Dara Rybalov Wins The Cover Contest

Congratulations to Dara Rybalov, winner of the cover design cover contest.  Although I liked the artwork and creativity of all the entries, I felt Dara’s design best captured the spirit of the book.  I can’t wait to share it with you!  Coated With Fur:  A Vet’s Life will be published in April.       From a young age, Dara displayed an avid …

MRSA in Pets and Therapy Dogs

This week I listened to a webinar by Dr. David Aucoin entitled “Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance MRSA to MRSP:  A Growing National Problem”, sponsored by Bayer HealthCare Animal Health.  Methicillin Resistant Staph aureus is usually a reverse zoonosis.  That means pets get infected by people.  If infected, most pets will clear themselves of MRSA within two weeks …

Ally of the 101st Airborne On ABC News With Charlie Gibson

Watching tonight’s newscast, I saw a wonderful story on Ally.  She was found as a quite young and abandoned puppy.   Without the kindness of our soldiers she surely would not have made it.  The 101st Airborne in Afghanistan adopted the little pup.  It sounds like she won them over fast and made a great contribution …

Warning For Animals On Vetsulin Manufactured By Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health

Recently, I received an e-mail alert from the FDA’s Center For Veterinary Medicine.  I believe it warrants sharing with people who love diabetic animals.  The injectable insulin product Vetsulin manufactured by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health may contain inconsistent amounts of crystalline zinc insulin.  This can result in either over or under dosing a patient on the medication.  If your …

H1N1 Transmited From Humans To Pet Ferrets And A Cat

Recently, the American Veterinary Medical Association notified its members about three cases of H1N1 in pets.  Two ferrets and a cat contracted the virus from their human family.  One of the ferrets and the cat recovered with supportive care.  Unfortunately, the other ferret died from the disease.  So far, there has been no documented spread of …

Animal Abuser Targets Cats In Arizona

In the last six weeks, 14 cats in Maricopa County Arizona have sustained horrific injuries at the hands of an abuser.  Two of the cats died from their injuries.  The others required surgical repair of the gapping wounds on their backs.  Detectives from the Maricopa County Animal Crimes Division are investigating.  So far, they have …

Kauai County Council Bans Plastic Bags

On October 7th, the Kauai County Council voted to ban plastic bags.  While plastic has made our lives better in so many regards, I applaud this effort to protect the ocean and the creatures within.  Marine debris is a huge problem in our beautiful Hawaiian Islands.  According to NOAA, over 600 tons of abandoned nets were removed from …

Barn Fires In Manitoba Claim Thousands Of Animals

On a recent trip to Calgary I read an article in The Globe and Mail.  It was written by Patrick White and drew attention to the thousands of animals who die in barn fires every year in Manitoba.  According to the article, over 31,000 animals died in 2008 which is more than eight times the number that died in 2007!  …