Vital Signs — Monday, October 19, 2026

19 Oct 2026 — 2 min read

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." — Epictetus, Discourses

Decide what kind of day you're going to have, then go have it — before the schedule decides for you.

Editor's Pick

New Mexico confirms two new screwworm cases in livestock — A horse and a calf in Grant County are the latest confirmed New World screwworm cases, and they landed near the Columbus port of entry that's next in line to reopen to Mexican cattle — two infested zones with animal movement restrictions now cover the area. Why it matters: screwworm is pressing on the US border trade gate while USDA decides which crossings reopen, so equine and livestock practices in the Southwest need wound vigilance on the radar now.

43% / 59% — A Talker Research survey of 2,000 pet owners found 43% use tools like ChatGPT for pet health advice about seven times a week, and 59% have changed their dog's care as a result. Takeaway: your clients are already consulting AI before they consult you — asking "what did the internet tell you?" before you answer is cheap insurance. (Source: Maven Pet release, Oct. 13, 2026)

What Else Is Hiding in Their Dinner? — Japanese researchers at Ehime University paired pet-food samples with blood serum from 23 dogs and 30 cats and found measurable PFAS in both — with cats carrying higher long-chain PFAS loads that tracked closely with fish-heavy diets.
Two Bats Test Positive for Rabies in Missoula, Montana — Local officials are urging residents to verify pets' rabies vaccinations after two positive bats — a good prompt to remind clients that bat bites can leave little visible evidence.

Maven Pet launches Companion, an AI pet assistant — The AI assistant reads vitals, sleep, activity, and behavior from a collar sensor (up to 25 million data points per dog per day) and flags shifts — like a creeping respiratory rate in a senior dog — days before an owner might notice, with the company claiming 125,000+ proactive health insights delivered so far.

USDA awards grants to address veterinary shortage — USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $8.2 million across 34 Veterinary Services Grant Program awards: 16 education/extension/training grants for vets, students, and technicians, plus 18 Rural Practice Enhancement grants of up to $200,000 each for equipment and staffing in designated shortage areas.
CareCredit Partners with Vetspire to Modernize Veterinary Payments — CareCredit financing is now embedded directly inside Vetspire's AI-enabled practice management platform, putting real-time financing offers at the point of care and moving checkout out of external terminals — Vetspire is in 1,000+ hospitals, about 85% already CareCredit-enrolled.

New Mexico confirms two new screwworm cases in livestock — State and federal officials declared two infested zones in Grant County, requiring animal inspection and treatment before movement within or out of the zones; surveillance zones stretch toward the Columbus port of entry.
Eight Vet Schools Face Reviews Amid Federal COE Shakeup — The AVMA Council on Education scheduled eight site visits October–December (Rowan, LSU, Calgary, Michigan State, Utah State, Montreal, plus focused visits at Ana G. Méndez and Tuskegee) while a federal rulemaking could force the COE's organizational separation from AVMA — and Lincoln Memorial University is litigating that same question in federal court.

Missing kitten reunited with family after fire tears through California home — After an Oct. 2 apartment fire in Grass Valley, firefighters returned a rescued black-and-white kitten to its tearful family on Oct. 7: "Sometimes the best part of the job comes after the fire is out."

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