L.A. To Mandate Sterilization Of Cats, DogsApril 17, 2009 The Los Angeles City Council voted last Friday in favor of adopting an ordinance that would require pet owners to sterilize their dogs and cats. Consideration of the legislation drew a deeply divided crowd with people speaking for and against the ordinance. After community input, the council voted 10-1 in favor of the ordinance. The legislation must go through a second reading later this week before it can take effect, but it is expected to pass. The ordinance would require most dogs and cats ages 4 months and older to undergo sterilization. Exemptions would be available for show dogs, service animals, animals of licensed breeders, or those whose veterinarians say the procedure is unsafe for the animal. Intact pets would be required to have a microchip implanted. Supporters of the bill tout it as a way to reduce the number of animals entering shelters where many are then euthanized. Bob Barker, the former host of the television game show “The Price is Right,” attended the council meeting and spoke in favor of the legislation. “I think it’s obvious to all of us that mandatory spay/neuter is a necessity,” Barker said. “For decades, I closed every …
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Bramton Acquires Veterinarian’s BestApril 17, 2009 Dallas-based The Bramton Company has acquired Veterinarian’s Best Inc., a company that designs, manufactures, markets and distributes veterinarian-developed natural pet-care products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Dawn Curie Thomas, DVM, co-founder and president of Veterinarian’s Best, initially began developing skin care products for her dermatology clinic, Southern California Veterinary Hospital & Animal Skin Clinic, in Los Angeles. Products now include shampoos, topical sprays and foams, nutraceuticals, ear care products, natural flea and tick control products and dental products. The Bramton Company’s product line includes products that assist in housetraining, waste pickup and eliminating pet stains and odors, with brands such as Simple Solution and Bags on Board. <HOME>
LSU Presents Distinguished Alumnus AwardsApril 17, 2009 The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine recently honored Drs. Mary Louise Martin and Debra Sellon with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The awards, which recognize alumni of the veterinary school for outstanding professional and personal achievements, were presented at the school’s 77th Annual Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians in October. Martin received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1982 and later earned a Master of Science in genetics. She was the first veterinarian to be selected for a fellowship by Children’s Hospital in Boston and in 1985 went to work at the Centers for Disease Control, where she was head of the congenital birth defects section. In 1995, Martin left her job at the CDC and moved to Nairobi, Kenya, with her husband who was assigned to work in a polio immunization program for the World Health Organization. Martin died in the terrorist bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi on Aug. 7, 1998. Dr. Sellon’s award was presented by Dean Peter F. Haynes (right) to Dr. Rebecca McConnico, associate professor of veterinary medicine (LSU 1987), who accepted the award on behalf of …
Wisconsin Vet Wins $25,000 Summit VetPharm PrizeApril 17, 2009 Shawn Hook, DVM, owner of Arbor Ridge Clinic in Madison, Wis., was selected in the January drawing of Summit VetPharm’s “The Great Vectra 3D $125,000 Giveaway” promotion. Dr. Hook’s prize will be $25,000 in medical equipment for his clinic, which he acquired in March 2007. “We are a progressive small practice and we would like to make our medical equipment as cutting edge as possible,” Hook said. “It is not easy starting your own clinic, so winning this new medical equipment could not have come at a more opportune time and will help us build a better practice.” Hook graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison , School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999 and has a special interest in exotic animal medicine and surgery. Summit will also award $25,000 prizes to the winners of the contest’s February and March drawings, as well as $50,000 to the grand prize winner. All four winners will be flown to New York in May for an all-expense-paid awards ceremony weekend. The contest is part of Summit’s incentive program for its Vectra 3D, a borad-spectrum topical designed to protect dogs against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Veterinarians receive one …
Eli Lilly’s Lectureship Series Addresses Human-Animal BondApril 17, 2009 Aaron Katcher, M.D., a psychiatrist and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, will serve as the 2008 lecturer for the Lilly Lectureship series, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis. Dr. Katcher will address the importance and health implications of the human-animal bond at the North American Veterinary Conference in January in Orlando, Fla., and at the Purdue University Fall Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians in September. “Dr. Katcher recognizes the emotional and physical benefits of owning a pet, having researched the complex relationship between people and pets from a human-health perspective,” said Alan Beck, professor and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue. “The [center] and Lilly are proud to be able to bring his expertise to veterinarians, providing them with further support and insights into the physiological, psychological and sociological importance of the human-pet bond.” <HOME>
XLNT Veterinary Care Acquires Five Vet HospitalsApril 17, 2009 XLNT Veterinary Care Inc. has acquired five additional veterinary hospitals in California. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. This makes nine hospitals that have been acquired since Echo Healthcare Acquisition Corp., a blank check company, entered into a definitive agreement in September to acquire privately-held XLNT. The transaction is expected to close later in 2007. XLNT has also agreed to acquire six additional veterinary hospitals which are expected to close in the first quarter of this year. XLNT, which operates under the name Pet DRx, currently owns and operates 20 veterinary hospitals in California. 01-08-2007
Human Medications Most Commonly Ingested Household Poison, VPI RevealsApril 17, 2009 Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., recently reported that it received more claims for drug reactions from human medications than all other poisoning claims combined in 2007. Other top household toxins, ranked by the number of claims VPI received in 2007, are as follows: Drug Reactions (3,455 claims) – Many of these claims involved pets given drugs intended for human consumption, such as over-the-counter pain relievers. Pet owners often give pets over-the-counter or prescription drugs for their ailments, unaware that they can be harmful to the pet, according to VPI. Rodenticide (870 claims) – Even if these poisons (often in pellet form) are placed away from pets, rodents can carry them to pet-occupied areas.. Methylxanthine (755 claims) – This includes theobromine and caffeine, both of which are common ingredients in chocolate.. Plant Poisoning (466 claims) – Toxic plants include sago palms, tulips, oleander, hyacinths, poinsettias, azaleas, lilies and amaryllis. Onions, grapes and raisins are also categorized under the company’s plant toxicity code.. Household Chemicals (313 claims) – This includes bleach, liquid potpourri, deodorant and other toiletries.. Metaldyhyde (88 claims) – A component of snail bait.. Organophosphate (60 claims) …
Retired Veterinarian Killed In Shark AttackApril 17, 2009 David Martin, a retired veterinarian and triathlete from Solana Beach, Calif., died April 25 shortly after being attacked by a shark. He was 66. Dr. Martin, who had been training with the Triathlon Club of San Diego out of Solana Beach for the past three years, was swimming with nine others about 150 yards off shore when the attack occurred around 7 a.m. After hearing his cry for help, fellow swimmers pulled him from the surf and onto the beach. Martin’s injuries included several deep wounds to the legs. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:49 a.m. Judging by the wounds and type of attack, marine biologists believe that the shark was an adult great white about 12 to 16 feet long. “I believe that the shark most likely mistook the group of swimmers as a pod of seals,” Dr. Richard Rosenblatt of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography said in a Solana Beach City press statement. “Great White shark attacks are characterized by a sudden powerful rush of water, as the animal rises up from a significant depth to attack the victim from below. We can only assume that this was the …
Tribute To William Waddell, A Story Told Through PhotographsApril 17, 2009 William Waddell, the first black member of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. and one of the last remaining Buffalo Soldiers, died Jan. 30 in Hawaii at the age of 98. Along with the titles of an entrepreneur, leader, researcher, veterinary pioneer, mentor and friend, Waddell was also a writer, composing books such as "Some Bastardly People," "People are the Funniest Animals" and "A Challenge to Christianity." Notorious for his sense of humor and quick wit, Waddell often sent Christmas cards and newsletters to family and friends filled with jokes. "He was a flamboyant individual--and a joker," said Saul Wilson Jr., DVM, a professor of epidemiology at the Tuskegee veterinary school who met Waddell during his enrollment in Tuskegee's second veterinary class. Below is a collection of excerpts from his books and a collection of photographs provided by his daughter, Kathryn Waddell-Takara, PhD.
Vet Students Rewarded For Pet Insurance ‘Know-How’April 17, 2009 Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., and the Veterinary Business Management Assn. recently awarded 17 veterinary students with either a trip to the North American Veterinary Conference, held in January in Orlando, Fla., or a $1,000 cash award for demonstrating VPI Insurance " know-how. " The winners were judged on describing a clinical case and applying to it a benefits breakdown of a VPI Pet Insurance claim. The contest entries required an invoice, a case history, a defined diagnosis, treatment, claim form and a summary of pet insurance reimbursements. Winning submissions were selected based on overall effort, presentation and accuracy. VPI says that the contest—designed on the premise that a veterinarian will not recommend a product/service unless they completely understand it—provides hands-on experience with the benefits of its pet insurance. The Veterinary Business Management Assn. coordinated the contest on campuses that host the organization’s chapters. Participants included Auburn University; Cornell University; Louisiana State University; Michigan State University, Mississippi State University; Ohio State University; Oklahoma State University; Oregon State University; Tufts University; University of California, Davis; University of Illinois; University of Minnesota; University of Missouri; University of Pennsylvania; Virginal Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; Western …
