New Study To Silence Sasquatch Skeptics, Says Bigfoot BelieverOctober 2, 2013 It’s no joke. Melba S. Ketchum, DVM, the director of DNA Diagnostics Inc. in Timpson, Texas, says she has proof that the mysterious Sasquatch exists in North America. A study led by Dr. Ketchum and reportedly under peer review found that Bigfoot is a distinct 15,000-year-old species that is a cross between modern Homo sapiens and unknown primates. The five-year study used DNA sequencing and involved experts in genetics, forensics, imaging and pathology whom Ketchum did not identify. "Sasquatch nuclear DNA is incredibly novel and not at all what we had expected,” she said in a news release distributed Monday. "While it has human nuclear DNA within its genome, there are also distinctly nonhuman, nonarchaic hominin and nonape sequences. "Further study is needed and is ongoing to better characterize and understand Sasquatch nuclear DNA.” The study sequenced 20 whole mitochondrial genomes to obtain three complete nuclear genomes from alleged Sasquatch samples, Ketchum said. "The genome sequencing shows that Sasquatch [mitochondreal DNA] is identical to modern Homo sapiens, but Sasquatch [nuclear DNA] is a novel, unknown hominin related to Homo sapiens and other primate species,” she added. "Our data indicate that the North American …
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Exotic Animal Vet Kevin Wright Dies At 50October 1, 2013 Dr. Wright, whose career included work at zoos in Philadelphia, Miami, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., owned Wright Bird and Exotic Pet House Calls, a mobile practice based in Mesa, Ariz. The practice had just passed its one-year anniversary when he died. A 1988 graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Wright co-authored the 2001 manual "Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry” and was credited with more than 300 scientific and nonscientific articles on exotic pet medicine. He contributed to Reptiles magazine, a sister publication of Veterinary Practice News. He was named Exotic DVM of the Year in 2008 and was a two-time Exotic Speaker of the Year at the North American Veterinary Conference. Wright shared clients with Todd Driggers, DVM, who operates the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Gilbert, Ariz. "If he needed to borrow my surgical suite, I made that available to him,” Dr. Driggers said. "I started out in mobile practice, so I identified where he was at.” Driggers learned a lot from Wright through their interaction and his papers. "He was spontaneous and intelligent,” Driggers said. "He gave great lectures and had keen insights into things. He …
AAHA Dental Anesthesia Mandate Comes Under FireSeptember 30, 2013Dental cleanings done without general anesthesia are safe and effective in many cases, according to a pilot study that challenges a new American Animal Hospital Association mandate requiring anesthesia and intubation for all dental patients. The rule, part of the updated 2013 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, has a few veterinary hospitals contemplating abandonment of their AAHA accreditation. Many who oppose the mandate have been using anesthesia-free dentistry in their practices for years without problems. "I totally oppose the policy,” said Kristy Lund, DVM, co-owner of Lund Animal Hospital in Boca Raton, Fla., which has been accredited for more than 25 years. "I’m up for renewal in November and I’m not renewing.” Dr. Lund has offered non-anesthetic dentistry for seven years. The study, published in the fall issue of Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, looked at Professional Outpatient Preventive Dentistry (POPD), an anesthesia-free service performed by trained technicians who are qualified by examination by the American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians and work under a veterinarian’s supervision. Pet Dental Services (PDS) of Costa Mesa, Calif., and West Palm Beach, Fla., which helped fund the research, carries out 15,000 POPD cleanings a year at veterinary clinics in 11 states. …
Student AVMA Groups Eligible For FundingSeptember 27, 2013Student chapters of the American Veterinary Medical Association can receive up to $7,000 a year in funding under a pilot program announced Thursday. The program, ALL for Students, was started with $233,000 in seed money—$100,000 each from AVMA and the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust and $33,000 from the Student AVMA (SAVMA) organization. About 13,000 veterinary students are members of one of 32 chapters operating in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Scotland. "The students who make up SAVMA are absolutely essential in shaping the future of the profession and this association," said AVMA vice president Walter R. Threlfall, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Dipl. ACT. "Unfortunately, during the recent economic downturn, it’s become harder for our student organizations to raise the funding needed to support all of their worthwhile programs and projects.” ALL for Students grants will support community outreach efforts, leadership training and professional development. "These programs will help make [students] better veterinarians and more successful leaders,” said Janet D. Donlin, DVM, CEO of the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust. Initial $7,000 payments were distributed to 33 student groups, including one from a nonaccredited Caribbean school, during a conference Sept. 20 at AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill. Student leaders …
Vaccinations, Education In Spotlight As World Rabies Day NearsSeptember 25, 2013 The global awareness campaign includes the sixth annual Merial Rabies Symposium, which the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will host Saturday in Starkville, Miss. The event, sponsored by animal health company Merial Ltd., is expected to draws hundreds of experts and students from all over the United States. More information is available at http://goo.gl/qMk25O. In Virginia, the state veterinary medical association and the Department of Health are marking Rabies Awareness Week by educating families and encouraging veterinarians to communicate the dangers of rabies with clients. "There are several things pet owners can do to protect themselves and their pets from rabies,” said Virginia's state public health veterinarian, Julia Murphy, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM. "Vaccinating domestic animals like dogs and cats is key to rabies prevention. If we protect them, we protect ourselves.” The campaign includes these tips for safeguarding against rabies: • Appreciate wildlife from a distance. • Do not adopt a wild animal as a pet. • Keep pets on your own property. • Keep pet food and garbage inside. Signs of possible rabies infection in animals include: • General sickness. …
Vet Practices To Take Part In 24-Hour Obesity StudySeptember 25, 2013 For one day only, on National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, veterinary practices are asked to record the basic body conditioning scores of all canine and feline patients. The information will be returned to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) in Calabash, N.C. "Our historical research shows a clear epidemic of pet obesity in our country,” said Ernie Ward, DVM, the organization’s founder and president. "The annual veterinarian-conducted study is vital to measuring the longitudinal trend so our industry is informed. "Armed with this knowledge, APOP, the veterinary community and entire pet industry can set forth common strategies to fight and prevent overweight pets, because we all want to give them longer, healthier and happier lives,” Dr. Ward added. Participants may register for the study before Oct. 1 at www.petobesityprevention.com/npoad. Completed data forms may be faxed, scanned or emailed to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. The study, now in its seventh year, found a record number of overweight cats in 2012. In addition, 52.5 percent of dogs and 58.3 percent of cats checked were determined to be overweight or obese. Nearly half of the owners thought their pets’ weight …
UC Davis To Host World’s First Donkey ConferenceSeptember 24, 2013 The Donkey Welfare Symposium is scheduled for Nov. 1 to 3 at Gladys Valley Hall on the UC Davis campus. "With so little emphasis on the health and welfare of the world’s leading working animal, it is important for us to host this event and get the message out across the globe,” said Karl Jandrey, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC, director of the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Continuing Professional Education. Donkeys can easily live up to 30 years, so maintaining their health is important, Dr. Jandrey said. The inaugural event will feature lectures and hands-on laboratories for donkey enthusiasts, veterinarians, technicians and students. Registrants will travel from across the United States and the world, Jandrey noted. More than 15 donkey experts will give presentations. Among them is Eric Davis, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, a UC Davis authority on donkey health who has more than 35 years’ experience in animal welfare in rural and developing areas. The subjects to be discussed range from donkey behavior and training, pharmacology and physiology to farriery, dentistry and parasites. Up to 21 hours of continuing education credit are available for veterinarians, registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants who attend …
Zoetis-Morris Academic Program Celebrates MilestoneSeptember 18, 2013 The fellowships provide each recipient with $60,000 annually for four years. The tuition and expense money comes from Denver-based Morris Animal Foundation, program co-sponsor Zoetis Inc. and the university where the students are enrolled. "Many practicing veterinarians may wish to become veterinary scientists but can’t continue their educational journey due to financial constraints, like high debt,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., the president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. "The Zoetis-Morris Animal Foundation Fellowships help these professionals pursue a new career path and help fill a critical need for more veterinary scientists.” The program’s first graduates are: Melissa Clark, DVM, who examined insulin resistance in diabetic cats as part of her Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois. Kevin Esch, DVM, who focused on leishmaniasis while earning a master’s degree in public health at Iowa State University. Allen Page, DVM, who studied Lawsonia intracellurlaris infections in horses while earning a Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky. Nichol Schultz, DVM, who investigated equine metabolic syndrome while enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Minnesota. Joshua A. Stern, DVM, who completed a Ph.D. while researching subvalvular aortic stenosis at …
Holistic Nutrition Buy-InSeptember 17, 2013 She’s one of your most dedicated clients, yet she steadfastly refuses advice about diets for her dogs and cats. She views Big Pet Food as the ultimate evil-doer, suspecting you were brainwashed during veterinary school to believe that her "little lion” should eat carbohydrate kibble instead of daily raw quail as advised by her "holistic nutritionist.” She is convinced that you missed her dog’s wheat allergy but is thankful that her chiropractor found it. When asked how, she stated that the chiropractor performed "muscle testing" and examined her as a surrogate because her dog could not follow the necessary directions. Her ability to resist the chiropractor’s downward pressure on her outstretched arm weakened when she held a vial of wheat against the dog. He concluded that wheat "broke the energy circuit" between them and this indicated an allergy to the substance. He then prescribed a grain-free diet and performed adjustments on the spine to fix the problem. Welcome to the wacky world of holistic nutrition, where consumers and bloggers trust each other’s input more than yours. You represent the establishment, evidenced by shelves of what they consider "unhealthful" food. You may have found that …
Humane Association Helping Pets In Flood-Damaged ColoradoSeptember 16, 2013 An advance team is already on the ground, said Justin L. Scally, national director of emergency services at the Washington, D.C.-based American Humane Association. Boulder County Animal Control invited Red Star and another animal welfare group, Code 3 Associates, to assist pets in need and help with emergency rescue operations, the American Humane Association reported Sunday. "Our Red Star staff and volunteers will be working closely with local authorities and other agencies ... to find, rescue, shelter and make sure animals separated from their families get home safely,” Scally said. The Red Star effort has financial backing from Mars Petcare US, whose food brands include Pedigree for dogs and Whiskas for cats. "We’re working closely with American Humane Association to provide critical help where and when it is needed most,” said Debra Fair, vice president of corporate affairs for Mars Petcare US in Franklin, Tenn. Parts of Colorado were hit by up to 15 inches of rainfall in less than a week. "Floods are among the most terrifying and destructive of natural disasters,” said Robin Ganzert, …
