Bayer Animal Health Marks 50 Years In ShawneeJune 18, 2013 Bayer HealthCare LLC today celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Animal Health Division’s presence in Shawnee, Kan., and its parent company’s 150th anniversary. More than 450 employees, community and political leaders and industry partners gathered in Shawnee for a luncheon featuring speakers and an international menu. "I could think of no better way to mark Bayer’s 150th anniversary, and our own 50 years of animal health history, than by sharing a globally inspired meal with my colleagues,” said Ian Spinks, president and general manager of Bayer HealthCare’s North American Animal Health Division. "It reminds us that we are not only part of something very special here in Shawnee, but also part of a global company dedicated to science for a better life.” Bayer Animal Health makes about 100 products for companion and farm animals, ranging from Baytril anti-infectives for cats and dogs to Sebacil, which is indicated for the control of mange mites and lice in pigs. As part of Bayer Corp.’s worldwide celebration, the Bayer Cares Foundation donated nearly $785,000 to 150 …
SPONSORED CONTENTOne dose protects for 12 months.One ProHeart® 12 (moxidectin) injection puts compliance in your control. + Get started
Second Wildfire In A Year Sends Colorado Animal Rescuers ScramblingJune 18, 2013 Norris Penrose Event Center, which hosts the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, is one of many facilities temporarily housing horses and other animals displaced by this week’s massive Black Forest Fire in Colorado. In a bit of déjà vu, the staff of the Colorado Springs-based equestrian center is once again looking after horses as it did in 2012 when the Waldo Canyon conflagration raged not far from where the current fire is burning. "We still have a large supply of tools, like wheelbarrows, from last year, which we just kept here under lock and key for a situation like this,” said Johnny Walker, general manager for the Norris Penrose Event Center. Even though Walker has taken in 140 horses this year as opposed to 350 last year, the Center is already at capacity. There already were 200 horses on site for a horse show and the Center’s boarding facility had another 68 horses at the time the fire broke out. History Repeats Last year, on June 26, the Waldo Canyon Fire burned through a Colorado Springs neighborhood and destroyed 346 homes and displaced people and their pets on its way to …
Arizona’s First Veterinary College On Track To Open In 2014June 18, 2013 When it opens for business next year in Glendale, the Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will be the first and only school in Arizona to offer a DVM degree. Now, Arizonans interested in becoming full-fledged veterinarians must look outside the state. That’s because Arizona is one of 24 states without an accredited veterinary college. Pre-veterinary students can enroll in undergraduate programs at the University of Arizona or at Arizona State University but that’s about as far as it goes. But that will all change August 2014 when the Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Science admits its first class of 100. The new veterinary college received a "letter of reasonable assurance” on May 31 from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education, the Schaumburg, Ill.-based accreditation body for U.S. and international veterinary schools and programs recognized in the U.S. The thumbs up means that the college’s plans meet with AVMA approval and recruitment of veterinary students for the inaugural 2014 class can commence. The letter of confidence is an indication that the College of Veterinary Medicine is on its way to meeting the 11 standards required by the AVMA to …
Natura Issues Wider Product RecallJune 18, 2013 The ongoing threat of salmonella contamination moved Natura Pet Products today to voluntarily recall all Innova, California Natural, Evo, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma dry pet food and treats bearing expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014. Natural's recalls of food made for dogs, cats and ferrets are the first in the company’s 21-year history. The action followed similar recalls issued in March and April for Natura products with earlier expiration dates. The newest recall added the Mother Nature line of biscuits. The recalls, the first in the company’s 21-year history, involve food made for dogs, cats and ferrets. Canned food is not affected. The recalled products are sold through pet stores and veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada as well as online. The Fremont, Neb., company, a division of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, reported the latest news in a statement posted on its website. An advisory also was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Natura’s statement noted that the company was "truly sorry” and "disappointed.” "We made this decision in part due to a single positive salmonella test …
Filipino Hero Dog Ready To Return HomeJune 5, 2013 About the only thing Kabang didn’t have upon her release Monday from the University of California, Davis, veterinary hospital was a cape with an oversized "S” on the back. The dog, deemed a hero in her native Philippines and worldwide for head-butting an oncoming motorcycle out of the path of two young girls, is expected to fly home Thursday after spending nearly eight months in the United States for treatment of her gruesome injuries and unrelated illnesses. "Kabang’s care at the teaching hospital was a great example of the synergistic approach we have toward veterinary medicine at UC Davis,” said team member Frank Verstraete, DrMedVet, Dipl. AVDC, Dipl. ECVS, Dipl. EVDC. "We were able to treat all of the complications that arose with the best specialists available,” added Dr. Verstraete, chief of dentistry and oral surgery at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Kabang’s snout and upper jaw were severed in the December 2011 accident. When she arrived at UC Davis 10 months later after a fundraising campaign launched by Buffalo, N.Y., resident Karen Kenngott, the veterinary team discovered other medical issues, …
Nestlé Purina Buying Petfinder Adoption WebsiteJune 5, 2013 Petfinder, being sold to Nestle Purina, touts itself as the largest online, searchable database of animals needing permanent homes. Pet adoption website Petfinder.com is being purchased by Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. in what the company called its first major digital acquisition. The transaction, announced today, is expected to be completed in July. Other details, including the purchase price, were not released. Petfinder touts itself as the largest online, searchable database of animals needing permanent homes. The database features more than 315,000 adoptable pets from about 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Everything from cats and dogs to goats and llamas is in the database. The website, owned by Discovery Communications LLC of Silver Spring, Md., has facilitated more than 22 million adoptions since it was launched in 1996 and has expanded to include pet care resources. "We value Petfinder’s existing framework, which is fully aligned with our commitment to pet welfare organizations and our belief that pets and people are better together,” said Joe Sivewright, president of …
Study Shows Mutts Genetically HealthierJune 4, 2013 The notion that mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebreds has some basis in fact, according to research published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Looking for 24 genetic disorders, UC Davis researchers flagged 27,254 dogs with inherited conditions out of 90,004 dogs checked. A University of California, Davis, research team combed the records of 90,004 dogs seen at the university’s William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital over a 15-year period ending Jan. 1, 2010. Looking for 24 genetic disorders, the researchers flagged 27,254 dogs with inherited conditions. Using healthy dogs as control subjects, the researchers discovered: • No differences between purebred and mixed-breed dogs in regard to 13 genetic disorders, including hip dysplasia, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s syndrome), hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease), lens luxation, patellar luxation and cancers such as hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumor and osteosarcoma. • Purebred dogs were more likely to have 10 genetic disorders, ranging from dilated cardiomyopathy and elbow dysplasia to cataracts …
Zoetis, AHA Launch Study Of Animal-Assisted TherapyJune 3, 2013 The project, announced today, will begin with a pilot clinical trial involving children’s hospitals in Tampa, Fla., and Knoxville, Tenn. Up to five children’s hospitals will participate in a full clinical trial expected to start later this year and last 12 to 18 months. "We see examples every day of the powerful connection that exists between pet owners and their companions, between returning veterans and their waiting friends, between veterinarians and their patients, so we knew we had to help define a more rigorous scientific foundation for this bond to be adopted in health care and therapy,” said Vanessa Mariani, director of academic and professional affairs for Madison, N.J.-based Zoetis. "We have already seen enthusiasm for this type of therapy in several hospitals, and we hope our data will allow for more regular adoption of animal-assisted therapy.” The Canines and Childhood Cancer study is a randomized, controlled trial that will examine specific health effects that animal-assisted therapy have on young cancer patients and their families. The therapeutic benefits of animal-assisted therapy for cancer patients have been shared anecdotally by …
Banfield, Others Helping Pets In Tornado-Ravaged OklahomaMay 24, 2013 Banfield Pet Hospital, ThunderShirt and the American Humane Association have joined a growing list of companies and organizations racing to help animals affected by deadly tornadoes Monday in Oklahoma. Portland, Ore.-based Banfield reported today that 14 of its hospitals will provide free office visits for pets in need. The offer is good through June 4. The locations are: • Broken Arrow, 1410 East Hillside Drive • Edmond, 1921 S. Broadway • Midwest City, 7177 SE 29th St. • Norman, 660 Ed Noble Parkway • Oklahoma City North, 2932 NW 63rd St. • Oklahoma City Northwest, 8357 N. Rockwell Ave. • Oklahoma City West, 6327 SW 3rd St. • South Oklahoma City, 1417 W. I-240 Service Road • Owasso, 9002 N. 121st East Ave., Suite 1200 • Quail Springs, 2140 W. Memorial Road • Tulsa (41st), 5418 E. 41st St. • Tulsa Hills, 7322 S. Olympia Ave. • Tulsa (71st), 10117 E. 71st St. • Yukon, 1648 Garth Brooks Blvd. Banfield is working with Mars Inc. on other …
4-Pound Hairball Removed From Florida TigerMay 23, 2013 One look through an endoscopic camera told Florida veterinarian Brian Luria it was time to call in a surgeon. Dr. Luria, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, became suspicious Monday after using ultrasound and X-rays to examine a 400-pound tiger that had not eaten in nearly two weeks. The tests led to the discovery of a 4-pound, basketball-sized hairball too large to remove using an endoscope. Two days later, Mike Reems, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, and Don Woodman, DVM, operated on Ty the tiger at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Clearwater and successfully removed the object from his stomach. The 17-year-old tiger, who lives at Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Seminole, Fla., is recovering. Drs. Luris and Reems work at BluePearl, while Dr. Woodman owns Animal Hospital of Northwood in Safety Harbor, Fla. Woodman made headlines in October when he used a tranquilizer gun to capture a rhesus macaque that had roamed the Tampa Bay area for nearly four years. While hairball records are not kept, Ty’s lifesaving operation came 16 months after an English housecat needed surgery to remove a 5-inch, 7.5-ounce hairball that her veterinarian reported filled her entire stomach. 5/23/2013 11:14 AM