Vital Signs — Saturday, October 17, 2026
"We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." — Seneca, Letters to Lucilius
Most of the week's worries never arrive; worth remembering on a busy Saturday morning.
New technology
- Heat Diffusion Imaging evolves as new study shows AI can classify specific canine tumour types — HT VET's Vista iQ scanner now identifies specific canine tumor types (lipomas, mast cell tumors) with new AI classifiers, on top of its 92% sensitivity and 98% NPV malignancy screening.
- Cattle could be screened for bovine TB using new AI eye technology — An Edinburgh researcher's "AI for the Eye" project aims to flag bovine TB from retinal images, a quicker, non-invasive first screen that would complement skin testing.
- AI Reads Dog Lymph Node Slides with Near-Pathologist Accuracy in Lymphoma — A University of Florida deep-learning model distinguished lymphoma from reactive lymph nodes in dogs at ~90% test accuracy, a potential triage aid where specialist cytology is scarce.
New discoveries and research
- Lipid Droplets in Pet Urine Are Far More Common Than Vets Thought, Study — Lipiduria appeared in 46% of dogs and 82% of cats in a 214-pet review, with authors suggesting the droplets may be more than a lab artifact — possibly tied to tubular injury.
- Pet Cats and Dogs Carry Richer Viral Microbiomes at Home Than on the Street — A Shanghai survey found household dogs carried the richest viral repertoire of any group studied, with implications for urban zoonotic surveillance.
Feel-good stories
- Rescued dog finds support through network of Cougar veterinarians — Blind, seizure-prone rescue Sofie gets coordinated care from a Spokane clinic and WSU's neurology team, plus help from the university's Good Samaritan Fund.
- Family dog rescued from Yellowstone wilderness after more than a month — 10-year-old Luna, lost in Yellowstone since Sept. 10, was finally lured into a live trap on Oct. 14 and is under veterinary care, expected to recover fully.
- JoJo's Recovery & the Iron Dog Fund — After being hit by a car last October, JoJo's year-long recovery (including 25 days of medical boarding) was eased by Iowa State's Iron Dog Fund, which covered $2,000 of her emergency bill.
Clinic management and profitability
- The Hidden Cost of Veterinary AP Inefficiencies — With visits down ~3% but costs rising, fragmented accounts-payable processes have become a quiet margin drain — this piece argues AP automation is now a profitability issue, not just back-office tidying.
- Know Your Numbers: What Your Veterinary Hospital's Labor Costs Are Telling You — A practical walkthrough of evaluating labor as a percentage of revenue, and why flat payroll can still be a warning sign when revenue declines.