Cat declawing may soon be a thing of the past in CaliforniaFebruary 27, 2019Assemblyman Bill Quirk has introduced a bill that would ban the declawing of cats in California. "Declawed cats can suffer long-term physical complications as a result of declawing—it's not just a fancy manicure," Quirk said upon introducing AB 1230. "It's painful, unnecessary, and needs to stop… When this bill becomes law, only licensed veterinarians performing the procedure for specific therapeutic purposes will legally be able to declaw a cat, saving them from a lifetime of pain and possible lameness." The practice is already illegal in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and six other California cities. Further, in several other parts of the world, declawing has been banned. "Declawing is one of the most painful and unnecessary surgeries in all of veterinary medicine," said Jennifer Conrad, DVM, CVA, founder of the veterinarian-run nonprofit Paw Project. "We've seen what these cats go through. We are veterinarians who are standing up against the status quo because it is the right thing to do. We want veterinary medicine to be about helping animals, not helping couches." Studies have found declawed cats are more liable to bite or have other behavioral issues and often end up in animal shelters as a result.
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Boehringer Ingelheim, GNA Biosolutions to develop ASF rapid diagnostic toolFebruary 27, 2019Veterinarians, farmers, and the food-producing industry may soon have a new tool to help diagnose and stop the worldwide spread of African swine fever (ASF). Boehringer Ingelheim and GNA Biosolutions are partnering up to develop a rapid ASF diagnostic test that would be used in combination with GNA's portable molecular diagnostic platform. "This partnership represents another example of our focus on prevention and our continuous effort to control swine diseases," said Alain Wille, DVM, head of global business unit swine at Boehringer Ingelheim. ASF is a devastating viral infection of swine causing severe clinical disease and high mortality. The disease is untreatable and no effective vaccines are currently available. ASF does not affect humans. The disease could potentially jeopardize many countries' pig trade and supplies. Recent outbreaks of the ASF in China have resulted in more than 600,000 pigs being culled within the past few months. "We are delighted to enter this collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in animal health," said GNA Biosolutions cofounder and managing director, Lars Ullerich, PhD. "This collaboration further emphasizes the role of GNA Biosolutions in the rapidly developing field of extra-laboratory diagnostics and extends the application of our pulse-controlled amplification (PCA) technology into …
SAGE partners with San Francisco ophthalmology clinicsFebruary 26, 2019SAGE Veterinary Centers, a specialty and emergency veterinary organization, has added two new partner locations to expand its services and provide patients with better specialty care. The organization has partnered with Veterinary Vision, a provider of ophthalmology treatment in the San Francisco Bay area. Its clinics in San Carlos and San Francisco treat more than 3,100 patients and perform over 12,000 examinations annually. According to Veterinary Vision's Cynthia Cook, DVM, PhD, incorporating ophthalmology into the specialty services provided at SAGE Centers will allow optimized outcomes for ophthalmic emergencies, coordinate care for patients presenting with ocular manifestations of diseases affecting other organs, and coordinate complicated patient management with anesthesia and surgery departments when needed. "SAGE and Veterinary Vision are uniquely aligned in cultural values," said Gina Del Vecchio, SAGE chief executive officer. "People are our most important asset, and we are both delighted and honored to welcome the doctors and staff of Veterinary Vision into the SAGE family."
Hill's facing class-action lawsuit over excessive vitamin D levelsFebruary 22, 2019A lawsuit has been filed against Hill’s Pet Nutrition for selling dog food containing too much vitamin D.
MightyVet appoints new board membersFebruary 21, 2019Three industry members have been appointed to the board of directors of a career and wellness educational company for veterinary professionals.
Duck receives custom-made wheelchair to help it walkFebruary 20, 2019Walkin’ Pets has created it’s first-ever Duck Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair, a custom-built cart to help Merlin the duck get the exercise he needs.
FDA finds potential link between diet and canine DCMFebruary 20, 2019According to reports investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), a large proportion of diets in canine DCM cases—both grain-free and grain-containing—include peas and/or lentils in various forms as a main ingredient.
Early bird registration open for WSAVA/CVMA 2019 CongressFebruary 19, 2019The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) are partnering to host the annual international congress in Toronto, Canada, from July 16 to 19.
Trupanion to donate $5 on behalf of every visitor at WVC for pets in needFebruary 15, 2019Instead of giving out trinkets, a pet insurance provider will use its booth at the upcoming Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas, Nev., to help animals in need.
Study shows African swine fever can be transmitted through feedFebruary 15, 2019New information is being learned about how the currently circulating strain of African swine fever (ASF) could spread in feed and feed ingredients.
