Veterinarians to lobby Capitol Hill, seeking support for rural vet shortage and dog import lawsFebruary 1, 2024The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) annual legislative fly-in, with advocates representing 42 states and 15 veterinary schools, will be on Feb. 6th
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Canine vaccine hesitancy prevalent among U.S. dog owners, study findsSeptember 5, 2023More than 50 percent of dog owners in America have expressed some level of skepticism about vaccinating their pets—including for anti-rabies.
Reducing spread of deadly disease central to reignited dog import billMarch 8, 2023Minimizing the spread of diseases that could be dangerous to both human and animal health is the goal of the recently reignited Healthy Dog Importation Act.
Monkeypox detected in domestic dogAugust 17, 2022A greyhound in France has tested positive for monkeypox, becoming the first known domestic dog to contract with the virus via human transmission.
Vet med, public health united with new CVM departmentNovember 23, 2021The critical intersection of people, pets, and the environment is the focus of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s newly introduced department.
New legislation ensures immunization of imported dogsMay 20, 2020Protecting America’s dogs and people from parasites and contagious disease is central to a new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
CDC report finds vector-borne diseases on the riseMay 10, 2018According to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been significant increase in instances of vector-borne diseases across the U.S., with reported cases of diseases transmitted through the bites of blood-feeding ticks, mosquitos, and fleas nearly tripling nation-wide over a 13-year span. Ronald Rosenberg, Sc.D., from CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues analyzed data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System pertaining to 16 vector-borne diseases from 2004 to 2016. The findings were tabulated by disease, vector type, location, and year. During this period, a total of 642,602 cases of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas were reported to CDC. The report indicates cases of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan diseases more than doubled during this period, jumping from approximately 22,000 in 2004 to more than 48,000 reported cases in 2016, with Lyme disease accounting for 82 percent of cumulative reported tick-borne disease. Additionally, the combined incidence of reported anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, which are tick-borne bacterial diseases, rose almost every year, as did spotted fever. Babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic infection …
Study finds raw diets for pets place animals, owners at riskJanuary 18, 2018A new study by Utrecht University scientists, published in British veterinary journal Vet Record, found that raw meat-based diets (RMBD) for pets places owners at risk of serious disease. The study, which analyzed 35 RMBDs from eight brands, revealed that E. coli 0157 was isolated from eight products (23 percent), Salmonella species in seven products (20 percent), and Listeria species were present in 15 products (43 percent). Four products (11 percent) found the parasite Sarcocystis cruzi; another four contained Sarcocystis tenella. Two products (6 percent) revealed Toxoplasma gondii. Researchers also found evidence the raw meat harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "Despite the relatively low sample size of frozen products in our study, it is clear that commercial RMBDs may be contaminated with a variety of zoonotic bacterial and parasitic pathogens that may be a possible source of bacterial infections in pet animals and if transmitted pose a risk for human beings," they added. Pets fed RMBDs can pass pathogens to humans through direct contact, such as licking or brushing up against them, according to scientists. Researchers wrote that pathogens also can be transferred through direct contact with the food, through contact with household surfaces, or by ingesting cross-contaminated human food. RMBDs …
AMC launches Usdan Institute for Animal HealthSeptember 20, 2017 The Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, which sees more than 50,000 patient visitors a year and has more than 100 years of veterinary medical experience, announced the launch of the Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education to help educate owners on all aspects of their pet's health. AMC has appointed Jaclyn Skidmore, MSc, an infectious disease epidemiologist, as the institute's director. "The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will focus on three areas of education: animal health, public health as it relates to animals, and the human-animal bond," said Kathryn Coyne, Animal Medical Center's CEO. "We hope pet owners everywhere will utilize the institute to find resources for their pet's health needs, and we invite all New York City area pet owners to join us at our Usdan event series." The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will present a series of educational events that will be open to the public. On Sept. 28, Mark Macina, DVM, head of AMC's dermatology service, will discuss seasonal pet allergies and advances in treatment. Every Tuesday the Institute will issue a "Usdan Tuesday Tip" on timely animal health information across AMC social platforms with the hashtag #UsdanTuesdayTip. …