Source: VIN News Service
(September 16, 2021) As chief executive of the International Partnership for Dogs, an organization with a mission to enhance canine health and welfare, I read with interest the article "Calls for bans on breeding short-nosed dogs gain momentum" published last month by the VIN News Service. The IPFD has been creating resources on the brachycephalic issue for many years, on many fronts. I recognize that the article was intended to have a limited scope, but my concern is that we are missing the big picture. To see it, we need to consider the bonds between millions of "brachys" and their owners, the influence of the pet industry promoting these dogs, how veterinarians have played a role in normalizing them, and the consequences of banning these breeds, if that were even possible...Read more» |
Source: JAMA Network
(September 15, 2021) In August 2017, health officials identified, via survey, patients with C jejuni infections who reported contact with puppies sold by pet stores. In conjunction with state and federal partners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated cases of culture-confirmed C jejuni infections in US patients with an epidemiologic or molecular association with pet store puppies between January 1, 2016, and February 29, 2020...Read more» |
Source: Sage journals
(September 13, 2021) The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increase in cat relinquishment for destructive scratching behavior, a change in overall feline surrender intake and euthanasia, or a change in average length of stay in a British Columbia shelter system after provincial legislation banning elective onychectomy...Read more» |
Source: The New York Times
(September 8, 2021) Riding the waves of success of soy, oat and other alternatives to milk, as well as vegan burgers made by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, a broad variety of plant-based foods are showing up on restaurant menus and in grocery store aisles. And now more companies — from small upstarts to established brands — are looking to get in on the action...Read more»
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Source: VIN News Service
(August 16, 2021) Norway soon could become the second country to ban the breeding of short-muzzled dogs, adding weight to calls — including a campaign backed by nearly 1,500 veterinarians — for rule changes worldwide. The Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals (NSPA) is suing three kennel clubs in the country, claiming they are breaching existing animal welfare rules by facilitating the breeding of dogs with serious health issues, including those caused by a flattened face, or brachycephaly. Brachycephaly (brak-ee-SEH-fuh-lee) is evident in more than a dozen dog breeds, including bulldogs and pugs. It is found in other types of animals, too, such as cats, rabbits and horses, and is desired by owners for cosmetic effect...Read more» |
Source: The New York Times
(July 28, 2021) Researchers who work on the genomes of domestic and wild cats say their DNA holds clues to human as well as feline health. Leslie Lyons is a specialist in cat genetics. She is also a cat owner and general cat partisan who has been known to tease her colleagues who study dog genetics with the well-worn adage that “Cats rule. Dogs drool.” That has not been the case with research money and attention to the genetics of disease in cats and dogs, partly because the number of dog breeds offers variety in terms of genetic ailments and perhaps because of a general bias in favor of dogs. But Dr. Lyons, a professor at the University of Missouri, says there are many reasons cats and their diseases are invaluable models for human diseases...Read more» |
Source: Boston.com
(July 12, 2021) With people spending more time at home, animal adoptions surged during the pandemic. Now, veterinary clinics are feeling the impact of all those new pets, reporting longer wait times and a spike in emergency visits. Dr. Kiko Bracker, director of emergency and critical care at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, told Boston.com the clinic is seeing a significant increase in requests for appointments, with weeks and months-long bookout times, and longer waits for emergency walk-in services. He believes these impacts are partly due to less experienced pet owners and partly to the increase in pets, especially younger animals...Read more» |
Source: VIN News Service
(June 21, 2021) As I sat down on my day "off" recently, I came across a New York Times column written by Nicholas Kristof extolling the virtues of the veterinary and pharmaceutical professions for their treatment of working moms ("Are Vets and Pharmacists Showing How to Make Careers Work for Moms?"). As a practice owner for the past four years and a veterinarian for nearly 20 years, I almost choked...Read more» |
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