Animal Advocate Bills Move To Rhode Island GovernorMay 29, 2012Companion legislation in Rhode Island that would allow representatives of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to act in court as animal advocates in cruelty and neglect cases has passed both houses of the Rhode Island legislature and awaits action by Governor Lincoln Chafee. The Washington, D.C.-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council alerted the industry of the pending legislation today, noting its opposition to “the establishment of a non-governmental third party to serve as a legal advocate for ‘custodial’ rights for animals. Legal designation of an entity for assuring proper care and disposition of animals should rest with an appropriate governmental agency for which proper accountability and oversight exists.” The legislation would also allow the state’s Department of Environmental Management’s director to appoint one or more veterinarians employed by the department to serve as an animal advocate in cases in which “the custody or well-being of an animal is at issue.” The legislation also ensures that a licensed veterinarian from the Department of Environmental Management is “made available to the Rhode Island society for the prevention of cruelty to animals at the request of the state police for the purpose of examining any animal which …
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HHS To Test Live Food Animals For Antimicrobial ResistanceMay 25, 2012 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to conduct pilot studies on farms to determine the feasibility of collecting pre-harvest samples from food animals as part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, according to the NARMS 2012-2016 Strategic Plan, released today by HHS. The NARMS program, established in 1996, monitors antimicrobial susceptibility in enteric bacteria from humans, retail meats and food-producing animals, in order to help assess the impact of veterinary antimicrobial use on human health. The strategic plan lays out four goals and 14 specific objectives for the program to accomplish over the next five years. The studies would involve collecting animal drug use and resistance data in dairy and feedlot cattle, poultry and swine. Currently, NARMS only collects samples from animal carcasses and retail meats. NARMS also plans to optimize data acquisition, analysis and reporting by launching an integrated database that will allow data sharing among NARMS partners and stakeholders. NARMS also intends to develop a web-based program that facilitates data collection from public health sites. The program will also look to strengthen collaborative research projects and collaborate with international institutions focused on mitigating the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, such …
UF To Open Emergency Care Center In OcalaMay 23, 2012UF to Open Emergency Care Center in Ocalaveterinary school, veterinarians, veterinary medicine, emergency veterinary care, veterinary, Florida veterinary collegeAn emergency care center is slated to open in Ocala, Fla., in July as a result of a partnership between the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and a group of local veterinarians, the college reported today.An emergency care center is slated to open in Ocala, Fla., in July as a result of a partnership between the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and a group of local veterinarians.newslineUF to Open Emergency Care Center in OcalaPosted: May 23, 2012, 12:30 p.m. EDT An emergency care center is slated to open in Ocala, Fla., in July as a result of a partnership between the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and a group of local veterinarians, the college reported today. The 5,000-square-foot center will provide emergency care between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. during the week and around the clock on weekends and holidays. It will be staffed in rotations by small animal emergency and critical care clinicians and support personnel from the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital in Gainesville. "We were approached by a group of Marion County-area …
Mars Petcare, Nutro Break Ground On $87M Research CenterMay 22, 2012 Mars Petcare US and sister Mars Inc. division The Nutro Co. broke ground today on an $87 million, 90-acre pet food product innovation center in Thompson’s Station, Tenn. The center will be Mars' fifth regional pet food innovation center in the world as it decentralizes product development. The facility will feature four buildings and focus on developing products for the North American market. A 39,904-square-foot innovation center will house offices for research and development teams and a microbiological and analytical laboratory. The innovation center’s pet health and nutrition center will feature agility and training courses. A 56,589-square-foot product development center will produce small batches of products for testing and may also produce samples of new and existing products. A 28,461-square-foot pet health and nutrition center, largely based on Mars’ Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in the United Kingdom, will house dogs and cats involved in feeding trials. The facility will also provide the animals with play areas, regular visits from caretakers, grooming services and veterinary care. An architectural rendering of the exterior of the Mars Nutro regionional innovation center. A 10,302-square-foot shared services building will feature a …
Rabies: Still Deadly, But Antidote More PleasantMay 21, 2012 EDITORS' NOTE: This is a supplement to Veterinary Practice News magazine's June 2012 cover story, America & Rabies. Untreated, rabies virus in humans is most certainly a death sentence. The good news is the virus spreads slowly through the body and modern treatment is very effective with few unpleasant side effects, said Kristy K. Bradley, DVM, MPH, Oklahoma's state epidemiologist. “What I see a lot of times is that people think (rabies testing) is an emergency situation, and it’s not,” she said. “It travels slowly, and gives us the luxury of time so we don’t have to make hasty medical decisions.” Since rabies is strictly neurotropic, it spreads only through the nerves—not blood or lymph, said Bradley, who is president of the American Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. “That’s why there is no test you can do on a live animal. The only reliable test, still today, is euthanasia and testing of brain tissue,” she explained. While the rabies incubation period is three to six weeks, an animal is contagious only if the virus has reached its brain and is transmitted through saliva. “If you have a …
Diamond Plant Inspection Reveals Unsanitary PracticesMay 18, 2012 An inspection of Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, S.C., plant where an outbreak of salmonella illnesses may have originated revealed conditions and practices that could have led to contamination of the final product, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report. The FDA conducted the inspection in April and made a series of observations regarding conditions at the plant. Among the observations, the FDA noted that the plant had not taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that production procedures do not contribute to contamination and that the equipment used to convey the food does not protect against contamination. The Gaston plant does not conduct microbiological analysis on incoming animal fat, which can introduce pathogens into the production cycle and cause contamination of the finished product, according to the report. Inspectors also witnessed a Diamond employee touching in-line fat filter and oil with his or her bare hands. Paddles along the plant’s conveyor systems had gouges and cuts, causing feed residues to cling to the equipment and creating potential areas for microorganisms to multiply, according to the report. The FDA also noted the plant’s use of cardboard, duct tape and other non-cleanable surfaces on equipment …
Shelter Cats Go Social Via Kong CampaignMay 16, 2012Shelter Cats Go Social via Kong Campaignshelter cats, Kong, dog toys, cats, cat adoptions, pet adoptions, animal sheltersPet toy manufacturer Kong Co. launched a charitable campaign called "Pets Need to Play," through which the Golden, Colo.-based company will install live, interactive online toys for cats at several shelters across the country and donate Classic Kong toys for dogs, as well, the company reported today.Pet toy manufacturer Kong Co. launched a charitable campaign called "Pets Need to Play," through which the Golden, Colo.-based company will install live, interactive online toys for cats at several shelters across the country and donate Classic Kong toys for dogs, as well.newslineShelter Cats Go Social via Kong CampaignPosted: May 16, 2012, 4:20 p.m. EDT Pet toy manufacturer Kong Co. launched a charitable campaign called "Pets Need to Play," through which the Golden, Colo.-based company will install live, interactive online toys for cats at several shelters across the country and donate Classic Kong toys for dogs, as well, the company reported today. The cat toys, called Kong iPet Companions, will be installed in feline enclosures at animal shelters throughout the U.S. for six weeks at a time. Through the shelters' websites, web surfers can remotely control robotic …
Salmonella Outbreaks Linked To Undersized TurtlesMay 15, 2012Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Undersized Turtlessalmonella, salmonella turtles, turtlesSmall red-eared slider turtles purchased from street vendors are likely responsible for five multistate outbreaks of salmonella infection affecting 124 people in 27 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.Small red-eared slider turtles purchased from street vendors are likely responsible for five multistate outbreaks of salmonella infection affecting 124 people in 27 states, according to CDC.newslineSalmonella Outbreaks Linked to Undersized TurtlesPosted: May 15, 2012, 5:50 p.m. EDT Small red-eared slider turtles purchased from street vendors are likely responsible for five multistate outbreaks of salmonella infection affecting 124 people in 27 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The turtles responsible for the infections predominantly have shell lengths of less than 4 inches and were likely purchased from street vendors, the CDC said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of turtles with shell length of less than 4 inches in 1975. Nineteen people have been hospitalized, but there have been no reported deaths from the outbreaks. More than two-thirds of those infected are 10-years old or younger. The affected states include Alaska (2 cases), Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (21), Colorado (5), Delaware (3), …
Report: Pet Ownership Up, Spending DownMay 14, 2012Report: Pet Ownership Up, Spending Downpet, pet owners, dog, cat, pet products, pet spending, pet surveyPet ownership is on the rise, but owners are spending less on account of the struggling economy, according to a trio of studies published by Marketresearch.com.Three factors are propelling the pet ownership market, according to the report, including "pet parenting," an increase in pet ownership among minority households and the prevalence of pet ownership among affluent Americans.newslineReport: Pet Ownership Up, Spending DownPosted: May 14, 2012, 5:05 p.m. EDT Pet ownership is on the rise, but owners are spending less on account of the struggling economy, according to a trio of studies published by Marketresearch.com. Three factors are propelling the pet ownership market, according to the report, including "pet parenting," an increase in pet ownership among minority households and the prevalence of pet ownership among affluent Americans. Ninety-two percent of dog owners and 90 percent of cat owners consider their pets to be part of their families, according to the survey of 2000 pet owners conducted online in February and March. This "pet parenting" phenomenon can lead to owners having more willingness to spend on their pets, according to Marketresearch.com. However, prevailing economic conditions continue to …
Heska Earnings Drop On Flat Q1 RevenuesMay 11, 2012 Revenue and income declined at Heska Corp. in the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year compared to the year-ago period, the Loveland, Colo.-based company reported today. Revenues from Heska’s “Core Companion Animal Health” category grew 1.2 percent, but total first quarter revenues retreated 1.5 percent to $19.2 million on a 15.3 percent drop in revenues in Heska’s “Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products” category. “This was a strong start for 2012,” said Robert Grieve, CEO and chairman at Heska. “We grew our Core Companion Animal Health revenue despite an anticipated $2.1 million decline in revenue from our heartworm preventive sold to a unit of Merck. We also delivered a notable increase in gross margins.” An increase in operating expenses coupled with relatively flat revenues led to a 56.8 percent drop in net income in the first quarter compared to the year-ago period. “We continued to invest in new products, as well as in the expansion and improvement of our sales organization,” said Grieve. “We believe the results of these efforts will support our expected revenue growth during this year.” Heska shipped its first stocking order of PetTrust Plus heartworm preventive sold exclusively through retail …
