This groundbreaking legislation moves Minnesota into the list of states regulating the veterinary technician profession. By establishing this higher standard, licensure not only enhances the credibility and recognition of veterinary technicians but also fosters improved animal care, stronger team dynamics within veterinary practices, and greater trust from the public. The new … [Read more...]
Tractor Supply launches service to streamline pet prescriptions
Tractor Supply launched Tractor Supply Rx in a bid to enhance convenience for customers ordering pet and animal medications. Its features include automatic delivery through the Autoship program, access to expert pharmacy advice and a price match guarantee. The objective is to provide an easy, one-stop shopping destination for the 38 million Neighbor’s Club members, of whom 75 … [Read more...]
April 25th. National hairball awareness day
That distinctive cough, followed by gagging and finally wretching, is familiar to most cat owners. National Hairball Day was founded to provide solutions to cat owners and help them understand why their cats get hairballs. Regular grooming to remove loose hair will help cats avoid hairballs and the potential obstructions they cause. Source: National Today. Link. Image: … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 21, 2025
Tariffs, taxes and grants for small businesses, pet food recall map, marketing in niche communities, legislative updates and more . . . Source: IBPSA, April 21, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Gratitude comes with benefits. How to practice it when times are stressful.
At the best of times, awareness of the positive may require more effort than noticing the negative, let alone in times of heightened distress, writes Monica Y. Bartlett, Ph.D. She shares two proven ways to practice gratitude: Try a daily gratitude journal or list Expressing gratitude to others Source: The Conversation, April 24, 2025. Link. When we feel gratitude … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 17, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 10, 2024. Link. Most read posts from April 10, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Don’t assume, check to be sure. Link. ‘Treat Me Like a Dog’ campaign seeks to close the cat treat gap. Link. Factors affecting early pregnancy loss in cattle. Link. Mismatched background music affects employees. Link. … [Read more...]
Loyal’s STAY study enrolls 1,000 dogs, expands to 1,300
The STAY study is the clinical trial for LOY-002, a senior dog program that recently earned its preliminary efficacy acknowledgment from the FDA. It’s the first FDA-concurred trial for a longevity drug, and at 1,000 dogs, is the largest clinical trial in the history of veterinary medicine. With solid interest from DVMs and dog owners, Loyal is enrolling an additional 300 dogs … [Read more...]
Keeping chinchillas healthy
Asserting the importance of keeping a chinchilla’s diet consistent, this author warns against feeding rabbit pellets. Feeding them the right chinchilla pellets and a constant supply of hay will sufficiently meet all their dietary needs. The article reviews five things owners can do to keep their chinchilla healthy and comfortable, including safe chewing materials. Source: … [Read more...]
Considerations before getting a pet rabbit
Abigail Dial, DVM, provides would be rabbit owners with plenty to consider before buying one. Her list is good counsel and worth sharing on social media and in newsletters. Fragile, rabbits are often abandoned after the Easter holiday when they approach mature size. Source: News 9 Oklahoma City via AVMA Animal Health Smartbrief, April 12, 2025. Link. Photo by Pablo … [Read more...]
Review: Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines and certification
Working, therapy, and assistance dogs have unique needs requiring specialized care. The AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines Certificate program equips veterinary professionals with mission-specific knowledge to provide targeted care for each type of working dog. Source: AAHA. Link. 4.0 CE credits are available in this course divided into two main parts: … [Read more...]
When 1 cat at home becomes 2
Includes commercial references Duncan Edwards offers ways to introduce a new cat to a home when there’s already a resident feline. His tips include a) establishing a separate space, b) controlling visual encounters, c) using pheromones and d) providing vertical spaces and perches. Source: Cats Chef, April 9, 2025. Link. A rushed or poorly planned introduction can lead to … [Read more...]
Fake service dogs hurt real service animals’ credibility
Thousands of grocers and shop owners now prohibit any animals, including legitimate service dogs, from entering their stores, writes Marc Ramirez. Fake service dogs are poorly trained or untrained and falsely passed off by individuals trying to access restricted places or benefits. These animals reduce real service dogs’ credibility and increase the negative challenges people … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 14, 2025
Tariffs, small business tax strategies, how venture tech is shaping pet food, growth in holistic nutrition, recent pet player awards, future pet health product market projections, small business owners share advice and more. . . Source: IBPSA, April 14, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Patterson Companies, Inc. shareholders approve acquisition by Patient Square Capital
Patterson Companies, Inc., a value-added specialty distributor serving the U.S. and Canadian dental supply markets and the U.S., Canadian and U.K. animal health supply markets, announced that its shareholders approved the acquisition of Patterson by Patient Square Capital, a dedicated health care investment firm at a special meeting. Source: Patterson Companies, Inc., April … [Read more...]
Licensing deal, angel investment to drive innovation in ag technology
AgBoost, a leading provider of data-driven solutions for cattle producers, proudly announces the successful closing of a $500,000 investment round and the signing of a strategic licensing agreement with MedIrAlis, an animal health company in Australia. This step accelerates AgBoost’s mission to empower ranchers with cutting-edge technology to optimize genomic data for breeding, … [Read more...]
VEA wins Grand Prize in 2025 Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize
VEA, a veterinary technology company dedicated to streamlining workflows and empowering veterinary teams, has been named the Grand Prize Winner of the 2025 Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize. VEA stood out for its real-world impact on documentation, diagnostics and patient care with its platform designed to empower veterinary professionals through intuitive, AI-powered … [Read more...]
Vetoquinol, educators create online veterinary rehabilitation courses
Vetoquinol Rehabilitation Business Solution announced the expansion of its in-person program to offer on-demand courses taught by leading veterinary rehabilitation experts. The program is designed for a) veterinary clinics exploring adding rehabilitation services as a new option, b) certified professionals that need refresher training, c) teams with underutilized equipment, and … [Read more...]
Ceva Animal Health renews its shareholding structure, opens its capital to Mérieux Institute and ARCHIMED to accelerate its growth
Ceva announced the restructuring of its capital. All investors, whether "Friends of Ceva" or pure investors led by Temasek, have renewed their investment, demonstrating their confidence in the company's ability to continue its sustained growth. Source: PR Newswire, March 31, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Virbac introduces URSOLYX™ Soft Chews
URSOLYX™ Soft Chews represent a major advancement in canine muscle health and recovery. The once-daily chews focus specifically on muscle health and feature ursolic acid, a natural compound derived from sage shown to enhance muscle function and strength in aging, active or recovering dogs. Source: Virbac U.S., January 10, 2025. Link. Virbac collaborated with Emmyon, Inc., to … [Read more...]
California lawmakers again consider banning cat declawing
A proposal to ban veterinarians from surgically removing claws from cats seems like it would be an easy sell for California lawmakers, several of whom lovingly describe their pets in their official biography pages. Five measures to ban cat declawing surgery have died in the California Legislature since 2018. The article notes that the AVMA discourages vets from performing … [Read more...]
Protein, not fur, causes allergies to cats
While cats produce at least eight allergens, it is Fel d 1 protein studies have shown to be the leading cat allergen. Fel d 1 is produced in cat saliva and skin glands and sticks to clothing and other surfaces. It can also remain airborne for long periods of time, making it easy to inhale. Source: AVMA Smartbrief, The Conversation, April 7, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 7, 2025
Gen Z pet ownership growth, U.S. Treasury scraps beneficial ownership information rule for small businesses, smart collar segment growth, Paw and Order program highlights dog business boom, small business perspective on AI and more. . . Source: IBPSA, April 7, 2025. Link. IBPSA members are invited to shift your conversations over to the private Community for legislative … [Read more...]
National Pet Day is April 11th
Founded in 2006, National Pet Day is one of many designated days to celebrate the human-animal bond. The website’s content shares a plethora of pet statistics animal health pros will find interesting including: 22 percent of Americans are attracted to people whose pet is treated like family 94 percent of families with an autistic child benefit from having a pet 44 … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 3, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, March 27, 2024. Link. Most read posts from March 27, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Stretching others. Link. Spring health checklist promotes consistent routine for horse care. Link. Preventing mastitis in pregnant heifers. Link. ================================= New word, gigil describes seeing … [Read more...]
Cancer Dx is available from IDEXX
Cancer Dx, a first-of-its-kind test to provide early detection of lymphoma in dogs launched in January <Link> and is now available for veterinary practices in the U.S. and Canada. Developed by IDEXX Cancer Dx is an accessible blood test with 99 percent specificity and 79 percent sensitivity that can be added to panels for sick pets. It can also be integrated into annual … [Read more...]
1 million telehealth consultations for Chewy’s “Connect with a Vet”
Connect with a Vet from Chewy Inc. has surpassed one million telehealth consultations. The company reports the service is designed to guide pet parents toward the right level of care for their pets. Sharing metrics, Chewy says more than 70 percent of cases are referred to in-person providers to ensure pets receive necessary medical attention, and over one-third of consultations … [Read more...]
Production bonuses to reward high-performing relief veterinarians
Production bonuses are a new feature offered by Serenity Vet, a veterinary relief platform with integrated financial planning tools for veterinarians and clinics. With this feature, clinics can offer a flat rate with the opportunity to earn more from busy shifts. Production-based pay is now live for all users on the Serenity Vet platform Source: Serenity Vet, March 31, 2025. … [Read more...]
Health concerns in older geldings (video)
The tips from Rachel Doenges, DVM, pertaining to older geldings, are good guidance. Whether you share this video with horse owners or review it as a veterinary team, it can help educate and remind horse owners about prepuce and penis care, as well as urine monitoring. Source: My Senior Horse, February 9, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Should indoor cats experience the outdoors? 20 pros and cons
Edie Williams provides excellent contrasts between indoor and outdoor access decisions cat owners face. Risk mitigation is well-represented in her article which is a good resource to share, especially with first-time cat owners. Source: Cats Chef, March 11, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
House Rabbit Society offers free rabbit care classes via Zoom
Open to anyone, these HRS free online classes will help educate rabbit owners: Rabbit Care 101 covers the basics of taking care of a house rabbit Introducing Rabbits is a starter guide for how to bond two (or more) rabbits Rabbit Behavior offers ways to strengthen the human-rabbit bond Source: House Rabbit Society, April 1, 2025. Link. Also see: House Rabbit … [Read more...]