It's Animal Week on Fresh Air; during these last days of summer, we're featuring rebroadcasts of our best conversations about animals and how we live with them.
Veterinarian Nancy Kay helps pet caregivers consider what's in the best interest of their furry friends, and offers advice on everything from helping a pet handle vet visits to figuring out whether an animal is in pain.
The latter issue can be tricky; often pet owners wait for animals to vocalize pain before they bring their animals to the veterinarian, but Kay tells Terry Gross that "dogs and cats don't necessarily manifest their pain by whimpering and crying."
And, she adds, "animals don't necessarily have to be in pain to be suffering. What I encourage people to think about is: Consider the case of the flu. If you're in bed with the flu, how miserable you feel."
The author of Speaking for Spot, Kay is an owner and staff internist at the Animal Care center, a 24-hour emergency specialty care center in Rohnert Park, Calif.
This interview was initially broadcast March 19, 2009.
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