affording veterinary care main graphic -- bundles of $100 bills with a white text box on top that says terrible advice about affording veterinary care *for veterinary staff

Petsmart Charities released results of a new survey recently that shows a majority of people (52%) struggle with affording veterinary care. Everyone is talking about it, as you’ve likely seen. I will probably write about it in more detail soon, but I wanted to share my thoughts (rant) about some terrible advice I saw from an e-newsletter and website for veterinary professionals. I won’t name it here, but I will say that I, myself, would not respond well or feel good about their ideas of how veterinary teams should pre-ask about paying for veterinary care or handle times when people feel worried about paying for recommended veterinary care. It’s cringe-worthy, IMHO.

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fun dog book for kids main graphic -- photo of book cover -- Three Terrier Tails on the Farm - Barking up a New Adventure by Jeff Pawlecki

Author Jeff Pawlecki contacted me a while back, asking me to review his fun book for kids called The Three Terrier Tales on the Farm – Barking Up a New Adventure. He lives on a farm in Ohio, with family that includes people and several species of animals. The book is cute and pretty funny. If you know young readers who like terriers, it’s perfect for their bookshelves!

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lost pets post featured graphic - red box with lost dog in white letters

I learned about how AI helps find lost pets while working on what turned out to be my last-ever article for one of my longtime, national pet magazine clients. Yes, I know about many of the ethical (and environmental) issues around AI. Still, this actually seems like a useful application of it. I included a couple of action items for you.

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5 Signs of Pain in Dogs You Might Miss main graphic- yellow and orange triangles each with text on them for the 5 signs -- snapping, head avoidance, not eating well, unusual body, not getting on/in things

Pain often causes dogs to change their behavior in unexpected ways. A recent study found that people who better understand signs of pain in dogs are more likely to seek appropriate veterinary care (and sooner). Let’s look at 5 signs of pain in dogs you might miss. (Let me know what you would add to the list!) Also a real-life example at the bottom of the page.

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vpa - veterinary professional associate - colorado ballot measure 2024

I unpublished and updated this post about the VPA ballot measure in Colorado after reading additional input from the veterinary world and seeing DVMs on Twitter, in particular, calling BS on the ballot measure’s purported goals. So, here we go again. Jump down to the section called Other Reasons to Oppose It to catch up, if you read the earlier version!

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PD the pug books - dog book reviews

That tiny foster pug puppy from a few years ago came as a revelation. One of the things I love about fostering is getting the chance to experience breeds I’d never know otherwise. So, I felt pretty excited to read some books written by PD the Pug.

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puppy rabies case in colorado main graphic

By now, most of you know about this puppy rabies situation in Colorado with a Denver-area rescue group called Moms and Mutts that specializes in pregnant and/or nursing momma dogs and their litters. I contacted the state’s public health department to get answers to some of the common questions people ask about this case and why the entire litter of puppies needed to be euthanized and tested for rabies.

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bird flu and pets main graphic featuring colorful pigeons

Our home state Colorado has seen some bird flu issues recently. Bird flu sweeping through farms with egg-laying hens. Bird flu in dairy cows. Even some cases of bird flu in people and now cats! One other related news item coming out of Japan also caught my eye.

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Dog needle core biopsy main image - illustration with 2 medical looking people on a light blue background - other icons include a syringe, a chart, an IV bag, and a thermometer

Full disclosure, the study on dog needle core biopsy results is small. Very small. Like just 17 cats and 3 dogs in the study. However, it looks like this biopsy option might be just as useful (and safe) as the typical surgical biopsies (with bigger incisions). I, honestly, had no idea veterinarians needed so many

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