Looking for free Internet resources that provide quality, animal-health-related information?
The following websites may help, but please keep in mind that these sites are not endorsed by Cornell University. Information on the Internet is not a substitute for quality professional veterinary care, experience, and expertise.
As always, your veterinarian is the very best resource to consult for questions regarding your animal’s health, especially if your animal is ill. If your concern is urgent, contact him or her immediately.
Animal-Welfare
Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) (U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library)
Links to various publications, resources, & other useful sites related to animal welfare
Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division)
Behavior Training
Animal Behavior Clinic (Cornell University Hospital for Animals)
Checklists for identifying behavior problems in cats, dogs, & horses
Animal Behavior Resources Institute (American Humane Association)
Brief instructional videoclips, podcasts, news, articles, & more
The Indoor Pet Initiative (Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine)
Checklist with helpful suggestions for enriching the lives of indoor cats
Bibliographic Databases
PubMed MEDLINE (US National Library of Medicine)
Over 20 million citations, dating back to the 1940s, indexed from over 4,900 human medical, nursing, dentistry, veterinary, & related biomedical journals.
Diagnostic Databases
Consultant (Cornell University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Database)
Links to over 500 clinical signs and symptoms for nearly 7,000 possible diagnoses or disease conditions, including a selected list of up-to-date journal articles on each diagnosis
Disaster Preparedness for Pets
Animals in Disasters (US DHHS Disaster Information Management Research Center)
Animals in Disasters (Animal Welfare Information Center, APHIS, USDA)
Caring for Animals (FEMA)
Disaster Preparedness (ASPCA)
Preparación en Caso de Desastres (In Spanish) (ASPCA)
Pets and Disasters (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Diseases, Conditions, & Treatments
Canine Epilepsy Resource Center
Canine Health Foundation (American Kennel Club)
Lists ongoing research projects on canine diseases
Canine Health Information Center
Cornell Feline Health Center Client Information Brochures
Online brochures on topics from general cat care to infectious diseases
Cornell Feline Health Center’s Dr. Louis J. Camuti Memorial Feline Consultation and Diagnostic Service 1-800-KITTY DR (1-800-548-8937)
Available Monday & Friday from 9am-12noon and 2-4pm (EST) (Note: There is a nominal charge for answers to any cat health-related question.)
Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Education
Exotic Pet Vet (Margaret A. Wissman DVM)
Health information about birds, reptile, & other exotic pets
HealthyPet.com (American Animal Hospital Association)
Information about accredited animal hospitals near you, answers to pet health questions via their Pet Care Library, and list of recommended reading
Merck Veterinary Manual Online
Note: This source may contain inaccurate or outdated information since the publication of the manual’s 10th edition in September 2010.
Pet Health Topics (Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine)
Information about dog and cat health, including procedures, common problems, diseases, & miscellaneous healthcare topics
Over 5,000 articles on dogs, cats, fish, small mammals, reptiles, birds, & horses
News and information about behavior, health, diseases, and drugs related to dogs, cats, birds, horses, & other pets
Vetinfo: A Veterinary Information Service (Michael Richards, DVM)
Information about diseases and conditions of cats and dogs
Johne’s Information Center (University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine)
Information about paratuberculosis, the infectious disease of cattle
Downloadable iBooks
Free downloadable iBooks on veterinary medicine
Genetics
Guide to Congenital and Heritable Disorders in Dogs (Association for Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR), available from Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association)
Medical, Genetic and Breed Problems Known in Dogs (Dog and Cat Health)
Guide Sites
NetVet & Electronic Zoo (Ken Boschert, DVM, Washington University)
Lists over 18,000 international websites on veterinary & animal topics
About.com: Veterinary Medicine (Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM)
Intute: Veterinary Medicine (Formerly: VetGate)
Integrative Medicine
AltVetMed.com (Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Whole Pet Vet: A Guide to Holistically Treating Your Pets (Donna Kelleher, DVM)
Information about acupuncture, gold bead therapy, chiropractic care, diet & nutrition, and herbal medicine, as well as information about choosing a convertional vs. holistic veterinarian
Locating Veterinary Clinics
AltVetMed.com (Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Lists veterinarians who practice various forms of complementary and alternative medicine therapy
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
American College of Veterinary Surgeons
HealthyPet.com (American Animal Hospital Association)
Nutrition
American College of Veterinary Nutrition
Provides links to reputable sources about veterinary nutrition
Ohio University Veterinary Hospital. Nutrition Support Service
Provides a diet manual, diet search, & more
Oncology
Oncology & Acupuncture (Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Houston, Texas)
Merck Veterinary Manual Online
Note: This source may contain inaccurate or outdated information since the publication of the manual’s 10th edition in September 2010.
OncoLink: Vet – University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center
Toxicology Poisoning
Extensive information about poisons for animals, including access to their fee-based emergency service
Plant Poisoning of Livestock in Vermont (University of Vermont Extension)
Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Other Animals (Cornell University, Department of Animal Science)
Growing reference 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.)
Plants Toxic to Animals (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Veterinary Medicine Library)
Comprehensive database of plants by common and scientific names
Indiana Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets (Purdue University)
Lists plants alphabetically, by toxicity rating, species, & botanical type, along with a picture index
Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants (ASPCA)
Lists plants that are toxic and non-toxic to dogs, cats,
Zoonoses (Diseases Transmitted Between Humans and Animals)
Articles about animal diseases that can affect human health
Healthy Pets Healthy People (National Center for Infectious Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Information about important diseases that people can get from animals, with lists by disease and animal species
Merck Veterinary Manual Online
Extensive table of diseases that affect both humans and animals around the world (located on the Zoonoses page)
Note: This source may contain inaccurate or outdated information since the publication of the manual’s 10th edition in September 2010.
Zoonotic Diseases (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), University of California, Santa Barbara)
Guidelines for preventing disease transmission in animal facilities, with lists of diseases and diseases by animal reservoir created by Dr. Michael S. Rand