Inmates train rescue dogs to be companions for vets with PTSD.

Inmates train rescue dogs to be companions for vets with PTSD. Jail inmates are training rescue dogs to be companion animals for military veterans suffering from service-related conditions, such as PTSD. “This program actually means a lot to me,” explained Scott Ryan, one of several prisoners from the County Correctional Facility in Camden who are taking part in the 12-week training session. “It’s helped me with my addiction, with depression, and being in this situation and away from your family is not good. So, they help us every day, and we get to give back to the community as well,” more

Army vet who killed her service dog is found dead.

Army vet who killed her service dog is found dead.An Army vet who was charged with tying her PTSD therapy dog to a tree and shooting him five times as she laughed has been found dead of a possible suicide, police said. Marinna Rollins, 23, who had been stationed at Fort Bragg, and Jarren Heng, 25, an Army special ops soldier, each faced a felony charge of cruelty to animals after the sickening crime in Fayetteville, NC, was caught on video. continue

Trend setting changes in the veterinary profession.

Trend setting changes in the veterinary profession, many pet owners are setting standards that hitherto was not heard off,setting of chain reactions in the profession to provide excellent service. Pet owners are gradually swooping this tag for pet-parents as many not only consider pets as family members a percentage prefer to raise pets instead of kids, The major change is hinged on technology,when the pet parent needs attention they need to be able to reach their veterinarians quickly,this promptness of service delivery is propelled by connectivity as most veterinarians have platforms on which they reach out to clients. Veterinarians that want to tap into the growing pet market must be easily accessible on and offline,searching for a vet in your easy is now easy because of registration and listing on search engines. The pet parents now demand more options in terms of care,weighing the possibilities in alternative medicine,acupuncture and holistic approach to health care. This broadens the scope of treatment and also exposes the veterinarians to other treatment options thus promoting specialization in such fields. Pet parents trend setting changes also involve the fashion and beauty industry. A lot of owners indulge in pet clothing with heavy investment on different cloth-lines thus growing the pet fashion industry. Grooming pets have changed from the conventional veterinary procedure to state of the art grooming ,giving pets different shapes ,shades and colors so veterinarians will need to upgrade to tap into this growing market. read Pet parents expect the veterinarian to be a one stop expert, mental health especially depression is one issue the owners dont joke with. When they notice mood swings,irrational behavior they head to their vet-shrink to handle the situation.Relaxation is another new trend, most owners take their pets to the spa to cool off,stress-out and generally have a beauty massage. more more Phones and apps are also used to keep tabs on their pets. They can easy hang out with friends/go to the office while checking up on them. Phone companies are cashing in on this with the use of apps to create a pet-friendly site with a list of on-call veterinarians. Exercise is part of our everyday life with many people using fitbits to check how far and how fast they moved, now pet owners are using fitbark for their pets.Wearable technology in form of sensors,timers, watches and trackers are gaining ground fast in the veterinary profession. These trend setting changes also comes with the advantage of simplicity.The veterinarian is about to schedule visits ,prepare for tests, chatting with clients also make the workload less burdensome as the vets can actually video chat,see the pet and prescribe a palliative to prevent any emergency before the pet actually come in to the clinic.

Recalls: Arsenic, aflatoxin and allergens

Recalls: Arsenic, aflatoxin and allergens: Food alerts have been made by USA, England, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland.

New dog virus found in Australia for the first time.

New dog virus found in Australia for the first time.A new form of the common and highly contagious dog virus, canine parvovirus (CPV), has been discovered in Australia for the first time by researchers at the University of Adelaide. While the new strain, known as CPV-2c, is spreading around the world, until now there has been no confirmed evidence of its presence in Australia. However, according to the research, over the past two years cases of CPV-2c have occurred in South Australia and Victoria, and suspicious cases have been seen in Queensland and Northern Territory. The researchers say that while much more work needs to be done to understand the new strain, veterinarians need to be aware that this strain is now present in Australia, may not show-up in the existing diagnostic (SNAP) tests, and that dogs vaccinated against canine parvovirus may not be protected against the new strain. Dog owners should still vaccinate for CPV, and take their dogs to the vet if they have unexplained or persistent diarrhoea and seem unwell, more

Virtual reality(VR) and Immersive Autism Therapy.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder & research says that no two people with Autism have similar symptoms. There are a number of uses for VR in medical science & this is no exception. Immersive Autism Therapy is a combination of scenarios created by a Washington-based start-up Floreo. With the help of these scenarios, children are enabled to learn skills such as pointing or making eye contact. VR is the safest option to teach them various social skills and prepare them. source

Climate change is increasing mycotoxins in maize.

Climate change plays a role in boosting food borne diseases especially mycotoxicosis associated with cereals ,nuts and some spices. The extreme increase in temperature is one factor causing this poisoning. Aflatoxin B1 ,the deadliest of the mycotoxins linked to liver cancer in animals and man is produced by aspergillus which grows in maize,cottonseed,peanut sorghum e.t.c. According to recent study,an increase in temperature of about 2 degree will provide a conducive environment for aflatoxin B1 contamination of maize.When the temperature increases in cool or temperate climates, the relevant countries may become more liable to aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are produced mainly by A. flavus and by Aspergillus parasiticus, and can be present in a variety of feed and food crops. Tropical and subtropical areas, between 40N and 40S latitude, are the most vulnerable to Aspergillus infection and aflatoxin contamination. Climate change effects will influence fungal infections of crops and mycotoxin production of the earlier mentioned species in various ways, with many interacting effects. The most relevant climatic factors are believed to be temperature, humidity and precipitation . An increase of temperature in a certain area will thus directly affect the presence and the abundance of the species in crops grown in this area more