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The economic downturn has had little effect so far on the buying and selling of veterinary practices.

Davis, Calif. -- A new genetic screening test was created for equine cerebellar abiotrophy at the University of California-Davis' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.

Davis, Calif. - The newly formed International Animal Welfare Training Institute is exploring new approaches to animal handling and housing practices for animal agriculture.

Washington -- The U.S. Representatives in September heard the introduction of a bill to prohibit the interstate transport of animals used in wildlife penning.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- The head of the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Animal Welfare Division recently earned the honor of becoming the first U.S. veterinarian credentialed in animal welfare.

Baton Rouge, La. -- The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine is looking for dogs to participate in a new study about chronic renal disease in canines.

Madison, Wis. -- A new injectable pain drug being studied at the University of Wisconsin (UW) could actually help animals recover faster after surgery.

Kenilworth, N.J. -- Schering-Plough Corp announced last month that it was closing on its transfer of certain products to Pfizer Animal Health.

National Report -- One of the most significant issues facing veterinary practices is qualified management, according to VetMgrCentral.

Portland, Ore. -- Banfield announced in September that it sold its Merlin Digital Technology branch to Eklin Medical Systems Inc. and has entered into a partnership with Eklin to develop digital imaging equipment for Banfield hospitals.

Frankfort, Ky. -- The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has appointed an interim chief veterinarian to replace Dr. Lafe Nichols, who resigned last week.

Los Angeles -- Stocks were still volatile Oct. 3 after both the U.S. Senate and House approval of a $700 billion economic bailout package.

Washington - Neither a short-term cash infusion or the $2.5 million in long-term funding promised for the support of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) in this year's Farm Bill came through in time, so the resource used to keep contaminants out of the food supply for more than a quarter century began shutting down Oct. 1.

Rockville, Md. - The Food and Drug Administration just made an animal drug database accessible to the public.

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Of 13 Florida premises still under quarantine this week for equine piroplasmosis, only one farm still has horses that test positive for the disease.

Corvallis, Ore. -- A biomedical researcher with the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine received a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study a possible treatment for tuberculosis.

Pullman, Wash. -- Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Warwick Bayly began also serving as WSU provost Sept. 23, when Provost Steven Hoch filed a last-minute personal-leave request after less than two months on the job

Nashville, Tenn. -- The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) is offering a certification program for those interested in new methods of pain management.

Nottingham, U.K. The University of Nottingham is using a grant of more than $4 million (USD) to dissect the functions of the bacterium that causes bovine mastitis (BM) and try to come up with a cure for the disease.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Make a donation to the American Veterinary Medical Association Political Action Committee and earn money for your state VMA's scholarship fund or college scholarship fund.

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its guidelines for genetically engineered (GE) animals for research and food production.

Madison, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Hospital now can offer laser surgery to equine patients thanks to the acquisition of carbon dioxide and diode laser surgery instrumentation.

Lexington, Ky. -- The Equine Disaster Relief Fund, administered by the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation, is accepting donations to help horses in Texas and Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ike.

Lexington, Ky. -- William Moyer, DVM, professor of sports medicine and head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, was named 2009 vice president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

St. Paul, Minn. - Researchers at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine (UMCVM) have discovered a gene mutation that could be responsible for exercise-induced collapse (EIC) syndrome in Labrador retrievers.

Rockville, Md. -- Since no new cases of monkeypox have been reported in the United States since an outbreak in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to lift its restrictions on prairie dogs and certain African rodents.

Manhattan, Kan. -- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, isn't just a food-born illness, according to a new study conducted at Kansas State University (KSU).

New York, NY - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals now is joining in the effort to warn pet owners about tainted pet foods.

Austin, Texas -- Want to help veterinarians in hurricane-ravaged Texas? Open your pocketbook or checkbook. It's money that can do the most good toward meeting DVMs' most critical needs right now, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association says.

Lexington, Ky. -- In another move toward reform in the racing industry, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is seeking to have a long-term plan to implement uniform health and safety measures for racehorses in place within 30 days -- or by the time the Breeders' Cup World Championships are held Oct. 24-25 at California's Santa Anita racetrack.