https://phys.org/biology-news/veterinary-medicine/ en-us Veterinary medicine news stories about diseases, disorders and injuries in non-human animals As large-scale disasters—including earthquakes, torrential rains, typhoons and wildfires—become increasingly frequent, ensuring that pets as well as their owners can evacuate safely and receive appropriate care has become an important part of disaster preparedness. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-disaster-pets.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:20:06 EDT news708097692 A new study has found that expanding dog vaccination, rather than introducing routine pre-exposure vaccination for children, is the most effective and cost-effective way to eliminate rabies deaths in people in Kerala, India. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-vaccinating-dogs-people-key-rabies.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:20:02 EDT news708065401 When a suspected case of H5 bird flu arrived in Australia, CSIRO scientists knew the first hours would matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-scenes-science-australia-h5-bird.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:40:01 EDT news707982062 The human-animal bond is often so strong that pet owners may delay or forgo medical treatment or leave a health care facility against medical advice if they have no one to care for their pet at home. A perspective paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine explains why pet owners may need different approaches to care when hospitalized, according to an Emory University physician and an Ohio State University veterinarian. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-views-physician-veterinarian-barriers-pet.html Veterinary medicine Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:00:04 EDT news707734865 Animals fulfill a wide range of roles in human society. They provide food, contribute to scientific research, live alongside people as companion animals, and play important roles in education, conservation, research and public engagement through zoos. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pets-zoos-students-animal-husbandry.html Plants & Animals Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:20:02 EDT news707740748 When a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, tore through U.S. poultry farms in early 2025, farmers culled tens of millions of birds, and egg prices soared. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ultraviolet-bird-flu-poultry.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:40:03 EDT news707721546 Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) featured prominently in the news during 2020 as it took the lives of millions of birds across the globe. While the worst seems to be behind us, population-level effects are just now emerging. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ddt-flu-peregrine-falcons-san.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:40:03 EDT news707644561 New research involving more than 1 million Australian feedlot cattle has found that the strongest predictors of death from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) are established before animals even enter the feedlot, highlighting the importance of preventive measures on source properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-health-analysis-million-cattle-early.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:40:08 EDT news707554561 As dogs age, many develop more than one chronic health condition. New research from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) shows those conditions can dramatically shorten a dog's lifespan, highlighting the importance of managing multiple diseases together rather than individually. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chronic-conditions-key-longer-lifespan.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:50:01 EDT news707414941 The lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza is rapidly spreading along the coast of southern Australia, where it has killed thousands of wild birds and infected at least two long-nosed fur seals. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-expert.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:20:03 EDT news707378822 The confirmation of Australia's first mainland death of a mammal from bird flu last week highlights New Zealand's challenge in managing the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-stay-nz-response.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:20:03 EDT news707117101 H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a dead dolphin in South Australia, state officials said Friday, the first case of its kind in the country. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-dead-dolphin-south.html Ecology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 04:20:01 EDT news707108931 Blinking keeps eyes moist, sweeps away bits of dirt and dust, and helps the brain rest when processing visual information. But in dogs, it may also serve another function as a subtle social signal. That was one of the conclusions of new research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, which found that dogs blink more often when they see their owners blinking. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dogs-subtle-social.html Plants & Animals Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:40:05 EDT news706954032 A small, nest-dwelling tick found across large parts of Texas could play an outsized role in how the United States responds to African swine fever (ASF) should the virus reach domestic or wild pigs. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-habitat-african-swine-fever-preparedness.html Ecology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:20:01 EDT news706939621 Researchers have identified a broad range of biological properties of pomegranate with potential medical applications, including antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, liver-supporting and wound-healing effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pomegranate-emerges-natural-phytobiotic-veterinary.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news706894501 A mule has helped researchers build the most complete reference genomes to date for horses and donkeys, giving scientists access to complex regions of DNA that earlier versions could not fully capture. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mule-scientists-clearest-horse-donkey.html Evolution Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news706792861 At 61, Bill had begun showing changes in his health—decreased appetite, weight loss and abdominal bloating. But his bloodwork was normal, leaving the cause of his symptoms unknown. The next step was clear: Bill should get a CT scan to check for problems with his internal organs. There was just one hurdle: Bill is a nearly 400-pound (approximately 180-kilogram) Siamese crocodile. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ct-scan-pound-crocodile.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:04 EDT news706780443 When news broke over the weekend that Australia's first mainland case of bird flu in a mammal—the death of a long-nosed fur seal—had been detected, I felt deep sadness and dread for what's likely to come next. We should expect large-scale deaths of mammals, in addition to birds. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-australia-bird-flu-response-late.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:02 EDT news706776661 A British zoo on Friday hailed the recovery of a cancer-stricken python named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster, which became the first snake to receive an innovative treatment combining surgery and electrochemotherapy (ECT). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cancer-treatment-python-jodie-foster.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:00:01 EDT news706505172 Hundreds of dead birds are now being reported as the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu begins to spread across Australia. Government reports show the virus is circulating in resident birds. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-worst-australia-overseas.html Ecology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news706437961 Many animals obtain information about others from scent marks left in the environment, including urine. Because these marks remain after the sender has left, they allow animals to communicate across space and time. But odor molecules evaporate, degrade and change after release. How, then, can a scent mark continue to convey reliable information about who left it? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-year-mystery-cat-kidney-linked.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:00:26 EDT news706194782 Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm, an insect that has crossed the border from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-world-screwworm-texas-pet.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:07:04 EDT news706352792 A benign but invasive canine oral cancer is often mistaken for a similar malignant one, leading to misdiagnoses in close to a third of cases. But a new diagnostic tool can now distinguish between the two, according to a new study that also identified a promising FDA-approved drug ready for clinical trials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drug-invasive-canine-oral-tumors.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:40:07 EDT news706273621 A new AI framework, known as SHIC-XE, has been developed to detect signs of pain in horses from video analysis while providing stable, anatomically consistent explanations for its decisions. The framework was developed by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Marcelo Feighelstein, head of the Artificial Intelligence Systems Engineering Program at Tel-Hai University's new Cluster of Engineering and Advanced Computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-pain-animals-theyre.html Biotechnology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:30:04 EDT news706291501 When people think about climate change and animals, they might picture melting sea ice, drought-stricken landscapes or species struggling in the wild. Far less attention is given to the animals living in our care. Yet as heat waves become more frequent, intense and unpredictable, zoos may be facing one of the biggest animal welfare challenges of the coming decades. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-zoos-ready-climate.html Ecology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news706190821 A distinctive black or dark brown lesion that appears on the eyes of some cats has long puzzled veterinarians. Now, researchers have identified two elements that may help explain what is happening inside the affected cornea. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-elements-clues-mysterious-black-eye.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:20:08 EDT news706181222 For many people, a trip to the zoo is a chance to watch playful otters dart through the water and chatter with one another. But while we may worry that crowds could stress the otter community, a new Australian study shows that happy onlookers may indeed be helping them flourish. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-otters-attention-humans.html Ecology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:40:01 EDT news706179653 Bird flu is circulating among birds on the Australian mainland. So, with the confirmed number of detections growing, you may be wondering about the risk of birds infecting humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-infecting-humans.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:40:03 EDT news706165741 Humans love dogs, but petting them can leave some people sneezing and wheezing. About 15% of the world's population lives with a dog allergy, which can increase the risk of hay fever and asthma. The main culprit is Can f 1, a protein found mainly in dog saliva. Right now, staying away from furry friends or getting regular immunotherapy shots or tablets is the only way to deal with the symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gene-beagles-major-dog-allergen.html Biotechnology Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news705919142 Canine sarcoptic mange (scabies) is a skin condition in which microscopic mites (Sarcoptes scabiei) infest dogs' skin. The condition is contagious and zoonotic and can be difficult to detect. If left untreated, it can cause bleeding sores, malnutrition, emaciation and secondary bacterial infections that may eventually lead to a dog's death. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-topical-clove-oil-canine-sarcoptic.html Veterinary medicine Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:40:01 EDT news705918202