Milo’s Kitchen Recalls Chicken Jerky, Chicken Grillers Home-style Dog TreatsJanuary 9, 2013 “Pet safety and consumer confidence in our products are our top priorities,” said Rob Leibowitz, general manager of pet products at the San Francisco-based company. “While there is no known health risk, the presence of even trace amounts of these antibiotics does not meet our high quality standards. Therefore, today we decided to recall both products and asked retailers to remove the products from their shelves.” No other Milo’s Kitchen products are affected. The discovery was made by the New York State Department of Agriculture, which informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. Milo’s Kitchen consulted with both agencies before issuing the recall notice. While antibiotics are commonly used in the poultry industry, “The antibiotics found in the products were unapproved and should not be present in the final food product,” Milo’s Kitchen stated. Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers are both sourced from the same chicken suppliers, the company reported. The company noted that it conducts safety testing from procurement to manufacturing to distribution, but “Milo’s Kitchen did not test for all of the specific …
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Chicago Museum To Showcase Inside Look At AnimalsJanuary 8, 2013 A veterinary anatomy class will be in session starting March 14 when dozens of animals preserved through the process of Plastination go on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. More than 100 specimens—from goats and giraffes to octopuses to ostriches—will be shown in the same way human bodies and parts are displayed worldwide as part of the now-famous “Body Worlds” collections. The U.S. premier of “Animal Inside Out” is scheduled to run through Sept. 2. “Usually you see specimens as skeletonsor taxidermies,” said Anne Rashford, the museum’s director of temporary exhibits. “At ‘Animal Inside Out,’ museum guests will see animals in a whole new way.” Plastination removes the fluids from a body and replaces them with plastics that harden, allowing details to be examined up close. Visitors will see a shark’s dense network of blood vessels, the inside of a rabbit’s brain, the running and leaping muscles of a reindeer and the muscles of a bull’s heart. Plastination’s inventor, Gunther von Hagens, said the exhibit is designed to develop an appreciation for animals. “It is critical that we increase our …
VeterinaryPracticeNews.com's Most-Read News Stories Of 2012January 7, 2013 Check Out the Top 25 Veterinary News Stories of 2012veterinary news, recall, dog food recall, pet recall, veterinaryThese were the most-read stories on VeterinaryPracticeNews.com in 2012. Here are the 25 stories VeterinaryPracticeNews.com visitors found to be the most interesting in 2012. 25. American Humane Survey Determines Why Some Don’t Own Pets The cost of pet ownership, a lack of time to care for a cat or dog, and grief over an animal’s death are...Read more >> 24. AAHA Denounces Raw Food Diets for Pets The American Animal Hospital Association has joined the American Veterinary Medical Association in taking a stand against raw food diets for pets...Read more >> 23. AVMA Frowns Upon Raw Diets, Says Vet Spending Up The American Veterinary Medical Association hosted its annual convention in San Diego over the weekend and kept the 8,675 registered attendees busy...Read more >> 22. Nature’s Variety Recalls Dog …
Petco Recalls Radiation-Tainted Pet Food BowlsJanuary 4, 2013 Petco has recalled three pet food bowls because an overseas manufacturer used stainless steel containing small quantities of radioactive cobalt-60. The models include: • SKU 1047493: 9.25-inch diameter, 3.75-cup capacity. • SKU 1386956: 9-inch diameter, 3.5-cup capacity. • SKU 1047477: 9-inch diameter, 7-cup capacity. The SKU numbers are found on labels on the inside and bottom of the bowls. Customers who purchased one of the recalled bowls from May 31 to June 20, 2012, are encouraged to return it to a Petco store for a refund. Tests determined that the bowls do not pose a health risk to pets, pet owners, store employees or customers, the San Diego-based company stated. “Cobalt-60 is a radioactive material commonly used in industrial gauging equipment and other uses,” Petco reported in a statement on its website. “We don’t know for certain how it got into our product, but we believe it came from scrap metal that had some cobalt-60 accidentally mixed in.” The recalled bowls were inside two shipping containers that arrived in the United States in late May or early June 2012, the company stated. The radiation was discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents …
Bayer Gets Go-ahead For Purchase Of Teva Animal HealthJanuary 3, 2013 Bayer HealthCare of Shawnee, Kan., won regulatory approval today to complete its acquisition of Teva Animal Health. The Federal Trade Commission approved the $145 million transaction, which includes a plant in St. Joseph, Mo., and nearly 300 employees, Bayer reported. Among the Teva products moving under Bayer's control are the DVM Pharmaceuticals line, which includes SynoviG3 supplements, HyLyt grooming solutions and Relief shampoo. “This acquisition fits nicely with our strategic goals," Bayer HealthCare CEO Joerg Reinhardt said. "It allows us to strengthen and broaden our range of animal care solutions in the U.S. market.” Bayer also gains reproductive hormones such as Prostamate and Ovacyst, parasiticides, anti-inflammatories and products designed to treat infections in livestock. “Now, more than ever, we are well positioned to offer our customers the range of animal care products they want and need,” said Ian Spinks, president and general manager of Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, North America. Saint Joseph-based Teva Animal Health is part of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. The purchase agreement was announced in September.
Chicken Jerky Production To Continue, Says ChinaDecember 28, 2012 The People’s Republic of China refused a plea from a U.S. congressman to cease production of chicken jerky treats and rebuked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for issuing warnings to pet owners about feeding the treats to pets. The treats have been linked to pet illnesses and even deaths across the United States and Canada, but the FDA has been unable to determine what aspect, if any, of the treats is causing the illnesses. Rep. Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat, urged the Chinese government in a letter to “consider halting production of these chicken jerky treats until the FDA can determine whether or not the products contain tainted material,” KGO-TV in San Francisco reported Wednesday. The Chinese government responded, saying that “from the perspective of the Chinese side, there might be something wrong with the FDA’s investigation guidance,” according to KGO-TV. The FDA began warning pet owners about the potential dangers of feeding China-sourced jerky treats to pets in …
Webster Veterinary Gets New Name, WebsiteDecember 28, 2012Webster Veterinary Supply, a division of Patterson Companies Inc., will changed its name to Patterson Veterinary Supply starting with the new year, the parent company announced Thursday. Patterson Veterinary Supply will distribute technology, equipment, supplies, vaccines and pharmaceuticals throughout the animal health industry. Acquired by Patterson Companies in 2001, Webster distributes technology, equipment, supplies, vaccines and pharmaceuticals throughout the animal health industry. “The ability to further leverage the significant resources and support of Patterson Companies will help us bring more innovative products, services and business solutions to veterinarians, their staffs and their clients,” said George Henriques, the unit’s president. Accompanying the name change will be a new website, PattersonVet.com, with upgraded features. “By transitioning to Patterson Veterinary, Patterson Companies is showing just how deeply it is committed to the veterinary business and the customers we serve,” Henriques noted. “The name change to Patterson Veterinary makes perfect sense both from the standpoint of veterinary practices and our business.” The headquarters will remain in Devens, Mass. Contacts, telephone numbers, account numbers and sales representatives will not change, the parent company reported.
ASPCA Director To Speak At UGA Shelter Med SeminarDecember 26, 2012 The senior director of research and development for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will headline the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine’s fifth annual Shelter Medicine Seminar, taking place Jan. 27, 2013. Emily Weiss, Ph.D., CAAB, will serve as the seminar’s keynote speaker. Dr. Weiss has focused her career on improving the welfare of animals in zoos and shelters. She has developed several assessment tools for shelters, including Meet Your Match, Canine-ality, Puppy-ality and Feline-ality, an adoption program for shelter cats that has helped to decrease euthanasia, increase adoptions and decrease returns of cats in shelters, the university noted. Dr. Weiss is also a section editor for the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science and has developed enrichment and behavior modification programs for animals in shelters as well as a focus on companion horses. The seminar is hosted by the student chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and is open to veterinary professionals and anyone who works for an animal control facility, humane society or animal rescue group. …
Do Your Homework Before Shopping For A ReindeerDecember 21, 2012 Selecting the right family reindeer can be a daunting task. There are so many sources of poor-quality reindeer that one must do his or her homework to prevent ending up with a dud reindeer. Most sources of reindeer do not allow exchanges or returns after Christmas. Children become attached quickly, and exchanging a misfit reindeer will become harder, even if the reindeer source will allow it. Find a Reputable Breeder The absolute best source would be from Kris Kringle himself. He has been doing this for generations, and his breeding stock is unmatched in quality and temperament. Mr. Kringle’s reindeer command a higher price, but his reindeer are of the highest quality and temperament, and they can fly. The ability to fly is something seen only in the reindeer raised by Mr. Kringle. Most reindeer cannot fly, but this does not detract from their pet qualities. I would definitely stay away from Craigslist or eBay reindeer. These tend to be older reindeer with pre-existing problems. Humane societies and animal shelters tend to suspend reindeer adoptions during the holiday season so people don’t adopt them for the wrong …
Law Changes Force AVMA To Drop Medical Insurance PlansDecember 21, 2012 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Group Health and Life Insurance Trust will no longer provide medical insurance to its members after 2013, the trust announced Tuesday. The approximately 17,500 AVMA-member veterinarians who carry the medical coverage through GHLIT will have to seek medical individual plans effective Jan. 1, 2014. Members will receive normal coverage through 2013, and the trust will continue to carry life, disability and dental insurance products. But at the conclusion of 2013, the trust will no longer be able to provide medical insurance for its members. “Our hope over the next year is to act as a resource to help current policyholders transition to plans that are suitable to their families,” said GHLIT spokesperson Libby Wallace. The trust’s underwriter, New York Life Insurance Co., notified GHLIT that it would discontinue providing insurance to all group plans and to all members, likely because of changes under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2014, said Wallace. "Regarding New York Life's coverage of AVMA members, the company will continue …
