Findings In Food Recall Presented To DiagnosticiansApril 17, 2009 Researchers say that the chemicals melamine and cyanuric acid worked together to cause health problems and even death in pets this past spring. New studies show what many were guessing at the end of the months-long pet food recall that began this past March: When combined, melamine and cyanuric acid can produce deadly effects in pets. One study found that cats fed food containing only one of those two chemicals experienced no problems whereas cats that ate pet food with both melamine and cyanuric acid “quickly experienced acute kidney failure.” The study was led by veterinary toxicologist Birgit Puschner at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Results also showed that cats receiving the food with both chemicals present “developed fan-shaped crystals in their urinary tracts,” an abnormal development in healthy cats. The study was published in the November issue of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. An additional study on 22 pigs, led by Steve Ensley of Iowa State’s veterinary lab, also concluded that a combination of melamine and cyanuric acid causes a more potent result on an animal’s kidney than …
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May Fundraiser To Benefit Community Outreach Vet ProgramApril 17, 2009 Rural Area Veterinary Services, a nonprofit organization that provides free veterinary care to animals in remote communities worldwide, is holding its first Bay area fundraiser at 7 p.m. May 18 at the Muse Gallery in San Francisco. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a silent auction, a DJ, wine and appetizers. Each year, RAVS provides more than $1 million in veterinary services to more than 10,000 animals. “I have witnessed the effects of war, poverty and isolation on human communities and their animals,” said Jennifer Scarlett, a lead veterinarian for RAVS. “When beasts of burden, domestic animals and feral animals suffer, their suffering compounds the health and economic problems of the people around them. “With RAVS, I’ve seen the entire community change and take on humane responsibility for the animals in their care. Likewise, I’ve had the pleasure of watching veterinary students gain empathy and skill.” RAVS projects include caring for sick and injured animals in rural communities, free spaying and neutering, vaccination and parasite control services for dogs and cats, and routine care for horses and livestock. RAVS also provides educational programs for adults and children on …
Pfizer Reportedly In Talks To Buy WyethApril 17, 2009 The parent company of Pfizer Animal Health is in talks to acquire the parent company of Fort Dodge Animal Health, The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 23. The deal could be valued at more than $60 billion. A deal isn’t imminent and given recent market volatility and overall economic uncertainty, the talks are fragile and could collapse, people familiar with the matter told the newspaper. Spokesmen for the parent companies, New York, N.Y.-based Pfizer and Madison, N.J.-based Wyeth, said they don’t comment on marketplace rumors. The deal, if completed, could create billions of dollars in cost savings through the combination of back-office operations, research and development, sales and manufacturing, according to The Wall Street Journal. The two companies face the upcoming expiration of patents on their most lucrative products as well as competition from makers of generic drugs. Also, because of a tougher regulatory environment, gaining approval of new treatments is more difficult, forcing many companies to narrow their research focus. “Those realities have prompted calls for industry consolidation from the investment community,” the newspaper reported. “For years, companies have withstood pressure to merge, hoping that new …
Catalyst Council Names First Board MembersApril 17, 2009The Catalyst Council, a Kansas City-based organization created to promote increased veterinary care for cats and to boost the image of cats in society, has named its initial board of directors. Dan Kramer, senior marketing manager of Pfizer Animal Health, will chair the group. "At the Catalyst Summit, the entire feline industry came together and in one voice declared the current situation as unacceptable while painting a very optimistic path to making a positive difference," Kramer said, referring to the number of cats that do not receive veterinary care. "The Catalyst Council is simply the next step in putting these plans into action. I am very proud of the many companies, organizations and individuals who have been so proactive in their desire to make a difference, and we welcome everyone who has an interest in the outcome to join us in a broad-based initiative to raise the standard of care for all cats." Other officers include vice chair Robert Rohde (president of the Dumb Friends League), corporate secretary Jane Brunt, DVM (a former American Association of Feline Practitioners president and chair of the CATalyst Summit, a event held in February at which the group decided to form an ongoing organization), …
Concerning A New Social EthicApril 17, 2009 I am pleased to recommend "An Introduction to Veterinary Medical Ethics, Theory and Cases" by Bernard E. Rollin, Ph.D. This second edition by Blackwell Publishing discusses the rising public concern for farm animal welfare in confinement agriculture, the demands for increasing the legal status and economic value of companion animals, the social concern for animal pain, distress and quality of life, the increase in specialization and the public interest and veterinary involvement in complementary and alternative therapies. Ethics 1 and 2 The first 100 pages of Rollin's book highlight the richness and complexity of theoretical and moral issues found in veterinary medicine. He points out that the transformation in veterinary medicine from a more rigid, male-dominated profession to a more flexible, compassionate profession, soon to be dominated by women, reflects the changes in our society and social ethics. Rollin discusses aspects of basic ethics as Ethics 1 the set of principles that governs people's views of right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair, just and unjust. This involves social consensus ethics, personal ethics and professional ethics. He then introduces the secondary sense of ethics as Ethics 2. It is the logical, rational …
Milk Thistle Shows Promising Applications In Treating Liver Disease, CancerApril 17, 2009 When Pliny the Elder prescribed milk thistle 2,000 years ago, he did so for a variety of health concerns, including serpent bites, melancholy, plague and milk production, in addition to “carrying off bile.”1,2 Now, the popularity of milk thistle is soaring, not only for treating chronic liver problems for which it is best known, but also for its ability to protect other organs from the damaging effects of radiation, chemotherapy, other xenobiotics and chronic disease.3 For example, its antioxidant actions decrease gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in dogs;4 milk thistle also promotes kidney function in patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy.5 What’s in It Milk thistle extract, the first substance extracted from the crushed seeds, contains up to 80 percent silymarin, the main active constituent.6 In contrast, the silymarin content of unprocessed seeds may fall as low as 4 percent silymarin.7 Some manufacturers standardize the silymarin content to ensure equivalence between batches. Silibinin (or silybin), a semi-purified fraction of silymarin, acts as an important marker for research to track pharmacokinetics and ensure adequate plasma and target tissue concentrations.8 Monitoring pharmacokinetics becomes especially important when studying phytomedicinals exhibiting poor or erratic bioavailability, as do the …
LSU Vet School Dedicates Sculpture To Hurricane VolunteersApril 17, 2009To honor those who support animals in the aftermath of hurricanes, the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine will dedicate a bronze statue titled Connections on Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. in the school's Serenity Garden near the entrance to the Small Animal Clinic. Connections, designed by Kentucky sculptor Meg White, depicts a young girl offering water to a thirsty cat and dog representing both the relationship and responsibility people share with domestic animals, according to the school. "This sculpture illustrates the importance of animals in our lives, which was seen time and time again after the hurricanes as people refused to evacuate without their pets," said Dean Peter Haynes. "This sculpture is dedicated to all of those people who braved high waters and dangerous situations to rescue animals and to the thousands of people who supported and cared for those animals after they were taken from harm's way. It stands as a memorial to their grace, perseverance and dedication." The serenity garden was donated by the Womack family and dedicated in memory of the late Milton J. Womack, Sr. Participating in the dedication ceremony will be Chancellor Mark Martin, President Emeritus William Jenkins, Haynes and Margaret …
Grant Funds Study On Disease Transmission In Fractured HabitatsApril 17, 2009 A $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow researchers at Colorado State University to study how fractured habitats influence disease transmission between wild cats (pumas and bobcats) and domestic cats. The research, to be conducted in California, Florida and Colorado, will focus on the similarity of feline immunodeficiency virus strains in the cats. “We suspect that the spectrum of pathogens and the rate of infection changes as habitat fragmentation forces those species to live in closer proximity,” said Sue VandeWoude, DVM, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology and principal investigator of the study. Preliminary research shows that wild cats in California and Florida share FIV strains in restricted habitats, demonstrating cross-species transmission. <HOME>
University Health Industries Launches Pet Care DivisionApril 17, 2009University Health Industries Inc., a company in Boca Raton, Fla., that develops and markets nutraceutical products to the human health market, has launched a pet health care division. The lead product will be a pet formulated version of the company's Arthroleve product for joint health and arthritis, which will be designed with a dosage and delivery system specific to canines. "UHI's overall strategy has always included pet health care and we are excited about beginning the process of moving this forward," said Dean Peloso, chief executive officer. "This new division complements the company's current offering in both its human health and environmental products." <HOME>
Identifying And Treating Oral PainApril 17, 2009 In the last five years, veterinary medicine has moved strongly toward pain control identification and treatment. Pain control specialists are available for consultation with a plethora of management systems to bring true comfort to our patients. One area of analgesia that is still seriously lacking is managing oral pain in the canine and feline. Two problems exist. First, there is incomplete understanding of oral diagnostics with the resultant lack of identification of oral pathology. Oral radiology is still not common in veterinary hospitals. Periodontal care is not always understood and patients are being given oral care awake, with tranquilization or with short acting intravenous/intramuscular sedation. Until these practices are changed oral pain will continue to be under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed or not diagnosed. Secondly, some veterinarians may not believe that oral pain exists in dogs and cats. Diagnostics Oral radiology must find its way into veterinary hospitals. Without oral radiology, exact diagnosis is impossible. No veterinarian should be performing an extraction without pre- and post-oral X-rays. Similarly, no veterinarian should be extracting teeth in 2008 without informed consent. In certain cases, the option of root canal therapy versus extraction is a viable treatment choice. Oral radiology is the …
