Iowa Cat Tests Positive For H1N1November 4, 2009 Iowa officials confirmed Nov. 4 that a cat has tested positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. This is the first time this strain of influenza has been diagnosed in a cat. Up until this point, H1N1 had only been found in humans, pigs, birds and ferrets. The 13-year-old indoor cat was taken to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where it was tested. “Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat become ill,” said Ann Garvey, DVM, public health veterinarian at the Iowa Department of Public Health. “This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past.” Both the cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses. The diagnosis was made in collaboration of the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Center for Advanced Host Defenses, Immunobiotics and Translational Comparative Medicine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Animal Industry Bureau. This is not the only recent H1N1 first. On …
SPONSORED CONTENTThe clear reco for hidden stressOur therapeutic nutrition targets underlying stress in cats with GI or urinary issues — helping provide relief to pets and their humans. + Learn More
Canine Influenza Virus Shelter Study LaunchedNovember 3, 2009 The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched a three-year study on Canine Influenza Virus (CIV), also commonly called the dog flu. The study, funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, aims to help shelters develop testing and control methods to limit the effects of the disease in communities nationwide. Miranda Spindel, DVM, ASPCA director of veterinary outreach, and Gabriele Landolt, DVM, of Colorado State University’s Department of Clinical Sciences, will conduct the study, which will include ASPCA shelter partners in Tampa, Fla.; Austin, Texas; Sacramento, Calif.,; Charleston, S.C.; New York; and Denver, Colo. “Infection control practices can reduce the risk of CIV and are key to preventing the spread of viral disease within facilities,” Dr. Spindel said. “Due to the fact that the virus is easily transmitted between dogs housed in close contact with each other, it is problematic for animal shelters. This study seeks to address this vulnerable population.” The study will also determine whether a rapid “bedside” test can be effectively used for screening dogs upon entering the shelter. If such a test were available, dogs could be tested for CIV prior …
FDA Issues Alert On Pet Insulin Product Due To Formulation ProblemsNovember 3, 2009 Veterinarians are being warned to closely monitor dogs and cats receiving Vetsulin because the product may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation, according to an alert sent out Nov. 2 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. Vetsulin, which is manufactured by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, is a porcine insulin zinc suspension used to treat diabetes in animals. Because the product is out of specification, there could be a delay in insulin action and overall longer duration of insulin activity, according to the FDA. Products having significant problems with stability can affect the management of chronic diseases. Unstable insulin products can result in unpredictable fluctuations in the glucose levels of diabetic patients, the FDA noted in its alert. Veterinarians are urged to monitor patients for any changes in onset or duration of activity, or for any signs of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. The classic signs of hyperglycemia include increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss and lethargy. The classic signs of hypoglycemia include disorientation, unsteadiness, weakness, lethargy and seizures. The FDA said that while Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is working with them to resolve the issue, supplies may be limited. Therefore, the FDA …
Seasons Of Suppers Pet Food Drive Now Under WayNovember 3, 2009 The Seasons of Suppers campaign is under way and once again aiming to feed a record number of pets owned by homebound seniors who receive meals from Meals On Wheels. The campaign, now in its fourth year, is run by the Banfield Charitable Trust in partnership with Banfield, The Pet Hospital and Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). The Banfield Charitable Trust said that it hopes to double monetary donations this year to fund, or start, new pet feeding programs through We All Love Our Pets (WALOP) grants. Last year, the Trust raised $42,000 in monetary donations, which funded more than 50 WALOP grants. Meals On Wheels programs throughout the country can apply for these grants to initiate or sustain pet-food distribution programs locally. In addition to the money raised last year, the campaign also collected thousands of pounds of pet food that local Meals On Wheels programs distribute. Banfield alone collected 13,000 pounds last year at its main campus in Portland, Ore. “MOWAA’s mission is to eradicate senior hunger by 2020,” said Enid Borden, president and chief executive officer of the association. “That is our focus, and …
UPDATE: FTC Extends Red Flags Rule Enforcement To 2010November 3, 2009 The Federal Trade Commission is delaying enforcement of the Red Flags Rule, a section of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003, until June 1, 2010. The FTC posted a notice on its website Friday stating that the delay is at the request of Members of Congress. Enforcement was to begin Nov. 1. The rule is an anti-fraud regulation requiring creditors and financial institutions with covered accounts to implement programs to identify, detect and respond to the warning signs, or “red flags,” that could indicate identify theft. Veterinarians fall into the category of creditors, which is defined as any entity that regularly extends or renews credit—or arranges for others to do so—and includes all entities that regularly permit deferred payments for goods or services. However, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 3763 proposing to exempt certain businesses, including veterinarians, with less than 20 employees from having to comply with the rule. The bill replaces H.R. 2345 and now goes to the U.S. Senate. Since the bill has not been passed into law, veterinarians are still expected to comply with the rule before the current enforcement date, according to the American Veterinary Medical …
Obesity Is Just As Bad As SmokingNovember 1, 2009The fact that obesity reduces lifespan is a well established fact in dogs and several other animal species. Dr. Kealy1 and others have shown, in a classic study, that thin Labs outlive overweight Labs by almost two years (13 years vs. 11 years on average). I've always wondered when physicians would show a similar correlation in people. They finally have. A recent article in the Lancet2 made the point. This is a gigantic study: The researchers reviewed 57 studies, for a total of 900,000 human patients in the US, Europe, Japan, etc. These results should therefore be reliable. Moderate obesity (about one third overweight, or 50 to 60 pounds over the ideal) reduces human lifespan by about three years. Severe obesity (double the ideal weight), reduces lifespan by 10 years, or about as much as smoking. The body mass index (BMI) helps describe overweight and obesity. BMI is the weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of the height (in meters). A BMI greater than 50 kg/m2 defines obesity. Mortality is the lowest for a BMI between 22.5 and 25 kg/m2. For each 5 kg/m2 increase of the BMI, mortality increases by 30 percent. The most common causes …
How (In)competent Are You?November 1, 2009Some vets are constantly questioning themselves--not because they lack confidence, but rather because they wonder how they could have done better. Are you confident in your diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities? Here is an interesting way to look at competence: There are four stages in every endeavor, whether you are doing a laparotomy, learning photography, perfecting your golf swing or landing a plane on the Hudson River. They are: Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Conscious competence Unconscious competence. Unconscious incompetence is when you have no clue what you're doing. But worse, you don't even realize that you are incompetent. Ouch. This is the baby trying to crawl. Or the toddler learning to eat with a spoon. Sadly, this is also the case of many people learning the ropes, including in medical professions. Of course the good news is that babies, toddlers and medical professionals have someone to guide them. In time, they will climb the ladder … of incompetence. Conscious incompetence is when you have no clue what you're doing, but at least you're aware of it. I think we can honestly say that this is how many of us felt when we first started working "in the real world." Conscious competence is hopefully …
Reminder: Drug Reports Must Be Submitted Online Starting Nov. 1October 30, 2009 Beginning Nov. 1, California veterinarians, practitioners, pharmacies and other drug prescribers will be required to submit drug reports online. Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) reports previously could be mailed or faxed in, but now the reports must be submitted through an online reporting application hosted by Sacramento-based Infinite Solutions Inc. (ISI). The new system will make it much easier for authorized prescribers to quickly review controlled substance information via the automated Patient Activity Report in an effort to identify and deter drug abuse and diversion through accurate and rapid tracking of Schedule II through IV controlled substances, according to the Office of the Attorney General. ISI validates submitted controlled substance prescription data using a validation criteria established by the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. ISI performs the validations and accepts data that meets the established criteria and rejects data that doesn’t. Errors and warnings are generated if the submitted data does not meet the validation criteria. Veterinarians and others are required to register with ISI prior to submitting their reports. Each registered user can sign up for a user name and password. Click here for registration …
Harrisons’ Pet Products Case Report Contest Under WayOctober 29, 2009 Harrisons’ Pet Products of Lake Worth, Fla., is hosting a clinical case report contest in which veterinarians can compete for a chance to win $1,000. The contest involves photographic documentation of an animal case in which Harrisons’ Pet Products (AVIx, HEALx or Harrison’s Bird Foods) were used alone or in conjunction with other products to resolve a disorder. To qualify, veterinarians must photograph the original presentation and continue to photograph various progressions in treatment. Close-up digital images must be taken at a resolution high enough for a 4” by 3” image to be printed at 300 ppi. Click here to view a sample clinical case report. Text (Word document) and images (.jpg, .tif or .psd) should be emailed to info@exoticdvm.com with “Clinical Case Report” as the subject line by Dec. 1. The winner will be announced at the North American Veterinary Conference in January. Click here for details on the company. <HOME>
Taking Medicine To Reservations Without Agenda: Ted Robinson, DVMOctober 28, 2009 The New Mexico dust storm pounded at their backs. Visibility dropped to a few feet. Grit and dust powdered Ted Robinson, DVM, and his crew. But the horse wrangled into the middle of the field was ready for gelding and it would likely be another six months before the veterinarians could return to this remote and hard-scrabble Native American reservation. So the team tied raincoats together, created a temporary tent, made a cocoon over the patient and carried on. “That was pretty interesting,” says Dr. Robinson, in his typically understated way of describing the work and adventures of his twice-a-year treks to the Hopi, Santa Domingo and Zuni reservations near Albuquerque, N.M. Interesting, indeed. Robinson’s work and dedication have so impressed the American Veterinary Medical Assn. that it chose Robinson for its 2008 Meritorious Service Award. The award will be presented this month at the AVMA convention in New Orleans. The trips are service projects of Americans for Native Americans (ANA) and the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Assn. ANA is a Bucks County, Pa., organization dedicated to serving First American communities. Robinson, who also donates …
