Medical

Palm Springs, Calif. - 2/8/08 - The writing of two sets of cat-care guidelins, one for veterinarians and another for owners, will be tackled through multiple veterinary-medicine-focused partnerships following the first-ever CATalyst Summit, held to spur ideas for reversing the trend of decreasing feline veterinary visits in a time of increasing cat ownership.

Lakewood, Colo. - The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) will begin accrediting referral hospitals next month, a move encouraged by some but deemed unnecessary by other industry insiders.

New York - 1/28/08 - As the fifth and final defendant in the Michael Vick dog-fighting case was sentenced in a Virginia court, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reported that most of the dogs seized at the football star's property have a chance at rehabilitiation.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 1/15/08 - The American Veterinary Medical Association and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. launched an outreach program targeting pet obesity.

Norwell, Mass. - An imported dog carried a larvae species never before detected in the Western Hemisphere into the country.

Corvallis, Ore. - A team of Oregon State University (OSU) scientists successfully used nanotechnology to detect and define cancer tumors, introducing a less invasive way to fight cancer in humans and animals.

Washington - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must establish an early-warning and surveillance system by this fall to identify adulteration of the nation's pet-food supply and any future outbreaks of illness associated with pet foods.

Memphis, Tenn. - The Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) anticipates mandatory spay/neuter and breed-specific banning legislation - both of which it opposes - to be introduced in the next legislative session.

He's been called a wolf in sheep's clothing, a man with hidden agendas and the most influential player the animal-welfare arena has ever seen.

National Report - International companion-animal vaccine guidelines were developed by a World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) committee to help ensure effective care for pets around the world.

Washington, D.C. - 12/27/07 - Improved communication between veterinarians and the pet food industry, the development of state feed regulations and the establishment of DVM-patient diet histories can all help improve the safety and monitoring of pet food, according to the National Pet Food Commission (NPFC).

Miami - 12/21/07 - A 45-year-old man was arrested after attempting to give a puppy a rabies shot during a house call visit, despite having no veterinarian license.

National Report -- Researchers have identified a new strain of swine influenza that is molecularly composed of both avian and swine influenza genes.

Topeka, Kan. - 12/4/07 - With oral disease marking the most frequently diagnosed health problems for pets, National Dental Health Month kicks off in February.

Columbia, Mo. - A new orthopedic device co-developed and tested at the University of Missouri's (MU) veterinary school received Food and Drug Administration approval for the human market.

Madison, Wis. - A new $12.5 million University of Wisconsin (UW) facility slated to open next spring will focus on the study of influenza viruses to better understand the disease and possibly help prevent a future avian-flu pandemic. The two-story, 27,000 square-foot Institute for Influenza Viral Research initially will house 24 employees and grow to 35 when fully staffed, says Daryl Buss, DVM, PhD and dean of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.

Columbia, Mo. - University of Missouri researchers have developed an in vitro joint model that replaces laboratory animals, cuts costs and improves safety when studying human and canine arthritis.

Austin, Texas - The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) plans to launch what's tentatively titled The Catalyst Summit, an invitation-only conference charged with exploring how to reverse the trend of decreasing feline visits among practices while ownership rises nationally.

Frederick, Md. - Two years of scientific collaboration yields a nearly complete decoding of the feline genome, a step that will aid in the continued fight against both cat and human diseases.

SURPRISE, ARIZ. - Four years of patience and politics have paid off in what Dr. Lorna Lanman calls "vindication." The one-time Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT) member whose unit was expelled by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2003, is now reinstated by the federal government.

Recognized as a pioneer in small-animal emergency and critical-care medicine, Rebecca Kirby, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, offers advice to practitioners on handling emergency situations. She sat down with DVM Newsmagazine for a recent Q/A session.

For any veterinary practice, maintaining good hygienic standards these days is much more than just a good idea.

National Report - 11/30/07 - With veterinarians reporting that 47 percent of their clients are overweight, the National Canine Weight Check seeks to fight back, offering pet owners free weight assessments for their animals.

Reno, Nev. - 11/29/07 - This year's pet-food crisis points to a need for more efficient means of finding, evaluating and halting any future food-supply contamination.

Use this sample advance directive for hospice patients or clients who request it.

Baton Rouge - 11/14/07 - The first-time procedure for professors in the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU) has saved the life of a colleague's German Shepherd that had been suffering from congestive heart failure.

Austin - 11/13/07 - The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) plans to launch what's tentatively titled The Catalyst Summit, an invitation-only conference charged with exploring how to reverse the trend of decreasing feline visits among practices while cat ownership rises nationally.

San Francisco - 11/12/07 - San Francisco Bay's worst oil spill in nearly two decades has already claimed the lives of at least 100 birds, while veterinarians and staff at a local wildlife center work to treat hundreds more for contamination.

Atlanta - 11/8/07 - The United States is officially free of the type of rabies found in dogs -- the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally declared it in September -- but that doesn't mean canine rabies is no loger a matter for concern

Denver, Colo. - To help veterinarians track disease and client health-care compliance, standardized diagnostic terms are under development by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).