December 17 , 2007

Volume V, No. 13

Pet Foods with "Medicinal Purpose"

86 Ill. Adm. Code 130.2165 requires veterinary practices to: "... annually obtain a letter from the manufacturer representing that the animal food is only sold to licensed veterinarians. Provided that a veterinarian maintains this letter in his or her books and records, the Department shall consider the food to have a "medicinal purpose" for the period of one year following the date of issuance of the letter."

The ISVMA has obtained permission to collect the required letters from the food manufacturers and maintain them in our records for our member veterinrians. ISVMA will also maintain a current list of foods that are considered to have a "medicinal purpose" on its website.

At this time, ISVMA has only obtained lists of foods sold only through licensed veterinarians from the following:

Hills Prescription Diet

Purina Veterinary Diets

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet

In order to assure the list of foods with a "medicinal purpose" is comprehensive, please report any foods that your practice sells to clients that are for sale only through veterinarians and do not occur on the list currently maintained by ISVMA.

Update on Farm Bill

The AVMA has reported that the Farm Bill passed in the United States Senate on Friday, December 14th. It will now go to conference to reconcile the House and Senate versions.

The following provisions were included in the Senate’s bill:

1) National Veterinary Medical Services Act: Language that limits the USDA’s use of appropriated NVMSA funds, and directs the USDA to write the rules for the program.

2) Veterinary Workforce Expansion Program: SEC. 11045. VETERINARY WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Secretary shall establish a grant program to increase the number of veterinarians trained in agricultural biosecurity.

(b) Considerations for Funding Awarded- The Secretary shall establish procedures to ensure that grants are competitively awarded under the program based on--

(1) the ability of an applicant to increase the number of veterinarians who are trained in agricultural biosecurity practice areas determined by the Secretary;

 

(2) the ability of an applicant to increase research capacity in areas of agricultural biosecurity determined by the Secretary to be a priority; or

 

(3) any other consideration the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(c) Use of Funds- Amounts received under this section may be used by a grantee to pay--

(1) costs associated with construction and the acquisition of equipment, and other capital costs relating to the expansion of schools of veterinary medicine, departments of comparative medicine, departments of veterinary science, or entities offering residency training programs; or

 

(2) capital costs associated with the expansion of academic programs that offer postgraduate training for veterinarians or concurrent training for veterinary students in specific areas of specialization.

(d) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

3) FARAD:

Section 604 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7642) is amended by adding at the end the following:

'(e) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.'.

ISVMA is very pleased that these three items were included in the Farm Bill and we appreciate the hard work of the AVMA advocacy team. We would also like to thank our members who contacted their U.S. Senators in support of these provisions (especially the Workforce Grant Program).

Is Lead Paint Poisoning Pets?

A month-long Fox News Chicago Investigation recently found levels of lead in dog toys well beyond acceptable limits. Dr. Shelly Rubin (ISVMA President Elect) of Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago was interviewed to describe the medical consequences to pets as the result of exposure to high levels of lead. The Fox News Special Report is available for download.

This story was picked up by Fox News nationally and has generated a few phone calls from veterinary practices to ISVMA for additional information regarding the testing procedures, items that have been identified as having high levels of lead, etc. We have referred the callers to Fox News in Chicago for answers to these questions.

Happy Holidays from Your ISVMA Staff

We are grateful for the many expressions of thanks and well wishes we receive each year from the veterinary professionals we serve and represent. The cards, emails, letters and phone calls mean a lot to us and we are very pleased that our hard work on your behalf is appreciated.

Please allow us to also thank you and send our best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful holidays. We are grateful for the support of our members and the opportunity to work for such generous and outstanding professionals!

About the Photo

The Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) breeds from eastern North America west to the Pacific, and southward from there into parts of Mexico. It is a migratory bird which travels to Central America and the Caribbean for winters. Among warblers it is one of the last to leave North America in the fall, and among the first to return. It is an occasional vagrant to the British Isles and Iceland.

Two closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler and its western counterpart the Audubon's Warbler were once considered different species. Since 1973, however, the American Ornithological Union has elected to merge these passerine birds as one species. These two forms were apparently separated by glaciation during the last ice age, and developed distinguishing physical characteristics. When it was shown that they were able to interbreed, they no longer qualified to be considered as separate species.

In summers, males of both forms have streaked backs of black on slate blue, white wing patches, a streaked breast, and conspicuous yellow patches on the crown, flank, and rump. Audubon's Warbler also sports a yellow throat patch, while the Myrtle Warbler has a white throat and eye stripe, and a contrasting black cheek patch. Females of both forms are more dull, with brown streaking front and back, but still have noticeable yellow rumps.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles (hence, the eastern form's name). Its ability to use these fruits allows it to winter farther north than other warblers, sometimes as far north as Newfoundland.

I photographed this male Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler in Salineno, TX on December 1, 2007.

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