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When his owner brought 35-pound "Lucky" to an animal hospital in January to be euthanized for improper litterbox habits resulting from extreme obesity, the staff at Clementon Animal Hospital in New Jersey didn’t know what to do.  The owner said he wanted the cat euthanized because he was unable to perform basic normal litterbox habits. The cat was so overweight from spending his life in a basement, eating food that was readily available at his own free choice, that he was unable to walk or move as a normal cat would.   "He was in very bad shape," said Tricia Greaney, office manager for the hospital. "He couldn’t even walk to use his litterbox."

A new alternative cell-based cancer vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine is showing an increase in survival time for dogs with spontaneous non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

In a world of job shortages and shrinking salaries, veterinary technicians continue to work hard every day to keep tails wagging and clients smiling.

Veterinarians play a key role in providing for animal welfare and setting the standard for responsible use of antimicrobials, according to joint statements released by AVMA and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE).

Merial is working with the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) to import limited quantities of Immiticide from a European supplier.

A quarantine of cats at a California animal shelter is expected to lift Saturday after an outbreak of feline panleukopenia.   The outbreak began Sept. 19, 2011 with the death of the first cat at the County of Santa Clara Animal Shelter in San Martin, Calif. The cat’s sibling then died a day later, prompting the shelter to impose a quarantine on Sept. 20. On Sept. 24, another cat died, bringing the total number of feline deaths to three. The cats have all been young (approximately a year old), vaccinated felines that have been at the shelter since May, said shelter spokesperson Brigid Wasson.

Veterinary graduates are earning lower salaries and receiving fewer job offers, according to an AVMA survey.

Be on the lookout for a new newsletter from AAHA in the coming weeks. "Top 5 from Trends Today" will bring the week’s top news and practice management stories from Trends Today straight to your inbox. Top 5 from Trends Today will be replacing NEWStat as your weekly link to the best source for news and information from our profession.

Euthanizing a pet is never easy, but a recent upswing in in-home euthanasia is making the process less painful for veterinarians and pet owners. Dr. Kathleen Cooney, DVM, is owner of a mobile pet hospice and euthanasia service based in northern Colorado. She moderates a directory called In Home Pet Euthanasia, which lists accredited veterinarians who offer in-home euthanasia services throughout the United States. "There is really a growing trend of pet hospice care," Cooney said. "A lot of people are talking about it – as they should be. Pets are becoming more and more ingrained in our lives, and families want to see compassionate treatment that makes end-of-life care as comfortable as possible for their pets." Cooney started her own practice in 2006, and marketed it well in northern Colorado. Soon, she found other people from across the country contacting her about her services. In 2009, she launched the In Home Pet Euthanasia online directory in order to make it easier for families to find veterinarians offering at-home euthanasia services in their state.