American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

09/15/2025

Leptospirosis vaccination advised after dog's death

Veterinarian Myriam El Mould is urging pet owners in Nanaimo, British Columbia, to vaccinate their dogs against leptospirosis following the death of a local dog from the zoonotic disease. Leptospirosis is spread through the urine of infected animals, often found in soil and water, and dogs can contract it by drinking from puddles. "It's deadly, there is no cure for leptospirosis. It will destroy their kidneys and liver and it is also ... transmissible to the owners, and a lot of MDs don't know what to look for," Dr. El Mould said. https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/local-news/nanaimo-veterinarian-advises-vaccination-after-transmissible-disease-kills-dog-8248418

09/15/2025

more people embrace ideas about "holistic" and "natural" health and wellness products for themselves, they are also extending those ideas to their pets, such as essential oils instead of flea and tick preventives or raw food and supplements instead of commercial kibble. But as AVMA spokesperson Michael San Filippo warns, many such products on the market are not rigorously tested or regulated and may be useless or even dangerous. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/well/pet-wellness.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

09/15/2025

Influenza A viruses can infect the gastrointestinal tissue of mammals, including people, and cause digestive symptoms, according to a CDC report published in mBio. The findings highlight the risks of consuming unpasteurized dairy products and undercooked meat, which may be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/influenza-gi-tract-09082025.html.

09/15/2025

Cyclosporine could be considered a valid additional treatment in dogs with spinal meningomyelitis of unknown origin, potentially leading to a lower recurrence rate than prednisolone alone.

Learn more: jav.ma/MUO

09/14/2025

Introducing Maggie Crane, the ABVP student chapter representative at Iowa State University. Maggie is a third year veterinary student at Iowa State. She is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, and ultimately hope to work with exotic animals once she receives her DVM. Maggie says "ABVP has given me the opportunity to connect with many different veterinarians that have specialized in fish, avian, reptile, and exotic companion mammals, all of which have helped me to explore paths to my future career. I look forward to planning engaging activities this year and introducing this career paths to other students at ISU!" Welcome Maggie and thanks for making a difference for ABVP.

09/05/2025

AVMA rural veterinary workforce priorities reflected in new
U.S. Department of Agriculture plan – which will aim to help strengthen the workforce and protect America’s food supply.

Full story: http://bit.ly/4ndq9td

09/04/2025

PET FOOD ALERT: Following up on a case of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a cat, testing performed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local public health and agriculture partners, and federal partners suggests a link between the strain of H5N1 virus detected in the cat and in certain lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats, a product the cat consumed before falling ill.

https://bit.ly/4gdHMHc

09/04/2025

A cat in San Francisco was euthanized after getting infected with H5N1 avian influenza, likely from consuming infected raw chicken. The virus was found in two lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats, according to the FDA. Genetic sequencing showed that the H5N1 lineage in the food and the cat was one that had been circulating in birds and cattle in November and December. https://apnews.com/article/rawr-raw-cat-food-h5n1-cat-death-559888684c5845aec9e37826dff2845a

09/04/2025

ABVP Foundation Update

The ABVP Foundation is the non-profit entity of ABVP. It's focus is raising money to fund expenses for students to attend the annual symposium. For 2025, we have raised $10,000 of our $20,000 fundraising goal. To help us achieve our goal, please donate by using the enclosed QR code. We are a 501C3 entity, so donations are tax deductible. We were able to send 7 student fellows to the 2025 symposium in San Antonio. Our goal for 2026 is to fund 10 fellows. Like last year at Symposium, we will be having another silent auction at the 2026 Boston Symposium. If you have something you would like to donate, please contact Chris Griffin, Jerry Rusch, Raj Singh, Gary Thompson or Nik Weber.

09/03/2025

😀 September is Happy Cat Month - one way you can ensure your cat leads a happy and healthy life is by visiting your veterinarian as yearly wellness check-ups are critical to help catch any medical problems early!

😺😺😺 Remember this tried-and-true equation: A happy cat = A happy life for you and your cat.

08/31/2025

RECALL ALERT - Viva Raw LLC, Charlotte, NC is voluntarily recalling two lots of dog and cat foods due to contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The recall is for Lot 21495 (Viva Ground Beef for Dogs; Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies) and Lot 21975 (Viva Ground Chicken for Dogs; Viva Chunked Chicken for Dogs; Viva Chicken for Cats; Viva Pure Chicken).

The products were distributed between July 2, 2025 and August 21, 2025 directly to consumers nationwide and to a small number of select retailers in NY, IL, SC, FL, KS, CA, and AZ. The product is distributed as frozen 1 lb. bricks in clear vacuum packaging and the lot number is printed on the top of the packaging. MORE: http://bit.ly/468C99x

08/29/2025

The CDC is urging people to throw away or return eggs that were recalled after a salmonellosis outbreak sickened at least nine people in California. The eggs were distributed in California and Nevada and sold under the brand names Nagatoshi Produce, Misuho and Nijiya Markets, with the code "CA 7695" and sell-by dates between July 1 and Sept. 18.

The CDC has issued a food safety alert for recalled eggs after a salmonella outbreak that’s so far sickened 73 people in California.