Scarlet, I just wanted to reply, hopefully not too off topic...I think there are lots of advances, but some of them are just cost prohibitive. Like my cat having surgery for his kidney stones (located in his bladder)...laser removal would not have been cost effective (it's technically "doable", tho), so they had to remove them manually. I don't want to gross anyone out, but the other surgery he had makes it easier for him to pass any stone he might get in the future (it was pretty amazing surgery, actually...albeit quite major).

You mentioned the food you needed for your dog (I am sorry you had such a poor vet at the time, my heart goes out to you)...nutrition has come a long way, that's for sure. The kidney food my cat is on has kept him from forming any more stones, thank god!

Another example...my vet told me that research now does not automatically recommend treating cats with heart disease with medication...that there is a genetic component that often determines how far it will progress regardless of meds. I have opted not to treat my current cat for his heart disease as I lost a cat in 2008 for a bad reaction to his heart medication (it was awful). So research on what NOT to do is also very useful, I think.

Here are a few links, if you are interested, with some veterinary advances...a lot are diagnostic in nature:

The newest advances in veterinary technology

New cancer drug for dogs benefits human research, drug development -- ScienceDaily

This last one is sad re: families losing pets, so trigger warning:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/yo...care.html?_r=0

(But they can do kidney transplants on dogs...for $25,000!!)