Researchers Find Gene Associated With Small Stature In DogsApril 5, 2007A team of researchers have identified a genetic variant that is a major contributor to small size in dogs. The finding may help efforts to better understand genetic influences on stature in other mammals and even humans. "The identification and characterization of a key genetic variant that accounts for differences in dog size is particularly exciting because the underlying gene is present in all dogs and other diverse species, including humans," said researcher Eric Green, MD, Ph.D., scientific director of the National Human Genome Research Institute Division of Intramural Research. "Discoveries like this illustrate the exciting promise of genomics research for understanding the inheritance of a wide range of traits, including those that have an impact on health and disease," he said. In their study, researchers compared the DNA of various small dog breeds, including Chihuahuas, toy fox terriers and Pomeranians, to larger dog breeds, including Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards and Great Danes. They found that the variation in one gene—IGF-1, which codes for a protein hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1—is very strongly associated with small stature across all dog breeds studied. "We have been intrigued by the population structure of dogs, which over the years have been selectively …
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Alta, Utah Beyond The Bond?March 21, 2007Darlene Arden, the author of "Small Dogs, Big Hearts," e-mailed me an article that revealed a human-animal bond dilemma in one of my favorite ski towns, Alta, Utah. She writes: Dear Alice: I don't know why they haven't voted to overturn this, but is there something that the American Assn. of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians can do to turn this ugly situation around? It made me sick. The Associated Press article published in the New York Times on Dec. 31 was titled "A Ski Town with 42 Dogs and Many Lonely Dog Lovers." The article said that a city ordinance limits the number of dogs to 12 percent of the human population in an effort to protect the city's alpine watershed. The article said that, "No canine visitors are allowed, even inside cars, and violators can go to jail. Alta occupies four square miles inside a national forest where an act of Congress left Salt Lake City in charge of the water supply. City and county officers police the canyons, keeping out nonresident and unlicensed dogs to curb bacterial contamination of streams and protect Salt Lake's drinking water." The city limits the number of dog licenses to 42 and, according to …
A Labor Of Love For The Human-Animal BondMarch 21, 2007A few years ago, I was asked to write a textbook for Iowa State Press on geriatric oncology. I asked David Rosenbaum how many chapters and contributors he wanted. He said no contributors; he wanted me to be sole author and write in my "clinically breezy" style, similar to the tone of the Oncology Outlook articles that I wrote for Veterinary Practice News from 1999 through 2004. At first, I was shocked, humbled and filled with dread just thinking of taking on such a monumental task. So I mentally declined the offer but told David that I would think about it. David kept after me to remove the walls of my exam rooms and let veterinary students and practitioners in on consultations and decision -making. He wanted this to be a legacy book based on my 33 years of real-world experience. I recalled the grueling job that my University of California, Davis, oncology mentor, Dr. Gordon Theilen, and his wife, Carolyn, endured as they verified the numerous references for his landmark textbook, "Veterinary Cancer Medicine," published by Lea & Febiger. David agreed that I could emphasize the bond and use source books without citing specific references. After I sold my …
A Journey To Spain And PortugalMarch 20, 2007In November I participated in a European symposium with Robert M. Miller, DVM, author of "The Revolution in Horsemanship." In Spain, Dr. Miller presented seminars at the Barcelona Veterinary College and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez. In Portugal, we held a symposium at the Royal Veterinary College in Lisbon and at the Equuspolis Center at the world-famous National Horse Fair in Golega. This traditional equestrian show began in 1571 on St. Martin's Day. It features the best Lusitanos for international buyers. Our mission was to acquaint horse enthusiasts with the concept of imprint training of foals followed by habituation training. Imprinting occurs most efficiently within the first hour of the foal's life. One hour of imprint training directly after birth, while the foal is still recumbent, removes fear of humans forever. The technique requires the trainer to touch the foal's entire body, with special attention to rubbing the ears, mouth, inside the nostrils, and legs and feet. On the following days, the foal is taught by habituation to tolerate blankets, saddles, noises, vehicles, other animals and anything that could potentially scare or "spook" an adult horse. Dr. Ron Fuller, who organized the symposium, demonstrated how he …
Abaxis Veterinary Market Sales Up 19%January 26, 2007Abaxis Inc.'s veterinary market reported revenue of $16.31 million for its third quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to revenue of $13.74 million in the year-ago period. Veterinary reagent disc sales for the third quarter were $8.7 million, an increase of 13 percent in the year-ago period. Year to date, the division reported revenue of $47.01 million, compared to revenue of $38.45 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Abaxis reported net income of $2.78 million on revenue of $22.02 million for its third quarter, compared to net income of $1.85 million on revenue of $17.44 million in the year-ago period. Year to date, the company reported net income of $7.29 million on revenue of $63.41 million, compared to net income of $5.15 million on revenue of $49.13 million in the year-ago period. Abaxis also reported a 42 percent revenue growth in its international revenue, compared to last year's third quarter, and a 47 percent international revenue growth year to date. International sales now account for 17 percent of the company's total revenue.
AAHA Issues, Revises Animal Welfare, Ethics StatementsNovember 10, 2005Fireflies 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 regurgitated it but did not die, says Hansen. The health alert is based on about a half-dozen poisoning cases that have been …
Quality Of Life Scale Helps Make Final CallNovember 11, 2004There is a real need for assessing various levels of quality of life for aging, ailing and terminally ill pets. Most geriatric animals have one or more abnormal conditions that appear in their senior years and these conditions generally worsen with time. One third of senior pets are obese. Additionally, half of our nation's companion animals over the age of 10 become burdened with cancer and its related treatment issues. Veterinarians are frequently asked, "When is the right time to euthanize my beloved pet? How will I know?" A quality of life scale may help everyone, especially those in denial, to look at difficult-to-face issues. Caretakers can use this itemized scale to ask themselves if they are able to provide enough help to maintain an ailing pet in a humane way. Every animal has certain needs that should be recognized and respected. If we can meet these basic needs at a satisfactory level for our ailing companion animals, then we are justified in preserving the life of the ill pet during its decline. The goal in setting up the Quality of Life Scale is to provide a guideline so that pet owners can maintain a rewarding relationship that nurtures the …
Fort Dodge To Research Avian Influenza VaccineOctober 26, 2004The vaccine will be manufactured and stored at Fort Dodge facilities in Charles City, Iowa. They will house enough frozen antigen to produce 40 million doses of the AI vaccine. The doses are broken into 10 million for each AI subtype: H5N2, H5N9, H7N2, and H7N3. In the event of a high patogenicity outbreak, a vaccine to manage the disease would be prepared from the frozen antigen. The vaccine antigen bank is scheduled for completion by January 2005. <HOME>
Canada Warns Hamster Buyers Of Tularemia RiskOctober 7, 2004The Public Health Agency of Canada advised residents of several provinces to seek medical assistance if they had purchased "dwarf/pygmy or regular hamsters" within the past three months and are not feeling well. The agency also asked pet stores to closely monitor their hamsters and notify their local veterinarians if they observed illness and higher than usual mortality. Hamsters from a pet distributor in Manitoba have tested positive for Type B tularemia, a rare, usually mild but potentially fatal disease in humans, the Canadian government reported. The distributor allegedly shipped ill hamsters to pet stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. "We believe the risk to human health is low, but if people have sick hamsters and are feeling ill themselves, we want them to advise their health care provider," said Dr. David Butler-Jones, chief public health officer of Canada. Tularemia is treatable with antibiotics and is not spread person-to-person. It is usually transmitted by contact with infected animals or their cages, the Canadian government said. Possible infection routes include being bitten or licked by an infected animal; handling or cleaning the animal, its toys, cage and feeding equipment; breathing contaminated air; and eating or drinking contaminated food or water. …
AAHA Endorses AAFP Feral Cat PositionAugust 10, 2004The American Animal Hospital Association board of directors endorsed the 2004 American Association of Feline Practitioners' Position Statement on Free-Roaming Abandoned and Feral Cats at its June meeting. "AAHA is very supportive of the comprehensive approach taken by AAFP to address the serious and widespread problem of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats," said Dennis Feinberg, DVM, AAHA president. "The veterinary profession can play an important role in preventing abandonment and in providing education to clients about responsible cat ownership and feral cat issues." The position statement encourages actions toward providing solutions for the problem of feral and free-roaming cats. These actions include public education campaigns, client education, public policy promotion, appropriate management of cat colonies and research in these areas. To read the position in its entirety, visit www.aafponline.org.
