Veterinary Medicine Update

• Bovine tissue's new lifesaving use: IVC patch in liver cancer
  U.K. surgeons are pioneering a new use for bovine heart tissue in humans, including a recent operation that saved the life of a woman diagnosed with a rare liver cancer initially deemed inoperable. Surgeons used the tissue to patch the patient's inferior vena cava, a portion of which was removed along with part of the liver. Bovine tissue, which is also used in heart surgery, is similar in texture and flexibility to the human tissue it replaces and less likely than synthetic alternatives to be associated with infection, says surgeon Hassan Malik. The Daily Mail (London) (12/29)     

• View AVMA's One Health resources      

• Surgery restores abused dog's ability to eat
  An abused dog with severe facial injuries that rendered his jaws unable to open will be able to eat normally after a four-hour surgery performed by California veterinarian Robert Runyan. More than 100 donors helped raise money to bring the German shepherd/husky mix named Thor from Alaska to Rancho Cordova, Calif., for the operation. Dr. Runyan said that because of improper healing after the injury, Thor had been unable to open his mouth for six months. KXTV-TV (Sacramento, Calif.) (12/28)     

• Veterinarians rally to save dog
  Iowa veterinarian Denny Woodruff successfully operated to save the leg and life of Rye, a 1-year-old dog who broke his leg and contracted a blood infection after escaping from his owner. Other veterinarians volunteered their services as well after reading in the local newspaper that Rye's owner couldn't afford the operation. "Surgery was a bit difficult since the fracture was trying to heal in a malaligned position and had to be rebroken and properly aligned," Dr. Woodruff said. The dog was expected to go home over the weekend. The Des Moines Register (Iowa) (12/28)     

• Other News

• Feds lift last N.M. vesicular stomatitis quarantine
  Las Cruces Sun-News (N.M.)/The Associated Press (12/28)     

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Animal News

• Pony's death shines a light on drug use in equestrian sports
  Use of performance-enhancing drugs has been debated in horse racing circles for some time, and now the topic is being discussed in the equestrian world after the May 26 competition death of a pony cast a spotlight on the issue. This report identifies several weaknesses in oversight of drug use in equestrian animals, including the fact that while only veterinarians can administer drugs intravenously to racehorses, anyone can do so at horse shows, which are largely volunteer-run. However, the United States Equestrian Federation says it has worked to be proactive on the issue and has assembled a task force to investigate and find ways to tighten oversight. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/27)     

• Pet chicken saves family from fire
  Cluck Cluck's noisy calls from two floors below woke a Wisconsin couple in time for them to escape their burning house. The chicken became the Murawska family pet after wandering over from a neighboring farm; instead of killing the bird, who wasn't producing eggs, the couple built her a coop and brought her inside when the weather got too cold. "I spent way more money than I ever should've. I guess it paid off," Dennis Murawska said. Along with the couple, the chicken and a cat survived the blaze. The Pueblo Chieftain (Colo.)/The Associated Press (12/29)     

Around the Office

• Happier workers in 2013: Top tips for bosses
  Filter Web access so employees can shop online during their lunch hour. Give frequent recognition for a job well done. And make sure colleagues have comparable and appropriate paychecks. Those are among the 13 top ways bosses can make employees happier and more effective in 2013, experts say. Among the other tips: Offer flexible work schedules, customize benefits and boost pay. BusinessNewsDaily.com (12/28)     

Policy Watch

• Groups argue rodenticides pose danger to many species
  A coalition of advocacy groups in California wants the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation to block the sale of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, lethal compounds designed to kill rats and mice. The substances also can be fatal to raptors, foxes and other predators that eat the rodents, and they have been linked to the poisonings of children and pets, experts say. San Francisco Chronicle (12/28)     

• View AVMA's household hazards brochure      

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by Animal Health SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Veterinarians help "hero" dog win cancer fight (San Francisco Chronicle)

• Zoo bids farewell to one of oldest gorillas in captivity (Erie Times-News (Pa.))

• A miracle and a microchip bring stolen dog home for holiday (The Wall Street Journal)

• Veterinary specialty services company defies a down economy (The Tampa Tribune (Fla.))

• Controlled environment keeps fat feline Tiny Tim on track (Houston Chronicle)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Association News

• Podcast: Exercising with your pet
  Recent reports indicate that 25% to 40% of dogs are overweight or obese, and obesity is now the most common nutritional disease in human beings and dogs. So what's to be done? Well, for many the answer may be as simple as a leash and good pair of walking shoes. In this podcast, Dr. Heidi Hulon, a small animal veterinarian with the Buckner Animal Clinic in Buckner, Ky., talks about how pets can help motivate exercise and physical activity to benefit both humans and their pets. Listen to the podcast.     

Editor's Note

• SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday
  In observance of New Year's Day, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday. Publication will resume Wednesday. Enjoy the holiday!     

SmartQuote

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty." --John Selden, English jurist and scholar