Marty and Laura tackle a stinky problem for pet owners, explaining why holiday grooming can prevent an embarrassing situation.

Anal glands are the dog’s version of the scent glands on a skunk. They also express those glands when they are nervous or afraid. The glands can also become impacted or infected. Pet owners can avoid the embarrassment of their dog scooting his bottom across the carpet during holiday parties with a simple but effective treatment at the vet or groomer.

“They're little glands and they should normally empty when the dog or cat passes a stool and so a firm stool will cause them to empty and just that little bit of material will come out,” Marty said.

Routine exercise, additional fiber in the dog’s diet and regular expression of the glands at home, at the vet or at the groomer will keep your dog healthy and comfortable while preventing noxious fumes and embarrassing behavior!

Marty and Laura offer up five pro tips for a fun and safe holiday with pets. Sidenote, keep your eyes peeled for Marty during the National Dog Show on NBC at noon Thanksgiving Day.

Tip 1… Canned pumpkin, which may well be not entirely pumpkin, is great for dogs and cats! Give them a tablespoon in their food *before* you make the pie.

Tip 2 … Making soup stock from the turkey carcass? Save the cooked veggies for the dog’s dinner so they can join the celebration.

Tip 3 … The microwave is a GREAT food locker to keep the four-legged family out of the food when you turn your back.

Tip 4 … Save a few bucks on fun pet food toppers by looking for “windfall” apples for homemade applesauce, inquiring with your grocery store for bruised produce or checking out online delivery resources like Imperfect Foods.

Tip 5 … Make a batch of *dog* cookies with your holiday baking.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (regular white flour will work as well)
• 1 cup canned pureed pumpkin (don’t use pumpkin pie filling, as it includes additional sugar, fats, and spices like cinnamon that are dangerous to your dog)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners like xylitol)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F.
• Add the pumpkin and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
• Stir in the flour until the mixture creates a dough.
• Roll out the dough about ½ inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut out fall shapes using a small cookie cutter or knife. Bonus points if you use a fall-themed cookie cutter in a pumpkin shape.
• Place the treats about half an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 minutes.
• Let cool completely before giving to your dog to enjoy.

Bone-Appetit!

Recipe inspired by the American Kennel Club. This article contains recipe information that is considered suitable for pets. However, not all pets can tolerate different foods — it depends on their age, health history, and health conditions. It is important to consult with your veterinarian before feeding your pet any new foods or offering your pet any of the ingredients contained in this recipe.

Marty and Laura are giving thanks and a shout out to the heroes of the week, responsible pet owners. These are folks who make sure their pets are fed and trained and vetted even when times are tough.

This week’s giving thanks charity is No Pet Hungry America.

“Millions of families across the country face impossible choices every day between paying rent, buying groceries or feeding their pets. No Pet Hungry America is here to change that.

“We provide pet food, supplies, and resources to keep beloved pets with the people who love them, no matter the circumstances. Together, we can ensure that financial hardship never means losing a furry family member.”

“Responsible pet owners means feeding our pets, taking our pets and doing preventative (veterinary) work, training even if you're doing trick. Our responsible pet owners are working with their pets every day some little bit, right? Maybe you've taught your pet to retrieve the slipper. Maybe you've taught your cat to retrieve a ball. Who knows?

“Our responsible pet owners are doing great work socializing their pets so that if they come visit you at the clinic, they're not terrified because they've been other places and seen things and done stuff. You can teach them some basic skills. You can teach them to have their mouth looked at, you can teach them to have their ears touched and their toenails touched.”

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.

Marty and Laura give thanks for recent science breakthroughs that help our pets live longer, healthier lives. From decoding the canine genome to Artificial Intelligence, our pets are benefitting from scientific research.

Organizations such as the AKC Canine Health Foundation support this research which benefits all dogs, purebred and mixed breed, as well as frequently providing information that expands knowledge for treating human diseases. During the month of giving, we’re suggesting groups to support our pets with your donations.

“The artificial intelligence that's barreling at us is going to be fascinating to see where this takes us,” Marty said. “There's so much that has the potential to happen here, and it may not all be good, but a lot of it really is.”

Canine genome sequencing gave us genetic testing which has helped dog breeders select for healthier animals in hundreds of diseases. The BOAS testing recently developed in the UK is enabling veterinarians to test brachycephalic dogs’ ability to breath, which again allows dog breeders to select for healthy dogs in their matings.

Tap in to catch up on more sciency conversation from Marty and Laura.

Marty and Laura share their thanks for veterinarians and staff who sacrifice to care for our pets.

“We know you're stressed,” Marty said of veterinarians and staff. “Your pet is sick. You were up all night cleaning up whatever it is that you had to clean up. And it's really hard to be gracious and to be lovely on the phone or in person when you're in that stressful situation. But I can't even begin to emphasize how important that is.

“The hardest job that we have at the veterinary clinic is the CSR, the customer service representative, the person that answers the phone, because they're in the squeeze. They're in the squeeze between you as the client calling with a crisis and needing help and the veterinary staff that's already booked full.

“It’s 10 pounds of you know what in a 5 pound bag. And it becomes really a challenge for that receptionist to try and balance the needs of the client versus what the rest of the staff needs are so that we can still provide the quality of care that you want. Because getting you through the door isn't going to help you if the quality of care isn't there.”

This week’s giving opportunity is Not One More Vet which supports veterinarians and staff struggling with mental health crises.

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.

Marty and Laura kick off a month of giving thanks for the pets in our lives. Our animals brighten our days, bring us together with friends, provide companionship and comfort year round. So we decided to celebrate that special connection throughout November.

Since November is the month of giving, we’re also highlighting a different organization dedicated to animals and the people who love them each week. This week Marty shares information about her own non-profit, Pink Paw, which seeks to raise awareness of breast cancer in our pets and funds for desperately needed new research.

And we’re starting this conversation about our special relationships with our pets with a really fascinating deep dive into the ethical, moral and legal ramifications of language around our pets. Terms like “fur baby” and “pet parent” can have serious long-term unintended consequences.

“There has to be somewhere in the middle that we have a being that's alive that's different than your toaster, but is technically not a human, so it's not part of your family,” Marty noted, putting on her lawyer hat. “There's been all kinds of cases that people have tried to bring creatures into the category of humans, and we have to be really careful as a society. Because if we cross that line, we're going to end up with some very serious issues.

“If the dog equals a human and you need to put your dog down for behavioral euthanasia, for example, now are we committing murder?”

Tap in to join Marty and Laura as they tackle these and other huge questions around our unique and important relationships with our pets. Like and share with friends and family!

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.

Marty and Laura are joined by Glinda the Good Witch to talk about Halloween and the fun, as well as potential pitfalls, for our pets.

“Everybody wants to address their pet up in a cute little costume,” Marty noted. “And you know, some of them are fine and the pets are comfortable in them and they're not scary and they're really cute. And sometimes we're expecting just a little too much of our pets, depending on the pet and what they like.

“We have to respect there are some pets that are happy to wear clothing. And they're cute and they are comfortable in it and it's adorable. And then there are pets who are not, especially if it covers their head or it makes weird noises or it's crinkly or it's weird or anything.

“And so you have to really be thinking about whether this makes your pet comfortable or uncomfortable. And if they're not comfortable in it, don't scare them. Put it on like for two seconds. Get a quick picture, put it on Facebook and then put the costume away. Your pet will tell you.

“If you're expecting your pet to be part of the group that goes trick or treating, then get them used to the costumes in advance so that they know what you're going to look like. Usually if you're wearing something over your face or on your head, it changes your profile and your pet really identifies a lot, not by looking just at your face, but how you look in profile.

“You have to acclimate them so that they're comfortable with that kind of situation if you're expecting them to go skipping down the street with them on a leash while you're taking the kids trick or treating. They're gonna see other strange creatures and zombies and you know, I think it's really important to have realistic expectations of our pets.”

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.

Marty and Laura talk about the concept of fear free handling of pets by veterinarians and groomers. A concept popularized by veterinarian Dr. Sophia Yin, the reality of working with pets to lower their stress in new situations isn’t all that new, Marty noted.

“I think fear free and low stress handling are important techniques. But this isn't new. And that's part of the frustration that I have with this, is we've always done things this way. It didn't have a name back then, but we've always put peanut butter on cookies and we've always put cheese out and we've always gotten out the chicken baby food for the cats and the puppies. So to me, a lot of this isn't as new or revolutionary as it would lead you to believe.

“(Yin) started teaching techniques for veterinary staff and veterinarians to handle pets that came to the office so that they would have an easier time accepting the care. The people that owned them would have an easier time seeing what was happening and the veterinarians and veterinary staff were safer. So I think those are all really important things to consider. Those are all real things. Cats like to bite and scratch veterinarians. Dogs get a little panicked sometimes.

“It's important to veterinarians that we have our staff safe, that we're safe, that the clients are safe. I think it's really important that we look at the psychological effects of our staff because they don't want to force pets to do anything. And we look at the psychology of the pet. And that's where it really becomes important is that every time that the pet has a bad experience at a veterinary clinic, it can remind them the next time that they come in, then it's unfavorable.

“What I don't like about ‘fear free, low stress’ is that those sentences lead off with a negative term. And personally, that sort of rubs me the wrong way. And it's not that I think the philosophy behind it is bad. I think the terminology is problematic for me because I don't want anybody to say, well, what do you mean it's fear free? Was there something they were supposed to be afraid of? It sets up the expectation that the veterinarian is a scary place and that shouldn't be the expectation, right? And that's my concern is that it leads with a negative.”

The Marty & Laura Show is produced by Pure Dog Talk Inc., with sound design and editing by Premium Audio Services.