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Proper broodmare feeding is not much different than for any other female breeding animal. When it comes to nutrient needs for all young-bearing animals, the latter stage of pregnancy - especially lactation - is most demanding. What's most important prior to pregnancy is that the mare is neither too thrifty nor overweight, with a proper body condition score for her size (5-6, moderate to fleshy).

Veterinarians celebrate the strengthening of the human-animal bond because it frequently allows us to provide improved medical care for our patients. However, this bond may also make handling a pet's death or deciding on the extent of an animal's treatment difficult for clients.

Angelo, Texas - Dr. Wendi Mae Davidson, 28, was sentenced to 25 years in prison last month after pleading no contest to charges she murdered her husband, Dyess Air Force Base Staff Sgt. Michael Leslie Severance.

At no time in the article "Reach for More Pay" (September/October 2006) did you tell the person who got the raise to say "thank you." I gave all of my staff members a raise without anyone asking for one, and I didn't get one "thank you." Should I take it away?

At the same time, Tufts researchers have designed a treatment.

How can we best use our freedom to make choices in context of responding to blame?

Always be honest, says this large-animal internal medicine specialist who helped treat Barbaro. The first error in medicine is making a mistake. The second error is lying about it.

Will Dawdle was a great veterinarian in the 1970s. In fact, he still is.

Consider the following situations in practice. How would you handle each one?

They actually called the television station asking to put the event on the news.

Pericarditis is an inflammatory condition of the pericardial lining of the heart. It is characterized by accumulation of fluid, fibrin or fibrous tissue within the pericardial sac. Pericarditis is seen more commonly in young horses.1,2 There is no breed predilection. Male intact horses may be at increased risk.1

Columbia, Mo.- The human-animal bond has no economic boundaries.

There could have been a postscript at the end of the article, "Signs You Need a New Job" (By the Numbers, September/October 2006). It may have read like this: P.S. You may need a new job if the first article in this issue you read is titled, "Signs You Need a New Job." Thanks for the humor and the advice.

Portland-Officials ready the debut of pet owner pricing research following an industry summit that drew 103 leaders of veterinary associations and animal health companies.

San Diego - Most of California's 7,900 licensed veterinarians unknowingly break federal and state drug laws every day by allowing staff to administer controlled substances without immediate supervision, officials say.

On Sept. 22, fire swept through pastures in rural Yolo County, Calif., killing 800 sheep and injuring hundreds more, including horses. The Veterinary Emergency Response Team, composed of students, faculty and staff at University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (UC-Davis), worked to evacuate and and treat the burned and injured animals.

New York - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) now markets health insurance policies for dogs and cats.

Editor's Note: We bugged Dr. Mike Paul, executive director of the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) for his answers to five key questions about parasites, diagnostics and disease transmission. He delivered the answers in an exclusive Q/A.

Dr. Walther: The changes occurring in our business model for the most part are going faster than any of us realize. But what does the future hold? Is solo practice, please excuse the expression, a dead horse? Are the requirements of the practice, both as a professional and as a manager, too much for a single practitioner? What is the proper size for a multi-doctor practice? What practice model will allow us to have time off and take emergency calls? Is it going to be four, five or six? Right now, four to five doctors seem to be the number, but I think that, too, is up for grabs. What place does our profession have for corporate practices? They're growing; they're profitable. They find, as we are finding, a shortage of veterinarians to run them. How will the supply of veterinarians impact them?

San Francisco - "Genetic Savings and Clone is no longer providing interviews. We are no longer accepting orders."

Washington - Past government officials, environmentalists, industry leaders and even actress-turned-activist Daryl Hannah want to contribute to what's being billed the most comprehensive study on agriculture's impact to date.

West Lafayette, Ind. - Dr. Willie Reed has a tall agenda.

Bowie, Md. - A one-time public relations agent, federal crime laboratory worker, screenplay author and late-blooming veterinarian takes on his latest role as Jake, a neurotic novelist struggling in relationships with the opposite sex.

Dr. David Twedt discusses how a handful of common gastrointestinal diseases in dogs and cats are frequently misdiagnosed, either because they are tricky to diagnose or they are not considered in the first place.

Pullman, WA -- Dr. Guy Palmer, a veterinary pathologist at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, was elected to the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Atlanta - It contaminates practices, brings about lawsuits and causes illness, even death. Yet veterinarians enforce shoddy safety measures when it comes to leptospirosis and exposure to bacteria contamination.

When I moved to the Conejo Valley in California's Ventura County in 1957, the valley had never had a resident veterinary practitioner. Back then, the human population was small, limiting the number of available small-animal patients. However, there were thousands of beef cattle and horses in the area and, intriguingly, an abundance of exotic animals.

As the owner/office manager of a small animal clinic, I found your answer to the question about discounts pretty one-sided ("I Want My Discount Back," Ask the Experts, September/October 2006). Do these employees consider the cost the practice owner bears for this benefit? The employees' hearts are in the right place-they want to help all of the pets that come their way. The problem is that it's at the practice owner's expense. Some employees feel that they can take home pet after pet because the cost is minimal. This becomes a problem when several employees have multiple-pet households that the clinic is basically supporting.