Pet Frogs Behind Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak, CDC SaysDecember 8, 2009 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with health officials across the U.S. to investigate a multistate outbreak of salmonella due to contact with water frogs, including African Dwarf Frogs. In an alert issued on Dec. 7, the CDC reported 48 illnesses in 25 states. Among the persons with reported dates available, illnesses began between June 24 and November 14. More than three-quarters of the patients are younger than 10 years old, and the median age is 4 years. No deaths have been reported, according to the CDC. Preliminary analysis suggests contact with frogs, including water frogs such as African Dwarf Frogs, is a likely source of the infections. Investigators found the salmonella strain in aquariums containing aquatic frogs in three homes of ill individuals, the CDC reported. The CDC recommends that pet store owners and others who sell or display amphibians and reptiles provide information to owners and potential purchasers about the risks of acquiring salmonellosis from these animals. Consumers are advised to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching any amphibian or a reptile and after handling their housing, food or anything that comes in contact with …
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FDA Launches Pet Health And Safety WidgetDecember 8, 2009 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a pet health and safety widget on Dec. 8 as part of an ongoing effort to provide timely, user-friendly, public health information. Website administrators can embed widgets in Web pages or blogs to display featured content, in this case pet health and safety information provided by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. It allows consumers to view the information without having to visit the FDA’s website. “We have a lot of information, a lot of important advice, and it’s very important for FDA to share that with the community that cares for pets,” said Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., FDA’s principal deputy commissioner. Specifically, the FDA’s pet health and safety widget will display such topics as how to report a problem with pet food, purchasing pet drugs online, and caring for pets in a disaster. The widget has two tabs, one titled “tips” and, the other, “updates.” The tips tab highlights pet health and safety articles. The updates tab will provide up-to-the-minute recall notices and veterinary drug news for consumers. Click here for the pet health and safety widget. <HOME>
Emerging Threat Of Canine InfluenzaDecember 7, 2009The growing range of influenza viruses has many people concerned about their risk of infection and the risk level of their pets. Private practitioners bear the brunt of inquiries and are being asked to make determinations of viral spread that stump virologists and epidemiologists. What is known about the canine influenza virus is that the country’s shelter populations and boarding facilities are at the highest risk. Experts say the virus could spread in a shelter environment as readily as other respiratory infections, including canine infectious tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough. But show dogs, race dogs, boarded dogs and even those that frequent dog parks are at heightened risk of exposure as well. “This is an emerging disease which is the impetus for all of the funding dollars going toward research,” says Wayne A. Jensen, DVM, Ph.D., MBA, chief scientific officer for Morris Animal Foundation. “There are all sorts of questions about this virus, and not a lot of knowledge. Our earlier concerns about the virus were that it would be deadly. Although it has largely been controlled, we need to quickly gather information as we don’t know the virus’ speed of mutation or full capabilities yet.” The U.S. strain of H3N8 …
Declaws Should Be Performed HumanelyDecember 7, 2009 We have all heard some of the reasons onychectomy is evil: • It as a barbaric as cutting people’s knuckles off. Cats end up miserably painful and unable to walk and jump for the rest of their lives. • No reasonable cat would willingly choose to have the procedure done. • Vets have only gone to school for, like, 20 years or so, and are obviously incapable of making intelligent decisions. Plus, they’re in it for the money. Therefore, politicians, lobbyists and activists should make sound decisions for them. Some of the grounds to allow vets to do declaws include: • It is a surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia, which should only be offered after discussing the pros and cons with the owner--just like any other surgery. • Declawing should not be a convenience or an automatic procedure. It should be chosen as a last resort, when other recognized, established options (regular nail trimming, training, glued-on plastic nail caps, etc.) have failed. • Scratching babies, kids, grandmas, chemo patients, AIDS patients and furniture is not always easy to prevent. In selected cases, declawing may then be an alternative to relinquishment or euthanasia. • Forbidding vets to perform …
Financial News Briefs - December 2009December 7, 2009VCA Same-Store Revenue Drops 4.9% VCA Antech Inc.’s animal hospital division reported revenue of $257.4 million in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to $253.3 million in the year-ago period. The 1.6 percent increase was driven by acquisitions made in the past 12 months. Same-store revenue dropped by 4.9 percent during the quarter. However, the company noted that same-store gross profit margin improved by 40 basis points, to 20.5 percent. Four acquisitions made during the quarter had combined annual revenue of $8.4 million. Year to date, the division reported revenue of $757 million, compared to $730.4 million in the year-ago period. VCA Antech’s laboratory division reported third-quarter revenue of $77.5 million, compared to $77.1 million in the year-ago period. Year to date, the division’s revenue was $237.8 million, up from $235.6 million. VCA Antech’s medical technology division reported third-quarter revenue of $13.7 million, compared to $12.5 million in the year-ago period. Year to date, the revenue was $33.5 million, down from $38.2 million. Overall, the Los Angeles-based company reported third-quarter net income of $37.5 million on revenue of $338.6 million, compared to $36.9 million and $332 million, respectively, in the year-ago period. …
Animal Hospital In Arizona Goes GreenDecember 4, 2009Animal Hospital in Arizona Goes GreenAnimal Hospital in Arizona Goes GreennewslinePosted: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 Central Animal Hospital of Tucson, Ariz., has moved into a 5,000-square-foot “green” facility. The hospital expects to be the first veterinary hospital in North America to receive a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Paperwork should be completed by year’s end, according to co-owner Michael Samuels, DVM. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized “green” certification system that provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using environmentally friendly and energy-saving features. Dr. Samuels and co-owner Judy Miller, DVM, said they believe it is the responsibility of business owners, especially those in health care, to take into consideration the health of the environment as well as the health of patients when constructing facilities. Some of the building’s green features include: Extensive daylight. The building brings in natural light using a central light monitor, glass block and Solatube Daylighting systems. Automatic adjustable lighting. Depending on the available natural light, high-efficiency electric lights will adjust to provide the proper lighting. Ventilation. Carbon dioxide and temperature sensors adjust the ventilation to provide a healthy and comfortable …
New Haven County VMA Is BackDecember 4, 2009 After almost three decades of dormancy, the New Haven County, Conn., Veterinary Medical Assn. has reformed. “The association had been very active in the 1960s and 1970s, but over time with leadership changes and a dip in membership, people stopped showing up at the meetings,” said Ken Aldrich, hospital director at the New Haven Central Veterinary Hospital, who spearheaded the revival. “It eventually became inactive.” After noticing a disconnect among veterinarians in New Haven, Aldrich checked with key hospitals and found interest in restarting the group. The initial meeting, held in March 2008, brought in about 85 people. “We have been amazed at the outpouring of support,” Aldrich said. “We have really tried to cater the lectures and locations to the needs of the veterinarians. It is great to see that desire for continuing education and for connecting personally with peers.” Aldrich said he’s especially exciting to see how the association has brought different generations together to discuss veterinary medicine. Click here to visit the group’s newly launched website. <HOME>
UC Davis Launches Disease Surveillance SystemDecember 4, 2009 The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine has launched a global early-warning system, called PREDICT, in an effort to find and control diseases that move between wildlife and people. The system, which will be developed with funding of up to $75 million over five years, is one of five new initiatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development known in combination as the Emerging Pandemic Threats Program. The USAID is developing these initiatives to help prepare the world for infectious diseases such as H1N1 flu, avian flu, SARS and Ebola. Davis’ primary PREDICT partners are the Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Trust, Global Viral Forecasting Inc. and Smithsonian Institution. The team will be active in global hotspots where important wildlife host species have significant interaction with domestic animals and high-density human populations. This may include South America’s Amazon Basin, Africa’s Congo Basin and neighboring Rift Valley, South Asia’s Gangetic Plain and Southeast Asia. As activities in targeted regions come online, the team will focus on detecting disease-causing organisms in wildlife before they spill over into people. Among the 1,461 pathogens recognized to cause diseases in humans, at least 60 percent are of animal origin, …
‘Pets And Poisons’ Leaflet Focuses On Holiday SafetyDecember 4, 2009 In light of the upcoming holidays, the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation has re-launched its “Pets and Poisons” leaflet to warn pet owners about common household and garden substances that may be dangerous to pets. Such hazards include raisins, chocolate, liquorice, antifreeze and electrical cables, among others. “Our message to pet owners is don’t ruin your Christmas through carelessness,” said Bill Reilly, president of the BVA. “The loss or illness of a family pet is devastating but poisoning in the home can be easily avoided. “Some substances may make your animal drool or vomit so they should always have access to clean drinking water. If there is any doubt or concern, owners should contact their vets for advice immediately.” Substances that can be poisonous to pets, as outlined by the BVA, include: Chocolate and liquorice (common Christmas gifts) Raisins and sultans (used in Christmas cake recipes) Certain nuts Xylitol-sweetened foods Sweets Other foods such as onions, avocados and grapes Plants such as lilies and daffodils Cleaning and do-it-yourself products Car anti-freeze Human medicines Substances with low toxicity that could cause drooling, vomiting or diarrhea include: Blu-Tack or other similar adhesives (used to put up …
Survey: Nonprofits Report Decreased Contributions In 2009December 4, 2009 A new survey of public charity and private foundation employees found that 51 percent of the organizations saw a decline in contributions over the first nine months of 2009, compared to 35 percent in the year-ago period. The major factors cited for a decline in contributions were fewer individuals giving (69 percent) and smaller gifts (also 69 percent). The online survey was conducted in October by GuideStar, which provides data on more than 1.8 million IRS-recognized organizations. About 2,565 organizations were surveyed, 133 of those were animal-related. About 46 percent of the respondents said that their organization receives the majority of donations between October and December, the period known as the giving season. Of this number, 45 percent anticipate that total contributions for the 2009 giving season will be lower than those for the 2008 giving season, according to the survey. On top of that, about 62 percent of respondents reported increased demand for their organization’s services. Still, only 31 percent said that their organization had reduced budgets for 2010. Another 36 percent reported increased budgets for 2010 and 29 percent said that next year’s budgets would be the same as this year’s, according to …
