Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Why do cats often leave food unfinished? Many cat owners have experienced this puzzling behavior. Domestic cats are well known for eating multiple small meals throughout the day, a pattern thought to reflect their evolutionary origin from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), a solitary hunter that repeatedly captures small... Read more

A quick heart trace taken during a warm-up trot could identify racehorses at risk of cardiac arrhythmias during high-intensity exercise, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey. The screening method analyzes short, routine electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings that could be used to help prevent cardiac events in... Read more

Although neighborhood cats may seem like a fun, charming presence, unowned cat populations have been criticized for causing harm to a community and its environment. Without proper management, stray cat populations can rise rapidly, leading to concerns about predation, disease, and public nuisance.... Read more

In the search to replace antibiotic growth promoters with effective alternatives in modern swine production, plant-based essential oils are showing potential to provide lasting benefits. In a rare long-term public study that compared the effects of phytochemicals from rosemary and oregano with antibiotic growth promoters, animal scientists with the Arkansas... Read more

Chicks, just like pets, also benefit from gentle human touch, new research has revealed. Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered that gentle human interactions do not only prevent fear in baby chicks but also trigger positive emotions. The findings offer new insights into how early-life handling affects the... Read more

Novel marine mammal health surveillance can now detect deadly diseases in whales and dolphins in oceans, beaches and remote locations, thanks to new research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The portable unit delivers results in about an hour, leading to faster decision-making during mass stranding events. The study... Read more

By comparing osteoarthritis pain pathways known to be active in dogs and humans to those in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD), researchers found that elevation of a particular molecule, artemin, could serve as a marker of disease (and possibly pain) as well as a potential therapeutic target. The findings... Read more

Desperate to help his sick dog, one Australian man went down the ultimate ChatGPT research hole, using artificial intelligence to design a personalized experimental treatment and finding top scientists to administer it.... Read more

New research from the Dog Aging Project and Texas A&M University highlights that for many families, losing a dog means losing a family member—and that the grief is profound regardless of how a pet dies. The studies underscore the need for veterinarians to support owners through every step of the... Read more

Most people have experienced it: when you're moving, engaged, and focused, pain fades into the background, then flares when you're immobilized with nothing to do. That isn't imagination; it's biology. A comprehensive review published in Frontiers in Animal Science shows that barren captive housing removes exactly those pain-dampening inputs—movement, exploration,... Read more

A stark rise in the number of stray dogs being euthanized across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, with rates more than tripling over a three-year period, are revealed in a new collaborative study. The research is published in Animals.... Read more

Opioid-class drugs are commonly prescribed as powerful pain medications in both humans and animals, though they can also be accessed or used illicitly. These substances carry a significant risk of overdose in people and in pets because they slow the central nervous system. At high doses, this effect can slow... Read more

A critically endangered monkey has given birth just months after pioneering surgery saved her from undergoing an amputation. Masaya, a 15-year-old roloway monkey at Chester Zoo, had a golf-ball-sized mass removed from her foot last summer in a complex operation carried out jointly by zoo vets and surgeons from the... Read more

Pets encounter a variety of everyday risks, from outdoor threats like animals or parasites to physical dangers like vehicles or sharp objects and household toxins like plants or cleaners. However, many owners may underestimate the invisible dangers—such as poisonous metals—that their pets could also come across in their daily lives.... Read more

Sudden drop in milk production, thickened milk, and cows under movement restrictions. Since 2024, American farmers have had bitter experiences with the feared bird flu (H5N1), which in several cases has been introduced to cattle—and then spread rapidly among cattle herds. In some instances, humans have been infected as well.... Read more