VCA Welfare Foundation

🔥We've got a heat wave coming across much of the US. 🔥

Our sporting dogs often don't know when to stop working when they start to overheat. Researchers at Penn Vet Working Dog Center have identified an efficient way to cool down dogs that are at risk of exertional hyperthermia. Of course, it's a good idea to train *before* this technique is needed.

In addition to head dunking, additional protocols are "securing two ice packs on a collar around the dog’s neck, putting a wet towel around the neck, and placing two wet towels under the dogs’ armpits."

Stay safe out there. Always take water for yourself and your dog(s) when out in the field or on a hike.

Reducing a dog’s temperature after exercise with voluntary head dunking | Penn Today Penn Vet Working Dog Center researchers have identified an effective and field-applicable way to rapidly help dogs cool down after exercise.

**AKC Update on the New World Screwworm**
This could affect people traveling in the southwest. Please read and be aware.

Emerging Issue: New World Screwworm—Impacts on Health, Interstate Travel with Dogs In early June 2026, cases of New World Screwworm (NWS, hereinafter screwworm) have been detected in southwest Texas and New Mexico. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state departments of agriculture and health officials are working together to address the issue.

From the AKC Canine Health Foundation--
**important ** PSA about the "New World Screwworm"

New World Screwworm: What Dog Owners Need to Know | AKC Canine Health Foundation Reports of New World screwworm cases in the United States have understandably raised concerns among dog owners. New World screwworm was eradicated from the United States decades ago, but recent detections have brought renewed attention to this serious pest and the importance of early detection. USDA...

Advances in the treatment of hemangiosarcoma: Traditional chemotherapy combined with a vaccine (immunotherapy-based) may extend survival rates by as much as 12 months.
Abstract:
"Angiosarcomas are highly aggressive soft tissue tumors with poor prognosis in both humans and dogs. In dogs, visceral hemangiosarcoma offers a relevant spontaneous model for evaluating novel therapies. Surgery alone yields a median survival of 1–3 months, and treatment with doxorubicin (DOX), alone or in combination (e.g., with propranolol), modestly extends median survival time to 5–7 months, with a 1-year survival of around 10%. We developed a conjugate vaccine technology, called immune Boost (iBoost), and hypothesized that combining DOX with an iBoost vaccine targeting extracellular vimentin (eVim) could improve survival without added toxicity. Twenty-three dogs with visceral hemangiosarcoma received six cycles of DOX every two weeks post-splenectomy, alongside four doses every other week of eVim iBoost immunotherapy, followed by maintenance vaccinations every two months. Outcomes were compared to historical controls treated with DOX alone. Compared to the control group the median overall survival time increased from 136 to 235 days (NS), restricted mean survival time at one year increased with 81 days (p = 0.02) and 1-year survival rate was 44% versus 14% (p = 0.0344). The combination was well-tolerated, with no systemic vaccine-related toxicity. Adding dog eVim vaccine to DOX appears to improve survival without added toxicity in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. These results support further clinical development, including evaluation in human angiosarcoma."

Vaccination Against Extracellular Vimentin Plus Doxorubicin for Canine Hemangiosarcoma Angiosarcomas are highly aggressive soft tissue tumors with poor prognosis in both humans and dogs. In dogs, visceral hemangiosarcoma offers a relevant spontaneous model for evaluating novel therapies. Surgery alone yields a median survival of 1–3 months, and treatment with doxorubicin (DOX), alon...

Heartworm disease incidence is on the rise, nationwide.

A map of America shows a canine disease moving into new states Heartworm is spreading into new parts of the U.S., and vets say many dog owners are still unprepared.