Texas Senate To Hear Dog, Cat Breeder BillMay 10, 2011 A Texas bill that seeks to establish a licensing process for pet breeders is up for a public hearing before a Senate committee on Thursday, May 12, 2011. House Bill 1451, which passed the House late last month, would require the state’s dog and cat breeders to receive a license from the state Department of Licensing and Regulation. A dog or cat breeder is defined as any person who possesses 11 or more adult intact female animals and is engaged in the business of breeding animals for direct or indirect sales or for exchange in return for consideration. The original version of the bill would have prohibited breeders from possessing more than 50 adult intact female animals at any time, unless he or she receives a special exemption from the department. That provision has been removed. Under HB 1451, licensees would have to be inspected at least once every 18 months and “at other times as necessary to ensure compliance.” Previously, the original version of the bill called for licensees to be inspected at least once every 12 months. Inspections may be done by department employees, but the bill also allows for inspection …
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Veterinary Shortage Needs May Be Answered With Veterinary Services Investment ActMay 10, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association penned an action alert press release on Monday, May 9, urging veterinarians to contact their Senators to be original cosponsors of the Veterinary Services Investment Act. Senators Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Debbie Stabenow D-Mich., are currently circulating a ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ in support of Veterinary Services Investment Act. This bill will help address the nation’s most pressing veterinary needs, according to its authors. The bill was first introduced during the last session of Congress and is now being reintroduced. Justification for the bill is the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians working with the U.S. food supply, food and public safety. More than 1,300 counties have less than one farm veterinarian per 25,000 farm animals, while more than 500 counties have at least 5,000 farm animals but no veterinarians living there to treat them. More veterinarians are needed in nearly every area of veterinary medicine but particularly in large animal medicine to treat livestock and poultry, according to the AVMA. Veterinarians practicing public health are needed for the first line of defense on disease surveillance and food safety, the bill's authors state. The bill would establish a grant program …
Veterinary Practice Managers Earn CertificationMay 9, 2011The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) today announced new members earning credentials as Certified Veterinary Practice Managers (CVPM). Certification is achieved by demonstrating knowledge and experience necessary to successfully manage the evolving operations of a veterinary practice. VHMA supports veterinary practice management with guiding principles, including the pursuit of excellence in practice management, opening channels of communication and networking among practices. The CVPM program includes a written examination that tests relevant management knowledge in human resources, law and ethics, marketing, organization of the practice and finance. Among veterinary practice leaders, the CVPM designation is recognized to represents the highest credential. VHMA's members who have recently earned their CVPM credential are: Nancy L. Brown (Fryeburg, Maine) Andrea Crabtree BS (Orange, Calif.) Mickey Owen Fenno (Bowie, Maryland) Nicole Jennifer Frost, CVT (Prescott Valley, Ariz.) Robert D. Gribble, DVM (Hallsville, Texas) Stacey Colleen Hayner (Seekonk, Mass.) Patricia Hunt, CVT (Miami, Fla.) Patti McCarragher (Mississauga, Ontario) Margaret Morozov (Augusta, NJ) John Edward Schaible, VMD (Bethlehem, Penn.) Julie Stewart CVT, PHR (Winter Haven, Fla.) Melissa Rochelle Tompkins-Rupert BS, CVPM (Orange, Calif.)
USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Accepting ApplicationsMay 9, 2011 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that applications are being taken for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). The National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of debt they incurred while pursuing their veterinary medicine degrees in return for their service in designated high-priority veterinary shortage situations for an allotted period of time. If a qualified veterinarian commits to at least three years in providing veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, USDA’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) may repay up to $25,000 of their student loan debt annually. Loan repayment benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received for the attendance at an accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or Veterinary Medical Degree. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) facilitated a Texas stakeholder working group to identify areas in need of rural vet practitioners. Eight multi-county areas in Texas have been designated as VMLRP shortage situations. These shortages include treating beef and dairy cattle, small ruminants, swine, poultry and equine. Click here …
FDA OKs First Test To Diagnose, Distinguish MRSA And MSSAMay 9, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the KeyPath MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test as the first test for Staphylococcus aureus infections that is able to identify the bacteria as methicillin resistant (MRSA) or methicillin susceptible (MSSA). The test determines whether bacteria growing in a patient’s positive blood culture sample are MRSA or MSSA within about five hours after any bacterial growth is detected in the sample. Aside from blood culture equipment, the test does not require any specific instruments to get results. The new test was approved for human use and will not be marketed for veterinary use at this time, according to the FDA. “This will have only limited impact on our veterinary patients,” says Anthea Schick, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, of Dermatology for Animals in Avondale, Ariz. “This test can tell a methicillin resistant staph aureus case from a susceptible one in blood culture. Most cases of methicillin resistant staph in our veterinary patients are due to a different species of staph (Staphylococcus pseudintermedius) and most cultures we are submitting are from skin samples, ear infections and draining tracts rather than blood infections.” The test was primarily developed with human MRSA conditions in …
Hill’s Calls On Owners Of Paunchy Pets To Take ‘Million Pound Pledge’May 6, 2011 Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., and Alison Sweeney, host of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, launched an initiative today aimed at helping pudgy pets shed pounds. The Science Diet Million Pound Pledge invites owners of overweight or obese cats and dogs to visit PetFit.com and pledge to help their pet lose weight. All participating pet owners will receive a “Try Me Free” rebate for a Science Diet weight management food of their choice, redeemable at PetSmart, and gain access to interactive weight loss tools to help their pets get back to a healthy weight. The goal is to help the nation’s pets lose a combined total of 1 million pounds and become more healthy. “Making sure that my family eats healthy and exercises is extremely important to me, so when I found out that my dog Winky needed to lose a few pounds, it was really upsetting,” Sweeney said. “With the help of Science Diet, Winky is back on track and now I’m encouraging loving owners across the country to visit PetFit.com and pledge to help their pets lose weight.” To coincide with the launch of the Science Diet …
VCA Offers Free Boarding For Pets Affected By Recent DisastersMay 5, 2011 VCA Animal Hospitals announced that select locations are offering free boarding assistance for companion animals whose families have lost homes, or have been evacuated, due to storms in the southeast and wildfires in Texas. The VCA Becker Animal Hospital in Homewood, Ala.,is offering free boarding for those affected by tornadoes in the state. For more information on the hospital as well as free boarding, click here. VCA Catoosa Animal Hospital in Ringgold, GA., is offering free boarding as well. For more information on the hospital as well as free boarding, click here. "VCA has a long-standing tradition of working in its local communities to help provide the best for pet parents and their pets," said Art Antin, chief operating officer of VCA Animal Hospitals. "For residents affected by the recent devastating events, VCA is working to assist them by providing free pet boarding so they can focus on the safety and welfare of their families and homes." For those affected by the ongoing wildfires in Texas, 20 VCA Animal hospitals located in the Dallas - Fort Worth area are offering free boarding. There is also a
Public Health Vets Release Guidelines To Prevent ZoonosesMay 5, 2011 Hand washing is the most important step a person can take to reduce the risk of contracting a disease after coming into contact with animals in a public setting, such as a pet store, according to a report released today by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Inc. (NASPHV). While human-animal contact has many benefits, NASPHV notes in the report that an inadequate understanding of disease transmission and animal behavior can increase the likelihood of infectious diseases, rabies exposures, injuries and other health problems among visitors, especially children. Infections with intestinal bacteria and parasites pose the highest risk for human disease, according to the Nashville, Tenn., organization. The risk for human infection can be increased by factors and behaviors such as hand-to-mouth activities such as thumb sucking, eating, using pacifiers) and by the layout and maintenance of facilities. Hand washing, the report states, is the most important prevention step for reducing disease transmission. Hands should always be washed immediately after exiting animal areas, after removing soiled clothing or shoes, and before eating or drinking. The design of facilities and animal pens should minimize the risk associated with animal contact by encouraging …
Salmonella Concerns Prompt Pig Ear RecallMay 4, 2011 Keys Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Paris, Ill., is recalling its Pig Ears for Pet Treats because the product may be contaminated with salmonella. The recall affects Pig Ears for Pet Treats with the UPC number 7 61094 15000. The treats were shipped in 100 count cases between Sept. 27 and Oct. 6, 2010; Nov. 1 and Nov. 29, 2010; and Jan. 3 and Jan. 25, 2011, to distributors in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas and Minnesota. Distributors repackaged the treats for retailers. Distributors were separately notified of the problem and instructed to notify their retail customers, according to the company. A report of an ill dog in Missouri prompted the recall. Pets with salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only experience a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. Pet owners should contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet consumed the recalled treats or is experiencing any of the above symptoms. People handling the treats can become infected with salmonella, especially if they …
Hawaii Seeks To Prohibit Sale Of Intact PetsMay 2, 2011 Hawaii legislators are seeking changes to a proposed animal cruelty bill in an effort to prohibit the sale of unsterilized dogs and cats. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) is urging the public to promptly speak out against the amendment, which it calls a “perversion” of the original bill. As amended, House Bill 243 would prohibit a pet retailer from selling an unsterilized dog or cat. The purpose of this measure is to “mitigate the suffering of the feral cat and stray dog population,” according to the bill. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2012. The original version of HB 243 provided that the killing, or attempted killing, of an animal of another person without that person’s consent would constitute animal cruelty in the first degree. PIJAC issued an industry alert today in which the Washington, D.C.-based organization claimed the amended version of HB 243 establishes an unprecedented restriction on pet owners. “There are various reasons why some pet owners prefer to obtain intact animals, and the decision to spay or neuter a pet is now made by the pet owner in consultation with his or her licensed veterinarian,” PIJAC stated in the alert. …
