Medical

It has been said that 69 percent of customers leave a business because of indifference. When clients perceive that the practice does not care about them, their loyalty is diminished.

Beltsville, Md. - When he found a live Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) on the agitator of his washing machine, entomologist John Carroll, of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, decided to find out how tough ticks really are.

San Francisco -Attorneys with the California State Department of Consumer Affairs want to put a legislative stopper on West Hollywood's anti-declaw law, cemented last month by the state Supreme Court's refusal to hear a challenge to the ban.

San Diego - 10/29/07 - With the worst of the unprecedented wildfires extinguished throughout the county, relief and recovery efforts and now the primary focus of volunteers and the industry, who aim to get the more than 500,000 displaced residents and thousands of pets reunited and home.

Los Angeles - 10/24/07 - Firestorms are driving thousands of families from their homes, but they can rest a little easier knowing their pets have a place to stay.

Waltham, Mass. - 10/23/07 - A local veterinary hospital is implementing a $4.5-million project that will dobule its staff, add more than half a dozen new specialties and improve its focus on patient care.

Los Angeles - 10/22/07 - Literally 'racing' for the cure, a $30-million canine cancer campaign logo adorned the hood of a vehicle participating in the biggest race of the year for NASCAR.

Lafayette, Ind. - 10/20/07 - Fibrotic lung disease does not discriminate against which species it infects--humans or canines--and respiratory specialists are following suit.

St. Louis, Mo. - 10/19/07 - More than 200 attendees from 22 countries gathered at the 2007 Nestle Purina Nutrition Forum, focused on feline health, including obesity and diabetes developments.

New Orleans - 10/18/07 - A partnership dubbed "After Katrina: Improving the Lives of Gulf Coast Dogs & Cats," will provide grant money to Louisiana and Mississippi-based shelter facilities, while promoting the importance of spay and neutering.

Washington - 10/16/07 - Almost three-fourths of Americans believe leaving a stray cat outside to live out its life is more humane than having that cat caught and killed by animal control, reports a survey by a feline-welfare, non-profit organization.

Dublin, Ireland - 10/15/07 - Dog care markets throughout North America and Latin America have steadily risen over the past five years, according to the self-proclaimed world's largest market research resource.

Armonk, N.Y. - 10/5/2007 - BrightHeart Veterinary Centers, a national network of specialty practices, just became a Corporate Charter Partner with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Foundation. The deal, announced today, will help ACVIM's Foundation fund clinical investigations and education programs.

Denver, Colo. - 10/4/07 - A public service announcement campaign to promote awareness and accreditation standards kicks off on the worldwide web this month, sponsored by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Santa Ana, Calif. - Vsurance, an insurance provider covering pets' veterinary care services through its Health Insurance for Pets program recently announced the latest market trends in the pet healthcare industry.

National Report - Standards of care are on the rise across the nation. Yet a blurry line marks the difference between negligence and proper care because acceptable standards often are based on region, rather than documented guidelines.

Sacramento, Calif. - Invite Dr. Wade Himes to shed light on the inner-workings of state regulatory agencies and he pauses, then laughs and asks, "Do you want me to lose my license?"

Dr. Edward C. Feldman lectured at the 2007 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Seattle on "Medical Management of Canine Hyperadrenocorticism: A Comparison of Trilostane to Mitotane." Here are some relevant points:

Baton Rouge, La. - The Louisiana State University (LSU) veterinary school seeks dogs with chronic kidney disease to participate in a 12-month clinical study to examine the effects of new treatments.

National Report - A potential connection between feline hyperthyroidism (FH) and a flame-retardant chemical found in common household products, house dust and some food items may exist, concludes a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study.

Columbus, Ohio - Ohio veterinarians would do a better job of reporting animal diseases if they had access to an electronic reporting system.

Minneapolis - For 59 years, Dr. Carl Seemann practiced as northern Minnesota's surgical "spine man," a solo generalist who, at age 84, saw three clients a day until Christmas last year.

Montgomery, Ala. - The Alabama Veterinary Medical Association announced the opening of three shelters equipped to house pets in the event of a disaster.

The illegal sport of dog fighting has yet another dark side - one that a Mississippi veterinarian knows all too well.

Fort Collins, Colo. - Colorado State University (CSU) announced it will build its second supercluster, this one for cancer research and treatment, along with NeoTREX, an embedded business enterprise dedicated to speeding the transition of cancer research from the academic world to the global marketplace.

Task force to lobby for approval of two new technician-training schools to boost recruitment

Denver, Colo. - 9/26/07 - Animal owners can now get their pet insurance questions answered by an industry expert by logging onto the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) Web site.

Kansas City - 09/16/2007- More than 6,318 attendees filed into CVC Central yesterday. According to Peggy Shandy Lane, CVC's conference director, more walk-in registrations will likely boost attendance figures over the next two days.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 9/14/07 - Multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick, reports the American Veterinary Medical Association. No deaths have been reported, but symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.

Atlanta - 9/7/07 - The first-ever World Rabies Day - an international effort to raise awareness about the risks of rabies - kicks off tomorrow, Sept. 8. The event aims to heighten understanding of the impact of human and animal rabies, while encouraging prevention to help avoid more than 55,000 rabies-related deaths that are estimated to occur each year.