This Vet Tech Influencer Was Bullied—Her Response Changed Everything
Dakota Kirk, autistic exotic pet educator & vet tech, cares for 111+ animals—from reptiles to sugar gliders. After going viral, she now fights myths about exotic pets and cyberbullying in the animal community. Discover her inspiring journey!"
Kansas Responds to Equine Infectious Anemia and West Nile Virus Cases
The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health (KDA) is actively managing two separate equine disease cases confirmed in July: one involving Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in Sedgwick County and another involving West Nile virus (WNV) in Harper County.
Officials Investigate Reports of Illness in Dogs After Walks Near Venice, California
Los Angeles Animal Services announced Monday that it had been alerted to the situation by Los Angeles County Veterinary Public Health (VPH). The affected dogs, ranging from young to senior, were reportedly in good health before exhibiting symptoms such as seizures, weakness, and, in some cases, cardiac arrest. According to officials, the dogs come from different households.
Canadian Sheep Industry Advances Traceability and Addresses Veterinary Drug Challenges
A major development is the transfer of responsibility for the national sheep traceability program from the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency to the Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved the transition in June 2025, following the federation’s application in 2023. The move requires a formal legal agreement between CFIA and CSF, as well as an audit of the federation’s new AgroLedger traceability technology.
Investigational anti-cancer DNA therapy eases chronic osteoarthritis pain in dogs—pointing to a new non-opioid path for humans
Elenagen™, a novel DNA plasmid therapy that previously demonstrated high clinical benefit and low toxicity in cancer patients, has now shown significant promise in alleviating chronic pain demonstrating a 90% success rate. In a peer-reviewed studypublished in Frontiers in Veterinary Science(DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1519881), Elenagen reduced osteoarthritis pain scores in companion dogs. Because the same pro-inflammatory cytokine loop drives osteoarthritis and other chronic pain states, the findings offer a promising translational signal for non opioid pain medicine.
Brewed chicken protein made by precision fermentation tested in pet food
Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Bond Pet Foods, Inc., in Boulder, Colorado, partnered on the project. The study is believed to be the first to use precision fermentation to produce a protein composed of both yeast and chicken protein and assess its safety in pet food. Precision fermentation has been used for nearly half a century to produce ingredients like enzymes for manufacturing cheese, vanilla and vitamin B12.
