News

San Diego -- 10/25/07 - Wind-whipped wildfires have swallowed Southern California, leaving roughly half a million acres blackened, almost 1,600 homes destroyed, more than 500,000 residents evacuated and thousands of animals abandoned.

Los Angeles - 10/24/07 - Firestorms are driving thousands of families from their homes, but they can rest a little easier knowing their pets have a place to stay.

Waltham, Mass. - 10/23/07 - A local veterinary hospital is implementing a $4.5-million project that will dobule its staff, add more than half a dozen new specialties and improve its focus on patient care.

Los Angeles - 10/22/07 - Literally 'racing' for the cure, a $30-million canine cancer campaign logo adorned the hood of a vehicle participating in the biggest race of the year for NASCAR.

Lafayette, Ind. - 10/20/07 - Fibrotic lung disease does not discriminate against which species it infects--humans or canines--and respiratory specialists are following suit.

St. Louis, Mo. - 10/19/07 - More than 200 attendees from 22 countries gathered at the 2007 Nestle Purina Nutrition Forum, focused on feline health, including obesity and diabetes developments.

New Orleans - 10/18/07 - A partnership dubbed "After Katrina: Improving the Lives of Gulf Coast Dogs & Cats," will provide grant money to Louisiana and Mississippi-based shelter facilities, while promoting the importance of spay and neutering.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 10/17/07 - A national database established to inform veterinarians how to rid livestock - and therefore, their meat - of contaminants and drugs has lost its federal funding and is slated to discontinue service next year.

Washington - 10/16/07 - Almost three-fourths of Americans believe leaving a stray cat outside to live out its life is more humane than having that cat caught and killed by animal control, reports a survey by a feline-welfare, non-profit organization.

Dublin, Ireland - 10/15/07 - Dog care markets throughout North America and Latin America have steadily risen over the past five years, according to the self-proclaimed world's largest market research resource.

Austin, Texas - 10/8/07 - A $13-million price tag is attached to an effort to eradicate the incursion of tiny fever ticks into a once tick-free five-county Texas area along the Mexican border, says livestock officials.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- He's been preaching about pain management for more than a decade. CSU ethicist Bernard Rollin found a choir with the release of AAHA and AAFP guidelines.

Armonk, N.Y. - 10/5/2007 - BrightHeart Veterinary Centers, a national network of specialty practices, just became a Corporate Charter Partner with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Foundation. The deal, announced today, will help ACVIM's Foundation fund clinical investigations and education programs.

Denver, Colo. - 10/4/07 - A public service announcement campaign to promote awareness and accreditation standards kicks off on the worldwide web this month, sponsored by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Data compiled by DVM Newsmagazine editors

Santa Ana, Calif. - Vsurance, an insurance provider covering pets' veterinary care services through its Health Insurance for Pets program recently announced the latest market trends in the pet healthcare industry.

When we needed an oxygen cage recently, we decided to make our own by covering the front of a cage with Press'n Seal (Glad) sealable plastic wrap.

For the past two years, our hospital has decorated a Christmas tree in honor of our patients that have passed away during the year.

In our boarding facility, we double-leash aggressive, fearful, or unsure dogs to avoid having to reach around their necks to take the lead off.

Although the statistics vary, estimates suggest that three to four million animals are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters every year.

Washington - Dr. Michael Blackwell isn't ungrateful. But the $500,000 grants tied to the U.S. Senate's version of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, passed in July, will do little to add seats to the University of Tennessee's (UT) veterinary program. Such funds fall short of expanding even one classroom, and neglect the public's need for more DVMs, the veterinary college dean explains.

National Report - Standards of care are on the rise across the nation. Yet a blurry line marks the difference between negligence and proper care because acceptable standards often are based on region, rather than documented guidelines.

Sacramento, Calif. - Invite Dr. Wade Himes to shed light on the inner-workings of state regulatory agencies and he pauses, then laughs and asks, "Do you want me to lose my license?"

During the early days of television, a basset hound named Cleo popularized that formerly exotic breed.

Lexington, Ky. - For the last five years, Dr. William A. Rood, co-founder and director of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, has been doing some proselytizing - seeking to convert as many young veterinary students as he can to the practice of equine medicine.

Rockville, MD. - 10/1/07 - The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) wants nominations for voting members to serve on the agency's Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC).

Take these steps to protect your practice and your team from thieves.

Dr. Edward C. Feldman lectured at the 2007 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Seattle on "Medical Management of Canine Hyperadrenocorticism: A Comparison of Trilostane to Mitotane." Here are some relevant points:

This article focuses on the therapeutic management of canine aflatoxicosis, drawing from treatments used in other cases of hepatotoxicosis or hepatic failure.