Texas A&M Receives $1.2 Million Contract from Department of Homeland Security to Create Nationwide CurriculumDecember 3, 2015The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) and the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have been awarded a $1.2 million contract to develop and implement a nationwide scientific business development and management educational program. The award comes from the DHS Science and Technology Directorate which invited submission of proposals with innovative approaches to develop training programs for preparing next-generation transboundary animal disease (TAD) scientists to respond against these diseases. Awarded proposals support preparation for the United States National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF)’s new state-of-the-art biocontainment facility, which will study emerging TAD that threaten United States animal agriculture and public health. This new facility will replace DHS’s Plum Island Animal Disease Center — the primary facility conducting TAD research in the United States — in 2022. The funded proposal is titled “From the Bench to the Shop: Creation and Implementation of a Scientific Business Development and Management Program to Transition High Consequence Livestock Disease Research and Development Technologies for Commercialization.” Texas A&M’s project will develop a novel training curriculum to equip next generation scientific professionals with the skill …
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Ohio Vet Students Win First Place in Animal Welfare Assessment ContestDecember 1, 2015A team of students from the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) won First Place Overall in the Veterinary Division at the recent 15th Intercollegiate Animal Welfare Judging/Assessment Contest (AWJAC). The event, held this year at Ohio State, tests undergraduate, graduate and veterinary students on their ability to assess the welfare of animals and present findings to a panel of judges. When the contest first started in 2002, the focus was on livestock species. Since then, the AWJAC has expanded to include livestock, companion, laboratory, production and exotic animals. The AWJAC relies on hypothetical, realistic computer-viewed scenarios containing performance, health, physiologic and behavioral data. These are evaluated by students individually to determine which facility has a higher level of welfare, according to the AWJAC. Each student then presents their rationale orally to the judges. Students also participate in a team assessment exercise. The Ohio State CVM had two teams in the competition this year. The winning team included Sarah Wahlstrom (Class of 2018), Kacey Smith (Class of 2017), Shawn Wharrey (2017) and Kristin Zabrecky (2018). The team also brought home a trophy for the top team-assessment score. The second team comprised …
University of Bristol is Looking for Cavalier King Charles SpanielsDecember 1, 2015The University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences is looking for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) to take part in a study to investigate a method of assessing neck pain in dogs. Syringomyelia is a progressive inherited neurological disease of the neck spinal cord in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, which may cause neck pain and affects around 70 percent of CKCS more than 6 years old, according to the university. Researchers at Bristol’s Vet School and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) aim to find a pain-free method of detecting neck pain of neurological origin in dogs. The study, funded by Dogs Trust in the UK, hopes to improve the welfare of CKCS by enabling vets to more easily recognize when dogs are suffering from chronic pain related to syringomyelia. Signs of the condition can vary and are often extremely subtle meaning that some cases can go undiagnosed. The study involves owner-completed questionnaires and assessment of the dog’s neck skin sensitivity with a pain-free electronic pressure device, known as a von Frey esthesiometer, being applied to the skin, while monitoring for the dog’s behavioral response. Heather Williams, the
Internet Vet Loses Court FightNovember 30, 2015Texas veterinarian Ronald Hines, DVM, today declared partial victory after the U.S. Supreme Court permanently silenced his online practice. “I’m just elated,” the 72-year-old practitioner said of his success in shining a light on the issues of free speech and telemedicine. “I think it’s great for veterinarians and I think it’s great for pets.” The Supreme Court refused to hear Dr. Hines’ appeal of a lower court ruling that found telephone and Internet communication to be insufficient when establishing the required veterinarian-client-patient relationship in Texas. The State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in 2013 ordered Hines to shutter his small online business and placed him on a year’s probation. Hines argued that he never diagnosed or treated pets remotely but merely offered advice for a fee. As more pet owners and veterinarians connect with each other through websites and smartphone apps, the question of when such contact crosses the line is bound to be raised again, Hines said. “Look at what’s around us now versus what was around us two years ago,” he said of a growing number of outlets such as the new Vet24seven app, which offers fee-based texting and video chatting with veterinarians. “You just can’t keep …
Auburn University Vet School Hires PsychologistNovember 26, 2015Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine recently appointed Kathryn Bieri, Psy.D., a psychological counselor, to help students through their veterinary academic program. “The veterinary medical profession can be stressful for students as they experience the academic rigors of the program and transition into roles as young veterinarians,” the university noted in its announcement in early November. “I am very pleased to have Dr. Bieri working on our team to care for individuals within the college as she seeks to assist others in developing, maintaining and restoring the skills necessary to endure challenges without becoming distressed,” said Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., the associate dean for academic affairs. “When we allow challenges to lead to distress, we are unable to see and appreciate the great opportunities that surround us in our profession.” Dr. Bieri has an extensive background in many diverse fields of psychology and medicine. Her main focus at the school is psychodynamic therapy, which aims to help people understand how their past experiences affect present behavior. “I prefer psychodynamic therapy because I feel like it helps identify the real causes of psychological stress on a person, and you …
Penn Vet Teams Up With N.J. HospitalNovember 24, 2015University of Pennsylvania veterinarians and students will practice at a suburban Philadelphia hospital under a new partnership called Penn Vet Affiliates. Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey is Penn Vet’s first affiliated clinic, the university announced Monday. The arrangement provides greater access to clinical trials and to Penn Vet specialists, who at times will work out of Mount Laurel. In addition, students enrolled in the School of Veterinary Medicine will “gain educational and training opportunities in a private practice setting,” Penn Vet stated. “There are many choices for specialty care in South Jersey; however, we are proud to offer a unique family-friendly experience with the cutting-edge Penn Vet standard of medicine,” said Robert Mankowski, VMD, co-owner of Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. The service will save pet owners from having to drive 20 miles from Mount Laurel to Penn Vet in Philadelphia. “We’ve listened to our clients, and what we’ve learned over the years is that they need increased access to the specialty care that we provide,” said Bo Connell, MS, MBA, the executive director of Penn Vet’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital. “By extending our board-certified specialists to affiliated practices, patients will receive the same standard of care available …
RCVS Enhances Hospital Accreditation SystemNovember 24, 2015Qualified British veterinary practices may promote themselves as “Good” or “Outstanding” in a variety of areas under a revised accreditation system. The updated Practice Standards Scheme, unveiled Nov. 20 at the London Vet Show, is designed to persuade more veterinary hospitals to achieve high levels of performance and service. The system is managed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and a coalition of groups such as the British Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Practice Management Association. “Over half of all veterinary practice premises in the U.K. are already RCVS-accredited … but we’d really like to help more practices to get on board,” said Jacqui Molyneux, MRCVS, chairwoman of the Practice Standards Group. Accreditation and awards may be granted under separate guidelines for three practice types: small animal, equine and farm animal. Small animal practices may seek accreditation in any of three areas: core standards, general practice and emergency service clinic. A fourth level, veterinary hospital, is reserved for practices that meet the core and general practice requirements. Accredited hospitals then may apply for “Good” or “Outstanding” awards in areas such as diagnostic service or professional responsibility—achievements based on points earned in relevant sections, or modules, of the Practice …
Georgia Opens VetCAMP 2016 RegistrationNovember 24, 2015The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine is now accepting applications for its VetCAMP 2016, a week-long opportunity for high school students to explore the field of veterinary medicine. The event will be held June 19 to 25, 2016. VetCAMP, or Veterinary Career Aptitude and Mentoring Program, gives current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to experience veterinary medicine as a potential career path through the clinical and research services offered by the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center and the college’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. Attendees will learn about requirements for admission to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, research opportunities, study abroad opportunities, the college’s veterinary curriculum and underserved specialties in the field of veterinary medicine. For details on requirements, registration and pricing, visit the website. Registration is open through January 29.
Merck Launches H3N2 Canine Flu VaccineNovember 20, 2015Merck Animal Health today matched competitor Zoetis Inc. with the release of a dog flu vaccine that protects against the new H3N2 strain. Merck, based in Madison, N.J., received a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Canine Influenza Vaccine, H3N2, Killed Virus. Zoetis announced the same achievement, the first company to do so, on Nov. 12. Merck’s vaccine will be made available to U.S. veterinarians starting Monday. H3N2, which emerged in Chicago in March before striking dogs in other states, quickly caught the drug maker’s attention. “Early on, we suspected veterinarians were dealing with an outbreak of canine influenza and not kennel cough, which spurred us to implement the collection of nasal and pharyngeal samples from sick dogs that were tested by Cornell University,” said Kathleen Heaney, DVM, director of Companion Animal Technical Services. “We came to realize what was actually unfolding was the transmission of an influenza strain, H3N2, never before seen in the United States. “Based on the highly contagious nature of the strain, the severity of clinical disease and the rate at which we were seeing newly diagnosed cases, we knew we needed to act fast,” Dr. Heaney said. The canine …
IAH Expands Sales Into Baltics, BelarusNovember 20, 2015A young company that moved its headquarters this year from Australia to Lawrence, Kan., is reaching into Eastern Europe with a distribution agreement covering some of its large animal products. Integrated Animal Health, which makes mastitis-fighting Udder-Mate for cows and toxin-tackling Scour-Mate for calves, announced a contract this month with Baltic Zoolife Ltd. The Latvian company will distribute IAH products in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. IAH is tapping into what Baltic Zoolife’s founder, Victoria Podberezina, called significant growth in the region’s agricultural industry. Belarus and the Baltic countries, she said, have embraced “modern, state-of-the-art farming operations equipped with advanced technologies.” Overseeing IAH’s European operation is a new hire, Laszlo Kiss, DVM, MBA, who is based in Budapest, Hungary. “Agreements with strong, specialized companies in the industry, such as Baltic Zoolife, are critical to our global expansion,” Dr. Kiss said. IAH reinforced its Oceania roots by appointing Jo Wrigley as the New Zealand business development manager. Based in Auckland, she previously served as managing director of IAH’s recently signed New Zealand distributor, Domhealth, as a technical services manager at Merial Ltd. and as a territory manager at Elanco Animal Health. Established in 2013 in Queensland, Australia, IAH relocated to …
