Recapping A Bit Of AVMA St. LouisSeptember 28, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association Convention in St. Louis provided a forum for numerous aspects of our profession. Philippe Cousteau presented a vital keynote address with awe-inspiring videos advocating global clean water and a sustainable earth. AVMA marked World Veterinary Year with a display created by Dr. Fred Born of the American Veterinary Medical History Society honoring the 250th anniversary of the first veterinary school in Lyon, France. Dr. J.F. Chary, the president of Vet2011, opened a full day symposium with Drs. Pappaioanou, Gorczyca, B.A. Miller, Vallat, Deem, Jessup, Vroegindewey, and Mazet, covering history, public health, wildlife and disaster response for improving global One Health. The Leo Bustad Companion Animal Award went to Dr. Nancy Kay, Dipl. ACVIM, for her book, “Speaking for Spot,” and her devotion to helping pet owners learn more about the health, care and well-being of their companion animals. The prestigious award is sponsored by The Delta Society, AVMA and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. At next year’s AVMA convention in San Diego, Dr. Kay will present the Bustad Memorial Keynote Lecture to kick off the human-animal bond sessions organized by Dr. Robin Downing, president of the American Association of …
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Purdue Vet School Launches Pet Aid Program For Low-Income ResidentsSeptember 28, 2011The Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine will launch a Good Samaritan Endowment Program to provide veterinary care to low-income residents in the Indianapolis area. The program is funded by a $100,000 anonymous donation made by an Indianapolis woman and a matching $100,000 donation given by Elanco Companion Animal Health of Greenfield, Ind. Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine dean Willie Reed. The program will provide basic wellness and routine treatment, such as vaccinations and heartworm prevention, for animals whose owners reside in and around Marion County, Ind., and who cannot afford veterinary care. Fourth-year veterinary and veterinary technician students will have an opportunity to learn through hands-on experience. “With the difficult economy, more and more families are being financially stressed, and there is great need for the Good Samaritan project,” Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine dean Willie Reed. “It also will be an opportunity to introduce young people from families involved in the program to careers in veterinary medicine. These children may not otherwise learn about the possibility of a veterinary medical career.” In addition to the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine and its Veterinary Teaching Hospital, three Marion County veterinarians will help administer the program. The veterinarians, …
VHMA Annual Conference Set For OctoberSeptember 27, 2011 The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association will host its 2011 Annual Conference Oct. 13-16 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio. The conference’s theme is “Reaching New Heights: Educating. Achieving. Connecting,” and the event will include 18 continuing education credit hours for attendees or 19 hours for Certified Veterinary Practice Managers. In honor of the VHMA’s 30th anniversary, the association will host a VHMA Jeopardy! competition on Oct. 14 as part of the conference. Contestants will be quizzed on their knowledge of well-known, obscure and fun facts about the association’s history and milestones. The event will take place in front of a live audience and prizes will be awarded. Sessions at this year’s conference will be on topics including: • Identifying skills that can be used to empower the team and better lead the practice; • Best practices in software usage; • Strengthening communication with clients; • Uncovering the components that distinguish a well-managed practice from others; and • Strategies for becoming more media savvy to better position your practice. Additional breakout sessions by track will address needs of managers ranging from new to seasoned. More information on the conference …
AVMA Calls For Support To Quash Vet Prescription ActSeptember 26, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association rebutted Walmart's recent message in support of H.R. 1406, the Fairness to Pet Owners Act, in a statement issued to AVMA members today. The bill was introduced on April 6, 2011, in the House of Representatives by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Terry Lee, R-Neb., and was referred to the Subcommittee on Health, where it has remained. The act would require a veterinarian to do the following when prescribing a drug for animals: • Provide the pet owner a copy of the veterinary prescription; • Provide the pet owner with a written disclosure that the pet owner may fill the prescription through the prescriber (if available) or through another pharmacy determined by the pet owner; and • Provide or verify the prescription by electronic or other means consistent with applicable state law, if requested by any person designated to act on behalf of the pet owner. The act would prohibit veterinarians from setting the following conditions for providing a copy of the prescription or verifying a prescription: • Requiring the purchase of the drug from the prescriber or from another person; • Requiring payment in addition to, or as a part of, …
AAHA Updates Canine Vaccination GuidelinesSeptember 26, 2011The American Animal Hospital Association released its 2011 Canine Vaccination Guidelines on Friday. The guidelines were originally created in 2003 and had not been updated since 2006. They offer a review of canine vaccines licensed in the U.S. and Canada, updated recommendations for core versus non-core vaccines, and revised recommendations for shelter-housed dogs. The task force responsible for developing the guidelines included experts in immunology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, law and clinical practice. Among the improvements for 2011 is a new Frequently Asked Questions section to address common questions posed to the task force by practicing veterinarians. The section is divided into four categories, including administration of vaccines, vaccine products, vaccine adverse events, and legal issues pertaining to vaccinations. Many of the questions included were derived from FAQ’s developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Vaccine Guidelines Group. Other changes to the 2011 edition include updated recommendations on serologic testing, expanded discussion on vaccine adverse events, review of the legal implications associated with administering vaccines in clinical practice, and full consideration of both U.S. and Canadian canine vaccination regulations. “Having served on every AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines Task Force to date (2003, 2006, 2011), I am confident in saying …
Laaman To Host Free Revenue Boot CampSeptember 23, 2011 Laura Laaman and Associates of Wilton, Conn., will host a free Revenue Boot Camp for Veterinarians and Practice Managers on Oct. 17, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. CT at the Hilton Garden Inn in Houston. Laaman and Associates has hosted revenue boot camps for pet lodging facilities as part of its Outstanding Pet Care Consulting Program, but this is the first veterinary-specific program the company has offered. Speaker, author, sales trainer and consultant Laura Laaman will lead the boot camp. The program will provide techniques for veterinarians and practice managers to promote pet wellness by increasing compliance. Laaman and Associates said these strategies will contribute to healthier pets, happier pet parents and increased practice revenue. The presentation will cover a variety of topics, including turning a phone into a revenue-generating machine, converting inquiries into appointments instead of sending them to the competition and differentiating a practice. Registration for the boot camp can be found here or by calling 203-379-1271. <Home>
BVA To Launch CM-SM Screening SchemeSeptember 23, 2011 The British Veterinary Association’s Kennel Club Canine Health Schemes management committee will roll out a new scheme to screen dogs for chari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) in January 2012, the BVA reported today. The program will focus on dogs for potential breeding stock, especially the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – the most common breed to be born with the congenital defect that leads to SM. The BVA said the aim of the screen is “to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, the incidence of inherited CM and SM in dogs.” Chari-like malformation, also known as caudal occipital malformation syndrome, is characterized by a congenital malformation of the occipital bone, resulting in a crowded caudal fossa and cerebellar herniation at the foramen magnum. The subsequent disruption of cerebral spinal fluid flow results in the formation of SM, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. The condition is also suspected to be inherited in a number of other toy breeds including Griffon Bruxellois, King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Affenpinschers and Maltese, according to the BVA. An owner wishing to take part in the scheme will first need to have an MRI …
Vet Students Have High Depression Rates, Study FindsSeptember 21, 2011 Veterinary students are more likely to struggle with depression than human medicine students, undergraduate students and the general population, according to several recent studies from Kansas State University researchers. Mac Hafen, therapist and clinical instructor in K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, and researchers from K-State, the University of Nebraska and East Carolina University examined depression and anxiety among veterinary medical students. “We are hoping to predict what contributes to depression levels so that we can intervene and make things run a little bit more smoothly for students,” Hafen said. Once a semester for the past five years, the researchers surveyed veterinary students in various stages of academic study. The survey helped uncover a rate of depression occurrence and understand how it related to the amount of stress veterinary students experience during their four years of study. During the first year of veterinary school, 32 percent of the veterinary medicine students surveyed showed symptoms of depression, compared with 23 percent of human medicine students who showed symptoms above the clinical cutoff, as evidenced by other studies. The researchers discovered that veterinary students experience higher depression rates as early as the first semester. Their depression rates …
AVMA, AAHA Partner For Preventive Pet Health CareSeptember 21, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association are establishing the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare, a campaign to raise the importance of regular veterinary exams within both the profession and the pet-owning public. The initiative, unveiled at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention in St. Louis in July, is supported by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges and an initial 13 industry sponsors. The groups cited declining visits that began before the economic downturn and an increase in preventable health conditions in dogs and cats as the reason for campaign. One goal is to provide guidance and ensure that veterinary visits lead to early disease detection and prevention. A key component of the initiative is to emphasize at least yearly wellness exams for cats and dogs. Veterinarians can do more to communicate the benefits of preventive health care, according to the organizers. “It is important that we recognize that, as a profession, we have to be better at educating pet owners regarding the importance of preventive care and of the unique role that veterinarians play in enhancing the relationship between pet owners and their best friends,” said Michael Moyer, VMD, …
Bayer Study Spawns Ideas To Boost Veterinary VisitsSeptember 21, 2011 Veterinarians can take steps to reverse the trend of declining patient visits and revenue, according to the second phase of the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study. The results were released in July during the American Veterinary Medical Association convention in St. Louis. Among the findings of the second phase, conducted in May: 51 percent of veterinarians reported a net decrease in patient visits and 42 percent said revenues fell in 2010 compared with 2009. A key finding of the study, commissioned by Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health Division and conducted by Brakke Consulting of Dallas with the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues, was the knowledge gap between pet owners and veterinarians in regard to providing for the long-term health of pets. Some 95 percent of veterinarians believed that pets need at least annual well visits, 72 percent reported that wellness exams are the most important service provided and 65 percent reported that their clientele does not value annual wellness exams. In addition, 43 percent of veterinarians completely agreed with or somewhat agreed with the statement, “I often worry that pet owners feel I am only recommending wellness examinations to make money.” The first phase …
