Animal Airwaves

A position statement from the Feline Veterinary Medical Association has explained why some feral kittens respond to socialization better than others. Strong cat-human bonds are usually forged when kittens are...

With antibiotic resistance growing all the time, researchers are looking for alternatives to fight infections — in people and animals, too. They just may have found some hope in a...

A cataract is a clouding of the eye lens that, although not inherently painful, can lead to bigger issues. An early cataract is often just an incidental finding on your...

In the world of competitive employee benefits packages, pet care has become a valuable perk. With 70% of U.S. workers being pet parents, pet care costs can take a significant...

Peregrine [peh·ruh·gruhn] falcons are one of nature's marvels. Achieving speeds of at least 200 miles per hour in a hunting dive, they're the world's fastest birds. They've also learned to...

In our well-meaning attempts to help wildlife, we often do more harm than good — like when we try to rescue what we assume are abandoned offspring. Most of these...

Vaccination is one of the best ways to keep your horse healthy. But which vaccinations are necessary? Every horse needs what are called core vaccinations to protect against highly contagious...

During a single month in the spring of 2025, sixteen horses in Delaware died soon after showing neurologic signs. Testing ruled out infection, and postmortem findings pointed to a toxin....

Most horses in the U.S. have some degree of asthma and nearly 15 percent have a severe case. But now, thanks to collaboration between a medical school and a veterinary...

A recent article in a medical journal highlighted the looming threat of the H5N1 avian flu. Virologists from over 40 countries signed on, urging global leaders to increase surveillance, boost...

Dogs are an integral part of most Native American communities, but in low-income environments, veterinary needs often run up against financial challenges. That's when First Nations Vet steps in. Also...

Ehrlichiosis [air-leek-ee-OH-sis] is a tickborne disease, particularly affecting dogs in Southeastern and Southwestern states. Rickettsial organisms — a genus of bacteria — spread the disease. The most common carrier is...

With hurricane season in full swing, Dr. Larry Garcia, Clinical Associate Professor and Medical Director of UF's Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service (VETS), is roaring the readiness alert on disaster preparedness...

Although a clinical pathologist's role is primarily behind the scenes, bloodwork and general lab testing are critical for disease diagnosis and prevention in pets. When you visit the veterinarian, chances...

Quick bites, fast action. Snake bites are one of the most common occurrences in veterinary hospital emergency rooms through the summer months, and prompt medical attention can make the difference...

If you've read or heard about a dog's life being saved through a blood transfusion, chances are a blood bank that collects blood and blood products from qualified canine blood...

Judging by our dogs' reactions when they hear the word “walk,” they love their outdoor time — the action, the smells, seeing other animals and being with us. So, it's...

You may have heard about tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, but not likely in a canine context. Tularemia is a bacterial disease that often causes liver abscesses in rabbits...

Like humans, our pets' vision worsens with age. But since they can't tell us what's happening, we need to watch closely for behavioral cues. Pets with failing vision may be...

After recent high-profile cases, hantavirus came roaring back into the headlines as a potentially deadly human pathogen. Hantavirus is spread by rodents — most commonly the deer mouse in the...

Before another summer of celebrations, certain pet-friendly precautions bear repeating. First and foremost, always keep your pet cool and well-hydrated. That means never leaving them unattended in the car and...

For nearly a century, widespread vaccinations have saved the lives of countless animals. Beyond that obvious benefit, vaccinations are often required by pet boarding and daycare facilities, as well as...

Equine lumps and bumps can appear alike whether they're benign or cancerous — and skin tumors can affect any age or breed of horse. Sarcoids, most common in Quarter Horses...

Because horses are natural grazers, many people don't know that seemingly benign vegetation might be dangerous. Take grass clippings, for example. They're so tasty that horses may bolt them down,...

This spring, the US Food and Drug Administration made legally available a treatment for a parasitic disease that commonly affects fish often kept in home aquariums and outdoor ponds. Informally...

Chances are you've heard about the environmental impacts of free-roaming domestic cats — but that doesn't mean our pooches are off the hook. An Australian review of existing studies recently...

Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is the most common cause of death in senior cats. Unfortunately, it's usually not diagnosed until symptoms are advanced. But when it's caught early, targeted...

The US Food and Drug Administration recently announced that, for the development of certain drugs, it will be phasing out animal testing in favor of more effective, human-centered methods —...

Aquatic animals are fascinating, and many opportunities exist for training in a variety of disciplines relating to aquatic animal health. Veterinary students at the University of Florida College of Veterinary...

Join us on Animal Airwaves-Live as we welcome Dr. Chi-Yen Wu, a veterinary dermatology specialist, to discuss ear infections in dogs. Dr. Wu will explore why dogs suffer from itchy,...

Join us on Animal Airwaves-Live as Dr. Caryn Plummer, veterinary ophthalmology specialist from UF, discusses cataracts across pets and horses. She’ll help owners identify early signs like eye cloudiness and...

Advanced diagnostic imaging tools can be life-saving for large and small animals. Expertise in this key area of veterinary medicine is critical for both pinpointing diseases and guiding the treatment...

NEADS Service Dogs receive a unique form of training. After early socialization, each 12-week-old pup is assigned to live with a handler in the Prison PUP Program — that is,...

As we ease into summer, it's time to take stock of pet hazards that come with the season. Of course, there's the danger of heat in closed cars — even...

Bird migration is a monumental and mysterious process — especially given that most birds fly solo and overnight. Migration behavior varies across bird species, and it's presumed to be at...

Summer means mosquitoes, and that can signal problems for pets in the form of heartworm disease. Even if you don't live in a high-risk area, heartworm disease has been diagnosed...

A group of international researchers has recently identified a genetic mutation associated with progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, a disease that can cause blindness in Labrador retrievers. Three littermates with...

Felycin-CA1 [fel-i-sin C-A-1], or sirolimus [si-ro·-li-​mus] delayed release tablets, recently received conditional approval for the management of ventricular hypertrophy [high-PER-trō-fee] in cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. Cardiomyopathy is...

When you find a munched-on pair of shoes, does it make you wonder why dogs have the urge to chew? Wild dogs stay nourished by chewing carcasses, nuts, berries and...

Shelters inundated with animals are nothing new — but increasingly ingenious methods are being used to find them homes. One TikTok personality promoting an animal shelter down south has conjured...

Canine osteoarthritis — or OA — affects about 20% of dogs older than one year and up to 80% of dogs over eight years of age. However, only about one...

Allergies in captive animals appear to be on the rise — just as they are in people, especially urbanites in Western countries. That's probably no coincidence. This phenomenon isn't just...

A personalized immunotherapy has recently been approved for canine osteosarcoma, a bone cancer diagnosed in about 10,000 dogs each year. The first step of production involves collecting some of the...

Did you know that many wild animals have ways to administer first aid? For example, mice may tug on the tongues of their unconscious brethren and clear their mouths to...

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus is a pathogen transmitted by midges that causes significant economic loss in the white-tailed deer farming industry and affects wild deer as well. On this show,...

Primary care, or general practice, veterinarians do a little bit of everything. Your local veterinarian is likely to be a generalist who treats both healthy and sick animals and is...

Dr. Richard Hill, professor of small animal medicine and nutrition expert at UF’s Small Animal Hospital, joins us today on Animal Airwaves-Live to discuss the alarming rise of pet obesity....

When it comes to reading a dogs' emotions, many folks interpret what they expect to see — instead of what's right in front of them. Researchers in a newly published...

When it comes to pet food ingredients, corn gets a bad rap. But is that really justified? Some folks think corn and other grains are common pet allergens. Truth is,...

The healthiest diet for your rabbit or guinea pig is one that mimics that of their wild cousins. That means that about 85% of it should be fresh hay and...

One in three U.S. households has a pet cat, yet many feline conditions are less defined than those of their canine cousins. A big reason is that cats have been...