Study Finds 10% Of Pet Adoptions Fail QuicklyMay 10, 2013 Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly adoption, pet, dog, cat, study, failure, shelter, American Humane, behavior, adoptNewly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months.Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. newsline Posted: May 10, 2013, 3:50 p.m. EDT Newly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months. The Animal Welfare Research Institute, an arm of the American Humane Association, released the results of the second part of the "Keeping Pets (Dogs and Cats) in Homes Retention Study” on Wednesday to coincide with Be Kind to Animals Week. Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. Why? People who cited commitment, health and behavior as "always” important issues in an adoption were less likely to keep a pet, compared …
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Luitpold Warns Of Adequan I.m. ShortagesMay 10, 2013 The drug has no generic equivalent and is the only polysulfated glycosaminoglycan approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Luitpold added. The plant renovations, intended to guarantee higher quality standards, depleted the supply of Adequan, the company stated. "We have carefully managed supply to allocate inventory optimally, but the product will be out of stock for a short period of time,” Luitpold acknowledged. "We expect to resume shipments of the 5mL in early July, followed by the 50mL in August.” Approved for equine use in 1984, no other polysulfated glycosaminoglycan has been developed to treat noninfectious degenerative or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses, the company stated. "We recommend careful evaluation of any alternative product claims to ensure safety and efficacy,” Luitpold added. The company is fielding questions through its Customer Service Department at 800-458-0163. Updates and more information will be posted at Adequan.com. An Adequan i.m. shortage also occurred in 2011, when back orders were in effect because of issues involving …
Vets, Ceva Hit Road For Animal Behavior EducationMay 10, 2013 The Keep the L.O.V.E. Alive Behavior Express Tour began May 4 in Chicago and resumes May 18 in St. Louis at Bark in the Park, a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Missouri. Partnering with Ceva is the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), which is sending board-certified veterinarians to answer pet owner questions at several tour events. "Thousands of pets die needlessly each year due to untreated behavior problems,” said Debra Horwitz, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, a tour spokeswoman. "This campaign calls attention to these alarming statistics and reinforces the critical role of veterinarians in helping pet owners resolve those behavior problems to keep that love alive.” L.O.V.E. stands for "Lean on Veterinary Expertise.” Representatives from Ceva, which makes Feliway and Adaptil behavior products, will distribute ACVB pet behavior tips and conduct free giveaways at each stop. The complete bus tour schedule: May 18: St. Louis (Bark in the Park) June 1: New York City (Adoptapalooza) June 29-30: San Francisco (Gay Pride Parade) Sept. 8: Boston …
Hill’s Launches Disaster Relief Network For PetsMay 9, 2013 Pet food maker Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., aims to do more to meet the crushing needs of animal victims of natural disasters, announcing Wednesday that it established the Disaster Relief Network through its Food, Shelter & Love program. The purpose is to more quickly and efficiently distribute pet food to disaster-affected animals through a network of 100 shelters nationwide. "I saw firsthand the tremendous work that Hill’s does when they supported my shelter during the wildfires in Colorado last year,” said Jan McHugh-Smith, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, located in Colorado Springs, Colo. The shelter network, which Hill’s called the first of its kind, will coordinate emergency pet food deliveries during times of disaster. "Hill’s has a long-standing history of helping pets in need by assisting communities during natural disasters—partnering with shelters, veterinary hospitals, pet care organizations and communities to ensure that pets and shelter animals are fed and cared for,” said Kostas Kontopanos, president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. U.S. The network, he said, formalizes the work Hill’s …
Not The Heartworms You Used To KnowMay 7, 2013 Heartworm is a very complex parasite, and so is the disease it causes, explained Wallace Graham, DVM, president of the American Heartworm Society. "Many practitioners think of heartworm in the same terms as they did 10 years ago, and there is so much more about the organism and the disease that we know now that we didn’t know then,” said Graham, who is also an associate veterinarian at VCA Oso Creek Animal Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. "This information has implications on the decisions we make concerning testing and treatment.” Living worms damage the pulmonary arterial walls, lungs and heart if left untreated, but so do dying and dead worms. Dying and dead worms lodge in the arteries, block blood flow, cause platelets to cluster, and elicit an inflammatory cascade that severely damages the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, leading to problems like thromboembolism, Graham said. And the chances of severe cardiovascular or respiratory response to treatment are directly related to the worm burden. Multimodal Attack To mitigate this damage, AHS recommends a multimodal approach to treating heartworms. The goal of treatment is to eliminate all stages of the …
New Scrutiny On Early Neutering After UC Davis Study On GoldensMay 7, 2013 For Veterinary Practice News With a raft of publicity, a recent and widely read retrospective study that identified increased risk of certain joint disorders and cancers in neutered golden retrievers has sparked discussion within the veterinary community. Reaction illustrates how entrenched neutering is within the U.S. veterinary profession. Many were quick to point out the study’s limitations, including that it was retrospective; that it was conducted at a tertiary site; that the authors did not include any veterinary oncologists; that the sample size was limited; and that the intact animals may have been intact because they were likely breeding stock and therefore screened for health. "Retrospective studies seldom look at line breeding and other statistically significant impacts of the ‘n’ being studied,” said Thomas Catanzaro, DVM, MHA, LFACHE, 2012 Bustad award winner and a practice management consultant in Australia. "This study does not qualify the breeding lines of the animals being reported, and therefore is not as significant as it is made to seem.” The paper’s lead author, Ben Hart, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVB, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, said the study is significant and should prompt immediate changes in …
Cats With Kidney Disease Sought For Clinical TrialMay 6, 2013 Researchers hope to screen thousands of cats as part of a clinical trial involving a new liquid medication formulated for feline hypertension. More than 35 study sites in the United States and Canada will test cats previously diagnosed with kidney disease, a condition often associated with hypertension, or high blood pressure. Cats that meet all the criteria, including a diagnosis of both kidney disease and hypertension, may be eligible to receive free medical care in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study sponsored by an undisclosed drug maker. The manufacturer may seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the medication, according to Visionaire Research & Education, a Raleigh, N.C., company behind the recruitment effort. Irreversible organ damage may be prevented when feline hypertension is diagnosed and treated early, said Scott Brown, VMD, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM. "This is an important study because feline hypertension is increasingly being recognized in veterinary medicine as a disease process that causes significant morbidity and mortality,” added Dr. Brown, a professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. "Unfortunately, we don’t yet have any FDA-approved medications …
$300,000 Available For Human-Animal Bond ResearchMay 3, 2013The organizations are accepting preliminary proposals through June 28 before awarding up to 10 research grants totaling $300,000. "This is a great opportunity for students, researchers and various industry professionals,” said Bob Vetere, president of HABRI. Besides autism and cancer, the medical conditions selected for research into the human-animal bond include heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and childhood allergies and immunity. The seven conditions "to date have seen the most promising scientific evidence in terms of the positive impacts of the bond but could still benefit from a greater understanding,” Vetere said. The research will investigate the health benefits and therapeutic outcomes arising from pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy, both among people and animals. The preliminary proposals will be evaluated by an independent review board. Full proposals will be requested from selected applicants. Morris Animal Foundation, based in Denver, will review and oversee the research awards on behalf of HABRI. HABRI is a coalition of companies, organizations and individuals. It was founded by Petco, Zoetis (formerly Pfizer …
Pet Cancer Registry Grows NationallyMay 3, 2013 The not-for-profit Texas Veterinary Cancer Registry is creating an additional service, the National Veterinary Cancer Registry, said group founder Theresa W. Fossum, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS. Just like the Texas program, the new database is designed to identify and register pets diagnosed with cancer in order to facilitate treatments that lead to medical advances, higher success rates and cures for cancer in pets and people. "Since the development of the Texas Veterinary Cancer Registry, we have received overwhelming support from pet owners, researchers, oncologists and stakeholders for our work,” Dr. Fossum said Thursday. "As a result, we have accepted the call to expand our efforts nationally.” The network starts with veterinarian oncologists working on drug therapies for dogs and humans. The registry compiles information about pets diagnosed with cancer and matches potential candidates with clinical trials. "There are already successful cases throughout Texas from the registry where, even without a cure for cancer, we have been able to drastically improve the quality of life for pets diagnosed with cancer while also advancing medical treatments," …
CAPC Tracks Lyme, Other Diseases Afflicting U.S. PetsMay 2, 2013 Lyme disease, the tick-borne bane of people and pets, is predicted to pose a higher than normal threat this year in parts of the United States, according to Clemson University and the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). Disease hot spots are expected to occur along the Oregon and Washington state coastlines, the Great Lakes region, New England and the Mid-Atlantic, researchers reported this week. As a service to dog and cat owners, CAPC will issue regular email updates and alerts about Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, intestinal parasites and heartworm. Registration is available at PetsAndParasites.org. The CAPC website also offers parasite prevalence maps clickable by county and broken down by the number of diagnosed cases of each disease. The map data is provided by Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, and Antech Diagnostics of Irvine, Calif. In developing the forecast tool, the Clemson team relied on some of the methods used in severe weather forecasting. "The ever-evolving CAPC Parasite Forecast model combines historical data such as parasitic disease test results from veterinary clinics across the …
