Help Choose America’s Favorite VetApril 14, 2015Pet owners and industry professionals have until May 17 to nominate someone as America’s Favorite Veterinarian, an annual award sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. The winning veterinarian will receive $500 and a trip to the 2016 American Veterinary Medical Association convention in San Antonio. The national contest is in its third year. The first two winners were Carlos Campos, DVM, of San Francis Veterinary Hospital in Spring Hill, Fla., and Tim Hunt, DVM, of Bayshore Veterinary Hospital in Marquette, Mich. Though Drs. Campos and Hunt are companion animal practitioners, nominees may come from any line of veterinary work, including private practice, research, public health, academia or agriculture. Nominations, which require an essay of 250 words or less on why the veterinarian is deserving of the award, are being accepted at www.AVMF.org/AFV. Twenty finalists will be put to an online public vote to determine the winner. The voting will run from July 11 to Sept. 1. The American Veterinary Medical Foundation is AVMA’s charitable arm.
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Arizona Vet School Won’t Open This YearApril 14, 2015The University of Arizona has postponed for at least one year the opening of what would become the nation’s 31st veterinary college. Arizona last fall received the go-ahead from the state Board of Regents to launch the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Program this August. However, according to a statement posted on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website, the Council on Education, which accredits U.S. schools of veterinary medicine, will not inspect the Tucson campus and satellite facilities until next year. “We were disappointed to learn recently that the American Veterinary Medical Association has decided not to schedule a site visit for us until Jan. 24 to 28, 2016,” the university reported. “This means we cannot begin the full program in August 2015 as we had hoped. The AVMA’s decision means we must delay our targeted program start to August 2016.” The AVMA Council on Education has a dozen comprehensive site visits scheduled in 2015, including stops at two schools that opened last year: Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., and Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. The delay hasn’t shaken confidence in Arizona’s ability to construct a veterinary school using pre-existing and new facilities. “We’re going to …
Husband Arrested in Assault on Arizona VetApril 14, 2015An Arizona veterinarian remained on life support today and her husband was being held on a charge of attempted murder after she was found unconscious in their home. Kerman Dubash, DVM, MS, the co-owner of Pusch Ridge Pet Clinic in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, was taken to a hospital after a 911 call Sunday afternoon brought emergency responders to the couple’s home. Her husband, George A. Majewski, 62, a veterinarian whose license was revoked in 2010, was arrested based on statements he made to investigators, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department reported. “It appears that he physically assaulted his wife,” the department stated in a news release. Dr. Dubash is a 1986 graduate of Bombay Veterinary College in India, according to her profile on the Pusch Ridge website. She earned a master’s degree in veterinary preventive medicine from Ohio State University in 1994 and a year later interned at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. A Pusch Ridge representative declined to comment. Dubash’s husband lost his license in 2010 after the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board determined that he threatened a client in a telephone call, left two hostile voice messages on a board …
Ross Vet School Pens Agreement with Ngee Ann PolytechnicApril 14, 2015Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) has established an articulation agreement with Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) in Singapore. Through the agreement, graduates of NP’s Veterinary Bioscience diploma program will receive priority consideration for admission to RUSVM, provided that they meet certain academic requirements. Qualified students will have their application fees waived, guaranteed interviews and be considered for eligible scholarships, according to RUSVM. “At RUSVM we aim to train veterinary students to serve animal and public healthcare needs for the 21st century, anywhere in the world,” said Elaine Watson, Ph.D., DSc, FRCVS, dean of RUSVM. “We are extending our reach across the globe to recruit aspiring veterinarians prepared to learn about everything from zoonotic disease threats to environmental, conservation and food safety and security issues to the latest advances in the care of pets. “This new partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic will help ensure that committed and talented students from Singapore have the opportunity to become part of this vision and develop rewarding careers in veterinary medicine, training at a school based in the tropics.” Veterinarians are growing in demand in Singapore, according to Hedy Goh, Ph.D., director of the NP School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology. “This …
Canine Influenza a New Strain, Officials SayApril 13, 2015The canine influenza outbreak afflicting more than 1,000 dogs in Chicago and other parts of the Midwest is caused by a different strain of the virus than was earlier assumed, according to laboratory scientists at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin. Researchers at Cornell say results from additional testing indicate that the outbreak is being caused by a virus closely related to Asian strains of influenza A H3N2 viruses, currently in wide circulation in southern Chinese and South Korean dog populations since being identified in 2006. There is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans. The outbreak in the Midwest had been attributed to the H3N8 strain of virus, which was identified in the U.S. dog population in 2004 and has been circulating since. The H3N2 virus had not been previously detected in North America. The outbreak in Chicago suggests a recent introduction of the H3N2 virus from Asia. Testing of clinical samples from the outbreak conducted at The New York State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell indicated that the virus was Influenza A. Further testing led researchers to believe a new strain was at fault. Subsequent testing, carried out with the assistance of …
AVMA, COE Erect Higher FirewallApril 13, 2015The American Veterinary Medical Association and its college-accrediting Council on Education have taken steps to eliminate what critics charge are conflicts of interest between the two groups. The policy changes came during a period in which the U.S. Department of Education is weighing the continued long-term recognition of the Council on Education as the accrediting body for 30 U.S. veterinary colleges and a smaller number of schools in Canada and overseas. Among the changes enacted in March or April: The Council on Education barred AVMA board members from college site visits. An AVMA board member will no longer serve as a non-voting liaison to the council. The AVMA board of directors approved $10,000 in funding so the council may hire outside legal counsel rather than rely on advice from AVMA lawyers. AVMA board members and members of the House of Delegates may not serve on the committee that selects AVMA members to serve on the council. Instead, the three positions will be at-large. Board chairman Chip Price, DVM, supported the exclusion of AVMA board members from site visits and as liaisons. “Although the board remains confident that the firewall between the COE and AVMA board of directors is …
Skunks at Center of Kansas Rabies SpikeApril 13, 2015Kansas State University is urging pet owners to be aware—rather than alarmed—about a sharp rise in positive rabies tests, most of them involving infected skunks. The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory today reported that 28 animals across the state were confirmed rabies carriers in the first three months of the year compared with 10 in the same period of 2014. Skunks were the focus of 23 recent cases, cats in three, and a head of cattle and a fox in the remaining two. “Rabies is always around,” said laboratory diagnostician Rolan Davis. MS. “If we see a jump in cases, we feel it’s our duty to let people know and urge them to take steps to protect themselves and their pets should an infected animal wander into their backyard.” Coinciding with the rise in positive tests was a 20 percent increase in the number of cases submitted to the lab—208 in early 2014 versus 248 in the first quarter of 2015. “We are always cautious when reporting increased positive results because we don’t want to cry wolf,” said laboratory project manager Mike Moore, DVM, MPH. “But one quarter into the year, we have thus far seen nearly three times more …
Fill up Your Bookshelf With AVBEC Thursday! Enter Our A Veterinary Book for Every Clinic SweepstakesApril 9, 2015Bookshelf a little bare? Veterinary Practice News is here to help, with our "A Veterinary Book for Every Clinic" (AVBEC) Sweepstakes. According to the publisher, this book is "the only visual guide to equine ultrasonography based on digital ultrasound technology. 'Atlas of Equine Ultrasonography' provides comprehensive coverage of both musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal areas of the horse. Ideal for practitioners in first opinion or referral practices, each chapter features normal images for anatomical reference followed by abnormal images covering a broad range of recognised pathologies. The book is divided into musculoskeletal, reproductive and internal medicine sections and includes positioning diagrams demonstrating how to capture optimal images. With contributions from experts around the world, this book is the go-to reference for equine clinical ultrasonography." Fill out the form below for the chance to win a copy of “Atlas of Equine Ultrasonography,” courtesy of Wiley Blackwell. Entries close at 11:59 P.M. PDT on Tuesday, April 15, 2015. One entry per household. Loading... RULES & GUIDELINES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of International Giveaway who are Age of majority in your Country of …
Kansas Vet College Focuses on Infectious Diseases with New Center of ExcellenceApril 9, 2015 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); The CVM's Dr. Roman Ganta, director of the Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, accepts a very generous check... Posted by Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine is establishing a new center of excellence to help control infectious diseases in both humans and animals. The Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases (CEVBD) will officially launch April 8. Specifically, the center is described as an interdisciplinary research center with a mission to combat vector-borne diseases with a focus on pathogenesis, surveillance and disease prevention. “The CEVBD will prepare us well to build a nationally and internationally recognized program to combat the emerging threats of vector-borne diseases in the U.S., including bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases,” said Roman Ganta, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, who will oversee the center. “The center also will strive to synergize with the soon-to-be-established federal facility in Manhattan, the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, or NBAF. The research that …
Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease or Canine Influenza hits MidwestApril 8, 2015You’ve seen the news: Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD) has hit Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, with 5 dogs reported dead and thousands more infected. The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is recommending that dog owners take immediate, precautionary measures to prevent exposure to the virus. Dr. Donna Alexander, director of Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control has been reviewing data on the flu and stated, “The summary of those hospitals that reported through the CVMA to our offices and those who reported directly to this office indicates that 73% of those responding note an increase in CIRD. For those that supplied exact number of animals, we can report that there have been 1,013 cases of CIRD since January and 5 mortalities. The age of the animals presenting vary but show more severe forms in dogs under 1 year of age and greater than 7 years of age. Few veterinarians are submitting diagnostic specimens for evaluation. Of those submitted for PCR or other testing, the majority came back negative, some are still pending. Of those reporting positive, 93% are positive for canine influenza.” The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) describes canine influenza as “a highly …
