Most people don’t realize the massive number of dogs that are imported into Canada every year, for all kinds of reasons: from people moving with their own pet, to importation of large shipments of dogs from puppy mills or
Worms & Germs Blog
Promoting Safe Pet Ownership
The Worms & Germs Blog, published by the University of Guelph, focuses on infectious diseases affecting animals, particularly zoonotic infections and antimicrobial resistance. It covers topics such as influenza outbreaks in domestic and wild animals, antimicrobial use and stewardship in veterinary medicine, updates on antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and the ecological and planetary health impacts of antibiotic use. The blog discusses disease transmission risks between animals and humans, veterinary treatment guidelines, and the implications of antimicrobial resistance for animal and public health. It also addresses emerging infectious disease cases and the challenges of managing infections in various animal species.
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H5N1 Influenza in Cats (and Dogs) Webinar
Check out our new webinar about H5N1 influenza in pets that has just been posted as part of a collaboration with Trupanion’s new Pet and Public Health Early Warning and Protection System. There are actually two versions of the…
ISCAID Canine Pyoderma Antimicrobial Use Guidelines Update, Part 1: Surface Pyoderma
The updated ISCAID antimicrobial use guidelines for canine pyoderma have just been published (Loeffler et al. Vet Derm 2025). This is the first major update since the guidelines were first published in 2014. The document is a bit…
Antiviral Resistance in Cats, Part 2: More on GS-441524
Last week, I wrote about the use of oseltamivir in dogs and cats infected with H5N1 influenza. We have to be aware of the risk of drug resistance risks whenever we use anti-infectives, especially when the same drugs (like…
H5N1 Antivirals: Should We Use Them in Animals?
For the longer answer to this question, check out the latest podcast episode I just posted on WormsAndGermsPod. For those who prefer to read the summary, here it is:
If you ask people on the street “should we use…
Seasonal Canine Heartworm Prevention in Canada: Does Our Current Timing Still Work?
H5N1 Influenza in a Sheep
Sorting Out H5N1 “Non-Negative” Raw Pet Food
H5N1 Flu and Pet Food Safety
A recent opinion article in the Washington Post about how to protect cats from H5N1 influenza includes some good considerations, but alongside some bad information. It’s prompted me to write a bit about pet food preparation and how it does…
Reminder: Canine Culture Interpretation Changes and Guidance
Over a year ago, I wrote a few posts about changes to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) veterinary antimicrobial susceptibility testing guidelines. When a bacterium is grown in a lab and tested for susceptibility to different drugs, the…