The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently passed a model pet insurance act, which is designed to establish regulatory standards for the pet insurance industry. The NAIC notes that the pet insurance industry has grown in the past few years, with the number of pets insured...
Different from periodontal disease, tooth resorption is another type of dental problem that can be common in cats, especially as they age. Tooth resorption occurs when the dentin (the part of the tooth beneath the enamel) in one or more teeth begins to erode. This can...
The growing threat of natural disasters in the US and around the world is impacting animals as well as people. A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress called the Planning for Animal Wellness (PAWS) Act was created to address this issue. The PAWS Act will help protect...
This bright-eyed kitty is Tuchina! Tuchina’s mom is a graduate student who adopted her from a cat café in 2020. Besides being a beloved pet, she is also her emotional support animal. Tuchina developed a life-threatening urinary blockage, one of the most common feline health emergencies...
This summer's record high temperatures mean that it's more important than ever to keep dogs, cats, and other pets safe from the effects of extreme heat. Seattle Humane has created a helpful video with practical pet summer safety tips. Check it out here to ensure that...
The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has published a North American rabies surveillance report for 2020. You can access the full report at the JAMA website. Here are a few highlights. The number of wild animals testing positive for rabies in the US stayed consistent...
Cats can be prone to urinary tract issues like infections and the formation of stones which can lead to pain and life-threatening urinary blockages, particularly in male cats. You may have seen ads for health monitoring cat litter than can alert owners to urinary health problems...
The American Veterinary Medical Association has released the new edition of its Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. This resource is based on a survey of over 2,000 US pet owners. Here are some key findings (the full document is available from the AVMA’s store): Overall pet...
With July 4th fireworks just around the corner, now is a good time to remind pet owners to keep their fur kids safe and comfortable during this sometimes noisy holiday. Cats and dogs can experience July 4th celebrations differently, so here are some helpful safety tips...
The experts at PetLink microchips have created a helpful list of tips on finding dogs and cats that have gone missing. Of course, microchipping is key to finding lost pets. Make sure your new pet is microchipped and get into the habit of updating your microchip...
Bringing a very sick pet to the veterinarian can be an upsetting experience for loving pet owners. Vets and vet techs are a caring but busy group of people, which is why some veterinary practices are beginning to offer clients the services of a veterinary...
The International Cat Care animal welfare organization has created a helpful guide to the different kinds of cats that you might see in your community. Whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural environment, it’s common to see cats in outdoor areas, but did you...
A study conducted by Japanese researchers shows that cats can link images of their human and feline companions with their names. The researchers studied face-name recognition in cats with a simple but effective test. Pet cats were shown images of familiar humans and cats and then...
Fleas, ticks, and other parasites can be a source of serious health problems for our pets. Parasite-borne illnesses become a special concern at this time of year when the weather turns warmer. The Pet Disease Alerts website lets US pet owners know about the current threat...
American Humane has been celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week for over 100 years. For this year's awareness event, the American Humane website has lots of great resources for animal lovers of all ages. You can take the kindness pledge, find ways to celebrate by making...
Snickers is the fur kid of two members of the military here in San Diego. When he began to show signs of pain and struggled to urinate, his owners took him to the vet’s office, where he was diagnosed with a urinary tract obstruction. Snickers’ owners...
The sudden death of a beloved pet can be a traumatic event for many pet owners. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that there has been very little in the veterinary literature about the causes of unexpected death in pets. One Canadian study done in the...
The Nielsen company may be best known for tracking what we watch on TV, but they also have a market research branch that tracks trends in consumer products. They presented the results of a pet food online search term study at this year’s Global Pet...
No matter how careful you are as a pet owner, sometimes dogs or cats go missing and it can be difficult to track them down. Besides traditional collar tags and microchips, pets can now wear “smart” ID tags too. According to an article on the website...
This handsome kitty is Billy, a 4-year-old cat who needed urgent veterinary treatment for a life-threatening urinary blockage. Billy's dad is a single, full-time student who also works construction jobs to help make ends meet. He did not have the funds to fully afford Billy's needed...
Most pet owners have been noticing both supply issues and increasing prices when they shop for pet food. But according to a report on the petfoodindustry.com website, pet food price hikes are well below those for human food. Pet food prices rose by 2.4% by the...