New toolkit to support veterinary colleges in the aftermath of student suicide

As part of an ongoing effort to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the veterinary world, three national organizations have partnered on a resource colleges can use in the aftermath of student suicide. Developed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Colleges of Veterinary Medicine outlines support systems that should be made available for veterinary students, faculty, and staff following the death of a colleague by suicide. . . . more

Dog years are not a thing and your puppy is actually middle aged, claims study

We’ve all heard it: seven dog years is the equivalent to one human year. We’ve all applied the math to the dogs in our lives. But according to new research conducted by the University of California, dogs actually age rapidly in their first couple of years of life, and then eventually slow down the longer they live. So rather than being 14 years old when they’re two, puppies may actually be closer to 40 years old. Which means, basically, middle aged. The study considered the DNA methylation of 104 Labrador retrievers aged between four weeks and 16 years. The DNA of the dogs was then compared to that of 300 humans, revealing that dogs are, indeed, closer to 50 biological years old when they’re three human years old. . . . more

Good news, bad news for Veterinary educational debt, starting salaries

The good news is that veterinarians’ starting salaries as well as the number of full-time employees in the profession are increasing. And many veterinary colleges have experienced a year-over-year decrease in graduates’ educational debt. The bad news is that just about the same number of institutions have seen an increase in graduates’ educational debt, some by as much as 29%. And US graduates of two Caribbean veterinary schools have more debt than graduates of US schools but see the same starting salaries. Bridgette Bain, PhD, associate director of analytics in the American  Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA)Veterinary Economics Division, presented these findings last month at the 2019 AVMA Economic Summit in Rosemont, Illinois. Bain said she would like to see more participation from the Caribbean schools to develop a better understanding of their unique challenges and needs. . . . more

Man dies after being licked by his dog and contracting rare infection

A 63-year-old man in Germany has died after contracting a rare infection when he was licked by his dog. Doctors have warned pet owners to seek urgent medical advice if they exhibit unusual flu-like symptoms following the rare case, details of which have been published in a paper in the European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine. The previously healthy man's infection was caused by capnocytophaga canimorsus, a bacterium that is commonly found in the mouths of dogs and cats, according to the report. It is transmitted to humans only in rare cases. The bacteria can be transmitted through an animal bite, but the man had not been bitten. . . . more

Trump Signs Law Making Cruelty To Animals A Federal Crime

Cruelty to animals is now a federal crime under a new law signed by President Trump on Monday. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) is a bipartisan initiative that bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement or other serious harm to “living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians.” The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty. The penalty for violating the law can include a fine, a prison term of up to seven years or both. . . . more