Top Stories
Artificial (Augmented) Intelligence (AI) in Veterinary Healthcare: A Few Lessons from Human Healthcare, Part 2
(Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part series. Click HERE to read the first part of the series.) The work goes on. Explorations into AI are abundant to ensure evidence-based approaches and optimal results. There has been continued discussion about AI at...
A Whirwind Q1 Tour
If Q4 is the planning season in Animal Health, Q1 is the execution season. The first quarter of the year doesn’t ease in—it accelerates. National sales meetings. Major conferences. Manager summits. Investor gatherings. Founder dinners. Clinic days. Panel moderating....
The Importance of Caring in the Age of Information and Technology
We are living in what future historians will almost certainly call the Information Age. Knowledge is everywhere. Answers are instant. Expertise is searchable. With a few keystrokes, anyone can access data that once required years of study, mentorship, or experience to...
Cultural Curators: The People Who Actually Shape Organizational Culture
Each year brings a natural reset for the Veterinary profession. Now that the new fiscal year is in full swing—and with two of our largest industry gatherings, Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) and Western Veterinary Conference (WVC), behind us—a consistent theme has...
Part 1: The Soul of Veterinary Medicine Lives Local
Veterinary medicine was built on a foundation of passion. The bond between a family and their pet is personal, and the best Veterinary care has always been personal too, rooted in trust, relationships, and a deep commitment to the community. As our industry evolves,...
Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail: Exit Planning and Your Veterinary Legacy
For many Veterinary practice owners, the idea of exit planning feels distant—something to address “later,” perhaps a few years before retirement. Unfortunately, that mindset is one of the most expensive mistakes an owner can make. In reality, exit planning is not a...
Spectrum of Care: Delivering Good, Better, or Best Patient Care
A practice's Spectrum of Care (SOC) refers to the range of patient care options that provide appropriate treatment based on each case's unique circumstances. While not always the primary factor, finances often influence the level of care selected. Historically,...
Women Who Built the Path and the Future We’re Called to Build
March is Women’s History Month, and I have had the privilege of hearing and sharing some of the most extraordinary stories of women across Animal Health. According to AVMA workforce data, women make up nearly two-thirds of practicing veterinarians in the United...
UF Research Aims to Thwart Crimes Against Cats
Source: UF Health At the University of Florida, the Veterinary Forensic Sciences Laboratory is working to combat crimes against cats through its program, “A Cat Has No Name.” Led by forensic pathologist and veterinarian Adam Stern, the lab investigates deaths of...
Bay Area Veterinarians Report Spike in Deadly, Contagious Disease Affecting Dogs
Source: ABC 7 News Bay Area veterinarians and public health officials are warning of a spike in leptospirosis, a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be deadly in dogs and, in rare cases, spread to humans. Cases are rising across the region and in Los Angeles...
Meet the Real Vet Behind ‘All Creatures Great and Small’—the Heartwarming True Story
Source: Woman's World he hit series All Creatures Great and Small is inspired by the real-life Yorkshire veterinarian James Alfred Wight, who wrote under the pen name James Herriot. First adapted by the BBC in 1978 and revived in 2020, the show follows Herriot’s early...
In Oregon, a Dog Competition Tries to Get More Dogs into Truffle Hunting
Source: NPR An Oregon dog competition is encouraging more people to train their pets for truffle hunting, a niche but growing activity in the Pacific Northwest. Held as part of the annual Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene, the Joriad North American Truffle Dog...
Endangered Sea Turtles Receive Critical Imaging at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine
Source: Mississippi State University Two endangered sea turtles are receiving advanced medical care through a partnership between the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU CVM) and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport....
Rodent Burrows Offer Unusual Sanctuary to Africa’s Smallest Wildcat
Source: Mongabay New research reveals that female black-footed cats (Felis nigripes), Africa’s smallest wildcat, rely heavily on abandoned springhare burrows to shelter and raise their kittens in Southern Africa’s harsh, semiarid landscapes. Weighing as little as 1...
Louisiana Faces Critical Shortage of Farm Veterinarians in Rural Areas
Source: KNOE News 8 Rural areas in Louisiana, including Ouachita Parish, are facing a severe shortage of mixed-animal veterinarians, limiting access to essential livestock care. LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Oliver Garden says the shortage is especially acute...
Improving Dairy Calf Pain Mitigation
Source: Michigan State University Researchers at Michigan State University are developing a machine-learning system to better detect and manage pain in dairy calves following hot-iron disbudding, a common practice to prevent horn growth. Although veterinarians...
Veterinarian Warns Canine Distemper Can Spread From Racoon-Contaminated Bowls to Dogs
Source: KATV A veterinarian is warning Arkansas dog owners about the danger of canine distemper after Russellville Animal Control detected the virus in raccoons. Dr. Sarah Gilkerson of Merritt Animal Clinic says distemper, caused by a paramyxovirus related to measles,...
Portland Animal Hospital Warns Dog Owners About Salmon Poisoning
Source: Fox 12 Oregon A Portland emergency animal hospital, DoveLewis, is warning dog owners about salmon poisoning disease after a 6-year-old border collie mix named Forrest nearly died from the illness. The disease, most common in the Pacific Northwest, occurs when...
USDA Postpones Implementation of Horse Protection Amendments
Source: USDA The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has postponed implementation of the 2024 Horse Protection Amendments final rule, delaying non-vacated provisions until December 31, 2026. Originally set to take effect...
Area Veterinarians Warn of Rabies Vaccine Recall
Source: Western Mass News Veterinarians in Massachusetts are warning pet owners about a recall of a specific rabies vaccine batch that may have left some animals unprotected. The recalled product is IMRAB 3TF, one-milliliter rabies vaccine, serial number 18665,...
New York Seeks Rights for Beloved But Illegal ‘Bodega Cats’
Source: RTL Today Thousands of “bodega cats” live in New York City’s corner stores, despite laws prohibiting animals in food-selling businesses. Valued for controlling pests and attracting customers, cats like Simba, a popular Manhattan shop cat, have become cultural...
Therapy Dogs Ease Loneliness Among People Hospitalized For Mental Illness
Source: Health Day A new pilot study finds that therapy dogs can significantly reduce loneliness among people hospitalized for acute mental illness. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University assigned 60 psychiatric inpatients to one of three groups: visits from...
New Mexico Organization Sees Increased Need for Service Dogs Post-COVID
Source: KRQE News Service Dogs of New Mexico has seen growing demand for psychiatric service dogs since the COVID-19 pandemic, as many residents continue to struggle with isolation and what some researchers call an “epidemic of loneliness.” Founded by Briaun Prichard,...
Study Demonstrates Effective Treatment for Deadly Cat Disease
Source: Colorado State University A Colorado State University clinical trial found that the antiviral drug molnupiravir is 77% effective in treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a previously almost always fatal disease caused by feline coronavirus. The study,...
Stopping Nipah Before It Spreads
Source: Tufts Now Following a recent Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, India, Tufts University experts say swift containment efforts have likely prevented wider spread. Nipah, carried by fruit bats, can spill over to humans through contaminated food—often raw...