There may be no greater fear for a pet owner than the thought of their little furry loved one lost in the big, scary world. This week is National Pet Identification Week. Pet identification has evolved over the years, from collar tags to tattoos and, more recently, implanted microchips.

Using name-tags and collars are a great way to help identify your pet, and they show anyone who may find them that your pet is domesticated and has a home. But, collars can tear or slip off and tags can fade, rust or get scratched beyond the point of legibility. Check your pets’ collar and tags at least once a month to make sure this is not the case.

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Since it seems like winter is going to pass us by this year, the warmer weather is getting people outside and active a little earlier. To ensure your four-legged sidekick is ready, here are a few easy medical tips to provide your pet with a lifetime of good health.

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No, your eyes are not deceiving you, that is a picture of a glowing cat. Earlier this month the journal “Natural Methods” reported that U.S. scientists had developed a strain of green-glowing cats with cells that resist infection from the feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV, which causes AIDS in cats.

The Mayo Clinic’s team of physicians, virologists, veterinarians and gene therapy researchers, along with collaborators in Japan, hope the finding may help prevent the disease in cats and advance AIDS research in people. The study involved inserting antiviral monkey genes that block the virus that causes feline AIDS into feline eggs before they are fertilized.

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Recently I joined a group of 32 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students and other eager participants for a veterinary mission trip to Honduras sponsored by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Seguin and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Our destination was Siguatepeque, an agricultural center of about 75,000 people at 3,000 feet elevation in the central mountains of Honduras. While this is my first time, many of the group have been going annually for 25 years. Even though I have over 30 years experience as a veterinarian. this was a new adventure in a rural third world environment.

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There may be no greater fear for a pet owner than the thought of their little furry loved one lost in the big, scary world. This week is the American Humane Association's National Pet Identification Week. Pet identification has evolved over the years, from collar tags to tattoos and, more recently, implanted microchips.

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Veterinarians are always looking for ways to keep their four-legged patients comfortable and their owners confident. For example, hard-to-heal wounds are time-consuming, costly and a frustration for veterinarians and pet owners. Side effects of long-term antibiotic use and patient pain are just a few of the reasons that researchers and veterinarians are trying to heal wounds faster. One San Antonio based company, KCI® Animal Health, is working tirelessly to bring leading edge technology to help veterinarians provide the best care possible to their patients.

Since its introduction by KCI, V.A.C.® (Vacuum Assisted Closure®) Therapy has changed the way wounds are healed. Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT), or a vacuum, at the wound site through a dressing specifically designed for the procedure, V.A.C. Therapy helps draw wound edges together, remove infectious materials and actively promote granulation at the cellular level.

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