Nestlé Purina Buying Petfinder Adoption WebsiteJune 5, 2013 Petfinder, being sold to Nestle Purina, touts itself as the largest online, searchable database of animals needing permanent homes. Pet adoption website Petfinder.com is being purchased by Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. in what the company called its first major digital acquisition. The transaction, announced today, is expected to be completed in July. Other details, including the purchase price, were not released. Petfinder touts itself as the largest online, searchable database of animals needing permanent homes. The database features more than 315,000 adoptable pets from about 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Everything from cats and dogs to goats and llamas is in the database. The website, owned by Discovery Communications LLC of Silver Spring, Md., has facilitated more than 22 million adoptions since it was launched in 1996 and has expanded to include pet care resources. "We value Petfinder’s existing framework, which is fully aligned with our commitment to pet welfare organizations and our belief that pets and people are better together,” said Joe Sivewright, president of …
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Study Shows Mutts Genetically HealthierJune 4, 2013 The notion that mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebreds has some basis in fact, according to research published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Looking for 24 genetic disorders, UC Davis researchers flagged 27,254 dogs with inherited conditions out of 90,004 dogs checked. A University of California, Davis, research team combed the records of 90,004 dogs seen at the university’s William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital over a 15-year period ending Jan. 1, 2010. Looking for 24 genetic disorders, the researchers flagged 27,254 dogs with inherited conditions. Using healthy dogs as control subjects, the researchers discovered: • No differences between purebred and mixed-breed dogs in regard to 13 genetic disorders, including hip dysplasia, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s syndrome), hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease), lens luxation, patellar luxation and cancers such as hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumor and osteosarcoma. • Purebred dogs were more likely to have 10 genetic disorders, ranging from dilated cardiomyopathy and elbow dysplasia to cataracts …
Zoetis, AHA Launch Study Of Animal-Assisted TherapyJune 3, 2013 The project, announced today, will begin with a pilot clinical trial involving children’s hospitals in Tampa, Fla., and Knoxville, Tenn. Up to five children’s hospitals will participate in a full clinical trial expected to start later this year and last 12 to 18 months. "We see examples every day of the powerful connection that exists between pet owners and their companions, between returning veterans and their waiting friends, between veterinarians and their patients, so we knew we had to help define a more rigorous scientific foundation for this bond to be adopted in health care and therapy,” said Vanessa Mariani, director of academic and professional affairs for Madison, N.J.-based Zoetis. "We have already seen enthusiasm for this type of therapy in several hospitals, and we hope our data will allow for more regular adoption of animal-assisted therapy.” The Canines and Childhood Cancer study is a randomized, controlled trial that will examine specific health effects that animal-assisted therapy have on young cancer patients and their families. The therapeutic benefits of animal-assisted therapy for cancer patients have been shared anecdotally by …
Banfield, Others Helping Pets In Tornado-Ravaged OklahomaMay 24, 2013 Banfield Pet Hospital, ThunderShirt and the American Humane Association have joined a growing list of companies and organizations racing to help animals affected by deadly tornadoes Monday in Oklahoma. Portland, Ore.-based Banfield reported today that 14 of its hospitals will provide free office visits for pets in need. The offer is good through June 4. The locations are: • Broken Arrow, 1410 East Hillside Drive • Edmond, 1921 S. Broadway • Midwest City, 7177 SE 29th St. • Norman, 660 Ed Noble Parkway • Oklahoma City North, 2932 NW 63rd St. • Oklahoma City Northwest, 8357 N. Rockwell Ave. • Oklahoma City West, 6327 SW 3rd St. • South Oklahoma City, 1417 W. I-240 Service Road • Owasso, 9002 N. 121st East Ave., Suite 1200 • Quail Springs, 2140 W. Memorial Road • Tulsa (41st), 5418 E. 41st St. • Tulsa Hills, 7322 S. Olympia Ave. • Tulsa (71st), 10117 E. 71st St. • Yukon, 1648 Garth Brooks Blvd. Banfield is working with Mars Inc. on other …
4-Pound Hairball Removed From Florida TigerMay 23, 2013 One look through an endoscopic camera told Florida veterinarian Brian Luria it was time to call in a surgeon. Dr. Luria, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, became suspicious Monday after using ultrasound and X-rays to examine a 400-pound tiger that had not eaten in nearly two weeks. The tests led to the discovery of a 4-pound, basketball-sized hairball too large to remove using an endoscope. Two days later, Mike Reems, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, and Don Woodman, DVM, operated on Ty the tiger at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Clearwater and successfully removed the object from his stomach. The 17-year-old tiger, who lives at Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Seminole, Fla., is recovering. Drs. Luris and Reems work at BluePearl, while Dr. Woodman owns Animal Hospital of Northwood in Safety Harbor, Fla. Woodman made headlines in October when he used a tranquilizer gun to capture a rhesus macaque that had roamed the Tampa Bay area for nearly four years. While hairball records are not kept, Ty’s lifesaving operation came 16 months after an English housecat needed surgery to remove a 5-inch, 7.5-ounce hairball that her veterinarian reported filled her entire stomach. 5/23/2013 11:14 AM
VCA Provides Free Boarding For Tornado VictimsMay 22, 2013 Six VCA Animal Hospitals in tornado-damaged Oklahoma are offering free boarding for dogs, cats, birds and pocket pets whose owners lost their homes or were evacuated Monday. VCA Animal Hospitals, Petsitting.com, the Petfinder Foundation and Wondercide are among those helping Oklahoma tornado victims. VCA is the latest pet industry participant to come to the aid of tornado victims. Petsitting.com, Planet Dog Foundation, Wondercide, the Petfinder Foundation and distributor Henry Schein Inc. also are involved. "Our thoughts are with the families who have been impacted by this disaster,” said Art Antin, chief operating officer of Los Angeles-based VCA. "We want families to know that their pets can be cared for in a safe environment while they take care of family issues and manage their personal priorities.” Free boarding is available at: • VCA Owasso Animal Medical Center in Owasso: 918-272-5986. • VCA Woodland South Animal Hospital in Tulsa: 918-524-5000. • VCA Veterinary Medical Center in Tulsa: 918-743-6644. • VCA Woodland Central Animal Hospital in …
Dog Bite Prevention Week Kicks Off SundayMay 22, 2013 The American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association and other groups are working to raise awareness next week about dog bites and how to avoid them. National Dog Bite Prevention Week aims to educate people through the use of public service announcements and statistics. The effort, part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, aims to educate people through the use of public service announcements and statistics such as: • 4.7 million dog bites occur annually in the United States. • From 2001 to 2011, dog bites were the ninth-leading cause of unintentional injury to children ages 5 to 9 and the 10th-leading cause of injury to children ages 10 to 14. In all, nearly 1 million kids ages 5 to 14 were dog-bite victims. • U.S. insurance companies paid nearly $490 million in dog-bite liability claims in 2012. State Farm Insurance, for example, processed 3,670 dog-bite claims and paid more than $108 million. • More than 5,800 U.S. Postal Service mail carriers were bitten or attacked by dogs in 2012, up about 5 percent from the previous year. Los Angeles carriers suffered the most attacks, at 69. • 27,752 reconstructive …
Relief Comes Quickly For Tornadoes' Animal VictimsMay 21, 2013 Groups ranging from the Petfinder Foundation to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society are working to assist pets injured or lost in tornadoes Monday that killed at least two dozen people.The Petfinder Foundation and Central Oklahoma Humane Society request donations after Oklahoma tornadoes, while veterinarians and a distributor pitch in as well. newsline Groups ranging from the Petfinder Foundation to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society are working to assist pets injured or lost in tornadoes Monday that killed at least two dozen people. The natural disaster, which ravaged a wide area south of Oklahoma City, also moved medical products distributor Henry Schein Inc. to open a hot line serving veterinarians, dentists and physicians. The Central Oklahoma Humane Society website today asked for donations of towels, paper towels, bleach, gloves and crates. The organization, based in nearby Oklahoma City, reported that it is helping to receive, assess and shelter animals affected by the tornado. "Our staff and volunteers are working to ensure that these animals receive necessary care as they find their way home,” OK Humane stated. Information on how the public can help OK Humane …
AAVMC Aims To Ease College Application ProcessMay 20, 2013 Prospective veterinary students may save time and money through an upgrade of the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). One feature is the ability to order a single set of college transcripts rather than send records to each veterinary college to which a student applies for admission. The service, offered by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, will audit an applicant’s coursework and compare it against official transcripts, verifying the term, session, course title, credit hours and grades. "Transcript verification and other enhancements will make the application process more efficient, effective and media friendly for applicants to veterinary medical school,” said AAVMC executive director Andrew Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD. "This will benefit schools by correcting any discrepancies ahead of time, easing the transcript verification process.” Applications for the 2014-2015 school year will be accepted starting June 5. Transcripts must be submitted by Sept. 1 to ensure verification by Oct. 2. AAVMC today also launched the admissions portal WebAdMIT, a Web-based program designed to improve how schools work with incoming applications. Features include built-in email, status reports and admissions committee review modules. Enhanced social networking …
Las Vegas Veterinarian Wins National Award From Pets Best InsuranceMay 20, 2013 Online voters have selected Las Vegas veterinarian Dennis Arn, DVM, as the winner of the My Vet’s the Best contest sponsored by Pets Best Insurance. Dr. Arn, who runs the nine-doctor Desert Inn Animal Hospital, received more than 45 percent of the votes cast by thousands of people through the Pets Best website and the company’s Facebook page, the insurer reported today. Arn was among hundreds of veterinarians nominated for the quarterly award, which Pets Best created to honor practitioners who go above and beyond to keep animals healthy. His name was submitted by a client who touted Arn’s use of stem cell therapy and his willingness to treat pets when their owners cannot afford procedures. Arn received $1,000 from Boise, Idaho-based Pets Best to treat animals in need. The pet owner who nominated him received $200. "We created the My Vet’s the Best contest to spotlight exceptional veterinarians who work tirelessly to keep pets healthy and promote the advancement of animal treatment,” said Jack Stephens, DVM, president and founder of Pets Best …
