University of Illinois uses humane facility for feline reproduction researchSeptember 7, 2018Researchers at the University of Illinois have created a unique study environment designed to bridge the gap between the lab and the real world in which resident cats can roam while participating in a study aimed to find alternatives to traditional spay and neuter services. With a large climbing tree in the center, the completely open pole barn contains two levels, furniture, toys, scented objects, and a quarter-acre outdoor enclosure. "Many facilities have come a long way in making research conditions more humane for the animals, but they still involve small enclosures without a lot of enrichment," said Amy Fischer, PhD, of the Department of Animal Sciences at the university and lead investigator of the study. "We wanted to make our cats' environment much more stimulating." The GonaCon study Though spay and neuter services can help reduce feral and free-roaming cats, they are invasive and expensive procedures that require a high level of veterinary training, said researchers. GonaCon, an injectable contraceptive vaccine that has been shown to be effective in several mammals, including deer, horses, and laboratory-raised cats, has been considered as an alternative, but field-testing such a product is complicated, they added. During the study, female cats were allowed …
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Spayathon for Puerto Rico kicks off in JuneMay 9, 2018The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) along with a coalition of 22 organizations from around the world will begin the first round of the Spayathon for Puerto Rico, June 3-9. The initiative, which is offered at no cost to pet owners, aims to spay and neuter at least 20,000 dogs and cats in the territory by May 2019. "This is the first time such a broad collection of national and international groups has come together to intensively reduce the population of animals across an island," said Tara Loller, senior director, strategic campaigns and initiatives, HSUS. "We could not make this historic event happen without the generous participation of each and every coalition member." The initiative will be funded with support from nonprofit organizations, including Maddie's Fund, PetSmart Charities, Petco Foundation, GreaterGood.org, and the 20/22 Act Society. Additional resources will come from groups including Banfield Foundation, Best Friends Animal Society, and Rescue Bank, which will provide supplies, such as vaccines, pet food, and crates. Veterinary teams from Emancipet, ViDAS, Veterinarians for Puerto Rico, Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University, and Helping Paws Across Borders will provide high-volume spay/neuter services in locations across the island. Ground support will be …
Study finds animal sterilization possibly safer than hysterectomy in womenDecember 4, 2017A six-year study of 113,906 spay/neuter surgeries performed in a Florida spay/neuter clinic found that the canine mortality rate was lower than that reported for hysterectomy in women. The study, presented at an international specialty conference last month, found a canine mortality rate of 0.9 per 10,000 surgeries (0.009 percent), compared to 1 per 10,000 surgeries in women. Even though cats didn't fare as well, with a mortality rate of 5/10,000 surgeries (0.05 percent), the overall mortality rate of 3.3/10,000 (0.03 percent) closely approached that found in human surgical practice. "This is a stunning validation of the expertise and skill of spay/neuter veterinarians," said lead researcher Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, DABVP, of the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida. The research also echoed similar findings from human literature about the importance of specialized skills and volume of practice in achieving high surgical success rates. The study examined surgery performed at a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinic operated by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay within the parameters of The Association of Shelter Veterinarians' Veterinary Medical Care Guidelines for Spay-Neuter Clinics. It's unsurprising that extreme focus on a specific set of …
