Pet Health

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Pets can add fun, companionship and a feeling of safety to your life. Before getting a pet, think carefully about which animal is best for your family. What is each family member looking for in a pet? Who will take care of it? Does anyone have pet allergies? What type of animal suits your lifestyle and budget?

Once you own a pet, keep it healthy. Know the signs of medical problems. Take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Drinking a lot of water
  • Gaining or losing a lot of weight quickly
  • Strange behavior
  • Being sluggish and tired
  • Trouble getting up or down
  • Strange lumps
 
  • Pet Health Articles
  • US pet owners paying for high-tech veterinary care 2010.07.20 Around the nation, veterinarians are practicing ever more advanced medicine on the nation's 77 million dogs, 90 million cats and a myriad of other animals — treatments that vie with the best of human medicine. The driving force is "the changing role of th
  • Veterinarians using stem cells to treat animals 2009.08.12 Thousands of dogs and horses with degenerative arthritis have had stem cell treatments, costing around $2,500 to $3,000 per procedure. There are no independent studies verifying their effectiveness, and some experts say such studies are needed to assess t
  • Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels 2009.01.20 The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not only drives global warming, but also raises the amount of CO2 dissolved in ocean water, tending to make it more acidic, potentially a threat to sea life.
  • Pet precautions for winter weather 2009.01.15 Local humane societies are reminding pet owners to take extra precautions during cold weather blasts.
  • Pet Turtles: Cute But Contaminated with Salmonella 2008.08.15 The little glassy-eyed creatures may look cute and harmless, but small turtles can make people very ill.
  • Heartworm Prevention in Your Pet 2008.08.15 Heartworm is a difficult-to-treat and potentially fatal disease in dogs and cats, but it can be prevented with drugs approved by the FDA.
  • Pet Food Products Seized at PETCO Distribution Center 2008.07.24 During an FDA inspection of a PETCO distribution center in April 2008, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found.
  • Is Your Pet Itching for Relief? 2008.07.24 Occasional scratching is normal, but if a pet scratches or bites itself relentlessly, a health problem may be the cause.
  • External Pet Health Feeds
  • Discovery Of H1N1 In Marine Mammals Scientists at the University of California, Davis, detected the H1N1 (2009) virus in free-ranging northern elephant seals off the central California coast a year after the human pandemic began, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. It is the first report of that flu strain in any marine mammal...
  • Identification Of Gene Associated With Eczema In Dogs A novel gene associated with canine atopic dermatitis has been identified by a team of researchers led by professors Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Uppsala university and Ake Hedhammar, SLU, Sweden...
  • Pets May Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease Having a pet, especially a dog, may reduce a person's risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. The statement was published in the journal Circulation after experts reviewed past research on the influence of pets. "Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease," said Glenn N. Levine, M.D...
  • Harvard To Close Its Primate Research Center Harvard Medical School has just announced plans to close down its New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC) over the next two years due to "high financial costs". The research center recently underwent a thorough investigation following the death of four monkeys, upon which inspectors identified significant violations of animal welfare rules...
  • Research Reveals Sterilized Dogs Live Longer Many dog owners have their pets spayed or neutered to help control the pet population, but new research from the University of Georgia suggests the procedure could add to the length of their lives and alter the risk of specific causes of death...

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