California Spay-Neuter Bill Officially DeadApril 17, 2009 Supporters of a bill that sought to mandate the spaying or neutering of cats and dogs in California said they wanted to make a big impact on the state’s pet population. After several amendments to the measure, however, Assembly Bill 1634 officially died Friday because the cosponsors decided not to back the latest version. The bill, formerly know as the California Healthy Pets Act and then cited as the California Responsible Pet Ownership Act, was granted reconsideration last week, meaning it was eligible for another vote as it stood. Judie Mancuso, campaign director and sponsor of the bill, said the drastic changes made to the bill as it went through the local government committee left no reason to try to get votes for it in order to try to push it through by the Aug. 31 deadline. Recent amendments to the bill sought to mandate microchipping for certain problem pets and to give pet owners license fee discounts for microchipping and spaying or neutering their pets. “Yes, I’m bummed, obviously,” Mancuso said Friday. “but what I do focus on is all the victories we had along the way.” She pointed out that in the …
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Small Dose Of Patience Can Deter LawsuitsApril 17, 2009 “Patients don’t file lawsuits because they’ve been harmed by shoddy medical care. Patients file lawsuits because they’ve been harmed by shoddy medical care and something else happens to them.” What that “something else” is, yours truly discovered in “Blink,” a fascinating book and best-seller written by Malcolm Gladwell.1 The author was writing about physicians and human surgeons, but his analysis certainly pertains to veterinarians in general and veterinary surgeons in particular. A malpractice insurance company was trying to predict which surgeon would be most likely to be sued. The researchers listened to very short excerpts of recorded conversations between surgeons and patients. The study revealed the “something else.” “It’s how they were treated, on a personal level, by their doctor,” Gladwell explains. “What comes up again and again in malpractice cases is that patients say they were rushed or ignored or treated poorly.” Gladwell quotes a malpractice lawyer: “People just don’t sue doctors they like.” Gladwell also refers to a 1997 article by Wendy Levinson, et al.2 The results are astonishing. What is the difference between patients who felt rushed and the happy others? Malpractice-accused surgeons spent an average of 15 minutes …
Pfizer Donates $1.1 Million To Establish Canine Tumor BankApril 17, 2009 Pfizer Animal Health has donated $1.1 million to establish a national canine tumor biospecimen bank, named the Pfizer-Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium Biospecimen Repository. The bank will allow the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium, a group of veterinary and medical researchers formed shortly after the completion of the canine genome, to study the mechanisms of cancer, evaluate new drugs and to better understand the relationship between human and animal cancers, said Michelle Haven, executive director of global discovery for Pfizer Animal Health. It will cost about $2.2 million and take about three years to populate the tissue bank. Once completed, the tissue bank will contain about 3,000 samples, including 600 osteosarcoma, 600 lymphoma, 600 melanoma, with the remaining 1,200 drawn from other cancers. Morris Animal Foundation, which will provide the oversight to monitor the progress of the consortium in collection, storage and distribution of tumor samples, and the AKC Canine Health Foundation provided the initial funding of $500,000 to launch the bank. The two will collaborate to secure the remaining funds. “The Pfizer-CCOGC Biospecimen Repository will bring together several communities working on the problem of cancer in animals,” said Matthew Breen, Ph.D., treasurer …
Salmonella Scare Prompts Voluntary Cat Food RecallApril 17, 2009Mars Petcare US on Monday issued a voluntary recall of a limited number of bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food sold at Wal-Mart stores in 15 states because of potential Salmonella contamination. The pet food is being recalled after a positive test result indicating a potential contamination with Salmonella, the company said. The Wal-Mart locations are in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia. This product should not be purchased or fed to pets, according to the company. Pet owners are urged to dispose of the product in a securely covered trash bin, and return empty bags to the store where purchased for a refund. No complaints of illness have been reported, according to the company. Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, elders and people with weak immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should watch for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On …
Senate To Hear Testimony On Pet Food RecallApril 17, 2009 This Thursday, key witnesses and pet industry experts will testify before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the recent pet food recall that embroiled nearly 100 brands. The hearing was called by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, to probe the effectiveness of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s role in the recall as well as other concerns surrounding the investigation. “Many cats, dogs and other pets, considered members of the family, are now suffering as a result of a deeply flawed pet food inspection system,” Durbin said. “The FDA’s response to this situation has been tragically slow. I want to learn exactly when the FDA knew about the contamination, who is inspecting pet food manufacturing plants, and whether we need to force the FDA to update their regulations to protect our pets.” The public hearing will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday in room 192 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Requested witnesses include Stephen Sundlof, DVM, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine; Duane Ekedahl, director of the Pet Food Institute; and Eric Nelson, president of the American Association of Feed Control Officers. At the time of …
EPA Considers Further Restrictions On Flea/Tick Pet ProductsApril 17, 2009 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported April 16 that it is intensifying its evaluation of whether further restrictions on the use of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control products are necessary to better protect pets. The increased scrutiny applies to both over-the-counter and veterinary channel flea and tick products for pets. EPA said the move is in response to recent increases in the number of reported incidents. More than 44,000 potential incidents associated with registered spot-on products were reported to EPA in 2008. Federal law requires EPA registrants to submit reports of possible adverse reactions that may be related to the use of their products, whether or not the products were used properly and according to label instructions. A report also does not indicate a cause and effect relationship between product and symptoms. Although incidents with flea and tick products can involve the use of spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos, the majority of the incidents reported to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body …
Pet Food Recall Hype Slows Down, FDA Continues InvestigationsApril 17, 2009 The Menu Foods Inc. pet food recall, which began mid-March and involved more than 100 brands of pet food, caught the attention of veterinarians, pet owners, pet food manufacturers, pet store retailers, as well as the general public. At press time, media coverage about the pet food recall had slowed down, with the latest recall being issued late May. This is a good indication that the problem is under control, says Kimberly May, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, American Veterinary Medical Assn.’s Communications Division. “There haven’t been any other complaints that have been brought to our attention,” Dr. May says. “I think people are becoming a little more comfortable that things have at least slowed down.” However, there are still concerns as to the long-term effects in animals that ate the tainted food, she says. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen as far as chronic problems,” May says. “Until we can get an idea of what that may be, I think there is going to be some concern on everyone’s part.” The recall has been quite an eye opener for many people who didn’t necessarily understand the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s role in this, …
Taking On A Bear Of A Toothache At The ZooApril 17, 2009Zoo dentistry is one of the least talked about specialties within veterinary oral care. Companion animal, equine and zoo dentistry are growing and changing as human oral care techniques are applied to multiple species to attain a higher quality of life and remove pain. Zoo dentistry is most often accomplished behind the scenes. The zoo veterinarian, zoo veterinary dentist and their health care teams breach the "wild kingdom" to identify and remove oral pain. Because of this necessary approach, not as much is known about this specialty. The individuals who rarely get the deserved credit for the early detection of zoo animal oral pain are the keepers, handlers and zoo technicians. They study each animal in their care daily and are astute in noticing habit changes that could signify oral discomfort. Food shifting, not eating certain hard foods, excessive salivation after eating or decreased appetite are first seen by these caretakers. Spectacled Bear I am privileged to be the zoo dentist at The Beardsley Zoological Gardens in Bridgeport, Conn. The South American spectacled bear is found in the Andes Mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. Gerald Durrell brought a spectacled bear, Pedro, to the Jersey Zoo in 1963. …
West Hollywood’s Ban On Declawing UpheldApril 17, 2009 The California Supreme Court has denied the California Veterinary Medical Assn.’s petition for review of a decision by the California Court of Appeal upholding West Hollywood’s ban on non-therapeutic declawing of animals. The decision, which means that the city can begin enforcing the ban on declawing, is a disappointment, said Jeff Smith, DVM, CVMA president. “We still believe it is important to have one set of rules regulating the practice of veterinary medicine in California,” Dr. Smith said. “In our view the appellate decision may have an enormous impact on all licensed professionals in our state, as well as have national implications. “Now it will be considered permissible for cities and counties to regulate veterinary medicine and other licensed professions. In the future what will prevent West Hollywood or another municipality from using their ‘police power’ to restrict other legitimate activities of licensed persons?” West Hollywood Mayor John Duran, who sponsored the declawing ordinance, welcomed the decision. “We are elated by the California Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the appeal filed by CVMA,” Duran said. “From the time I introduced this ordinance, I was confident that protecting animals from mutilation was …
First National Pet Parent’s Day Slated For April 27April 17, 2009 Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., has designated the last Sunday in April as National Pet Parent’s Day to recognize and honor those who consider pets a part of their family. This year, it lands on April 27. To kick off the event, VPI has launched free Pet Parent’s Day electronic greeting cards. Website visitors can choose a design and attach a personalized message to share with other pet parents, including friends, family or spouses who care for dogs, cats, birds or exotic pets. The e-cards will be available through April 27. “Research on the human-animal bond and our own data suggests that many people consider themselves pet parents,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “A recent survey by the American Animal Hospital Assn. indicates 83 percent of pet owners consider themselves their pet’s mom or dad. Many policyholders emphatically label their pets as children, and we felt compelled to set aside an annual day to recognize the special bond and commitment made by pet owners.” VPI says parental behavior can include buying presents for pets, designating a seat at the dinner table for a pet, giving …
