Small Animal

Pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds or potatoes as main ingredients may be linked to cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, according to an alert to pet owners this week from the Food and Drug Administration.

Read More from Food Safety News

A rescued domestic shorthaired cat named “Lily” has helped prove the efficacy of a game-changing treatment for feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), or stomatitis for short. The lucky feline, adopted by Cyndi Luke of Davis, California, had been treated unsuccessfully for three years when she was recruited to take part in a stem-cell therapy trial testing a cutting-edge procedure for the painful oral condition.

Dazzy, a 4-year-old male French bulldog, began having seizures and acting aggressive toward strangers – a behavior he had never previously displayed. His owners took him to see their primary veterinarian who ultimately referred them to a neurologist near their home in Southern California. An MRI performed by the neurologist revealed a left intra-axial cerebral mass, most consistent with a glioma (brain tumor).

The types of creatures children grow up with can depend on where they live.

The Million Cat Challenge has reached its goal of saving a million shelter cats in five years--a year ahead of schedule. After more than 1,000 animal shelters in North America joined forces to save the animals, the campaign announced last week that it has exceeded that number just four years after the campaign’s launch. 

Boone, a 9-year-old male greater Swiss mountain dog, was previously diagnosed with stage 3 malignant oral melanoma based on the size of the tumor and spread of the tumor to his lymph nodes. He participated in a clinical trial that has given him a new lease on life.

In a review published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Jessica M. Quimby, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University, and Dori L. Borjesson, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures at the University of California, Davis, consider both the current and potential clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats.

Feline upper respiratory infection in shelter cats can be dramatically decreased by doubling cage sizes and providing cats with two compartments, reported Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of California, Davis.

 Dr. Jonathan Dear talks with Just Labs magazine about health advances for Labrador retrievers, in particular copper storage disease. If detected early, veterinarian teams can work with owners to manage it.

Max, 7-year-old Saint Bernard, started having issues getting up and walking. It was clearly more than just a dog getting older, so his owners Joe and Kris Schratz took him to their primary veterinarian who administered therapy treatments in hopes of improving his condition. When Max’s limbs started getting progressively weaker, the veterinarian recommended taking him to the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

K-9 Officer Blitz, a 5-year-old German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix with the Sanger Police Department, was performing routine training exercises with his handler and partner Corporal Brandon Coles when tragedy struck. While retrieving an item from under a car, Blitz caught his eye socket on the tailpipe, causing extensive damage. As Blitz bled profusely from around his right eye, Coles rushed him to a local veterinary clinic.

Swiss Star’s Chasing Moonbeams aka Luna, a 1-year-old female Bernese mountain dog, recently jumped out of the window of a moving car. After Luna immediately showed lameness in her pelvic limb, her co-owner Mary Beam had her examined by their primary veterinarian. X-rays showed a break in the head of Luna’s right femur, so she was referred to a local veterinary surgeon. After discovering that Luna was a champion show dog, the surgeon suggested Ms. Beam take her to see renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.