Pulse - May 2024 - 17

UPDATES
News Briefs
Magic Johnson to Keynote
AVMA's Austin Convention
Basketball legend and entrepreneur
Earvin " Magic " Johnson will deliver the
keynote address at AVMA Convention
2024 in June in Austin, Texas. The Hall
of Famer is chairman and CEO of Magic
Johnson Enterprises, an investment
conglomerate that provides high-quality
products and services that focus primarily
on ethnically diverse and underserved
urban communities. Hear how
he transferred the skills and tenacity he
acquired on the basketball court into a
winning formula in the business arena.
The convention is June 21-25. The keynote
address, sponsored by Hill's, will
be at 10 a.m. Central on June 22.
Watchdog Tells EPA
To Look Again at Seresto
A government watchdog has told
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency that it needs to determine
whether Seresto flea collars pose an
unreasonable risk to pet health. The
EPA has been under scrutiny since a
2020 report highlighted thousands of
adverse incident reports associated
with the collars since they became
available in 2013. The EPA maintains
that the collars are safe when used as
directed based on a " comprehensive "
re-examination of the original registration
and adverse incident reports completed
in 2023.
Avian Flu Continues
Spread in Ohio Farms
A herd of dairy cattle in Ohio has been
infected with highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI), increasing the number
of states with dairy operations affected
by the virus to six. The Ohio Department
of Agriculture announced it had
received confirmation from the U.S.
PULSE
MAY 2024
Department of Agriculture of HPAI
infection in a dairy cattle herd in Wood
County, Ohio. The USDA previously
confirmed the H5N1 strain of HPAI
in dairy cattle on seven Texas farms,
two in Kansas, and one each in New
Mexico, Michigan and Idaho.
Cats Found with HPAI
On Affected Texas Farms
Yet another new incident in the ongoing
spread of highly pathogenic avian
influenza is that three sick cats on one
of the affected Texas farms have tested
positive for the virus. Wild birds are
the primary vector of the virus, which
has been shown to be capable of
infecting several species of mammals,
including cats.
Annual Lepto Vax Now
Recommended by ACVIM
All dogs are at risk of leptospirosis, no
matter where they live, their breed or
age, whether they mostly stay indoors,
or the time of year, according to the
newest guidance on the disease. An
expert panel has recommended that
all dogs be vaccinated for leptospirosis
annually rather than every three years.
The American College of Veterinary
Internal Medicine late in 2023 published
an update to its 2010 consensus
statement on leptospirosis in dogs. The
revised guidance incorporates more
than a decade's worth of new information
about Leptospira spp, including the
epidemiology and pathophysiology of
the zoonosis.
Life Expectancy Gets Owners'
Attention about Obesity
Owners of overweight cats and dogs
are most likely to help them lose
weight when veterinarians caution
about the potential impact of obesity
on life expectancy, according to
two new studies in the Journal of the
American Veterinary Medical Association.
Pet obesity is linked to numerous
adverse health outcomes, including
reduced lifespans, susceptibility
to arthritis, and diminished mobility
and quality of life. Researchers from
the University of Guelph conducted
separate dog- and cat-focused surveys
last year, each involving more than
1,000 participants, to explore information
preferred by clients.
17
Pulse - May 2024

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