Clinical

Selected highlights from the 2024 AAHA Fluid Therapy Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

We send reminders and run basic screens, but are we doing all we can for our feline patients? There are some new (and not so new) diagnostic tests available, and we’re going to run down a few of them here.

Melissa Mustillo, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice), managing veterinarian at A Cat Clinic in Boyds, Maryland, answers the 5 questions.

This article was originally published on June 13, 2024, and updated on July 24, 2024, to include changes in requirements enacted by the CDC. The updates reduce the requirements for dogs entering the US from countries designated as rabies-free or low-risk for dog rabies.

Why Boaz Man, DVM, believes we have an ethical responsibility to not only recognize a dog who can’t breathe, but to help them.

Historically, veterinary medicine has primarily approached respiratory and gastrointestinal clinical signs as independent problems. However, given the shared anatomy of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, it is impossible to separate these disorders.

When a local zoo veterinarian called to request a tooth extraction for a North American black bear, Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP (Canine & Feline), and his team discovered the bear had a fractured right lower canine tooth, common in bears due to their powerful jaws and the demands of their natural foraging behaviors.

We could define an “Exotic Pet Care Desert” as an area where there are no veterinarians with skills or interest in exotic animal medicine and surgery. In such an area, how can a general practitioner provide compassionate care to an animal they are not familiar with? Let’s start with some basics.

According to statistics, animal control officials across the country see a 30%–60% increase in lost pets each year between July fourth and sixth. In fact, July 5 is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for animal shelters.

Feeding wet food to cats, even alongside dry kibble, can offer significant health advantages.