Essentials

Heartworm disease prevalence, pathology, and management protocols headlined the 16th American Heartworm Society (AHS) Triennial Symposium, held September 8-11, 2019, in New Orleans. Given the challenges heartworm disease continues to present to the veterinary profession, discovering new strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is vital to reducing its impact.

Being a veterinarian is a calling. We go through years of schooling and dedicate our lives to practicing veterinary medicine because we have a deep desire to care for pets. But what school doesn’t always prepare us for are the complexities of effectively communicating with clients.

Many pet owners dismiss subtle behavioral changes in aging pets, which could be indicative of cognitive dysfunction syndrome. Veterinarians should learn to screen for CDS and know about the available treatments to alleviate the effects, including nutritional supplementation.

In this last article of our 3-part “unholy trinity” series, we will discuss whipworms. Although whipworms receive the least “respect” of the common gastrointestinal nematodes of dogs, there is a very good chance that you will diagnose them.

The gold standard for preventing periodontal disease is professionally cleaned teeth, but there are some foods, treats, and additives that can help reduce plaque and calculus buildup.

We know pets can help fight loneliness and social isolation, but what is the role of veterinarians? Read more about the veterinarians’ role in the human-animal bond with both companion animals and service animals.

Hookworms is the common name for a group of strongylid parasites that affect dogs and live in the small intestine. Although there are several species, this article will focus on Ancylostoma caninum. As with other parasites, if we understand their life cycle, we can better treat and prevent their transmission.

As veterinary professionals, we know all too well that the signs of osteoarthritis (OA) can be missed or misinterpreted by pet owners. Many times, the subtler clinical signs associated with osteoarthritis are thought to be normal age-related changes. Because this leads to underdiagnosis of OA, we focused Banfield Pet Hospital’s 2019 State of Pet Health® Report on osteoarthritis, including how the condition is linked to excess weight.

One concern with weight-loss programs is that use of inappropriate diets and/or levels of caloric restriction can lead to inadequate nutrient intake, resulting in nutritional deficiencies. Severe caloric restriction can also have adverse metabolic effects that work against achieving successful, safe weight loss. This article provides guidance for calculating caloric requirements for an obesity management plan to avoid the adverse effects of severe caloric restriction, as well as for choosing an appropriate diet for weight-loss programs to avoid nutritional deficiencies.