Breaking News

Orlando -- Attendance at this year's North American Veterinary Conference is down by about 12 percent from last year, according conference estimates.

Annapolis, Md. -- Animal shelters throughout Maryland again have access to drugs needed to perform their work safely and humanely, because of recent legislation and action by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Denver -- Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would force cat owners to microchip or tag their pets.

Rockville, Md. -- Veterinary Adverse Drug Experience (ADE) reports have been updated by the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

A veterinary forensics program, under development by ASPCA and the University of Florida, was unveiled this week.

New York -- Three new dog breeds were added to the American Kennel Club registries recently, including the Irish Red and White Setter, Pyrenean Shepherd and Norwegian Buhund.

Denver -- An online presentation on canine cancer, during which three leading veterinary oncologists answer questions submitted by dog owners, breeders and others, is available on the Morris Animal Foundation's (MAF) Web site.

Schaumberg, Ill. -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is asking veterinarians to join a new national effort to identify the livestock in case of an emergency.

The AVMA executive board has been busy this winter, addressing many issues and urging the creation of a central vaccine safety reporting system.

Westbrook, Maine - IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. launched a campaign to promote feline wellness, including interactive feline disease prevalence maps for FeLV, FIV and feline heartworm.

North Grafton, Mass. -- Tufts wants to harness the wind to power its veterinary school.

Stillwater, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State University Foundation received a $225,000 grant from Novartis Animal Health for laboratory renovations and start-up costs for the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology.

Denver -- A new Colorado law requires sterilization of all dogs or cats prior to adoption from shelters.

Atlanta -- Cumulative veterinary cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) are down to 203 nationwide.

Baton Rouge, La. -- A barn at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course was placed under quarantine Dec. 26 after two horses tested positive for the equine herpes virus (EHV-1).

National Report -- A multi-state investigation is underway to determine the source of a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak now reported in 42 states.

Columbus, Ohio -- For more than 12 years, Dr. James Belknap has lead the way in laminitis research. His work is being rewarded with more work in the form of an $82,000 grant to continue his research on laminitis.

National report -- Four confirmed cases of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in Kentucky last month triggered an investigation that so far involves all but 12 states, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS).

Schaumburg, Ill. -- A new scam is targeting people looking for pets, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is warning the public that the hoax could end up costing them hundreds of dollars.

This might be an ideal time of year to talk to pet owners about pursuing a healthier lifestyle for their companions.

West Lafayette, Ind. -- An exo-skeleton-type brace, made by students at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine, may be a new tool for dogs suffering from hip dysplasia.

Portland, Ore. -- Banfield, The Pet Hospital, has appointed Tony Ueber as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Veterinarians do not generate enough unused pharmaceuticals to warrant inclusion in an EPA survey on disposal methods of unused drugs, according to the AVMA.

Ithaca, N.Y. -- The College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University will host a Zoonotic Diseases Symposium Feb. 6-8, and the featured speaker will be DVM Lonnie King, director of the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rockville, Md. -- The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is accepting comments through Jan. 26 on a planned regulation that would ban use of cattle tissues in animal feeds.

Sicklerville, N.J. -- Construction was to start in December on a new $3.5 million, 10,500-square-foot animal hospital expected to be the largest non-specialty hospital in a four-county area of south-central New Jersey.

Washington -- Timothy K. Adams, chief of the Army Veterinary Corps, is now a brigadier general.

Nashville, Tenn. -- The deadline to apply for the newest American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) certification, exotic companion mammal practice, is quickly approaching.

College Park, Md. -- A team of researchers specializing in the study of the Avian Influenza virus, H9N2, at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine say they have developed a universal vaccine for animals that may also help prevent or delay the spread of the virus to humans.

Iraq -- American soldiers are working with the Iraqi Department of Veterinary Medicine to help veterinarians diagnose and treat livestock in the southwestern provinces.