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Acquisitions (Details1) (USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 Animal Hospitals and Laboratory Acquisitions [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Bright Heart [Member]	Jul. 11, 2011 Bright Heart [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Vetstreet [Member]
Consideration
Cash paid for acquisitions	$ 189,255	$ 42,827	$ 19,499	$ 23,490	$ 50,000	$ 146,420
Holdback			800
Cash paid to holders of debt	26,048	29,532		26,048
Contingent consideration	481	259		481
Fair value of total consideration transferred			20,299	50,019
Allocation of the Purchase Price
Tangible assets			446	15,985		5,952
Identifiable intangible assets			3,620	7,335		45,810
Goodwill			16,233	47,431		99,087
Other liabilities assumed				(20,732)		(4,429)
Total			$ 20,299	$ 50,019		$ 146,420