Pet Columns

a veterinary student performs a neuter surgery on a pet at the University of Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Recent

Factors Affecting Whether, How, and When to Neuter Your Pet
March 24, 2025

“Spay” and “neuter” are words frequently heard by owners of a new puppy, kitten, dog, or cat visiting the veterinary clinic. While spaying or neutering may be a requirement when adopting from a shelter and…
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Categories

Species

[cow and calf]

Are You Ready for Birthing Season?

January 02, 2019

You’ve worked hard to get your livestock bred and maintain a normal production cycle. It’s almost time for that amazing event: giving birth (or, in veterinary terminology, “parturition”). It’s understandable to be a little nervous…
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[dog in front of decorated tree]

Pets and Holiday Decorations Don’t Mix

December 17, 2018

Dangers Lurk in Lights, Plants, More What you think of as holiday décor just might look like playthings to your pets. “Animals will investigate anything new in their environment,” says Dr. Michael Biehl, a veterinary…
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[Dr. Alycen Lundberg]

New Chemo Agent May Help Cats with Lung Cancer

November 26, 2018

Trial seeks nine cats with lung cancer Yes, cats can get lung cancer. Through a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures, a cancerous growth can arise just about anywhere in any body. For cats,…
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[Dr. Katherine Kling examines a cat]

It’s Time to Get Your Pet’s Teeth Cleaned

November 19, 2018

Brushing needs to be consistent to be useful Did you get your six-month appointment reminder from your dentist recently? It’s important to keep up on those appointments for your dental health, and it’s just as…
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[cat acne column]

Can Dogs and Cats Get Acne?

November 12, 2018

Animals typically develop acne in middle age Acne plagues many teenagers and even adults, but did you know that animals get pimples too? Dr. Jason Pieper, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois…
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[Deputy Chad Beasley and his partner Arco]

Police Dogs Work Hard, Play Hard

November 05, 2018

Give a wide berth to working dogs Working dogs can be police dogs (K9s), service dogs, search and rescue dogs, or even Seeing Eye dogs. Each type of working dog goes through special training for…
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[dog scratching in backyard]

FDA Alert on Flea Medications

October 22, 2018

What Pet Owners Need to Know The FDA recently alerted the pet-owning and veterinary public about the potential for neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats treated with drugs that are in the isoxazoline class….
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[maine coon cat heart disease]

Heart Disease in Cats: Seeking Answers

October 08, 2018

Heart disease is harder to detect in cats than in dogs Cats and dogs may occupy similar places in people’s hearts, but when it comes to the two species’ hearts—and heart disease—there are a lot…
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