The New Orleans Convention Center is playing host to 7,000 animal experts.

The American Veterinarian Medical Association is in town hearing the results of new research and seeing hundreds of new products on the market.

Four-thousand U.S. veterinarians came to learn the latest science and technology, some seeing heartworm disease for the first time.

 "Heartworm disease is a big topic here because a lot of the pets that were rescued after Katrina were heartworm positive and then they went to parts of the country that didn't have heartworm disease," says Veterinarian Dr. Karen Faunt, the Chief Medical Officer of Banfield Hospitals.

That's because of the mosquito problem in Southeast Louisiana and not enough pet owners using once-a-month heartworm prevention medication. There is also something new for dogs.

"There are some exciting things with melanoma, which is one type of skin cancer in dogs and in people. There is a vaccine that helps treat, not prevent, helps treat melanoma," she says.

Also new a one-time antibiotic injection called Convenia, so there is no more trying to get your pet to swallow daily pills. And there is an FDA approved weight-loss pill called Slentrol that can keep your pet from hunger pangs, begging and digging in the garbage while you're learning to cut his calories and increasing exercise. There are digital x-rays for quicker and easier diagnosis, as well as special pet arthritis medications like Rimadyl

"It's very important not to give your pet your own medications it can be very toxic to them," adds Dr. Faunt. 

And since fleas spread tapeworms and other illnesses, Bayer veterinarian Dr. Silene Young says, "The once-a-month topicals are phenomenal. They're much better than the collars, they stay in the surface layer of the pet’s skin and they last all month long."

And veterinarians are learning too how to help with behavioral problems. There are medications and they highly recommend expert help so pets don't end up at the pound for just being themselves.

"The biggest thing I find that people do wrong is we look at our dogs as people as our babies. Dogs don't think that way. Dogs think in order of the pack: either you are above them or below them, so if you don't take that leader role, it confuses the dog and the dogs starts misbehaving because he has no leader," says animal trainer Morris Chaisson of Sit Means Sit in Marrero.

He says they need daily exercise discipline and affection.

Representing the 450 veterinarians in the military, who care for 600,000 active duty and private animals in 80 countries, was this animal M.A.S.H. unit.

"Our main focus is doing disease control prevention and control and then of course complete care for the military working animals and most of those are the dogs and have horses and lab animals of course around the world," says  Brig. Gen. Mike Cates, Chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps.

The Corps also does humanitarian missions to spay and neuter pets around the world to prevent over population.

The American Veterinarian Medical Association convention ran from Saturday to Tuesday.