Weiner Dog's Scuffle Puts Him In Running For HamboneJune 17, 2011 Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) announces the most unusual insurance claim submitted in May involving a 10-pound dachshund and a seagull. The claim was chosen by company employees and will be submitted for the 2011 VPI Hambone Award. newsline The most unusual insurance claim in May involved a 10-pound dachshund named Harley and a seagull, Veterinary Pet Insurance announced. The claim was chosen by company employees and will be submitted for the 2011 VPI Hambone Award. Each month, VPI employees nominate the most interesting claim submitted. In September VPI will ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year. The Hambone Award is named for a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was found with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia. The most unusual insurance claim in May involved a 10-pound dachshund named Harley and a seagull, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance. May's unusual insurance claim winner, Robin Baer of Ventura, Calif. says despite living near the beach, she never expected a seagull to pose a …
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Banfield Survey Shows Pet Owners Fear Bed Bugs More Than FleasJune 17, 2011 A nationwide survey of pet owners conducted by Banfield Pet Hospital showed that three out of four pet owners say they are aware of the dangers of fleas, but only 11 percent feel it is worse to have fleas in the bed than bed bugs. According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s The Other Bug in the Bed survey, conducted by Directive Analytics, 67 percent of pet owners allow their pet to sleep in their bed, but only 16 percent are more worried about fleas than bed bugs. Fleas can transmit diseases to humans, unlike bed bugs, which pose no serious health risk, according to Banfield. “While Banfield Pet Hospital is certainly not discounting the issue of bed bugs, the survey brought to light the need to educate pet owners about the dangers of fleas and proper year-round flea prevention,” says Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital. “With nearly seven out of 10 pet owners sharing the bed with their pets, it is important that both the public and pet owners understand fleas not only bite, but also spread disease to humans and pets.” A recent study released by the …
New Lyme Disease Test Speeds DiagnosisJune 17, 2011 A new multiplex test for Lyme disease in horses and dogs developed by researchers at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell, speeds diagnosis and pinpoints time of infection, the researchers say. The Lyme disease infection becomes progressively harder to fight as the bacteria hides in the joints, nervous tissues and organs of the host. The disease causes arthritis or lameness in dogs. The bacteria burrow into the nervous system, the spine or the brain in horses, causing pain, paralysis or behavioral changes. By the time clinical signs appear, the bacteria are usually not in circulation anymore. Detection features of the new test allow for more effective treatment plans. “Now we can distinguish between infection and vaccination and also between early and chronic infection stages,” says Bettina Wagner, DVM, associate professor of Equine Health at Cornell’s veterinary college and lead test developer. “You were able to say whether an animal was infected [with older tests], but not when it was infected or how far the infection had developed.” The multiplex procedure requires smaller samples and can detect three different antibodies produced in response to the bacteria associated with Lyme disease using a single test on the …
MSU Veterinary Camp Offers Hands-On Learning For KidsJune 17, 2011 Tori Hall, a student at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, planned a veterinary camp for school-age children with her first-year classmates. Hall’s goal was to develop a program that would give participants a crash course in the first two years of veterinary school. The veterinary camp took place at the CVM with two three-day sessions in June for 13 to 15-year-olds. “We wanted participants to really get a feel for what vet school is all about,” Hall says. “We knew kids would leave the camp with either a deeper interest in veterinary medicine or the realization that perhaps vet school isn’t for them. Either way, kids attending the camp got hands-on experiences led by actual veterinary school professors. We have been thrilled with the interest and want to expand it next year so that we can include more kids.” Campers were engaged in activities from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day of the camp, spending time in anatomy, critical care and microbiology laboratories. Campers had the opportunity to learn two common sutures used in veterinary surgeries and then practice those stitches on plush toys. Other sessions introduced the teens to equine …
Paralyzed Dog Walks Again Thanks To University Of Missouri VeterinariansJune 16, 2011 A 10-year-old Cocker Spaniel named Sugar was recently found paralyzed in a drainage ditch a few blocks from her owners’ tornado-leveled home. After a local humane agency referred her owners to the University of Missouri Veterinary Hospital and receiving extensive medical care, Sugar is on her way to recovery. Following the May 22 incident, Sugar initially received radiographs and an MRI at the hospital. Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery in the college of veterinary medicine, examined the dog and noted that while she had no use of her hind legs, she retained pain sensation in her paws. Dr. Wininger determined she had sustained a traumatic T12-13 intervertebral disc rupture. “The intervertebral disc is like a jelly donut that is soft at its core and harder on the outside,” Wininger says. “Its function is to cushion the vertebral bones around the spinal cord. With severe enough injury, the jelly center, also known as the nucleus pulposus, can extrude out of the shell and compress the spinal cord.” The rupture caused severe bruising to Sugar’s spinal cord and mild subluxation or malalignment of the bones. With pain sensation intact, immediate surgical intervention …
Lecturer To Teach Equine Practitioners How To Put Research To WorkJune 16, 2011 The Frank J. Milne Lecture will be given by Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, director of the Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The lecture will take place Nov. 20, during the AAEP 57th annual convention in San Antonio. Dr. Cohen, an expert in equine infectious disease, epidemiology and internal medicine, will tell practitioners how to more effectively apply clinical research to day-to-day practice. Cohen has presented numerous lectures nationally and internationally on applying principles of epidemiology, the branch of medical science concerned with the occurrence, transmission and control of diseases to specific areas of equine practice--including racing injuries, gastrointestinal disease, evidence-based medicine and infectious disease. He published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and 16 book chapters. His advisory roles include serving on the boards for the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation and USA Equestrian. Cohen received the Pfizer Award for Excellence in Research in 2001, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association's Research Award in 2002 and the Intervet/Schering Plough/World Equine Veterinary Association Applied Equine Research Award in 2008. He delivered the John Hickman Memorial Lecture at the British Equine Veterinary Association's Congress in 2002. He is an …
Patentability Of Frontline Plus Formulation Claims ConfirmedJune 16, 2011 Merial announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Office reconfirmed the patentability of formulation claims covering Merial’s Frontline Plus, a flea and tick control product. “The ultimate result is that we expect some of the products infringing the formulation claims to be removed from the market.” says Judy Jarecki-Black, PhD, Esq., head of intellectual property with Merial, an animal health pharmaceutical company. Additional information regarding companies involved with potential formulation infringement and actionable steps was expected to be released later this week, according to earlier information from a public relations representative. The release of the additional information is now expeted in coming weeks, according to Merial. “We are pleased that the patent office confirmed the patentability of Merial’s inventions directed at fipronil and (S)-methoprene containing spot-on compositions,” Dr. Jarecki-Black says. “Merial is also pursuing litigation against other manufacturers in cases where it believes its patents have been violated. We plan to continue to vigorously defend our patent rights and continue our strong support of the veterinary profession.” <Home>
ImproMed Supports Drug Monitoring Through SoftwareJune 16, 2011 ImproMed, LLC, a Butler Schein Company and developer of practice management software for the veterinary industry, announced this week that it supports multiple state drug monitoring programs by providing software for prescription reporting. California’s Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System is one of the programs supported my ImproMed’s Infinity software. Prescription drug monitoring programs assist in the reduction of pharmaceutical drug diversion without affecting medical practice or patient care. “Prescription reporting can be confusing and take up valuable time,” says William R. Randolph, vice-president of technical services at ImproMed. “Infinity simplifies the process by allowing the practice to quickly and easily create a report that conforms to their state’s reporting regulations.” When veterinary professionals report prescription information to drug monitoring programs, state law enforcement and regulatory boards are able to identify abnormal activity and stop abuse of prescription drugs, including those used in the veterinary field, a release from ImproMed states. Mandatory reporting of veterinary prescription information can be handled through ImproMed’s Infinity practice management software, which can generate a detailed controlled substance report. <Home>
Gibraltar Veterinary Hospital Adds Pharmacy And Other UpgradesJune 13, 2011 Gibraltar Veterinary Hospital announced the addition of a pharmacy to its 19,000-square-foot practice. The pharmacy offers name brand and generic pet medications and supplies. Other additions to the Michigan-based veterinary facility include a 13,000 square-foot outdoor dog exercise area with a security system and lighting. A camera system gives clients the ability to watch their boarded pets in real time online. Large screen televisions in waiting rooms were added for education and entertainment. “We wanted to ease the entire veterinary experience for our clients,” says Tom Daly, vice president of hospital operations at Gibraltar Veterinary Hospital. “We wanted to be able offer clients a complete package along with the best medical care from our skilled veterinarian team, technicians and staff, state-of-the-art medical equipment and services.” The hospital is hosting an open house event on June 24 at 3 p.m. to introduce the new hospital additions. “We feel that the new improvements and interior finishes have enhanced the hospital’s already well-designed environment.” says Wayne Dutton, properties manager and senior architectural designer at Gibraltar Veterinary Hospital. “The new flooring and wall colors add warmth to the building’s interior space that will be experienced by our clients and …
UK Regulators Drop Plans For New Medicine CategoryJune 13, 2011 The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) chose to abandon plans for a new veterinary medicine category called prescription-only medicine extended administration (POM EA), which had been viewed by many as controversial. This decision came after heavy lobbying by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and other veterinary bodies. The proposed category has been discussed in the Veterinary Products Committee since 2009. The original purpose was to provide a new category under which a veterinarian would make a clinical assessment and if necessary issue a Veterinary Permission of Extended Administration allowing the animal owner to obtain the prescribed POM EA medicine for up to 36 months from the date of authorization. The BVA, along with its specialist divisions, opposed POM EA saying there wasn’t justification for a new category. Veterinarians are already able to write prescriptions for extended use. BVA states that anything beyond a yearly assessment would be unacceptable on health and welfare grounds. The BVA submitted written comments and attended a stakeholder meeting with the VMD to discuss concerns. Despite the VMD suggesting revisions to the original proposal, the BVA and other stakeholders maintained that the new category was unnecessary. The decision to discontinue the proposal was …
