foster dog forest german shepherd mix dog for adoption
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Foster Dog Forest German Shepherd Mix

Current foster dog FOREST (who is a German Shepherd mix dog) ended up in our local shelter after likely being hit by a car in late February 2023. His prognosis looked grim at times, but he came to us in early March and has been staying with us since then. He officially went up for adoption on April 22, but so far no adoption interest. I made a little video to try and help. Don’t miss it. Also, an FAQ below.

pancreatitis in dogs breaking news graphic
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Conditional Approval of Drug for Pancreatitis in Dogs

Breaking News !! Just in time for the 2022 holiday season, when dogs often accidentally get into rich foods and trigger an acute pancreatitis attack, the FDA gave conditional approval to Panoquell-CA1 for 1 year, with the option for 4 additional annual renewals. The drug meant for injection during hospitalization for cases of pancreatitis in dogs has been approved in Japan since 2018. It’s made by Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. Below, you’ll find some FAQs about this new medication and canine pancreatitis in general.

dog thief arrested
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Dog Thief Arrested

Celebration time !! Dog thief arrested !! After more than a month since the kidnapping of 3 search and rescue dogs from Carlsbad, New Mexico, I’m thrilled to report the dog thief got arrested on June 13, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. All 3 dogs, and the litter of 8 puppies born to one of them after the crime, were all found safe and have been reunited with their owner. Two short video clips of the family being reunited and a link to a TV news report below.

Shelter dog stress infographic

Measuring Shelter Dog Stress

A study published in Scientific Reports in April 22 measured hair cortisol concentrations in shelter dogs before & after adoption, essentially to see if this new testing method works to evaluate long-term shelter dog stress. The data comes with a bunch of caveats, but it’s still interesting and informative adopters and those working or volunteering in the animal rescue and animal shelter environment. When does shelter dog stress go up and down? What does it mean for you?

canine cancer risk data - top 25 breeds relative risk
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That New Canine Cancer Risk Data

Nationwide Veterinary Analytics released the second of three white papers with important canine cancer risk data in March 2022. Here’s a video talking through the headlines and showing the main charts and much of the same information in text below too. They focused on the 25 top / most popular dog breeds, so many of us don’t get information for our own dog breeds. It’s still really interesting, though. Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned.

how not to get fired as a veterinary client
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How Not to Get Fired as a Veterinary Client

I just finished writing an article about a crisis in veterinary medicine with the mental health and overall wellbeing of veterinarians and their veterinary hospital teams, driven in part by the increased demands for veterinary services and the increased abuse they face from cranky clients. Recently, I’ve also become aware of more and more people in my circle of dog lovers — online and otherwise — getting fired by various veterinary hospitals across the country. I find it hard to believe that ALL of these folks are being major jerks, but it seemed like an urgent need to discuss what’s happening, why, and how NOT to get fired as a veterinary client. Here are my best tips + a video explaining (sometimes ranting) about what NOT to do.