USDA lifts bovine TB testing requirement for Manitoba cattle exportsJuly 19, 2018Breeding cattle and bison shipped to the United States from Manitoba, Canada, no longer require pre-export bovine tuberculosis testing under the United States Department of Agriculture.
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AVMA names new volunteer leadersJuly 16, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates named 19 new volunteer leaders for AVMA’s councils and committees during the association’s annual convention.
Heartgard producer launches feline parasiticideJuly 16, 2018A new monthly heartworm disease prevention product for cats has been announced by Boehringer Ingelheim. Applied topically, Centragard (eprinomectin and praziquantel transdermal solution) can also treat and control hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms.
Colin Harvey honored with 2018 WSAVA Scientific Achievement AwardJuly 12, 2018Colin Harvey, BVSc, FRCVS, DACVS, DAVDC, has received the 2018 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Award for Scientific Achievement in recognition of his work to highlight the importance of veterinary oral and dental health in companion animals as well as in developing tools to support the incorporation of dental procedures and dental preventive strategy into daily veterinary practice. The award will be presented during this year's WSAVA World Congress, Sept. 25-28 Singapore. Dr. Harvey graduated from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Sciences before completing an internship and surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He was trained in dental procedures by faculty of the School of Dental Medicine at the UPenn. Until his retirement in 2013, he was professor of surgery and dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, a position he held for 33 years. As a boarded specialist in both surgery and dentistry (charter diplomate of American Veterinary Dental College), he introduced a range of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures into clinical, teaching, and research activities. This led to improvements in the major oral surgery reconstructive techniques necessary for cancer patients, as well as in the management of oral trauma …
American Association of Feline Practitioners releases new anesthesia guidelinesJuly 11, 2018The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) released the first feline-specific anesthesia guidelines to the veterinary community, which are published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. General anesthesia is an essential component of feline practice, without which surgery and certain other treatment modalities and diagnostic procedures would be impossible, the AAFP stated. Due to their unique physiology and small size, cats undergoing anesthesia are at a relatively greater risk of complications and mortality than many other species; empirical evidence shows that cats undergoing anesthesia have a higher mortality rate compared with dogs.1,2 The new guidelines address specific causes of disparities and ways of avoiding perioperative complications associated with monitoring, airway management, fluid therapy, recovery, perianesthetic anxiety and stress, perianesthetic monitoring by physical and electronic means, the role of underlying diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the correct use of anesthesia equipment, and total injectable anesthesia. An associated client brochure provides cat caregivers with digestible information that enables them to understand anesthesia, what to expect, properly prepare their cat for a procedure, and care for them during recovery (catfriendly.com/anesthesia). "By proactively developing an individualized anesthetic plan that considers the uniqueness of each feline patient and recognizing …
AVMA announces 2018-2019 congressional fellowsJuly 10, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has selected two veterinarians to serve in the 2018-2019 AVMA Fellowship Program, providing Congress with counsel on important policy issues. Beginning in August, the two selected fellows will serve for one year in Washington, D.C., as full-time staff for a congressional office or congressional committee. During their tenure, the fellows will advise policymakers on a wide range of issues, such as food safety, public health, animal welfare, research, and small business policies. This September, the fellows will interview with congressional offices to receive their year-long placements. Once placed, they will support the activities of that office full-time. The fellows are not AVMA employees or lobbyists. The 2018-2019 fellows are: Meera Chandra, DVM, MPH: Dr. Chandra is a 2018 cum laude graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Public Health & Health Professions. During her time in veterinary school, she gained significant public health and veterinary experience—including positions at the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Health Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. She was also president of the University of Florida's Public Health …
UC Davis treats uncommon AVM in German shepherdJuly 10, 2018Crash, a six-year-old male German shepherd, was starting to tire more easily on his walks and seemed zoned out and listless, according to his owners, Sally Fuess and Steve Yant from Boulder Creek, Calif. He also displayed signs of what were perceived as severe headaches. He would "bury" his head and squint his eyes, suggesting that something was bothering him. Those headache signs started occurring more frequently and affected his overall well-being. "It was like watching someone have a massive migraine and be nonfunctioning," said Fuess. "The bigger the headaches, the more disorientated he would become. His hearing would get distorted, his perception … all his senses were affected." Fuess and Yant discussed this with an internal medicine specialist who was already treating Crash for some unrelated gastrointestinal issues. The veterinarian performed an MRI of Crash's head that revealed an intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) located within the brain behind his eyes. A consultation with Bill Culp, VMD, DACVS, at the University of California, Davis veterinary hospital was arranged. Redirecting the blood flow "AVMs, in general, are very uncommon in veterinary patients," said Dr. Culp. "A brain AVM is extremely rare and not a situation that I have encountered before. Because …
Washington State University researchers find critical link for melanomaJuly 10, 2018A critical link in mapping recurrent mutations of melanoma has been discovered by researchers at Washington State University (WSU) School of Molecular Biosciences (SMB), a part of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine. The study, which was conducted in collaboration with researchers at Georgia State University, could lead to a better understanding of which mutations are important for causing skin cancer in humans and potentially identify new drug targets for treatment. In a paper published last week in "Nature Communications," the research team established that DNA binding by a specific set of transcription factors, called ETS, is inherently mutagenic in UV-exposed cells. With new genome mapping technology, these findings provide a crucial understanding of mutations that result at ETS binding sites located in specific genes that are known to be drivers in the onset of melanoma in humans. Using a WSU-established sequencing-based technology that allows the mapping of the locations of UV-induced DNA damage throughout the whole human genome, researchers generated a high-resolution UV damage map in human cells. By correlating the UV damage map with melanoma mutations, they discovered significantly elevated UV damage levels at ETS binding sites, which significantly increased mutation rates at the same sites in …
Bayer, Mitsui Chemicals Agro to develop novel parasiticides for petsJuly 9, 2018Bayer Animal Health GmbH and Mitsui Chemicals Agro Inc. (MCAG) have signed a global license agreement in which Bayer will develop novel companion animal parasiticide compounds based on MCAG's intellectual property. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "At Bayer, we passionately care for the health and well-being of animals," said Dr. Dirk Ehle, head of Bayer Animal Health. "And we have long been committed to help pet owners protect their animals from parasites. Today we have taken an important next step to further deliver on this commitment to our customers." "This license agreement combines the strong science base within Bayer with innovative chemistry from MCAG," said Dr. Sabine Bongaerts, head of Bayer drug discovery. "It will enable us to further expand our strong portfolio of parasiticides in the companion animal sector and deliver new compelling products to our customers." "Under the concept of technology and innovation, MCAG has been providing its innovative products and services to the customers in agrochemicals and environmental health businesses for many years so far," said Satoshi Ozawa, president and CEO of MCAG. "Now, through close and successful collaboration with Bayer in the animal health sector, we …
PetFirst Pet Insurance launches revamped websiteJuly 6, 2018PetFirst Pet Insurance has launched a redesigned website, which the company says offers easier navigation and a more customer-focused interface. "We wanted to focus on the customer and making sure their experience as easy as possible, regardless if it was buying a policy, acting on an existing one, or using our customer service tools," said Katie Blakeley, CEO of PetFirst. The company's updated website includes a new policy quoting tool, as well as detailed customer reviews and links to resources for animal health recommendations, breed guides, and more. Pet insurance is a continuously growing industry. At year-end 2017, nearly 2.07 million pets were insured across North America, representing an increase of 16.8 percent from 2016, reports the North American Pet Insurance Association.
