THE VETERINARIAN
Olympics $1.5m boost
The Federal Government will provide $1.5 million to the Australian equestrian Olympic team for the Beijing games, in the aftermath of the equine influenza outbreak. Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Tony Burke and Sport Minister Kate Ellis announced the support would be through the Equestrian Federation of Australia which manages Australia’s games team.   See more

JANE HAMMOND
Labradors join fight to control borer
The West Australian Department of Agriculture and Food has enlisted the help of two Labradors in its fight to control the invasive European house borer. The dogs have been specially trained to sniff out the destructive pest that can otherwise remain hidden in wood for years. It is the first time dogs have been used to detect and therefore control European house borer (EBH).  See more

SAM WORRAD
Roo cull on hold
The controversial Belconnen kangaroo cull has been put on hold, with the Defence Department resuming plans to relocate the animals to NSW.  See more

Jane Hammond
Coughing horse could hold key to explaining EI blunder
An unidentified horse heard coughing in the early hours of the morning last August, could hold the key to discovering how the devastating equine influenza virus jumped the nation’s quarantine barrier.  See more

SAM WORRAD
Canine casualty
An Australian Army Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) has been killed during by a road side bomb attack by Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan’s Oruzgan Province.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Pet treats linked to illness
US pet owners have been hit with another pet food contamination scare after multiple brands of chicken-jerky treats were associated with acute illness in dogs last month.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Equine influenza a disaster
Hundreds of vets on the frontline of the fight against equine influenza have been left reeling from the economic impact of the epidemic.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Pets and party drugs: a toxic mix
A Double Bay vet clinic found that humans aren't the only ones who are affected by drug use.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Norm Blackman takes on new role
Former Australian Veterinary Association President Norm Blackman has been appointed senior advisor to Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Peter McGauran.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Vet takes on the animal welfare lobby over compulsory desexing
A Victorian veterinary surgeon is challenging the animal welfare lobby on the issue of paediatric desexing, claiming the practice is dangerous and not in the best interest of the animal.  See more

IAN NEVILLE
Diary Of An Avian Influenza Outbreak
The UK has just experienced its fourth notification of avian influenza in less than 18 months.   See more

JANE HAMMOND
Industry Watches Perth Sheep Cruelty Trial
A decision in a controversial animal cruelty trial involving the nation’s biggest live sheep exporter has been deferred until late April.  See more

SUE CARTLEDGE
New zoo focus on native fauna
Questions about the suitability of the site of Australia’s newest zoo – Sydney Wildlife World – have been answered by the zoo’s Life Sciences manager, Craig Sowden.  See more

SAM WORRAD
Pet cruelty appeal
A Sydney businessman, convicted of chain of animal cruelty offences, has been released on bail.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Sydney veterinary hospital hold up
Employees at a Sydney veterinary hospital were subjected to an armed hold up last month.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Australian conservationist dies in helicopter crash
World Wildlife Fund director of conservation Jill Bowling was among 23 people who died in a helicopter crash in Nepal  See more

OLIVIA POZZAN
Head of school suspended
Lloyd Reeve-Johnson has been suspended from his position as Head of Queensland University Veterinary Science School.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Scientists shed light on infectious canine cancer
Learning more about the oldest cancers known to science.  See more


Lions' African birthday gift
It's Taronga's birthday - but the lions get the presents!  See more


Officials vet new facilities
Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga NSW has officially opened its $4.7 million state-of-the-art Veterinary Pre-clinical Centre.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Dentistry war of wards
A public war of words has erupted between equine dentists and veterinarians over the potential impact of new regulations on the NSW equine dentistry industry.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Hendra virus outbreak
Queensland veterinarians are on alert following a horse’s death from Hendra virus.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Virulent feline caliciviruses concern US experts
US feline experts are concerned about outbreaks of highly virulent, fatal feline caliciviruses.   See more

ANNE LAYTON BENNETT
Finding okapi
Vets in the Democratic Republic of Congo may soon have an opportunity to practise their skills on the rare and threatened okapi, after evidence found in June confirms the animal has returned to the country’s Virunga National Park.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Queen honours vets
Four Australian vets have been recognised for their service to veterinary science in this year’s Queens Birthday Honours list.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Farewell, Harriet!
Australia Zoo’s 176-year-old giant Galapagos land tortoise, Harriet, passed away on June 23. She held the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living animal in captivity.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
French Vet on Epic Indian Ocean Voyage
French veterinarian Raphaela le Gouvello has left the West Australian coastal town of Exmouth in a bid to sail alone across the Indian Ocean on a modified sailboard.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Australian surgeon develops brain splitting technique
  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
The Veterinarian Prize
This year marks the second year this magazine has endowed The Veterinarian magazine Prize for Written Communication for Sydney University final-year veterinary science students.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Queensland police train cadaver detection dogs
Queensland police have trained and established the state’s first cadaver detection dog team, and no real cadavers were harmed in the process.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Stolen meerkat returns to Adelaide Zoo
A baby meerkat stolen from Adelaide Zoo has been returned safe and well after an appeal to the public.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Horses bioindicators for crystal meth lab
A mysterious illness affecting horses at a New Zealand riding school has been linked to gases from an illicit methamphetamine laboratory.   See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Avian disease outbreak exposes communication “glitch”
Wildlife carers have raised concerns about Australia’s preparedness for an avian influenza outbreak following appearance of a mystery avian disease on the East Coast.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Scientists urge calm as H5N1 detected in domestic cats
Scientists have called for pet owners to remain calm after cats in Germany and Austria tested positive for the avian influenza (H5N1) virus.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Vets, dairy farmers take stock after Cyclone Larry
Veterinarians in far North Queensland are steeling themselves for a tough 12 months in the wake of Cyclone Larry.   See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Like bats to a flame
Five bats have flown into a death trap by landing on a light pole outside a waterfront restaurant at Tea Gardens NSW.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Hendra, Nipah vaccine on the way
A vaccine conferring protection against the deadly Hendra and Nipah viruses may be licensed within three years, according to CSIRO scientists.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Elephants coming at last!
Taronga and Melbourne zoos have welcomed the Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision to clear the way for the import of eight Asian elephants from Thailand as the core of a conservation breeding program.  See more

KIM SMITH
Veterinarian contributor becomes veterinarian
Anne Fawcett, key contributor for The Veterinarian, graduates.   See more

JANE HAMMOND
Nod of approval for K9 blood bank
Melbourne University’s Canine Blood Bank has become the first in Australia and possibly the world to officially register its blood product as a veterinary medicine.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Q fever vaccine saved ... for now
Pharmaceutical company CSL has backed down on its decision to stop making the world’s only vaccine against Q fever, after widespread condemnation by veterinarians, farmers and infectious disease experts.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Another perplexing burglary
The Veterinarian has unearthed more evidence that thieves may be targeting practices for flea and worm prophylactics – although we’re yet to discover why.  See more

LUKE MARTIN
Creature concert a success
Sydney University’s Veterinary Science Foundation's major fundraiser was music to the ears.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Fashion giant takes on ferret label
Multi-million-dollar fashion house Burberry has taken on the makers of ferret ensembles over intellectual property matters.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Bird flu update
The deadly H5N1 avian influenza strain has been detected in birds in Europe, while Australia faced its own scare last month.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Veterinary efforts in vain
Thoroughbred gelding and 2003 Caulfield Cup winner Mummify has been euthanased after suffering severe forelimb fractures in the very race in which he earned his stripes.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Perth vet charged
A veterinarian in Perth has been charged with manslaughter, sex and drug offenses.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
WA vets help Sri Lanka recover
Tsunami aid from WA veterinarians helps Sri Lanka recover from a terrible tragedy  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Dog’s death on plane sparks investigation
British Airways and the RSPCA have met following the death of a dog from dehydration on a flight to Australia.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
State’s biggest bio survey spotlights Pilbara
Scores of new species have been identified in one of Western Australia’s largest biological surveys, the Pilbara bioregional biological survey.  See more

ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT
A race to the death
An annual event with betting backing has come to a sad end this year.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Colleagues, family farewell epidemiologist
Australian veterinary epidemiologist Chris Baldock died unexpectedly in Brisbane on the evening of July 6.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Thai elephants in limbo as zoo debate rages
The fate of eight Asian elephants taken from tourist camps in Thailand remains uncertain as animal welfare organisations and the Australian Government argue over the value of moving the animals to Australian zoos.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Zombie dogs could help human survival
Scientists have created eerie zombie dogs, re-animating the canines after several hours’ clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans.  See more

ANNE LAYTON BENNETT
A platypus in your garden
Not many people can say there are platypuses living at the bottom of their garden, but for Hobart residents who live close to the Sandy Bay Rivulet, - a suburban creek about a mile from the city centre – spotting a platypus soon may not be unusual.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Cannabis cookies for canines
A Tasmanian farmer has been licensed to manufacture and sell dog biscuits containing cannabis seed.   See more

THE VETERINARIAN
New disease threat to native frogs
A deadly new widespread fungal epidemic is threatening the survival of several native frog species, including the popular green tree frog.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Trust helps rare tortoise recovery
A recovery plan helped by more than $230,000 from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust is bringing one of the world’s most endangered tortoises, the western swamp tortoise, back from the brink of extinction.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
RSPCA President targeted in death threats
RSPCA Australia President Hugh Wirth confirmed reports that he is accompanied by plainclothes security guards to all official functions, after an unknown source leaked the information to the press last month.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Cloned cats celebrate first birthday
The first felines produced using chromatin transfer cloning technology have celebrated their first birthday, and appear to be in excellent health, according to US based pet cloning company Genetic Savings & Clone.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Learning without killing
Veterinary and biomedical sciences students will be paid to advertise humane education programs at Australian and New Zealand university campuses as part of a campaign by an international animal welfare organisation.  See more

LUKE MARTIN
The sunny side of veterinary science
Editor Luke Martin reports on the 2005 Australian Veterinary Association conference.  See more

ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT
A heritage herd
Cows aren’t animals that immediately spring to mind when discussing endangered species, but some dairy breeds could be under threat of extinction without more people like Tasmanian dairy farmers Warwick and Betty Holmes.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
IDEXX launches LaserCyte
IDEXX Laboratories is accepting orders for its LaserCyte haematology analyser, a new in-house veterinary diagnostic instrument.  See more

Jane Garcia
Better biosecurity brawl
An indefinite strike by Queensland Government veterinarians was narrowly averted last month, with the State government agreeing to sit down and discuss the veterinarians’ pay and professional development demands.   See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Test for rare border collie disease
NSW University scientists have identified a key genetic mutation associated with a rare inherited brain disorder of border collies.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
UQ farewells Professor McMeniman
After more than 22 years at the University of Queensland’s School of Veterinary Science, including the last four years as the Head of School, Professor Neil McMeniman is contemplating retirement.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Australia’s Camel Population Booming
Australia’s camel population is booming, with an estimated 200,000 of the creatures roaming the outback - sometimes in mobs numbering in the hundreds.  See more


Salmonella vaccine breakthrough
An Australian company is developing a salmonella vaccine aimed at bringing about a major cattle productivity improvement.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Mulesing to be history by 2010
Australian sheep and wool industry leaders announced their commitment to phasing out the practice of mulesing last month, but the battle to save the wool industry from an international boycott continues.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Calls for five year ban on animal-to-human transplants
Australia’s peak health advisory body, the National Health and Medical Research Council, has called for a moratorium on any clinical research into animal-to-human whole organ transplants in Australia.  See more

LYNDA MELLOR
Kleptomaniac cat’s footwear fetish
Podge the cat has side stepped regular feline hobbies including tree climbing or moth chasing to become an avid collector of shoes.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
JCU vets school opens in 2006
Australia’s sixth veterinary school will accept its first intake of students in 2006, twelve months later than previously expected.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
PETA targets Australian wool
Animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched an international campaign to boycott Australian wool, describing the country’s mulesing practices as cruel to animals.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Molecular equine testing on track
Two Brisbane-based veterinarians have developed molecular technology, using bioinformatics, to pick up early signs of disease in race horse via a blood sample.  See more

SUSAN BRUCE
Is time up for the Tassie Devil?
The genetic clock may be ticking and its bell ringing for the end of Tasmanian devils unless researchers can discover the cause of facial tumours that continue to devastate their populations.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Software saves live export animals
An innovative software program designed to improve the welfare of animals shipped overseas, has resulted in record low rates of mortality in the live export trade.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Companion animal review angers NSW vets
A NSW Government report on the state’s companion animal act has outraged many veterinarians, AVA NSW division president Bruce Cartmill said.  See more

JANE GARCIA
Euthanasia-related stress
Technical training and social support can make a real difference to how employees react and adjust to euthanasia-related work, American researchers have discovered.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Hip to be humpback
Humpback whales are slaves to musical fashion and crave innovation, says Queensland University School of Veterinary Science researcher Michael Noad.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Pet spending in the spotlight
Veterinarians and pet food companies have criticized a report comparing Australian’s expenditure on pets with national spending on foreign aid.  See more

JANE GARCIA
Pets don’t improve wellbeing: survey
Owning a pet does not substantially improve a person’s wellbeing, according to the latest Australian Unity Wellbeing Index.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Taking the bite out of dog handling
Donna Martin provides Western Australian school children with instruction on how to best to prevent a dog attack  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
New Dean for Sydney University
Professor Leo Jeffcott has been the Dean of the Veterinary School at Cambridge University for 13 years and will take up the Sydney appointment in October this year.   See more

ANNETTE BASILE
Curbing prowling pussy cats
The City of Greater Bendigo will introduce a sunset-till-sunrise cat curfew, in line with several other Victorian councils.   See more

JANE HAMMOND
AEVA urges horse vets to assess risk
The Australian Equine Veterinary Association (AEVA) has called for all veterinary practices to develop risk management procedures.  See more

JANE GARCIA
Could Australia lose its gene bank?
Thousands of genetic samples from rare and threatened Australian species will be lost later this year unless urgent funding is found.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Handmade cattle clone
Twenty-month-old Duncan may look like an ordinary calf, but he’s living proof an innovative Australian handmade cloning technique works.   See more

ALLON LEE
Dingoes going to the dogs
The dingo, Australia’s only native dog, will be extinct within 50 years due to cross-breeding with domestic dogs, a University of New South Wales’ senior genetics lecturer has warned.  See more

JANE HAMMOND
Teaching old dogs new tricks
A diet rich in antioxidants can help old dogs learn new tricks, according to scientists from the University of California’s Irvine Centre for Brain Aging and Dementia.  See more


Victoria acts to curb cruelty
The Victorian government is set to modify laws to further prevent animal cruelty.  See more

Jane Hammond
Dog owners unaware of worm risk
A Newspoll study reveals dog owners' infection ignorance.  See more

ANNE FAWCETT
Will cat decline threaten vet jobs?
A sharp decline in the Australian domestic cat population may lead to the loss of up to 300 positions for veterinarians, according to experts.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Researchers try to talk to the animals
Seals are the talk of the town in Scotland with the launch of a study looking at the evolution of language.  See more

SUSAN BRUCE
Kangaroo Island plagued by lamb abortions
Expert posits a cause for South Australia's spate of lamb abortions.  See more

THE VETERINARIAN
US team puts fido on the map
US researchers have mapped the genome of the domestic dog  See more

SUSAN BRUCE
Devilish disease targets Tassie icon
Tasmanian devils could be headed for extinction in the wild due to a mystery disease  See more

JENI HOOD
Exotic disease emerges in Perth poodle
Murdoch University's Peter Irwin has diagnosed visceral leishmaniasis in an imported dog in Western Australia.   See more

THE VETERINARIAN
Work can be painful for vet nurses
Though their work helps many, nurses could be the ones hurting, new research shows  See more