Mississippi State Prepares To Host Rabies SymposiumMay 17, 2013 The location, on the campus of Mississippi State University, was chosen last year during a competition between U.S. veterinary colleges in which pharmaceutical giant Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga., asked students to raise awareness about rabies in their communities. Mississippi State's Class of 2016 hosted a community education program and coined the phrase "Less Rabies, More Cowbell,” which was printed on T-shirts sold to students and faculty. "We had a great time competing and promoting rabies education last year,” said Ryan Gibson, Class of 2016 president. "Getting to host this national event this year is an honor.” The symposium will address rabies from local to international angles. Its goals are to increase rabies awareness and its impact on human and animal health and to encourage prevention through education and animal vaccination. Hundreds of experts and students are expected to attend the conference, which will take place on World Rabies Day. Hosting the event is as opportunity to highlight the intersection of animal and human health, said Kent Hoblet, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVPM, the dean of
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Veterinary Social Work Summit Was A Success!May 15, 2013 In my last blog, I shared information about the Veterinary Social Work Summit. Now, the event has happened, so I wanted to give an update. In my humble opinion, it was a great success! Why? Well, attendance has grown by roughly 30 to 40 percent, and best of all, there was a great mix of people from both areas of expertise, veterinary medicine and social work. That resulted in greater collaboration and mixture of topics presented. They had numerous presentations on each one of the four basic cornerstones of Veterinary Social Work: Animal-assisted therapy (for "humans”) The link between animal and human abuse Pet loss and grief Compassion fatigue Of course, my area is veterinary medicine, but I wanted to touch on the two most "non-veterinary” cornerstones to give you a glimpse into this special program. Just briefly touching on the first cornerstone, most of us are familiar with animals that provide "therapy” to certain groups of people. It’s important …
Banfield Documents Pet Life Spans, Common AilmentsMay 15, 2013 Dogs in Mississippi and Alabama don’t live as long as their cousins from other states, Banfield Pet Hospital reported today in its 2013 State of Pet Health Report. The annual survey, which also looked at the most common diagnoses and other statistical trends, was based on data compiled from visits by 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats to Banfield hospitals in 2012. Sterilized pets tended to live longer, the Banfield data revealed. Neutered cats lived, on average, 62 percent longer than unneutered males, while spayed cats lived 39 percent longer than unspayed females. For dogs, neutered males lived 18 percent longer. Spayed females enjoyed a 23 percent advantage. "Although considerable differences in life span were highlighted in comparisons of pets by year, sex, reproductive status, breed size and state of residence, the factors underlying these differences remain to be identified,” said Sandi Lefebvre, DVM, Ph.D., veterinary research associate at Banfield Pet Hospital. "Our internal research team is following up on this report’s findings by thoroughly investigating factors that might influence life span in dogs and cats—factors such as body condition that, when effectively managed, may help keep pets with their owners longer.” Here …
Bayer Rolls Out Former Teva ProductsMay 14, 2013 Bayer HealthCare’s $145 million purchase of Teva Animal Health began paying off last week with the reintroduction of six products in the DVM line. The rebranded items, which retained Teva’s DVM logo, were among 75 products acquired in January. More rollouts from the DVM line, which is sold through the veterinary channel, are expected to occur over the next 12 to 18 months, Bayer reported. The newly available products include: • ChlorhexiDerm 4% Shampoo, an antimicrobial shampoo formulated for dogs, cats and horses. • Free Form Liquid, an omega-3 fatty acid formulation designed for overall pet wellness. • Malaseb Flush, an antimicrobial solution for skin conditions associated with infections in dogs, cats and horses. • OtiRinse ear cleanser. • Relief Spray and Relief Creme Rinse itch relief for dogs, cats and horses. Coinciding with the reintroduction was the launch of Preva Medicated Wipes, which are intended for veterinary use during medical procedures. "The rapid introduction of the widely recognized and respected DVM brands shows how the acquisition fits well with our strategic goals to strengthen and broaden our range of animal care solutions for companion …
Poor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian VetsMay 14, 2013 Poor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian VetsPoor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian Vetsinfection, Sydney, veterinarian, equipment, study, Dhand, animal, patient, mask, gown Nearly half of all surveyed Australian veterinarians have contracted an infection from a patient, according to researchers at the University of Sydney, who found that many practitioners failed to protect themselves adequately when exposed to sick animals.75 percent of veterinarians used adequate protection, such as masks, gowns and gloves, to prevent infection while performing postmortems, dental procedures and surgeries, a University of Sydney survey found.newsline Posted: May 14, 2013, 2:35 p.m. EDT Nearly half of all surveyed Australian veterinarians have contracted an infection from a patient, according to researchers at the University of Sydney, who found that many practitioners failed to protect themselves adequately when exposed to sick animals. The study, published Monday in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine, documented rampant noncompliance with infection-control standards. "There is an urgent need for our profession to better educate vets about protecting themselves, and by extension the general public, against contracting infection from animals,” said principal investigator Navneet Dhand, MACVSc, MVSc, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. To their credit, 75 percent of …
Study Finds 10% Of Pet Adoptions Fail QuicklyMay 10, 2013 Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly adoption, pet, dog, cat, study, failure, shelter, American Humane, behavior, adoptNewly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months.Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. newsline Posted: May 10, 2013, 3:50 p.m. EDT Newly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months. The Animal Welfare Research Institute, an arm of the American Humane Association, released the results of the second part of the "Keeping Pets (Dogs and Cats) in Homes Retention Study” on Wednesday to coincide with Be Kind to Animals Week. Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. Why? People who cited commitment, health and behavior as "always” important issues in an adoption were less likely to keep a pet, compared …
Luitpold Warns Of Adequan I.m. ShortagesMay 10, 2013 The drug has no generic equivalent and is the only polysulfated glycosaminoglycan approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Luitpold added. The plant renovations, intended to guarantee higher quality standards, depleted the supply of Adequan, the company stated. "We have carefully managed supply to allocate inventory optimally, but the product will be out of stock for a short period of time,” Luitpold acknowledged. "We expect to resume shipments of the 5mL in early July, followed by the 50mL in August.” Approved for equine use in 1984, no other polysulfated glycosaminoglycan has been developed to treat noninfectious degenerative or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses, the company stated. "We recommend careful evaluation of any alternative product claims to ensure safety and efficacy,” Luitpold added. The company is fielding questions through its Customer Service Department at 800-458-0163. Updates and more information will be posted at Adequan.com. An Adequan i.m. shortage also occurred in 2011, when back orders were in effect because of issues involving …
Vets, Ceva Hit Road For Animal Behavior EducationMay 10, 2013 The Keep the L.O.V.E. Alive Behavior Express Tour began May 4 in Chicago and resumes May 18 in St. Louis at Bark in the Park, a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Missouri. Partnering with Ceva is the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), which is sending board-certified veterinarians to answer pet owner questions at several tour events. "Thousands of pets die needlessly each year due to untreated behavior problems,” said Debra Horwitz, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, a tour spokeswoman. "This campaign calls attention to these alarming statistics and reinforces the critical role of veterinarians in helping pet owners resolve those behavior problems to keep that love alive.” L.O.V.E. stands for "Lean on Veterinary Expertise.” Representatives from Ceva, which makes Feliway and Adaptil behavior products, will distribute ACVB pet behavior tips and conduct free giveaways at each stop. The complete bus tour schedule: May 18: St. Louis (Bark in the Park) June 1: New York City (Adoptapalooza) June 29-30: San Francisco (Gay Pride Parade) Sept. 8: Boston …
Hill’s Launches Disaster Relief Network For PetsMay 9, 2013 Pet food maker Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., aims to do more to meet the crushing needs of animal victims of natural disasters, announcing Wednesday that it established the Disaster Relief Network through its Food, Shelter & Love program. The purpose is to more quickly and efficiently distribute pet food to disaster-affected animals through a network of 100 shelters nationwide. "I saw firsthand the tremendous work that Hill’s does when they supported my shelter during the wildfires in Colorado last year,” said Jan McHugh-Smith, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, located in Colorado Springs, Colo. The shelter network, which Hill’s called the first of its kind, will coordinate emergency pet food deliveries during times of disaster. "Hill’s has a long-standing history of helping pets in need by assisting communities during natural disasters—partnering with shelters, veterinary hospitals, pet care organizations and communities to ensure that pets and shelter animals are fed and cared for,” said Kostas Kontopanos, president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. U.S. The network, he said, formalizes the work Hill’s …
New Scrutiny On Early Neutering After UC Davis Study On GoldensMay 7, 2013 For Veterinary Practice News With a raft of publicity, a recent and widely read retrospective study that identified increased risk of certain joint disorders and cancers in neutered golden retrievers has sparked discussion within the veterinary community. Reaction illustrates how entrenched neutering is within the U.S. veterinary profession. Many were quick to point out the study’s limitations, including that it was retrospective; that it was conducted at a tertiary site; that the authors did not include any veterinary oncologists; that the sample size was limited; and that the intact animals may have been intact because they were likely breeding stock and therefore screened for health. "Retrospective studies seldom look at line breeding and other statistically significant impacts of the ‘n’ being studied,” said Thomas Catanzaro, DVM, MHA, LFACHE, 2012 Bustad award winner and a practice management consultant in Australia. "This study does not qualify the breeding lines of the animals being reported, and therefore is not as significant as it is made to seem.” The paper’s lead author, Ben Hart, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVB, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, said the study is significant and should prompt immediate changes in …
