News

Galveston, Texas - Hundreds of veterinary practices were in Hurricane Ike's path as it collided with the Texas/Louisiana coastline at 2 a.m. CST today.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to address the national shortage of veterinarians certified to work with laboratory animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a new residency program in laboratory-animal medicine.

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Franklin, Tenn. - Mars Petcare US issued a voluntary recall today for products manufactured at its Everson, Penn. facility. The pet food is being recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund, the company reports. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Nashville, Tenn. - Tennessee recently revised its rules regarding euthanasia of companion animals.

College Station, Texas - As Hurricane Ike closes in on the Texas coast, veterinarians aided emergency management teams in evacuation efforts.

Tallahassee, Fla. - Two additional premises have been quarantined for equine piroplasmosis.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed the Higher Education Reauthorization Bill into law, paving the way for a veterinary grant program that would increase the number of veterinarians in public health practice and research.

Elmont, N.Y. - Blood samples from a horse that was euthanized at Belmont Park after being found with a fever and unable to stand in its stall tested negative for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1).

Raliegh, N.C. - NCSU will rank as the nation's first university to offer bone-marrow transplantation in a clinical setting.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Veterinary Medical Foundation named Michael W. Cathey as its new director.

North Grafton, Mass. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closed its investigation of a recent botulin toxin scare at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Two veterinarians practicing their trade 10 minutes apart from one another, on the same side of a city ranked lowest in growth by the U.S. Census Bureau are proving that there's a lot more than economics involved in making one's business a success.

National Report -- The plight of polar bears losing their food supply and habitat because of melting ice caps has been making news for some time, but could climate change really be causing a kitten boom? Will disease vectors on the move because of changes in their habitat cause outbreaks in companion animals?

National Report -- Gas and electric prices continue to rise for everyone - including businesses, and the state of the economy isn't exactly putting more money into clients' pockets to offset higher operating costs.

Elmont, N.Y. - A quarantine was issued at Belmont Park after a 3-year-old gelding was euthanized, according to news reports.

National Report -- Home euthanasia is a luxury more DVMs are offering their ailing patients.While it might not always seem convenient or cost-effective for veterinarians, offering at-home services like euthanasia might be necessary to keep owners from seeking alternative means to their pet's end.

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Baton Rouge -- Horse owners in southern Louisiana with equine needs they can't meet or with questions related to storms like Hurricane Gustav have a new resource.

Shreveport, La. -- More than 1,000 animals -- including cats, dogs, lizards, rabbits, turtles and snakes -- filled the Louisiana Mega Shelter to capacity Sept. 1 as Hurricane Gustav hit.

National Report -- Damage assessments began Sept. 2 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Gustav's Labor Day weekend arrival.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana State University's (LSU) campus is set to reopen Sept. 5 following a Sept. 1 visit from Hurricane Gustav.

National Report -- Louisiana residents returned to their powerless homes and businesses Sept. 3 despite warnings from officials.

New Orleans -- Hundreds of area veterinarians were among the 2 million people evacuated before Hurricane Gustav set its destructive path through the region.

We all get bloodstains on our clothes, and using water or hydrogen peroxide to get the blood out usually leaves a stain.

Ending horse slaughter would cause more suffering of horses, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recently testified before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.

The recently announced partnership between Pets Best Insurance and the American Veterinary Medical Association's Group Health & Life Insurance Trust (GHLIT) has some competitors crying foul.

As a California veterinarian, my clients expect the best possible care and advice for their pets and horses. However, my clients also ask me about other animal-welfare issues, and the public expects the state's premier veterinary organization, the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), to weigh in on important policy matters related to the welfare of animals.

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North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine received a $625,000 grant from Novartis Animal Health US Inc., to support the clinical trials program administered by the college's Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research.