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1. Equine Diseases Forum
Doubletree by Hilton
Denver, CO
January 19-21, 2016
Co-hosted by USAHA and NIAA.
Equine industry professionals including association leaders, veterinarians, regulatory animal health officials and horse owners are encouraged to attend this meeting in order to gain a better understanding of this issue. The goal is to collaborate to determine what areas can and need to be improved to advance equine health and avoid disease outbreaks.
Diseases to be discussed at this event include: equine herpesvirus 1, vesicular stomatitis, equine infectious anemia, strangles, pigeon fever, equine influenza, equine piroplasmosis and others.
Currently communications on equine disease outbreaks present a number of challenges in reaching all levels of horse ownership. This forum will work to improve disease control efforts that are intended to enhance communications between health officials, veterinarians and horse owners.
More information and registration:
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2. Poultry exhibits will be back at 2016 Minnesota State Fair
Change made because bird flu is at bay for now.
By Mike Hughlett
Minneapolis Star Tribune
November 30, 2015
The ban on poultry exhibitions in Minnesota - the result of last spring's bird flu outbreak - has been lifted.
Beginning Tuesday, birds will be permitted at fairs, swap meets, exotic sales, petting zoos and other events, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced Monday.
The bird ban, which led to cancellations of live poultry exhibitions at county fairs and the Minnesota State Fair, was put into effect in May as the lethal H5N2 bird flu raced across the state.
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3. Report: Appalachia's rural counties have veterinary shortage
JAVMA News
December 15, 2015
Posted Dec. 1, 2015
A new report has found that most of Appa�lachia's rural counties have an apparent veterinary shortage.
In late 2014, Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee, formed the Center for Animal Health in Appalachia at the DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center in Lee County, Virginia. CAHA released the 2015 State of Animal Health in Appalachia report during its first conference, Oct. 14-15 at the teaching center.
According to the report, 7,178 veterinarians practice within the footprint of the Appalachian Regional Commission, providing care for an estimated 13.8 million small animals and 13.7 million large animals-with the latter worth about $42 billion. These veterinarians provide employment for an estimated eight people per practice, and their practices provide about $2.3 billion to the economy within the Appalachian footprint.
In the analysis, it first appeared that Appalachia is well-served with veterinarians. Nevertheless, 75 percent of the rural counties within the footprint have an apparent veterinary shortage, estimated to be a total shortage of 1,907 veterinarians.
"Veterinarians are indeed important to the economy of Appalachia and rural America," said Dr. Jason Johnson, CAHA executive director and medical director of the DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center, in a summary of the report and conference. "What we have discovered through this research is that much of Appalachia is underserved by veterinarians, and there is a significant loss of economy due to the lack of veterinarians in the rural counties of Appalachia."
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4. I-94 deer stops snare illegal whitetails coming into Michigan
By Rosemary Parker
MLive.com
December 1, 2015
BERRIEN COUNTY, MI - Five Michigan hunters accused of illegal transportation of deer into the state will be arraigned in the 5th District Court in Berrien County, and if convicted face possible fines of up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.
The hunters were among several stopped by conservation officers in a recent two-day effort to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease by targeting illegal importation of deer into Michigan, said Lt. Gerald Thayer of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division. CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk and moose. There currently is no treatment for CWD; it is fatal in all cases.
The operation targeted illegal importation into Michigan of deer shot by hunters in states with chronic wasting disease in their free-ranging deer herds, Thayer said.
Michigan law prohibits importing deer from those states and provinces because CWD resides in brains, bones, bone marrow and inner organs of animals and can lie dormant in the soil for years, Thayer said.
Conservation officers conducted operations near the I-94 corridor of the Michigan/Indiana border, speaking with hunters at rest stops and gas stations along the corridor, he said, to learn of deer incoming from Wisconsin or Illinois.
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5. Veterinary Feed Directive questions and answers (Part III)
By Rob Eirich, Matt Luebbe, Richard Randle and Dee Griffin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Drovers CattleNetwork.com
December 1, 2015
Here is the link for Part 1: http://go.unl.edu/fkhd
Here is the link for Part 2: http://go.unl.edu/2xxv
WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION TAKE EFFECT?
It went into effect June 3, 2015. Currently, feed manufactures are revising medicated feed labels to remove all feeding performance statements. These labels will read for use to treat, control or prevent a disease. The first of these revised labels will be available January 1, 2016. Labeling transition will continue to January 1, 2017 when all feed grade antibiotic will require a valid VFD.
WHAT PRODUCTS REQUIRE A VFD?
All feed use antibiotics that the FDA, World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers "medically important to humans". Currently, the FDA has approved one VFD antibiotic, tilmicosin (Pulmotil) for use in cattle feed to control Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD).
Medically important antibiotics currently being used in cattle feeds that have label indications for prevention, treatment and/or control of specific bacterial disease as required by the VFD regulations, but that will require new approvals by the FDA to continue the feed antibiotic use when the VFD regulation becomes effective in December 2016 include:
* Chlortetracycline (Aureomycin, CLTC, Pennchlor)
* Chlortetracycline + Sulfamethazine (Aureo S 700)
* Neomycin + Oxytetracycline (Neo-Terramycin, Neo-Oxy)
* Oxytetracycline (Terramycin, Pennox)
* Tylosin (Tylan)
* Virginiamycin (V-Max)
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6. "Why Do They Do That? Behavior and Training of Horses"
Rutgers Equine Science Center announces 2016 Horse Management Seminar topic
Equine Science Center News Release
November 30, 2015
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - "Why Do They Do That? Behavior and Training of Horses" is the over-arching theme of the upcoming Horse Management Seminar hosted by the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. The seminar, scheduled from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm on Sunday, February 14, 2016, will feature presentations by several equine industry experts.
"Horse training is an often-requested but tricky theme for this seminar because there are so many methods out there, so we will instead explain how horses learn and how that knowledge can be applied to training," says Dr. Carey Williams, Extension Equine Specialist and Associate Director of Extension for the Equine Science Center. "Our goal in presenting this workshop is to give our audience an understanding of the concepts behind equine learning which are present regardless of discipline or training method and provide some of the research techniques that can be applied."
Williams has assembled presenters who are recognized as experts in their field to offer background and advice. The morning will start with topics including "Normal/Natural Behavior of Horses" by Dr. Carissa Wickens from University of Florida, "Using Learning Theory to Train Horses" by Angelo Telatin from Delaware Valley University, and "Psychological Stress and Welfare of Horses" by Dr. Betsy Greene from University of Vermont.
The afternoon will continue the behavior theme, including "Problem Solving Using Learning Theory" by Angelo Telatin, "Stereotypic Behaviors: Understanding Cribbing, Weaving, and Other Behaviors" by Dr. Carissa Wickens, and "How Nutrition Can Affect Behavior" by Dr. Carey Williams. The day will conclude with a panel of each of the speakers for additional question and answer opportunities.
In addition to the educational presentations, the seminar will feature informational displays, networking opportunities and door prizes from industry companies and area organizations, along with ample time for one-on-one discussions with the day's presenters.
Complete program, registration information, and seminar brochure* are posted on the Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu. For more information, contact Laura Kenny at 848-932-3229, kenny@aesop.rutgers.edu, or Dr. Carey Williams at 848-932-5529, cwilliams@aesop.rutgers.edu. Early bird discount registration ends on January 29!
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7. Texas veterinarian can't treat Fido online, high court says
By David G. Savage - Los Angeles Times
Austin American-Statesman
November 30, 2015
WASHINGTON - Texas veterinarians do not have a free-speech right to give online advice to pet owners about how to care for a sick animal, according to a decision that the U.S. Supreme Court let stand Monday.
The justices turned down a First Amendment challenge to a Texas law that requires vets to examine an animal before offering advice or suggesting treatment.
The libertarian Institute for Justice contended such "occupational speech" restrictions often serve to prop up established professions and harm consumers who could benefit from advice at a low cost.
But repeatedly, the high court has deferred to state regulators who have used their licensing authority to enforce limits on professionals, including not just doctors and psychologists, but also tour guides and interior designers.
Dr. Ronald Hines, a semi-retired veterinarian from Brownsville, sued to challenge the state law after he was fined for offering advice online. He had founded a website after his retirement and posted articles about caring for pets. But when pet owners contacted him and asked for help with a sick animal, he began answering questions and offering advice. He charged a flat fee of $58 to those who could afford to pay.
He did not prescribe medication and sometimes recommended the owners take their pet for a physical examination. But in 2012, the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners accused him of violating state law by offering advice without having personally examined the animal. The law specifically prohibited vets from interacting with animal owners "solely by telephone or electronic means."
He was fined $500; he then sued, alleging the law violated his rights under the First Amendment. He won before a district judge but lost before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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