A drug that could extend the lifespan of large breed dogs is moving through the FDA approval process

A medication is being developed that may help your dog live longer. A company called Loyal was founded 4 years ago with the aim to improve longevity and create anti-aging medications to help improve your dog’s lifespan. The FDA has fast-tracked a conditional approval pathway for animal therapies which means there may be reasonable expectation of effectiveness of a new drug called LOY-001 that targets and lowers the amount of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a hormone which the company claims is elevated due to genetic breeding for size up to 28 times the levels present in small breed dogs. Smaller breed dogs, which tend to live on average longer than large breed dogs.

Link to more articles about IGF-1 and lifespan

Link to decreased IGF-1 could be harmful to the cardiovascular system

Link to article studying connection with IGF-1, diabetes and cancer

Thank you to all the Veterans today

War Stories of Dog Veterans

Thanks to all who support our country today, yesterday and tomorrow. Dr. Fowler’s step dad Jim is an air force veteran and her father in law Steve is also an army veteran. She can also cry just thinking of all the sacrifices all the other veterans including the service dogs have given for this country! Thanks to everyone. Happy Veterans Day!

Kehrs Mill Veterinary Care Encourages Pet Adoption and Volunteering By Partnering With The APA Adoption Center

At Kehrs Mill Veterinary Care, relationships are at the center of everything we do. That is why, when looking for an outstanding non-profit organization to support, we chose the APA.

Like us, the APA understands the importance of facilitating meaningful, long-term relationships, particularly relationships with pets. They've been doing it for over 100 years, and as a community-focused business, we are proud to support their work.

The APA is a St. Louis-based organization that helps find homes for over 5,000 pets each year. In addition, they provide low-cost and free wellness services to the community and implement education programs for individuals of all ages. Kehrs Mill Veterinary Care is excited to partner with the APA to help them further these efforts.

To launch our partnership with the APA, we have engaged in a creative and fun program to help promote adoption, fostering, and volunteering. This program - Adopt a Dog Cutout - involves Kehrs Mill Veterinary Care "adopting" a cardboard cutout of a pet and displaying it in our place of business. This cutout is not only well-behaved and low-maintenance, but increases awareness about APA services and provides a QR code so individuals can connect directly to the APA website to learn more.

Our goal is to support the APA and promote pet adoption throughout our community, starting with our customers. We invite you to visit our business and meet our new "pet" that we have not named yet.

We look forward to seeing you and invite you to join our pet naming contest! Deadline for submissions for names are October 1, 2023. We’ll accept online submissions via website, email, calls, and facebook posts comments or messages. Winner will receive goodies and dollar credit for free veterinary services!

Barktoberfest 2023!

Join Kehrs Mill Veterinary Care on October 29 starting at 1pm for an open house and doggie costume party! We’ll have snacks and drinks, polaroids, button making, and a general dog-gone good time!

Address: 15479 Clayton Road, Ballwin, MO 63011

Sea Turtle Talk

The medical records software we chose for the clinic, NaVetor, is partnered with the Sea Turtle Conservancy to help these endangered creatures. We even got to adopt our own turtle, Dobby! Click here to read this month’s newsletter.

Breed Has A Big Influence On Dog Personality, But It's Not A Predictor

Is your pup stubborn or agreeable? Trainable or insecure? Turns out breed and genetics plays a big role, maybe even more than environment. Early socialization is still very important. In puppies, this is generally between 3 and 14 weeks. Puppies not exposed to adults or other animals during this critical period do tend to be more insecure, aggressive, and less easily trained.

These X-Rays shared by a zoo vet are amazing

Radiology has come a long way! I graduated veterinary school in 2008 and remember developing films the old fashioned way in a darkroom with chemicals. It’s so much faster now and the detail here is stunning.

How accurate are DNA tests for pets?

Wondering if it’s worth it to spend the money on a DNA test, or which test is best?

Before the age of at home DNA tests and cell phones, young Dr. Fowler spent much time at libraries reading about different dog breeds and what defines them. Maybe a visual inspection by the doc would be more accurate and less expensive!

New information on timing of spaying and neutering

Has your breeder asked you to wait to spay and neuter your large breed dog until 2 years of age? Here’s some information on why they may recommend that.

The short answer is, it depends. Schedule a consultation with us to see when is the best time to spay and neuter your pets.

Wondering if it’s more sanitary to kiss your bearded beau or your furry companion?

Beards Are Notably Grosser Than Dogs' Fur, Finds Study

“To their surprise, the bearded men appeared to be more of a health risk than the dogs. All 18 of the men showed high microbial counts, whereas only 23 of the 30 dogs had high microbial counts and seven had moderate microbial counts. Worse still, seven out of 18 of the beards contained human-pathogenic microorganisms, including Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus, while just four out of 30 dogs harbored the pathogens.”

Surprising findings! Good news for smoochy pet parents!