Researchers Report On Caloric, Bacterial Content Of Bully SticksJanuary 28, 2013Tufts and University of Guelph researchers reported today that many veterinarians and pet owners could not identify the source of bully sticks and did not realize that the popular dog treats quickly add calories to an animal’s diet. The study, published in the January issue of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, also noted that some of the bully sticks tested were contaminated by bacteria. Bully, or pizzle, sticks are made from the uncooked, dried penis of a bull or steer. Tasty bully sticks can add calories and carry bacteria. The researchers, representing the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the University of Guelph, examined 26 bully sticks purchased from retailers in the United States and Canada and made by different manufacturers. Random testing of the bully sticks found that they contained from nine to 22 calories per inch, or 88 calories in the average 6-inch stick. Eighty-eight calories is equal to 9 percent of the daily calorie requirements for a 50-pound dog and 30 percent for a 10-pound dog, the researchers stated. “While calorie information isn’t …
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Canine Vaccines: The Best Current ThinkingJanuary 24, 2013 Before the American Animal Hospital Association published the first canine vaccine guidelines in 2003, veterinarians had only manufacturers’ recommendations for guidance. This posed a problem when veterinarians grew increasingly concerned with over-vaccination and a link between certain vaccines and sarcoma development in cats became apparent. Experts and academics have collaborated on the topic three times since the release of the initial canine vaccine guidelines, helping veterinarians create a rational vaccine program to include in their patient wellness protocols. “Years ago, the profession was heavily marketed through the need for annual vaccinations,” says Robert Franklin, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Oregon Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Beaverton, Ore. “Now we educate owners about the total wellness needs of their pets. Vaccines are an important preventive in a wellness program, but are just part of it.” Without discussing specific brands, the AAHA guidelines cite the duration of immunity (DOI) of core vaccines. The task force deems these vaccines as highly effective, having a potency of five years to lifetime. However, the task force has agreed that core vaccines should be given every three years. Members of the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccination Task Force • Link V. Welborn, DVM, …
Jack Walther, DVM: A ‘Veterinarian’s Veterinarian’January 24, 2013 What does someone have to do to get the Western Veterinary Conference named after him? Plenty, considering that before this year the WVC bestowed the honor only five times. February 2013 will be No. 6, when the Dr. Jack Walther 85th Annual Western Veterinary Conference opens in Las Vegas. During his 48-year relationship with the WVC, Walther, DVM, has done more than examine the latest exhibitor offerings, attend seminars and hob-knob with other veterinarians. He has served as a WVC committee chairman since 2002, as a board member for more than 12 years and as conference president in 2005. Add to that his presidency of the American Veterinary Medical Association a decade ago and all he’s done for patients, clients and the profession throughout Nevada and the nation. “Dr. Jack Walther is a veterinarian’s veterinarian,” offered Dennis McCurnin, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, the WVC’s current president. “He has served the WVC for 48 years and has been involved in nearly every office and committee.” Walther is appreciative of the tribute, which includes a ceremony that starts at 7 p.m. Feb. 17, 2013, before comedian Jake Johannsen’s show. “If I could write an end to …
Market For Pet Fish, Birds, Small Animals On Rebound, Report FindsJanuary 17, 2013The Packaged Facts report, released this month, found that 84.3 million fish make up nearly 73 percent of the pet population when dogs and cats are excluded. Fish-owning households totaled 7.2 million in 2012, up about 100,000 from the previous year. The report noted that owners of fish, birds, reptiles and small animals tended to be younger, less educated and less affluent than pet owners in general. They also relied more on social media. Bird owners, for example, were 24 percent more likely than the average pet owner to trust product information discovered on a social sharing website. Avian households totaled 4.6 million in 2012, down from 5.8 million in 2008, when the economic recession took hold. The good news for retailers, Packaged Facts added, is that the number has spiked by 24 percent since 2010, when just 3.7 million households had birds. Pet professionals would be wise to engage the owners of fish, birds, reptiles and small animals, co-authors Robert Brown and Ruth Washton wrote. “These pet owners represent big business for the pet industry,” the writers emphasized. “They groom and board their birds, buy toys for their iguanas, purchase …
Idexx Allows Major Distributor To Carry Competing ProductsJanuary 14, 2013 Idexx Laboratories Inc. has settled a federal complaint that the veterinary diagnostics giant engaged in unfair competition by barring three leading distributors from selling competitors’ products. The Westbrook, Maine, manufacturer signed a 10-year consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission under which Idexx this month freed one of the three, MWI Veterinary Supply Co., to distribute rivals’ point-of-care diagnostics products. Two other large distributors—Butler Shein Animal Health of Dublin, Ohio, and Patterson Veterinary Supply of Devens, Mass.—will be allowed to maintain simultaneous exclusive contracts with Idexx provided MWI is not part of the arrangement. Idexx, which also makes digital X-ray equipment and practice management software, admitted no wrongdoing. “We continue to believe that our distribution practices do not violate the antitrust laws, as these same practices have been upheld by two federal courts of appeal,” said Bill Ayers, Idexx’s chairman and CEO. “However, the consent agreement provides a framework that allows us to put an end to the expense and distraction of the FTC investigation and to avoid long and costly litigation with the FTC, while preserving and even strengthening the longstanding relationships …
Waggin’ Train, Canyon Creek Ranch Treats Withdrawn After Antibiotic DiscoveryJanuary 10, 2013 More Dog Treats Pulled due to Discovery of AntibioticsWaggin' Train, Nestle Purina, dog treat, antibiotic, China, Canyon Creek, jerky, chicken, FDANestle Purina PetCare Co. on Wednesday voluntarily withdrew all Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch dog treats sold in the United States after trace amounts of antibiotic residue were found in samples.Waggin’ Train, Canyon Creek Ranch and Del Monte’s Milo’s Kitchen treats were flagged by the New York State Department of Agriculture.newsline, pet-health-news, recallWaggin’ Train, Canyon Creek Ranch Treats Withdrawn After Antibiotic DiscoveryPosted: Jan. 10, 2013, 2:55 p.m. ESTSt. Louis-based Nestle Purina PetCare Co. on Wednesday voluntarily withdrew all Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch dog treats sold in the United States after trace amounts of antibiotic residue were found in samples. Waggin' Train chicken jerky treats are made without artificial colors, byproducts, fillers, grains or artificial preservatives, the company states. Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Tenders are slow-cooked and 97 percent fat-free. The action came on the same day Milo’s Kitchen, a brand of San Francisco-based Del Monte Corp., voluntarily recalled Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers Home-style dog …
Milo’s Kitchen Recalls Chicken Jerky, Chicken Grillers Home-style Dog TreatsJanuary 9, 2013 “Pet safety and consumer confidence in our products are our top priorities,” said Rob Leibowitz, general manager of pet products at the San Francisco-based company. “While there is no known health risk, the presence of even trace amounts of these antibiotics does not meet our high quality standards. Therefore, today we decided to recall both products and asked retailers to remove the products from their shelves.” No other Milo’s Kitchen products are affected. The discovery was made by the New York State Department of Agriculture, which informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. Milo’s Kitchen consulted with both agencies before issuing the recall notice. While antibiotics are commonly used in the poultry industry, “The antibiotics found in the products were unapproved and should not be present in the final food product,” Milo’s Kitchen stated. Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers are both sourced from the same chicken suppliers, the company reported. The company noted that it conducts safety testing from procurement to manufacturing to distribution, but “Milo’s Kitchen did not test for all of the specific …
Chicago Museum To Showcase Inside Look At AnimalsJanuary 8, 2013 A veterinary anatomy class will be in session starting March 14 when dozens of animals preserved through the process of Plastination go on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. More than 100 specimens—from goats and giraffes to octopuses to ostriches—will be shown in the same way human bodies and parts are displayed worldwide as part of the now-famous “Body Worlds” collections. The U.S. premier of “Animal Inside Out” is scheduled to run through Sept. 2. “Usually you see specimens as skeletonsor taxidermies,” said Anne Rashford, the museum’s director of temporary exhibits. “At ‘Animal Inside Out,’ museum guests will see animals in a whole new way.” Plastination removes the fluids from a body and replaces them with plastics that harden, allowing details to be examined up close. Visitors will see a shark’s dense network of blood vessels, the inside of a rabbit’s brain, the running and leaping muscles of a reindeer and the muscles of a bull’s heart. Plastination’s inventor, Gunther von Hagens, said the exhibit is designed to develop an appreciation for animals. “It is critical that we increase our …
VeterinaryPracticeNews.com's Most-Read News Stories Of 2012January 7, 2013 Check Out the Top 25 Veterinary News Stories of 2012veterinary news, recall, dog food recall, pet recall, veterinaryThese were the most-read stories on VeterinaryPracticeNews.com in 2012. Here are the 25 stories VeterinaryPracticeNews.com visitors found to be the most interesting in 2012. 25. American Humane Survey Determines Why Some Don’t Own Pets The cost of pet ownership, a lack of time to care for a cat or dog, and grief over an animal’s death are...Read more >> 24. AAHA Denounces Raw Food Diets for Pets The American Animal Hospital Association has joined the American Veterinary Medical Association in taking a stand against raw food diets for pets...Read more >> 23. AVMA Frowns Upon Raw Diets, Says Vet Spending Up The American Veterinary Medical Association hosted its annual convention in San Diego over the weekend and kept the 8,675 registered attendees busy...Read more >> 22. Nature’s Variety Recalls Dog …
Petco Recalls Radiation-Tainted Pet Food BowlsJanuary 4, 2013 Petco has recalled three pet food bowls because an overseas manufacturer used stainless steel containing small quantities of radioactive cobalt-60. The models include: • SKU 1047493: 9.25-inch diameter, 3.75-cup capacity. • SKU 1386956: 9-inch diameter, 3.5-cup capacity. • SKU 1047477: 9-inch diameter, 7-cup capacity. The SKU numbers are found on labels on the inside and bottom of the bowls. Customers who purchased one of the recalled bowls from May 31 to June 20, 2012, are encouraged to return it to a Petco store for a refund. Tests determined that the bowls do not pose a health risk to pets, pet owners, store employees or customers, the San Diego-based company stated. “Cobalt-60 is a radioactive material commonly used in industrial gauging equipment and other uses,” Petco reported in a statement on its website. “We don’t know for certain how it got into our product, but we believe it came from scrap metal that had some cobalt-60 accidentally mixed in.” The recalled bowls were inside two shipping containers that arrived in the United States in late May or early June 2012, the company stated. The radiation was discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents …
