Weekly Companion Animal News: August 24, 2026

New SoundByte: Healthy Hip & Joint

Veterinary Strength Healthy Hip & Joint from VetriScience goes beyond the typical hip and joint supplement. These unique Phytosome™ ingredients easily cross the gut barrier, resulting in superior absorption and significantly higher blood levels of each ingredient to support a healthy inflammatory response, helping patients feel and act better faster. Find out more in the SoundByte from Veterinary Advantage

Zoetis’ Simparica TRIO gets EUA for treatment of NWS in dogs and pups

In granting the emergency use authorization, the Food and Drug Administration concluded “it is reasonable to believe that Simparica TRIO by Zoetis may be effective in the treatment of NWS myiasis in dogs and puppies when used as authorized, and the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh its known and potential risks.” Simparica TRIO is not authorized for the prevention of NWS.

World Pet Association launches petLENS market intelligence

petLENS is a continuous consumer research initiative for the pet industry, providing ongoing tracking and surveying of more than 75,000 pet owners, paired with interpretation by data scientists, researchers, veterinarians and product scientists. The research spans dogs and cats as well as birds, reptiles, small mammals and aquatic pets. petLENS is powered by research firm BSM Partners.

South Florida experiencing outbreak of feline parvo

Feline panleukopenia is affecting large numbers of kittens as well as adult cats in South Florida, probably due to extreme heat and an overpopulation of cats there. Broward County Animal Care reported an increase in cases this summer, resulting in eight to 10 instances of cat rooms being under quarantine. Miami-Dade Animal Services reported 216 cases so far this year. The incubation period is two to seven days, meaning it can quickly circulate before symptoms even show.

CareVet names winners of Clinical Outcomes Showcase

Veterinary network CareVet honored ideas from four of its hospitals at its inaugural Clinical Outcomes Showcase in Nashville. They included a clear hideaway box lined with perforated privacy film (for cats), prepaid sample collection kits for at-home testing, a preventive wellness routine for every exotic-animal encounter, and a prognostic medicine platform incorporating an individual animal’s medical history and baseline.

Students, experienced clinicians outperform AI-enabled stethoscope

A study from North Carolina State University showed that vet students and experienced clinicians outscored an AI-enabled digital stethoscope in diagnosing heart murmurs and arrhythmias in cats and dogs. One potential explanation: The diagnostic algorithms in AI-enabled stethoscopes are designed based on humans.

Cross-breeding of brachycephalic dogs yields better health outcomes

Cross-breeding of brachycephalic dogs could significantly reduce the health risks linked to their extreme features. Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College examined 150 pet pug and pug cross-breeds and found that breathing was impaired in all the purebred pugs – with nearly half assessed as having severe airway disease – while only one puggle (a pug-beagle cross) and no pug-Jack Russell crosses (“pugs”) were affected. More than one-third of purebreds were found to have skin fold dermatitis while the condition affected no jugs or puggles. Eye, orthopaedic and neurological abnormalities were also much more commonly seen in purebred pugs than cross-breeds.

Veterinary Virtual Care Association installs Dr. Jessica May as president of Board

Dr. Jessica May has served on the VVCA Board of Directors since 2022, where she has chaired the Association’s European Committee. She succeeds founding Board Chair Mark Cushing, who will remain an active member of the Board. Founded in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, VVCA rested on the foundational work of the original Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC) in 2016.