as an associate veterinarian at the Belle Haven Animal Medical Center in Alexandria, VA. She serves as an expert on animal health on Washington DC’s All News Radio Station, WTOP News, as well as on Washington DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA ABC 7. She has been featured on the TODAY Show, Fox & Friends, Sirius XM, NPR, CNBC, The Meredith Vieira Show, HuffPost Live, and is the expert for the second season of the popular show “Unlikely Animal Friends” on NatGeo Wild.

Dr. Katy is the Medical Director of Pet Health for Stop Aging Now, and has her own line of all-natural pet health supplements called Charlie’s Choice. She is a frequent contributor to Family Circle Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Cheddar TV, HuffPost Pets, BarkPost, and is featured in over 200 pet health videos on PetMD.

Dana Humphrey, “The Pet Lady”
Next we talked with Dana Humphrey, who goes by “The Pet Lady,” about how to find the breed you want, teaching children to be gentle with pets, pets and newborn babies, and what you need to have at home for your new dog. From Dana’s bio:

Meet “The Pet Lady,” Dana Humphrey. She happily wears many collars in the pet industry, including operating the very successful Whitegate PR firm, staging pet fashion events, and educating all of us pet lovers about the must-have pet products and pet trends. And, though her home base is in New York City, this is a gal who travels coast-to-coast and beyond to ensure pets everywhere lead enriching lives.

This Week’s Links

Intro (00:00:11)

Rebecca Levey, KidzVuz

Amy Oztan, Amy Ever After

Andrea Smith, technology guru extraordinaire

Interview with Dr. Katy Nelson (00:01:25)

The Pet Show with Dr. Katy

FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease

Interview with The Pet Lady (00:30:13)
The Pet Lady

Adopets

Bytes of the Week (00:41:12)

The Case of the Stolen Ruby Slippers, by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson – The Washington Post Magazine

Sleep Number Relaxation Weighted Blanket

Külkuf

NYT Parenting

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Transcript

You can go to the Parenting Bytes website for an interactive transcript of this episode.