Webinar on Animal Health Sector Set for July 7June 12, 2015How has the U.S. animal health industry fared and where is it headed? Brakke Consulting, a Dallas company that serves the animal health, veterinary and pet industries, will provide the answers during a two-hour webinar scheduled for Tuesday, July 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central time. The session, presented by senior consultants John Volk and David Goodnight, DVM, MBA, will look at issues facing the U.S. veterinary and animal health industries, the size of the animal health market, the leading companies and the future. Volk and Dr. Goodnight also will reveal the results of a study of pet owner spending on animal health products. “Our annual overview of the animal health industry has become an important don’t-miss event for many executives,” said Ronald Brakke, president of Brakke Consulting. “They view our insights and industry knowledge as an important resource in their annual planning process.” Registration costs $385 and is available at http://bit.ly/1JKLhle. The deadline is July 1.
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Ontario Veterinary College Hires Wichtel as DeanJune 12, 2015An Atlantic Veterinary College administrator and professor will move 850 miles west to take over as dean of Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada. Jeff Wichtel, BVSc, Ph.D., Dipl. ACT, was announced today as the new dean of what the education firm Quacquarelli Symonds recently ranked as the world’s fourth-best veterinary school. Dr. Wichtel will leave the University of Prince Edward Island, where he has served as a faculty member in the veterinary college’s department of health management and as associate dean of graduate studies and research. His five-year term is effective Oct. 1. “Jeff has years of experience as an administrator, researcher and clinician, and understands the complexities of a veterinary college,” said search committee chairman Serge Desmarais, Ph.D. “He is passionate about veterinary medicine and has a vision for building on OVC’s reputation for excellence to help improve lives and health.” Wichtel will replace Elizabeth Stone, DVM, MS, MPP, who became the college’s 10th dean in 2005. “I am excited and humbled to be given this opportunity,” Wichtel said. “Teaching, research and service at OVC are truly world class. … A new dean could not ask for a better base on which …
Blood Storage Study Offers Hope for Sick BirdsJune 11, 2015For birds in need of a lifesaving blood transfusion, the secret may be dimethyl sulfoxide. A Tufts University research team is reporting in the June issue of the American Journal of Veterinary Research that freezing avian blood using the liquid compound dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) could lead to larger supplies for use in emergencies. One problem with avian blood is that it doesn’t store as well as human and canine blood because of the red blood cells’ short life span and high metabolic rate, said co-author Jennifer E. Graham, DVM. Unless a fresh supply or donor is nearby, avian patients may not survive. “This research is important because without a way to preserve blood, it is difficult to treat pet and wild birds with life-threatening anemia or blood loss,” said Dr. Graham, an assistant professor in the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. “If blood banks are not available for particular species, alternative methods of blood storage including cryopreservation could provide a solution.” Graham, two co-workers and a University of Massachusetts biostatistician were determined to learn whether DMSO would work as a cryopreservant for avian blood. They also investigated hydroxyethyl starch (HES), which performs well in the storage of human …
LafeberVet Schedules Webinar on Feather Destructive BehaviorJune 11, 2015Feather destructive behavior can be one of the most common and frustrating behavioral problems seen in captive psittacine birds. To learn more about this, attend LafeberVet's free, interactive, RACE-approved webinar “Feather Destructive Behavior in Psittacine Birds” on Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. ET. The presentation is worth 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that accept American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) RACE approval. Lynne Seibert, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, will review feather picking, feather chewing and self-inflicted trauma to soft tissue in parrots and their case management. Registration opens in early September. For more information, go to LafeberVet.com.
MSU Names Director of Animal, Public Health CenterJune 11, 2015Michigan State University has named Rachel Reams, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, as director of its Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH). She will assume the role on Aug. 1. Dr. Reams currently is director of translational biomarker solutions at Covance Laboratories. Prior to that, she was the director of discovery pathology and imaging at the laboratory. Her background includes being head of pathology at Lilly Research Laboratories, as well as being the director of the Puerto Rico Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. She also led the Large Animal Pathology and Toxicology laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. Reams’ key focus at DCPAH, according to the university, will be strengthening leadership in its business, academic and government roles. “DCPAH is unique in its complex mission and its interconnected relationships with industry, academia and the government,” Reams said. “I am looking forward to building on the excellent service we provide to veterinary practitioners and the animals they serve, and to advancing our educational and research missions. The pathological services and the academic work strengthen each other, and then you bring them together with our mission to safeguard animal and human health by closely collaborating with state and national agencies—the …
Vet, Pet Store Owner Arrested for Fraudulent Pet Health CertificatesJune 10, 2015Christopher J. Carrier, D.V.M, along with his wife, Wendy Carrier, were arrested on third-degree felony charges last week following an investigation that the two were involved in issuing fraudulent health certificates for pets, Bay News 9 reports. Dr. Carrier owns Care Animal Clinic and Ms. Carrier owns the now closed down Petland, a local pet store. Both establishments are located in Lakeland, Florida. Before pets are sold in the state of Florida, the must receive an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Dr. Carrier allegedly altered the veterinary documentation for the pets sold at his wife’s store, WPTV reports. The altered certificates did not include information regarding each dog’s vaccinations, according to Bay News 9. “People thought they were buying healthy pets, when in reality, the Carriers were altering the dogs’ health certificates,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam told Bay News 9. “Consumers had no way of knowing that the dogs had not had proper vaccinations and could become ill.” Pet owners who purchased dogs from the Petland pet store have complained of illness and even death of their pets. They shared their stories and concerns with ABC …
Fire at Texas Vet Clinic Kills 38 PetsJune 10, 2015Thirty-eight animals died and an eastern Texas veterinary hospital was left in ruins when a late-night fire roared through the clinic. The cause of the fire appeared to be electrical in nature, investigators said. “It started out in front of our building, and it stayed there until it moved,” practice manager Sarah Jane Sharpless said. “But like any vet hospital, we have oxygen tanks, and when the oxygen blew, that was it.” The fire at Kimbrough Animal Hospital in Longview, Texas, was reported around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, nearly five hours after closing time. Sharpless, who lives 40 minutes away, said the wife of clinic owner Kenneth Kimbrough, DVM, and a co-worker called her with the news. “I got here at 11:15 last night, and it was already [fully engulfed],” Sharpless said. All but three of the 38 dead animals—mostly dogs—were being boarded overnight. Two of the other victims were clinic cats and the third was recovering from surgery. Firefighters rescued six animals, but only two survived. Suffering from smoke inhalation, they were taken to East Texas Animal Hospital, where Kimbrough Animal Hospital’s other veterinarian, Lela Bogard, DVM, tended to them. Sharpless and other employees were in contact with the …
OSU to Release Owl Back to WildJune 9, 2015Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences will release a young owl back into the wild on June 10. The great horned owl nestling was found mid May on the ground next to OSU’s Student Union. “Our Veterinary Medical Hospital and the OSU Police Department both received many calls from the public about this owl,” said Joao Brandao, LMV, assistant professor of Zoological Medicine. “The owl was brought to our service where we assessed it for injuries. No abnormality was detected via a physical exam and other diagnostic tests such as blood work and radiographs.” Brandao’s team took care of the owl and then transferred it to a flight cage where she could fly in a protected environment. Her improvement and development progressed as expected and she is now ready to be released back into the wild, according to the university. The public is welcomed to witness the release, which will take place at 4:45 p.m. near the veterinary center’s flight cages located at the intersection of West Virginia Avenue and Mar Vista Street. A short lecture on wildlife rehabilitation with an emphasis on owl conservation will begin prior to the release at 4:20 p.m. in Room 104 at …
372 Vets Dropped From U.K. RegistryJune 5, 2015Pay up if you want to be a veterinarian. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons this month removed 372 veterinarians from its registry for failing to pay the annual renewal fee. Only registered veterinarians are allowed to practice in the United Kingdom. The fee ranges from $450 for active U.K. veterinarians to $75 for anyone taking at least a temporary break from practice. Late renewals carry up to a $900 surcharge. The payment deadline was April 1, but the governing organization reported that full credit was given for renewals received by May 31. Forgetful veterinarians have only themselves to blame. “Up to five reminders had been sent to veterinary surgeons since February,” the organization stated. The renewal process also requires veterinarians to confirm their completion of at least 105 continuing education hours over a three-year period. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons urged hospital administrators to check www.rcvs.org.uk/checkregister to verify that their employees are permitted to practice.
University of Guelph Opens $25 Million Research CenterJune 4, 2015The Livestock Research and Innovation Center—Dairy Facility in Elora, Ontario, opened its doors in late May. The $25 million project, part of the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station, replaces aging research facilities at the site. In addition to the university, the center involves the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA); the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario; and Dairy Farmers of Ontario. The university will operate the facility under its partnership with OMAFRA. Researchers will have the opportunity to study everything from genetics, nutrition and quality improvement to animal welfare, food safety and animal and human health, according to the university. “The new [center] is an excellent example of how industry, government and academia can work together to ensure Ontario’s livestock sector remains innovative, competitive and a leader in the agri-food sector,” said Jeff Leal, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. “Ontario’s dairy farmers and stakeholders, with the support of the Ontario government, are committed to leading research in animal husbandry, environmental sustainability and best management practices to ensure the highest quality dairy products for Ontarians.” Among the highlights of the new facility, as outlined by the university: A maternity wing and nursery with sophisticated lighting …
