Pulse - June 2024 - 13

UPDATES
News Briefs
State VMB Opposes
Letting Techs Castrate Cats
California veterinary regulators are
opposing a bill that would allow registered
veterinary technicians to neuter
male cats, a sign of expanding resistance
to the controversial proposal as
it moves toward its first big test in the
Legislature. The action was reported by
the VIN News Service.
AB 2133 would allow RVTs who have
trained in cat neuter surgery to castrate
cats following protocols established by
a supervising veterinarian who must be
on the premises when the procedure is
done. The California Veterinary Medical
Board would be in charge of approving
the training curriculum.
The VMB's vote against the bill is not
binding on legislators, but represented
the bill's first public vetting by the
regulators who would be charged with
enforcing its provisions.
Owners Can Catch 'Superbugs'
From Their Pets, Study Reports
A new study reports that dogs and cats
can pass antibiotic-resistant bacteria
to their owners, raising concerns that
pets could be contributing to the global
antibiotics crisis.
" Superbugs " passed between sick dogs
and cats and their healthy owners have
been identified in the United Kingdom
and Portugal, according to research
presented at the European Society of
Clinical Microbiology and Infectious
Diseases Global Congress in Barcelona.
The cases challenge " the traditional
belief that humans are the main carriers
of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in
the community, " said researcher Juliana
Menezes, a doctoral student with the
PULSE
JUNE 2024
University of Lisbon's Antibiotic Resistance
Lab.
The study was reported in HealthDay
News.
Purebreds Aren't More Prone to
Illness, Texas A&M Study Says
A study published in Frontiers in Veterinary
Science disputes the belief that
purebred dogs are at a higher risk for
health problems than mixed breeds.
The Texas A&M University survey of
27,531 dog owners demonstrated that
while certain breeds have a higher incidence
of particular diseases, purebreds
and mixed breeds are relatively equal in
the overall frequency of health issues.
" There are several well-known diseases
that frequently occur in specific dog
breeds, " said Dr. Kate Creevy, the Dog
Aging Project's chief veterinary officer.
" This has helped perpetuate the misconception
that all purebred dogs are
more prone to disease, but that is not
the case. "
The top 10 medical conditions in the
25 most popular purebreds were:
* Dental calculus
* Dog bites
* Extracted teeth
* Giardia
* Osteoarthritis
* Seasonal allergies
* Ear infection
* Heart murmur
* Fractured teeth
* Cataracts
The top conditions for mixed breeds
were similar, except for heart murmurs
and cataracts, which were replaced by
broken toenails and chocolate toxicity.
Food-Price Surge Raises
Yearly Dog Owner Costs $100
The pet services app Rover reports
that owning a dog this year costs $100
more than it did in 2023. Pricier pet
food accounts for the rise, it said, with
some brands charging as much as 80%
more year over year.
Rover's 2024 Cost of Dog Parenthood
Study also found that a new dog's
expenses range from $870 to $4,565 in
the first year. Specific expenses include:
* Adoption and breeder fees: $0 to
$600
* Sterilization: $250 to $525
* Microchip implantation: $20 to $95
* Initial veterinary exam and vaccinations:
$165 to $515
The average dog owner spends $80 to
$440 a month. Annual costs range from:
* $560 to $4,115 for food
* $225 to $265 for flea and tick
preventives
* $65 to $85 for poop bags
* $20 to $380 for treats and chews
* $5 to $125 for toys
* $105 to $130 for annual veterinary
wellness checks
* $20 to $125 for yearly pet license
renewal
* Supplies: $72 to $1,675
Pet Products Group Reports
Industry Sales of $147 Billion
U.S. pet industry revenue reached $147
billion in 2023, according to the American
Pet Products Association's annual
report.
The breakdown of the sales figures
included:
* $64.4 billion on food and treats.
* $32 billion on supplies, live animals
and over-the-counter medications.
* $38.3 billion on veterinary care and
veterinary product sales.
* $12.3 billion on other services,
including boarding, grooming, health
insurance, training and pet sitting.
13
Pulse - June 2024

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