Toxic Ingredient Might Have Been Added As Protein Source, FDA SaysApril 17, 2009newslineToxic Ingredient Might Have Been Added as Protein SourceToxic Ingredient Might Have Been Added as Protein SourceThe toxic ingredient suspected of contaminating millions of containers of pet food might have been put there intentionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said today.The toxic ingredient suspected of contaminating millions of containers of pet food might have been put there intentionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said today. The toxic ingredient suspected of contaminating millions of containers of pet food might have been put there intentionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said today. Melamine found in wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China could have been used to "artificially increase protein content," said Stephen Sundlof, DVM, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. It's just a theory at this point, but the FDA is investigating all options, he said. At this point, however, China has not allowed FDA inspectors into the plants suspected of supplying the contaminated products. When the pet food recall was initiated in March, the FDA's investigation focused on wheat gluten imported from China that was tainted with melamine, but earlier this week the government agency found melamine in a rice protein concentrate …
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SmartPak Joins Dog FoodApril 17, 2009newslineSmartPak Joins Dog Food SmartPak Joins Dog Food SmartPak Joins Dog Food Adding to the ever-expanding pet food recall, SmartPak of Plymouth, Mass., recalled one of its dog food products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today. The company said it was recalling a single production run of LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice dog food because it contained rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis. Earlier in the week, the FDA said it found melamine, a chemical implicated in the death of 16 cats and dogs and potentially many more, in rice protein concentrate imported from China by San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis. SmartPak, which sells directly to consumers through its website, said it had notified every pet owner by both phone and e-mail of its recall. Less than 1,200 pounds of the food had left its facility, SmartPak said.The company does not use rice protein concentrate in any of its other LiveSmart formulas, it said. Of the five pet food manufacturers that received rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis, only one remains unidentified. Natural Balance, Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo all recalled pet food products related to the Chinese rice protein earlier this week. Today the …
Studies Show Need For Increased Awareness Of Parasite PreventionApril 17, 2009newslineParasite Prevention AwarenessParasite Prevention AwarenessSurveys confirm that heartworm and intestinal parasites remain prevalent across the U.S. Surveys confirm that heartworm and intestinal parasites remain prevalent across the U.S. Studies Show Need for Increased Awareness of Parasite Prevention Three surveys conducted over the past year confirm that heartworm and intestinal parasites remain prevalent across the U.S., highlighting the need for improved pet owner awareness of prevention alternatives, according to Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc. of Greensboro, N.C. Novartis Animal Health is encouraging veterinarians and their staff to educate clients on the health risks that parasites pose to pets and families, and to promote compliance with year-round parasite preventives. Novartis Animal Health said that the three surveys—two conducted by the company and one by the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine—show that parasite prevalence is high and compliance with preventives is low. Novartis Animal Health's survey of more than 1,000 veterinary clinics in 11 Western U.S. states found that heartworm is in fact an issue in that area of the country. Forty-nine percent of the responding clinics reported heartworm positive cases, totaling more than 2,300 incidents of heartworm in pets in 2005. LSU's School of Veterinary Medicine's study on dogs rescued …
Shearer Named Hartz Veterinarian Of The YearApril 17, 2009newsline Monday, February 16, 2004 Hartz Mountain Corp. named Tami Shearer, DVM, of Columbus, Ohio, winner of its 2003 Veterinarian of the Year award. The award was one of several presented at Dog World magazine's 49th Show Dogs of the Year Awards ceremony, presented by Nature's Recipe the night before the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Dog World and Veterinary Practice News are both published by BowTie, Inc. "What we at Hartz wanted to do is find unique veterinarians who celebrate the human-animal bond," said Hartz's Chief Scientific Officer Albert Ahn, DVM. "We're fortunate to have selected Dr. Shearer. She is truly, the complete, compassionate veterinarian as evidence by her academia, her publishing and by her own outreach programs in her community." Shearer, who received her veterinary degree in 1985 from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, is the owner of the Shearer Pet Hospital and founder of the Pet Hospice and Education Center— one of only 100 pet hospices in the country. "There are so many veterinarians who work small miracles every day and I feel so honored that I was chosen," Shearer said. Nominated by one of her clients, Shearer …
Research Predicts Continued Animal-Health Market GrowthApril 17, 2009newsline September 29-October 3, 2003 Fireflies might prove a fatal snack to exotic reptiles, according to a health alert released by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). Veterinarians should alert pet owners and advise them to take steps to prevent both the intentional or accidental ingestion of these common insects, the center reported. Based on a handful of reports from reptile owners, symptoms of poisoning quickly follow a lizard's ingestion of fireflies. These symptoms include head shaking, oral gaping, unsuccessful attempts at regurgitation and a darkening in color. The symptoms usually appear within 30 minutes of ingestion, and death might follow within the hour. Death is thought to be a result of heart malfunction. "A single firefly would have a very high probability of resulting in death," says Dr. Steve Hansen, board-certified veterinary toxicologist and director of the APCC. The warning is being issued to amphibian and bird owners as well. In addition to the lizard cases, fatal poisonings in tree frogs have been documented. In another instance, a bird that ingested a firefly …
Prepare For Pet First-Aid AwarenessApril 17, 2009cover storiesPet First-AidPet First-AidWith April designated as National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month, it's an opportune time to put client educational plans into action.With April designated as National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month, it's an opportune time to put client educational plans into action.Prepare for Pet First-Aid Awareness Dr. Amy Shroff shows pet owners in a first-aid class how to check a dog's mucous membrane color. By Marissa HeflinVeterinary Practice News A veterinarian's role is not just about helping injured and sick animals. It is about client education, says Amy Shroff, VMD, emergency and critical care chief of staff at Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center of New England in Waltham, Mass. With April designated as National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month, it's an opportune time to put client educational plans into action.The better veterinarians train pet owners on how to prepare for emergencies and how to act when one occurs, the better chance the pet has to survive, says Dr. Shroff, who holds pet first-aid classes at her clinic. She says that the classes have been increasing in popularity, going from quarterly to almost monthly, drawing sometimes as many as 50 people. The classes teach pet owners how to …
Editors Announce 2006 Winner Of The 'You Found What?' ContestApril 17, 2009cover storiesX-ray Contest Winners 2006X-ray Contest Winners 2006It is official, snakes have dominated the Eklin Challenge for the past two years. It is official, snakes have dominated the Eklin Challenge for the past two years. Editors Announce 2006 Winner Of the 'You Found What?' Contest Snake, Snake, MouseLaura Chenault, DVM, and Scott Johnson, DVM, of the Animal Emergency Clinic of Northwest Austin in Austin, Texas, submitted the grand prize winning X-ray of a boa constrictor that ate a pit viper that ate a mouse. It is official, snakes have dominated the Eklin Challenge for the past two years. This year's grand prize winner is the snake that ate a snake that ate a mouse submitted by Laura Chenault, DVM, and Scott Johnson, DVM, of the Animal Emergency Clinic of Northwest Austin in Austin, Texas. Their patient was a 5-year-old female boa constrictor named Princess who shared the house (but not a cage) with a pit viper. Princess' owners took her to the emergency clinic after they found her loose in the house curled up inside the pit viper's cage. The viper was nowhere to be found. The winning X-ray clearly shows that Princess had eaten the …
Third Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedApril 17, 2009newsline November 18, 2004Another inconclusive result for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a cow was reported from a rapid screening test this morning, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. "The inconclusive result does not mean we have found another case of BSE in this country," said Andrea Morgan, APHIS associate deputy administrator. "Inconclusive results are a normal component of screening tests, which are designed to be extremely sensitive so they will detect any sample that could possibly be positive." Tissue samples have been sent to the USDA's Veterinary Services Laboratories, and results are expected back within four to seven days. This is the third inconclusive result reported this year. The previous two, reported in July, were confirmed negative for BSE. Since the first two tests, however, the USDA has changed its reporting procedures for inconclusive tests. That this result has been announced means the sample tested inconclusive twice. The first two reports had been tested once prior to the announcement of the results, reported Morgan during a question-and-answer session this morning. 11-18-2004Third Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedThird Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedThird Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedThird Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedThird Inconclusive BSE Test ReportedAnother …
Sensible Supplements For ImmunonutritionApril 17, 2009oncologyoutlook By Alice Villalobos, DVM For Veterinary Practice News Highly metastatic cancers can kill their victims despite a timely and complete excision of the primary tumor. This aggressive biologic behavior results from the early dissemination of scout cells into the lymphatic and circulatory system before detection of the primary tumor. Mom Dog was given a poor prognosis following splenectomy and liver lobectomy for a bleeding hemangiosarcoma. Her owners were using a combination of supplements that added up to 51 items. Photo Courtesy of Dr. Villalobos These abnormal aggressive scout cells acquire an immortal nature, survive the body's immunosurveillance and are able to develop into new clones of cells that accumulate into metastatic tumors. The new metastatic clones are often more resistant than the primary tumor because of the hardiness of their progenitor scout cells. It would be ideal if there were a safe way to fortify high-risk breeds, aging pets and post-operative cancer patients against cancer. It seems obvious to me and to others in research and clinical medicine that people and animals can, and do, benefit from immunonutrition and/or chemoprevention. I started using anticancer supplements for my patients …
Veterinary Practice News Cover Stories ArchivesApril 17, 2009cover storiesrrhfsfgrdfdfsrfgfdagesesedagrersdd 1-22-2007Veterinary Practice News Cover Stories ArchivesVeterinary Practice News Cover Stories ArchivesVeterinary Practice News Cover Stories ArchivesFind past featured veterinary practice cover stories in the archives.Find past featured veterinary practice cover stories in the archives.Find past featured veterinary practice cover stories in the archives.
