Texas affordable pet care bill on hold for nowApril 8, 2019Pet owners relying on low-cost veterinary clinics are breathing a temporary sigh of relief now that lawmakers are taking another look at a bill designed to limit pet care access to only the most indigent clients. House Bill 3806 would outlaw nonprofits from providing any veterinary services besides spaying, neutering, and vaccines to anyone other than the poorest pet owners. Further, pet owners who don't qualify based on their income would have to go to private veterinarians to receive treatments such as heartworm prevention, flea control, or lifesaving procedures. Last week, Texas's house agriculture and livestock committee heard public commentary on the bill's potential impact on pets' health. "It is not a good bill. It targets people who would have a hard time paying for normal shots, testing, and some other services for pet owners," Emily's Legacy Rescue employee, Kimber Hopkins, told News Channel 6. "It may even affect rescues receiving low-cost vetting, causing adoption fees to increase and more animals being surrendered to the city shelters."
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University of Minnesota seeks participants for skin disease studyApril 5, 2019University of Minnesota (UMN) College of Veterinary Medicine is looking for candidates to enroll in an allergic skin disease study. The clinical trial will assess the safety and efficacy of a topical gel for dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD), which is a skin condition that causes severe itching and is hard to manage. According to the researchers, many of the current treatments produce unwanted side effects or they do not fully treat the symptoms. The study will last 14 days and will require the participants to visit UMN on day zero, seven, and 14. The dogs' owners will be required to use a topical gel on areas of their pets' skin and keep a medication diary throughout the duration. During the visits, Sheila Torres, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVD, will examine and assess the participants. Blood samples will be taken every visit and urine samples on day zero and 14. There is no cost, and at the end of the study dog owners will be eligible for to a $200 debit card. To participate dogs must: • have a short hair coat; • have red and inflamed skin, especially on their belly and/or paws; • have a …
Cornell to offer new veterinary business programApril 5, 2019Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a new interdisciplinary program called the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship (CVBE) to grow research, training, and outreach in veterinary business. "I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business," says Lorin D. Warnick, DVM, PhD, the Austin O. Hooey dean of veterinary medicine. "The center is the culmination of extensive needs-based assessments and planning, and will answer the urgent need in the veterinary profession to provide essential training for students, faculty, and alumni to launch, manage, and succeed in a business or organization of any kind." The CVBE will focus on four pillars: education, economics research, entrepreneurship, and intrapreneurship. The center will offer a new DVM certificate program, a postgraduate executive education, and an assortment of educational programs. Through a faculty hire and collaborations with Cornell's Charles H. Dyson school of applied economics and management, the center will launch a veterinary economics research program. "It's exciting to embark on an initiative of this scope," says associate dean for education, Jodi Korich, DVM. "We are confident this new center will position our graduates for success in …
Omega-3 supplements and hypothyroidism linked to decline of T-zone lymphomaApril 4, 2019A study at Colorado State University (CSU) has found dogs who receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements or have hypothyroidism may be less likely to develop T-zone lymphoma (TZL). The findings come from Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers who looked at associations of the environment and health history of TZL among golden retrievers. T-zone lymphoma is a type of cancer, which progresses slowly and is usually found in older dogs. It is predominantly found in golden retrievers; however, Anne Avery, DVM, PhD, associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and pathology at CSU, believes the underlying causes of the tumor are shared across breeds. "Although controlled prospective studies would be necessary to firmly establish protection by omega-3 fatty acids, our observations raise the possibility of a simple intervention, which may help reduce the frequency of this disease," Dr. Avery says. "We were also a little surprised to discover defective genes leading to another, seemingly unrelated disorder— hypothyroidism—are more common in dogs who do not develop T-zone lymphoma." More than 350 golden retrievers were used in the study, which looked at health history questionnaires and blood or biological samples. The dogs were divided into two groups. One of the groups …
CVMA and California veterinarians clash over blood banksApril 4, 2019A showdown is brewing between the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and a group of veterinarians over whether closed-colony blood banks should continue to operate. Known as the California Pet Blood Bank Modernization Act, AB 366 bill is aimed at changing the existing law requiring animal blood banks collect blood exclusively from so-called "closed colonies." Critics say donor animals are confined to cages and kennels for months or years. Instead, the bill looks to allow blood banks to collect animal blood in a community-based, voluntary setting, similar to programs in place in other states. The bill is getting support from 72 veterinarians, including practitioners and medical directors at some of California's largest veterinary hospitals, and faculty and clinicians at the University of California, Davis. "The current situation in California is egregiously unbalanced," they say in a letter to California's assembly agriculture committee. "Hundreds of dogs—including many who have already endured months or years of suffering in the greyhound racing industry—are kept confined for months or years in situations that range from inadequate to appalling. Lack of sufficient oversight and inspection, coupled with a lack of transparency, has resulted in years of suffering by dogs in California's closed colonies. There …
USDA no longer experimenting on cats and kittensApril 3, 2019The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says it will no longer carry out parasite experiments on cats and kittens, a practice that ultimately resulted in their being euthanized. The announcement comes weeks after U.S. congressmen Brian Mast and Jimmy Panetta introduced the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2019. At the time, Mast said the USDA was breeding kittens for the sole purpose of feeding them raw meat laced with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), a parasite considered to be a leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S. ARS says cats were used in the research because they are the only host in which T. gondii can complete its life cycle and produce oocysts. The kittens were then killed even though they were healthy. In May 2018, the USDA reviewed its procedures after hearing feedback from its customers and stakeholders. ARS maintains cats have not been infected with toxoplasmosis pathogens or euthanized since September 2018. "Food safety research in ARS is of paramount importance for agriculture and the public we serve," said ARS administrator, Chavonda Jacobs-Young, PhD. "We are continually assessing our research and priorities and aligning our resources to the …
AVMA publishes guidelines for the depopulation of animalsApril 3, 2019 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has released Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals, a set of procedures and direction designed to help veterinarians make humane decisions in critical situations. "Humanely ending the lives of animals is one of the most difficult, but necessary, tasks for veterinarians to oversee," says chair of the AVMA panel on depopulation, Steven Leary, DVM, DACLAM. "During times of crisis or major catastrophe, depopulation of affected animals may sometimes be the most ethical and compassionate action." According to AVMA, depopulation balances the need to respond swiftly and avoid further devastation with the most humane method of death possible in response to pressing circumstances. The new guidelines are designed to ensure animal welfare is considered and achievable during an emergency, and provides procedures for the possibility of urgent situations. The depopulation guidelines are part three of AVMA's Humane Endings guidance. The others are the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals and the AVMA Guidelines for the Humane Slaughter of Animals.
WellHaven Pet Health partners with Fear Free to train veterinary professionalsApril 2, 2019WellHaven Pet Health says it is partnering with Fear Free to provide training to its medical staff on emotional well-being, enrichment, and reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. "Adopting Fear Free across our practices will result in better medicine, better business, increased safety, and improved practice culture," says WellHaven Pet Health chief medical officer, Bob Lester, DVM. The partnership will allow WellHaven Pet Health to achieve American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) certification in all its clinics. "Their commitment to the emotional and physical well-being of pets demonstrates WellHaven Pet Health's leadership in the field of veterinary medicine," says Marty Becker, DVM, Fear Free CEO and founder and columnist for Veterinary Practice News. "Fear Free is proud to partner with them in creating better experiences for pets, people, and the profession."
AVMA health insurance in limbo following court rulingApril 2, 2019The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is not backing away on its promise to deliver health insurance plans to its members following a ruling by a federal district court judge. Last week, the judge sent a recent rule allowing association health plans back to the Department of Labor to revisit certain aspects of it the court found objectionable. "We are disappointed, obviously, but we knew this was a possibility, and we know this isn't the final word," says AVMA president, John de Jong, DVM. "Veterinarians across the country were very pleased the AVMA was poised to again sponsor health plans, and we're not giving up on that effort. We are evaluating all our options, and we will continue to advocate for the interests of veterinarians, including access to high-quality, affordable health plans through our association." Association-sponsored health insurance plans were part of membership in AVMA for 60 years until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) forced it to end in 2013. While aware of the potential legal challenges, AVMA decided to move forward in its efforts to once again offer its members a health insurance program beginning in several states in July.
FDA approves treatment for urinary incontinence in dogsApril 2, 2019PROIN ER, a tablet for the control of urinary incontinence in dogs, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug treats urethral sphincter hypotonus, which occurs due to a dog's age and weakening muscles in the urethra. PROIN Chewable Tablets have already been approved by the FDA; however, they are to be administered twice a day, whereas PROIN ER is a once-a-day extended-release formulation. The effectiveness of PROIN ER was observed in a clinical study comprising 119 dogs that had been previously diagnosed with urethral sphincter hypotonus and had been taking PROIN Chewable Tablets. The timeline of the clinical study went as follows: • For the first week, the owners documented whether the dog received the PROIN Chewable Tablet doses and noted the number of urinary accidents the dog had; • Dogs were then given PROIN ER for the first 28 days and the owners proceeded to take note of how many accidents occurred in a day; • In the fourth week, the number of urinary accidents was compared to the first week. It was found 75 of the 104 dogs who completed the study had no accidents on either tablet;
