Get Healthy!

Fido really needs a friend.

That's the main takeaway from a new survey that included more than 21,400 dogs and their owners, and showed that pups who have companions (whether furry or human) live healthier, longer lives than those who don't.

The strength of a dog's social support network had an even greater effect on their health than their owners' financial status, and these r...

Millions of stray cats roam the world over, and surgical sterilization has long been the primary method of population control.

But a small new study shows promising results for a one-and-done contraceptive injection.

Researchers say this first-of-its-kind approach appears safe and effective.

“A non-surgical contraceptive that could result in lifetime sterility following...

It's a wonderful thing to try to save stray animals, but for some people it can turn into a form of hoarding thats dangerous for pets and humans alike.

People who “hoard” animals may feel like they're saving them, but caring for many pets may take a toll on their well-being and that of the animals they take in, according to a new study.

“Although most folks with hoarding disor...

Cats who became infected with COVID-19 had the same variants as their owners throughout the different phases of the pandemic, new research finds.

Scientists looked at retrospective samples to assess COVID-19 infections in U.K. cats from April 2020 to February 2022. The cats had been infected with the Alpha and Delta variants following their emergence in the human population.

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Man's aging best friend has a new treatment to dull osteoarthritis pain as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced approval Friday of the first monoclonal antibody for dogs.

Called Librela, the bedinvetmab shot controls pain from the most common form of arthritis in dogs. Osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 25% of dogs during their lifetime.

In this condition, the cartil...

In the spring and summer, everyone races outside with their dogs to enjoy the warmer weather, but a new study suggests there is a downside to that.

More children are bitten by dogs in those months, according to researchers at Nemours Children's Health.

But a dog bite isn't inevitable: It's possible to keep both dogs and children safer, and to provide proper care if the unfortunate d...

Like people, man's best friend can get dementia with aging.

And these older dogs sleep less deeply when they develop the condition, just as people with Alzheimer's disease do, according to research that included problem-solving tasks and brain wave measurements.

“Our study is the first to evaluate the association between cognitive impairment and sleep using polysomnography -- the ...

Walking your dog gets you moving and out in the fresh air, but head injuries and fractures are very real possibilities, especially for older dog owners, researchers say.

The most common injury from walking a leashed dog that sends folks to the ER is fractured fingers, a new study from Johns Hopkins University found.

But traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the second-most common inj...

Put out that cigarette for the health of your four-legged friend.

When smokers search social media for anti-tobacco information, they tend to engage most with posts about the risk of secondhand smoke on their pets, a new study reveals.

Posts with new information about harmful chemicals also receive high engagement, researchers found.

“Our results show that people respond to ...

Cats constantly licking and chewing because of a skin condition called feline allergic dermatitis may benefit from a new generic treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA approved Modulis for Ca...

While research has shown that having pets can lower the chances of respiratory allergies in children, a new study finds it might also reduce the risk of food allergies.

Japanese investigators found that young children exposed to dogs in the home were less likely to experience egg, milk and nut allergies, while those exposed to cats were less likely to be diagnosed with egg, wheat and soyb...

In more bad news about antibiotic resistance, new research suggests that people and their pets may be able to transmit multidrug-resistant germs to each other.

Still, cases of cross-transmission are rare and it's not clear if pets are giving germs to people or people are giving germs to their pets, the study authors noted.

"In urban areas in high-income countries, pets do not seem ...

If your bedtime routine includes snuggling up with your Boston terrier or lulling yourself to sleep to the gentle purrs of your calico cat, you might want to rethink it.

Pets can offer a sense of security and comfort, but sharing a bed with them may lead to wakeful nights, according to a new study.<...

Like humans, some dogs suffer from anxiety. They might show fear or excitability toward strangers. Loud noises might result in "accidents." They may get destructive when you leave home.

The cause of their distress could lie in their brain makeup, researchers from Ghent University in Belgium say.

For the study, published March 15 in PLOS ONE, res...

It won't come as a surprise to those who love their furry friends, but a new poll finds many Americans saying their pets offer them mental health benefits and are a part of the family.

Roughly 86% of cat and dog owners said their pets had a positive impact on their well-being, the American Psychiatric Association's (APA)