Weekly companion animal news: February 26, 2024

Most U.S. dogs and cats have oral health issues, Banfield finds

Seventy-three percent of dogs and 64% of cats seen at Banfield Pet Hospital last year were diagnosed with dental-related issues, the company found. Banfield analyzed data from more than 3 million pets seen at its 1,000+ hospital locations nationwide to gain insights on the state of pet dental health across the country, including breeds and states with the highest and lowest cases of oral health-related issues. Poor oral health can be associated with pain, excessive drooling, bleeding and reluctance to eat or drink. Periodontal disease may also be linked to chronic and systemic health problems. Research based on Banfield data found that cats with advanced stages of periodontal disease were 1.5 times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease, and dogs with advanced periodontal disease were 2.3 times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease and 6.3 times more likely to develop endocarditis.

Pennsylvania man sentenced to more than 8 years for scheme to sell fraudulent canine cancer drugs

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jonathan Nyce, 73, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 97 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500 special assessment for carrying out a yearslong scheme to defraud pet owners of money by falsely claiming to sell drugs that could cure canine cancer. A federal jury convicted Nyce of wire fraud and the interstate shipment of misbranded animal drugs in December 2022. Further, through email and telephone conversations, Nyce induced the owners of terminally ill dogs to pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars for these drugs. Evidence presented at trial showed the defendant sold nearly $1 million worth of drugs to approximately 900 different victims, according to the Justice Department’s announcement.

More U.S. dogs were euthanized in 2023 than cats: Shelter Animals Count report

Nearly a million more pets are housed in animal shelters nationwide compared to three years ago, with more dogs than cats euthanized last year for the first time since those figures were tracked in 2016, USA Today reports. Shelter and rescue populations in the United States have surged by 900,000 overall since January 2021. More than 359,000 dogs were euthanized in 2023, marking a five-year peak, according to animal advocacy group Shelter Animals Count, an Atlanta-based nonprofit. By comparison, 330,000 cats were euthanized last year. “We have seen steady increases in animal intakes, flatlines or decreases in outcomes, and a persistent gap in animals awaiting an outcome,” the Shelter Animals Count report states. “The result? An ongoing capacity crisis.” Stephanie Filer, executive director of Shelter Animals Count, said efforts need to focus on the promotion of shelter adoptions.

Canine respiratory disease cases fall this winter

The outbreak of canine infectious respiratory disease complex appears to be receding since it gained widespread attention last fall, the AVMA reports. The Oregon Department of Agriculture, which has received over 200 case reports on the illness since August 2023, saw no new reports for the month of January. Dr. Scott Weese, a professor at the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College and director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, said it appears things have calmed down considerably since early 2024. The most likely explanation for last year’s canine respiratory disease outbreak is a commensal bacterium that possibly plays a role in some disease but has been overlooked, he explained. Dr. Michael Lappin, internal medicine specialist and director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State University, said cases may be decreasing as pets spend more time indoors during winter.

Washington veterinarians call for funding to address workforce shortage

Veterinarians in Washington are urging lawmakers to approve funding for more in-state veterinary students to address a workforce shortage impacting urban and rural communities. Dr. Eddie Haigh of Haigh Veterinary Hospital in Shelton, Washington, serves as president of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association. “There is a lack of veterinarians in Washington state,” he said. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, I think most people that had animals experienced some sort of issue with veterinary care.” Haigh said his veterinary hospital must turn away between 10 to 15 calls a day because they are so busy. Now he’s calling on lawmakers, asking the state legislature to fund 20 in-state veterinary students annually at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The total support needed for the four-year program would cost $5 million, KING 5 reports.

University of Maryland campus aims to open nation’s 2^nd historically Black veterinary college

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore hopes to become the second historically Black college to have a veterinary school in the United States, with classes projected to start by 2026, USA Today reports. UMES received state approval to create a school of veterinary medicine that will become just the second among the nation’s more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities. Tuskegee University in Alabama has the only other veterinary school in the country’s historically Black universities. “We are hoping our new school will open the door and create plenty of opportunities in an underserved field,” said Moses Kairo, the university’s agricultural and natural sciences dean. A 2023 study from Mars Veterinary Health found that about 55,000 more veterinarians will be needed by 2030 to meet pet health care needs in the United States.

Study aims to understand cognitive decline in older dogs

A University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher has launched a study of cognitive decline in older dogs in the state. Dr. Greg Pietsch, a veterinarian and assistant professor in the UAF Department of Veterinary Medicine, is the principal investigator for the project. Researchers will work with local veterinarians to recruit dogs more than 8 years old and look for symptoms of decline. They’ll use tools similar to those used to assess Alzheimer’s disease in humans, notably cognitive scoring, blood markers, brain volume measurements and estimates of the loss of sense of smell. “In both canine cognitive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease, the hippocampus of the brain shrinks as the disease progresses. We can use MRI to measure the hippocampus and compare those results with the other tools defining CCD progression,” Pietsch said. Alaska Native News has more.

How Washington State University’s veterinary chaplain helps pet owners and doctors in need

Scott Campbell is one of a small number of veterinary chaplains nationally and one of just a few who are affiliated with a university—in his case, the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Campbell’s role at WSU reflects a growing recognition of the grief associated with a pet’s death and the toll veterinary care can take on people in the profession. As WSU’s nondenominational veterinary chaplain, he visits with clients of the veterinary teaching hospital in Pullman, offering a listening ear. He sometimes attends euthanasia procedures and also makes the rounds of the veterinary college, checking in with workers in every department. “I try to make myself visible and available wherever I’m needed,” Campbell said. “I just want to ease people’s pain and suffering, and this is a way I can do that.”