When nature gives you Zika virus ... cure cancer with it!.

When nature gives you Zika virus ... cure cancer with it!New research shows that Zika kills the kind of brain cancer cells that are hardest to treat.Each year, glioblastoma is diagnosed in about 12,000 people in the United States (including Senator John McCain). After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, a small population of glioblastoma stem cells often survives and soon begins producing new tumor cells. Because of their neurological origins and ability to create new cells, glioblastoma stem cells reminded the researchers of neuroprogenitor cells. Zika virus is known to specifically target and kill neuroprogenitor cells. The researchers tested whether the Zika virus could kill stem cells in glioblastomas removed from human patients. The virus spread through the tumors, infecting and killing the cancer stem cells while avoiding other tumor cells. This suggests that Zika infection and chemotherapy-radiation treatment could be used as complementary treatments, with one killing the bulk of the tumor cells and Zika attacking the stem cells.

Amazon Nipping at Its Heels, Petco Becomes a Digital Ninja.

Amazon Nipping at Its Heels, Petco Becomes a Digital Ninja. The pet industry is upwards of a $60 billion market just in the U.S., and the competition by brands to woo and win over pets and their humans has never been more fierce. It’s estimated by the ASPCA that approximately 44% of American households have at least one dog and 35% are cat households, for an estimated 78 million dogs and 85.8 million cats in the pet category. Cue Petco, which is stepping boldly into the fray and evolving the very notion of a pet store. Beyond the requisite kitty litter and dog toys, it’s now offering veterinary services, life stage-focused subscription boxes and e-commerce strategies, appealing to pet owners and creating a buttress against competitors PetSmart and king of kings, Amazon.

Parvo virus outbreak.

20 dogs have been put down in San Juan County because of a serious outbreak of the highly contagious virus. Some puppies from the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter contracted canine parvovirus after they were adopted and others at the shelter tested positive for the virus. The shelter made the decision to end all puppy adoptions for the next 14 days so as to quarantine the puppies and make sure they aren't sick,” said Stacie Voss, Director of the FRAS. The parvovirus is dangerous to puppies and tough to get rid of, but there is one way you can protect your pets. “The best thing you can do is vaccinate your puppies to keep them safe and not allow them to interact with unvaccinated dogs until they are fully vaccinated,” she said. Puppies at FRAS are being watched for signs of the virus. In the meantime, the shelter is receiving between 30 and 40 animals a day and already has more than 300 housed. FRAS is having an adoption sale. All adult animals aged 6 months and up will have an adoption fee of only $25. Kittens under 6 months of age will have an adoption fee of $50 and are two for the price of one. Adoption fees includes spay or neuter surgery, microchiping, at least one set of vaccinations (excluding rabies), and a 30-day trial of pet insurance. Vaccination is the only way to protect the dogs from this infection,puppies should be handled properly to prevent infection. Contributed by KOB 4 EYE WITNESS NEWS.

Hanna the Labrador Retriever Receives 3D Printed, Bionic Tooth.

Dental care can be a challenge for everyone, even with insurance. As premiums and co-pays increase–while benefits decrease—we’re often left with difficult choices and challenges, not to mention pain, difficulty eating, and self-consciousness about a range of issues that can arise when all is not going well with the teeth. But some of these issues can apply to other species too, it would seem. Jeanne Montenegro of Brazil has first-hand experience in facing dental issues with a pet after her dog broke off a tooth while chewing on a bone. No geriatric case either, her Labrador retriever Hanna is just a puppy at 15 months old. With permanent teeth having grown in already, this was an issue all around, with the situation not about to fix itself. The dog became depressed and increasingly hungry as she experienced pain every time she tried to eat. At a loss for what to do for the sad canine who needed to be encouraged to eat again, Montenegro enlisted veterinary help and was referred to a team of Brazilian dentists and scientists at the University in Santos, in Southeast Brazil. Not only were the specialists able to help Hanna, but the procedure was performed at no cost since it was the first time they had ever tried something like this. The price tag on this type of service would probably run around $1500 USD. The team took on the project with enthusiasm however, certainly printing a much smaller item than usual, but just as important. Known as the ‘Animal Avengers,’ the team has had experience with helping numerous other animals too as they created a 3D printed prosthetic for a toucan, a titanium beak for Gigi the Macaw, and even a 3D printed shell for Fred the Tortoise. Making a 3D printed bionic tooth was definitely a new endeavor for the team, made up of Dr. Matheus Rabello, Dr. Paulo Miamoto, Dr. Roberto Fecchio, Cicero Moraes, Dr. Sergio Camargo, and Dr. Rodrigo Rabello, all of whom volunteer their time. Dr. Miamoto, a forensic dentist, constructed a mold of Hanna’s upper jaw. Moraes, a 3D design specialist, created the model for the tooth to be made in metal, using both chromium and cobalt. “The new tooth is tougher than the original one,” Moraes said. “This is the smallest object I have ever had to design for printing.” The team scanned an identical tooth from the other side of Hanna’s mouth and were able to design the 3D implant from that, completely customizing it for the area it needed to be inserted in, offering Hanna some of the greatest benefits of 3D technology—most definitely offering patient-specific care at its best. Hanna’s owner says that the pup is indeed back to normal, but she is not allowed to chew on those beloved rawhide bones or toys anymore—and games like tug of war are certainly out of the question. That’s a small price to pay though to have Hanna thriving again. The tooth was made at the Renato Archer Information Technology Centre in Campinas, one of the only places in the area that is capable of 3D printing in metal. Once completed, the vets had to be meticulous in fitting the tooth due to the extremely tiny space it had to inhabit, for good. While obviously this would not be an operation that many pet-owners could afford today, the team hopes that as they perfect procedures like this and continue to progress, one day pet care like this will be more common—especially with 3D design and printing. Contributed by 3Dprint.

X-RAY GLASSES ALLOWS DOCTORS TO SEE BELOW THE SKIN.

Awesome X-Ray Glasses Let Doctors See Through the Skin. A new medical invention could allow doctors and medical staff to view what lays behind your skin.Eyes-On Glasses System is a new super-smart device developed by Evena Medical, an imaging technology firm. We all know that when it comes to taking blood, the hardest part is finding a vein. Well, that burden is why the awesome X-Ray vision glasses were invented. The glasses consist of a head-mounted device with a display which is equipped with vascular imaging technology. The company has managed to integrate technology into glasses, and a hands-free system projects overlays of digital content onto the user’s field of vision. As it X-ray vision alone weren’t enough, the super glasses are also able to store the information in order to make the documentation of vein condition throughout the patient’s hospital stay more accessible. If that doesn’t make whomever is using these glasses feel like they have superpowers, then maybe the fact that the glasses an also interact with any electronic medical records. Studies indicate that in nearly 40% of the cases, the first attempt to start an IV line fails, leading to the discomfort of the patient. That being said, the new device promises wonders! The amazing technology is actually the result of a combination between Evena’s multi-spectral 3D imaging technology with Epson’s Moverio smart glasses. Eyes-On system is designed to automatically log all of the collected data from each procedure and stores it with the rest of the patient’s medical records. With the aid of Moverio’s Wi-Fi connectivity, everything that the nurse sees can easily be shared with doctors anywhere worldwide. Contributed by Coolweirdo.com

University of Illinois Veterinarians Use 3D Printing to Help With Eagle’s Surgery.

3D printing technology is helping veterinarians prep for surgical procedures on one of the most prized bird species in the world. Recently, students from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine had come across a wild eagle with its left humerus out of alignment, due to improper healing after it was shattered by a gunshot wound months earlier. In order to help the bird take flight again, an intensive surgery was required. To do this, the veterinarian students turned to those in the College of Engineering, who assisted by creating two 3D printed life-sized models of the eagle’s humerus, one that was healthy and another that replicated the actual injured bone. Before the the 3D printed models were used by Dr. R. Avery Bennett, an acclaimed avian surgeon, to help perform the procedure, a massive dataset was procured from the spiral CT scan taken by veterinary radiologist Dr. Stephen Joslyn. Consulting from Australia, Dr. Joslyn added a so-called ‘threshold’ into the data, which enabled the computer to separate ‘bone’ and ‘not-bone’ from the subtle and delicate CT scan information. Since the injured bone was fragmented, and thus unable to be printed in a single piece, medical illustrator Janet Sinn-Hanlon utilized software to manually thicken and link the bone areas together. After communications went back-and-forth between experts across the world, which were facilitated by Wildlife Medical Clinic intern and University of Illinois student Dr. Nichole Rosenhagen, it seemed that the life-sized models were set to be 3D printed in the university’s Rapid Prototyping Lab. But, the day before the surgery was planned, it turned out that the 3D printing queue was full. Thanks to Ralf Möller, the lab supervisor and director of technical services in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, the models were 3D printed overnight in about six hours, and were good to go by the time the lab opened up the next morning. Möller enlisted the help of undergraduate student and lab technician Nick Ragano, who visited the lab overnight to ensure that 3D models would be prepared for use, and also pressure washed the starch-based support material used to print the plastic models. That morning, the 3D printed bones were collected by Dr. Rosenhagen, and the injured eagle received successful orthopedic surgery in a matter of three hours culled from 3dprint.com

Army Veterinary Corps marks 100 years of service

On June 3, the Veterinary Corps will celebrate its centennial with a ceremony at the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where a monument depicting aspects of the corps’ history and mission will be unveiled (see “A century of history in bronze”). The centennial is a benchmark highlighting the diverse services the corps has provided to the nation over the past 100 years, explained Maj. Troy Creason, a veterinarian and assistant to the chief of the Army Veterinary Corps. The Army Veterinary Corps’ 880 personnel include 600 active-duty Veterinary Corps officers and 280 officers in the Army Reserve. Supporting this small force of veterinary professionals are almost 1,600 enlisted food inspection specialists, 560 animal care technicians, and approximately 425 civilian employees. All told, there are just over 3,400 members that constitute the U.S. Army Veterinary Service. The vets being the ‘mechanics’ of a horse-powered Army in 1916 to developing tests for detecting botulism in canned foods during the intra–World War years, and current efforts to develop a human vaccine for Ebola, the accomplishments of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps span the spectrum of the veterinary profession. Army Veterinary Corps marks 100 years of service years

THE SMART PHONE AS A REVOLUTIONARY MEDICAL DEVICE.

Uber, Facebook, Alibaba and Airbnb all have something in common: none of these companies owns the asset that generates its unprecedented revenue (taxis, content, inventory and property rental).

This new business model is overhauling key industries throughout the economy.
 There are various platforms using the smart phone to deliver rapid and effective health care and veterinary services. 

An SMS,service in Nigeria delivers valuable information to subscribers about animal health and disease prevention.
The platform is planing an upgrade,where subscribers can interact in real-time.

 The service is enabled on any phone to cater for large number of farmers that dont have a smart phone,this is what the I-CONNECT-AGRICULTURE IS ALL ABOUT.

 A subscriber texts VET to 35818 from any network to signup.


There are a number of moonshots – large–scale government or enterprise–backed initiatives – promising to revolutionize the health sector, such as gene therapies, with powerful gene-editing technologies like CRISPR promising to transform medicine.

Costs associated with gene therapy have plummeted – where it once cost $100 million to decode one gene sequence, it now costs $1,000. There is a swarm of digital healthcare startups that is seeking to sort specific health challenges.

Moonshots rely on hundreds of billions of dollars of government grants or research endowments, but startups are able to disrupt their niches on very little money. And that's because someone else is paying to develop much of their technology – you, your friends and Kim Kardashian.

 The exploding online social interaction , a world where we reach for our smartphones a typical 155 times a day, where 52 billion messages are sent daily via WhatsApp, where you, Kim Kardashian and everyone else upload two billion pictures daily – puts enormous pressure on the smartphone industry to create and upgrade the technologies that accommodate this behavior.

 This includes super-high-resolution cameras, vast cellular bandwidth required to upload all our photos to the cloud, and the seemingly endless storage technology.

This very technology that allows us to keep up with the Kardashians also makes our smartphones unparalleled medical devices. A startup called Tissue Analytics lets you take pictures of a wound over time on your smartphone, allowing doctors to determine whether it's healing or festering.

   AliveCor lets you capture an electrocardiogram at home and alerts doctors if something is wrong with your heart. Netra Labs lets you take eye tests at home using mobile technology.

 China's internet giant Tencent recently acquired a major stake in Guahao, a startup that grew a massive user base as it enabled real-time geolocated physician appointments.

 This service was integrated into WeChat, as part of Tencent's vision of social digital healthcare. And there's a hardware and medical device arm – evident in the company's recent unveiling of its own glucometer.

 Because of all we are demanding from our smartphones and social networks, entrepreneurs with limited resources can now do what only governments could do ten years ago.

 All of these companies and hundreds more are leveraging today's Kardashianomics to make healthcare easier and effective while significantly reducing costs and freeing up our lives.

 Thanks to these digital wonders that define our engagement with today's technology and the startups that are harnessing it, our healthcare system is going to improve exponentially, and we as individuals are going to live longer… and better.

 Read more wired.co.uk

Dentist aids National Aviary in quest for better fix for broken beaks.

For birds, a beak injury can be catastrophic. The pointed, hard structures are essential for tasks large and small, such as eating, catching food and grooming feathers. In many ways, a beak is another limb.“They use their beaks for everything,” said Pilar Fish, director of veterinary medicine at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh's North Side. “Beaks are their teeth, their hands, and they help birds get their feathers in place to fly. It's devastating to see a fractured beak and to know it could pop off at any moment.” Fish described the injuries — and the challenges of beak and talon repair — to Dr. Mark Pechersky, a pediatric dentist, when he toured the aviary a few months ago with his wife, Debbie. The aviary reports about five such injuries annually. Fish lamented how she couldn't find a quality adhesive agent to fix fractured beaks and talons. She was using horse hoof acrylics that gave off a nasty smell and took a long time to dry. Pechersky, 69, wanted to help.He hadn't visited the aviary since he was 9 or 10 years old and came away from the visit thoroughly impressed with the aviary and its 500 birds from 150 species. Pechersky offered up a potential solution: pediatric dental bonding materials that dry in less than three minutes, are clear and don't smell. First, they'd have to test out his theory. Birds' beaks are mainly composed of keratin, a protein that provides structure and strength. Pechersky and Fish wanted to learn whether Pechersky's dental materials would secure damaged beaks as they do with kids' teeth. "What we learned together is that, even though beaks are smooth and hard, the dental materials work very well,” Fish said. “That was the most exciting discovery for us. It's nice to have all these different levels of technique available for the birds.” Pechersky followed up by donating dental tools and training Fish on how to make the fixes. He traveled to the aviary for a fourth time to work with Fish on an old skull of a red-tailed hawk. He instructed how to drill, bond and use light-activated dental resins, which dry quickly under the bright blue light of tiny flashlight devices. Fish intentionally broke the beak and then adhered it with dental materials.“This is wonderful,” she said. “If you don't repair a beak well enough then, basically, it can't eat and it may not heal at all.” Fish, who trained as a zoo veterinarian and developed a specialty in birds, has worked with everything from sharks to elephants. “The fragility, the beauty of birds is astonishing along with the diversity of them,” she said. “They are the most fragile patients. To work solely in avian medicine, you have these challenges similar to pediatrics with them being so fragile. Collaborating with the professional community to customize these new procedures is the only way we are going to advance avian medicine.” She always tries to avoid anesthesia with birds unless they are undergoing surgery. “When we only had horse hoof acrylics, they can take 15 minutes to adhere,” Fish said. “You have that bird, and the smell is worse than paint fumes. The fact that this is under three minutes to adhere means we can hold the birds and there is no anesthesia and no pain to get the beaks fixed.” Pechersky, who has been a pediatric dentist for 42 years, happily volunteered his time and services. The next step will be a live beak repair when the opportunity arises. “These dental materials continue to get better and faster and less toxic,” said Pechersky, whose office is in Monroeville. “The new generations of materials don't have fumes and are made for children's mouths. They bond hundreds of times better than the older materials.” Fish has Pechersky on speed-dial for the next emergency. He'll be ready. “This place is incredible; I'm amazed at all the changes from my visit as a child,” he said. “I'm not sure the general public is aware of what a local treasure this is.” Culled from Triblive

INCREASE SOW PRODUCTIVITY WITH BETTER NUTRITION..

World pork production continues to rise year-by-year with increases in the number of pigs produced per sow, but the extra productivity also challenges every breeding herd to find feeding solutions for sows and piglets. The impact of nutrition on productivity cannot be overemphasized, thus balanced ration coupled with proper health management is efficient for productivity. The move for alternative protein source is also another factor to consider in piggery business. The cliche" garbage in garbage out" also hold true in pig production.

Vetpreneur @ crowdfunding..

A crowdfunding platform Patreon,launched in 2013 was created by Jack Conte and Sam Yam . The site is a Kickstarter for creative professionals: but rather than fund specific projects, it lets fans support individual artists - from musicians to illustrators and film-makers. Fans pledge financial support, paid either as a monthly sum or per piece of new content. In return, backers receive exclusive content. It's not just videos. "Writing is a really popular category. We have writers making a few thousand bucks per article," says Conte. "It doesn't matter if you're doing video, comics, music, writing - people are being paid for putting something online." The goal, he says, is to fund what he calls "the emerging creative class". The service now has more than 20,000 individuals using it for income, including the musician Amanda Palmer read more at www.wired.co.uk

ANTIBIOTIC REDUCTION IN GERMAN PIG INDUSTRY.

The German animal husbandry sector has reduced the use of antibiotics in production by using strategic methods to minimize the use. The level of reduction was identified by cooating of data from veterinarians who recorded when antibiotics were administered and the length of time the treatment lapsed. The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) reported the decline in the use of antibiotics. This office is reporting the total usage in animal husbandry, in combination with the frequency of treatments,every 6 months and new frequency figures become available. The new figures became available for the last 6 months of 2015 and highlighted the following ; 2 benchmark figures emerged; first of all, a treatment frequency goal, which is being met by 75% of all pig farms. Piglets up to 30 kg were treated on average 13.57 times – a reduction of over 7 treatments in comparison to the first 6 months of 2015. In finisher production, the frequency dropped from 6.5 to 4.6 times. The broiler and turkey production sector showed similar trends; Broilers were given antibiotics on average over 22 times, compared to 27 times in the first 6 months of 2015. In turkeys, the frequency dropped from over 40 to over 32. The other benchmark figure is a frequency goal which is met by 50% of all farms. Here also the development is positive over all animal species. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) said the frequency figure is being calculated on the basis of vets, who need to report every 6 months how many animals they been treated with antibiotics. In addition, they are required to report how long these treatments took and also the types of antibiotics need to be recorded, but these are not expressed in the final figures. For all data, a central reporting office has been set up. The BVL multiplies the number of treated animals with the number of treatment days and divides the result by the average amount of animals on these farms in these 6 months. Individual farms that exceed the benchmark of 50%, are requested to contact their veterinarians to discuss how to lower their usage. Despite question marks about the accuracy of these figures, it looks like the sector has eventually managed to reduce antibiotic consumption. It remains to be seen how much lower this can get. materials from pig progress.

DRUG RESIDUE IN PIGS AND CANCER IN MAN.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has moved to revoke approval of a drug used to treat certain diseases in pigs because it could leave a cancerous residue that may affect human health. 

The drug, carbadox, is made by Teaneck, New Jersey-based Phibro Animal Health and is used to control swine dysentery and bacterial enteritis. The drug, which was approved in 1972, has also been used to promote weight gain in pigs. 

 Potential cancer risks are based on an assumed lifetime of consuming pork liver or other pork products containing carbadox residues the product is sold under the brand name Mecadox. Pork is a good source of protein ,but protein can also be found in other meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts and seeds. Pork liver is used to make liverwurst, hot dogs, lunch meat and some types of sausage, the agency said.

 Mecadox has been approved and sold in the United States for more than 40 years and is a widely-used treatment for controlling bacterial diseases. The FDA said it asked Phibro for additional information about the safety of carbadox, but the company has not submitted any proof that there is a safe way to use it The FDA’s actions follow a preliminary risk assessment conducted from 2012 to 2014 which found that the lifetime cancer risk from consuming pork liver containing carbadox residue is higher than allowed under the FDA’s framework for regulating carcinogenic animal drugs. Pork producers have become more interested in carbadox recently because it does not require a veterinarian’s prescription, according to John Goihl, president of Agri-Nutrition Services Inc, a Minnesota-based firm that provides feed formulations and consulting services to manufacturers and livestock producers. Three antibiotics made by Phibro contain carbadox: Mecadox Premix 10, Banminth/Mecadox; and Mecadox/Terramycin, the FDA said. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/04/fda-to-revoke-pig-drug-approval-over-human-cancer-risk-concern/#x5mS4rHu5kyKUVSd.99

How to use turmeric for dog's health.

Turmeric is one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatories available,says Dr. Randy J. Horwitz, the medical director of the Arizona Centre for Integrative Medicine and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Horwitz also cites a 2006 University of Arizona study that found this potent anti-inflammatory to reduce the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical studies have shown that curcumin in turmeric is a powerful antioxidant. Turmeric. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals which cause the painful inflammation and damage to joints affected by arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties, combined with the fact that turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, suggests that it’s also useful for disinfecting and treating skin injuries. Research suggests that when using it topically, mix it with honey. This creates a paste that you can easily apply to wounds. Curcumin is believed to stimulate bile production necessary for the digestion of fat in the liver. Active dogs need at least 20% fat in their diet; therefore, bile production is critical for good health. In a study at UCLA, doctors found that curcumin seemed to block the cancer promoting enzyme that stimulates the growth of head and neck cancer. The Department of Small Animal Clinical Scientists has conducted studies that show that curcumin can inhibit tumor growth and may even shrink existing tumors. This has to do with the spice’s amazing ability to shut down blood vessels that feed tumors.Antioxidant properties are also helpful in reducing the negative side effects of chemotherapy. The animal health industry benefits from the turmeric uses in the following ways;1) Aids in the treatment of epilepsy. 2)Helps relieve allergies. 3)Helps in preventing the formation of cataracts. 4) ) Heals stomach ailments, such as digestive disorders, and reduces gas and bloating. 5) Acts as a binding agent and therefore great for treating diarrhea. 6) Aids in fat metabolism and weight management. 7)High in fiber and rich in vitamins and mineral. Feed the the powder, which is readily available, Sprinkle it right on top of your pet’s food and mix or, if you home cook, you can add it to the recipe. Also Further reading; 1) health 2) weight loss

FOOD SECURITY;INFO -GRAPHICS.

Where do you fit?

HENDRA VIRUS, HORSES AND HORSE OWNERS.

The Hendra virus is a virus that mainly infects fruit bats also called flying foxes which can be passed on to horses, people and other animals. The virus is a deadly zoonoses. Hendra virus is very fragile. It is easily killed by heat, soap or detergents and by desiccation (drying out). It may survive in the environment from several hours to several days depending on environmental conditions. Survival is longer in cool moist conditions where the pH is close to neutral. Horses can shed Hendra virus before they show any sign of illness. All horse handlers should protect themselves by routinely using good hygiene practices whenever handling horses.Always cover any cuts exposed skin before handling your horse. Always wash your hands with soap and water, particularly after handling your horse's mouth or nose. Do not smoke, eat or touch your eyes, nose or mouth until you have washed your hands, every time you put a bridle on or take it off you are likely to contact the horse's saliva. The Hendra virus should be suspected whenever a horse's health deteriorates rapidly. The symptoms in horses include a sudden fever with a respiratory or neurological illness and rapid death, laboured breathing ,frothy and/or blood stained nasal discharge ,a temperature above 40 degreesC. The neurological changes are tilting of the head, loss of vision, abnormal muscle twitching, weakness and loss of balance. Some horses show colic symptoms. What to do when horses have been confirmed to have the virus; 1)quarantine. 2) protective clothing .Everyone handling a sick horse must wear full protective clothing. Protective clothing must be fitted correctly. Put on protective clothing before approaching the horse.After handling the horse, remove and dispose of protective clothing carefully into waste bags, making sure there is no contact with your face, particularly your eyes, mouth and nose.Carefully remove any clothing contaminated with the horse's body fluids. Wash your hands thoroughly after removing the protective clothing and horse owners should always have a protective clothing for safety. Vaccination of horses is very important.

CAT FITTED WITH TITANIUM LEGS.

A 3-year-old domestic short-haired cat named Vincent, whose hind legs are high-tech prosthetics, may soon be leaping for the tops of couches, counter-tops, and other high places he'd like to visit.He can't jump just yet, but that shouldn't be far behind. "I anticipate that he’ll be jumping and doing really normal cat things very soon," said Mary Sarah Bergh in a press release. The veterinary orthopedic surgeon and professor from Iowa State implanted the cat's titanium legs and is in charge of his post-operative care. The cat's weight is supported by the titanium shafts, which go upward, inside his bones. Subsequent procedures will gradually lengthen his legs, and eventually they will be the length of a normal cat's hind legs.Because the shafts are exposed to the environment, Vincent needs to receive antibiotic spray treatments twice a day, but otherwise all systems seem to be go for the special feline. He'll be looking down from high places soon enough. story credit; discovery news.

VETERINARIANS AND BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS.

Veterinarians are often exposed to diseases that could be fatal, and this exposure has also been linked to further spread of infectious agents to other farms.The safety protocol for the vet and animals must be ensured for safety.


Bio security protocols are very important,and to this end training of vets and para-vets on these protocols are necessary.

 Diseases are emerging every time and others evolving, safety is necessary as more and more exposure cases are known and so many unreported and a lot more undiagnosed.


The health status of the vets are important just as that of the animals.Food animals ,companion animals and wildlife all poise a threat; safety is the watch word.

 Training on biosecurity protocols, use of latest disinfectants must be periodical and livestock owners should also know basic safety protocol.

Vets up-skill to prepare for future animal infectious disease emergencies in a bid to better manage future outbreaks of animal disease like avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and Hendra virus, veterinarians convened in Canberra for a hands-on training exercise.

 "Part of the training is to condition people to what actually happens, so it doesn't take them by surprise," he said. Dr Will Andrew"It gives them assurance of their procedure and that takes the pressure off people.

"Vets were presented with a host of disinfectant and quarantine protocols."If you go and visit a property and you don't carry out some of these procedures you run the risk, particularly as a vet, when you visit the next property of taking that disease with you," Dr Andrew said.

VETERINARIANS AND THE HENDRA VIRUS IN HORSES.

Horse owners concerned about the Hendra vaccine ,Unvaccinated horses die through lack of treatment. Veterinarians are skeptical about call out now,and they have made it clear that if horses are not vaccinated,they will not be handled. Currently, most vets refuse to treat sick or injured horses if the animal has not been vaccinated against the deadly virus, for reasons of legality and personal safety.However, in some extreme cases, horses have died while vets await blood test results to clear the animal of Hendra."I am working off of what horse owners are saying to me, and they are not happy with a few things that have reared their ugly head in recent times," Mr Pearce said."I've always thought to myself that [the vets] have a fair argument, but why can't vets use personal protective equipment (PPE) when they go to treat these horses?"If a vet is prepared to put on the gear, treat a horse, then they are doing the right thing."Those arguments don't stand up as far as I'm concerned because they have the protective equipment there for them to use, which would significantly reduce any risk they have."Mr Pearce speculated the reason vets refused to treat unvaccinated sick horses was not just about safety concerns, but he would not specify what other reasons there may be."I don't believe this argument is about PPE. There has to be something else that puts these vets in a situation where they say they won't treat horses unless they have been vaccinated," Vets are very cautious when handling sick horses especially if they have not taken the hendra vaccine, because some vets have died from exposure during treatment and also because of prosecution. A balance must be maintained among all parties to prevent further death. Read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-18/hendra-policy-opponents-gain-new-voice/6950790

10 Things You Can Do to Make Veterinary Visits Better for Everyone

10 Things You Can Do to Make Veterinary Visits Better for Everyone; Accustom your pet to its carrier and to traveling in the car; If your veterinarian doesn't already have your pet's medical record on file, bring it with you or have your previous veterinary team send or fax the records – or, at a minimum, bring your own notes on your pet's health and medical history. Don't send your pet with a person who doesn't have the information the vet will need to help your pet - or if you have to do this, thoroughly document your pet's current condition on paper and make sure you're available by phone to answer questions that may come up; Arrive on time or a few minutes early for your appointment; Unless your children can sit quietly without distracting you or interfering with your veterinary team's ability to examine or treat your pet or talk to you about your pet, consider leaving your children with a babysitter while you take your pet to the veterinarian; Turn your cell phone off while you are in the exam room; Know what medications your pet is receiving (including supplements), as well as how much, how often and how long it is given, and/or bring them with you; Share your observations and concerns with your veterinarian – read more here;https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/visits.aspx?utm_source=smartbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=smartbrief-assoc-news