According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the best way to feed cats is to replicate normal feline feeding behaviors, such as hunting and foraging),and to feed frequent small meals that the cat can savor alone. Source: Catster, March 25, 2019. Link. Also see: How to Feed a Cat, Cat Friendly Homes. Link. Cats prefer to eat multiple small meals … [Read more...]
Quiz: Test your brain tumor knowledge
Thanks to advanced imaging and diagnostics like MRI- and CT-guided biopsy, along with improved neurosurgical techniques, veterinarians are increasingly able to diagnose and treat brain tumors, writes Mark Troxel, DVM, DACVIM. Brain tumors are common in cats and dogs. Test your knowledge of meningiomas and other neurological lesions with this quiz. Source: Clinician’s … [Read more...]
Veterinary dermatologists share best practices for diagnosing and treating otitis
The DVM 360 staff asked veterinary dermatologists from coast to coast to give us their best diagnostic and treatment advice for chronic otitis. The result is a clinical consult on various strategic elements for addressing otitis. Source: Veterinary Medicine, March 14, 2019. Link. INSIGHTS: We found the recommendations of Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD, about involving the entire … [Read more...]
Tick removal resources here in time for tick season (includes videos)
Tick season here. Resources are available to help pet owners deal with tick removal and media will cover this topic as spring lets us get outside with our pets, friends and families. These resources about tick removal work well for social media, in-clinic education and e-newsletters. Source: Pets-WebMD. Video: How to Remove a Tick From Your Pet. Link. Video: How … [Read more...]
Discover why dog owners do not use heartworm preventives
Ceva Animal Health US is sponsoring a 1-hour webinar presented by Vetsymposium. The free event features presenters who will discuss why only one fourth of dogs get heartworm prevention. Attendees gets one hour of CE credits and will: Gain an understanding of why owners choose not to give their dogs heartworm preventives from their clients' perspectives. Learn about the … [Read more...]
DVM develops scale to help determine the right time to say goodbye
Alice Villalobos, DVM, is an oncology veterinarian in Hermosa Beach, CA. She has dedicated much of her career to helping pet owners manage end-of-life issues for their pets. In fact, she created an animal hospice program she named “pawspice,” which focuses on extending a pet’s quality of life. To help owners make these tough decisions, Villalobos created a decision tool based … [Read more...]
Quiz: Are you a cat at heart?
Just for fun, see if you have the personality of a cat. Tally your answers to five questions to determine what kind of cat personality you possess and what type of cat would be your best match! Source: Modern Cat, March 21, 2019. Link. Also see: Video: Cats Chasing Shadows! Link. Check out this funny compilation of cats playing with shadows! … [Read more...]
Explaining cat behavior problems and how to handle them
Cats, like us, have their good days and not-so-good days. Cat behavior problems almost always have an underlying cause, writes Angela Lutz. She identifies frequently seen cat behavior problems and offers ideas to handle them. Aggression toward humans or other cats Litter box problems Excessive vocalization Urine marking Source: Catster, March 13, 2019. … [Read more...]
Millennials fuel growing market for posh pet items
Millennials are fueling a growing market for luxury pet items as they put raising children on hold or chose to be childless. One example is street-inspired clothing for dogs with price tags that reach $202 each. Millennials are also dropping cash on pricey foods and day care for their pets. Many are treating their pets as if they were kids and devoting a growing share … [Read more...]
Learn how to manage the gut
Prebiotics and probiotics are frequent considerations for multimodal therapies in monogastrics, regardless of species It can be difficult to remain objective about their benefits, but the growing body of work indicates that considering the microbiome will become more prevalent in managing disease risk and potential treatments. We gathered several references for … [Read more...]
Reexamining the early spay-neuter paradigm in dogs
Veterinarians must always be open minded and ready to challenge the status quo when new information challenges how we practice, writes Mark Goldstein, DVM. Goldstein and Michael Petty, DVM, CVPP, CVMA, CCRT, CAAPM, respectfully discuss their disagreements about the medical and societal need for early spays and neuters in America's pets. In the end, it really falls on the … [Read more...]
JAVMA: Defining antimicrobial use; paradigms shifting in behavioral medicine
There’s something for everyone in most issues of JAVMA. We’re highlighting the abstracts of two papers representing changes in our industry. Evidence-based paradigm shifts in veterinary behavioral medicine. LinkThe AVMA's definitions of antimicrobial uses for prevention, control, and treatment of disease. Link. Source: JAVMA, April 1, 2019. Link. Review the table of … [Read more...]
Some anti-vaxxers don’t vaccinate pets, creating danger
Anti-vaccine proponents are increasingly making the same unfounded claims about pets and vaccines they have been repeating about children and vaccines for the past 20 years: that vaccines are unnecessary, dangerous and that they can cause diseases. According a TIME magazine article, the negative attention on vaccines is growing globally. Looking at the circulation demographics, … [Read more...]
USA Today – Obesity in dogs and cats
It is common knowledge have too many overweight cats and dogs; 59.5 percent of cats and 55.8 percent of dogs. What is increasing is the percentage of obese pets according to new research from the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention. In 2018, 18.9 percent of dogs and 33.8 percent of cats were obese compared to 2013 where 16.7 percent of dogs and 27.4 percent of cats … [Read more...]
CAPC initiative aims to spread heartworm awareness, action
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) now offers the Top 10 Cities Heartworm Report, a monthly compilation of the U.S. metropolitan areas that have experienced the highest percent increases in positive heartworm tests that month. The group <link> expects this new report, in conjunction with its monthly parasite forecast maps < link >, will spark conversations in … [Read more...]
When a grooming goes bad
Charlotte Means, DVM, helps us understand how opportunistic bacteria can infect hair follicles after grooming pets. Her review includes good reminders about shampoo use, disinfecting equipment and mitigating risk of post-grooming furunculosis. The condition can occur after bathing at home, at professional groomers and at veterinary clinics. Means also provides good … [Read more...]
Time to focus on heartworm
Spring is six days away. With it the mosquito populations will build as will heartworm disease risks for pets. DVM 360 gathered a selection of articles, tips, tools and resources to help renew heartworm knowledge with team members. Consider these resources as you educate dog and cat owners on the importance of year-round heartworm prevention. Source: DVM 360, March 2, 2019. … [Read more...]
Pet nutrition important conversation starter AVMA survey says
Eighty two percent of veterinarians responding to a recent survey from the American Veterinary Medical Association, said said, “all the time,” in response to the question, “How often do you start conversations with clients about pet nutrition?” It’s a hot topic. When asked if pet owners inquire more about pet food than in the past, 48 percent of the responding veterinarians … [Read more...]
Sponsored content from AAHA Red and AAHA NEWStat
Here is actionable, sponsored content from recent issues of NEWStat and Red you’ll find helpful: Cats take enough risks on their own. Why add adjuvanted vaccines to the list? January 21, 2019. Link. Content provided by Boehringer Ingelheim. Pet insurance 101 for veterinary hospital teams, December 21, 2018. Link. Content offered by Petplan. The itchy dog: short … [Read more...]
Dogs and their owners tend to act alike, including anxiousness
Whether through conscious training or day to day interactions, humans shape dog behavior—and they change as we change. "Our lifestyle changes trickle down," says William J. Chopik, a social psychologist at Michigan State University. He led a recent study that found that dogs resemble their owners in an entirely different way: their personalities tend to be similar. Source: … [Read more...]
Top 10 animal ailments exacerbated by obesity
To create a clear picture of how obesity affects a cat’s or dog’s overall health, Nationwide Pet Insurance analyzed its database of more than 700,000 insured pets to determine the top 10 medical conditions related to or made worse by obesity. Source: American Veterinarian, January 3, 2019. Link. The top 10 conditions related to obesity are: Most Common Dog Obesity-Related … [Read more...]
Cat food: what okay and what’s dangerous
Before indulging a family cat to the wide variety of foods in a home, consider what is good and what is dangerous. Dog food is a no-no, for example. There are human foods that cats can eat. There is a list of absolutely forbidden ones, as well. Any food not specifically formulated for cats can affect their digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhea or loss of appetite. . . … [Read more...]
FDA investigating potential link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy
Updating a collaboration that began in July 2018, the FDA believes that the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs is a complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) will continue to investigate this potential association of … [Read more...]
NEW – 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
Created with the goals of decreasing oral pain and improving the quality of life for companion animals, the 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats help veterinary practitioners expand upon their current client education efforts. This will help pet owners better understand that periodontal disease can be prevented through regular dental examinations and proper home … [Read more...]
Signs of cancer in dogs vary greatly
Veterinary oncologist Dr. Stacy Binstock’s estimate of 25%-33% of dogs developing cancer at some point in their lives is sobering. Cancer is the number one cause of death in older dogs. Catherine Ashe, DVM, reminds us that annual or semi-annual exams are more than vaccine appointments. The physical exam is the most important function and helps identify any symptoms that might … [Read more...]
Mood-stabilizing medications can improve cats’ quality of life.
Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, discusses behavior challenges with cats, when drugs can help and the classes of drugs used with feline behavior problems. The anxiety- or fear-induced feline behavioral problems that most frequently call for the use of these medications are aggression toward other animals or toward a cat’s ownersurine spraying, the method that a cat uses to … [Read more...]
A forward look at pet grooming
Jennifer Higgins review trends, products and companies involved with changing the pet grooming industry. According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), “The pet grooming market has been segmented by product type into conditioners and shampoos, scissors and clippers, and combs and brushes.” We also noted the references to occupational safety. The grooming industry … [Read more...]
More pets than ever now travelling with owners who spend lots of money
For pet owners who travel, there are two choices regarding their pets: take them along or board them. Michael Goldstein shares information about advancing services from airlines and the impacts on the grooming and boarding business estimated at $6 billion in 2017. Source: Forbes, February 22, 2019. Link. Both the airline “carry or ship” pet transport business, and that … [Read more...]
Managing feline constipation
Charting diagnostic steps, Glenn A. Olah, DVM, provides a helpful flow chart to help veterinary teams address feline constipation. Constipation can lead to complications including obstipation and megacolon. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Flow charts like this one are tremendous tools for reviewing diagnostic steps and for discussing the … [Read more...]
Acute feline urethral obstruction – a quiz
Test your blocked cat management skills with this interactive quiz. After reviewing the case information see how you score on which drugs are appropriate for the patient. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Quizzes like this are popular with animal health pros. They make great team meeting or lunch topics to reinforce knowledge and discuss choices … [Read more...]