Ep. 630 - Hunting with Your Best Friend: Essential Tips for Waterfowl Dogs

In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Matt Harrison welcomes Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, a senior veterinarian from Purina and an expert in canine care, to discuss dogs' vital role in waterfowl hunting. Dr. Lobos shares her extensive knowledge, offering valuable insights into the dos and don'ts of hunting with your dog. Listeners will gain practical tips to ensure their canine companions are healthy, safe, and effective while out in the field. With a background rooted in veterinary medicine and a passion for outdoor adventures, Dr. Lobos is well-equipped to help hunters make the most of their experience with their four-legged friends. Tune in for an informative and engaging conversation that promises to enhance your hunting outings with your dog!

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Creators & Guests

Host

Matt Harrison

DUPodcast Outdoor Host

What is Ducks Unlimited Podcast?

Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

Matt Harrison: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Ducks Unlimited podcast. I'm your host, Matt Harrison, and today we have on with us Dr. RuthAnn Lobos from Purina, who is their senior veterinarian and also one of my really good friends that I've had the opportunity to spend some time with in the duck woods and just be able to talk and have some great conversations. So Dr. RuthAnn, it is so, so good to have you on. How are you doing?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Matt, I am so excited to be here. Can't think of anything I'd rather do than talk about dogs and hunting.

Matt Harrison: I know it. I am super excited because I've had the opportunity to kind of pick your brain a little bit about waterfowl hunting with our best friends, which is a dog, and you know, you have so, so much good information. So I was like, you know, who would be a really good person to have on this podcast and kind of tell all of our listeners who also chase waterfowl that have a dog to give us great information. I was like, no other than Dr. RuthAnn. So I'm super excited about this episode because I know that you're going to give us some awesome information. I know that our listeners are going to be Extremely benefited from this. So we're going to jump off here in just a little bit, kind of talking about the things that we need to watch out for, the do's and the don'ts with having our pet and sharing the woods with them. But before we do that, Dr. RuthAnn, would you mind just giving us a little bit of background about yourself and kind of how you got started with Purina and what you do for him?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah, sure. I'd be happy to. So I am a senior veterinarian, as you mentioned. I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, went to LSU for undergrad and for veterinary school, and so I'm a diehard LSU Tiger fan. We're having a great year, but I won't go That's right. I won't go down that rabbit hole. I know we got to focus on uh on ducks and dogs today. So um, but yeah, I I was in private practice for about two and a half years and then had the opportunity to uh, join kareena and even though when I interviewed I said I would only be here for about three to five years, um, it'll be 19 coming up next month and I Drank the Purina Kool-Aid and I just love this company for its dedication to advancing the nutrition of dogs and cats and really just dedicated to keeping people and pets together in whatever format that looks like. And in this space, our efforts to support conservation, which allows us to have the space to go out there with our dogs and chase down some ducks.

Matt Harrison: Absolutely. Absolutely. And thank you so much for giving us that background. Like I said, I've had the opportunity to spend some time with you and just pick your brain. And we're going to dive off into a series of questions. And one of the first things I want to talk about, because I know a lot of our listeners also have dogs that they hunt with, some just pets, and some hardcore waterfowl hunters and their dogs. So I want to talk about First and foremost, because, you know, we're here, some places obviously already started their waterfowl season, but then also some states have not. So, I want to talk about how important it is to keep our dogs in good condition before season starts because, you know, there's There's some hunters out there that may only take their dog two or three times a season, but then there's some, you know, I have, I have personal friends that take their dog 40, 30, 40, 50 times a season. And you know, they're wide open, wide open the whole, whole season. So, it's so important making sure they're in the right condition that they need to be heading into a season. So, can you please just talk a little bit about the importance of keeping your dog in good shape and what are some things that us waterfowl hunters can do to make sure our dogs are in the right condition heading into a waterfowl season?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah. I mean, just like us, right? If we're going to go run a 5K and we've never run before in our lives, we're going to train for it. I am in the process about two weeks out of running the New York City Marathon. So that's something I've been training for. I know, craziness. I've been training for that for probably about the last 12 or 13 weeks. And I'm fortunate, I didn't mention this in the intro part, but I'm an adult onset hunter, so I started hunting just around the time of the pandemic. And thankfully, I have a heart-charging athletic yellow Labrador in my life who has started out as my running buddy and now has turned into my hunting buddy and we've gone on all kinds of adventures together so he's been training right alongside me which helps for his season his hunting season as well so And I know we're a couple weeks out, so it's probably in some places and spaces. So going on a, like I used to do in college, and cramming for exams. We don't necessarily want to have our dogs cram for hunting season, but You know, it is, it is such, you know, especially in the waterfowl world, you know, swimming and running through those fields is aerobic for them. And they are, you know, our dogs are set up for endurance. And so they, you know, they get into condition a lot, probably a lot more quickly than we do. But still having those opportunities to, you know, if you've got space out there, get them swimming, you know, in and builds that gradually and we like to say you know you you want about a 10 10 to 15 percent increase of activity per week and so we don't totally blow them up but you know getting them out there swimming and you know if you're an area with hills going up and down hills is a great exercise really for kind of isolating the strength in their front legs and back legs as they go up and down those hills. But I would say the biggest thing that will set them up for a lifetime of success is keeping them in ideal body condition. So It is, and I know we have probably a lot of listeners out there have Labradors at home and having a lab myself, I know how hard it is to resist their constant begging. And we did just discover that some Labradors in particular are actually missing a gene in their body that lets them know that they are full. So we do know that labs will beg all the time and sometimes it's not their fault. Sometimes it is their genetics. However, we as the human part of this equation need to monitor how much food we're giving them, how many treats we're giving them, how much extra pizza crust or whatever it may be that falls into their mouths is our responsibility. And it's not hard to figure out if your dog is the right weight. People ask me, I still practice on the side as well. So I'm in a clinic a couple of days a month and People are always like, I don't know, he weighs 70 pounds, is that the right weight for him? And really, it depends on their body structure, right? So my Labrador is super tall, he's a field bred Lab, so he's got longer legs. And so he does, he weighs 72 pounds, but he is lean. You have some of the other dogs, like some of the British lads are a little bit shorter. So 70 pounds on that frame might not be right for them. It's just three simple steps. It's super easy. So you want to put your hands on the sides of their ribs and you should be able to easily feel their rib cage. And then when you look at them from above, they should have a nice little hourglass shape. So their waistline should go in and their hips should flare out a little bit. And then when you look at them from the side, their ribcage should be lower than their belly. If they're starting to look like a log, they are not in ideal body condition. So it is so important, not only for their lifestyle,

Matt Harrison: So look more for the hourglass and not the log.

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Exactly. We don't want our Labradors to be walking Ottomans. Not if we want them hunting with us for a long time.

Matt Harrison: Oh man. And you know, it's crazy just thinking about it like that. You know, we make it a lot of times way more complicated than it actually is whenever it comes to making sure our dogs are in the right condition and also finding ways to make sure We're doing what's best for them. Because like you said, it's, we've all been there, you know, they walk up and they want what you want. And, you know, if you got it, a lot of times you, oh, I accidentally dropped that. So, you know, it's tough because, you know, labs, especially, you know, they have that nature just to come up and like, hey, give me a piece of that. You know, that's super helpful because, you know, a lot of times we just miss out on the simple things of realizing, hey, you know, our dog's not in the best condition that they should be. And, you know, I've seen it. I've seen it in all walks of the waterfowl stage. You know, just a lot of hunters don't quite take it as serious as it needs to be because, like you said, later on in their years, That's so much more important, realizing, hey, making sure they're in the condition and shape that they need to be in. Like you said, it's the same for us, you know, we've got to take care of our bodies and we've got to do the same for our best friends. So it's just so important to realize and, you know, thank you so much for taking time to kind of explain that a little bit more. And that leads us kind of into our next question. And the topic I want you to talk about is kind of the opposite or also plays hand in hand and being in the right condition that they need to be. And that's signs of fatigue. How can we tell, you know, when our dogs and our pets aren't exactly where they should be? And we know that, but a lot of times us waterfowl hunters, we have, you know, we have our blinders on, we're 90 to nothing. We're out chasing ducks all year round and we just don't really pick up on the little things that we need to, such as fatigue. So, what are some ways our listeners and myself, because I need to be aware of these things as well, what are some things that dogs may be showing to us and telling us that we don't quite pick up on that we need to be looking for when it comes to our dogs being fatigued and tired?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Certainly, at the beginning of the season when it's still as warm as it's been, that heat can cause fatigue to happen a little bit more quickly and then vice versa on those cold, wet days where the sun doesn't come out. We oftentimes, our dogs will be burning so much energy trying to keep themselves warm that those signs of fatigue of, you know, not being as responsive, not being as excited about jumping in there, maybe sticking a little closer than they normally do when you're in that blind, you know, things like that are all kind of the some of the subtle signs that they're getting a little exhausted. And then I think the other thing to keep in mind is good recovery days. So for example, Finn, he's nine. I don't like to admit it, but he is a senior dog. So our dogs technically, physiologically turn senior at about age seven. So Finn is a senior guy, which means he does not bounce back as quickly as he did when he was five, six years old. So really, that doesn't mean his career is over. It just means I need to be more cognizant of if we go hunting two or three or four days in a row, that's going to take a toll on him and he's going to need more days to recover. and really be able to be at his peak. And so that's certainly, again, something we need to factor in is the age of the dog, and vice versa for our younger dogs. A lot of people will start their dogs hunting before a year of age, and those dogs, if they are still growing, a lot of their energy is being focused on developing their bodies, and so when we put that physical and mental strain on them of hunting, that in itself can zap their energy just a little bit more quickly than when we're in those sweet spots of their middle years when they're at their primes.

Matt Harrison: Yeah, and talking about that, you know, just it's fascinating to think, you know, how just amazing the animals are and how, you know, they're constantly, the day in, day out, you know, they're wide open for a lot of these waterfowl hunters, you know, they continue just to show up every single day and get after it and, you know. They, they do get tired, but you know, it's unbelievable to see how they just bounce back every single day. You know, I've been some around, around some amazing, amazing, you know, waterfowl dogs, and you know, they just, every single morning, it's like they're ready to go, they're ready to go, they're ready to go. You know, it's like they're never not ready to go, and just thinking about, you know, how we can pick up on those days that they don't have the same exact kind of get up that they did. And let's just say, let's say for example, you know, they do, we do pick up, you know, like, Hey, you know, he's not, he's not answering to, to the whistle as well. He's not listening to commands as well. Let's say we do decide, Hey, you know, he's, he's worn out. He's tired. He's been going at it here a lot lately, just wide open when it does come to recovery days. How can we kind of decipher from, hey, you know, we know that he's, he's tired, but he's not just absolutely worn out. Does a day, is it two days? What are kind of some precautions we can kind of look into and, you know, how does a waterfowl hunter go about kind of getting his dog back on track? Like, is it something that we say, hey, you know, a day and he'll be ready to go again? Or is it, hey, look, he's, he's worn out. Let's, let's, let's give him a couple hunts off. Can you talk a little bit about how we decipher on, hey, he needs a big break or a small break?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah. I think a lot of that is probably an answer your listeners don't want to hear, but it is so very individual on how fast they recover. But a lot of it, again, depends on their age, right? Finn at nine is, you know, we do a lot of upland game hunting as well. And I've seen it last year. We haven't gone out yet this year, but last year it was like, okay, you know, after like two days, he needs a half a day. He needs a half a day rest. It also depends on how many dogs you're hunting with. We also have a new puppy in our life named Journey, and now she's 10 months old, a wire-haired pointing griffon. She's a versatile dog for us, but she'll be a duck dog as well. If you're hunting, one of the reasons we got her was give some relief to Finn as he goes into his double-digit years. But as a solo dog, it's a lot for him to go multiple days in a row. And so I think having that good relationship with your veterinarian who can also give you guidance on your individual dog. So It will, you know, if they're in good body condition and they are, you know, they're conditioned in from an aerobic standpoint of getting out there, you know, and being ready or, you know, in the middle of the season as they've gotten themselves into good shape. There'll be other factors in there like have they blown out their ACL before and is that playing a role? Is it really a painful situation or is it fatigue? And so having those conversations with your veterinarian and making sure, again, Like, maybe, you know, they don't want to go out because they're hurting. And so bring in some, you know, some things, some nonsteroidals like a carprofen or the brand name of Remedil. You know, I also think that you know, if they, especially because I would imagine there's a fair number of your listeners that have Labradors, if there is a change in their appetite, I get a little concerned. And so again, having that conversation with your veterinarian and just to make sure everything is okay, if there's a big change in their behavior like that, is going to be critical.

Matt Harrison: Now kind of switching gears just a little bit, but also still, you know, staying on the same track. But the next thing we're going to talk about is, you know, you have a billion different opinions on this. And I know a lot of the, you know, points we've already talked about it, it all depends on the dog, it depends on the age, it depends on if they've had injuries, I know all these are dependent on a lot of different variables, but one thing that I hear talked about all the time, whether it be early till season or I'm talking about slap dab middle of December, January, some of the coldest days, and that is weather and what are good temperatures that we can take our dog out on. And now we all know that, you know, there's temperatures that are just perfect for the animals. And then there's some days that we're like, hey, this is too cold. And hey, this is too hot. So, generally speaking, you know, like I said, whether it be early till season and, you know, there's South Louisiana can be extremely hot. Then you can go up in the Dakotas that in the slap down middle of winter where it is frigid cold. So, you know, there's temperatures that just range from all over whenever we're out chasing ducks. So, what are, on both sides of the spectrums, temperatures that we should start to say, okay, this is either good or this is bad. Can you kind of talk a little bit about what those temperatures are and where we need to kind of stay focused on whenever we're keeping that in the back of our mind?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: So, I mean, to first level set, the normal body temperature of a dog is in the range of about 99.5 to 102.5. When they get super excited, it can go up 103 and we don't start to worry about things. But that's just a little tip. They run a little bit hotter than the human does. And then we also have to factor in that they are wearing a fur coat. So that has its pluses and its minuses. It's certainly helpful in the colder months of the year, but maybe more of a negative in the warmer parts of the year. Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule. I will say, what I talk about in the urban space, if you will, especially during the summer times and stuff, I give the tip of, if you put your hand down on the asphalt or the sidewalk and it is too hot for you to hold your hand there for three seconds, it's too hot for your dog's pads. Now, I know we're not, we're not hunting on asphalt and concrete. Thank goodness for that. And Ducks Unlimited has a good, a good help in that push as well, giving us land conservation. It's certainly something just kind of as a, you know, a rule of thumb, right? Sometimes we are parking in you know, on concrete or asphalt. You know, and then the other factor that's going to really weigh in is the sun, as well as the humidity, as well as wind. So, wind can be beneficial, not only bring those ducks and move them around, but also for keeping that air a little bit cooler when it's warm out. Now, when it's cold, and we've got high winds, that makes it much colder for our dogs as well. And we will also, just like we do, we get conditioned to, as the temperatures and the seasons change, we get conditioned to that, our dogs do as well. So there's no hard, fast, at 10 degrees, it is too cold for your dog to hunt because if 10 degrees and it's sunny and there's light winds and you're not in the water, your dog is probably going to be all right for a good portion of time. Now, if it's 10 degrees and it's snowing and there's 30-mile-an-hour winds, then I'm going to get concerned that that dog is going to get hypothermic pretty quickly. Unfortunately, there's not any real hard, fast guidelines on that. I think the biggest things to look at is more the behavior of your dog. So, if they are shivering uncontrollably, when it's cold out and they are trying to get closer and closer and closer to you, they're becoming less responsive. We talked about that as a sign of fatigue. It can also be a sign that they're too cold. And in that case, especially if they're wet, getting them dry and into a warmer space is going to be key. On the other side of the spectrum, I love to use the tongue for them as a good gauge of how hot they are. They don't sweat like we do. They offload heat by panting and then the tongue is a good organ for them to be able to release a lot of heat because it's got really a lot of blood flow to it. And so looking at their tongue, as they get hotter and hotter, their tongue will get longer. It'll start to get wider so that it can offload more heat. And then it'll actually, you've probably seen this, it actually starts to curl up. And when that tongue is out as long as it can be, as wide as it can be, curling up, I am concerned that that dog is getting too hot. And in that case, we do want to cool them down. If there's water nearby, get them in that water to get that temperature down. There was just a study that came out of the University of Pennsylvania that showed that the best way to cool dogs down in a controlled but quick manner is actually to have them dunk their heads under the water, which I thought was… Pretty fascinating. I cringed a little bit because we know when dogs get water in their ears, that increases their chance of getting an ear infection. But I'm like, well, I think I'd take an ear infection over heat stroke. So yeah, so if you can get your dog to learn to dunk his head underwater, that can help when he gets too hot.

Matt Harrison: Wow. And you know, a lot of, a lot of these scenarios we're talking about, you know, if you just use your good sense of judgment and, and pay attention to these things, it's things that you can, you can help prevent. You know, you can tell, like you said, uh, if it's a scalding hot day and it's something we can't put our, we wouldn't want to stick our hand on the, on the asphalt and stand there for five seconds, like, Don't, don't put your, don't put your dog in that certain, you know, certain scenario. So, you know, just using your good sense of judgment and kind of keep in there, keeping in the back of your mind at all times, like, Hey, you know, is this safe for my dog? Is it good for their health? And, you know, a lot of waterfowl hunters, you know, I know do that because everyone that I've been around, you know, I was on a hunt last year that was really, really cold. I'm talking about. It was cold and we took a dog, which the dog sat on dry land for the majority of the hunt, but it got to a point where we were like, we had a heater with us and we're like, look, let's give it to the dog. And the dog, I think he was sitting over there just enjoying the day. I mean, we were like… You know, he got to a point where I think he was enjoying it more than everybody else are because we were shooting some ducks and you know, just keeping that in mind, keeping their best interest in mind and just using your common sense whenever it comes to, hey, this is too cold or hey, it's a little too hot. So, you know, I believe our listeners out there do a good job with that. So now that leads us into our next question, talking about How often should we take our dogs to get a routine checkup? And, you know, again, I want to kind of dive into this and talk about, you know, is this the same as if you use your dog for five times a season or, you know, 20 times, 30 times? Does that kind of depend on how wide open your dog is? Or, and I know that you'll have a good answer to this, but is this something you're like, nope, I think this many times a year, this many times, you know, in so many months, this is what you need to do. So if you can, talk about how often should we be taking our dogs to get routine checkups.

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah, and I would say at least once a year, right? That's what we recommend for all dogs and cats to see their veterinarian at least once a year because that gives us the opportunity to be able to, one, get a weight check on them, two, do that thorough exam, and maybe even catch something little before it balloons into something big. Selfishly, for what I like to call our sporting dogs, athletic dogs, working dogs, however you like to classify our hunting buddies, but to see them at least twice a year to me would be magnificent. I would love to be able to see these guys, give y'all a counsel on, hey, you're you know, your guy's a little bit overweight and if we want him hunting with you for more and more seasons, here's a plan and we're going to get his weight down. You know, or vice versa or, you know, hey, he's, you know, he's really, I see he's got some pain in his, you know, his front left elbow. Let's get a, you know, let's get him on some supplements and see if we can keep that, you know, tamed down for him so that he can be out hunting. The other place that I think a lot of us overlook is actually their oral health, which I know, you know, dog, you're always like, oh, dog breath. But it, you know, I mean, it is so important for our, you know, for our waterfowl dogs to be able to hold those birds in their mouths, and they need teeth to do it. So keeping that in shape, you know, and your veterinarian is going to be the best person to be able to find that, you know, in those small problems before it turns into something like a whole tooth root abscess and they've got to have something extracted. So, you know, so I think that is really, really critical. And then especially as our dogs get older, so for our senior dogs, whether they hunt or not. We, as an industry, recommend that they get an exam twice a year. And for my sporting dogs, I would love to see those senior sporting dogs three to four times a year. Again, just doing our physical exam is probably our best piece of equipment that we've got. And so being able to lay hands on those older hunting dogs really, again, helps us to keep them in the best medical shape that we can.

Matt Harrison: And it's so important to realize that, you know, and we've talked, we've said this a couple times during the podcast, it's the same with us, you know, making sure we're in check and it's the same with our dogs, just continually putting their best interest at hand and making sure we're checking on them, throughout the year and throughout waterfowl season. And now this next question is, I believe, the most important we'll talk about. It's something I know you're passionate about because it's not only your career, but something that me and you have talked about. We've shared the blind talking about it. We're on the podcast now talking about it. And that is how important nutrition is. And I know you work for Purina, which in my opinion is the best, and is something that I have truly seen, you know, our late dog that we just lost not too long ago, Belle, who, you know, lived a great life. She was our hunting buddy. We started waterfowl hunting with her, me and my brother, and she was just our our best bud when it came to the duck woods and you know I got to see firsthand what Purina did for her and gave her the best healthiest life and again it goes back to you know how important it is do you want to continue to share the woods with your dog or the fields with your dog or just your dog that you love walking down a trail with how important it is for You taking the time right now to do your research and make sure, hey, and you know, even if it's a puppy, even if you're starting out, how important nutrition is. So, can you please talk about the importance of nutrition for our dogs? And also, at the end of that, I'll let you talk about how we go about choosing the right blends and formulas and the whole nine. But if you can, just talk about the importance it is for choosing the right nutrition for our dogs.

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah, um, I mean it is It's critical for us as humans, right? We all know um how we feel when we uh, you know snack all day instead of eating, you know proper meals that are balanced with uh protein and fruits and vegetables and and all of that Um the same the same goes for dogs and especially our athletic dogs uh, you know that need that added fuel to be able to do the things that we're asking them to do and that they love to do. So I think a couple of differences between us and dogs, just to give your listeners a little bit of background, is our dogs actually prefer using fat for endurance. We as humans love to use carbs. That's why You know, everybody, you go and you have that pasta dinner before, whether it's, you know, I used to play basketball and volleyball back in the day, and it was like, Friday night, pasta dinner before the tournament and the weekend. Load up on those carbs.

Matt Harrison: That's right.

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: But our dogs actually, they prefer to use fat as their energy source for endurance. So especially some of these long days, sometimes we're lucky, right? We go out and we limit out in like 20 minutes. But other days, our dogs are out there and we're out there on endurance events. And so having the right combination of those nutrients for them is going to be key. And that's what I love about Purina is we have our ProPlan Performance Sport 30-20. So it's 30% protein, 20% fat. And so it's blended just right for their metabolism. And it's not just like, oh, we decided that this seems like a good combination of ingredients and nutrients. It's all based on science. And so I think that's one of the things that going to be key when you're trying to pick out what works best for your dog is really understanding the company behind the food that you're feeding. One of the things that I tell my clients when I'm talking to them in the exam room and they ask, they're like, is this a good pet food? And there are so many different brands and forms and wet food and dry food. And now there's this fresh food that you can get delivered to your door once a month. And so I'm like, I can't always keep up even though I make my living in this industry. with all of the new pet food companies. And so there are two things that I tell my clients to look for. One is to make sure that there's a phone number on the bag. And then I challenge them to actually call the phone number and see if there's someone who answers the phone that can answer questions that they might have, because it's not required by law. So your more reputable pet food companies will have a phone number on that bag and actually have someone who can answer the questions that you have. And then the other piece of information that I tell them to look for is what's called the AAFCO statement. AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials, and what they do is they set guidelines for how pet food should be formulated, depending on if you're feeding a dog or a cat, and then what life stage they are. And so there should be a statement on the back of the bag, it's right by the ingredients, and it should say that this pet food is appropriate based on feeding tests for a growing dog. Or it might say it's appropriate based on feeding tests for the maintenance of an adult dog. And you want to make sure that you're feeding dog food to a dog and that it is for the right life stage. So if you've got a puppy, you want to make sure that you're feeding them a puppy food because puppies are going to have different nutritional needs than adult dogs do. do. And so their brains are still growing, their eyes and ears and all of that is still developing, their bodies are still developing. So they have a higher nutritional demand than an adult dog does. And so you want to make sure, again, that you're feeding a puppy formula to puppies and an adult formula to an adult dog. And that statement on the back of the bag will help you determine if the company actually formulated the food right for what they say on the outside of the bag.

Matt Harrison: And that's a great way to go about thinking about that is, you know, whenever you go about thinking about choosing the right food to feed your dog, is there a number or is there a website, but even more so a number to be able to call and ask those questions that you might have? Because I'll be completely honest, you know, some of the stuff you've talked about, There are things that I've never really even thought about and such good information that I wasn't even aware of. And I've, you know, we've had a dog in our life for so long and it's things that everyone needs to be aware of and know. And so just, that's a great way to think about whenever you go to choose your dog food. Hey, I need to ask some questions about, you know, this product here before I just start feeding it to my dog. Because like you said, All dogs have different nutritional needs throughout their stages of life, whether it be a puppy, senior dog, super active dog, not so active dog. There's so many different needs with our animals, so it's important to realize, hey, I need to ask questions before I just go about, hey, this is the cheapest bag of dog food, or hey, this is the most expensive bag of dog food. Finding what your pet needs before making the decision to feed it to them is so important. And so, with our closing here with our podcast, I want you, Dr. RuthAnn, to give our listeners three important things that you would like for them to know when it comes to having a dog and having a dog that Spends a lot of time with them, whether it be in the woods, whether it be in the fields, whether it be, you know, swimming, whatever it looks like, just an active dog. Would you mind giving our listeners three important points and takeaways from this podcast?

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos: Yeah, I would love to. It's my favorite thing to do is to empower people with good information. So I think the number one thing, again, whether you are just taking a walk in the woods, whether you are actively hunting or running with your dog, whatever it may be, to make sure that their microchip information is up to date with your current information, And that they have an ID tag on because we know those 2 pieces are, you know, heaven forbid they get separated from us. They run off chasing something and we know those 2 pieces of information will. greatly improve the chances of a happy reunion. And so, you know, making sure that those are up to date, especially before hunting season is going to be key. And then secondly, you know, having a good, when you're out of field, having a good first aid kit put together that has current bandages and things like that all in it. is going to be key, again, to keeping your dog safe in case of some sort of injury or something like that when you're out there hunting. And with that, I would also say goes knowing… If you're going on a road trip to go hunting, a lot of us don't have the luxury of hunting right outside our back door. And so if you're going on a trip, Knowing where that veterinarian is near where you are going and having that information downloaded or written down on your, you know, typed into a note on your phone before you get out there again is going to save you critical time and your dog critical time if they wind up getting hurt out there. And then thirdly, I would say this is a passion point of mine, but keeping your dog in ideal body condition so that they can stay by your side and go on all these wonderful outdoor adventures for as long as possible. It's so important for their health and happiness, and I would argue ours as well.

Matt Harrison: And those points are spot on. And, you know, I know just thinking about how important all three of those are, it's, it's, it's fascinating. You know, you gave so much insightful information that I know that I'll take to heart and remember for a long time. And I know our listeners. And we just cannot thank you enough, Dr. RuthAnn, for taking the time to share all this information that you did with us for the past 45 minutes. And, you know, I'm sure we'll be having you back on soon and maybe me and you get to spend some time chasing some ducks. And we just, you know, cannot thank you enough again for taking this time. And we also want to thank Chris Isaac, our podcast producer. And most importantly, we want to thank our listeners to the Ducks Limited podcast. Thank you so much for joining and y'all stay tuned.