In this week’s Fast Bites: Opt in for the Pet Care Services Industry Financial Survey. Link. IBPSA's official work days Legislative news from New Hampshire and New York Source: IBPSA, March 9, 2026. Link. From the blog: Grooming services: Achieve the best people and profit potential without the headaches, October 15, 2025. Link. Also see: Animal Health … [Read more...]
2026: What’s next in the pet business?
The Global Pets 2026 Industry Trend Report <Link> shares the 7 trends poised to influence the pet businesses this year. The onward march of AI A business model for every pet owner Retail: comfort and convenience Building loyalty Macroeconomics and geopolitics Inflation, tariffs and supply chains Gut health and functional nutrition Source: Pets … [Read more...]
Webinar: The Untapped Feline Patient: Turning Insight into Action
Sponsor Content The next Veterinary Practice Health webinar on Thursday, March 19th, will feature results from the CATalyst Council 2026 State of the Cat report. It uncovers what holds cat owners back from seeking care, and where real opportunities exist. It promises to be timely, practical and full of insights practices can put to work right away. Presenters Jane Brunt, … [Read more...]
Why cats go wild when you say, “Pspspsps”
You’ll likely try this sound. A high-pitched “pspsps” sound mimics that of prey rustling in dried leaves or a cricket chirping, says Ingrid Johnson. It is attractive to cats. Experts explain the magic behind this universal cat-attractant sound, plus other sounds cats like and dislike, in this article. Source: Modern Cat, February 4, 2026. Link. Cats can hear over a range of … [Read more...]
Tips for traveling with a cat
Commercial Content Traveling with a cat requires preparation, writes Jennifer Grota, DVM. She offers practical tips clinics can share with cat owners on social media or in newsletters. Clinics can add their own recommendations along with the article. Source: PetMD, February 24, 2026. Link. … [Read more...]
Cat age in human years
Determining a cat’s age in human years isn’t as simple as multiplying their age times seven. The big surprise is that cats reach the equivalent of 15 human years in their first year of life and 24 human years by their second. The chart from the article is a good resource for bulletin boards, exam rooms or clinic communications. Find it in a PDF form here … [Read more...]
Recent FDA approvals include first oral treatment for canine lymphoma
The FDA granted full approval for the first oral treatment for canine lymphoma, plus three conditionally approved animal drugs and cleared new generics for cats, horses and cattle. Source: AVMA News, March 5, 2026. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – March 2, 2026
In this week’s Fast Bites: Participation sought for Pet Care Services Industry Financial Survey. Link. Request to update any job postings in member portal Legislative news from Virginia Source: IBPSA, March 2, 2026. Link. Also see: Do you have a minors policy for your pet business?, Pets+, December 17, 2024. Link. Readers share whether they do or not and … [Read more...]
Better cat grooming starts in the tub
A lot of groomers, especially those who transitioned from dog grooming, are not bathing cats as thoroughly as they should, writes Lynn Paolillo. She shares the importance of desensitizing, degreasing and thorough rinsing. Source: Groomer to Groomer, March 2026. Link. Better cat grooming starts in the tub. A good bath sets the tone for every other step: drying, combing, … [Read more...]
Petland showcases transparency, collaboration with responsible USDA-licensed breeders
Petland, a specialty pet retail franchise company, is highlighting a cornerstone of its mission: unprecedented transparency and direct collaboration with responsible, USDA-licensed breeders who are committed to raising behaviorally appropriate, healthy pets. Source: Pet Age, February 27, 2026. Link. Petland sources puppies exclusively from responsible hobby breeders and … [Read more...]
Adopters love their shelter pets, but 78 percent of dog owners report behavior challenges
Conclusions from a landmark new study indicate high satisfaction ratings, while more than three-fourths of adopters faced behavioral or care challenges. These findings suggest that general satisfaction measures may obscure important challenges as animals settle into their new homes. Species-specific counselling, proactive veterinary engagement, and further microchip … [Read more...]
Dogs are more like toddlers than cats when it comes to helping humans
This study fits into human-animal bond thinking and domestication dynamics. Bottom line, if you need to find something, ask a dog or kid to help. . . not the cat. A study published in the journal Animal Behaviour investigated how untrained companion dogs, companion cats and 16- to 24-month-old toddlers respond when a familiar caregiver searched for a hidden object. Their … [Read more...]
Cats grow to 25 percent of visits, signals $34 billion market opportunity
According to new data from the CATalyst Council Feline Veterinary Market Insights: Volume V, the overall companion-animal veterinary market continued to contract throughout 2025. But feline clinical visits grew in every quarter of the year, extending an outperformance streak to 12 consecutive quarters and fundamentally reshaping the veterinary landscape. The report, … [Read more...]
Client satisfaction stays strong according to AVMA data
Data from the AVMA’s 2025 Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook offer reassuring and actionable insights into how U.S. pet owners feel about their regular veterinary practice. Kudos to the teams working hard to deliver every day. Source: AVMA, February 19, 2026. Link. Small, incremental changes—paired with intentional communication—can reinforce client satisfaction, … [Read more...]
Start NOW to reduce barriers to heartworm prevention
A growing body of evidence-based protocols can help more pets get the care they need, while also supporting practice efficiency and revenue, writes Kristin Jankowski, VMD, CCRP, and Jenni Rizzo in this article. The key lies in understanding and removing barriers at every step of care: prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Consider this article as a reminder and resource to … [Read more...]
Debunking the cat lady stereotype
Katie Lever, PhD, addresses the harmful origins of negative “cat lady” stereotypes and why the data suggests that cat owners are far from lonely, childless or “crazy.” The roots of the cat lady trope are much more harmful than the common stereotype initially suggests. Source: AAHA Trends, April 18, 2025. Link. Today’s cat ownership statistics paint an entirely different … [Read more...]
FDA issues emergency use authorizations for drugs to treat New World Screwworm in dogs and cats
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued two Emergency Use Authorizations: one for NexGard (afoxolaner) chewable tablets for the treatment of New World screwworm infestations (myiasis) in dogs, and the second for NexGard COMBO (esafoxolaner, eprinomectin, and praziquantel topical solution) for the treatment of NWS myiasis in cats. These EUAs will be effective until they are … [Read more...]
9 insider tips to drive dental product sales
Wendy S. Myers, CVJ, shares ways to introduce dental products to improve patients' health and bolster retail revenue. Her tips include eye-level displays and placing carefully selected products in animal owners’ hands. Ideas from Mary L. Berg, BS, LATG, RVT, VTS (Dentistry), FVTE, are also included. Source: Veterinary Practice News, February 6, 2026. Link. Berg suggests … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – February 16, 2026
In this week’s Fast Bites: Anna Radle brings her experience and expertise to the IBPSA board A guide to changing your Professional Employment Organization Local legislative update for Austin, Texas February 12th Animal Health Digest Bulletin. Link. Emotional marketing, drug testing, winter cat health, wildlife comedy, and more! Source: IBPSA, February 16, 2026. … [Read more...]
Oral care at home helps pets stay healthy
Dental month resources expand every year as our industry works on preventive measures to keep pets’ mouths healthy. The dental care video here is a good tutorial and worth sharing with your clients. Still, for busy pet owners, getting pets into an oral care routine is often difficult, especially with rescued pets. Besides home and in-clinic care, some groomers occasionally … [Read more...]
Review: Q&A on leptospirosis; urban risk, missed vaccines and diagnostic mistakes
This Q&A by Jane Sykes, BVSc, DACVIM (SAIM), PhD, MPH, MBA, FNAP, is a good review for all animal health pros. Keep in mind that leptospirosis is zoonotic. She discusses how urban environment, social conditions and vaccination gaps have been reshaping how and where veterinarians encounter leptospirosis. Her references to rodents are also important for disease prevention … [Read more...]
A Facebook post worth sharing
This American Heartworm Society’s Facebook post is worth sharing. It addresses many of the falsehoods people believe about heartworm in dogs and cats. Share it with your Facebook network and print some to use as posters in clinics and pet services businesses. Source: American Heartworm Society, Facebook, February 14, 2026. Link. PDF <Link>. … [Read more...]
Review: Feline chronic pain assessment
New pain therapies and scoring systems constantly evolve and research is ongoing. This allows cats to live longer lives without pain or with well-managed pain. Wendy Davies, BS, CVT, CCRVN, VTS, shares the importance of performing a thorough veterinary examination and educating cat owners on what to look for to collectively do a better job of treating chronic pain in … [Read more...]
Yes, they really do make TV for cats and dogs
TV programs for dogs and cats are multiplying faster than feral cats have kittens. From YouTube, DOGTV, TVBINI and more, this first-person article presents a pet owner’s and her pets’ experiences with the viewing options. She also features links to studies that indicate what and how long cats and dogs like to watch – or not watch. Source: The New York Times, February 12, … [Read more...]
How emotional marketing creates moral injury in vet med, pet care
Commentary This piece addresses what many animal health pros realize but don’t express. Dr. Alaluf exposes real challenges as consequences of pet owners and marketers positioning animals as children. Here are key elements from his article that make it a must-read. Animals matter deeply. They deserve care, dignity and respect. But pretending they exist outside of … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – February 9, 2026
In this week’s Fast Bites: Association received positive note from customer of K9 Resorts Brookfield, Wisconsin Seats still open for Pet End-of-Life Legal and Emotional Guidance symposium Legislative news from: Rhode Island; Iowa; Austin, Texas The Modern Reservation Strategy member webinar: February 18th at 1:00 p.m CST. Reservation Link. Source: IBPSA, … [Read more...]
Pet insurance data shows a surprising Valentine’s Day hazard for dogs
Insurance data can be very useful to veterinarians and pet owners alike, writes Ann Hohenhaus, DVM, DACVIM. Around Valentine’s Day, it suggests that while chocolate remains a classic risk, jewelry ingestion may be an even more common cause of veterinary visits for dogs. Source: Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, February 11, 2026. Link. Image: Link. … [Read more...]
90 percent of cat owners make these winter mistakes. The cat suffers, but they don’t notice
Commentary Kristin Wuhrman often says, “The smallest changes in daily routines are often where the biggest health signals begin.” So, when we discovered the video shared here, it was logical to ask Kristin to review it and write a post we could share on Animal Health Digest. Guest Post by Kristin Wuhrman, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant This video is an excellent … [Read more...]
Pet humanization predicted to double global pet care market by 2035
A comprehensive new market intelligence report by Future Market Insights projects the global pet care market as poised for a decade of transformative growth. Acknowledging some inflationary pressures, the article positions the expanding digital accessibility and accelerating demand for functional foods, customized supplements and eco-friendly accessories as drivers of future … [Read more...]
General practice dental revenue remains behind, yet 90 percent of animals need dental care
Sarah Rumple, CVJ, shares tips from Monique Weldon, DVM, and Paul Camilo, CVPM, focused on building dental revenue in veterinary practices. The article shares ways to increase dental revenue through outreach, client education, standardizing codes, staff training, reassembling fee structures and promoting wellness plans. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, February 1, 2026. … [Read more...]