What Pet Parents Need to Know About Corporate Vet Care, Longevity Drugs and Allergy Medications

What Pet Parents Need to Know About Corporate Vet Care, Longevity Drugs and Allergy Medications

From My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog by Dr. Lily Chen

May 24, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

Dr. Lily Chen discusses important updates in corporate veterinary care, longevity drugs for senior dogs, and new allergy medications.

Three big stories on my mind right now that I think every pet parent should know about. Story one: Chewy just acquired Modern Animal, a tech-forward veterinary chain with 29 clinics. That means the same company selling your dog's food, supplements, and medications now also owns the vet clinics seeing your dog. Is that great news or scary news? Honestly, both. Story two: Loyal is developing a longevity drug for senior dogs that promises to extend healthy life by about a year. The FDA cleared a major safety hurdle in January 2026. But here's the thing: we already know how to give most senior dogs more good time. Lean body weight, good nutrition, exercise, sleep, connection. These things are powerful. So why are we reaching for a pill? Story three: New allergy drugs are hitting the market. NUMELVI and Zenrelia are JAK inhibitors that stop the itch sensation. But they don't fix the underlying immune issue. And one of them came with an FDA warning that dogs could die if vaccinated while on the drug. I bring these up not to scare you, but to help you think critically about what's happening in pet care right now and what questions you should be asking. KEY INSIGHTS: ✨ Chewy now owns 47…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Lily Chen

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Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chewy, Modern Animal, Loyal

Products: NUMELVI, Zenrelia

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