CSU Creates Fund To Rebuild Equine FacilityJuly 30, 2011 Colorado State University has established a fund to rebuild its Equine Reproduction Laboratory (ERL), which was destroyed in a fire July 26. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way. The university is inventorying biological materials and relocating laboratory personnel to temporary workspaces. The destruction at the laboratory is extensive and much, if not all, of the high-tech equipment is a complete loss, according to Colin Clay, PhD, professor and head of the department of Biomedical Sciences Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory. “With your help, we will rebuild, only better with more space for programmatic growth and development, and improved facilities for groundbreaking research and clinical service,” Clay said. “The fire did not destroy that which is most valuable to our program. We have not lost our intellectual investments; our gifted scientists, teachers and clinicians; our extraordinarily dedicated and talented staff; or our passion for what we do.” CSU credits quick action from the Poudre Valley Fire Authority, the Fort Collins Police Department and the CSU Police Department contained the fire to a single structure. “The impact of the fire on this flagship program is profound, but the response from the …
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Possible Salmonella Contamination Prompts Limited Recall Of Purina ONEJuly 30, 2011 Nestle Purina PetCare Company (NPPC) has issued a recall on a limited number of 3.5- and 7-pound bags of its Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Dry Cat Food due to possible Salmonella contamination. The food comes from a single production run and was shipped to customers in 12 states in December 2010, according to Purina. "This is being done because some bags of the product have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella" a release issued by Purina states. The product was distributed to customers in California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin, who may have further distributed the product to other states. The company became aware of the contamination as a result of samples that had been collected in several retail stores. No additional Purina cat or dog products are involved in the voluntary recall, and no other Purina ONE brand products are involved, according to the company. Pets with Salmonella infections may exhibit decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be …
Equine Metritis Recurs In U.S.July 29, 2011 Following a positive test of a Maricopa County horse for Taylorella equigenitalis, a comprehensive epidemiological investigation has been initiated by the Arizona Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials. Laboratory tests showed the Arizona horse has a subclinical infection of Taylorella equigenitalis, a Gram-negative bacterium of the genus Taylorella, and the causative agent of Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) in horses. There currently is no known relationship between the positive stallion and any horses associated with the previous U.S. cases of CEM. The horse is being quarantine although vaccination in prohibited during an active infection. Treatment of the infected animal will follow protocols in accordance with Federal, International and expert guidance and requirements. Weekly follow-up reports will be issued by Dr. John Clifford, deputy administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. <Home>
CATalyst: Initiative To Increase Feline Visits To Vets Seeing SuccessJuly 28, 2011 Success is being seen on the tails of the Cat Friendly Practice Makeover initiative, which works with volunteer clinics to increase the number of cat visits by providing education, specialized training and reconfiguration to make the clinic more cat friendly, the CATalyst Council announced. The initiative was announced earlier this year. The CATalyst Council discussed the initiative’s success at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference in St. Louis last week. “We are confident that this pilot will show that there are relatively easy steps that veterinary practices can take to increase the number and frequency of feline visits,” said Jane Brunt, DVM, executive director of the CATalyst Council. “We’re excited about the positive initial results that we’re seeing and exploring opportunities to make a difference in the lives of cats everywhere.” Click here to see a video related to this subject. The initiative received 1,800 pet owner responses via survey to gauge beliefs and attitudes toward veterinary care. Respondents shared their opinions about veterinary care, which were similar to some of the Bayer-Brakke study findings. The results confirmed that cats are not receiving the same level of care as dogs. …
MU Study Poised To Help Veterans And Shelter DogsJuly 28, 2011 The University of Missouri (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine’s Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) is conducting a study to help U.S. military veterans handle combat-related issues. In the study, veterans work with a canine training buddy to cope with issues such as substance abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder while helping shelter dogs become more adoptable. “Health professionals are seeing increasing reports of combat-related stress in returning veterans,” said Rebecca Johnson, director of ReCHAI and associate professor for the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and College of Veterinary Medicine. “This study benefits both ends of the leash, because we know that interaction with animals relieves stress and lessens symptoms of depression and anxiety. Not only will veterans help dogs exercise and receive necessary training, but the dogs will potentially provide stress relief for the veterans.” MU’s ReCHAI is supported by grants from Mars Petcare, Waltham, Pedigree Foundation, Banfield Charitable Trust and the MU Research Board, to conduct a study of the benefit of veterans training shelter dogs. The study began in early 2011 and will conclude in 2013. Veterans learn to train dogs, and then they mentor families who adopt shelter dogs. Select …
Study: Veterinary Students Have High Depression RatesJuly 28, 2011 Veterinary students are more likely to struggle with depression than human medicine students, undergraduate students and the general population, according to several recent studies from Kansas State University researchers. Mac Hafen, therapist and clinical instructor in K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, and researchers from K-State, the University of Nebraska and East Carolina University, examined depression and anxiety among veterinary medical students. “We are hoping to predict what contributes to depression levels so that we can intervene and make things run a little bit more smoothly for students themselves,” Hafen said. Once a semester for the past five years, the researchers surveyed veterinary students in various stages of academic study. The survey helped uncover a rate of depression occurrence and understand how it related to the amount of stress veterinary students experience during their four years of study. During the first year of veterinary school, 32 percent of the veterinary medicine students surveyed showed symptoms of depression compared to 23 percent of human medicine students who showed symptoms above the clinical cutoff, as evidenced by other studies. The researchers discovered that veterinary students experience higher depression rates as early as the first semester of their …
FDA Approves First Drug To Treat Urinary Incontinence In Female DogsJuly 27, 2011 The Food and Drug Administration today announced the approval of Incurin (estriol), the first drug approved for urinary incontinence in dogs. Incurin is indicated for the control of estrogen-responsive urinary incontinence in spayed female dogs. Hormone-based urinary incontinence is a common problem in middle-aged and elderly spayed female dogs. The pet can urinate normally, but leaks urine while resting. Physical examination and blood and urine tests are usually normal in these pets. Hormone-responsive incontinence can occur months to years after a dog is spayed. Incurin is manufactured by Merck Animal Health of Summit, N.J. The product was submitted for approval when Merck was known as Intervet Inc. Incurin is a natural estrogen hormone that increases the resting muscle tone of the urethra. The drug can also be used to treat female dogs with urinary incontinence due to estrogen depletion. In a study of 226 spayed female dogs, a greater percentage of dogs treated with Incurin improved compared to dogs treated with placebo. Incurin was shown to be effective for the control of estrogen-responsive urinary incontinence in spayed female dogs 1 year and older. Loss of appetite, vomiting, excessive water drinking and swollen vulva are some …
Hendra Virus Found In Australian DogJuly 27, 2011 The Australian Animal Health Laboratory reported the first positive test in a dog for Hendra virus from natural exposure. The dog had no reported illness but likely contracted the infection from one of three horses on the same property that died from Hendra between June and July. Several Queensland and New South Wales properties are under quarantine due to the equine Hendra virus infection. Hendra is in the Paramyxoviridae family, which was first isolated in 1994 during an outbreak of respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans in Hendra, Australia. Human and equine infections are spillover events from the natural hosts for the virus, flying foxes. All dogs are tested when exposure to infected horses is suspected. National policy is that Hendra-infected domestic animals are euthanized because of public health risk. The route of infection between bats and horses is believed to be via bat bodily fluids, including saliva, urine and birthing fluids contaminating horse feed or water. The virus rarely spreads between horses. There is no evidence of the virus being transmitted directly from flying foxes, also known as fruit bats, to humans. Quarantine and disinfection is the only preventive measures, as no …
U.C. Davis’ Stephen Barthold Receives AAVMC Excellence In Research AwardJuly 26, 2011 Stephen W. Barthold, DVM, Ph.D., of the University of California Davis school of veterinary medicine will receive the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ (AAVMC) 2011 Merial-AAVMC Excellence in Research Award, it was recently announced. Dr. Barthold will receive the award on Aug. 6 at the Merial-NIH National Veterinary Scholars Symposium in Florida. The AAVMC board of directors established the award in 2010 to recognize outstanding research and scholarly achievements in the field of veterinary medicine. It recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in original research, leadership in the scientific community and mentoring of trainees and colleagues in any discipline of veterinary medicine. “It's very fitting that Dr. Barthold has been selected to receive this inaugural Merial-AAVMC Excellence in Research Award,” said Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou, the AAVMC's executive director. “His scholarly achievements in veterinary and comparative medicine are extraordinary and he is highly respected as a visionary leader, inspiring mentor, and role model whose work has done much to advance biomedical research and demonstrate the important contributions veterinarian scientists make to advancing human and animal health.” Dr. Barthold researches the interaction between infectious disease agents and their hosts. While on the faculty of Yale …
Fitzpatrick Launched Learning Platform For Veterinary ProfessionalsJuly 26, 2011 The Fitzpatrick Learning Academy, an online learning facility, has created new learning, training and continued professional development (CPD) opportunities for veterinarians and staff. During the British Veterinary Nursing Association’s (BVNA) National Veterinary Nursing week, the academy announced CPD options that help nurses develop social networks and aquire skills to deliver superior patient care. “We know that within the veterinary nursing profession one of the issues is that nurses feel they don’t get the credit they deserve.” Fitzpatrick said. “We wanted to help change that and to empower veterinary nurses by creating a dedicated worldwide veterinary nursing community where nurses can come together, share in the pursuit of knowledge, support each other through the development of social networks and access the most innovative and exciting CPD available.” The program is built around a series of eLearning modules, which qualifies students for three hours of CPD. Topics for the first year in include anaesthetic emergencies, radiography, wound management, physiotherapy, nosicomial infections and pain management. Each module is followed by a Vetinar, a one-hour webinar that consolidates learning outcomes and provides learners with the opportunity to interact. Nurses can share knowledge and experiences, post and answer questions and …
