Weekly Companion Animal News: July 29, 2024

Cost of care biggest barrier to pet adoption

The cost of veterinary care continues to be the top barrier to pet adoption, according to the newly released “2024 Hill’s Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report.” Other findings include: Those making less than $75,000 are more likely to surrender a pet due to financial difficulties; and those making less than $50,000 are more likely to have experienced at least one pet-related housing restriction.

The belief that leptospirosis is solely a disease affecting large breed hunting dogs in wet, rural areas and dogs that swim in standing water has undoubtedly contributed to a lack urgency in the minds of many practitioners to vaccinate for the disease, according to several members of the AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines task force. When clients request that only “necessary” vaccines be administered, veterinary teams may not push very hard for the vaccine.

Emergency pet clinics can offer big benefits, but at a big cost

New, equity-backed pet ERs may provide fast service and use the latest technology to test and treat patients, but there’s an upfront cost. And, even with increased investment by private equity, it can be hard to find emergency care when it’s needed.

The American Heartworm Society has released Heartworms Unraveled, a series of five video-based training modules created to provide comprehensive staff education on heartworm biology, heartworm life cycle and epidemiology; heartworm testing; heartworm prevention; heartworm treatment; and feline heartworm disease for their clinical staff members. The training modules can be accessed by veterinarians and staff members once they register for the course.

Maddie’s Fund, a $260 million foundation that focuses on animal welfare, emerged in the 1990s with a focus on pets only. Today, the organization has shifted its thinking to both pets and people, including economically vulnerable pet owners. In fact, currently more than half of Maddie’s grant portfolio relates to pet owners’ predicaments.

Palmer Lake Veterinary Hospital in Monument, Colorado, announced the introduction of same-day urgent care for pets to complement its existing wellness appointments, surgeries and dental procedures. The practice will begin offering a consistent urgent care schedule on Aug. 5.

Flew The Coop, the nonprofit animal rescue arm of Global Empowerment Mission, has teamed up with FidoAlert™, a free national pet network, to launch Pet Disaster Alert (P.D.A.) pet preparedness plan for emergencies. The plan offers preemptive guidance before storms, including locations of pet-friendly shelters, a detailed “Pet Prep Playbook,” and real-time SMS text message alerts during storms.

The Brandywine Valley SPCA in Delaware will offer free canine influenza and distemper vaccines on Aug. 9. Earlier this month the State of Delaware Department of Agriculture placed restrictions regarding the movement of shelter and rescue dogs due to a canine respiratory disease outbreak.