Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) is a highly contagious and often fatal disease that is spreading among wild rabbits in the southwestern United States. This disease was first identified in China in 1984 and has since spread across the globe. RHDV is not known to affect...
“Slower, Shorter, Sadder” is the title of a study of English dog owners who describe how their walks have changed after a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in their dogs. The development of canine osteoarthritis can lead to big changes in dog walking routines. Most of the owners...
The ASPCA Pet Poison Helpline has seen an increase in calls from concerned pet owners since the COVID-19 crisis began. The issue? Many of us have questions about the safe use of cleaning and disinfecting products (such as bleach) around our pets. To help pet owners,...
The knowledge about how pets are affected by the novel coronavirus is evolving every day. Recent news stories about a handful of dogs, cats, and big cats at a zoo testing positive for COVID-19 may have pet owners wondering about their own animals. Since humans seem...
With so much of our focus on the Coronavirus crisis, it can be easy to forget that we also must stay vigilant about natural disasters like wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. For pet owners, this means having an emergency preparedness plan that includes our dogs,...
The World Health Organization has announced that it plans to examine the transmission of the novel coronavirus between humans and pets. This has been prompted by a scientific study which found that among domestic animals, cats and ferrets can become infected with the virus that causes...
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and is transmitted by the bite of infected deer ticks. Dogs are at increased risk for contracting Lyme disease in the spring and summer months. Lyme disease has been found in all 50 U.S. states,...
As more and more businesses are temporarily closing due to the Coronavirus outbreak, many concerned pet owners are wondering if their local veterinary practices will be open. According to an article on the Veterinary Information Network website, some—but not all—states are declaring veterinary clinics as...
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has created a fact sheet on Coronavirus for pet owners. They address common concerns, including whether or not cats and dogs can become infected with the virus or pass it on. As of this time, there is no evidence that...
The new strain of coronavirus from Wuhan, China (2019-nCoV) is believed to be a virus that jumped from animals (possibly bats via another species) to humans. While its contagiousness among people is a worldwide health concern, what about our pets? Veterinarians at Texas A&M University report...
Accidental opioid poisoning is a danger for our companion animals, especially dogs, as well as for humans. A new study analyzed data from the Animal Poison Control Center for the years 2006-2014 to identify risk factors for opioid poisoning in U.S. pet dogs. Not surprisingly, there...
Taking your dog for a walk is a great way for you and your pet to enjoy quality time together and get in some healthy exercise. Seems like a simple activity, but the American Veterinary Medical Association reminds dog owners to keep their best friend’s...
Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu has teamed up with PETA to create a public awareness video on the dangers of dogs being kept outside in freezing cold weather. Tyrann stepped into a walk-in freezer to experience what it must be like for dogs left out...
Wishing all of our friends a happy--and safe--Halloween! Check out these Halloween pet safety tips to ensure that you and your best friend have a holiday that's not too spooky! ...
Fall can be a great time to set out on outdoor adventures with your dog. The weather is crisp and cool to keep you and your dog comfortable, and all that beautiful fall foliage is definitely an added benefit. We’ve gathered some of the best fall...
As responsible pet parents, we want to do what’s best for our dogs and cats, including protecting them from harmful parasites like fleas and ticks. But did you know that it’s possible to “overdose” your pets on too much topical flea and tick medication? Veterinarians have...
Veterinarians around the country are warning dog owners about the hazards of exposing your dog to bodies of standing water that have algae containing a poisonous bacterium known as cyanobacteria. Toxic blue-green algae was responsible for the deaths of several dogs in the US and Canada...
The folks at the rover.com website have created a very useful new list of poisonous plants for dog and cat owners. The list includes photographs of each plant to help in identification, as well as the plant’s common name and scientific name. You can find plants that...
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the US Food and Drug Administration, recently issued a health warning to pet owners who feed their dogs pig ear treats. They are advising people not to buy pig ear treats for their pets, and not...
We’ve all seen a lot of news stories about the dangers of leaving your dog in a hot car, but did you know that a simple stroll on the sidewalk can blister your pup’s paws when the weather is hot? KUTV in Salt Lake City talked...
The US Food and Drug Administration has been investigating a possible connection between grain free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. DCM is a heart condition that is most commonly seen in certain medium to large breed dogs. The heart becomes enlarged and loses its...