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The Missouri state legislature is a step closer to approving a bill requiring pet owners to have their dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are on the ground in China, actively investigating complaints of canine illness associated with chicken jerky products imported from China. Anamaria Castiglia, DVM, veterinary medical officer with the FDA, told veterinarians at the AAHA Yearly Conference in Denver that the FDA is working to investigate the source of the illnesses. "We have some boots in China going to the firms to evaluate," Castiglia said. "It’s not a clear situation. It’s not clear at all." In 2011, the FDA saw an increase in the number of complaints it received of canine illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. Chicken jerky products have been on the FDA’s radar since 2007, when it issued a cautionary warning to consumers about the products. In 2008, the FDA issued a Preliminary Animal Health Notification, but complaints about the product began to drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010. Those complaints started to rise again in 2011, prompting the FDA to release another cautionary update about chicken jerky products imported from China. "This chicken jerky episode has really opened up our eyes and we’re being a lot more careful than in 2007," Castiglia said.

The debate over emotional damages for pets continues in North Carolina. The North Carolina Appeals Court recently upheld the decision of the North Carolina Industrial Commission, which concluded that courts have not recognized intrinsic value as a measure for damages for the loss of an animal. The plaintiffs, Nancy and Herbert Shera, filed for the wrongful death of their 12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, Laci. Diagnosed with liver cancer in 2003, Laci was treated at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital (VSH) in Cary, North Carolina, where staff successfully removed the tumor. By late 2003, Laci’s cancer was determined to be in remission. In 2007, Laci was re-admitted to the VSH for multi-systemic organ disease and multiple life-threatening symptoms, including a severe form of pancreatitis, ascites, electrolyte derangements, and other serious veterinary issues. The canine exhibited symptoms of poor appetite, vomiting, and difficulty with urination.

A new bill in the Arizona State Legislature would allow law enforcement officials to enter properties to seize an animal if there is probably cause to believe that the animal is suffering from cruelty or abandonment.

Recent drug shortages in both the veterinary and human health worlds have forced veterinarians to fall back on drugs unapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or face leaving their patients untreated.

Bayer and Elanco have agreed to a settlement over a false advertising suit Bayer filed against Elanco in May 2011.   Bayer Animal Health filed the suit against Elanco, objecting to an April letter Elanco sent to veterinarians about the flea and tick marketplace. Bayer alleged that in the letter, Elanco released false advertising and created unfair competition that wrongfully misled veterinarians and distributors. Bayer’s Animal Health Division manufactures and sells pet medicines such as Advantage II, K9 Advantix II and Advantage Multi products for flea, tick and heartworm prevention. Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical corporation. Eli Lilly’s Elanco Companion Animal Health division produces pet medicines for flea and heartworm prevention such as Comfortis, Assurity and Trifexis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeing an increase in the number of complaints about dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. In a warning posted Nov. 18, the FDA warns consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs in chicken tenders, strips or treats, could cause illnesses in dogs. In September 2007, the FDA issued a cautionary warning about chicken jerky products followed by a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December 2008. The FDA reports that the number of complaints dropped off near the end of 2009 and continued to decrease throughout 2010. In the last 12 months, however, the FDA says it is seeing complaints rise once again.

President Obama’s announcement Oct. 31 about his efforts to relieve drug shortages in the United States was a step in the right direction, but veterinarians are saying more needs to be done if medical communities are to get back on track with prescription drugs. According to the New York Times, Obama’s order will instruct the Food and Drug Administration to do three things: broaden reporting of potential shortages of certain prescription drugs; speed reviews of applications to begin or alter production of these drugs; and provide more information to the Justice Department about possible instances of collusion or price gouging. For veterinarians, however, prescription drug shortages have been a growing problem over the years that is not likely to go away any time soon. A growing issue Margo Karriker, clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of California Davis, says drug shortages are becoming more and more common for veterinarians. "Every single day we’re seeing something that we use becoming unavailable," Karriker says. "A lot of it is around the fact that so many of the drugs we use are human-labeled drugs."

Veterinarians will have until Oct. 1 to renew their accreditation with the National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced earlier this year that currently accredited veterinarians may continue to perform accredited duties "until further notice." On Aug. 23, APHIS said that it is almost finished processing the participation elections of the more than 50,000 currently accredited veterinarians. That fact has allowed the agency to specify the Oct. 1 deadline for accreditation renewal.  

The Nevada state Senate is considering a bill that would allow veterinarians and veterinary care facilities to accept open and unopened prescription medication and re-issue them to clients who cant afford them.