Rise in Pet Heart Inflammation Cases Linked to Covid Infection

Veterinarians have been noticing an uptick in the number of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) cases in pet dogs and cats, which has been making news recently. Investigation into these cases has shown that in many instances, this heart condition in pets developed after contact with owners who tested positive for Covid infection. A …

External Extraction Technique (XXT) Helps Choking Dogs

An emergency veterinary clinic on Long Island made the news recently when two dogs were brought in within an hour of each other, both in life-threatening choking situations from swallowed toys. One of the dogs had swallowed a tennis ball and the other one swallowed a rubber ball while playing. The staff performed a procedure …

New York Passes Two New Animal Welfare Laws

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an animal welfare legislative package into law recently. The first law is S.4254/A.4075, which prohibits insurance companies from refusing to issue or renew, cancel, or charge or impose an increased premium for certain homeowners’ insurance policies based solely on the breed of dog owned by customers. The second is …

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 …

Common Causes of Cancer in Pets

Our dogs, cats, and other pets can get cancer just like humans.  And, like humans, there can be different causes of cancer in animals. The Merck Veterinary Manual has outlined the most common causes of cancer in pets, and what you can do to help lower the risk. Genetics Some animals have an increased risk …