Where Does God Fit Into The Clinic?April 17, 2009 It’s true I’ve never considered myself a deeply religious person. Yet I fancy myself unusually tolerant of others’ beliefs. A recent case of two dying cats, however, put this latter claim to the test. Here’s the story: A litter of three foundling kittens arrived at the hospital a year ago. Two robust boys and one scrawny girl rounded out the bunch. Sickly though they all were in an upper-respiratory kind of way, they recovered nicely from their rough start. They all went on to live in and around a clean two-horse stable surrounded by a family of healthy cats. The owner declined vaccines because of their rough start and frequent bouts of diarrhea (and, truth be told, because she has a penchant for non-traditional approaches anyway). This fall all three fell ill again, this time with the nastiest case of unrelenting diarrhea yet. The boys appeared to power through nicely with treatment. The girl faded and fell ill enough to hospitalize. Her lab work subsequently revealed a mighty panleukopenia. This cat’s diarrhea and panleukopenia weren’t even the worst of it. The blistering, unresponsive fever and her miserable malaise were more my concern: Even if …
SPONSORED CONTENTSwitch to Triple Protection in One Monthly DoseSee the difference of triple protection with the one monthly chew. + Learn More
Cornell Develops Vaccine For Johne’s DiseaseApril 17, 2009 Researchers at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine say they have discovered a vaccine that prevents the infection of Johne’s disease, a condition blamed for financial losses totaling $220 million to $250 million annually in the U.S. dairy community. Until now, the only way to prevent the disease was to identify and cull infected animals, then make management changes to prevent its spread. “Johne’s disease is one of the most important infectious diseases that threaten farmers,” said Yung-Fu Chang, DVM, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and the principal investigator. “Equally important, though, this organism has been suspected to be one of several possible contributing agents to Crohn’s disease that has similar pathologic lesions in people. The results of our research may offer useful information to those working with Crohn’s disease.” The research was funded by grants from the Biotechnology Research and Development Corp., which holds the product license, and by a contract through a cooperative agreement between the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The findings will be published in the January issue of Vaccine. …
Survey: Animal Charities Hopeful Of Meeting Year-End Fundraising GoalsApril 17, 2009 Many charities are bracing for a drop in year-end gifts because of the economic slump, according to a survey by Charity Navigator, which evaluates nonprofit groups. Survey respondents indicated that year-end gifts, roughly from Thanksgiving to New Year's, account for more than one-fourth of their annual take. Still, 50 percent of animal charities are somewhat confident that they will reach their year-end goal, according to the survey. Thirty-two percent reported they are not very confident and 8 percent are not confident at all. Only 3 percent feel completely confident and 7 percent feel very confident. Religion charities expressed the most complete confidence (10 percent) while international charities expressed the least (15 percent). Many charities appear to be less aggressive with their goals this year, according to Charity Navigator. The median charity anticipates a decline of 15 percent in year-end giving compared to a year ago. International charities predict the largest decline (a median of 20 percent), while animals, arts, culture, humanities and health charities forecast the smallest drop (a median of 10 percent), according to the survey. Of the charities that anticipate a drop, the median value reported is $72,000. International charities report …
Spread The Word Not The CancerApril 17, 2009 Pets don't die from cancer. They die from complications arising from the expansion and spread of the cancer. It is how cancer affects the lungs, liver, kidney, brain and gut that leads to the demise of the patient. What Is Metastasis? Metastasis occurs when the primary tumor spreads to other parts of the body. Some cancer cells break off from the tumor, travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body then multiply. And before traveling to distant sites in the body, cancer cells may also spread to the lymph nodes near the tumor. Cancer cells often end up in the liver and lungs because those are the first places that the blood passes through on its way back to the heart. If the cancer cells are not trapped by the capillaries in the liver and lungs, they will flow back to the heart and out into other organs such as bone, kidneys, brain and skin. In these organs, there is an abundant blood supply with lots of nutrients and growth factors, making it a fertile place for tumor cells to grow. So it's a seed-and-soil situation. The malignant cells can …
Florida Mandatory Spay/Neuter Bill Set For HearingApril 17, 2009 A bill that would mandate spay/neuter surgery for dogs and cats over 4 months of age in Florida is scheduled to be heard March 24 during a meeting of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee. The proposal, House Bill 451, describes pet overpopulation as a preventable problem that can be solved “simply by spaying and neutering companion animals.” As introduced, the bill requires the owner of every dog or cat in Florida to have each animal sterilized within 30 days of the animal reaching 4 months of age, or within 30 days of the owner taking in the pet. Criteria for exemption include: • Dogs with veterinary certification showing that sterilization would endanger the pet’s health because of its age, disability or illness. • A Greyhound used for racing, until retirement. • Show animals registered with an established breed registration group approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. • Dogs or cats that have earned or are earning a competitive sports title such as agility or obedience. • Animals trained or in training for use in law enforcement, military or rescue. • Animals for which an owner holds a …
New Equine Surgery Center To Open In TexasApril 17, 2009A new 24-hour equine surgery center is opening in Granger, Texas, something that has been needed in the area for a long time, said Nancy St. Peter, DVM, Dipl., of Georgetown Equine Medicine and Surgery. "That's what's driven us," she said. "For years now, there has been no available [surgery] centers close enough for people in central Texas to go to." The 12,000-square-foot center, to open June 7, includes a surgery room, a knock-down room, a hydrolic surgery table, a gas anesthesia machine and a viewing room so others can watch the surgery. "We want to provide all the things that are more difficult for the regular horse doctor in the field to do," Dr. St. Peter said. "So our main focus is to take it up to a tertiary care level. Vets out in the field are usually providing primary care; the vet that has a little hospital is providing secondary care. We would like to be able to provide tertiary care, which you can not do in the field." In addition, the center will include digital X-ray and ultrasound machines, a podiatry center and diagnostics for lameness exams. The center will also be equipped to perform ophthalmology exams …
Texas Officials Makes New Regulations To Keep Livestock TB-FreeApril 17, 2009 The Texas Animal Health Commission has adopted new cattle entry, testing and movement regulations in an effort to keep the state’s cattle tuberculosis-free status. The new regulations, which were spurred by the concern about the recent findings of cattle TB infection in two New Mexico dairies, a Colorado bucking bull herd and an Oklahoma beef herd, include lowering the TB test-eligible age from six to two months for sexually intact dairy cattle entering Texas; identifying all Texas dairy cattle regardless of age with an official or TAHC-approved identification device prior to movement within the state; and requiring TB tests for Mexican-origin steers that are recognized as potential rodeo and/or roping stock, and entering from other states. Texas originally achieved cattle TB-free status in 2000, but lost it in 2002 when two infected cattle herds were detected. The state regained it in October 2006 after a rigorous TB testing program was initiated. “Reclaiming TB-free status was hard work for Texas producers and veterinary practitioners who participated in the testing program, and for TAHC and U.S. Department of Agriculture staff in Texas,” said Bob Hillman, DVM, TAHC executive director and Texas’ state veterinarian. “It’s not …
AVMA Survey Finds Vets Like Their Jobs, Happy TooApril 17, 2009 Veterinarians are apparently pretty happy and really like their jobs, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Assn. AVMA took data from its 2007 Member Needs Assessment, which surveyed members regarding job satisfaction and happiness, and compared it to existing job satisfaction data taken from a study published by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in 2007. The comparison showed that veterinarians have a very high level of job satisfaction (3.55), just behind clergy (3.79), teachers (3.61) and psychologists (3.59), but above physicians (3.47) and lawyers (3.33). The average rating in the NORC study for all jobs was 3.3. One of the reasons veterinarians may like their job is because the field is so diversified, from small animal medicine to research to academia, according to Robert Dietl, DVM, chair of the AVMA Membership Services Committee. “There are a lot of opportunities in veterinary medicine, so you don’t get pigeonholed in a career you don’t enjoy,” he said. There is also innate integrity in the profession, said Charles Hendrix, DVM, former AVMA vice president and former chair of the AVMA Wellness …
UGA Receives $1.1 Million To Develop Vaccine Against Biological AgentsApril 17, 2009 The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded researchers at the University of Georgia a three-year $1.1 million grant to develop a vaccine to protect against the pathogens glanders and melioidosis. Both infectious diseases are considered to be potential biological warfare agents and have been identified by the Department of Health and Human Services as “top priorities for development of medical countermeasures.” The researchers will work at UGA’s Animal Health Research Center and test whether vaccination can protect mice in an aerosol model of infection. “These bacteria can infect by gaining entry through the nose and mouth and then adhering to the mucosal linings of the respiratory tract,” said bacteriologist Eric Lafontaine, Ph.D., co-principal investigator with immunologist Jeff Hogan, Ph.D., both in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Essentially we’re trying to identify the proteins that make the bacterium stick and then trying to counteract their ability to attach and cause infection.” Glanders, caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei, is endemic in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America. It primarily affects horses, donkeys and mules, but it can also affect goats, dogs and cats. …
ASPCA, University Of Florida To Host First Veterinary Forensics SymposiumApril 17, 2009More than 200 veterinary and toxicology professionals are expected to attend the first Veterinary Forensics Symposium April 9-11 in Orlando, Fla. The symposium, hosted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in conjunction with the University of Florida's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Science, aims to advance the study of animal forensics. "For 142, years, the ASPCA has been dedicated to battling animal cruelty and improving the well-being of animals everywhere," said Ed Sayres, ASPCA president and chief executive officer. "Veterinary forensics is clearly the next frontier in our fight. We are proud to be a part of this ground-breaking event which will bring together areas of forensics that have previously been applied only to crimes against humans." Speakers will include Randall Lockwood, Ph.D., the ASPCA's senior vice president of Anti-Cruelty Initiatives & Legislative Services; Melinda Merck, DVM, the ASPCA's senior director of Veterinary Forensics; and Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, Ph.D., vice president and medical director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. Attendees will also receive specialized training in veterinary forensics, as well as training in how to process animal cruelty cases. Continuing education credits are available. In addition, the ASPCA's new mobile "Animal Crime …
