Clinical

Many signs of potential pet pain are revealed through changes in behavior. Help clients identify signs of pain in their pets with this chart.

Behavior problems have come to the forefront of veterinary medicine, receiving a lot of interest amongst veterinary professionals and owners alike. Whether it is due to owners being more aware of problems or whether veterinary professionals are tackling them earlier, addressing the behavior of the pet is becoming standard of care.

Gathering these objective details is critical to evaluating behavior complaints a client may present. Data-collecting technology can act as a veterinarian’s behavioral spy, revealing the pet’s secrets to guide a diagnosis and treatment plan.

By now you must have heard the phrase Fear Free or heard of Fear Free certified practices. But what exactly is Fear Free and what does it look like in practice?

Amy Pike, DVM, DACVB, IAABC-CDBC, graduated from Colorado State University in 2003, and was soon after commissioned as a captain in the US Army Veterinary Corps, where she worked with dogs suffering from PTSD.

AAHA Director Gregory Carastro, LVT, CVBL, touts the benefits of the Fear Free practice. The AAHA Community responds to a request for resources to help boost confidence in veterinary assistants. This month’s Scoop news articles include: AAHA Names First Veterinary Technician of the Year; North Carolina Requires Veterinarians Declare Gabapentin Use; Humans May Have Influenced Evolution of Dogs’ Eye Color; Study Evaluates Cannabis Product Use in US Cats and Dogs; and more!

Each February, we “celebrate” Dental Health Month, but veterinarian Scott Krick, DVM, says there is a better way to get patients the dental care they so desperately need.

Chocolate and xylitol aren’t the only Valentine’s Day toxin risks for pets according to the Pet Poison Helpline.

It’s dental health month, so it’s a good time to brush up on your dental cleaning skills. This month’s In Practice shows the proper sequence for a dental cleaning using an ultrasonic scaler.

Maintaining dental instruments is critical to performing proper dental procedures. Sharp scalers and curettes are much more effective at cleaning teeth than dull instruments. Brook A. Niemiec, DVM, DAVCD, DEVDC, talks about taking the best care of your dental hand instruments.