Healthy Pets NZ is a charity that supports research into improved health and welfare for Kiwi pets. Established by the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Companion Animal Branch, we’ve been funding research into the big health and welfare issues facing Kiwi pets since 1998.
The biggest take home message is how little we really know and understand about the gut microbiome and its metabolic and physiologic effects in carnivores such as cats and dogs; so there is significant scope to better understand how we feed our carnivorous companion animals.
The New Zealand Veterinary Journal has recently published an excellent review article, written by Kat Crosse and funded by HPNZ, on pre-surgical hand preparation in veterinary practice. The conclusion was clear: alcohol-based rubs are effective in eliminating transient flora, reducing resident flora, safe for repeated use, have high compliance with appropriate training, can be used in or out of clinic facilities, are cost effective and water saving. Even if an alcohol-based rub is only as effective as traditional scrubbing in terms of bacterial load reduction, the other benefits should be enough to sway our practice in favour of their preferred use.
In the second of the CAV sponsored Research In Practice Grants recently approved, Dr Lorna Hardy will investigate the effect diarrhoea has on the cardiovascular system with the aim of treating patients more effectively.
HPNZ has just approved two new research projects under the CAV sponsored Research in Practice Grant category. The first of these is a study to be undertaken by Dr Joon Seo on Feline Cardiomyopathy, a common heart disease in cats that is poorly understood and has no specific treatment.
Collaborating for better animal health: PD Insurance partners with Healthy Pets New Zealand
Research is what allows us to make advancements in veterinary medicine and improve our care of our furry companions. Healthy Pets New Zealand has funded over 30 studies which have benefited the NZ veterinary community and the animals we treat.
Healthy Pets NZ is so lucky to have the support of two fantastic sponsors this year!
Southlanders and the weather came to the party to make the first ever HPNZ Dogs’ Day Out – a celebration of all things canine – a great success, despite a move to Covid Alert level 2 only 12 hours before kick-off.
Recently published research funded by Healthy Pets New Zealand has shown that the Fel-O-Vax FIV vaccine against Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) does not prevent infection with the virus in NZ. Given the lack of significant protection against FIV infection and the uncertainty regarding whether or not FIV infection causes disease, there is currently little scientific evidence supporting the use of this vaccine in New Zealand.
HPNZ Trustee and researcher Prof. John Munday has been awared a Doctor of Science, one of the highest academic accolades, at Massey University's Manawatū 2021 graduation ceremony for his ongoing research into animal cancer