Pets are often considered beloved family members, and like any loved one, their health is a priority.

Research from Purdue University has found a link between a dog's exposure to cigarette smoke and lawn-care products and higher rates of cancer. The team observed the environment and activity of 120 Scottish terriers and found the dogs were six times more likely to develop urinary bladder cancer than other breeds.

Dr. Deborah Knapp, professor of comparative oncology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University, said there are steps dog owners can take to reduce the risk of their pets becoming ill.

"Avoiding cigarette smoke, avoiding lawn chemicals, and being aware so that if the dog develops symptoms -- if it's a middle-aged to older age -- like blood in the urine or urinary accidents," Knapp outlined. "It would be a really good idea to have their veterinarian check the dog out."

Knapp noted they found Scotties, Shelties, Westies and Beagles are also prone to developing cancer if exposed to smoke and harmful chemicals, like those in lawn fertilizer. Treatment for cancer in dogs is daily oral medication.

An important part of the Purdue research was monitoring the dogs' diet. A 2005 study, also from Purdue supported the benefits of feeding dogs vegetables. Knapp pointed out if the terriers ate carrots or green beans at least three times a week, their bladder-cancer risk appears to have been reduced by 70%.

Knapp also cautioned pet owners taking such advice to do so with caution and not overfeed their pets.

"Pet owners shouldn't take a dog that's not used to eating vegetables and give it way too many, because then they'll get an upset stomach; vomiting, diarrhea and not feel good," Knapp advised. "Then you think about the portion size for vegetables, think about body weight."

She added she is optimistic further research could help determine risk factors for who gets cancer and the best methods for detection, treatment and prevention for dogs and potentially, humans.

Experts are traveling across the Commonwealth to help community professionals better understand and advocate for policies that help Kentuckians needing assistance with health care, housing, food, transportation, child care, suicide prevention and other resources. Thrive Roadshow workshops are free and available to the public.

Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, said attendees will receive updates on policy changes and funding for programs that impact folks in their communities.

"Our focus with the roadshow is to make sure community professionals who are interacting with folks on a daily basis really have the resources and skills that they need to advocate for the policies and programs that are right for their communities," she explained.

More information on Thrive Roadshow events happening in Frankfort, Pikeville, Williamsburg, Murray and elsewhere is online at ThrivingCommunities2024.

Tiffany Taul-Scruggs, patient service outreach manager with Mount Sterling Healthcare, said her team of Community Health Workers relied on the Thrive program to better understand the Medicaid Renewal process, so they could improve serving their patient population.

"One of the things that I really found useful is that they are a group that I can depend on, or if I need to call them to talk about things, they really do a lot of prep work behind the scenes, " she explained.

According to the healthcare advocacy group KFF, more than 1.6 million million people in Kentucky are covered by Medicaid. More than half of the Commonwealth's Medicaid spending is for people who are elderly or those with disabilities.

Unintentional injuries are among the top ten leading causes of death for older adults, and during Older Americans Month, experts want to raise awareness about the importance of prevention as adults age.

Holly Billie, a tribal injury advocate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Injury Center, said Indigenous communities around the country, including Utah's eight Tribal Nations, face unique challenges relating to falls and motor vehicle crashes.

"They have higher motor vehicle crash death rates compared to older adults of other races and ethnicities. Disparities are usually a problem in tribal communities," Billie said.

Billie added while disparities relating to falls and motor vehicle crashes are higher in Indigenous communities, it's important to remember that most of these injuries are preventable. In an effort to decrease the susceptibility to injury or even death, Billie contends the answer could lie within social connectedness. She noted those who have close, supportive relationships have been shown to live longer, and encourages Tribal Nations to think about creative ways to further cultivate a sense of community.

Gwen Bergen, team lead with the CDC's Injury Center, said unintentional injuries can impair older adults from doing the things they want and need to do to stay healthy, happy and connected. For those who are concerned about their ability to drive, or their chances of falling, she recommends having open and honest conversations with medical providers as well as caretakers.

"Another important thing to do is to consider, with your doctor, what kinds of medicines you're taking and what the side effects of those may be. Certain medications can have side effects that can increase your risk of falling or increase your risk of being in a motor vehicle crash," Bergen said.

To prevent falls, she encouraged practicing strength and balance exercises, as well as taking part in physical activity that increases muscle strength such as walking, group exercise or low-impact sports.

A Chicago mom who lost her son to cancer in 2022 is using the occasion of Mother's Day to call on Illinois lawmakers to pass medical aid-in-dying legislation.

Suzy Flack's 34-year-old son Andrew was a special-education teacher and avid hockey player living in California when he learned his cancer was terminal. Rather than return to his home state, he stayed in California, where medical aid-in-dying is legal.

Now, with such legislation under consideration by Illinois lawmakers, Suzy Flack is using social media to urge its passage.

"Like I said in the video, I didn't realize how horrific cancer was," she said. "So, I would really like to stress that that comfort level that he had because he had the control over his death."

The legislation would allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live the option to request a prescription for medication they could use to end their life.

According to a 2023 survey by the group Compassion & Choices, more than 70% of Illinois residents support such a law, while 17% would oppose it.

With no legal way to end his life in his home state, Flack said her son was unwilling to leave California because he wanted a peaceful death.

"That option of having the medication was strong enough to keep him there, despite missing his family," she said, "and certainly, it would have been easier for all of us if he had been back in Illinois."

In addition to California, medical aid-in-dying is authorized in ten other states and Washington, D.C., while two additional states - Wisconsin and Massachusetts - are considering legalization. The Chicago-based American Medical Association has not endorsed the legislation.