An Account Of Veterinary Continuing Education In AntarcticaApril 3, 2008Thanks to the North American Veterinary Conference's RACE-approved continuing education conference, I stood on my seventh continent--Antarctica. Our trip started in Ushuia, the southernmost city in the world. Thirty veterinarians and 170 other cruise passengers took a two-day boat ride on the Explorer II through the Drake Passage. This passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet and has some of the roughest water on the planet. Luckily it was more like "Drake Lake" as we sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula. On the ride out we were visited by petrels and albatross that spend their lives wandering these waters. They were attracted to the boat and entertained us by streaking past in the ample winds as we all tried to focus on them with our fancy cameras-- a good time for us to practice our focusing techniques for the opportunities to come. We had the good fortune to come across 25 humpback whales that were feeding on a massive krill swarm just below the ship. When the captain announced this find we all scurried to the deck with our cameras in tow. The whales circled our ship and put on a show as they dove and surfaced, displaying their beautiful …
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Veterinarian Looks To Nematodes For IBD TreatmentMarch 31, 2008Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects more than 1 million people nationally. Now a Michigan veterinarian has introduced a parasite to help end the plague. Linda Mansfield, VMD, Ph.D., a parasitologist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, is leading a team of researchers in a study of immune responses to parasites, specifically using the pig whipworm Trichuris suis in an effort to help ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients. Dr. Mansfield is the only veterinarian in the U.S. working to create a marketed treatment for IBD using parasitic nematodes, and the first in the world to use T. suis. "IBD diseases are chronic, and occur when the bowel becomes irritated and congested with inflammatory cells," Mansfield says. "This condition can affect people's ability to work and have a normal life. Evidence from this research could change that." In June 2006, Mansfield was awarded a five-year, $500,000 grant to conduct a project to identify new molecules and compounds from the whipworm that could be used in patients with IBD, in lieu of patients consuming the parasite's eggs, which is the current experimental treatment method. While working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mansfield's chance observation of sick …
Animal Behaviorist Lines Up Nationwide Series Of SeminarsMarch 6, 2008Animal behaviorist Sophia Yin, DVM, has joined ContinuEd, a provider of continuing education seminars for the veterinary profession, to offer a series of one-day seminars for veterinarians and other team members on common animal behavior problems. Four areas will be covered: How Animals Learn, Recognizing Brewing Behavior Problems, Correcting and Reversing those Problems and Updated Handling Techniques for Dealing with Problem Pets. "The No. 1 cause of pet loss is bad behavior that forces an owner to give up the animal for adoption, or worse, to have it euthanized," said W. Drew Turner, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, founder and executive producer of ContinuEd. "You can play a critical and active role in identifying brewing behavior problems in your client's pets, and help correct them before they snowball." Some venues are still be determined. Dates and locations are as follows: March 30 – Seattle area: (Doubletree Guest Suites, Tukwila, Wash.) . April 6 – Los Angeles: (Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Los Angeles International Airport) . June 22 – Chicago . June 29 – Phoenix . July 13 – Denver .
Vet Blood Banking Endures Growing PainsFebruary 25, 2008 The veterinary blood banking industry is not without its growing pains. A lengthy legal battle between Animal Blood Bank Inc. and Sun States Animal Blood Bank serves as one example of industry conflict. The dispute, which revolved around trademark rights to the phrase “animal blood bank,” came to an end in December after more than two years in court, says Larry DeLuca, EdD, MD, president and director of Sun States. In the end, Animal Blood Bank Inc. maintained its rights to the phrase. DeLuca says that Sun States plans to change its name to Sun States Blood Banks for Animals. Perhaps the issue of greatest contention within the industry is that of closed-colony blood donors versus volunteer donors. Closed-colony programs are mandated by California law. But blood banks across the rest of the country operate under varied business models. “At Midwest, we see the advantages of both systems,” says Anne Hale, DVM, owner and director of Midwest Animal Blood Services Inc. in Stockbridge, Mich. “We have successfully run a canine volunteer program since 1995. However, in addition, we have in-house donors. This has allowed us to work with the rescue community in Michigan …
AAHA, AAFP Plan Feline Health GuidelinesFebruary 8, 2008The American Animal Hospital Assn. and the American Assn. of Feline Practitioners have agreed to jointly develop lifestage-based healthcare guidelines for cats for veterinarians by next January, pending the approvals of their respective boards. The decision to jointly develop the guidelines was made at and prompted by the CATalyst Summit, a gathering of more than 40 veterinarians and representatives from animal health companies and welfare organizations designed to improve the lives of cats. The summit, jointly sponsored by AAFP and Pfizer Animal Health, aimed to address the declining number of veterinary visits for cats—occurring despite an increase in the overall population of cats. The 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook indicated that nearly 40 percent of cat-owning households received no veterinary care for the cat in 2006, more than twice the rate of dog-owning households, and cats average less than one visit to the veterinarian per year. AAHA President-elect Anna Worth, VMD, and AAFP President Valerie Creighton, DVM, announced the tentative agreement after the group determined a significant need for such guidelines. They would be modeled after similar human health guidelines that recommend certain screening procedures at certain ages. The feline guidelines would also address certain behavior issues, notably inappropriate elimination, …
AAEP Updates Equine Vaccination GuidelinesJanuary 30, 2008The American Assn. of Equine Practitioners' Infectious Disease Committee, which is comprised of researchers, vaccine manufacturers and private practitioners, has updated its equine vaccination guidelines. Recommendations have been made for the use of vaccines based on the age of the horse and its previous vaccination history. The "Guidelines for the Vaccination of Horses" include: The identification of tetanus, Eastern/Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus and rabies as core vaccines. . The addition of a vaccination protocol for anthrax. . Recommendations for the storage and handling of vaccines, as well as information on vaccine labeling and adverse reactions. . Inclusion of the AAEP's Infectious Disease Control Guidelines, which provide an action plan for the containment of infectious disease during an outbreak. "The goal of the guidelines is to provide current information that will enable veterinarians and clients to make thoughtful and educated decisions on vaccinating horses in their care," said Mary Scollay, DVM, chair of the Committee. The vaccination schedules are complemented by supporting information on topics including vaccine technology and disease risk-assessment, allowing veterinarians to customize vaccination programs specific to the needs of an individual horse or group of …
AAHA Meeting To Mark 75 YearsJanuary 15, 2008The American Animal Hospital Assn.’s 75th anniversary conference will be held in Tampa, Fla., March 27-30, marking a change in its yearly conference schedule. Based on surveys, AAHA found that attendees didn’t want to spend too much time away from their practice and wanted to be home in time to get back to work on Monday. To help meet these needs, AAHA’s conferences will now run Thursday through Sunday every year. More than 300 hours of continuing education covering scientific, management, technician and team topics will be offered. Scientific sessions will include endocrinology, anesthesia, behavior, cardiology, clinical pathology, dentistry, dermatology, emergency and critical care, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, pain management, radiology and ultrasound, respiratory, surgery and urology. Other topics will include preventive medicine and disease screening of purebreds; improving critical care outcomes with nutrition; economics and new horizons of pain management; patient and owner management considerations for pets with chronic illnesses; preparing for practice ownership; greening your practice; and electronic health records. Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan., is sponsoring “The Puzzling Patient: What to Do When the Pieces Don’t Fit.” The symposium includes “The Feline Perspective—Nothing Is as Easy as It Looks”; “The Largest Endocrine Organ: I …
Animal Health Companies Increase R&D SpendingNovember 19, 2007Animal health companies spent $663 million in 2006 to research and develop potential new products and to maintain the longevity of existing products, according to the Animal Health Institute’s Research and Development Survey. This constitutes a 7 percent increase over 2005 spending. Innovative research represented 86 percent of total research and development spending, the same as in 2005. The remaining 14 percent went toward research to ensure the longevity of existing products. In 2006, 26.4 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for use in farm and companion animals, an increase from 24.4 million pounds sold in 2005. Data represent answers from Animal Health Institute member companies, which include Abbott Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Elanco Animal Health, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Intervet Inc., Merial Ltd., Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc., Pfizer Animal Health and Schering-Plough Animal Health Corp. <HOME>
Amphibian Disease Conference To Meet In ArizonaOctober 16, 2007Almost 300 people, including veterinarians, scientists and fish and wildlife managers, will meet Nov. 5-7 in Tempe, Ariz., at a conference on stopping the spread of a fungal-based amphibian disease. Hosted by the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC)–a multilateral organization with members from the federal and state governments, zoos, the pet industry, conservation groups and others–the conference will include panels to discuss amphibian deaths related to the so-called Bd fungal disease, know as chytridiomycosis and caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidi. Speakers will review case studies and identify actions needed to limit its spread in both captive and wild situations. Sponsors of the event include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife Service and other government groups as well as the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the Phoenix Zoo/Arizona Zoological Society, the Turner Foundation, Conservation Intl., Defenders of Wildlife, the Houston Zoo and the Herpetologists’ League. For more information click here. <HOME>
Chip Claim Gets Under Oncologists’ SkinOctober 2, 2007 Last month’s Associated Press news reports of microchips causing cancer in pets led to widespread media coverage. But veterinary experts say there is no evidence that cancer is a problem in microchipped pets. A series of veterinary and toxicology studies dating from the mid-1990s purportedly showed that microchip implants had induced malignant tumors in some laboratory mice and rats. This, coupled with a case report documenting the death of a 9-year-old French bulldog due to a subcutaneous cancerous mass, was fuel for a denouncement of microchips, which were recently given the nod by the Food and Drug Administration for use in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Cheryl London, DVM, oncologist at The Ohio State University, says she is enraged at the inaccuracies passed off as fact in the media reports. She says she was misquoted in the national report, and says the record needs to be set straight based on fact. “In the 15 years I’ve been practicing, I have not seen one sarcoma in the neck area of a dog,” London says. “Millions of implanted microchips resulting in four cases is not evidence. Even if the four potential cases were scientifically determined to be linked to …
