Vet Techs Say Sedation Is UnderutilizedOctober 27, 2015Being bitten, scratched or kicked by a patient is an accepted part of life at a veterinary hospital. But members of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) believe the risk of injury would be reduced if more animals were sedated. A survey published in the October/November issue of The NAVTA Journal found that a veterinary technician is called upon to physically restrain a patient an average of 11 times a week and that sedation was used in less than half of the cases where it would have been appropriate. The American Animal Hospital Association’s “Anesthesia Guidelines for Dogs and Cats” states that sedation may be suitable during short, minimally invasive procedures such as diagnostics, joint injections, suture removal and wound management. More complex cases and treatments lasting more than 30 minutes may require anesthesia. The 1,262 NAVTA members who responded to the survey reported that sedation was used most often during exploration or repair of wounds or cuts, during euthanasia and when an animal had a troublesome temperament. Other top cases that called for sedation were during radiology procedures, fracture stabilization and the removal of foreign objects. “Interestingly, you reported that procedure type has more influence on …
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Nationwide Launches All-Inclusive Pet Insurance PlanOctober 27, 2015Nationwide pet insurance today rolled out what it called the most comprehensive plan in the United States, covering medical and emergency care and wellness visits. What’s Covered Whole Pet with Wellness, from Nationwide, reimburses for: Veterinary exams, including wellness, specialty and emergency visits. Vaccinations, teeth cleaning, parasite control and sterilization. Hospitalization and surgeries. Injuries and illnesses, including cancer and hereditary or congenital conditions. Diagnostic testing, including X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds. Prescribed nutritional supplements, therapeutic diets and medications. Prescribed holistic, alternative and preventive care. Source: Nationwide The policy comes with a 90 percent reimbursement rate on veterinary expenses, a change from the Brea, Calif., company’s traditional use of a benefit schedule, which pays a set amount for common expenses. Nationwide’s other plans—one that provides limited coverage of accidents, illnesses and hereditary conditions and one that pays for wellness procedures—remain in place. Companies such as Trupanion and ASPCA also pay 90 percent of expenses, while some return 65 or 70 percent, depending on the level of coverage selected. Nationwide’s new plan, called Whole Pet with Wellness, features an annual deductible, which the company’s chief pet insurance officer, Scott Liles, described as a “key differentiator.” “Many pet health insurance companies offer per-incident …
Ross University Selects Interim Dean of Vet SchoolOctober 27, 2015Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) has named Guy St. Jean, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, as interim dean. He succeeds Elaine Watson, Ph.D., who has left the school to pursue other professional opportunities, according to the university. Dr. St. Jean, a member of the RUSVM faculty since 1998, has served the school in various teaching and leadership capacities, including his most recent role of associate dean for student and alumni affairs and professor of surgery. Previously, he was associate dean of academic affairs and head of the admissions committee. St. Jean will lead RUSVM until a permanent dean is selected through an international search.
Veterinary World Comes to Consensus on EpilepsyOctober 26, 2015A team of veterinarians and neurology experts has agreed on a common definition of epilepsy in an effort to ensure the condition is correctly diagnosed in dogs and cats and that researchers are consistent in their thinking. The latest consensus statement is one of seven produced by the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force. The 26-member group was formed in 2014 and includes four U.S. veterinarians, among them Ned Patterson, DVM, Ph.D., an epilepsy researcher at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. “The group’s findings will create a common language among practitioners and provide best practices for veterinarians treating dogs and cats with epilepsy,” Dr. Patterson said. An estimated 780,000 dogs are diagnosed with epilepsy each year in the United States, but whether individual patients actually have the disease or suffer from another neurological condition is an open question. “Lack of consistency among epilepsy researchers concerning classifications, definitions and therapeutic outcome measures makes it difficult to draw comparisons and significantly limits the scientific impact of the studies,” said another task force member, Karen Munana, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. Dr. Munana, a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, focuses on canine …
Report Predicts Continued Growth in Pet Drug SalesOctober 26, 2015U.S. sales of pet medications are forecast to reach $7.02 billion this year, a 6.9 percent jump from 2014, according to the market research firm Packaged Facts. The newly released report “Pet Medications in the U.S., 4th Edition” calculated that sales of prescription and over-the-counter drugs by veterinary hospitals and Internet and brick-and-mortar retailers should rise to nearly $9 billion by 2019. Excluded are sales of nutritional supplements as well as drugs for horses and food animals. The report’s author, George Puro, predicted that veterinarians will end this year with a 59 percent share of the pet medications market, up 1 percentage point from 2014. The third edition of the report, released in early 2014, projected $8 billion in sales this year, but the total was slashed because of what Puro termed a “somewhat more conservative sizing of the market.” “As we’ve done with our ‘Pet Market Outlook’ and several other Packaged Facts products in the last couple of years, we’ve revised our methodology based on additional information and resources we have about the market,” Puro explained. The new report projects that the $8 billion mark won’t be surpassed until 2018. Sales in 2019 should hit $8.87 billion. Puro linked …
NAVC Adds Association, Innovation ProgramsOctober 26, 2015Continuing to expand beyond its annual conference and year-round continuing education, the North American Veterinary Community has launched an Industry Services Division and the Veterinary Innovation Council. The Industry Services Division aims to assist veterinary associations with their management, planning and conferences. NAVC has been active in the arena, partnering with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America in 2013 on the group’s day-to-day operations and with organizations such as the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians and the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition. The senior director of industry services, Adrian Hochstadt, JD, CAE, said one goal of the newly formed division is to help “veterinary industry associations make major strides in their programs for members.” “Each client will have the option of keeping its own brand and identity, while being able to take advantage of being part of the NAVC family,” he said. The division also can help with certification programs, information technology, tax preparation, and website and mobile app development. Hochstadt’s second job title is executive director of the Veterinary Innovation Council, which NAVC described as a nonprofit association tasked with “convening the brightest minds in the profession and industry” to tackle innovation opportunities. “Existing …
Report Calls for More Vets in AppalachiaOctober 23, 2015The Appalachian region, stretching from southern New York to northern Mississippi, could use hundreds of more veterinarians. A report issued by the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Center for Animal Health in Appalachia (CAHA) found 7,178 practicing veterinarians in West Virginia and portions of 11 other states that make up the region. However, the researchers discovered that 75 percent of Appalachia’s rural counties could support 1,907 additional veterinarians. The shortage causes an economic loss estimated at $621 million a year and 15,256 jobs—both veterinarians and support staff. Altogether, veterinary practices provide 57,424犀利士 jobs in the Appalachian region, boosting the economy by an estimated $2.3 billion a year. The 205,000-square-mile region is home to 13.8 million pets and 13.7 million large animals, the report stated. “Veterinarians are indeed important to the economy of Appalachia and rural America,” said Jason Johnson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, the executive director of CAHA and medical director of Lincoln Memorial’s DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center. “What we have discovered through this research is that much of Appalachia is underserved by veterinarians, and there is a significant loss of economy due to the lack of …
Veterinarians At CSU Teaching Hospital Remove Hairball From LionOctober 23, 2015Chances are you’ve come across a hairball or two when treating cats. It’s possible you’ve had to surgically remove a hairball from one of them. Par for the course, right? But when the cat is a 450-pound African lion and the hairball is 3.8 pounds, it’s probably a little different. The lion, named Arthur, resides at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado, but had to be taken to Colorado State University’s veterinary teaching hospital on Tuesday to have a hairball removed from his stomach. #ColoradoState vets removed a 3.8 lb. hairball from the stomach of Arthur, a 450-pound African lion, yesterday pic.twitter.com/pR9GVI8775 — CSU Vet Hospital (@CSUVetHospital) October 21, 2015 “Lions normally expel hairballs, just like house cats, so this was a rare problem,” staff at the veterinary teaching hospital told ABC7. Arthur is recovering back at the sanctuary.
Ohio Vet School Honors Faculty MembersOctober 23, 2015The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine recently honored two faculty members for teaching excellence. Teresa Burns, DVM, and Meghan Herron, DVM, were recipients of the 2015 John Lyman Jr. Award for Clinical Teaching Excellence and Dr. Charles W. Fox Family Teaching Excellence Award, respectively. Each award signifies the recipient’s remarkable ability to teach and commends the work they have done to go above-and-beyond, according to the university. The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Teresa Burns (center) receives the John Lyman Jr. Award for Clinical Teaching Excellence. She stands with two members of the Lyman family. Dr. Teresa Burns is a clinical assistant professor specializing in equine medicine and surgery. Burns received her award based on fourth-year student evaluations and the Division of Educational Resources. She also received a 2015 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching from the entire university earlier this year. Dr. Meghan Herron is a clinical assistant professor in behavioral medicine. Herron received her award based on course evaluation forms from all
Penn Vet to Host Symposium on Kidney, Urinary HealthOctober 22, 2015The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) will host the Innovation in Kidney & Urinary Health Symposium on November 15. The event is sponsored by Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital’s Comprehensive Kidney and Urinary Care service. Five board-certified specialists from Ryan Hospital will discuss a variety of topics concerning a comprehensive approach to kidney and urinary disorders and disease. Speakers include: Lillian R. Aronson, VMD, professor of surgery; founder and director, Penn Vet Renal Transplantation Program; “Surgical and Interventional Approach to Cancer of the Upper and Lower Urinary Tract” and “Surgical and Interventional Approach to Urinary Calculi.” Dana Clarke, VMD, assistant professor of Interventional Radiology and Critical Care; “Surgical and Interventional Approach to Cancer of the Upper and Lower Urinary Tract” and “Surgical and Interventional Approach to Urinary Calculi.” JD Foster, VMD, staff veterinarian—medicine; director, Penn Vet Extracorporeal Therapy Service; “Global Approach to Chronic Kidney Disease” and “Hemodialysis.” Giacomo Gianotti, DVM, DVSc, staff veterinarian, service head—anesthesia; “Anesthetic Management of the Patient with Renal Disease.” Erica Reineke, VMD, assistant professor of critical care; “Emergency Management of Uremic Crisis.” Seven continuing education …
