Vaccinations, Education In Spotlight As World Rabies Day NearsSeptember 25, 2013 The global awareness campaign includes the sixth annual Merial Rabies Symposium, which the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will host Saturday in Starkville, Miss. The event, sponsored by animal health company Merial Ltd., is expected to draws hundreds of experts and students from all over the United States. More information is available at http://goo.gl/qMk25O. In Virginia, the state veterinary medical association and the Department of Health are marking Rabies Awareness Week by educating families and encouraging veterinarians to communicate the dangers of rabies with clients. "There are several things pet owners can do to protect themselves and their pets from rabies,” said Virginia's state public health veterinarian, Julia Murphy, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM. "Vaccinating domestic animals like dogs and cats is key to rabies prevention. If we protect them, we protect ourselves.” The campaign includes these tips for safeguarding against rabies: • Appreciate wildlife from a distance. • Do not adopt a wild animal as a pet. • Keep pets on your own property. • Keep pet food and garbage inside. Signs of possible rabies infection in animals include: • General sickness. …
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Vet Practices To Take Part In 24-Hour Obesity StudySeptember 25, 2013 For one day only, on National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, veterinary practices are asked to record the basic body conditioning scores of all canine and feline patients. The information will be returned to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) in Calabash, N.C. "Our historical research shows a clear epidemic of pet obesity in our country,” said Ernie Ward, DVM, the organization’s founder and president. "The annual veterinarian-conducted study is vital to measuring the longitudinal trend so our industry is informed. "Armed with this knowledge, APOP, the veterinary community and entire pet industry can set forth common strategies to fight and prevent overweight pets, because we all want to give them longer, healthier and happier lives,” Dr. Ward added. Participants may register for the study before Oct. 1 at www.petobesityprevention.com/npoad. Completed data forms may be faxed, scanned or emailed to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. The study, now in its seventh year, found a record number of overweight cats in 2012. In addition, 52.5 percent of dogs and 58.3 percent of cats checked were determined to be overweight or obese. Nearly half of the owners thought their pets’ weight …
UC Davis To Host World’s First Donkey ConferenceSeptember 24, 2013 The Donkey Welfare Symposium is scheduled for Nov. 1 to 3 at Gladys Valley Hall on the UC Davis campus. "With so little emphasis on the health and welfare of the world’s leading working animal, it is important for us to host this event and get the message out across the globe,” said Karl Jandrey, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC, director of the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Continuing Professional Education. Donkeys can easily live up to 30 years, so maintaining their health is important, Dr. Jandrey said. The inaugural event will feature lectures and hands-on laboratories for donkey enthusiasts, veterinarians, technicians and students. Registrants will travel from across the United States and the world, Jandrey noted. More than 15 donkey experts will give presentations. Among them is Eric Davis, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, a UC Davis authority on donkey health who has more than 35 years’ experience in animal welfare in rural and developing areas. The subjects to be discussed range from donkey behavior and training, pharmacology and physiology to farriery, dentistry and parasites. Up to 21 hours of continuing education credit are available for veterinarians, registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants who attend …
Zoetis-Morris Academic Program Celebrates MilestoneSeptember 18, 2013 The fellowships provide each recipient with $60,000 annually for four years. The tuition and expense money comes from Denver-based Morris Animal Foundation, program co-sponsor Zoetis Inc. and the university where the students are enrolled. "Many practicing veterinarians may wish to become veterinary scientists but can’t continue their educational journey due to financial constraints, like high debt,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., the president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. "The Zoetis-Morris Animal Foundation Fellowships help these professionals pursue a new career path and help fill a critical need for more veterinary scientists.” The program’s first graduates are: Melissa Clark, DVM, who examined insulin resistance in diabetic cats as part of her Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois. Kevin Esch, DVM, who focused on leishmaniasis while earning a master’s degree in public health at Iowa State University. Allen Page, DVM, who studied Lawsonia intracellurlaris infections in horses while earning a Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky. Nichol Schultz, DVM, who investigated equine metabolic syndrome while enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Minnesota. Joshua A. Stern, DVM, who completed a Ph.D. while researching subvalvular aortic stenosis at …
Holistic Nutrition Buy-InSeptember 17, 2013 She’s one of your most dedicated clients, yet she steadfastly refuses advice about diets for her dogs and cats. She views Big Pet Food as the ultimate evil-doer, suspecting you were brainwashed during veterinary school to believe that her "little lion” should eat carbohydrate kibble instead of daily raw quail as advised by her "holistic nutritionist.” She is convinced that you missed her dog’s wheat allergy but is thankful that her chiropractor found it. When asked how, she stated that the chiropractor performed "muscle testing" and examined her as a surrogate because her dog could not follow the necessary directions. Her ability to resist the chiropractor’s downward pressure on her outstretched arm weakened when she held a vial of wheat against the dog. He concluded that wheat "broke the energy circuit" between them and this indicated an allergy to the substance. He then prescribed a grain-free diet and performed adjustments on the spine to fix the problem. Welcome to the wacky world of holistic nutrition, where consumers and bloggers trust each other’s input more than yours. You represent the establishment, evidenced by shelves of what they consider "unhealthful" food. You may have found that …
Humane Association Helping Pets In Flood-Damaged ColoradoSeptember 16, 2013 An advance team is already on the ground, said Justin L. Scally, national director of emergency services at the Washington, D.C.-based American Humane Association. Boulder County Animal Control invited Red Star and another animal welfare group, Code 3 Associates, to assist pets in need and help with emergency rescue operations, the American Humane Association reported Sunday. "Our Red Star staff and volunteers will be working closely with local authorities and other agencies ... to find, rescue, shelter and make sure animals separated from their families get home safely,” Scally said. The Red Star effort has financial backing from Mars Petcare US, whose food brands include Pedigree for dogs and Whiskas for cats. "We’re working closely with American Humane Association to provide critical help where and when it is needed most,” said Debra Fair, vice president of corporate affairs for Mars Petcare US in Franklin, Tenn. Parts of Colorado were hit by up to 15 inches of rainfall in less than a week. "Floods are among the most terrifying and destructive of natural disasters,” said Robin Ganzert, …
Third Zoobiquity Conference Scheduled For Nov. 2September 16, 2013 The meeting, set for Nov. 2 in New York City, is a collaborative attempt to improve the health of both animal and human patients. "This is an exciting opportunity to bring people from different disciplines to better understand the role of important comparative areas, such as genetics, in deciphering disease processes,” said Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute. The conference gets its name from conference chairwoman and cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD, and Kathryn Bowers, who co-authored the book "Zoobiquity,” which examines the connection between human and animal health. New York City’s Animal Medical Center is sponsoring the conference along with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. The conference’s morning session will be held at Rockefeller University, and the afternoon session will take place at the Bronx Zoo. Fourteen veterinarians are either conference leaders or faculty. Among them are Richard E. Goldstein, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, chief medical officer at the Animal Medical Center; Paul P. Calle, VMD, Dipl. ACZM, chief veterinarian with the Wildlife …
Bayer Invests In Animal Medicine Lab In New ZealandSeptember 16, 2013 Bayer HealthCare bolstered its Animal Health Division by spending $800,000 to upgrade a laboratory dedicated to the development of livestock and companion animal medicines. The research facility, on the campus of the Centre for Innovation and Development in Auckland, New Zealand, focuses on new formulations and other interests, including the treatment of mastitis in dairy cows. "This new laboratory represents Bayer’s continued commitment to developing new veterinary solutions,” said Douglas Hutchens, DVM, Ph.D., chief veterinary officer and head of global development for the Animal Health Division. The Germany-based company in 2011 acquired New Zealand’s largest privately owned animal health company, Bomac, which operated a laboratory that the new facility replaces. "By expanding the work of the Centre for Innovation and Development, we are investing in developments that will benefit veterinarians and farmers globally,” Dr. Hutchens said. The $800,000 was spent on equipment and to build out previously vacant space, keeping construction costs to a minimum. Bayer reported this month that it expects to identify new combinations of medicines for both the regional and global markets. …
Iowa State Offers Zoonotic Diseases Web CourseSeptember 11, 2013 Rabies, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis are among the zoonotic diseases to be addressed in a new online course hosted by the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. "Zoonoses: Protecting People and Their Pets” will examine the human-animal bond and cover companion animal zoonotic diseases and their prevention and treatment. "Companion animals play an important role in people’s lives,” said course instructor Glenda Dvorak, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM. "Partnerships between human, veterinary and public health professionals are needed to raise awareness, enhance detection and promote prevention of zoonotic diseases to protect the health of people and pets.” The topic areas include "Animal Bites, Scratches and Disease Transmission,” "Companion Animal Zoonoses and Children” and "Environmental Zoonoses: Shared Environments, Shared Risks.” The seven hours of lessons may be completed from Oct. 7 to Nov. 3. Participants may study at their own pace in pursuit of a certificate of completion. Anyone who registers before Oct. 3 will pay $50, which includes a textbook. The course is subsidized through a grant from the Center of Excellence …
USDA Cracks Down On Internet Pet SalesSeptember 11, 2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has narrowed the definition of a retail pet store in a move that brings more Internet animal sellers under federal oversight. The government on Tuesday issued a final rule that is expected to affect up to 4,640 dog breeders, 325 cat breeders and 75 rabbit breeders nationwide. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed the rule in May 2012 in an effort to address what the agency calls "sight unseen” transactions in which a buyer never sees the animal or its living conditions before purchase. The rule forces many of those breeders to comply with Animal Welfare Act guidelines. "We know that if the federal standards are being met, the animals are getting humane care and treatment,” said Ed Avalos, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. "By revising the definition of retail pet store to better suit today’s marketplace, we will now improve the welfare of more pet animals sold sight unseen.” The rule exempts a number of operations and people, including traditional pet stores, sellers of working dogs, most animal rescues …
