Some Dry Cat Foods Recalled Due To Salmonella ConcernJune 27, 2011 In the latest of a string of pet food recalls due to potential Salmonella concerns, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. of St. Louis is recalling about 870 bags of dry cat food shipped to customers in Colorado, Idaho and Oregon. In turn, those customers may have distributed the affected product to other Western states, the company reported. There have been no consumer complaints and no reports of illness, Nestle Purina reported, and no other Purina cat or dog products are involved. Nestle encourages consumers who have purchased the products to discard them and contact the company at 800-982-6559 or at its website regarding more information or a product refund. The recalled products are Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food (6.3-pound bag, UPC 17800) and Friskies Grillers Blend Dry Cat Food (3.15- and 16-pound bags, UPC 50000). All products have a “Best By” date of “AUG 2012” and date and production code of “10331083 13” or “10331083 06”; that data is listed on the back or bottom of the bags. <Home>
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FDA Announces Upcoming NARMS MeetingJune 27, 2011 The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine today announced a public meeting of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 20 at the Holiday Inn Select in St. Louis, Mo. The meeting will take place following the 2011 American Veterinary Medical Association convention. NARMS is a national public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria. The NARMS program was established in 1996 as a partnership between the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the meeting is to explore different animal and retail sampling strategies in an effort to modify the existing NARMS sampling scheme. Other topics include: • How should NARMS define adequate sampling for resistance trends? • What are some additional sources for unbiased food animal samples? • What additional information should NARMS collect and report? Data, information or views on the NARMS topic may be presented. Intent to make an oral presentation or written view must be made on or before July 6. Presentations from the public during the public comment period will take place between …
Braveheart The Dog Makes Full Recovery At UW-MadisonJune 27, 2011 Braveheart made his way to the University of Wisconsin- Madison (UW) Veterinary Care in March after an animal control officer found him in a Kentucky dumpster. The a mixed-breed dog was severely malnourished, infested with parasites and open sores covered much of his mange-infested skin. Despite initial veterinary care financed by a rescue group that brought him to UW, the dog became sluggish and lost interest in food, which he couldn't keep down anyway. Marti Houge of One Starfish Rehoming Connections brought the dog to the UW- Madison, where he spent nearly a week in the Veterinary Care’s critical care unit. “He had a lot of concurrent diseases, many of which were probably the result of poor housing conditions and poor veterinary care before he came to us,” says Daniel Foy, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, UW Veterinary Care. Now, Braveheart is a popular dog. He has a Facebook page on which he acquired more than 11,000 friends, and television and newspaper media covered his story spurring more than 500 people to send cards, gifts and donations to help his plight. “I am amazed each time I see him,” Houge says. “He could walk into the …
Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital And California Trail Exhibit Green LightedJune 24, 2011 The East Bay Zoological Society’s 1998 master plan to upgrade and expand the Oakland Zoo with a new veterinary hospital and California Project Trail has received approval. The Oakland City Council’s unanimous vote to approve financing for the project means construction of the veterinary hospital and California Trail Project, which will include 30-acres of open space habitat and 20‐acres of new exhibits featuring regionally extinct animals such as the grizzly bear, wolf, black bear, mountain lion and bald eagle. The new veterinary hospital will replace the current 1,200 sq. ft. facility built in 1961. “We currently have two full-time veterinarians and two full-time veterinary technicians on staff, in addition to me,” says Joel Parrott, DVM, executive director of the Oakland Zoo veterinary hospital. “We have approximately 640 animals (96 species) at the zoo. Dr. Karen Emanuelson, Director of Veterinary Services, Maria Trenary, Senior Veterinarian Technician, and a volunteer perform a procedure on a lion in the lion night house. The new veterinary hospital is 17,500 square feet, including a large animal treatment room, small animal treatment, ICU, necropsy, surgery, radiology, animal holding (hoofstock, aquatic, reptile, avian, small/medium/large mammal), two clinical labs, quarantine, offices …
Pennsylvania Department Of Health Confirms Rabies In Williamsport Stray KittenJune 24, 2011 An abandoned kitten found last month in Williamsport, Lycomin County has tested positive for rabies, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced today. The kitten was found on May 26. The department urges anyone who may have been bitten or exposed to saliva, fluids or tissue from the cat contact the Northcentral district office at (570)327-3400. Residents can also call (877)724-3258. Anyone with a pet that may have come in contact with the rabid cat should contact a veterinarian for information about how to protect the animal, as well as warning family members. Exposure includes a bite wound, scratch or having contact with saliva, nervous system fluid or tissue from an animal enter an open wound or mucous membranes such as eyes, nose or mouth. Under these circumstances, individuals should seek immediate medical attention. The department also reminds all residents that they should avoid contact with all feral animals as rabies can be difficult to detect. All animals that can be vaccinated, including cats, dogs and ferrets - should be given the vaccine to protect them in case they are ever exposed to a rabid animal. This is the second rabies report in the June …
Tuscon Veterinary Center Offers Emergency Aid To Animals Impacted By FireJune 24, 2011 The Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson (VSCT) is offering free care to dogs and cats injured or displaced from the Monument Fire in the Sierra Vista area. The wild fires displaced domesticated animals, as well as cattle and horses. The fire in the Huachuca Mountains has spread to more than 29,000 acres, affecting thousands in the area, many of whom evacuated their homes. It is 59 percent contained. “VSCT’s professional staff is doing all it can to help the people of the Sierra Vista area by providing free feeding, boarding and care to their dogs and cats,” says Dr. Barbara Gores, Dipl. ACVS and founding owner of VSCT. “We will make sure that our veterinary center is available to provide the care and shelter that these animals need while their owners are unable to provide it due to the fire and the tragic displacement it has caused.” New Frontier Animal Hospital in Sierra Vista is triaging all the animals and is working to identify hundreds of displaced animals. VSCT agreed to help by making room in its 32,000 sq. ft. hospital to house as many displaced animals as possible. The animals can stay at VSCT until …
UG Vet Student Awarded VPL ScholarshipJune 24, 2011 Veterinary Products Laboratories (VPL), a division of Central Life Sciences, announced its funding of a 2011 scholarship for an "exceptional veterinary student." The scholarship winner was selected by the Association for Women Veterinarians Foundation (AWVF). Jennifer M. Bonovich, a third year veterinary student at the University of Georgia (UG), College of Veterinary Medicine, received the VPL scholarship. A group of 112 applicants were evaluated by a four-person AWVF committee based on leadership potential, career path and influence in veterinary medicine in and outside of school. Corrie Brown, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVP wrote a letter of recommendation supporting Bonovich. “Jennifer defines the word dependable,” Dr. Brown says. “I know that Jennifer has almost sole care for her young daughter as her husband is in the military and can only be with them for brief periods. It amazes me as to how Jennifer can do well in school, provide so well for her daughter and still show up on time every morning with a big smile.” Bonovich is a lieutenant colonel in the Civil Air Patrol, Air Force Auxiliary, where she conducts search and rescue operations. She is a Federal Aviation Administration certified pilot, certified pharmacy technician …
Judge Orders BioPet, PetSafe To Stop Selling Dog Breed ID KitsJune 23, 2011 An appellate court judge has denied a request by BioPet Vet Lab Inc. and PetSafe, both of Knoxville, Tenn., to stop an injunction that prohibits them from selling their dog breed identification test kits. The injunction was requested by Mars Veterinary as part of a patent infringement lawsuit it filed against the two companies. In the lawsuit, filed in December 2010, Mars claims BioPet infringed on “one or more of the claims” of the U.S. patent it licenses to make its Wisdom Panel dog breed identification products “by using, selling and offering to sell the dog breed identification services associated with its DNA Breed Identification Kit product.” The suit was later amended to add PetSafe, which began marketing and selling BioPet’s Breed Identification Kits under the PetSafe brand name earlier this year. The defendants argued that they were not infringing on the patent because they were not performing all of the steps outlined in the analysis process. They also challenged the validity of the patent itself, according to court documents. In March 2011, a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Virginia granted Mars a preliminary injunction that required BioPet and PetSafe to stop …
UF Vets Successfully Treat Ivermectin Toxicity In Australian ShepherdJune 23, 2011 The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital recently treated a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd named Charly for acute ivermectin toxicity. The case prompted UF veterinarians to warn pet owners to take stock of all their pets’ medications, particularly how and when they are administered. “Many people already know to be aware of medications in their homes, and to be careful how those drugs are stored so pets and children can’t get access to them,” says Carsten Bandt, DVM, an emergency and critical care specialist and chief of the UF emergency service. “However, people may not think about environments other than houses, such as barns or farms, where different types of animals frequently mingle and medications may be given outside.” Sandra Johnson said she gave her four horses deworming medication on May 17, but she didn’t see Charly consume some of the flavored ivermectin one of the horses had spit out. In fact, Johnson said she didn’t know what had happened to the dog until a veterinarian asked if Charly had consumed ivermectin. “In most cases and in most breeds, side effects are not a concern with conventional doses,” Dr. Bandt says. “In Charly’s …
CAPC Reports Higher Rate Of Feline Heartworm And RoundwormJune 23, 2011 Cats need better protection from heartworms and roundworms, data collected by laboratories for Idexx, Antech and Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2010 shows. The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) announced the results today. The results of the national sample can be found on the CAPC website, which allows viewers to search for canine or feline infection rate results by state, county and type of parasite. Six percent of 780,000 nationally collected fecal samples from cared-for cats contained the eggs of the feline roundworm, Toxocara cati. Of the 4 million cared-for canine fecal samples examined, the national average was 2.9 percent containing the eggs of Toxocara canis. Only four states – Alaska, Arizona, California and Nevada – had a higher percentage of dogs that were infected with roundworms than cats. A higher percentage of cats tested positive for heartworms than dogs in every state except for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. For the 250,000 feline samples and 5 million canine samples, the national averages were 2.7 percent of cats being positive and 1.2 percent of dogs testing positive. About three out of every 100 cats tested positive for heartworm antigen, an indicator that these positive cats have …
