AAHA Issues, Revises Animal Welfare, Ethics StatementsNovember 10, 2005Fireflies might prove a fatal snack to exotic reptiles, according to a health alert released by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). Veterinarians should alert pet owners and advise them to take steps to prevent both the intentional or accidental ingestion of these common insects, the center reported. Based on a handful of reports from reptile owners, symptoms of poisoning quickly follow a lizard's ingestion of fireflies. These symptoms include head shaking, oral gaping, unsuccessful attempts at regurgitation and a darkening in color. The symptoms usually appear within 30 minutes of ingestion, and death might follow within the hour. Death is thought to be a result of heart malfunction. "A single firefly would have a very high probability of resulting in death," says Dr. Steve Hansen, board-certified veterinary toxicologist and director of the APCC. The warning is being issued to amphibian and bird owners as well. In addition to the lizard cases, fatal poisonings in tree frogs have been documented. In another instance, a bird that ingested a firefly regurgitated it but did not die, says Hansen. The health alert is based on about a half-dozen poisoning cases that have been …
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Quality Of Life Scale Helps Make Final CallNovember 11, 2004There is a real need for assessing various levels of quality of life for aging, ailing and terminally ill pets. Most geriatric animals have one or more abnormal conditions that appear in their senior years and these conditions generally worsen with time. One third of senior pets are obese. Additionally, half of our nation's companion animals over the age of 10 become burdened with cancer and its related treatment issues. Veterinarians are frequently asked, "When is the right time to euthanize my beloved pet? How will I know?" A quality of life scale may help everyone, especially those in denial, to look at difficult-to-face issues. Caretakers can use this itemized scale to ask themselves if they are able to provide enough help to maintain an ailing pet in a humane way. Every animal has certain needs that should be recognized and respected. If we can meet these basic needs at a satisfactory level for our ailing companion animals, then we are justified in preserving the life of the ill pet during its decline. The goal in setting up the Quality of Life Scale is to provide a guideline so that pet owners can maintain a rewarding relationship that nurtures the …
Fort Dodge To Research Avian Influenza VaccineOctober 26, 2004The vaccine will be manufactured and stored at Fort Dodge facilities in Charles City, Iowa. They will house enough frozen antigen to produce 40 million doses of the AI vaccine. The doses are broken into 10 million for each AI subtype: H5N2, H5N9, H7N2, and H7N3. In the event of a high patogenicity outbreak, a vaccine to manage the disease would be prepared from the frozen antigen. The vaccine antigen bank is scheduled for completion by January 2005. <HOME>
Canada Warns Hamster Buyers Of Tularemia RiskOctober 7, 2004The Public Health Agency of Canada advised residents of several provinces to seek medical assistance if they had purchased "dwarf/pygmy or regular hamsters" within the past three months and are not feeling well. The agency also asked pet stores to closely monitor their hamsters and notify their local veterinarians if they observed illness and higher than usual mortality. Hamsters from a pet distributor in Manitoba have tested positive for Type B tularemia, a rare, usually mild but potentially fatal disease in humans, the Canadian government reported. The distributor allegedly shipped ill hamsters to pet stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. "We believe the risk to human health is low, but if people have sick hamsters and are feeling ill themselves, we want them to advise their health care provider," said Dr. David Butler-Jones, chief public health officer of Canada. Tularemia is treatable with antibiotics and is not spread person-to-person. It is usually transmitted by contact with infected animals or their cages, the Canadian government said. Possible infection routes include being bitten or licked by an infected animal; handling or cleaning the animal, its toys, cage and feeding equipment; breathing contaminated air; and eating or drinking contaminated food or water. …
AAHA Endorses AAFP Feral Cat PositionAugust 10, 2004The American Animal Hospital Association board of directors endorsed the 2004 American Association of Feline Practitioners' Position Statement on Free-Roaming Abandoned and Feral Cats at its June meeting. "AAHA is very supportive of the comprehensive approach taken by AAFP to address the serious and widespread problem of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats," said Dennis Feinberg, DVM, AAHA president. "The veterinary profession can play an important role in preventing abandonment and in providing education to clients about responsible cat ownership and feral cat issues." The position statement encourages actions toward providing solutions for the problem of feral and free-roaming cats. These actions include public education campaigns, client education, public policy promotion, appropriate management of cat colonies and research in these areas. To read the position in its entirety, visit www.aafponline.org.
Study: Larger Meals Increase Risk Of Canine BloatJune 8, 2004A study published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association reports that dogs fed a larger volume of food per meal (based on the median number of cups fed per kilogram of body weight per meal) have a significantly increased risk of developing gastric dilatation-volvulus. For both large- and giant-breed dogs, the risk was highest for dogs fed a larger volume of food once daily, according to the study, conducted by researchers at Purdue University. Bloat is distinguished by distention and twisting of the stomach and is most common in large dogs with deep chests. The disease is a life-threatening emergency, and successful management depends on prompt diagnosis and appropriate medical and surgical treatment. Signs of bloat can include attempts to vomit, hypersalivation, abdominal distention or a state of shock.
ALF, ELF Called 'Domestic Terrorists'May 27, 2004Speaking at the North American Meat Processors Association's conference, two FBI agents called the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front "domestic terrorists" that direct their attacks at the meat, fur, medical and automobile industries, according to an article on Meatingplace.com. On their Web sites, the groups, of which members usually stay anonymous, take credit for acts of vandalism at facilities often involved in animal research or production. People claiming to be with the ALF claimed responsibility for the destruction of a research laboratory at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine late last year. The agents said that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, another animal rights group, is not considered a terrorist group but that financial links between PETA and the ELF has been estaALFblished.
