Winn Feline Foundation Podcasts On Feline Health

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast is presented by Dr. Glenn Olah, a cat veterinary specialist in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Olah has written articles about cat health for a number of different veterinary publications. He has been on the board of Winn Feline Foundation since 2012. He will cover much of the exciting research Winn has funded in recent years and discuss where the future of cat health is headed.

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast is presented by Dr. Drew Weigner, a veterinarian for cats from the Atlanta, GA area. Dr. Weigner has practiced medicine for more than 35 years and is one of the first established feline practitioners. He has been on the board of Winn Feline Foundation since 2014. He will cover the history of Winn from its inception in 1968   and the top advances in feline medicine Winn Feline has been involved with over the years.  

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast is presented by Dr. Jody Gookin, a distinguished professor at North Carolina State University. The first part of the presentation discusses bacterial causes, in particular E. coli, of diarrhea and mortality in kittens. The latter half of her talk covers information about the parasite, Tritrichomonas foetus, that causes large bowel diarrhea in kittens and cats. Dr. Gookin covers information about her research on these significant causes of diarrhea in cats.

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast is presented by Mr. Steve Dale, well-known radio personality and a Certified Behavior Consultant, discussing inappropriate elimination and the strategies to diagnose and treat this behavioral problem in cats. A discussion about the importance of environmental enrichment for the welfare of cats and as an approach to preventing or eliminating such behaviors.

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast features Dr. Emily Graff, a clinical pathologist specializing in neurologic disease, discussing inherited genetic neurologic disorders in cats and her work determining ways to treat and improve the lives of affected kittens and cats.    

Join us at the first combined educational event in Timonium, MD on June 21, 2019 presented in collaboration between Winn Feline Foundation (Winn), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). This podcast features Dr. Katie Lytle from Wisdom Health discussing how to understand and apply DNA panel testing to increase genetic fitness in cats. Wisdom Health has worked with TICA to collect DNA data on well over 100 cats to determine genetic diversity among different cat breeds.   Dr. Lytle's presentation will cover the results from this collaboration and how it impacts cats in general. Wisdom Health has supported cat health research by sponsoring grants for approved future feline research in genetics.

Please join Winn Feline Foundation at the second half of our 40th Annual Symposium with Dr. Melissa Beall, DVM, PhD, of IDEXX Laboratories, Portland, ME.  Despite its discovery over 50 years ago, the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) continues to challenge our thinking about the nature of the disease and our ability to diagnose the infection.  Testing, vaccination, and segregating progressively infected cats remain effective practices to help control the spread of the disease. Results of this new research are helping to inform improvements in medical decisions and long-term patient care.

Please join Winn Feline Foundation's 40th Annual Symposium on June 28th, 2018 with our speaker, Katie Tolbert, DVM, PhD, DACVIM from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Trichomonosis is a rapidly emerging infectious disease of cats that is caused by the parasite, Tritrichomonas foetus. Unfortunately, little is understood about how this parasite causes disease and what methods can be used to treat it. Dr. Tolbert will discuss why infectious diarrhea such as that caused by T. foetusis such a concern for catteries and shelters. She will also share the results of her Winn-sponsored research investigating therapies for the treatment gastrointestinal ulceration in cats.  

Dr. Niels Pedersen, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, discusses the current prospects for preventing and treating feline infectious peritonitis in cats. FIP has remained a major problem of cats for over five decades. We now understand where and how the virus that causes FIP mutates from the ubiquitous and otherwise innocuous feline coronavirus (FECV). However, we are only just beginning to untangle the complex virus, host and environmental factors that have the most effect on FIP incidence and how this knowledge can be applied to both disease prevention and cure. Following Dr. Pedersen's outstanding presentation, Dr. Vicki Thayer, executive director of Winn Feline Foundation, will introduce Winn's future Cures4CatsDay for October 21, 2017. Questions and answers by Dr. Pedersen will follow that short presentation.

Join Steve Dale, Master of Ceremonies and Winn board member, as he introduces retiring Winn President Dr. Glenn Olah. Dr. Olah covers Winn's recent efforts and the funding of the largest single grant review in Winn's 50 year history. 11 research grants for a total of $214,017. Dr. Olah also introduces the incoming Winn President, Dr. Shila Nordone, and then the founder of the Bria Fund, Susan Gingrich. Susan covers the history and progress the Bria Fund has made in raising funds for FIP research. At the end, she is followed with a short presentation by Peter Cohen, Zen by Cat, owner of Smokey, a cat surviving feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) due to treatment through Dr. Niels Pedersen initial clinical trial with an antiviral drug, GC376, a protease inhibitor.

Join Dr. Glenn Olah and the audience at the 2016 Winn Symposium for a lively Q&A session with Drs. Leslie Lyons and Nicholas Dodman. Speakers at Winn Symposiums provide excellent answers to important questions from our audience. We at Winn thank you for listening.

Dr. Dodman provided information on the common presentation of three compulsive behaviors in cats - wool sucking/pica, psychogenic alopecia and feline hyperesthesia syndrome. He addressed the cause and treatment of each disorder, including genetic foundations, environmental pressures that trigger them, and environmental and pharmacologic therapies that have been shown to reduce, or in some cases practically eliminate their expression. He outlined a phenotypic study of wool sucking funded by Winn, listing potential causes and preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the occurrence of this troubling and occasionally lethal condition. Also, Dr. Dodman discussed findings of a Winn-funded study to locate atypical genomic regions in Birman cats affected with this condition.

In a short segment, Dr. Glenn Olah introduces the Winn Feline Foundation board members in the audience. Dr. Olah introduces the second speaker for the 2016 Symposium, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, MRCVS, DACVA, DACVB. Dr. Dodman has just retired and was a Professor at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He is an expert in behavior and covered Feline Compulsive Disorders in his presentation.  

Dr. Lyons presented a review of her work, then lead into a description of “Precision Medicine”, which is now available for humans, and its role in the future of feline medicine. Gene-specific DNA-based tests for inherited diseases have been available for veterinary health care in cats for over 25 years. Now over 40 genes with nearly 70 DNA variants have been documented to cause phenotypic, disease or blood type variations. More recently, the entire genomes of dozens of cats have been sequenced, rapidly gleaning the genetic information that is controlling health and what an animal looks like. In the coming years, veterinarians will be performing whole genome screens of some kind as a routine component of a disease diagnosis. Whether for tumors or other diseases, the DNA results will routinely direct future therapies.

Dr. Glenn Olah, President of Winn Feline Foundation, gives a brief history of Winn's major research milestones from 1968 and in recent years. Dr. Olah introduces the first speaker, Dr. Leslie Lyons, for the 2016 Winn Symposium. Dr. Lyons, PhD, is the Gilbreath-McLorn Endowed Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine. The introduction delivers background on the cutting edge feline medicine Winn has provided to cats over the years and the exceptional investigators like Dr. Lyons who perform the health studies.

Dr. Vicki Thayer, Executive Director of Winn Feline Foundation, interviews Dr. Jody Gookin of North Carolina State University about her recently funded 2016 research project (W16-053), Efficacy of a new treatment for cats with ronidazole-resistant Tritrichomonas foetus infection.  Tritrichomonas foetus (TF) is a parasitic infection that causes foul relapsing bouts of diarrhea in cats from every corner of the world. Only the drug ronidazole has been identified as effective in treating TF infection but 36% of cats fail to clinically benefit from the drug and others suffer from drug toxicity. An alternative drug has been identified that is 10 times more effective than ronidazole at killing feline TF. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness and safety of this alternative drug for treatment of cats with TF infection and diarrhea and that failed prior treatment with ronidazole.

Winn Feline Foundation's Executive Director, Dr. Vicki Thayer, interviews a currently funded researcher, Dr. Katie Tolbert of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, about a protozoal organism called Tritrichomonas foetus that causes chronic diarrhea in cats.  Dr. Tolbert describes her two ongoing studies on this disease and how this research might provide answers on diagnosing and possibly preventing this frustrating condition in cats. She also follows up with her plans for future research she believes would be valuable for improving cat's lives and she hopes that Winn will be able to fund in future years. The interview was conducted after Dr. Tolbert spoke at the American Animal Hospital Conference in Austin, TX for the Winn Feline Foundation sponsored CE track.

Join Winn Feline Foundation's Executive Director, Dr. Vicki Thayer, in a conversation with Dr. Colleen Currigan. Dr. Currigan is the President-Elect of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and with the Cat Hospital of Chicago. The conversation covers some of the exciting new programs both Winn and AAFP are undertaking. With National Technician's Week in October, Winn has a new program, Honor a Technician, that recognizes the significant role licensed Veterinary Technicians play in veterinary practice. AAFP has their fast growing initiative for Cat Friendly Practice which has tools for team members such as veterinary technicians to help cats have a stress-free veterinary experience. Winn Feline Foundation endorses the importance of the Cat Friendly Practice for cats and the veterinary team. Learn more about how these programs can benefit cats and the people who love them. Winn Feline Foundation and AAFP are collaborating in efforts to tell others how important cats are to us in our daily liv

Please join us at the 37th annual Winn Symposium in Toronto on July 2, 2015. Steve Dale, internationally known radio personality and Master of Ceremonies, introduces Dr. Craig Webb, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Associate Professor from Colorado State University. Following is a Question and Answer session with Drs. Jody Gookin and Dr. Webb. Dr. Webb presents "Feline stem cells as a novel treatment for chronic intestinal disease in cats". While the search for solutions to the common problem of chronic diarrhea in cats continues, Winn research is at the forefront of new potential therapies.  Evidence-based treatments of dietary intervention, Vitamin B12 supplementation, and probiotics will be briefly reviewed. Potential beneficial treatment regimens have been identified, as the properties and use of stem cells for various treatments are better understood. One example is fat-derived feline stem cells whose abundant properties appear to make them suited for the treatment of feline chronic intestinal disease or diarrhea. D

Please join us at the 37th annual Winn Feline Foundation Symposium in Toronto on July 2, 2015. Steve Dale, internationally known radio personality and Master of Ceremonies, introduces Dr. Jody Gookin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Associate Professor from North Carolina State University. Dr. Gookin presents "Understanding the probiotic versus pathogenic role of gut bacteria in kittens with diarrhea".She will cover her Winn sponsored research into the role of intestinal bacteria, specifically enterococci and pathogenic E. coli, in causing diarrhea and diarrhea-associated death in kittens. Discussion will include the discovery of the role these bacteria play in health and disease in kittens. Collaboration among several organizations has led to a better understanding of the bacteria both through modeling the pathogenic effects of the bacteria in the laboratory and case studies in kittens in foster or shelter care. She will also review the progress research has made in developing tests and treatment approaches for such cr