This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as BlogPaws 2015: Networking, Pets, Media and More.
I greatly enjoy the opportunity to return to the annual BlogPaws convention to see my fellow pet media colleagues and establish new connections to brands. This was my sixth BlogPaws and I’ve witnessed the evolution of the event over the years and through my involvement with Pet360.
Speaking About Pet Cancer Awareness
As a veterinarian, I have much to say about pet health and strive to do so in a variety of media formats. The topic of canine and feline cancer is one that is very near and dear to me, considering I work at Veterinary Cancer Group and saw my dog Cardiff through the complicated process of cancer (T-Cell Lymphoma) diagnosis and treatment in 2013-2014.
This year, I elected to share my holistic veterinary perspective on cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention in a BlogPaws learning session titled: The Integrative Approach to Canine Lymphoma Treatment: A Case Study. A preview to the presentation was given in February 2015 through the following BlogPaws Shares & Cares Google Plus chat.
I’d like to thank everyone who attended my lecture. I hope I provided some insights that you can apply to your pet's healthcare.
Bonding with Dr. Julie Buzby
I’m always enthused to learn of products that improve the quality of life of my patients. For years, I’ve been placing Dr. Julie Buzby’s ToeGrips on the nails of my canine patients having difficulty navigating slippery floors and noting their improved movement and reduced rate of injury while simply trying to exist their own home environment.
Just before BlogPaws, my client Jane Lynch took to Twitter to share a photo of me applying ToeGrips to her senior Belgian Malinois (with a photo bomb by her other dog, Olivia, a Lhasa Apso) with her 1.9 million followers. I shared Lynch’s tweet with Dr. Buzby, who then informed me that we’d soon meet at BlogPaws. It was a pleasure to finally put a name with a product about which I feel so highly and has such value to promote the betterment of mobility-compromised dogs.
Meeting Dr. Katy Nelson
Besides being veterinarians, Dr. Nelson and I have many things in common. She currently resides in Washington, DC, where I lived for five years upon completing veterinary school at University of Pennsylvania and matching for an internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals. Additionally, we both are involved in the realm of veterinary media. I highly respect the message of canine and feline health and fitness Dr. Nelson spreads on The Pet Show with Dr. Katy Nelson and her other media projects. After a fortuitous meeting at the tail end of BlogPaws, Dr. Nelson and I established that we should join forces and collaborate on a holistic health Q&A session on her show. With that seed planted simply because we both happened to attend the same event, hopefully we’ll soon work together to share our perspectives on promoting pet wellness and preventing illness.
Getting to Know Lucy Pet Products
A big part of my veterinary practice involves preventing my patients, including Cardiff, from being exposed to toxins that are harmful to the body. Some shampoos, conditioners and other cleansing products commonly used on pets are a surprising potential source of carcinogens. In 2013, I discovered that a shampoo I had been recommending for my patients contained a cancer-causing compound called Diethlanolamine (DEA). In 2012, DEA was included in California’s list of chemicals known to cause cancer or toxicity. This discovery motivated me to stop using products having DEA and to share the news via PetMD’s The Daily Vet blog.
It was fortuitous that I ran into my veterinary pal Dr. Karen Halligan and her associates from The Lucy Pet Foundation at BlogPaws 2015. One of Lucy Pet Foundation’s mascots, a Golden Retriever named Jack, was on hand to spread the positive message of pet adoption. Jack was rescued from unfortunate circumstances and now leads a grand life of a brand ambassador. Jack’s likeness is even featured on Surfin’ Jack™ Moisturizing Coconut Shampoo for Dogs. Through Lucy Pet Products, I’m glad to now have resources to keep Cardiff and my patients’ coats clean without exposing them to harmful chemicals. Part of the proceeds from Lucy Pet Products helps to fund the mobile veterinary and adoption services Dr. Halligan and her team offer through The Lucy Pet Foundation.
Being Entertained by the Nose to Nose Awards
BlogPaws recognizes bloggers and others in pet media that use their influence to promote animal welfare causes through the Nose to Nose Awards. This year the awards was hosted by the hilarious duo of celebrity dog trainer and author Harrison Forbes and Mars Petcare's veterinary nutritionist Dr. Tiffany Bierer.
The audience was treated to Forbes’ musical stylings to open the show and witnessed moving speeches by many of the award winners. The entire broadcast can be found on YouTube.
In my years of going to BlogPaws, I have to say that this year’s awards show was the most entertaining due to the efforts of Forbes and Bierer.
That’s a wrap of the goings on at BlogPaws 2015. I hope that you’ll join us for 2016’s event in Phoenix, AZ.
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond). Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2015) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.