IDEXX Bets Big on AI-Powered Vet Care

Weekly Roundup

Friday · 9/18/2026 · Issue #396

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In This Issue

Quick Hits

Business Roundup

In The News

Job Board

Most Popular Articles/Interviews

Quick Hits

🐕 Obama family mourns Sunny, their beloved former White House Dog

🍿 A new Netflix show called Sealook is made for dogs using colors they can actually see

😮 Chihuahuas are actually part coyote

🦃 Ollie brings Thanksgiving dinner to the dog bowl

🤖 Meet DogGPT, the AI chatbot built just for dog owners

💰 Pets at Home CEO lands performance award of more than 867,000 Shares

IDEXX Acquires Veterinary AI Platform CoVet

IDEXX acquired CoVet, an AI-powered clinical workflow platform used by veterinary practices worldwide, adding ambient listening and workflow intelligence to its growing software and diagnostics ecosystem.

The Dogist Launches Vitality, Its First Dog Supplement

The Dogist is expanding beyond media with the launch of Vitality, marking its move into the growing pet supplements and wellness market.

Balanced Breed Closes $360K Angel Round Ahead of Major Retail Launch

Balanced Breed expanded its first angel round from $250,000 to $360,000 and is now opening another $250,000–$500,000 raise as it prepares to launch with a major retailer next month.

VAFO Invests in Austrian Pet Diagnostics Company Pezz Life

VAFO made a strategic investment in Austrian pet health diagnostics company Pezz Life, expanding its push beyond nutrition into prevention, diagnostics and broader pet wellbeing.

Loyal Hits Another FDA Milestone for Its Dog Longevity Drug

Loyal's LOY-003 earned FDA Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness acceptance, its third such milestone for a drug program designed to extend dogs' healthy lifespans.

Skiptown Relaunches Its Membership Model

Skiptown is relaunching its membership model as the dog care company evolves its approach to daycare, boarding, social experiences and recurring customer relationships.

Airvet and Cariloop Team Up on Employee Caregiving Benefits

Airvet partnered with caregiving benefits platform Cariloop to help employers bring pet care alongside support for children, aging parents and other family caregiving responsibilities.

Chewy Bets on AI, Vet Clinics and a $50B Pet Health Market

Chewy is leaning harder into pet health and AI, with plans to grow its clinic business while targeting roughly $50 million in annualized AI savings in 2027.

PetScreening Gets Access to Associa's 7.5M Residents

PetScreening joined Associa Advantage's vendor program, bringing its pet management and compliance platform into communities managed by Associa, which serves more than 7.5 million residents.

VANE Adds Genvax to Its Animal Health Portfolio

VANE backed Genvax Technologies, which is developing next-generation vaccines designed to help livestock producers and veterinarians respond faster to evolving infectious diseases.

GE HealthCare Eyes a $1B Acquisition of SOFIE Biosciences

GE HealthCare is reportedly in talks to acquire radiopharmaceutical developer SOFIE Biosciences for around $1 billion, potentially doubling its previous valuation.

Duffield Foundation Commits $250M to Expand Veterinary Care Access

The Duffield Foundation is committing $250 million to expand access to veterinary care, one of the largest philanthropic investments aimed at helping pets and families overcome barriers to treatment.

Petco Love Invests $1.5M to Help Pets Stay With Their Families

Petco Love is investing $1.5 million to support programs designed to keep pets with their families and reduce the number of animals entering shelters.

Virginia Tech Lands $15M for Animal Cancer Research

Karen Waldron and Shawn Ricci donated $15 million to Virginia Tech's Animal Cancer Care and Research Center to help advance cancer research and treatment for pets.

83% of Guide Dog Handlers Have Been Denied a Rideshare

A Guide Dogs for the Blind study found 83% of handlers have experienced at least one rideshare denial, despite legal protections for service animals.

Animal Longevity Is Getting Its First Global Summit

Researchers, biotech founders, veterinarians and investors are heading to Toronto for a new summit focused entirely on helping animals live longer, healthier lives.

Taste of the Wild Hit With Lawsuit Over Grain-Free Dog Food

Two pet owners are suing Taste of the Wild, alleging its grain-free recipes were marketed as healthy despite alleged links to potentially fatal canine heart disease.

Your Cat Probably Shouldn't Be Left Alone as Long as You Think

Cats have a reputation for independence, but veterinary guidance suggests there's a limit to how long they should be left alone — and it's shorter than many owners assume.

Chile Becomes First in South America to Eliminate Dog-Transmitted Rabies

The WHO validated Chile as South America's first country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies in humans after decades of vaccination, prevention and surveillance.

San Antonio Puts Pet Microchip Scanners at 11 Fire Stations

San Antonio is rolling out free, 24/7 microchip scanning at 11 fire stations, giving residents another way to get lost pets home faster.