Industry - Veterinary hospital records success in canine TTA surgery

A veterinary practice in Saskatoon is reporting success in an orthopedic surgical procedure to correct and relieve pain associated with a ruptured CCL in canines.  

The surgical procedure is called tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) and is performed by veterinarian Dr. Brian Gibbs at Central Animal Hospital. It offers a measurable record of success in correcting and relieving the pain dogs suffer from a ruptured CCL in the stifle, the canine equivalent of the knee. The CCL plays the same role as the ACL in the human knee joint.

"TTA provides dogs and earlier return to normal function," said Gibbs. "I have found that this procedure has a much lower failure rate than other procedures and a much greater rate of success in returning dogs to a pain-free quality of life." 

CENTRAL ANIMAL HOSPITAL WEBSITE

Central Animal Hospital in Saskatoon is part of the Animal Care Group, a network of veterinary clinics that offer preventative care, surgery, spay and neuter options, dental care and emergency and urgent care.

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Ontario Vet Provides Holistic Approach to Pet Health

London, Ontario's Firth Veterinary Hospital is raising awareness about the importance of regular pet grooming to help keep pets healthy and prevent fleas. 

Veterinarian Dr. Peter Firth, of Firth Veterinary Hospital, believes grooming is an essential part of routine pet care that will provide long-term health benefits for pets. 

The animal hospital offers grooming services that include:

• Nail trimming
• Ear cleaning 
• Hydro-Surge Bathing System
• Combing and detangling treatments
• Physical inspection for the presence of fleas or flea dirt
• Medicated flea and tick preventive treatments

In anticipation of warmer summer weather, the animal hospital is cautioning pet owners against over-trimming their pets fur, and recommends that pet owners choose a professional groomer. Pet owners can sign up to receive a monthly reminder email through the practice's online Pet Portals.

Read the News Release

May is the Puuurfect Month to Promote Preventive Healthcare for Cats

Care for Cats declares May as the ‘purrfect’ month to raise awareness about the most popular pet – the cat. Their campaign message this year focuses on preventive healthcare and wellness for cats. Studies have shown there has been a decrease in the number of visits to veterinarians by cat owners, and, at the same time, the overall health of cat population has declined.

According to Dr. Liz O’Brien, a board-certified feline practitioner from Hamilton, Ontario, pet caregivers need to know that cats, just like dogs, need yearly preventive healthcare.

O’Brien, who is also the spokesperson for Care for Cats, points out that there is a pervasive “Myth of the Indoor Cat” which even the best intentioned and caring pet owners can fall for.

“It is a myth which continues to this day, that because a person has their cat indoors, they do not need to worry about health concerns or preventive health care because their cats are safe at their caregiver’s side,” says Dr. O’Brien.

Dr. O’Brien also notes that the statistics show 58 per cent of people who know their cat's needs for professional care still do not bring the cat to the vet because of difficulty getting the cat there and once there, they may have a poor experience.

Veterinarians are trying to help these clients now by educating them regarding proper use of comfortable cat carriers for transport, and training to transport safely with minimal stress. Veterinarians increasingly are respecting the adage “cats are not small dogs” in the way their clinics are designed and in how their cat care is implemented to help make cat's visits less stressful.

Throughout the month of May, and for the rest of the year, a number of resources will be available for download through www.careforcats.ca to help deliver its unified message throughout the community.

Other events planned for 2012 include:

• Sept. 23 – Oct. 2 — National Cat ID Week focusing on permanent identification, licensing and registration
• December — Hoping for Fur-ever homes adopt-a-thon

“We know that being part of the Care for Cats initiative the changes we want to see happen will not occur overnight,” says Dr. O’Brien. “However, with the support we have received within a short period of time from veterinarians, municipal animal services, animal welfare and the pet industry, I am more than hopeful that we will see a positive change in the near future.”

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association is working with Care for Cats in their vision to increase the value of owned, homeless and feral cats in Canadian communities, in addition to increasing the level in wellness by promoting regular vet visits.

For more information:

Dr. Liz O’Brien                             Tanya Frye
Volunteer Chair, Care for Cats        Communications, CVMA
drliz@careforcats.ca                     tfrye@cvma-acmv.org

Euthanasia of dogs and cats drops in U.S.

Across the United States there has been a significant drop in the number of dogs and cats being euthanized at animal shelters. In fact, in 1970 there were 20 million pets euthanized in the U.S. and that number has dropped to about 3 million in 2011.

It is shown that pets are now more commonly living out their lives in pet care facilities and with families.

The decline in the number of animals being put down is due to changes within the standard of care for pets in America at shelters and by pet owners. A big part of this decline is a result of widespread awareness of appropriate pet ownership.

Read the complete story.

Gearing up for the 2011 Summit

PetLynx President and CEO Evans is in Ottawa preparing for the Sixth Annual 2011 International Summit on Urban Animal Strategies scheduled for the Chateau Montebello later this week. The 2011Summit marks the first time the event has been sited in eastern Canada.

An initiative of PetLynx Corporation and its industry partners, the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies [tsuas] attract Executive Thought Leaders from North America's Companion Animal Industry to develop strategies that will create and sustain healthy communities for pets and people. Executive level discussion, networking and world class speakers facilitate the executive working sessions. The Annual Summit Awards are presented in conjunction with the Summit each October and bestow the recognition of industry peers upon individuals and organizations who are achieving success in each summit award category. The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will be held in Montebello, Quebec from 19 – 22 October 2011.

The line up of speakers/facilitators and the agenda should bring about an awesome conference on Animal Health & Wellness. Click to view details at www.tsuas.com

The 2011 Summit is a PetLynx Live Tweet Event - follow along on twitter starting Wednesday evening using hashtag #ISUAS

Update from the Center for Veterinary Medicine

FDA Warns of Possible Danger with Animal Vaccine Device

The Food and Drug Administration is warning veterinarians and pet owners, particularly cat owners, of the possible risk of fractures with the Vet Jet™ transdermal vaccination system device. The device, made by Bioject, Inc., is sold exclusively as the delivery system for the Merial product, PUREVAX® Recombinant Feline Leukemia Vaccine. The device delivers the leukemia vaccine through the skin to cats.

Read more at the FDA Site

International Summit Agenda Announced

We are pleased to present the Agenda for the 2011 Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.

This sixth annual gathering of Industry leaders is being held in eastern Canada for the first time. As we are learning, Animal Health and Wellness is directly related to human health in our communities. For this reason the 2011 agenda may facilitate the most strategic conversation to be brought forward to a Summit. In addition, we will recognize Vet 2011 an important historical benchmark for Veterinary medicine. Veterinary science has played an important role in our lives for more than 250 years and we will celebrate this achievement with Veterinary colleagues from across our industry.

At the 2011 Summit we expect the largest showing of thought leaders from the Veterinary community in our history. However, thought leaders from the other three sectors of the industry will also be present. All of these voices will contribute to OpenSpace and new conversations about Animal Health and Wellness in our industry. We invite each of you to become involved in developing:

• A new collaborative model that creates a healthy community for pets and people
• A new understanding of the urban eco-system and the relationship between animal and human health
• New ideas about detecting threats to human health through surveillance of the animal population
• New approaches to assist those who are challenged to provide care for the animals around them
• A big IDEA or INITIATIVE that provides the industry with a solution for our most pressing Animal Health and Wellness issues
  

On Thursday, our mission is to embrace a fact and evidence base for Animal Health and Wellness that will guide our conversations during the Summit OpenSpace on Friday. The outcomes we produce may be:

• Recommendations for the National Organizations that govern our industry;
• Tools for the agencies that support pet families in our municipalities; and/or,
• A consensus for the priorities we will support together as an industry.
  

In addition to enjoying fellowship, conversation and the wisdom of your peers, you will also have the opportunity to receive reports from the collaborations and initiatives of 2010/2011 at the Collaborators Dinner on Thursday evening and to recognize the achievements of your colleagues Summit Gala on Friday evening.

Registration deadline September 6th. www.tsuas.com

Should you have questions or require assistance with local arrangements please contact Judi Cannon 705.930.7387 or event@tsuas.com