The annual Pet Age Dog Guide includes columns on functional chews, digestive health and stress relief. The essential products section features beds, bowls, safety equipment and toys along with digestible products. Use the guide to see what dog owners are being presented before getting blindsided with a question. Source: Pet Age, November/December 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Help horse owners prepare their horses for winter: a quick list
From nutrition considerations to preventing mud, it’s time to get ready for winter conditions, writes Clair Thunes, PhD. Her article provides a getting-ready-for-winter checklist suitable for social media posts and newsletters. Preparing the environment where a horse lives is in the prevention category for animal health. Source: The Horse, December 4, 2025. Link. Photo … [Read more...]
6 nutrients that support hoof health
Includes Commercial Content Certain nutrients can make a huge difference in the state of a horse’s feet. In this article, the author outlines six ingredients that are known to have a positive impact on horse hooves. Source: Equine Wellness. Link. INSIGHTS: For animal health pros, articles like this can provide a backdrop for evaluating supplements clients are giving … [Read more...]
EHV-1 outbreak update: New case confirmed in Oklahoma
The Equine Disease Communication Center confirmed one new case associated with the outbreak in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. The horse is displaying neurological clinical signs. It did not attend the WPRA but was stalled with horses that did, including one that tested positive for EHV-1 with only respiratory signs. Source: The Horse, December 5, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Don’t let winter’s cold open the door to BRD
Good animal husbandry is a crucial component of cold stress management, says Nathan Meyer, DVM, PhD. When cattle are putting a lot of energy toward staying warm, they become more susceptible to disease challenges so managing their environment is important to reduce disease risk. Meyer asserts the importance of quality water and matching nutrition to help keep cattle … [Read more...]
The digestive tract. Preparing cow herds to prosper
“A bale ≠ a bale ≠ a bale” summarized a post from last week <Link>. The importance of building a nutritional program for a cow-calf system is emphasized by Travis Mulliniks, PhD, in this article. Leading with BCS, his considerations are a foundation for herd health and vitality discussions with producers. He says understanding nutritional requirements, knowing the … [Read more...]
Managing water efficiently, sharing how it’s done is increasingly important to consumers
Water is central to dairy’s future, but how dairies use and conserve it is no longer just an operational concern; it’s a story the public is watching. There are several ways dairies can reuse water throughout their operations, and many farms already rely on these practices to stretch every gallon. Improving sustainability begins with understanding exactly how much water a dairy … [Read more...]
AVMA Board updates telemedicine, guardianship policies
The AVMA Board of Directors updated policies addressing a range of issues during a meeting at association headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois. They include: Telehealth including telemedicine Ownership not guardianship Policy on "Pet Health Insurance" Revisions to the zoonotic infectious diseases policy defining effective surveillance Participation in the … [Read more...]
Pet Age 2025 Power 50 List
The Pet Age Power 50 list features companies that have overcome recent marketplace obstacles to remain high-performing players in the pet industry. The publication positions them as positively impacting the pet care community and utilizing their social and financial capital to improve the well-being of companion animals. Source: Pet Age, November/December 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
The 2025 year end legislative review
The final Table Talk episode of 2025 brought together laughter, real-time challenges and a powerful legislative deep dive that sets the stage for the year ahead. The Animal Policy Group discussed the legislative dynamics involving more than 2,000 bills impacting veterinary medicine this year they’ve tracked, and shared the trends for every veterinary professional to keep in … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – December 4, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, November 26, 2025. Link. Most read posts from November 2025 AHD Bulletins – Ownership model frames lasting change. Link. Speed eating cats, skateboarding dogs highlight Thailand’s pet boom. Link. Convenience, connection matter just as much as price. Link. You … [Read more...]
Stay informed without doomscrolling
Art Markman acknowledges the communication and information-gathering challenges of our digital world. He calls continuous informational feeds vortexes of doom, and suggests we think about the information we consume as a diet similar to how we eat. He offers suggestions to help stay informed without overindulging on social media feeds, blogs and news sites. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Beat seasonal depression before it arrives
The shortest day of this year will be Sunday, December 21st, marking the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a season-specific modulation of major depressive disorder, which generally starts in late fall and doesn’t ease up until the sun returns for good in mid-spring. A mild case of wintry … [Read more...]
Leftover safety. Don’t reheat these 10 foods in a microwave
All the prep to feed a squadron often turns into a refrigerator full of containers. Beyond shelf life, some foods should not be reheated in the microwave. These were notable: Processed meats Rice and potatoes Spinach and beets Source: Reader’s Digest, August 25, 2024. Link. Certain foods can become downright toxic when nuked in the microwave.” Image: Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – December 1, 2025
Holiday readiness, finding stability during hard seasons, HBR podcast featuring Nicholas A . Pearce, PhD, and the latest from Animal Health Digest. Source: IBPSA, December 1, 2025. Link. The best companies are ones that not only have a purpose for themselves but also attract and hire people whose individual senses of purpose align with the company’s purpose.” - Nicholas … [Read more...]
Counter-surfing dog spends Thanksgiving in ER; ate common holiday ingredients
Here’s a story to share on social media, in newsletters and with local media. Pet owners need to be reminded of risks to pet safety over and over again. Snoopy and his family are sharing their story about a toxic food encounter to save pet parents and their animals from stress this holiday season. Despite his owner’s attempt to keep him from the fried chicken pan, Snoopy … [Read more...]
How cold is too cold?
With snow and dropping temperatures arriving, it is a good time to remind pet owners when to limit outdoor play and keep their pets inside. This infographic is easy to share on social media or in newsletters. Source: EmerAid, Facebook, November 11, 2025. Link. As temperatures drop, remember: every dog feels the cold differently.” … [Read more...]
The Feline OA Checklist key to early recognition of pain, osteoarthritis
My Vet Candy shares a recent study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, which highlights a practical approach for identifying OA in feline patients using the Feline Osteoarthritis Checklist. In the study, when the Feline OA Checklist was applied prospectively, 39 percent of cats exhibited at least one behavior indicative of OA compared to only one percent of … [Read more...]
Can weight loss drugs turn fat cats into skinny ones?
Okava, a biopharmaceutical company, announced this week that it began a pilot study of a GLP-1 drug for cats with obesity. Instead of receiving weekly injections of the medicine as humans do, the cats will get small, injectable implants that will release the drug for up to six months. Initial results are expected next summer. Competing companies are starting research, as … [Read more...]
Feline studies shed light on domestication timeline
Commentary Meghan Bartels shares domestication information from two recently published studies that offer new insights into how wild cats settled into life alongside humans. Both findings suggest truly domesticated cats arose far later than previously believed; perhaps as late as 2,000 years ago. A quote from Claudio Ottoni, PhD, describes early cats as a complex and … [Read more...]
Barrel racing event in Waco, Texas, is epicenter of equine herpesvirus outbreaks
Multiple states have reported EHV-1/EHM cases, including Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas since the November 20th event. Because exposed horses might not show clinical signs immediately, more cases are likely over the next two weeks as testing continues nationwide. To help owners and the public understand the evolving situation and reduce spread, the University of Missouri’s … [Read more...]
Year-long chronicle update: 1 Horse, 1 Farrier, 1 Year
Sponsored Content In this second installment, Esco Buff, CF, APF, PhD, updates the hoof-care journey of Jackson, a 15-year-old Clydesdale cross gelding. Subtle lameness observations, shifts in hoof quality and environmental stressors are already influencing farriery decisions, owner management and our shared preparation for what lies ahead. Jackson is experiencing arthritic … [Read more...]
Fewer cull cows are driving dairy herd growth
The milk cow population has been trending upward since December 2024, largely due to dairy cow retention, writes Abbi Prins. Instead of cull cows showing up in cattle slaughter reports, these cows are still being milked in barns across the country and are making calves destined for beef feedlots. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, December 1, 2025. Link. Beef-on-dairy revenues are … [Read more...]
Variable hay quality a concern during cold snaps
Cattle feed intake can surge higher than 20 percent to make up for energy expended to keep them warm. Amber Friedrichsen reminds us that a large spread in hay quality across the Midwest exists, making it that much more important to test forage and budget for additional bales or supplemental feed. In short, a bale ≠ a bale ≠ a bale. Source: Hay and Forage Grower, December … [Read more...]
Better water, better pig health
Water quality and water delivery systems remain a critical component of optimizing animal health, regardless of the species. Sarah Muirhead’s article focuses on on the challenges of scaling, biofilms, medication efficacy variables and water treatment effectiveness. The comments on water testing frequency and aquifer variability are notable. Source: Feedstuffs, November 2025. … [Read more...]
Bird flu surges as holiday season begins
Bird flu is once again sweeping through commercial and backyard poultry flocks, infecting and killing more than 8.9 million turkeys, chickens and ducks in the U.S. since September. Source: AgriMarketing, December 1, 2025. Link. As of November 21st, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported outbreaks in 90 commercial and backyard flocks just in the last 30 … [Read more...]
The day ChatGPT walked into the exam room
Andy Roark, DVM, is a relentless communicator and future thinker in animal health and veterinary medicine. His article in Today’s Veterinary Business <Link> prompted a lively, sprawling and nuanced discussion about how AI can serve (or harm) the relationship between veterinarians and pet owners in this episode of The Veterinary AI Brief. Adam Little, Aaron Massecar … [Read more...]
VCPR. Have we got it backwards?
Kudos to Jules Benson, BVSc, and Emily M. Tincher, DVM, for their JAVMA Viewpoint article asserting the need to embrace pet family–centered care to forge a path to more accessible and sustainable veterinary medicine. They ask the question, “What if the VCPR was more CPVR?” Their viewpoint examines the transition from a provider-centered, often medically driven, approach to … [Read more...]
Is corporate veterinary practice really the problem?
Challenging current paradigms about corporate practices, Jennifer Sperry, DVM, wondered if blaming corporate practices are easy scapegoats for deeper challenges in veterinary medicine. She shares her thoughts on positive and limiting leadership and suggests practices adjust to ensure that veterinarians thrive and patients receive exceptional care regardless of … [Read more...]
Volume IV of CATalyst Council Feline Veterinary Market Insights released
Newly released data from the CATalyst Council shows cats now represent a record high 23 percent of all clinical visits, a strategic weight for the entire veterinary industry. Commenting on the sustained momentum, Kristin Wuhrman, CATalyst Council vice chair, predicts practices that lean into understanding cats more deeply than before will lead future industry growth. The … [Read more...]