News

North Grafton, Mass. - Dog owners often assume that pet food for senior dogs is tailored to the nutritional needs of the older pet, possibly offering reduced calories or age-specific nutrients. But results of a new study indicate the nutritional value of food targeted to older dogs can vary widely from brand to brand.

Self-traumatizing disorders can occasionally start as a behavioral pathology.

Austin, Texas - Texas legislators hoep to tackle the issue of compensation for the loss of a pet, including non-economic damages.

National Report - For veterinarians still taking care of marine mammals and sea turtles along the Gulf Coast, it was business as usual on April 20-the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that dumped millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Carl Osborne examines feline urolith composition over the past three decades.

Puncture wounds of the sole in horses can range from simple to complex-even life-threatening-depending on the area of penetration.

National Report - While repots within the veterinary profession are signaling an alarm that visits are down, a new poll from the American Pet Products Association indicates that 16 percent of dog owners and 13 percent of cat owners say their pets' health takes as much priority as their own.

Montgomery, Ala. - Alabama lawmakers introduced a bill March 29 that would require veterinarians and veterinary technicians to report torture or cruelty to animals.

Carson City, Nev. - Nevada Sen. Valerie Weiner is asking that pet owners be allowed to donate unused medications to animals in need, much like human-health facilities do.

Athens, Ga. - Large breeds don't just have shorter life spans than smaller dogs-they are also more likely to die of muscoskeletal and gastrointestinal diseases and cancer.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Clarifying earlier advice that practices need to carry workers' compensation insurance for relief veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Professional Liability Insurance Trust (PLIT) says that's not the case.

Oklahoma City, Okla. - New rules that passed last August to allow lay persons in Oklahoma to float horses' teeth have been reversed by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Denver, Colo. - Anyone convicted of animal abuse in Colorado will now also have to reimburse the animal's owner for any costs of care of replacement.

Little Rock, Ark. - Horseshoeing, training, the selling of equine medications and certain equine reproductive procedures are no longer a part of the veterinary practice act in Arkansas.

I was talking to a client the other day, and it occurred to me that our job often requires telling folks things they don't want to hear.

Mr. Quibble's dog was scheduled for surgery last Thursday. On Wednesday, he showed up at my office for a chat. Apparently, there were some "very important matters" that he needed to discuss with me.

Radiation was first used on horses in 1906. Today, finer, more sophisticated therapeutic techniques, procedures and equipment can be used to treat the relatively uncommon tumors in horses.

For problems with an underlying behavioral cause, try these options.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Veterinary Medical Association created a new five-member Steering Committee for FDA Policy on Veterinary Oversight of Antimicrobials to provide veterinary input on the use of antimicrobials in food animals.

London - The British Veterinary Medical Association and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe were effective in thwarting a move by members of the European Paliament to limit veterinarians' access to sell veterinary medicines directly to farmers and other animal owners.

Just 37 percent of dog owners purchase heartworm medication from veterinarians.

As the cost of owning a pet-and running a veterinary practice-rises, more pet owners are turning to insurance to keep their animals healthy.

College Station, Texas - Researchers at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are leading studies on Bovine Respiratory Disease, funded through $14.2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

California reporter Rick Romero is often good-naturedly credited with filing incredibly obvious news flashes on the hilarious website fark.com.

Honolulu, Hawaii - A bill originally aimed at preventing animal abuse has turned into something entirely different and now suggests that Hawaii stop the sale of intact cats or dogs.

New York -- Consumer groups filed a lawsuit against FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine for allowing low-dose antibiotics to be used as growth promoters in livestock.

This meeting will help your team members learn about one of the most common problems in veterinary medicine: canine otitis externa and ear infections.

Rockville, Md. -- Primal Pet Foods recalled its Feline Chicken & Salmon foods because of possible Salmonella contamination, reports FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Paris -- Veterinarians with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) report that the cattle disease rinderpest has been completely eradicated from live animal populations.

Learn how Subjective observation, Objective observation, Assessment, and Plan can make veterinary practice more efficient and more effective.