News

Sacramento, Calif. -- A California lawmaker is seeking to make cattle tail docking illegal.

Lawrence, Kan. -- A company that does research work on racehorse disorders is planning on moving from New York to Kansas.

Lakewood, Colo. -- A new guide to help veterinarians counsel pet owners about behavior problems has been developed by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Washington -- Not only is there a widely publicized shortage of food-animal veterinarians, but a new report shows there is a dire shortage of public health veterinarians.

U.S. Army veterinarians saved a horse, monitored dogs, and inspected the food supply.

Including the recent denouncement of ear cropping and tail docking, the AVMA is starting to take a lead in animal welfare issues.

A tax on veterinary services is officially off the table in California.

Lexington, Ky. -- The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is throwing its support behind industry efforts to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses by issuing a white paper containing veterinary guidelines for racing.

Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) unveiled its new 66,000-square-foot Oquendo Center for veterinary clinical education on Monday.

Las Vegas -- Bayer Animal Health kicked off a new voucher program to help defray the costs of routine veterinary visits. Details of the campaign were released at the Western Veterinary Conference on Sunday.

Denver, Colo. -- Legislation introduced last month in Colorado that would have limited the number of dogs breeders could keep and mandate veterinary certification exams for commercially bred dogs has been set aside indefinitely.

Animal Nutrition Inc. has announced the recall of several of their products containing peanuts.

About 66% to 75% of nephrons are no longer functioning by the time traditional blood and urine test results reveal renal abnormalities in dogs. So an earlier method to detect kidney tubular damage would be of great benefit.

West LaFayette, Ind. -- The School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Lafayette, La. -- A veterinarian who directed a Louisiana all-volunteer group that helped find shelters and cared for animals in the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike last fall was named Veterinarian of the Year by her state's veterinary association.

National Report -- Another company voluntarily recalled a number of pet foods products made with peanut ingredients from a Georgia plant in the wake of a national Salmonella outbreak that has made one dog and hundreds of people sick.

National Report -- Federal and state veterinary officials continue to look for the source of an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) that now affects at least 563 horses in 46 states.

The first case of a dog sickened from tainted peanut products has been reported on the West Coast.

A bill in the Illinois legislature would define tail and ear cropping as animal torture.

Researchers have verified a benefit of sleep.

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois may declare ear cropping and tail docking "animal torture" if a bill introduced in late January is passed.

The sedative acepromazine only produces mild sedation and has no analgesic effects; increasing the dose of acepromazine does not increase the level of sedation and may only intensify any adverse effects.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) hired Kenneth A. Clever, DVM, as an assistant director in its Education and Research Division.

Vancouver, B.C. -- Canadian authorities are conducting tests to determine the pathogenicity, subtype and strain of H5 bird-flu virus that infected 60,000 turkeys euthanized last week on an Abbotsford farm.

Albany, N.Y. -- All dogs in New York may have to be microchipped and identified in a state registry if a new bill makes it out of committee.

Lancaster, Calif. -- Several dog breeds will have to go under the knife in the next few weeks when a municipal law requiring sterilization by breed takes effect.

PPT only

More than 1 million dogs and cats are at risk for becoming homeless, the ASPCA believes.

Ames, Iowa -- Employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are under investigation after allegedly using veterinary credentials to purchase medications for human use.

Two people charged with felony maltreatment of horses have filed civil suits against their accusers.