Sometimes, the AVMA makes me so frustrated...

I guess that's not a very nice title for tonight's blog.  Evidently, over Thanksgiving, Obama signed a bill that will remove the ban of horse slaughter for human consumption.  What frustrates me about this is that I first hear about this first from animal lovers freaking out over Facebook, when they do not have all of the information, and not from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).  These "articles" circulating on Facebook do not explain that since the ban on slaughter has been in place (5 years ago), horse owners have not been able to (or not choosing to) properly feed and care for their horses during this recession.  As a result, for five years, horses have been starving to death in people's dried up pastures or inhumanely shipped to Mexico for slaughter that may not be overseen by qualified people to ensure that the procedure is pain-free.  Anyway, back to my gripe by the AVMA, I had to dig through the Internet looking for the truth in this story, settling on an article from DVM Magazine.  At this time, the AVMA has still not made an official statement on this bill or notified its members of its occurrence, so we can at least provide education for our client.  Goodness!  Even PETA has posted a statement on this situation already!  The AVMA is always behind...and they wonder why the younger generation of veterinarians feel that they are out of touch.  I'm just stating that I wish I could hear about an issue like this FIRST from my professional association (whose opinion I would like to respect and serve as a guidance for how I may discuss this issue with clients) and NOT from social media.
Here is the article from DVM 360.  I usually do like reading DVM Magazine.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=751022&pageID=1

I promise to be more cheery next time!
                  Josie

The Numbers:  November 29, 2011 - Breakfast:  oatmeal.  Lunch:  sweet potato, olive oil, sea salt, lamb, pear.  Snack #1 carrots.  Snacks #2 and 3 (about 1 pm) Oreos, peanut butter, land o' lakes butter, Arnold's Honey Wheat Toast.  Dinner:  Orange roughy, olive oil, sea salt, asparagus, pear.  Dessert - mint Oreos (I won't lie...I ate many).
Medication:  Prosed DS TID, amitriptyline SID, Zyrtec SID.
Pain:  0 in AM  Around 10:30 am, while feeling a little overwhelmed volunteering at the food pantry, cystitis (and maybe urethritis) increased to 3.  TENS in the afternoon and evening lowered it to 1-2.
Mood:  Not super giddy, but positive.  Not a bad day.  I'll take it.
(I think peanut butter, Arnold's honey wheat, and land o' lakes can probably be added as a cleared food.

November 30, 2011 - Breakfast:  Corn Chex and coconut milk.  Lunch;  Lamb, sweet potato, olive oil, pear, sea salt.  Snack #1 carrots.  Snack #2 mint Oreos (hey...might as well work on "clearing" this food also).  Snack #3 Arnold's wheat bread, land o lakes margarine and peanut butter.  Dinner:  Venison stew (venison, pear, carrots, celery, olive oil, sea salt), wheat roll.  Dessert:  mint oreos, corn chex, coconut milk.
Medications:  Prosed DS TID, amitriptyline SID, Zyrtec SID
Pain:  1-2 until 3pm.  At 3pm, became a 3, fluctuated between 2 and 3 all evening, with use of TENS.