During a recent episode of dvm360®’s VetXChange®, host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer of dvm360, and guest Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, discuss the importance of controlling pruritus in canine patients by emphasizing the complexity of managing itchiness. Throughout the episode, Christman and Bourgeois emphasize the benefits of medications for itchy pets, the importance of consistent flea control, and the role of cytology in addressing itchy pets.

“I think the best thing is to go back to the basics. I know it sounds kind of silly to say that, but I see it time and time again that we’re not going back to the basics of…talking to the owners to see what their goals are and what they are able to do. We love to say the best plan is the one that will happen,” Bourgeois said.

She continued, “Much of dermatology comes down to making sure owners are following basic steps—like using effective parasite control—and empathizing with their situation. Each patient is like a unique allergy puzzle to solve.”

When providing relief, veterinary professionals are attempting to prevent secondary infections, if they have not already been diagnosed, Bourgeois said. If something is not done quickly, these itchy canines are at risk of developing infections, which can impact the quality of life for the client and the patient. Bourgeois shared a story about one of her clients, who had a 5-month-old baby and an allergic dog going through a flare-up. The client told Bourgeois that the 5-month-old baby was sleeping fine, but she was not getting enough sleep because of the dog’s itching and licking itself throughout the night.

 when owners are in my clinic, they have an allergic dog, and I put together a plan for them, and let’s say we’re going to start them on something like Apoquel. And they ask me, ‘how long will this take to be effective?’ Apoquel can be as quick as 4 hours. And they’re expecting me to say a couple of weeks, and I get to say, ‘Hey, I hope within 4 hours, the next day or 2, that you’re seeing a lot less itchiness, and you can tell that comfort is being provided,’” Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois also said that providing a fast-acting solution can help veterinary professionals gain more trust from clients, and that is crucial when managing itchy dogs.

The challenge of managing itchy patients lies in recognizing that fl ares are an inevitable part of the disease process, necessitating a rational approach to treatment adjustments. Because of this, practitioners must resist the urge to abandon effective systemic allergy medications, such as JAK inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies, simply because the pet is experiencing a seasonal or minor setback.

“If we start to give up on medications that are effective for them, because it’s spring and they got a little bit of yeast, and we could have just controlled that topically, then we’re going to end up giving up on all our medications because fl ares are bound to happen. So, that’s why cytology is super important,” Bourgeois explained.

Sudden increases in itching are often due to secondary infections, which cytology can help diagnose. By confi rming an infection, veterinarians can provide targeted topical therapy, resolving fl ares without stopping essential anti-itch treatments. This approach prevents unnecessary changes in treatment and helps maintain consistent allergy management, even during temporary flares.

This episode of VetXChange, “Itch stops here: Fast fixes for happy dogs and happier clients,” is also available now for 0.5 continuing education credits. To obtain those credits, you can watch the full episode on dvm360’s Flex. 

Articles

Managing itchy pets can be complex, so a personalized treatment plan can have a massive impact on clients and patients. 

Fast fixes for itchy dogs

) have been hatched at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

 The species is listed as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The population of wild African penguins has declined dramatically, according to the zoo

, and the IUCN estimates that population is continuing to decrease.

 According to Maryland Zoo, these birds are in danger of becoming extinct in the wild within 10 years.

The IUCN cited “extremely rapid population decline” based on near-complete data count as the reason for the “critically endangered” status. The effects of competition with commercial fisheries as well as climate-mediated shifts in populations of prey are believed to play roles in the decreasing population of African penguins. “The current and future projected population reduction exceeds 80% over 3 generations. This trend currently shows no sign of reversing, and immediate conservation action is required,” the IUCN wrote in 2024.

Jen Kottyan, bird curator for Maryland Zoo and program leader for the African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP), which oversees African penguin breeding programs at zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, agreed that the population of African penguins in the wild is dropping. “If we can fix the issues these birds face in the wild, such as overfishing and habitat loss, one day penguins from our highly managed SSP could be sent to their native South Africa and Namibia to repopulate the wild colonies, which means every chick hatched here is important to this species’ global survival,” Kottyan said.

The Maryland Zoo annually selects a naming theme for these chicks. This year the birds are being named after fruits and vegetables with the first 2 names of these new African penguins selected as Kiwi and Cayenne.

Breeding season at the zoo begins in mid-September and lasts until the end of February, mimicking the spring-to-summer breeding season for these birds in their native South Africa and Namibia. The zoo plans to announce additional names in the coming weeks.

Maryland Zoo has hatched more than 1000 African penguins over the past 50 years, and the zoo claims it is home to the largest population of African penguins in North America. Although many of these birds hatched at the zoo remain in Baltimore, others have helped establish new colonies at zoos and aquariums in 35 US states and in Canada.

Maryland Zoo announces birth of African penguin chicks. News release. Maryland Zoo. December 8, 2025. Accessed December 10, 2025. 

https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2025/12/maryland-zoo-announces-birth-of-african-penguin-chicks/

African penguin. International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. July 4, 2024. Accessed December 10, 2025. 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697810/256021744

The 8 newborn birds are among a critically endangered species population. 

African penguin chicks are hatched at Maryland Zoo

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, explains the importance on working on your practice as a business owner, not just as a doctor

Take time to work on your practice, not just in it

At Fetch Long Beach, practice-management expert Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, challenges owners to step out of the daily grind and intentionally WONJI—work on their practices, not just in them. He makes the case that blocking regular, uninterrupted time to think about vision, mission, core values, and standards of care is how teams gain direction, reduce firefighting, and ultimately deliver better care for patients. 

: Hi, I'm Dr Peter Weinstein. I'm honored to be on the faculty here at Fetch Long Beach, and I've been on the faculty at several Fetch conferences, speaking on practice management. I've also done talks with my business partner, Kelly Detweiler, on controlled substance compliance and diversion aversion. I'm here in Long Beach to talk about a variety of things to make your practice bottom line more fun.

I do a lot of different things in the profession. I like to think the last third of my career will be focused on education—improving the profession, making it better for the next generation of veterinarians, veterinary team members, and the profession as a whole, which ultimately means we'll do a better job caring for the four-legged, two-winged, and slithering patients that we get to see.

WONJI is an acronym for "Work On, Not Just In

 Veterinarians, managers, and all staff get so embedded in the day-to-day operations that we don't take time away to think about the bigger picture. We're so tightly wound into the molecular level that we don't look at things from a global level. We have to start finding time to work on the various parts of our businesses that provide direction. We need to make sure we have a vision, a mission, core values, and even standards of care that are inspirational and aspirational, and less focused on the tactics we tend to fixate on.

One suggestion I have when I talk about this is: you've got to get away from your practice. Schedule time away to think about where you want to go. If you don't program your GPS, you can't get there. I can't emphasize enough that one thing you can do to practice WONJI is to schedule time to work on your business, not just in it. Schedule that time away from the practice, whether it's sitting at the beach, on a mountain, or in your car in a parking lot. Book yourself that time. Get away from the team, get away from the clients, and start to think about planning. Where you want to go and how you're going to get there.

To read more news and view expert insights from Fetch Long Beach, visit 

’s dedicated site for conference coverage at 

https://www.dvm360.com/conference/fetch-long-beach

Videos

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA,  urges veterinary teams to adopt WONJI—Work On, Not Just In—by scheduling regular time away from day-to-day duties to build vision, values, and strategy.

Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC, discusses the importance of dental care for senior pets, addressing periodontal disease, stomatitis, and tooth resorption.

When dental extraction improves senior pet health

Deciding whether to extract or preserve a diseased tooth is a frequent and consequential clinical decision, especially in senior patients. In this 

 interview, Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC, discusses the need to assess tooth strategic value, stage of attachment loss, comorbidities, anesthetic risk, and client goals to help choose the best path for each patient. 

: Hi, I'm Heidi Lobprise. I am a veterinarian. I graduated from Texas A&M back in the previous century, and I've been doing dentistry for over 30 years now. As a dental specialist, I've been in practice with Veterinary Dental Specialists, but I've also worked in industry, teaching others about dentistry. I'm back in practice, but semi-retired—a couple days a week. So of course, I really love dental things, but I also love senior care and senior pets, so that's been a big focus of mine as well.

So, in periodontal disease, we do have to make decisions about should we extract it, or is it worth trying to save the tooth? Usually, these are teeth that have mid-range periodontal disease: stage 3, 25% to 50% attachment loss, mainly bone loss too. When we look at that patient, first off, we look at the tooth. We're not going to do a lot to save a less strategic tooth, a small incisor, as compared to a canine tooth or a carnassial tooth. And I also look at the patient. If we have a patient that has any systemic disease—heart disease, kidney issues—where the additional anesthetic time to help preserve that tooth may be risky, sometimes it's better to extract the tooth with chronic inflammation to make that pet healthier with their other conditions. And sometimes it depends on the client. Sometimes they really want to save teeth, but that usually takes more time and more money, and sometimes they elect to do the extractions anyway.

So, in general practice there [are] always concerns. Owners will talk about, “Oh, I've heard about this pet dying under anesthesia,” or “I've heard about the cost,” and they try to think, “Well, I saw this product that can make the teeth miraculously clean.” So, it takes some education that this is an ongoing process with the disease. It might be underneath the gum line. It really takes professional care to make a difference. We can't just clean the teeth without anesthesia, and just giving them a certain chew once a day isn't going to cure all the problems. So, it's an ongoing educational effort.

Especially when there [are] concerns about having care done under general anesthesia, we definitely like to educate [clients] about the impact that dental disease can have on systemic health. We used to talk a lot about when you have dental disease, you have bacteria and that can get into the bloodstream and cause issues with the heart, with the lungs, liver, kidneys, you name it. Now, we think more about how the presence of that chronic inflammation due to the dental disease is actually what's probably driving a lot of the issues we see, because chronic inflammation, when untreated, can actually increase aging and impact almost every body condition. In fact, for chronic inflammation, there's a term called “inflammaging.” This is a chronic, sterile inflammation that impacts both morbidity and mortality of patients and is present in every aging organ system.

I think cats have a way of inventing means to get rid of their teeth. Stomatitis is certainly one of them. It may not be as prevalent as tooth resorption in cats, but it's definitely more severe. When we get these cats that have so much inflammation and ulceration that [it] impacts their quality of life, we usually talk about full-mouth extractions, and that's pretty significant. On the other side, tooth resorptions may be uncomfortable and cause some pain. It may not be to the extent of stomatitis, but we certainly see it in a large segment of the population. In fact, some estimates suggest up to 60% of cats at some point in time will have tooth resorption. If that resorption is just down in the roots, they may not have a lot of problems, but when it gets up into the crown of the tooth, that's when we see the potential discomfort. And that's when we talk about extraction on those, but usually on a select basis.

With the senior dentistry discussion—and even with the group that we had in the room—other than general surgeries when they're younger, when we're doing surgery on a senior patient, it's usually for dental or oral reasons. The thing [about] it is, yes, now we're looking at this individual that might have other diseases, comorbidities, and we're talking general anesthesia. That's where we can have a lot of concern from the owners, so we have to really work these cases up. Look for the issues, stabilize them, get them to where they're steady enough to be able to handle the general anesthesia so we can take care of that dental disease, that oral disease that's causing inflammation, remove that inflammation—potentially help the other areas as well. If we can get rid of inflammation, we want to do it, and we can do that in the oral cavity. So, that's a big plus.

How to decide when dental extraction improves senior pet health

A network of veterinary hospitals is expanding its presence in West Michigan with the opening of 3 new hospital locations. In Texas, the San Antonio Zoo is preparing to unveil a new gorilla habitat featuring a record-breaking gorilla tower, with a surprising historical discovery made during construction. Meanwhile, the Orlando Cat Café is set to grow beyond Florida with its first franchise location in Texas.

Lovet Pet Health Care (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

The first patient at Lovet Pet Health Care’s new Breton hospital marks its opening with the hospital's “ribbon-chewing” ceremony. (Image courtesy of Lovet Pet Health Care)

This network of veterinary hospitals recently announced the opening of 3 new locations in Grand Rapids, Michigan. All 3 hospitals offer full-service veterinary care and contain in-house x-rays and diagnostics backed by artificial intelligence-enabled technology, Lovet said in a press release.

The new facilities, listed below, are an addition to the organization’s first hospital in Grand Rapids, which opened in April 2025:

 3500 Alpine Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544

 2135 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

 1935 Breton Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

"Grand Rapids has quickly become one of Lovet's most vibrant and fast-growing markets," Courtney Gruber, president of Lovet Pet Health Care, said in the company press release.

 According to Gruber, the human-animal connection encouraged Lovet’s expansion in West Michigan.

Congo Falls at San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio, Texas)

This Saturday, the San Antonio Zoo is opening Congo Falls, a new gorilla habitat that will reintroduce gorillas to the zoo for the first time in more than 3 decades. The 2-acre space will contain 3 different habitats that will house 7 Western Lowland gorillas.

Congo Falls will also feature the tallest gorilla tower in the world, The Mays Family Silverback Peak, which stands at more than 70 ft and will give the gorillas a view of the city skyline, said San Antonio Zoo.

According to the zoo, the construction of the habitat also unearthed a piece of history. During excavation, crews discovered limestone from the same quarry that supplied stone for the construction of the Alamo more than 300 years ago. The zoo said the find “deepens the connection between San Antonio Zoo and the city's rich heritage, blending the legacy of the past with a bold vision for the future of conservation.”

“The world-class habitat will allow guests to connect with gorillas like never before, providing an experience that inspires awe, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation for these remarkable species,” Tim Morrow, president and CEO of San Antonio Zoo, said in a news release.

 “Congo Falls is [a] labor of love and a historic moment not just for our zoo, but for conservation efforts across the globe.”

Original Orlando Cat Café in Clemont, Florida. (Image courtesy of Orlando Cat Café)

Orlando Cat Café, which up until now has only operated in Florida, has just sold its first franchise location in Dallas, Texas, the café said in a recent press release The new café, slated to open next year, will follow the same model as the original, offering visitors coffee service alongside a cat lounge where they can interact with cage-free adoptable cats. Orlando Cat Café works with local animal rescue groups to help cats get adopted.

"We are beyond excited to bring Orlando Cat Café's unique experience to the Dallas area," Sandra Cagan, founder of Orlando Cat Café, said in a news release.

 "Expanding through franchising allows us to reach more communities, giving more people the chance to enjoy time with cats while supporting animal welfare. This first franchise sale is just the beginning of our mission to bring joy to both humans and cats across the country."

According to Orlando Cat Café, the business has helped place thousands of cats in new homes and is now seen as a model for pairing hospitality with animal rescue work. “We believe this will be the first of many franchise locations as we continue to grow and create positive experiences for cat lovers everywhere,” Cagan concluded.

Lovet Pet Health Care expands Grand Rapids footprint with three new veterinary hospitals. News release. Lovet Pet Health Care. November 20, 2025. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lovet-pet-health-care-expands-grand-rapids-footprint-with-three-new-veterinary-hospitals-302621309.html?tc=eml_cleartime

A world-first look at Congo Falls: America’s new landmark gorilla habitat opens at San Antonio Zoo. News release. San Antonio Zoo. November 17, 2025. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-world-first-look-at-congo-falls-americas-new-landmark-gorilla-habitat-opens-at-san-antonio-zoo-302616630.html

Orlando Cat Café expands with first franchise sale, bringing unique cat lounge experience to Dallas, Texas. News release. Orlando Cat Café. December 1, 2025. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orlando-cat-cafe-expands-with-first-franchise-sale-bringing-unique-cat-lounge-experience-to-dallas-texas-302628382.html

The latest updates relating to animal care establishments and platforms.

Clinic center: Gorilla habitat with world’s tallest gorilla tower to open in Texas, and more

In this episode of Vet Watch, Ed Goulch, PhD, joins the show to talk about at home testing kits, and the pros and cons they have in the veterinary industry.

 Click. Swab. Diagnose: Are at home kits disrupting veterinary medicine?

On this episode of Vet Watch, our host Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology), welcomes founder and CEO of QSM Diagnostics, Ed Goluch, PhD, to the show to explore the world of at-home testing kits. Throughout the episode, Lee and Goluch discussed the multiple options available to veterinary professionals, including cat urine and ear swab, how they integrate with veterinary clinics, including their electronic medical records, and more about the goals of QSM Diagnostics, to enhance veterinary efficiency and client engagement. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology): 

So let's address that elephant in the exam room, so to speak. Are at-home tests replacing traditional veterinary tests? Are you a threat or you a tool for veterinary hospitals?

: We're very much a tool. I don't see us as a threat, because we don't do the full gamut of testing. We focus on microbiology and with Fetch Dx, with our mail in testing line, which really has taken off, and that's the majority of our sales, we really supplement what you can do in the clinic. So we see this as tests that you provide in those situations where you can't collect a sample during the visit, or it's inconvenient to get the patient in to collect a sample. So it's really a small percentage of the time, but it's a very important percentage. 

So if the animal doesn't have any urine in their bladder, do you have them sit around all day waiting? Or can you send them home with the kid and have the pet owner collect a sample and send it in? If they forgot, or if someone calls up and says a I need, I think my pet has an issue. Can I get a prescription? This is a way to say, well, let's run some diagnostics first and add that in. And so that's the role that we play. And I think there's also a growing role with clinics that are incorporating telehealth. Is, this is a way to gather additional information when you don't have the patient in front of you, potentially in between visits, or, like I said, ahead of a visit, that's where we come into play.

Are at-home testing kits a friend of foe to the veterinary industry?