Veterinary Voices

In a rare action, the federal government is suing the founder of a long-established raw pet food brand, Darwin's Natural Pet Products, following years of warnings and advisories that Darwin's products were contaminated with pathogens, allegedly resulting in the deaths of dogs and cats and severe health consequences in a child.

The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in August in a district court in Seattle, seeks to bar Darwin's from manufacturing and distributing its products.

This story was published on Oct. 22, 2026.

The accreditor of veterinary education has given the go-ahead to what will be the first veterinary school in Maryland and the second at a historically Black university in the United States.

This story was published on Oct. 19, 2026.

When the science world was set abuzz this year by news that another form of contagious cancer had been discovered, in a type of catfish, Antoine Dujon wasn't entirely surprised.

The evolutionary biologist had, after all, in 2021 repurposed an equation previously used to predict the existence of extraterrestrial life to suggest that more contagious cancers exist on Earth than the few known at the time — perhaps even dozens more.

This story was published on Oct. 15, 2026.

Show notes:

• Transmissible cancers in mammals and bivalves: How many examples are there?
• Brown bullhead catfish melanoma represents a novel transmissible cancer
• Is cancer an intelligent species?
• Clonal origin and evolution of a transmissible cancer
• Are we alone in the universe? Revisiting the Drake equation
• The evolution of two transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils
• Somatic evolution and global expansion of an ancient transmissible cancer lineage
• Clinical guidelines for canine transmissible venereal tumour treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis
• Sexual aggression key to spread of deadly devil tumours
• Malignant transformation of Hymenolepis nana in a human host

Dr. Richanne Lomkin knows her way around a farm. As a veterinary medical officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she has been working with livestock and their caretakers for nearly 30 years. But while visiting poultry facilities amid an avian influenza outbreak in Colorado four years ago, Lomkin hit a snag: She couldn't adequately communicate with the workers, most of whom spoke only Spanish.

While Lomkin could speak basic Spanish with workers at dairies, talking about poultry was a different matter. "I just understood a lot more Spanish about cows than I did Spanish about chickens," Lomkin said. "I didn't have enough vocabulary to be able to actually say what I was trying to say."

Veterinary professionals in the United States like Lomkin increasingly find fluency in a language beyond English to be helpful, if not critical, at work.

This story was published on Oct. 13, 2026.

Show notes:

• US Census Bureau: What languages do we speak in the United States?
• Brookings Institution: America is turning 250. Here’s how immigration may shape its future
• Freedonia Group: Hispanic pet owners chart a different course
• Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: Preparedness of small animal veterinary practices to communicate with Spanish-speaking pet owners with limited proficiency in English
• Colorado State University course: Spanish for the veterinary professional
• Washington State University course: Spanish for veterinary professionals
• Private courses eligible for continuing-education credit: Spanish for veterinary professionals

Three months since Florida began requiring veterinarians to tell pet owners that they can fill prescriptions outside of the clinic, Dr. Jeremy George, a practice owner in Inlet Beach, said he's noticed little to no change in the buying habits of his clients.

George believes the law, which took effect on July 1, is unnecessary. 

This story was published on Oct. 9, 2026.

Pharmacists in the United States will soon be able to pursue a specialty in veterinary pharmacy.

The Board of Pharmacy Specialties decision this year received support from both the pharmacy and veterinary fields. Pharmacists, whose training is in human health, commonly fill prescriptions for animal patients, often with spotty training. Advocates hope opportunities for pharmacists to learn more about veterinary dispensing will increase as a result of the specialty being created.

This story was published on Oct. 7, 2026.

Discontent inside a prominent organization dedicated to supporting mental health in the veterinary community appears to be coming to a head and threatens to break apart what has been a beloved group with a loyal following.

This story was published on Sept. 29, 2026.

A law in Maryland taking effect on Oct. 1 enables veterinarians in the state to discuss and recommend the use of cannabis products in pets without fear of sanctions. It's the first such state law to pass in four years, breaking a quiet legislative spell that's left advocates of clear regulatory guidance across the country discouraged.

This story was published on Sept. 23, 2026.

Dog food that was recalled in the United Kingdom because some dogs that ate it developed eye problems will be back on the market after a company investigation uncovered no contaminants.

Still, the company, Years, said it would remove buckwheat from its products "as a precaution."

This story was published on Sept. 28, 2026.

California is considering limiting the sale of a chemical commonly used to manage fleas and ticks in household pets, citing mounting evidence that it poses risks to aquatic life and human health. One option on the table is to restrict the use of the chemical, fipronil, to pest control professionals.

This story was published on Sept. 17, 2026.