Study: Parrots Need Plenty of Mental Stimulation to Thrive in Captivity

A recent study on captive parrots found that they suffer from a lack of mental stimulation more than other captive birds. Their high intelligence and natural food gathering behavior require a lot of human intervention to ensure that they do well as pets and in other captive environments like zoos. The researchers found parrots that …

The Paws Off Act of 2021 Aims to Protect Dogs from Xylitol Poisoning

HR5261, known as the Paws Off Act of 2021, is making its way through the US House of Representatives. This act would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to declare that foods containing xylitol would be misbranded if the label does not warn of the toxic effects of xylitol on dogs. Xylitol is …

Video: Barbecues and Pet Safety

Summer is a great time to spend cooking and eating outdoors.  Backyard barbecues are fun, but if you have pets around, it's important to take a few simple BBQ safety precautions. The emergency and critical care vets at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine have created a video with some BBQ safety tips for …

“Purrfect Weight” App Helps Cat Owners Track Feline Obesity

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Feline Health Center has developed a free iOS app called Purrfect Weight that lets cat owners track the progress of a feeding program designed to promote weight loss in overweight cats. An app for Android phones is in the works. Obesity is a common problem in many cats, …

What You Need to Know About the Sportmix Pet Food Recall

You may have seen headlines about a contaminated pet food that has been recalled due to a large number of canine deaths. A pet food known as Sportmix is being recalled because it has been linked to the deaths of over 70 dogs and severe illness in at least 80 others. What do you need …