Depending on your pet’s species, breed, age and overall health, your veterinarian can tailor your buddy’s schedule for wellness visits. The next time you get a reminder for one of these checkups, take a moment to reflect on what a wise investment it is.

One reason for wellness visits is disease prevention — like staying current on vaccinations and antiparasitic medications.

Another benefit is the physical exam, which gives your veterinarian a chance to detect abnormalities as soon as possible when they’re easiest to treat.

Either way, wellness exams can save expenses and distress down the line by preventing disease or catching it early on.

Or — to put a new spin on a cliché — an ounce of prevention may be worth much more than a pound of cure.

Many cats suffer from chronic pain, like that caused by osteoarthritis. In people, electroencephalography [electro-en-ceff-ah-LAH-grah-fee], or EEG, can be used to measure brain activity during bouts of osteoarthritis and to determine how sensory stimuli can alter the pain. The same may be true of cats, but up until now, cats wouldn’t tolerate EEGs unless asleep.

That’s because EEGs work via surface electrodes placed on a cat’s head, and unsedated cats tend to shake them off and chew the wires. But placing small custom-knit caps over the electrodes solves the problem.

Now, researchers can study cats’ brain activity resulting from touch and smell stimuli. It’s just the first step, but one day it may lead to a new form of therapy for chronic feline pain.

As of late September 2024, an outbreak of Listeria bacterial infections across 19 states had led to the hospitalization of at least 59 people and the deaths of 10. So, just how could this impact our pets?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still investigating the outbreak, which has been traced back to sliced deli meats. Listeria isn’t just dangerous to people — it can cause serious infections in dogs and sometimes cats, too. In general, bacterial infections tend to affect both animals and humans — especially those who are young, elderly, pregnant or otherwise immunocompromised.

So, it’s best not to give your pet deli meats. Even in the best of times, their high salt and preservative content makes them less-than-ideal pet treats.

There’s a tendency for some to think that antibiotics are a cure-all for virtually all diseases, but that’s not so. Worse yet, inappropriate antibiotic use is the main reason for growing antibiotic resistance.

With few new antibiotics in development, it’s crucial to maintain the effectiveness of those we have. That’s why veterinarians only use antibiotics when they’re indicated. As a pet parent, you can help too.

First, never give your pet antibiotics unless your veterinarian instructs you to. If an antibiotic is prescribed, follow the label instructions to a T by giving the right dose at correct intervals and for the full duration of treatment, even if your pet’s symptoms resolve.

With the health of both people and pets on the line, do your part to protect the power of antibiotics.

Pandora syndrome isn’t a new disease. The term just reflects a more comprehensive understanding of a long familiar feline condition.

Affected cats may periodically strain to urinate, pass small but frequent amounts of bloody urine, or urinate outside the litter box. Over the years, this condition has been variably called feline lower urinary tract disease or feline urological syndrome and was blamed on improperly formulated diets.

But that was wrong. Current research shows that these lower urinary tract signs are just a part of a chronic stress response that affects multiple organs in a cat’s body — that is, it creates a veritable “Pandora’s box” of complex problems.

If your feline friend shows these signs, work with your veterinarian to find a solution.

Over millennia, hoofed animals — or ungulates — have evolved to migrate long distances to reach food and other resources. From wildebeest and elephants in Africa to caribou in Alaska and Scandinavia, the survival of ungulate herds depends on these epic migrations. But increasingly, migrations are interrupted by large-scale human developments.

Until now, the technology did not exist to track ungulates globally. However, as of September 2024, the newly launched online Atlas of Ungulate Migration can detail migration routes around the world. Viewers can zoom in on specific herd migrations and even track individual animals.

Creators of the atlas hope it will provide much needed wildlife information to governments, companies and wildlife managers.

Since its 2007 discovery in the United States, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats during their winter hibernation. Now, after years of research, scientists are testing ways to help bats survive.

One approach involves using a chemical that coats fungal spores and prevents their growth. Spraying it onto the walls of empty caves in the summer might kill spores by the time bats return for the winter.

Researchers have also found that bats in cooler parts of caves have better survival odds, so another tactic involves cooling some hibernation sites.

Another strategy aims to fatten bats in the summer by planting flowers and grasses that attract a feast of insects. The added energy should help bats survive winter infections.

For the millions of dogs suffering from skin allergy conditions, there’s a new drug that may help control symptoms.

In September 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved once-daily Zenrelia [zen-REH-lee-ah] tablets for the control of itching associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of environmental allergies — also known as atopic dermatitis — in dogs at least one year of age.

Zenrelia works, in part, by suppressing the immune system. Since vaccine protection relies on a strong immune response, dogs should not be vaccinated at least 28 days before or after treatment with Zenrelia.  

As with other drugs of its class, Zenrelia is only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

With millions of pets on flights each year, airlines are struggling to safely and comfortably accommodate them. That’s where Bark Air comes in — at least for dogs.

Launched in May 2024, Bark Air touts canine-centric flights without a dog crate in sight. Charter flights transport the dogs — with or without their parents. Upon booking, a Bark Air concierge collects the dog’s information and later facilitates check-in. During the flight, pooch pampering includes calming blankets and pillows, spa sessions, snacks and drinks and more.

So far, Bark Air only flies between New York and Los Angeles — at a cost of $6,000 — and between New York and London — at a fee of $8,500. To date, that hasn’t deterred hundreds of pet parents from using their services.

Degenerative myelopathy [my-ah-LAH-pah-thee] is a progressive disorder that targets a dog’s spine, ultimately reducing their ability to use their hind legs.

The cause remains a mystery, but it likely involves a genetic mutation. Larger breeds — like German shepherds, boxers, huskies, and Labrador retrievers — are at greatest risk, especially as they age.

Parents of affected dogs may first notice their buddies having trouble rising, their hind legs stumbling or exhibiting generalized weakness. The condition isn’t painful, but usually worsens over weeks to months.

If your dog displays this sort of behavior, contact your veterinarian. Other spinal diseases can have similar symptoms, so it’s important to have a diagnosis before making treatment decisions.