Not very long ago, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was considered invariably fatal in cats, but an antiviral drug called Remdesivir became widely available during the Covid pandemic and provided a promising treatment option. Results of a recent study by Dr Kelsey Renner, funded by Healthy Pets, are available now and provide valuable information on the effectiveness of remdesivir given orally in cases in New Zealand.
Anne Haase (Victoria University Wellington), Christine Roseveare (Massey University) and their colleagues recently published the findings of their study into cat fostering in an article titled “Challenges and Benefits of Cat Fostering: A Focus Group Study With Volunteer Cat Fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Results of a Healthy Pets funded study on Episodic involuntary movements in a litter of German Shorthair Pointer puppies were published in the March 2025 issue of Companion Quarterly
Dogs are commonly treated with chemotherapy drugs, but we don't know whether significant residues of these drugs are found in the homes of the pets who are treated or the veterinary staff who handle the drugs. A project by Patrick Smith at the Animal Referral Centre aims to evaluate this after being awarded a grant by Healthy Pets in November 2024
This Healthy Pets New Zealand funded study aimed at improving the understanding of domestic dog behaviour using new technology and machine learning algorithms.
Healthy Pets New Zealand is supporting this research and we'd really appreciate you taking the time to fill in the survey if you have an indoor-only cat.
Healthy Pets NZ is really pleased to be able to support financially the research being undertaken by Companion Animals NZ into how cats adapt to indoor living.
The study called "Who let the cats in?" is aiming to understand more about how our feline companions (and their human guardians!) adapt to indoor living.
Cardiomyopathy is a primary myocardial disorder that changes the structure and function of the heart muscle in the absence of other disease sufficient to cause the observed myocardial abnormality. Until Dr Joon Seo’s recently completed research, there were no studies evaluating the prevalence of cardiomyopathy in cats in New Zealand. However, studies of cats in the UK and USA suggest that approximately 15% of clinically healthy cats in the general population have cardiomyopathy that is detectable using echocardiography.
The long-held view that pets make us happier and healthier is being challenged.
The latest study to be funded under the Human-Animal Bond grant seeks to understand what constitutes a positive experience for the dogs when it comes to dog-handler interactions by measuring their oxytocin levels during various interactions. Hopefully this will help educate anyone interacting with dogs, including owners, on how we can do better and reduce the incidence of behavioural disorders.