In the wake of natural disasters like wildfires that have destroyed whole communities with alarming speed, some folks are focused on the beloved pets left behind — and how to save others in the future.

More than 1,000 pets died in the Marshall fire on Dec. 30, 2021, in Boulder County, Colo., according to

If your dog is bigger, male and a purebred, it may get a diagnosis of cancer earlier in its life compared to other dogs, a new study finds.

A dog's size, gender and breed appear to affect its average age at cancer diagnosis, researchers found. This should inform canine cancer screening guidelines, they wrote in the Feb. 1 issue of PLOS ONE.

Cancer kills more adult dogs than...

It's possible to prevent heartworms in many of your furry friends — dogs, cats and ferrets, specifically.

Heading off a severe and sometimes deadly illness simply requires regular, year-round preventive treatment through a pill, injection or topical medication, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Heartworms are parasitic worms that can grow to 12 inches in length. ...

Owners whose cats have diabetes now have a new option to care for the condition in their otherwise healthy pets.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first pill to improve control of diabetes in some cats.

The drug, call...

Is your pooch a herder or a hunter? You can try taking them to a trainer, but new research shows much of their behavior is hardwired in their DNA.

For the new study, researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 200 dog breeds and surveyed 46,000 pet-owners to try to suss out why certain breeds act the way they do.

“The largest, most successful genetic experiment that humans hav...

That special link you may have with a purring, four-legged friend has been going on between the species for millennia, new research shows.

The human-cat relationship was probably forged over a shared interest in rats more than 10,000 years ago, investigators say. As farming became a way of life, cats served as ancient pest control, killing rodents and making a bond with people that contin...

Anyone who's ever loved a pet like a member of the family knows that the grief when that dog, cat or other furry friend dies can be devastating.

But too often, finding others who truly understand and support that sense of loss can be challenging.

Michelle Crossley, a mental health counselor, ...

A new immunotherapy gel being tested in pet dogs could pave the way for gentler and more effective treatment of one of the most common childhood cancers, researchers say.

Sarcoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, affecting the bones and soft tissues.

It's also the third most common cancer in children, with 1 in 3 dying from the disease, researchers said.

Sarcoma in ca...

For cat owners who are convinced that their furry feline understands and even responds to the sound of their voice, here's the reward they've been waiting for: A new French study finds that, yes, cats can identify their owner's cooing and calling.

After extensive work with 16 cats, the investigators...

Universities sometimes offer "Pet Your Stress Away" events offering a chance to relax while gently patting the head and stroking the back of a calm dog.

But some people are more interested in interacting with cats than dogs, according to a new study that linked preference to personality type.

If you have dogs, you probably already know that petting them can give you a lift.

Researchers set out to prove that using technology to show what happens in the brain when stroking or sitting next to a dog. They also compared that to petting a stuffed animal.

They found that when study participants viewed, felt and touched real dogs it led to increasingly high levels of activity ...

For many kids with autism, Rhett, a black Labrador retriever, has been a calming and comforting influence in his seven years as a therapy dog.

But parents shouldn't assume that a service pooch is the solution for every child on the autism spectrum, a new study...

Everyone knows dogs have a keen sense of smell, but now researchers have discovered they can even smell stress in the breath and sweat of humans.

"Dogs possess an incredible sense of smell. Previous research has demonstrated their ability to detect changes within the human body from odor alone, such as ou...

Five years back, “Nugget” the Jack-A-Poo was in serious need of some tender loving veterinary care.

“He needed vaccinations and a few other things,” Seattle native Grace Stroklund recalled of her sidekick, a Jack Russell Terrier/Toy Poodle mix. “But I was just not in the wheelhouse financially to do any of that.”

At 23, Stroklund was struggling with her own challenges. H...

The COVID-19 pandemic has undone decades of progress controlling dog and cat populations through spay and neuter surgeries, a new University of Florida study finds.

Spay-neuter procedures perform...

Your dog may like to lick your hand or face, but if you're using a chemotherapy cream that treats certain skin conditions, you should not allow it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises.

The medication fluorouracil is fatal to dogs when ingested. People who keep the cream on a nightstand or counter sh...

Much like humans, dogs can develop dementia as they age -- and that risk climbs by half with every extra year of life in a dog's golden years, new research shows.

The study, of more than 15,000 dogs and their human companions, found that just over 1% had canine cognitive dysfunction (...

Writer Jenny Block and her chiweenie, Aurora, are on a health kick.

"We walk at least 1 mile and up to 4 miles in the early morning, before it gets too hot," said the Houston-based author.

"She needs it, and I need it, so it works out great," said Block, who has shed...

Health authorities are investigating a parvovirus-like illness that has killed more than 30 dogs in northern Michigan, most within three days.

The dogs died in Otsego County after showing symptoms such as vomiting and bloody stool, signs of canine parvovirus, but tests were negative for the virus, according to a Facebook