Animal Health

06 March

WSVMA COVID-19 Updates

wsvma   |   Animal Health, COVID-19

As we reported earlier this week, the WSVMA has put together resources on our website for veterinarians and the public to help you keep abreast of all the COVID-19 news. We’ll update it with new information as things change. As we continue to deal with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, new questions are arising as to how veterinarians and veterinary practices may be impacted. One such question which came in this week asks: With the outbreak of COVID-19, if pet owners...

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28 February

Important member updates on COVID-19

wsvma   |   Animal Health, COVID-19

News reports from last evening indicate that Hong Kong authorities have quarantined a dog after samples from the dog's nasal cavity and mouth tested "weak positive" for the COVID-19 virus. The dog’s owner has tested positive for COVID 19. The implications of a "weak positive" test result remain unclear, and it is unknown if the detected presence of the virus is due to infection or environmental contamination. The Hong Kong Agricultural, Fisheries, and Conservation Department has issued a statement, which...

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28 February

Pet Nutrition Alliance Updates Tools for Optimal Pet Nutrition

wsvma   |   Animal Health

The Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA) announced the annual update on its resource that helps veterinary healthcare teams make more informed decisions when recommending pet food for their patients. This new tool Dare to Ask: We Did! was created by compiling information about pet food manufacturers. With thousands of choices of pet foods, it is confusing for pet owners and the veterinary healthcare team to make informed decisions about the best pet food for an individual pet. Surveys show that practitioners are...

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21 February

Facial recognition: The next step in fight against rabies

wsvma   |   Animal Health

Researchers in Tanzania can now determine if a dog was vaccinated for the rabies virus with a cellphone camera image. The research team, based out of Washington State University’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, is working with PiP My Pet, a company that developed a mobile application that uses facial recognition to reunite lost pets with their owners. The only twist; rather than locate the lost, the company designed a new app to track which dogs were vaccinated for...

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14 February

Pet obesity at epidemic proportions

wsvma   |   Animal Health

Banfield Pet Hospital, in partnership with the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC)®, released the fourth annual Veterinary Emerging Topics (VET)® Report. Focused on overweight pets and weight management, this year’s report builds on the 2019 findings related to osteoarthritis in pets and its relationship with excess weight. The prevalence of overweight and obese pets has reached epidemic levels in the U.S., with the 2020 VET Report revealing 51% of the 1.9 million adult dogs seen at Banfield’s more than 1,000 hospitals nationwide in...

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14 February

Q&A about the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease vaccine

wsvma   |   Animal Health

The following is information provided by Dr. Alice McLaughlin, veterinarian in Bothell, who imported the RHD2 vaccine for use in the quarantine and control areas of Washington. For additional questions about the vaccine or the virus after reading this, contact Dr. McLaughlin at 425-486-9000 or the Washington State Department of Agriculture. If any rabbit owners are interested in getting their rabbits vaccinated, please have contact Dr. McLaughlin as soon as possible to sign up for vaccine clinics or to get...

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07 February

Vaccine clinics being held for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease

wsvma   |   Animal Health

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) continues to affect rabbits in certain areas of Washington. Currently, the quarantine zone includes Whidbey Island and Clallam County. The quarantine for the San Juan Islands was recently lifted, but is still part of the control area. Now, a Bothell veterinarian, Dr. Alicia McLaughlin, went through the difficult process of importing a very limited quantity of vaccines and is holding three vaccine clinics for rabbit owners located within the quarantine zone and control areas during the...

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07 February

Veterinarians Urged to Contribute Data for 2019 Heartworm Map

wsvma   |   Animal Health

Veterinarians now have the opportunity to submit their clinics’ data for the 2019 American Heartworm Society (AHS) Heartworm Incidence Survey. Options include filling out a printed survey that was mailed to veterinarians in late January (this survey can be scanned and emailed to the AHS), or simply completing the survey at heartwormsociety.org/2019survey. The deadline to submit survey data is February 29, 2020. The AHS maps, dating back to 2001, are generated every three years and are widely used by veterinarians, animal...

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24 January

Are anti-vaccination attitudes growing?

wsvma   |   Animal Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared ‘vaccine hesitancy’ as one of the top 10 threats to global health and not without good reason. The WSVMA seeks your assistance in helping ensure U.S. veterinarians have the opportunity to provide input on a global survey. The purpose of the survey is to better understand animal owner attitudes towards vaccination and is being conducted by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). In November 2019, the WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group launched, with the...

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17 January

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Diagnosed in Clallam County 

wsvma   |   Animal Health

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) continues to spread in northwest Washington. Three dead rabbits kept at a property in Clallam County tested positive for the disease in late December. The Washington State Veterinarian expects the areas affected by the disease to continue to expand because it can be spread easily by a wide variety of means including small rodents, birds and larger carnivores. WSDA has quarantined the property where the disease was identified in owned domestic rabbits. Rabbit owners are urged...

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