UK Vets Extract Tooth from ElephantMay 5, 2016Lucha, a 33-year-old Asian elephant living at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Whipsnade Zoo, had stopped eating, and veterinarians there quickly found out why: She had a wobbly tooth that had become infected. Veterinary dental surgeon, Dr. Peter Kertesz, who practices in central London, was called in to work with Lucha. He easily extracted the tooth, thanks in part to Lucha being so well-trained. “While most people dread the idea of a visit to the dentist, for Lucha the elephant it was a relaxed experience, due to the regular training and close relationship she has with our keepers," said Nic Masters, head vet at ZSL, on their website. He also added, "When anesthetizing an animal, we can’t predict what side they’ll lie down on, but thanks to training, Lucha was able to lay down on the right side, ensuring we could access her gum easily, and quickly remove the tooth to get her back on her feet as soon as possible.” The whole procedure was caught on camera, which you can watch below: Have you ever …
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Study: Labs More Interested in Food Than Other BreedsMay 5, 2016Dog owners tell their vets that Labrador retrievers are always interested in food, and new work shows there might be a biological truth to the claim. A study in the journal Cell Metabolism links a gene alteration specifically found in Labs and related flat-coat retrievers to greater food-motivated behavior, describing the first gene associated with canine obesity. The variation also occurs more frequently in Labradors chosen as assistance dogs, and might explain why these canines seem more trainable with food rewards. The study was called “A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs.” Labrador retrievers are more interested in food and tend to be more obese than other breeds, regardless of owner. "Whenever there's something more common in one breed than another, we think genetics are involved," said Eleanor Raffan, MRCVS, a veterinary surgeon and geneticist at the University of Cambridge who previously studied human obesity before investigating the canine angle. Starting with an initial cohort of 15 obese and 18 lean Labrador retrievers, Raffan and her colleagues selected …
Dean of Purdue’s Vet College Receives Black Graduate Student Association AwardMay 5, 2016The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) recently honored Willie Reed, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, Dipl. ACPV, dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award. The award honors individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to Black Higher Education within the state of Indiana. Designated honorees share “a commitment to play vanguard roles in the struggle to equip tomorrow’s leaders of African descent with the requisite intellectual attainment, technological skills, humanitarian focus, and social commitment and political consciousness so that their scholarly and societal contributions can be more enlightened and enduring than that of the previous and current generations,” Purdue University noted. The award was presented at BGSA’s annual banquet in early April. BGSA members were also honored, including several from the College of Veterinary Medicine, who have completed or will complete the requirements for graduate or professional degrees this academic year. This included: Corina Collins and Stara Robertson of the DVM Class of 2016 and graduate student Moriah Hurt, who will complete her M.S. Animal Welfare in August.
Ruling Months Away in Texas Cat CaseMay 5, 2016Embattled veterinarian Kristen Lindsey, DVM, who admitted using a bow and arrow to kill a cat and then bragged about the act on social media, should learn this fall whether she will keep or lose her Texas license. A two-day hearing held in late April in Austin featured testimony on whether the cat was feral or actually a neighbor’s pet, how fast the animal died and why rural residents often kill undomesticated cats. Both sides are expected to submit and respond to written closing arguments by July 1. Two administrative law judges who presided over the hearing will issue a recommendation to the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which may approve a final decision Oct. 18. Dr. Lindsey could continue her fight by appealing to a state district court. Her attorney, Brian Bishop, criticized the board for pursuing the year-old case, which advanced to the hearing after a mediation attempt failed. “It should be very troubling to Texas taxpayers and to all regulated licensees that the [board] diverted so much in tax money and resources to the prosecution of a license revocation action based on ‘politically incorrect’ actions that had nothing to do with the practice of veterinary medicine,” …
Two Suspects Arrested for Veterinarian's DeathMay 3, 2016A sad story out of Burlington, Colo.: A veterinarian was murdered by her stepson and his friend. According to the police, Cynthia Campbell Eason, DVM, was killed when her stepson and his friend entered her home, beat her to death, and then stole items from the residence. Eason was found dead on Friday afternoon. A tip led police to arrest Dylan Eason, 19, and Isaiah Churchwell, 24, according to Fox 31 Denver. The father of Dylan Eason, Jon Eason, has called for the death penalty for his son and friend. As he wrote on Facebook: "I am wondering as a parent, why I'm so insistent on my son and his friend receive the death penalty for killing my wife over simple greed. I have never felt hate before, but I'm so engulfed in hate, that I want my kid and his friend to pay with their lives. I'm ashamed of feeling this way, I know Cindy would not like my anger and madness that I'm living with." Neighbors and friends reported that they knew Dylan was violent and were "saying he was going to snap one day," …
Midmark Animal Health Announces 'Bring It!' PromotionMay 3, 2016Midmark Animal Health has announced the launch of its “Bring It!” promotion. Veterinarians and veterinary facilities can receive cash incentives and an onsite anesthesia-monitoring course for CE credit when they purchase select veterinary equipment through July 31, 2016. During this promotion, rebates and incentives are available with the purchase of the following products when purchased through an authorized Midmark Animal Health dealer: Matrx Anesthesia Machines (excluding VMR) Midmark UltraClave® Automatic Sterilizers Cardell Touch Vital Signs Monitor Masimo CO2 Module (Masimo Multigas also accepted) 255 Single LED Procedure Light 255 Dual LED Procedure Light Customers who purchase a qualifying Matrx Anesthesia machine with a Cardell Touch Monitor and Masimo CO2 Module can receive a free Anesthesia Monitoring 101 course valued at $1,150. The Anesthesia Monitoring 101 course provides veterinarians and credentialed technicians the training needed to operate and maintain monitoring and anesthesia equipment. Veterinarians and credentialed technicians who complete this session will earn four hours of CE credit. For more info, go to midmarkanimalhealth.com/BringIt
OVC Takes Part in Bone Cancer Clinical TrialMay 3, 2016The University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College recently entered an 8-year-old Rottweiler named Cujo into a clinical trial headed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (NCI COTC). It’s the first such collaboration between the college and the NCI COTC. The study, funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, will include about 160 dogs from 21 veterinary teaching hospitals across North America. Researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of the therapeutic agent rapamycin for treating osteosarcoma in dogs by delaying or preventing metastases. The trial is expected to last about eight to 12 months. “This is exciting for us,” said Paul Woods, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, a veterinary cancer specialist at OVC and co-director of U of G’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation. “Our goal is to improve the dogs’ quality and quantity of life while living with cancer.” Dogs, especially large breeds, develop osteosarcoma 10 times as often as humans, according to the college. OVC’s Animal Cancer Center sees up to three new osteosarcoma cases each week, the college further noted. “We’re not sure why it’s so common in large dogs,” Dr. Woods said. Despite aggressive treatments …
Dog Regains Mobility Thanks to UC Davis NeurologistsMay 2, 2016Not too long ago, Leah, a 4-year-old female Border Collie, got loose from her owner and went missing for the night. When a local veterinary facility found her the next day, the staff immediately called her owner and informed her that Leah had been injured. She had a facial laceration that might have been from a deer kick. Otherwise, she appeared normal, and so her wound was repaired, and Leah was on her way home. Two days later, however, Leah became acutely non-ambulatory. She had minimal motor function in all four limbs, and was unable to sit up on her own. Leah was then hospitalized with a suspected case of tetanus. She was treated with an anti-toxin and other supportive care and monitored. Her severe tetraparesis did not improve for three weeks. Leah’s veterinarians no longer suspected tetanus and were much more concerned that she might have a spinal cord injury. That was when they referred her to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis. Once at UC Davis, specialists in the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service performed a …
AVMA Poster Celebrates National Pet Week with 'A Life of Love' PosterMay 2, 2016To celebrate the special bond between people and their pets and mark the 35th anniversary of National Pet Week (NPW), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), with support from Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets, are offering veterinary clinics complimentary copies of the Lifetime of Love poster during National Pet Week. This special event is held May 1 through 7. "This poster is a beautiful reminder of the bond we share with our pets throughout our lives," said Dr. Joe Kinnarney, president of the AVMA. "At Purina we believe pets and people are better together, so we're excited to team up with the AVMA to celebrate National Pet Week and the joy pets bring to our lives," said Purina veterinarian Dr. Kurt Venator, DVM, PhD. "It's important for pet owners to remember that veterinarians play a vital role in enriching the bond between pets and people, and this celebration is a great reminder." "Everyone loves their pets. But not everyone is aware of what their pet needs from them," Kinnarney said. "That is why each day of National Pet Week® focuses on an essential action vital to achieving a Lifetime of Love." Veterinary experts joined …
Registration Open for Henry Schein Animal Health’s 2016 Veterinary Technology SummitMay 2, 2016Henry Schein, Inc. announced today that it has opened registration for Henry Schein Animal Health’s 2016 Veterinary Technology Summit. This event that will help veterinary practices increase their practice management software usage and improve practice efficiency and profitability. The summit will take place October 19 to 21 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Attending veterinarians and their staff will receive hands-on software training classes for the company’s AVImark, ImproMed Infinity, and ImproMedTriple Crown software programs, as well as informative sessions on practice management tips and insights. Sessions will focus on strategies for going paperless, implementing wellness plans, managing inventory, using electronic medical records and many other topics relevant for veterinarians, practice managers and staff members. “We see that a majority of veterinary practices in the U.S. own practice management software, yet most typically use only 20 percent of its capabilities,” said Chris Dollar, president of Henry Schein Global Animal Health Practice Solutions. “Greater software usage provides a variety of benefits for veterinary practices, such as capturing and billing charges that otherwise may be missed, improving the quality of patient care, and even having more time during the …
