Vital Signs — Saturday, October 31, 2026

31 Oct 2026 — 2 min read

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." — Seneca, Letters to Lucilius

A useful nudge for the hard conversation you've been putting off — the difficulty usually shrinks once you start.

Editor's Pick

FDA's latest warning about a raw pet food maker follows years of contamination findings and a federal lawsuit — The FDA's October 26 warning on two lots of Darwin's Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats, which tested positive for Salmonella after two cats fell ill, caps a yearslong record of recalls, illness reports, and a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the raw pet food maker. Why it matters: the food carries no expiration date and may still be sitting in clients' freezers, so a quick heads-up to raw-feeding clients is worth more than another round of "we told you so."

81% — the share of veterinarians in a recent AVMA survey who say clients are more sensitive to costs than just a few years ago, leading to fewer visits and more declined care. Takeaway: cost conversations aren't an awkward add-on anymore — they're part of the appointment, and practices that lead with options keep more patients on plan.

A New Approach to Cat's FIP Prevention: Japanese Startup Reports Early Findings from Oral Antiviral Candidate HNW-001 — An oral small molecule targeting host-cell mechanisms that feline coronavirus depends on reached the intestine with low systemic exposure, and fecal viral RNA kept falling for about a week after dosing in some naturally infected cats — but the small exploratory study showed no consistent reduction across the whole group, so this is an early prevention lead, not a proven FIP shield.

How Can Veterinary Practices Implement AI More Effectively? — Drawing on the Digitail/AAHA survey of 1,730 professionals (83.7% now use AI, up from 39.2% in 2024), the piece lays out four practical steps — name someone in charge, set written guidelines, evaluate tools formally, and redesign workflows — noting that 47% of practices still have no AI plan and nearly a third lack all four basic supports.

An untapped clinical resource may already be on staff, research suggests — A Penn Foster/Harris Poll report finds 55% of credentialed technicians say their clinical skills are underutilized and 76% say staffing structures limit appointments, while 65% of pet owners would book directly with a credentialed tech — with clinic culture, protocols, and veterinarian trust, not regulations, named as the top barriers.
Pumpkin awarded $11,000 in donations to veterinary clinics for cost-of-care education — Pumpkin Pet Insurance gave 11 clinics $1,000 each for angel funds that help families afford care, spotlighting early, plain-language cost conversations as a retention tool at a moment when clients are declining more recommended care over price.

Faces of No-Kill: Dog's accident leads to a home — Oakley, a shepherd mix found after being struck by a car with a shattered leg and head trauma, lost the leg but won over Kiyro Erickson, the ER vet tech who cared for her through surgery — who drove to the adoption center days later and brought her home.
Premature colt survives red bag delivery, sepsis after 29 days in UC Davis NICU — Born three weeks early after a red bag delivery cut off his oxygen, Banks the colt spent 29 days in UC Davis's NICU on plasma, oxygen, and round-the-clock monitoring, and is now a bouncing six-month-old headed for a future in barrel racing.
Shelter Dog's Final Wish Was Granted in His Last Hours — and His Story Is Breaking Hearts — When Bingo, a Florida shelter dog pulled by rescue hours before euthanasia, deteriorated suddenly from suspected cancer, the whole veterinary team gathered outside with him for a last meal of cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake — and a local Philly cheesesteak shop sent its own farewell on his takeout box.

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