Pet Care Articles & Guides

California's statewide feline declawing restriction took effect January 1, 2026 under AB 867 — not AB 1230. This updated guide explains Business and Professions Code §4826.8, the therapeutic-purpose exception, Veterinary Medical Board discipline and penalty limits, the City of Los Angeles' older local ordinance, California landlord protections under Civil Code §1942.7, and evidence-based alternatives to declawing.

Gabapentin, fluoxetine and Bonqat are not interchangeable cat anxiety treatments. Gabapentin has controlled-trial evidence for situational/pre-visit stress but is extra-label in cats; fluoxetine is an extra-label SSRI with evidence for selected chronic behavior problems such as urine marking; and Bonqat (pregabalin) is FDA-approved for acute fear and anxiety associated with transportation and veterinary visits. This September 2026 guide also corrects outdated gabapentin state-law lists, explains Michigan's 2024 de-scheduling, Utah's veterinary exemption, North Carolina reporting rules, and the common xylitol misconception about human gabapentin liquid.

In Canada, when a cat bites a human, provincial public health authorities can mandate a 10-day quarantine observation period — even for cats that have never been outdoors. This 2026 guide explains the exact quarantine protocol province by province, what happens if your cat is not vaccinated, whether you must report a cat bite to public health, and what the real consequences are for refusing quarantine in Ontario, BC, Alberta, and Quebec.

Cat telemedicine changed substantially in 2026. Chewy now has free vet-tech chat plus $49.99 veterinarian video visits with prescribing in seven states; Vetster lists $102 single appointments; whiskerDocs now lists $39.99 call/chat or $129.99/year; Dutch costs $132/year for unlimited virtual care; and PangoVet advertises a $29.95 no-prescription consult. This updated guide compares current prices, prescription limits, VCPR rules, and the cat symptoms that should bypass telehealth for immediate in-person care.

Colorado was part of the 2025 Savage Cat Food H5N1 investigation, but CSU's non-negative PCR result and a later negative NVSL virus-isolation result should not be simplified into a confirmed food-to-cat match. This updated guide explains the Savage recall timeline, the stronger New York evidence, FDA's actual PCAF H5N1 requirement, why the widely cited indoor-cat fomite cases were in Michigan rather than Colorado, current raw-food risk reduction, and how Colorado owners should check recalls and protect cats.

Senior-cat costs in Connecticut cannot be reduced to reliable county-by-county averages. This September 2026 update rebuilds the guide around an evergreen care budget: FelineVMA senior-exam intervals, the services that drive bills, CKD, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, hypertension and dental care, real Connecticut specialty and reduced-fee resources, and current senior-cat insurance enrollment rules. It also corrects a major error: UConn Storrs has a veterinary diagnostic laboratory, not a small-animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital offering discounted specialist care.

Spiked coyote-protection vests may add a physical layer over parts of a dog's neck, back and torso, but there is no strong independent evidence showing how much they reduce coyote-attack risk or injury. This evergreen Canada guide separates manufacturer claims from evidence, explains what protective vests can and cannot do, replaces unsupported city risk rankings with current Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and provincial guidance, and gives a practical safety plan built around leash control, supervision, attractant reduction and proper coyote-encounter response.

If your dog swallowed a discarded cannabis joint or roach at a Canadian park, contact a veterinarian or animal poison service promptly. THC intoxication usually has a good prognosis with supportive care, but a roach cannot be converted into a reliable home THC dose because potency and remaining material vary widely. This evergreen Canada guide explains symptoms, timing, what to tell the vet, why human urine drug tests are unreliable, why home vomiting can be unsafe once neurologic signs start, how edibles add chocolate/xylitol/raisin risk, and why owners should be medically honest without relying on blanket legal or reporting promises.

Your dog sees the leash and bolts. Hides. Freezes. You chase, they run. This isn't defiance—it's a learned fear response. The good news? In most cases, you can fix it with just 5 minutes a day. Learn the 4 root causes, the step-by-step 5-day desensitization plan, and the 3 critical mistakes owners make that make the fear worse. 2026 behavior guide.