News

A watered-down version of a bill that originally would have required that almost every cat and dog older than 4 months be spayed or neutered was voted down in the California Senate by a 27-5 vote.

Opposing a proposed law that would mandate spaying or neutering, the Illinois Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) says it hasn't worked in other cities and would kill an already successful program there.

A $17 million, state-of-the-art equine referral hospital near Belmont Park that will serve the New York metropolitan area was to open in early September, according to its owners, International Equine Acquisitions Holdings (IEAH), the group that owns 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana's governor suspended its veterinary licensing rules citing a public health emergency following Hurricane Gustav.

Dr. Cathy E. Langston discusses whether ACE inhibitors are beneficial in these patients.

National Report -- Louisiana residents returned to their powerless homes and businesses Sept. 3 despite warnings from officials.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana state officials called for veterinarians to help in the disaster clean-up following Hurricane Gustav.

New Orleans -- Veterinarians closed offices following the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans Aug. 30. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin set noon Aug. 31 as the evacuation deadline.

Sante Fe, N.M. -- Humans are always trying to solve problems in the animal world, but now two frisky felines, Foxy and Sam, have launched their own Web site, The Cat's Guide to Love, to capitalize on the relationship advice market for the benefit of homeless or abused animals.

College Station, Texas -- A course originally sponsored to raise money for parrot research will do that and much more when it begins in January 2009.

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Four Florida counties received federal emergency declarations this week as the result of flooding rains and severe weather damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay. Now, the Gulf Coast is bracing for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav, which could gain hurricane strength as is passes over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters this weekend.

Washington - The U.S. Senate earmarked funds to help veterinary students repay loans and ease the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas.

Bradenton, Fla. -- A sixth horse tested positive for equine piroplasmosis (EP), this one on a second Manatee County property, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS) reported.

Houston -- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School has been awarded a $150,000, two-year grant by the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study a mysterious infection affecting Texas and other southern states.

Dr. Fitzgerald reminds us that it is the doctor who should be held responsible for mistakes, not the staff.

Portland, Ore. - More than half of the veterinarians surveyed report revenue growth for the first two quarters of 2008.

Kansas City - At least 6,015 people converged on CVC Central this week -- an increase from last year's event, conference organizers report.

Overland Park, Kan. -- Fort Dodge Animal Health unveiled a new site for pet owners and veterinarians about the growing canine threat from Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Hundreds of dogs treated at Colorado State University's Veterinary Medical Center have dozens of their peers, mostly greyhounds, to thank for the blood they require during treatment.

Olympia, Wash. -- Researchers at The Evergreen State College, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Texas A&M, are working to understand how bacteriophages might provide an alternate treatment to E. coli infections than traditional antibiotics.

Missouri - A number of Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) cases, normally not seen in Missouri, have been reported along the Mississippi River.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Scientists can look deeper into why traditional tuberculosis treatments work so slowly and the reason for recurrence in an infected subject thanks to a $1.25 million Bill and Melinda Gates Grant.

Seoul, Korea -- The first commercial-ordered cloned dogs were born late last month as the result of a joint effort between Seoul National University and RNL Bio Co. Ltd.

Davis, Calif. -- Contrary to historical recommendation, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) now is taking the position that puppies should begin socialization before all their vaccinations are complete.

Washington -- Drug companies will pay user fees for the first time following President Bush's signature on an amendment to the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Bradenton, Fla. -- State officials quarantined a Manatee County property where five cases of equine piroplasmosis (EP), a disease not reported in the United States since 1988, were confirmed.

Dr. Fitzgerald reminds us that our professional responsibilities don't stop at the hospital door.

Knoxville, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine will welcome its fifth dean Oct. 1 with the appointment of Dr. James Thompson.

Denver -- Hill's Pet Nutrition donated $1 million to the Morris Animal Foundation, along with pioneering genetic research data from Hill's laboratories, to assist the foundation in its cat health studies.

Norco, Calif. -- A new microchip scanner capable of reading several brands and types of microchips used in pets and horses in the United States is now on the market.