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UC Davis Veterinary School Undergoes Major Expansion, Increasing Care Capacity and Addressing Veterinarian Shortage
Source: KCRA 3 The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has launched a major expansion of its Veterinary medical complex, aimed at addressing the national shortage of veterinarians while advancing animal care, research, and education....
Grumpy-Looking Pallas’s Cat Photographed by Camera Trap in Stunning Photo From Eastern Himalayas
Source: Live Science A Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), one of the world’s least-studied wild felines, has been photographed for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh, India’s eastern Himalayas. The elusive species, known for its fluffy coat and distinctive expression,...
The US is Tracking 14 Potential Rabies Outbreaks in 20 States. Here’s What to Know
Source: CNN Rabies, while rare in the U.S., remains almost universally fatal once symptoms appear. Six people have died nationwide since September 2024, and the CDC is monitoring 14 possible outbreaks across 20 states. The disease is caused by a Lyssavirus, typically...
Equine Veterinarian Shortage in Las Vegas: Industry Experts Explain Ongoing Issue
Source: 8 News Now Las Vegas faces a growing equine Veterinarian shortage, reflecting a nationwide crisis. With an estimated 34,100 domesticated horses in Nevada—many in the Las Vegas Valley—demand for care far outweighs supply. Currently, Desert Pines Equine, with...
AI is Helping to Decode Animals’ Speech. Will it Also Let Us Talk With Them?
Source: Nature Recent research is challenging long-held assumptions about human language by showing sophisticated communication in animals such as bonobos, chimpanzees, whales, and birds. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primatologist Mélissa Berthet recorded...
Scientists Claim They’ve Made ‘Pivotal Step’ in Bringing Back the Dodo For First Time in 300 Years
Source: The Guardian Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based “de-extinction” company, has announced a key breakthrough in its bid to revive the dodo, extinct since the 17th century. By successfully growing pigeon primordial germ cells—precursors to sperm and eggs—the team...
Clean Start How Robotic Beehives use AI to Protect Bees From Climate Change
Source: CNBC Bees pollinate over one-third of the crops humans consume, yet about 40% of colonies collapse annually due to climate change, extreme weather, pesticides, and outdated hive technology. Traditional wooden hives, largely unchanged since 1850, offer little...
Ohio State Combats Asian Longhorned Tick With New Tick Testing Service, Other Research Efforts
Source: Farm and Dairy The Asian longhorned tick, first detected in Ohio in 2020, has now spread to 21 counties, raising serious concerns for cattle producers. This invasive arachnid can transmit Theileria orientalis, a parasite that causes theileriosis in cattle....
What Owning a Cat Does to Your Brain (And Theirs)
Source: The Conversation Emerging research shows that cats, despite their reputation for independence, form deep bonds with humans through oxytocin, the “love hormone.” This neurochemical, known for fostering trust, reducing stress, and strengthening social ties in...
Rising Heartworm Threat for Pets Post-Storms: What Veterinarians Want You to Know
Source: WRAL News When Tropical Storm Chantal flooded central North Carolina, it left behind stagnant water that created ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Veterinarians warn that this surge increases the risk of heartworm, a mosquito-borne parasite that can...
New York City’s Rats Have a Secret Nightlife—And a Language Humans Can’t Hear
Source: Scientific American A new preprint field study reveals that New York City’s rats are not only resilient survivors but also highly social animals with a hidden nightlife. Using wireless ultrasonic recorders and thermal cameras at parks, sidewalks, and subway...
Gold-Covered Hairballs May Reveal Why Cats Eat Grass
Source: Science Scientists may have solved one of the strangest feline mysteries: why cats eat grass. A new study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior suggests cats deliberately choose jagged, spiky grasses that can snag and entangle fur inside their digestive...
Acute Outbreak of Another Deadly Deer Disease in Ohio Has Raised Alarms
Source: Dispatch Ohio’s deer herd is facing two major disease threats: Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). EHD, a viral illness spread by tiny biting midges, causes fever, facial swelling, disorientation, and respiratory distress,...
Parasitic Worms Bury Themselves in the Brains of Moose and Elk – a New Test Can Help Diagnose These Animals to Prevent Disease Spread
Source: The Conversation Brain worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) is a parasitic nematode that infects white-tailed deer without symptoms but devastates moose, elk, and other ungulates. Once in the nervous system, it causes neurological disorders such as circling,...
Cornell Hopes Plan for New Large-Bird Rehab Facility Takes Flight
Source: The Ithaca Voice Cornell University has proposed building a new Wildlife Rehabilitation Aviary next to the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital on Hungerford Hill Road in Ithaca. The 6,816-square-foot facility would focus on rehabilitating eagles, raptors, and...
FBI Uses Animal Shelter Incinerator for Drug Burn, Sickening 14
Source: Newsweek Fourteen employees at Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings, Montana, fell ill after being exposed to methamphetamine-laced smoke when FBI agents incinerated two pounds of drugs in the facility’s crematorium. The incinerator, located in a...
New CSU Project Studies How Dogs are Impacted by Wildfire Smoke, Poor Air Quality
Source: Denver 7 Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) are studying how wildfire smoke and poor air quality affect dogs, expanding on what is already known about its harmful effects on humans. Led by Veterinary professor Dr. Colleen Duncan, the project uses...
Fans Bid Farewell to Beloved California Octopus Ghost as She Cares for Eggs in Final Stage of Life
Source: AP News Ghost, a giant Pacific octopus at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, is nearing the end of her natural life cycle and has received an outpouring of affection from visitors and social media fans. After laying unfertilized eggs that will never...
Oh Deer! Viral Deer Disease Detected in Local Counties
Source: WKBN The Pennsylvania Gaming Commission has confirmed outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) among deer in Mercer and Lawrence counties, with additional suspected cases in Butler and Erie counties. Spread by infected midges, EHD appears in late...
Vaccine to Curb Chlamydia Epidemic Devastating Koalas Approved
Source: BBC Scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) have secured regulatory approval for a single-dose vaccine to combat chlamydia in koalas, a disease devastating wild populations across eastern Australia. In some colonies, infection rates reach...
Hawaii Island Police Investigating Death of Narcotics K9 Left in Vehicle
Source: Island News Hawaii Police Department K9 Archer, a six-and-a-half-year-old narcotics detection dog, tragically died after being left in a police vehicle for an “unacceptable” amount of time while his handler was on duty at the station. Interim Police Chief Reed...
MSU Researcher Investigates Glaucoma Risk in Shiba Inu Dogs
Source: Michigan State University The Shiba Inu, a popular Japanese breed recognized for its fox-like features, faces a high risk of developing primary glaucoma—a painful eye disease that often leads to blindness. Caused by poor fluid drainage in the eye, glaucoma is...
National Adoption Program for Reptiles and Amphibians is Launched
Source: DVM 360 The Healthy Trade Initiative (HTI), in partnership with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), has launched the Herp Adoption Program, a national initiative providing humane surrender options for reptiles and amphibians....
Darwin’s Ark Project Decodes Pet Genomics
Source: The Scientist Nearly 20 years after helping sequence the first dog genome, geneticist Elinor Karlsson now leads research connecting animal and human health through comparative genomics at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and the Broad...
Number of Central CA Condors in the Wild Could Soon be Highest in Years, Experts Say
Source: The Tribune In 2025, six condors from the Central California flock have died, including two from lead poisoning, yet the population is set to rebound with 13 juveniles scheduled for release this fall from San Simeon and Pinnacles National Park, plus five...