Chattering with iCatCare

In the April episode of Chattering with International Cat Care, host Yaiza Gómez-Mejías introduces two conversations that highlight just how complex feline diagnostics can be.

First, Dr Llibertat Real Sampietro discusses her JFMS Open Reports case study on fatal disseminated toxoplasmosis in an otherwise healthy cat. She outlines the parasite’s transmission, the clinical signs that may raise suspicion, and the value of serology and PCR in confirming infection.

Then, Dr Kelly St Denis is joined by Dr Frane Banovic to discuss the first of two JFMS Clinical Spotlight articles on immune-mediated skin dise...

In the March episode of Chattering with International Cat Care, host Yaiza Gómez-Mejías explores the nutritional management of comorbidities in cats and the specialisation of feline medicine.

Yaiza interviews Dr Rachel Korman about the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists’ feline chapter and its recognised postgraduate qualification. Dr Korman discusses the chapter’s objectives, examination format, preparation strategies, and global reach.

The episode also features Dr Cecilia Villaverde, who examines the challenges and strategies involved in dietary management for cats with multiple health conditions. She emphasises the importance of a thorough nutrit...

In the February episode of Chattering With International Cat Care, host Yaiza Gómez-Mejías discusses the new consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of feline lower urinary tract disease in cats with authors Sam Taylor and Rachel Korman. They discuss the challenges and nuances of developing these guidelines and emphasize the importance of comprehensive history-taking for accurate diagnosis.

Additionally, Sarah Ellis interviews Noema Gajdoš Kmecová, the winner of the International Cat Care Welfare Research Award, about her study on the Home Feline Stress Score (HFSS). Gajdoš explains how her research, inspired by a previous study, highl...

In the January episode of 'Chattering with International Cat Care,' host Yaiza Gomez-Mejias interviews Emma LaVigne about her award-winning research on the treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) with GS and the effects of co-infection with feline leukemia virus (FELV). Emma shares her personal journey and motivation for the study, as well as the methods and results showing equivalent survival rates. 

The episode also revisits a discussion with Tamsin Durston on the stages of motivational interviewing, emphasizing pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance, and how veterinarians can support clients throughout these stages.

For further r...

In the December episode of Chattering with ISFM, host Nathalie Dowgray explores how advancements in communication strategies and genetic science are shaping feline welfare.

Yaiza Gomez-Mejias and Tamsin Durston discuss the benefits of positive psychology in veterinary care, highlighting how effective client communication and behaviour change can enhance the wellbeing of both animals and their caregivers. This episode features the first part of their conversation, with part two to follow in a future episode.

In the second segment, Kelly St. Denis interviews Leslie Lyons about feline genetic testing. Their conversation uncovers the role of DNA...

In the November episode of Chattering with ISFM, we’re diving into the complexities of feline pain management to help you feel more empowered and informed. Our episode highlights the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS) Special Collection 2024 on pain and pain management in cats, bringing together some of the latest research, insights, and expert perspectives in the field.

To start, Yaiza Gomez-Mejias speaks with Sabrine Marangoni, who shares key findings from her award-winning study on pain behaviours in kittens undergoing ovariohysterectomy. They discuss the importance of recognizing subtle pain indicators in young cats, the effectiveness of...

In the October episode of Chattering with ISFM, host Nathalie Dowgray presents two detailed discussions on important feline health topics - gastrointestinal and renal health.

First, Yaiza Gomez-Mejias interviews Sina Marsilio on feline chronic enteropathies, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal lymphoma and the diagnostic challenges of distinguishing small cell lymphoma from IBD. Marsilio discusses recent advances in the field, drawing from her recent work on the ACVIM consensus guidelines for ‘diagnosing and distinguishing low-grade neoplastic from inflammatory lymphocytic chronic enteropathies.’ 

Later, Kelly St. Denis speaks with Jonathan Stockman about his JFMS Clinical Spotlight artic...

In this episode of Chattering with ISFM, Nathalie Dowgray interviews Dr Hugo Swanstein about his JFMS Clinical Spotlight article on Feline-Friendly Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). We also return to Dr Sarah Ellis and Dr Daniel Mills for Part Two of their conversation on the use of pheromones in cats.

Dr Ellis and Dr Mills delve into the methods of delivering pheromones in veterinary care, how to use them effectively, and the scepticism surrounding these products. They clarify the differences between pheromones and odour therapy, while touching on the industry's lack of regulation.

Later, Dr...

Join us as we discuss the fascinating world of feline communication, exploring howcats use chemical signals to interact with their environment and each other. Additionally, we shall shed light on a rational approach to using gastroprotectants in cats, providing invaluable insights for veterinary practitioners.

In Part One of our discussion, Dr Sarah Ellis and Dr Daniel Mills talk about thecomplexities of pheromone use in cats, emphasising the differences between scents and pheromones and their impact on emotional processing. They also highlight the importance of understanding pheromones in assessing feline behaviour. Part Two of their discussion will be...

This month is all about feline feng shui and how to defuse tension in multi-cat households. We will be discussing International Cat Cares' new carer guidelines on encouraging cats to drink and AAFP’s Inter-cat Tension Guidelines. Please see the links below to read these guidelines.

Dr. Yaiza Gomez Mejias sits down with the winner of the RCVS Inspiration Award, Alex Taylor, to address the issues surrounding feline hydration and offer practical tips for encouraging water intake in cats. 

Dr. Kelly St. Denis then speaks with Drs Ilona Rodan and...

This month Nathalie Dowgray is joined by Clare Rusbridge for part two of their conversation about neuropathic pain in cats. We then join Kelly St Denis and Julien Guillaumen as they discuss recent advances in feline aortic thromboembolism.

Our episode begins with Professor Clare Rushbridge sharing her expertise on managing neuropathic pain in cats. We discuss the burdens that caregivers face as well as the various tools and medications that she has found to be helpful with her patients.

Dr Kelly St Denis is then joined by Dr Julien Guillaumen to discuss his latest JFMS...

This month our focus is on recognising feline pain. Yaiza Gomez-Meijas is joined by Beatriz Monteiro to discuss the feline grimace scale. Clare Rusbridge then joins Nathalie Dowgray to discuss neuropathic pain in cats.

Our episode begins with Yaiza interviewing Beatriz about her findings from a large bilingual global survey assessing if cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale, an innovation that led to Monteiro winning the JFMS Best Resident Paper Award. The method allows both veterinarians and cat caregivers to evaluate pain based on facial expressions, aiming to bridge the...

This month Yaiza Gomez-Meijas is joined by Cecilia Villaverde to discuss feline nutrition. We are then joined by Kelly St Denis who interviews some of the authors of the 2024 ISFM and AAFP consensus guidelines on the long-term use of NSAIDs in cats.

Our first conversation between Yaiza and Cecilia features a discussion on feline nutrition, specifically protein requirements in cat diets. The conversation highlights the importance of animal tissue in a cat's diet due to essential nutrients and compares raw, homemade, and commercial food options.

Our next conversation delves into the 2024 ISFM and AAFP consensus...

This month Yaiza Gomez-Meijas is joined by Dr Ryane Englar who has published two articles on 'Recasting the gold standard' that were published in the JFMS special collection on Accessible veterinary care. We also continue our discussion about the treatment of invasive fungal infections with Nathalie Dowgray and Prof. Vanessa Barrs.

Our first conversation between Yaiza and Ryane features a discussion on the continuum of care in veterinary medicine, emphasizing a shift from the gold standard approach to more tailored and patient-centred care. Additionally, it delves into strategies for initiating conversations with clients about healthcare options and...

This month Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, talks with Vicky Halls from iCatCare about her work focusing on unowned cats and the new developments in the Cat Friendly Homing program. Later in the episode, Dr Chris Scudder is invited to discuss hypersomatotropism-induced diabetes in cats as part of our JFMS clinical spotlight series.

Vicky talks us through the work she has been leading on unowned cats over the past few years and they discuss the exciting Global Enablers Grant received from Battersea which will aid in the expansion of this program. Vicky's role as Head of Unowned...

This month Nathalie Dowgray is joined by Dr Charalampos Attipa, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh who has been investigating the causes of the FIP outbreak in Cyprus. We also feature our monthly JFMS Clinical Spotlight interview in which Nathalie discussed the diagnostic approach to invasive fungal infections with Professor Vanessa Barrs.

2023 saw a large spike in cases of FIP amongst Cypriot cats. Dr Attipa has been part of an international collaboration investigating the cause of this increase in cases and explains how and why FCOV-23 is different.

We are then joined by Prof...

Our focus this month is on the JFMS Special Collection about accessible veterinary care which is available for you to read using the link below.

Firstly, Nathalie Dowgray sits down with Dr Linda Jacobson, our special guest editor of the collection. We discuss how the collection came to be, the barriers preventing cats from receiving veterinary care and the work she is doing with the Toronto Humane Society to help both cats and caregivers who are struggling.

Nathalie is then joined by International Cat Care’s Head Of Unowned Cats, Vicky Halls, and they speak wi...

Welcome to this bonus episode of Chattering with ISFM, brought to you in collaboration with IDEXX and Purina. In this episode, Nathalie Dowgray is in discussion with Dr. Zoe Belshaw about senior wellness clinics.

Our conversation goes beyond wondering if prevention is better than cure and expands into a discussion about best practices when setting up a wellness clinic, the importance of contextualised care and examines the relationship between the veterinarian, the caregivers and the cat itself. We hope you enjoy this episode!

For further reading material please visit:

https://www.catcare4life...

This month Nathalie Dowgray is speaking with Dr Kelly St. Denis about her study on the benefits of being a Cat Friendly Practice. We also feature our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Nathalie discusses surgical management of biliary tract disease in cats with Dr. Daniel Low.

To begin our episode, Nathalie speaks to Dr. Kelly St. Denis about her study on the benefits of being a cat friendly practice in regards to laboratory testing and improved diagnosis of common feline conditions. Dr. St. Denis discusses her collaboration with AAFP and IDEXX in conducting the study...

This month Nathalie Dowgray is speaking with Dr Panayiotis Mavrikios about the 2023
FIP outbreak in Cyprus. We also feature our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Dr. Kelly St Denis discusses the AAFP/IAAHPC Feline Hospice and Palliative care guidelines with Diane Eigner and Katrina Breitreiter.

To begin our episode, we sit down with an ISFM academy member from Cyprus, Dr
Panayiotis Mavrikios, as he shares what it has been like seeing this volume of FIP cases,
how diagnostics are being selected and what treatment is now available to vets in
Cyprus.<...

This month Dr. Yaiza Gomez-Meijias talks to Dr. Jenny Brown about perioperative
anaesthesia complications. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight
interview in which Dr. Kelly St Denis discusses inhalational therapy for feline
inflammatory airway disease with Dr. Michael  Barchilon (See More…)

To begin our episode, we sit down with our ISFM 2023 Delegates Choice Award Winner, Dr Jenny Brown, as she shares the results of her abstract entitled 'Perioperative Anaesthetic Complications In Healthy Cats Undergoing Anaesthesia For Neutering In First Opinion Practice'.

We are then joined by Dr Michael  Barchilon, to disc...

This month Dr Nathalie Dowgray talks to Dr Sam Taylor about FIP. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Kelly St Denis discusses the feline chronic gingivostomatitis with Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera.

To begin our episode, Nathalie is joined by fellow ISFM team member Sam Taylor. They discuss Sam's latest research on FIP which won the 2023 'scientific committee best abstract' award at the Dublin congress.

Kelly St Denis then sits down with Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera to discuss her JFMS clinical spotlight article ‘Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis - Current concepts in clinical management.’

F...

This month Dr. Karen Hiestand sits down with Dr. Nathalie Dowgray to talk about ethics in veterinary medicine. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Dr Kelly St Denis discusses the feline skin microbiome with Dr. Alison Diesel.


To begin our episode, Nathalie is joined by Veterinary and Animal Ethics Lecturer and
Researcher Dr Karen Heistand. They discuss the intricacies of balancing personal ethical views with those of caregivers or colleagues. Karen shares how she manages difficult ethical decisions and how we can improve things in practice.


Kelly...

This month, as we are discussing topics that are very close to our hearts, we have
made the full version available to non-members. Yaiza Gomez-Mejias interviews the winner of the JFMS Resident best paper, Marieke Knies, about feline diabetes and the FreeStyle Libre. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Nathalie Dowgray discusses Cat Friendly Principles for Veterinary Professionals with her fellow authors.

To begin our episode, Yaiza is joined by Marieke Knies who won the 2022 JFMS Open Reports Best Practitioner Paper with her study on feline diabetes and the FreeStyle Libre...

This month Dr Sam Taylor sits down with Dr Daniel Ryan to talk about feline spinal disease. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Nathalie Dowgray discusses medical control of reproduction in toms, alongside other reproductive issues, with Professor Stefano Romagnoli.

To begin our episode, Dr Sam Taylor is joined by Dr Daniel Ryan who was the winner of the 2022 JFMS Open Reports Best Practitioner Paper. They discuss the different types of disc extrusion, the ways in which they can present in our patients and his tips for diagnosis.

Nathalie then...

This month Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, is in conversation with Dr Sarah Heath about the impact feeding can have on feline behavioural issues. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Nathalie discusses chronic axillary wounds in cats with Dr Rodrigo Paulino.

Recording during ISFM’s Rhodes Congress, Nathalie Dowgray is joined by feline
behavioural specialist Dr Sarah Heath. She provides practical tips to improve feline behaviour when considering how we feed our furry friends in a multi-cat household and advocates for kitten information evenings in your practice to improve feline welfare.

This month Dr. Sam Taylor is in conversation with Dr Matt Gurney about feline sedation and the use of low dose ketamine. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which Head Of ISFM, Nathalie Dowgray, discusses feline urinary tract trauma with Dr Zoë Halfacree.

Recording during ISFM’s Rhodes Congress, Dr Sam Taylor is joined by specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia Dr Matt Gurney. He talks about his early experiences using subcutaneous low dose ketamine, how it can help our patients and the different options they have for sedation.

Nathalie then sits dow...

This month we begin with the first of our 'In Conversations With' sessions, where Dr. Sam Taylor talks with Professor Clare Rusbridge about neuropathic pain. We're also featuring our monthly JFMS clinical spotlight interview in which we discuss feline mandibular fractures with Dr. Alix Freeman

ISFM’s own Dr. Sam Taylor is joined by Professor Clare Rusbridge at our Rhodes Congress to discuss neuropathic pain. We ask what exactly is it? How can we tell when a cat is suffering from neuropathic pain and how do we distinguish it from emotional distress? Are there treatment options for ne...

This month we begin by chatting with Dr. Jessica Quimby about her latest research on kidney disease in cats. We're also featuring the first of our JFMS Clinical Spotlight Interviews with Dr. Katrin Jahn talking about air travel and cats.

Jessica and our host Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, discuss which additional medications you can use to support chronic renal cats with their appetite when suffering with nausea and Jessica talks about her latest study to assess how different medications may affect the blood pressure of our clients.

Nathalie then sits down with...

This month we have the second of our two episodes about feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In June 2022, ISFM Academy Lead Sam Taylor sat down at our Congress in Rhodes with professors Danièlle Gunn-Moore and Séverine Tasker to discuss the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of FIP.

We discuss how we managed to develop drugs for the treatment of FIP in the UK and Australia and how the response has been to those treatments so far. We also offer advice for monitoring our patients, how to navigate situations where there are financial challenges and ho...

This month we have the first of our two episodes about feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In June 2022, ISFM Academy Lead Sam Taylor sat down at our Congress in Rhodes with professors Danièlle Gunn-Moore and Séverine Tasker to discuss the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of FIP.

We discuss the current thoughts on how Coronavirus causes FIP, how general practitioners can approach making a diagnosis and the differences between PCR tests. We also talk about the exciting developments in the treatment of FIP.

For further reading material please visit:

https://ic...

In our first episode, we discuss the new cat-friendly guidelines we’ve created with AAFP: Cat Friendly Interactions: Approach and Handling Techniques and The Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment.

Nathalie Dowgray speaks with Ilona Rodan, Kelly St. Denis, Samantha Taylor, and Sarah Heath - all contributors to the new guidelines. We share some of the positive impacts that we’ve seen and how attitudes have changed in the 10 years since ISFM and AAFP launched the original guidelines - the cat friendly clinic programme and the cat friendly practice programme.

We discuss reasons for updating the...

The International Society Of Feline Medicine is proud to present our new podcast - Chattering With ISFM! Each month, we will cover topics relevant to all veterinarians with an interest in feline medicine. 

Our first episode will be out on the 24th of October, in which, Nathalie Dowgray (Head Of ISFM) chats with Ilona Rodan, Kelly St Denis, Sam Taylor, and Sarah Heath who have contributed to the new cat friendly guidelines,  created with AAFP (The American Association of Feline Practitioners).

We will discuss how things have changed in the last 10 years since the creation of...