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Working to reduce those nasty side effects
Some of the most popular over-the-counter and prescription drugs come with some pretty heavy baggage. Researchers at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, as part of a National Institutes of Health Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence grant, are looking at how nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories damage the stomach and intestine in order to help prevent harmful side effects, like ulcers. James Lillich, DVM, is leading research into how medicines – like buffered aspirin – damage the stomach and intestines and what can be done to reduce or prevent the damage in horses as well as people. For more information, contact Patrice Scott at (785) 532-4046 or pscott@vet.k-state.edu.

Something getting under your skin?
From cosmetics to flea control medications, human and animal skin is more than ever a canvas for all things topical. Americans are spending billions on balms, powders and medicines we apply, yet few have ever asked if all these things pose a health risk. That is, until now. Jim Riviere, DVM, PhD, and his colleagues at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine's Center for Chemical Toxicology Research and Pharmacokinetics, are trying to determine what effect chemicals in topical applications have on animals and humans. For more information, contact David Kirkpatrick at (847) 285-6782 or dkirkpatrick@avma.org.

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You've got a friend in me
It appears lost animals have a friend out there; indeed many friends. While these good Samaritans are doing the animals a favor by trying to reunite them with their owners, they also are playing an important role in public health by removing strays from the streets so they don't fall prey to getting or spreading disease. A first-of-its-kind study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, shows people will go to great lengths to reunite a lost dog or cat with its owner. Many will even go one step further and adopt the animal if the owner is never found. For more information or a copy of the study, contact David Kirkpatrick at (847) 285-6782 or dkirkpatrick@avma.org.

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A sampling of interesting upcoming events and pet-related campaigns ...

American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention, July 14, 2007 – July 18, 2007: More than 4,000 veterinary leaders in food safety, public health, comparative medicine, research and companion animal medicine will attend the AVMA's 144th annual convention in Washington, D.C. A cornerstone of the convention will be how to better protect the public from emerging and zoonotic diseases, how to safeguard our nation's food supply and what can be learned from the recent national pet food recall. For more on the convention and its roster of speakers, go to http://avmaconvention.org.

Association of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference, Aug. 4, 2007 – Aug. 9, 2007: Avian veterinarians and their colleagues from the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians gather in Providence, R.I., to explore the latest medical and behavioral developments in everything furry and feathered. For more information, go to www.conferenceoffice.com/aav.