PEDV taking heavy toll on U.S. pork industry Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has killed hundreds of thousands of piglets since it was first identified on an Ohio farm earlier this year, according to estimates, and veterinarians and producers are scrambling to stem its spread. "Every pig in the United States is susceptible," said veterinary professor Robert Morrison of the University of Minnesota, noting that the U.S. swine population carries no immunity to the disease. Testing to identify the source of the infection in the U.S. has been unsuccessful, but experts continue to search. "If PEDV can get into the United States, what about some of the even more nasty viruses?" said veterinarian Tom Burkgren, executive director of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (8/4) Other News  | We're Here To Keep You Afloat.
Professional Overhead Expense Insurance from AVMA GHLIT can provide coverage to keep your practice going when you can't. Click here for details. | | Woman suffers case of Lyme disease after brushing tick off her dog An Ohio woman suffered a case of Lyme disease after she brushed an unattached tick off her dog and awoke the next morning to find the tick embedded in her leg. Luckily for Sarah Landesman, her infection was caught early and cleared with antibiotics. Veterinarians urge owners to protect their dogs from ticks and other insects. "While virtually all infestations of parasites are preventable, estimates indicate that fewer than half the dogs in the country are protected," said veterinarian Chris Carpenter, executive director of the Companion Animal Parasite Council. The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) (8/5) Coughing dog worries owner An otherwise healthy 9-year-old Bichon who coughs up water after drinking could have an abnormality of the larynx, esophagus or trachea, writes veterinarian Rita Angelo. Because the issue has always affected the dog and the animal's veterinarian has ruled out other conditions, Dr. Angelo doesn't think the water regurgitation presents a major health problem, but she suggests the owner talk with the dog's veterinarian about whether further diagnostic tests would be useful for getting to the bottom of the problem. The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) (8/3) Other News  | SmartBrief Readers: Get Connected with OPEN Forum
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 | Uncomfortable customer interactions require delicate handling A little bit of tact can go a long way when handling uncomfortable situations with your customers, writes Jaimy Ford. For example, it's important to choose your words carefully when telling clients that there is a problem with their credit cards or checks. "If you refrain from saying 'Your check bounced' or 'Your check didn't clear,' you will be less likely to draw a defensive reaction," Ford writes. Intuit Small Business Blog (8/1)  | Visa Payroll: Happier employees = better business
Help drive your business forward with Visa Payroll Prepaid cards. Visa Payroll will help employees better manage their funds, by saving them time & money typically spent cashing checks. Happy employees are more productive, which means better business for you. Visit Visa Payroll & get happy. |
 | Rise in pet obesity coincides with drop in veterinary visits According to the AVMA's U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, most owners don't recognize when their pet is overweight, so it's up to veterinarians to address the issue. That's a tough prescription because dog veterinary visits fell by 1.7% from 2006 to 2011, and cat veterinary visits plummeted by 13.5%, according to the AVMA report. Veterinary Pet Insurance notes that obesity-related claims are rising, too. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (8/3)
 | State Legislative Mid-Year Report AVMA's State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Department has released its mid-year report, providing a summary of the various veterinary practice and animal health issues state lawmakers have considered so far in 2013, as well as a more comprehensive review of the bills and regulations tracked by the AVMA. So far this year, the AVMA has reviewed several thousand bills and regulations and distributed more than 950 alerts to state veterinary medical associations regarding items especially pertinent to veterinary medicine. View AVMA's State Legislative Mid-Year Report. |  | We make way for the man who boldly pushes past us." -- Christian Nestell Bovee, American writer | | | The news summaries appearing in Animal Health SmartBrief are based on original information from news organizations and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The AVMA is not responsible for the content of sites that are external to the AVMA. Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement by the AVMA of the site or the information presented on the site. Questions and comments should be directed to SmartBrief at avma@smartbrief.com. | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.
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