Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Pet Health
Pets can add fun, companionship and a feeling of safety to your life. Before getting a pet, think carefully about which animal is best for your family. What is each family member looking for in a pet? Who will take care of it? Does anyone have pet allergies? What type of animal suits your lifestyle and budget?
Once you own a pet, keep it healthy. Know the signs of medical problems. Take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice:
- Loss of appetite
- Drinking a lot of water
- Gaining or losing a lot of weight quickly
- Strange behavior
- Being sluggish and tired
- Trouble getting up or down
- Strange lumps
It sits within Wellness and Lifestyle.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Pet Health
44 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- MPN PROGRESSion Registry: Observational Study Tracking Symptoms, Treatments, and Disease Progression in People With Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)MPN Research Foundation
- Pets Enhancing Therapeutics in Intensive Care UnitsUniversity Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand
- Study of Melanoma-Resistant PET Monitoring Based on Key Rate-limiting Enzymes for Fatty Acid Metabolism in Healthy VolunteersXijing Hospital
- Health, Imaging, and Cognition Across the Menopausal TransitionUniversité de Sherbrooke
- Project MILANO: Connections Between Patients With Brain Tumors and Their Pets: an Analysis of Concerns and NeedsCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne
- Plate vs. Screw for Guided Growth in Coronal Knee DeformitiesAssiut University
Research already completed
- Trial of Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Depression With PET and EEG OutcomesNeuroThera DE
- The Effect of Animal-Assisted Activity Programme Based on Human Caring Theory on Perceived Stress, Social Adaptation and Communication Skills of Children With Speech and Language DisordersŞeyma Demiralay
- Assessing the Effects of Robotic Pets on Patients With Dementia in the Acute Care Hospital SettingSarasota Memorial Health Care System
- 18F-FSPG PET/CT in Diagnosing Early Lung Cancer in Patients With Lung NodulesAndrei Iagaru
- Companion Robotic Pets and Older AdultsUniversity of Pittsburgh
- Are the Patients Having Pets at Greater Risk of Carrying Multidrug Resistance Bacteriae?CHU de Reims
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Treatments and Therapies
- Animal Product Safety InformationFood and Drug Administration
- Treating Cushing's Disease in DogsFood and Drug Administration
Prevention and Risk Factors
- 10 Poison Pills for PetsAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure: Protect Your Pet from Heartworms Year-RoundFood and Drug Administration
- Household Hazards to PetsAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- How to Report Problems with Flea and Tick ProductsFood and Drug Administration
- Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe from Holiday HazardsFood and Drug Administration
- Potentially Dangerous Items for Your PetFood and Drug Administration
- Preventing Ticks on PetsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Read the Label First! Protect Your PetsEnvironmental Protection Agency
- VaccinationsAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
Related Issues
- Be Prepared: Pet Safety in EmergenciesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Disease Precautions for Dog WalkersAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- Dog Bite PreventionAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- Safe Handling of Pet Food and Pet TreatsAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- Ticks and Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment, and PreventionFood and Drug Administration
- Ways to Stay Healthy Around AnimalsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Animals, Domestic. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Pet Health, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.