In Short | American Veterinary Medical Association

Omeprazole hardly affects the microbiome in horses

The researchers conducted a study to see if omeprazole, which suppresses stomach acid, disrupts the horse’s microbiome, potentially causing digestive infections and diarrhea.

A team from the University of Liège in Belgium, including members of the veterinary faculty, administered oral omeprazole to eight horses for a week. The researchers found no significant change in the fecal or gastric gland microbiota of the horses. However, some minor changes in the microbiota in the horse’s digestive tract have been noted.

The horses received a standard dose to treat gastric ulcers, and the researchers found that the pH in the stomach became less acidic after the treatment.

Omeprazole is a standard treatment for stomach ulcers in humans, dogs, and horses. However, humans and dogs typically have changes in the microbiome after use.

Veterinary accreditation body publishes policy updates

The AVMA Education Council approved several changes to guidelines and accreditation standards during its spring meeting March 20-23.

The council changed its COVID-19 policy and made changes to three accreditation policies and procedures.

The COVID-19 policy originally allowed 18 months between a virtual and face-to-face visit. The change provides for an extension of 12 months for COVID-19-related causes between a virtual and a face-to-face visit.

The accreditation standard for research programs (Standard 10) has been updated to clarify that the majority of these programs should be administered on campus. The outcome assessment (Standard 11) has been updated to clarify that data from both graduates and employers must be collected from graduates. These standards were updated after a public comment period, with feedback generally supporting the changes.

The council also revised its accreditation assessment standard for COE-accredited colleges outside of the United States and Canada. The new policy states that a college must demonstrate that it has made best efforts to encourage the licensing authority in that country to recognize graduates from US and Canadian COE-accredited colleges.

Check out the updated guidelines and accreditation standards.

Postal Service names top cities and states for dog attacks

More than 5,800 postal workers were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2020. The US Postal Service raised awareness of the issue last June as part of National Dog Bite Awareness Week’s annual public service campaign.

The five most common cities for dog attacks were as follows:

1. Houston, 73
2. Chicago, 59
3. Los Angeles, 54
4. Cleveland, 46
5. Denver, 44

The five most common states for dog attacks were as follows:

1. California, 782
2. Texas, 402
3. Ohio, 369
4. New York, 295
5. Pennsylvania: 291

Incidents were counted as attacks when postmen filed claims for damages or told their superiors that they were attacked. No data on dog types were collected.

The USPS found that the high volume of home deliveries since the beginning of the pandemic has resulted in postmen interacting with dogs more often, leading to higher chances of dog attacks.

The list of the 25 largest cities (made up of 47 cities as some cities reported the same number of attacks) and more information on how to prevent dog attacks can be found on the USPS website.