California Spay/Neuter Bill Heads To AssemblyJune 3, 2009 The California Senate on June 2 approved SB250, a measure that would require sterilization of most of the state’s cats and dogs. The 21-16 vote sent the bill to the Assembly for consideration. SB250, also known as the Pet Responsibility Act, failed in the Senate on June 1 by a vote of 16-15. It needed 21 votes to pass. A second vote led to the final approval June 2. The bill calls on owners to spay or neuter their cats at 6 months of age if the cats are allowed to roam at large. The bill also requires the sterilization of all dogs at 6 months old unless the owner gets an unaltered dog license. SB250 has been amended to authorize local governments to use existing procedures to issue intact dog licenses or to charge a fee for procedures related to the issuance, denial or revocation of unaltered dog licenses. Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez agreed June 2 to exempt hunting and working dogs from the measure and to ensure it will not apply to an animal escaping its yard for the first time. Click here to read the amended bill. …
SPONSORED CONTENTLife Gets Busy, Stay ON POINT With Cytopoint®Simplify your approach to allergic pruritus with Cytopoint. Help maintain control of allergic itch when schedules get hectic for both veterinarians and pet owners alike. + Learn more
FDA Approves Canine Cancer DrugJune 3, 2009 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer Animal Health’s Palladia (toceranib phosphate), the first drug developed specifically for the treatment of cancer in dogs. All cancer drugs now used in veterinary medicine originally were developed for use in humans and are not approved for animals. The prescription drug is approved to treat canine cutaneous mast cell tumors, a type of cancer responsible for about 20 percent of cases of canine skin tumors, according to the FDA. The New York company said it plans to introduce the product to boarded specialists within weeks to expand the body of clinical experience with the therapy. The drug will be available for purchase in early 2010. Palladia is an oral therapy indicated to treat Patnaik grade II or III recurrent cutaneous mast cell tumors with or without regional lymph node involvement. The drug belongs to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor class of compounds and works by blocking the activity of key receptors important for the development of blood vessels that supply tumors, as well as receptors critical for tumor survival, according to Pfizer Animal Health. The most common side effects associated with …
Purchases Made Through Intervet Site Benefit SheltersJune 2, 2009 Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health launched a new website on June 2 for its Bring Pets Home shelter animal foundation, which will educate pet owners on safety and wellness and serve as a source of revenue for U.S. animal shelters. The website allows the general public to donate to a registered shelter of their choice by making purchases at shops such as Macy’s, Amazon.com and Drugstore. Site visitors make purchases from the participating retailers through the Bring Pets Home website, and select a shelter, to which a portion of their purchase will be donated. “This is great for veterinarians and their clients because it doesn’t cost the purchaser anything to donate. They simply make the same purchases they would have made anyway, but through the Bring Pets Home site,” says Linda Block, marketing director for Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. “The site launched in 2007, but we retooled it to offer more educational resources to promote responsible pet ownership.” The company hopes to keep owned animals out of shelters through the education provided on the site, since finding animals’ owners further draws from the …
Hip Dysplasia: Classic Changes On X-raysJune 2, 2009When evaluating dysplastic hip films, radiographic changes may include: A 7-month-old male Labrador suffering from severe hip dysplasia. • Hip subluxation, i.e. less than 66 percent coverage of the femoral head by the acetabulum. • The margins of the acetabulum and femoral head are not parallel. They form a triangle or a wedge. • Increased width of the joint space. • Thickening of the femoral neck. • Flattening or deformity of the femoral head. • Flattening of the acetabulum. A 6-year-old female Rottweiler suffering from severe hip dysplasia. • Irregular acetabulum rim. • Osteophytes on the acetabulum, femoral head and neck. • Sclerosis of the subchondral bone. A description of a normal hip would include: • Two-thirds of the femoral head are covered by the acetabulum. • The margins of the acetabulum and femoral head are parallel. • A small, flattened area of the femoral head represents the fovea capitis, which is where the round ligament attaches. This is a normal finding. <HOME>
Survey: Vet Students Face Increased Financial, Mental PressuresJune 2, 2009 Veterinary students are experiencing more financial and mental health pressures, according to a survey conducted by the British Veterinary Assn. and its Association of Veterinary Students branch. The survey, conducted every three years since 1996, was circulated to U.K. students during the 2007-08 academic year. In total, 1,833 (45 percent) of the students participated. About 79 percent were female. Also of note: 13 percent of the total number of students were from oversees, 49 percent of whom were from the U.S. In regard to financial pressures, 67 percent of students feel unable to work to supplement their income, with extramural studies regularly cited as a major factor, according to the survey. In addition, 35 percent of students indicated that their financial problems are either difficult or severe and 24 percent stated that their debts will have a large affect on their choice of job after graduation. In respect to mental health and well being, the survey found higher incidences of mental health problems among veterinary medicine students than in society at large. For instance, 29 percent of students said they either suffer from or had suffered from anxiety and 22 percent from depression. According to …
California Spay/Neuter Bill Fails In SenateJune 2, 2009 The California Senate on June 1 rejected Senate Bill 250, a measure that would require sterilization of most of the state’s cats and dogs. The vote was 16-15, with 21 votes needed for passage. A vote to reconsider the measure will take place on June 2. SB250, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, calls on cat owners to spay or neuter their pet at 6 months of age if the cat is allowed to roam at large. The bill also requires the sterilization of all dogs at 6 months of age unless the owner gets an unaltered dog license. The bill has been amended to authorize local governments to use existing procedures to issue intact dog licenses or to charge a fee for procedures related to the issuance, denial or revocation of unaltered dog licenses. In addition, unaltered dogs used in legal hunting activities would be exempt from being cited. The sterilization of dogs found to be at large continues to be a requirement under the bill. SB250 is backed by the Social Compassion in Legislation, which says the bill would reduce euthanasia rates and save tax dollars, as well as various humane …
California Spay/Neuter Bill Moves To Senate FloorJune 1, 2009 California Senate Bill 250 goes before the Senate Floor during the first week of June 2009, where the full Senate votes on the measure that seeks to require spay or neuter surgery for most of the state’s cats and dogs. SB 250, by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, calls on cat owners to spay or neuter their cats at 6 months of age if the cats are allowed to roam at large. The bill also requires the sterilization of all dogs at 6 months of age, unless the owner gets an unaltered dog license. The bill has been amended to authorize local governments to use existing procedures to issue the intact dog licenses or to charge a fee for procedures related to the issuance, denial or revocation of unaltered dog licenses. In addition, unaltered dogs used in legal hunting activities would be exempt from being cited. The sterilization of dogs found to be at-large continues to be a requirement under the bill. Click here to view the amended version. <HOME>
Australia Bans Pet Food IrradiationJune 1, 2009 Australia has banned the government-mandated practice of irradiating imported pet food, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The ban comes after a number of cats died or became ill after eating irradiated cat food manufactured by the Canadian company, Champion Petfoods Ltd. The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, has ordered the sterilization process to cease immediately after receiving international reports that some cats can suffer neurological damage from eating irradiated dry food, according to the Herald. Details on the reports were not immediately available. Late last year, Champion issued a voluntary recall of its Orijen cat food in response to multiple reports of cats showing symptoms of neurological problems after eating the food. At that time, the company reported that 30 to 40 cats were affected and four or five cats had to be euthanized. Champion eventually pulled out of the Australian market after concluding that the health issues were caused by Australia’s irradiation process. Additionally, Champion changed its policy to one that prohibits it from selling to countries where its products will be irradiated. <HOME>
New York Legislators Introduce Bills To Regulate Dog And Cat DealersJune 1, 2009 New York state legislators have introduced two bills, Senate Bill 5392 and Senate Bill 4961, that aim to regulate dog and cat dealers. The Senate Committee on Agriculture is set to hear the two measures on June 2. As introduced, Senate Bill 5392 seeks to limit dog and cat ownership. Under the proposal, no person or business would be allowed to possess more than 50 intact dogs over the age of four months and intact cats over the age of four months that are kept for the purpose of breeding and selling of their offspring. The bill would authorize officials to confiscate animals from violators. Senate Bill 4961 amends the definition of a “pet dealer” to include anyone who sells, offers to sell or negotiates the sale of “animals born or raised on the premises of another or who keeps on his or her premises more than four intact female dogs six months of age or older for the purpose of breeding.” The definition still includes breeders who sell or offer to sell animals, but eliminates the current exemption for those who sell less than 25 animals per year. Senate Bill 4961 also sets forth a …
Denver Pit Bull Lawsuit Gets New LifeMay 29, 2009 An appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Denver breed ban has been allowed to move forward by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision favors plaintiffs Sonya Dias, Hillary Engel and Sheryl White in their appeal challenging the city’s breed ban, which prohibits pit bulls within the city limits. Specifically, the Denver ordinance bans ownership or possession, and calls for the euthanization, of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier, or any dog with a majority of physical traits of one or more of these breeds within the city and county. The dog-owning plaintiffs Dias, Engel and White have asserted that the breed ban is unconstitutional. The original lawsuit filed by the three former Denver residents stated that they were forced to move out of the city with their dogs because of the ban, which they claimed was a violation of their constitutional rights. This ruling reverses the United States District Court of Colorado’s dismissal of the suit in 2007. More than 1,000 dogs within the city limits have been euthanized as a result of the ordinance. <HOME>
