New study explores environmental enrichment for working dogs With more strong applications in the November 2023 granting round, one study in particular stood out to the Healthy Pets NZ grants assessment team.  Dr Rene Corner-Thomas and her team are seeking to assess the impact and duration of environmental enrichment in dogs by novel methods that reduce the risks of human bias. While this research is specifically aimed at ensuring the welfare of working dogs, it is likely the outcomes will help us understand how to provide a more enriched life for all dogs who may spend some time in encl ..read more

3D-printed titanium plates are more prone to cyclic failure The aim of the study recently completed by Professor Andrew Worth of Massey University was to biomechanically compare the bending stiffness, strength, and cyclic fatigue of titanium bone plates used in veterinary orthopaedics. The titanium plates being compared were either additively manufactured (AM) or conventionaly manufactured (CM) limited contact plates (LCP) of equivalent dimensions using plate-screw constructs. Additively manufactured (computer designed and 3D printed) plates are gaining in popularity in the veterinary industr ..read more

Colouring Competition - win $1000 of Medical Uniforms kit for your team! Be in to win $1000 of kit from Medical Uniforms for your team!   How? Share the colouring competition (Downloadable PDF coming soon) widely amongst your clients and team and make sure when they enter, they nominate your clinic. The clinic with the most nominations wins! o   Share on social media. o   Print out copies for kids (and adults!) to colour in while waiting for appointments or to take home. o   Share with your family and friends.   Bonus entries for clinics that support He ..read more

Dogs Day Out in Tauranga After a couple of successful events in Invercargill, HPNZ decided to take Dogs Day Out north, all the way to Tauranga on 7th & 8th of October. The weekend kicked off with the Paws & Learn seminars on Saturday evening at the amazing Waikato University facilities on Durham St.  Dr Jess Beer got the seminars underway with a fantastic review of the post-Covid behavioural challenges in cats and dogs many of us are seeing - yes, our company can be too much of a good thing! Dr Beer helped demystify some of the behaviours we see as well as gave guidance on what ..read more

Cath's Corner August 2023 Following on from another successful NZ Veterinary conference, we’ve got a couple of big events coming up we’d love to see you at!   But first, the NZVA conference where 100 years of the NZ Veterinary Association was celebrated in style, Healthy Pets NZ managed to raise over $450 again in our Silent Auction thanks to paintings donated by Kerikeri artist Tessa Brown. Tessa’s painting have helped us fund over $1200 of research so far and we can’t thank her enough for her generosity – not to forget those generous bidders who walked away with some awesome artwork to ..read more

3D printing titanium plates to suit - but are they as good? We’re please to announce the funding of two new studies from the March 2023 application round. the first of these will be of particular interest to veterinarians with an interest in orthopaedic surgery. Dr Andrew Worth has been funded to assist the completion of his project looking into the Biomechanical equivalency of 3D printed titanium bone plates. Internal fixation using titanium bone plates is a standard method of providing stability to allow a fracture to heal. Commercially available titanium plates are press manufactured from ..read more

4 Paws Marathon supporting Healthy Pets New Zealand We’re thrilled to have been invited to be a charity partner with the 4 Paws Marathon team. This awesome event is the brainchild of Dr John Molloy who wants to encourage us humans look after our health through exercise with our dogs - to the benefit of both! Held in the beautiful Bottle Lake Forest and utilising the wonderful nearby Christchurch beaches, the 4 Paws Marathon will take place on Sunday 1st October 2023 The team at 4 Paws Marathon have given 5 excellent reasons why you should sign up: 1. It's our 5th anniversary year and that's s ..read more

Queenstown Dog Walk Despite the dodgy weather, there was a great turnout of dogs and their human companions. Healthy Pets NZ took the opportunity to head along for the meet and greet with the locals to help spread the word about the research we fund. We had a very good reception from those we talked to and loved seeing some many dogs on their best behaviour! vetlearn Mon, 04/24/2023 - 08:28 ..read more

World first study on fostering cats completed The project titled: Fostering cats for health: How do cat fostering programmes benefit companion animals and humans? set out to gain a better understanding of the benefits cat fostering programmes bring to companion animals and humans. The focus on fostering programmes and felines was novel, as little is known about animal fostering. Most research on animal- human relationships has previously examined other species, such as dogs and horses, even though cats are amongst the most popular animal companions in industrialised countries. The project aim ..read more

We’re please to announce the funding of two new studies from the March 2023 application round. the first of these will be of particular interest to veterinarians with an interest in orthopaedic surgery. Dr Andrew Worth has been funded to assist the completion of his project looking into the Biomechanical equivalency of 3D printed titanium bone plates.  Internal fixation using titanium bone plates is a standard method of providing stability to allow a fracture to heal. Commercially available titanium plates are press manufactured from a billet first reduced from a titanium ore. In medical ..read more