Podcast: Play in new window | Download When a disaster strikes, animals as well as humans are vulnerable. In some cases, specialized training is needed for animals to be rescued, whether it be from a sinkhole, a flooded area, or any place where access is impeded. The UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service, (VETS) has responded [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Spring is kitten season when cats are surrendered in droves to shelters. That makes it a prime time to adopt a feline friend. But have a plan in place first. Be sure everyone at home is invested in adding a cat to your clan. Then choose a cat [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download In the fall of 2012, veterinarians at the University of Florida’s Small Animal Hospital helped a young Labradoodle, named Mocha, as she fought for her life. Mocha was brought to the hospital with complete muscle rigidity and a 110-degree fever. She couldn’t stand or open her mouth to [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download As a pet parent, you focus on being your buddy’s eyes, ears and voice at the veterinary clinic. Details you recount to your veterinarian can help crack a diagnosis. Likewise, information from your veterinarian can help you tweak creature comforts at home. But when it counts, do you [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Cats in close quarters are at risk of infection by a tiny parasite with a big name: Tritrichomonas foetus [TRI-trick-a-moan-us FĒ-tus]. This one-celled nuisance causes some big digestive problems. Smelly diarrhea is the primary clinical sign, but some cats also strain and have inflamed bottoms. Parasites passed in [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Turtles are mighty cute, but they’re also contaminated. Like other reptiles, turtles carry Salmonella as part of their normal bacterial population. Salmonella is not dangerous to a natural host, but it can cause serious infections in people who touch reptiles or contaminated surfaces. Those most at risk are [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Up to 160 million tons of trash are discarded annually in the United States, and after leaving our hands, much of it creates deadly hazards for wildlife. Food scraps can become spoiled or even toxic. Along with these leftovers, animals eat packaging that obstructs the digestive tract. A [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Just like humans, dogs can sustain orthopedic injuries. One of the most common is a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Normally, the ACL stabilizes the knee by connecting the back of the thigh bone to the front of the shin bone. With an ACL injury, signs can [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Goats constantly battle intestinal parasites, especially barber pole worms, so named for their twisting red and white stripes. These bloodsuckers are known for the anemia they inflict. All goats carry barber pole worms. The challenge is preventing the worms from tipping the scales. Drug resistance is rampant, and [...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Caterpillars may seem like harmless fuzzies, but some of them can snuff out lives. Take the Eastern tent caterpillar, a dark brown, two-inch-long wiggler with a white racing stripe. Tent caterpillars hatch from egg masses on wild cherry, crabapple and related trees then build webbed nests in trunk [...]