LibGuides: Pet Health Information: Client Education and Pet Care

Client Education and Pet Care

Should You Trust Pet Health Care Websites?

The Internet has made it incredibly easy to find and share all types of information, including health-related topics, but it can be extremely difficult to tell if the information is reliable. These questions are just a few that you should ask yourself when evaluating information you find online.

Who runs the site? It should be easy to find out who is responsible for the site and the information it contains. Also consider who funds the site. The source of money to run the site can greatly influence what information is presented.
How current is the information? The site should be reviewed and updated frequently to provide the most current information available. Especially in medicine, practices change often based on new research and scientific evidence.
Where is the information coming from? If the site includes information from other sources, links to these sites should be included. There should also be documentation that identifies the evidence upon which the material is based.

For more on evaluating health information, see the Evaluating Health Information topic from MedlinePlus.

Pet Health Information Websites

American Animal Hospital Association Pet Health Library
The AAHA accredits animal hospitals, evaluating them on approximately 900 standards of veterinary excellence. The Pet Health Library contains articles on general health as well as sections on dog- and cat-specific care. There is also an AAHA-Accredited Veterinary Hospital Locator available on the site.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Pet Care
The ASPCA is one of the largest human societies in the world. The Pet Care resources cover a number of topics, including sections on horse care and small pets such as rodents, fish, and birds.
American Veterinary Medical Association Resources for Pet Owners
The AVMA is a not-for-profit association representing over 85,000 veterinarians in many different settings. The Public Resources section contains information on pet care, selecting a veterinarian, and what to do in an emergency.
Economic Impact of the U.S. Pet Industry
Economic reports from the Pet Advocacy Network on the direct and indirect impacts the pet industry has on the United States economy. Includes infographic reports for each state.
Guides for Pet Owners
Client education guides provided by the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Human-Animal Bond Resources
A guide to websites, journals, articles, and other resources on the human-animal bond. Not all resources are freely available but can be accessed by visiting the MSU Libraries.
MedlinePlus: Animal Diseases and Your Health
MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, contains links to web resources with health information on over 900 topics. The Animal Diseases and Your Health topic includes sections on the latest news and research, and a number of the materials are available in both English and Spanish.
MedlinePlus: Pet Health
MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, contains links to web resources with health information on over 900 topics. The Pet Health topic includes sections on the latest news and research, and a number of the materials are available in both English and Spanish.
Pet Health Topics
Information on a wide variety of pet health topics, including when to seek veterinary care and how to talk to your veterinarian, from the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Pet Insurance Resources
Guide from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville that includes information on how to estimate care costs for different animals, estate planning that includes care costs for animals, comprehensive insurance information, and veterinary wellness plans.
Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Other Animals
A growing reference from Cornell University that includes plant images, pictures of affected animals and presentations concerning the botany, chemistry, toxicology, diagnosis and prevention of poisoning of animals by plants and other natural flora (fungi, etc.).
Veterinary Information Network Veterinary Partner
VIN, founded in 1991, provides veterinary professionals with information to use in their practice. They created their public companion site, Veterinary Partner, as an educational resources for pet owners, and it is one of the oldest pet health sites. The site contains a wealth of information about cats, dogs, reptiles, horses, and small mammals.

MSU Libraries

Research Guides

Pet Health Information

Client Education and Pet Care

Should You Trust Pet Health Care Websites?

Pet Health Information Websites