AVMA, Foundation Continue Post-Sandy WorkNovember 9, 2012The American Veterinary Medical Association and its foundation are working to distribute donated supplies to veterinary clinics impacted by Hurricane Sandy and assisting veterinarians who are providing emergency care to animals in the region, the organizations reported. In addition, four Veterinary Medical Assistance Team members are helping clean oil off sea birds and other wildlife caught in a storm-related oil spill in New Jersey. The animals are being sent to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Delaware, where the team members and other volunteers are treating the wildlife. “The storm has really been far more devastating than anyone could have anticipated, particularly along the shore," AVMA president Douglas Aspros, DVM, said Thursday. “Organizations like the AVMA and AVMF are uniquely qualified to understand the needs of veterinarians in an emergency. We can’t always provide everything that they might need, but we can provide help in a strategic and effective way." Besides the team members assigned to Delaware, team leader Patty Klein was dispatched to the government's National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., where she helped assess the damage to veterinary facilities on the East Coast. “We’re all family in veterinary medicine,” Dr. Aspros said. “Individual veterinarians have offered assistance to their …
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Animal Cruelty Law Fails In North DakotaNovember 8, 2012“We were disappointed Measure 5 was defeated, but the opposition has promised to create legislation in 2013,” said Dee Coyler, adoption coordinator for the MonDak Humane Society in Williston, N.D. “Their ads said they had better legislation, and anything that benefits animals is a positive.” “If they can do it in 2013, then let’s go and do it,” she added. The initiative, also known as the Prevention of Extreme Cruelty to Dogs, Cats and Horses Act, was sponsored by the group North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty. The measure failed, 67 percent to 33 percent. Other exceptions under Measure 5 included lawful behavior by licensed veterinarians, public and private medical and scientific researchers, and anyone protecting life or property. The key opposition group was North Dakota Animal Stewards, a coalition made up of the Stockman’s Association and the North Dakota Farmer’s Union. “They made it look like we were going after hunting and agriculture,” Coyler said. “They made it seem like it wasn’t what it was.” <HOME>
Vets Cope With Animals, Infrastructure In Storm's WakeNovember 8, 2012 The 1948 film noir “The Naked City,” set in Manhattan, concludes with: “There are 8 million stories in the naked city.” These are the stories of the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy on some of New York City’s dogs, cats and veterinarians. Halfway House for Pets One week after Sandy devastated the Staten Island neighborhood where Boulevard Veterinary Group is located, veterinarian Michael Arpino’s clinic has become a halfway house for wayward dogs and cats. “We took in 17 cats rescued after the storm from a hoarder’s home that was destroyed, and we’ve been boarding them for two nights,” Dr. Arpino reported Monday. The cats were rescued by Guardians of Rescue, an animal rescue group, and all were suffering from flea anemia and were covered in residue from storm water. “We’ve been using a lot of our medicine,” Arpino said. If not for donations from some of Arpino’s vendors, such as Antech Diagnostics of Irvine, Calif., which provided feline leukemia and AIDS blood tests, and Pfizer Animal Health of Madison, N.J., which supplied antibiotics and flea medication, Arpino said he …
Veterinarian Ted Yoho Headed To CongressNovember 7, 2012 Florida Veterinarian Ted Yoho Wins Seat in Congressflorida, ted yoho, veterinarian, election, congressFlorida veterinarian Ted Yoho was elected to Congress on Tuesday with a convincing victory over a Democratic challenger and just two months after he narrowly defeated 12-term incumbent Cliff Stearns in the Republican primary.Dr. Yoho, 57, started his path to Washington, D.C., while working as a large animal veterinarian in Gainesville, Fla.newslineVeterinarian Ted Yoho Headed to Congress Florida veterinarian Ted Yoho was elected to Congress on Tuesday with a convincing victory over a Democratic challenger and less than three months after he narrowly defeated 12-term incumbent Cliff Stearns in the Republican primary. Dr. Yoho, 57, turned his attention to politics while working as a large animal veterinarian in Gainesville, Fla. His years in practice and his interaction with farmers, ranchers and business owners made him concerned for "the state of our nation" and led him to realize it was time to "stand up for America," according to his campaign website. "We did it!" Yoho told supporters today on his campaign Facebook page. "Last night...you all elected me to represent you in Washington. I couldn't be more honored and humbled. This is a …
Salmonella Concern Prompts Charlee Bear Protein Crunch Bar RecallNovember 7, 2012Charlee Bear Recalls Crunch Bar Dog Treatscharlee bear, protein crunch bars, recall, dog treats, salmonellanewsline, recallcharlee bear, protein crunch bars, recall, dog treats, salmonellaCharlee Bear Dog Products recalled some Protein Crunch Bars on due to possible salmonella contamination.Salmonella Concern Prompts Charlee Bear Protein Crunch Bar RecallPosted: Nov. 2, 2012, 4:02 p.m. EDT Charlee Bear Dog Products of Madison, Wis., voluntarily recalled some Protein Crunch Bars on Thursday because the dog treats may be contaminated with salmonella. The treats were distributed nationally in September and October 2012, the company stated. The potential for widespread contamination was noted after a sample of the Chicken Recipe with Carrots variety tested positive for salmonella, the company reported. Charlee Bear is recalling that lot number and additional lot numbers manufactured under contract by another company. Some bags of Charlee Bear Protein Crunch Bars Chicken Recipe with Carrots were recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. The recalled Protein Crunch Bars come in 5.5-ounce bags and include: Chicken Recipe with Carrots (UPC 8710890000) Lot number 19812 and best-by date of 07-16-2015 Lot number 19912 and best-by date of 07-17-2015 Lot number 20012 …
Royal Canin's Feline Prescription Food RecalledNovember 7, 2012Royal Canin Canada says it is recalling all of its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula prescription canned cat food.Pet food company Royal Canin Canada says it is recalling all of its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula prescription canned cat food. Pet food company Royal Canin Canada says it is recalling all of its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula prescription canned cat food because one production lot contains contaminated wheat gluten. This product is produced for Royal Canin Canada by the Ontario, Canada, plant of Menu Foods, the company that's recalling nearly 100 pet food products due to a contamination of the industrial plastic melamine in wheat gluten used in many pet food products. Although only one production lot is believed to be affected, Royal Canin Canada says that to eliminate any risks to cats, it's proactively advising veterinary clinics to remove all of the Feline Dissolution Formula cans. To date, the company says it has not received any reports of illness in cats eating the product, but that it will provide financial reimbursement for veterinary costs to veterinary clinics that treat any animals made sick by the product. Royal Canin says that its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula product is the company's only wheat …
Wellness Dog Food Recalled Amid WellPet Website OutageNovember 5, 2012 WellPet LLC of Tewsbury, Mass., recalled 12-pound bags of its Wellness Small Breed Adult Health dry dog food due to high moristure levels, the company reported Wednesday through its Facebook page. The recalled bags have a best-by date of Aug. 18, 2013. The high moisture levels create the potential for mold. The company, which manufactures the pet food brands Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack and Old Mother Hubbard, was forced to make the recall announcement via Facbook because its websites are down due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, a spokeswoman said today. Though the company's Massachusetts employees are at work, the website servers are housed in New Jersey, where the storm wrecked significant damage. The websites may be operating again Friday, company spokeswoman Amy Grosheider said. The company's consumer affairs team is serving pet owners and retailers by fielding phone calls at 800-225-0904 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT and by responding to email at info@wellpet.com. The company said customers who bought any of the recalled products can return the it to their place …
One Pro’s Take On Orthopedic AdvancesNovember 2, 2012 Prosthetic limbs on dogs, total knee and elbow replacements, and stem cell therapy are all on the horizon for veterinary orthopedics, according to a veteran Oklahoma State University orthopedic surgeon whose bonafides include more than 270 scientific presentations and 110 publications. At the same time, Mark Rochat, DVM, MS and diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, encourages both practitioners and the lay public to temper the hot prospects of medical breakthroughs with the cool logic of scientific integrity. Improved prosthetic limbs for people are a by-product of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr. Rochat said. “Endoprosthetic that have a stem that can grow into the end of the bone allow for better attachement of the prosthetic to the limb than a sleeve approach,” he said. “Who knows, someday we may routinely be putting limbs on animals. It’s come a long way. “Now, we have a total knee replacement and several options for total elbow replacement,” added Rochat, a member of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and small animal surgery professor at OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. “Coronoid disease is the most common of the elbow maladies in dogs, and the least understood. …
Vet Clinics In The Northeast Struggle With Loss Of Power, FloodingOctober 31, 2012 Veterinary clinics in the Northeastern United States are affected by Super Storm Sandy newsline Vet Clinics in the Northeast Struggle with Loss of Power, Flooding Like many businesses in storm-ravaged parts of New York City and New Jersey, veterinary clinics and hospitals continue to feel the lingering effects of Superstorm Sandy. BluePearl Veterinary Partners, which runs three 24-hour emergency and referral hospitals in New York City for pets, did not lose power during the storm, but many others did. The BluePearl hospitals have generators, none of which incurred any flood damage, noted David Wohlstadter, senior emergency clinician with BluePearl. “We saw a lot of cases from animal hospitals that would have potentially been open,” he said. “Referring vets sent us cases since their power went down.” BluePearl’s Manhattan location saw 25 cases over the course of last night. “We’re not seeing any storm-related injuries,” Wohlstadter said. “We are seeing injuries and illnesses that we would otherwise see, such as a vomiting or diarrhea.” Wohlstadter noted BluePearl Manhattan had also seen an influx of some …
Flooding And High Winds In The Northeast Could Displace Owners And PetsOctober 29, 2012 Emergency veterinary clinics and disaster response teams were preparing for Hurricane Sandy today as the storm headed toward the Northeastern United States. The hurricane may reach southern New Jersey this evening and is forecast to bring 90-mph winds and flooding to the Northeast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Emergency clinics expect a long week as many private practice veterinarians close their offices. The 24/7 Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center of Turnersville, N.J., is the only clinic in the area to stay open, said human resources director Mary Ann Leone. “We had a busy weekend, but the calls weren’t necessarily related to the storm,” Leone said. “Since all the primary vets have closed, we’re the only clinic that’s seeing animals.” The three BluePearl Veterinary clinics in New York City also are open. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams are waiting to deploy in states that require additional help. The teams, funded by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, will assist with treatment and in establishing bases of operation for veterinary triage …
