Veterinary Medicine

When the FDA recently approved an anti-depressant for animals, some dog owners breathed a sigh of relief -- much as some parents did when they learned that Ritalin would help treat their children's hyperactivity.Maybe a drug called Clomicalm could bring an end to their dog's incessant barking, chewing and other destructive behavior associated with what's being labeled "separation anxiety" in animals.The approval of Clomicalm, though, is just the latest advance in a growing and profitable field geared to treating pets' mental health.

With 10 needles sticking out of her hide, Mary Bo Quoit looked more like a Chia pet than a racehorse. And her acupuncture treatment had just begun.Poking here, prodding there, the veterinarian slipped another batch of 3-inch quills into the filly's flesh, from neck to rump. Now there were 20 razor-sharp needles protruding from her coat. Not that the horse seemed to mind. Her back resembled a slalom run, but Mary Bo Quoit stood still in her stall at the Bowie Racing Center, languidly scrunching hay.Whew.

Leslie G. Wolsey, 65, computer security analystLeslie G. Wolsey, a computer security analyst for Maryland Department of Transportation, died Sunday of heart failure at his Northeast Baltimore home. He was 65.Before joining the state agency in 1993, he was a senior computer systems analyst at Westinghouse Electric Corp. in Linthicum beginning in the mid-1950s.Born in Henrietta, Okla. and raised in Bellevue, Mich., he graduated from Michigan State University in 1954 and attended the Johns Hopkins University.

When young Trina's adult teeth started coming in crowded, Dee Hanna collared her little one and headed for a dentist who rTC could straighten teeth.Now, hundreds of dollars later, Trina's smile is as lovely as any other 12-pound Norwich terrier's.Veterinary medicine has moved beyond rabies shots and heartworm pills; it provides orthodontics for dogs, kidney dialysis for cats, pacemakers, chemotherapy, artificial hips -- even open-heart surgery."A lot of the things that are available to humans are available for pets," said Sharon Granskog, a spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association.

One of the world's foremost marine mammal experts has joined the National Aquarium in Baltimore to chart the future of its biological programs.Dr. Joseph R. Geraci, a scientist and educator who had been a consultant to the aquarium since 1990, has advised the International Whaling Commission and government agencies in Canada, Spain, Brazil and the United States."

At first blush, there's something sinister sounding about companies making cookies for diabetics, salt for people with high blood pressure and gooey pastries aimed at those with cholesterol problems.Yet these products, some available now and some on the drawing board, are part of a potentially huge market in "nutriceuticals," what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies as "medical foods."Intended to manage, not cure, specific medical conditions, nutriceuticals are attractively packaged, bite-size portions of medicine that can help control everything from arthritis to heart disease.

Nutramax Laboratories Inc., which makes dietary supplements for people and animals, and USBiomaterials, a biotechnology company that makes implantable medical products, have formed an alliance to get a slice of the emerging field of veterinary dentistry.The agreement between the two White Marsh companies gives Nutramax exclusive rights to market in the United States and Canada two USBiomaterials products approved for use in humans by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA approvals allow the products to be used in veterinary medicine.

J. Carroll FowbleVeterinarianDr. J. Carroll Fowble, a veterinarian in Baltimore County for about 50 years, died Friday of heart failure at St. Joseph Medical Center. He was 83.The Timonium native was born on property that is now part of the state fair grounds and lived in the same community at the time of his death.In 1938, Dr. Fowble began his practice and specialized in treating cattle and racehorses. He retired about seven years ago.He was a life member of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association and a former president of the group.

"Watch your diet, get plenty of exercise, don't smoke and pet your dog every day." If your doctor gave you this advice on your next visit, you'd probably think he was crazy.But research is just beginning to discover the mysterious healing powers of our nation's 55 million dogs, 52 million cats and countless birds, fish, rabbits, hamsters and other pets. A wagging tail and a warm nose may be the best medicine there is.A furry friend can even save your life. A pioneering study done several years ago by Aaron Katcher, now a professor emeritus of veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and several colleagues from the Philadelphia University looked at the social factors that affect the recovery of heart attack patients.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Rusty the llama has a place in line for a new home among the "Aggie" students.He's enrolled with 28 dogs, 15 cats and a pony named Cocoa under a Texas A&M University program to care for the animals at the behest of their owners.The new home, operated by the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, is set up not only to care for the pets but also to study how the animals age and how they bond with people.The Stevenson Animal Companion Life-Care Center home, which opened in March using private donations, is touted by its directors as unique among university settings.