Texas A&M To Unveil Veterinary Emergency TeamNovember 29, 2010 The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences will unveil its Veterinary Emergency Team on Wednesday, Dec. 1. The Veterinary Emergency Team is a high-tech mobile unit capable of going into disaster areas and operating independently for up to two weeks to help care for pets and livestock, according to the college. Veterinary Practice News reported on the team’s formation in late June, when it was still finalizing the acquisition of necessary supplies. The team is now prepared to “swing into action,” Texas A&M reported today. The vehicles and on-board equipment are outfitted to provide triage care and to perform minor surgeries. The team also assesses disaster situations and evaluates all animals on site. “We want to limit animal suffering,” said Wesley Bissett, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of the Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team. “So animal welfare will be paramount to our thinking. Our college was founded on service to the state, so being able to respond when animals in the state are in need is in our tradition of service.” The team is supported by the Texas Animal Health Commission; Texas Task Force-1, the search-and-rescue unit operated by …
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Study Links Economic Conditions With WNV PrevalenceNovember 23, 2010 A new research study suggests that low income neighborhoods have a higher incidence of West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-transmitting disease that first appeared in the United States in 1999. The higher prevalence may be attributed to variations in property upkeep, microhabitat conditions conducive to viral amplification in both vectors and hosts, host community composition and human behavioral responses related to differences in education or political participation, according to study’s researchers from the Orange County Vector Control District and the University of California at Los Angeles. The study is the first to use a statistical model to determine links between economic conditions and disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which funded the research. “Emerging infectious diseases can have devastating impacts on human health,” said Paul Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The results of this research emphasize the need to investigate economic factors in disease transmission and underscore our efforts to prevent infectious disease by increasing protection for high-risk communities.” Armed with the study results, vector control agencies are now increasing their focus on identifying abandoned swimming pools and standing water sources, including storm and waste water drainage infrastructure. …
Webster Veterinary Sees Slight Q2 IncreaseNovember 23, 2010 Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period.Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period.newsline, financial Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period. “We were pleased with Webster’s second quarter performance, although the year-over-year comparability of Webster’s sales was affected by previously reported changes in the distribution arrangements for certain pharmaceuticals,” said Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Patterson Companies. “We estimate that this changeover had the effect of reducing Webster’s second quarter sales growth by approximately four to five percentage points.” Year to date, the division reported revenue of $341.2 million, compared to revenue of $329.8 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Patterson Companies reported net income of $53.4 million on revenue of $857.4 million …
Differential Diagnosis Of HypercalcemiaNovember 22, 2010 Hypercalcemia is defined as a total serum calcium concentration greater than 11 mg/dl in the cat and 12 mg/dl in the dog. Hypercalcemia can have many etiologies. It is important to be very thorough when investigating the cause. Differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia includes: • Lymphoma • Anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma • Multiple myeloma • Lymphocytic leukemia • Various carcinomas • Metastatic bone tumors • Addison’s disease • Primary hyperparathyroidism • Acute or chronic renal failure • Granulomatous diseases • Vitamin D toxicosis • Osteomyelitis (bacterial or fungal) • Juvenile patient • Sampling error (lipemia, hemolysis) • Lab error <HOME>
What’s So ‘Outrageous’ About Web Vets?November 22, 2010 It’s almost a tradition. Every couple of years an enterprising group of veterinarians will set up a website geared toward offering the burgeoning population of animal-inquiring minds the one-on-one answers they’re after. Problem is, most veterinarians aren’t on the side of the Web Vets. Instead, they’re lambasting them for offering substandard solutions to irresponsible pet owners who are unwilling to undertake the obvious: Take their pets to the vet. Now, mostly, I’d tend to agree. But only because, historically, the vast majority of veterinarians offering advice on the Internet have been low-ish sorts we’d never recommend to our worst clients. What special credentials do they have to offer? And why would a worthy veterinarian willingly turn to a life of Internet commerce when real, tangible pets are so plentiful? Yet the Internet being as broad and roomy a place as it is, is there no corner from which the high-quality provider might eke out a respectable living? Should we paint everyone with the same brush, site unseen? Unfortunately, that’s not what most of us would have pet owners believe. We’re dead-set against any Internet provider of veterinary information, regardless of origin. It’s a matter of …
Food Animal Vets Not Short On IdeasNovember 22, 2010 I had all sorts of ideas planned for this column, but dinner somehow intervened. Plans changed because of the slew of e-mails I received after my column on future food animal veterinarians. Then there was the clincher: A personal foray into backyard animal agriculture and how one slaughtered “pet” rooster blew up my blog, not to mention my family life. A young Elvio and Dr. Patty Khuly. So you know, 11-year-olds don’t take well to the intentional killing of their pets no matter how much adolescent gallinaceous aggression they have to endure to enjoy them. And readers of pet-health blogs (who prefer happy, educational success stories sourced from my daily life at work) are similarly sensitive to the concept of “unnecessary” animal death. No surprise on either front. Though both camps would have impressed me more with their anti-slaughter arguments had they claimed a vegan lifestyle. One of the last photos of Elvio. But first to your mail, which included an eye-opening plethora of interest in my approach to our profession’s food animal practitioner shortage. This support was tempered impressively by some expressions of near-violent disagreement; I’m glad I …
Horse SenseNovember 22, 2010 After graduating with a biology degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1975, Ann E. Dwyer went to work in a lab, doing immunology research. She soon discovered two problems: The work wasn’t her calling, and she wasn’t very good at it. It was really for the best, she recalls, when her boss gently let her go after a year. So Dwyer, who’d been a horse-crazy kid, went to work at a racetrack while she figured out what to do next. She stayed three years, discovering what she should have been doing all along. “It was the classic story that there’s always opportunity in failure,” Dwyer says now, cheerfully. Inspired by what she was learning by working with horses all day, every day, Dwyer decided to pursue veterinary medicine, and graduated from Cornell University’s veterinary school in 1983. Since then, she has practiced at Genesee Valley Equine Clinic in Scottsville, N.Y., and became the majority owner in 1995. This month, Dr. Dwyer will be sworn in as vice president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners at its convention in Baltimore. The position puts her on the path to become …
New Networking Group Targets Women In The Pet IndustryNovember 19, 2010 A new networking group for women who work in the pet industry has formed. The Women in the Pet Industry Association, based in Lebanon, Tenn., is designed to help women who own or work for pet-related companies grow their businesses and market their products and services. “I know that people who share the same interests want to connect with one another, and our association will help them do just that,” said founder and executive director Debby Lening. The Women in the Pet Industry Association, which officially launched today, will have a monthly newsletter and membership directory and hold yearly conferences. Lening, who said her professional background is in marketing and real estate, also plans to create an online store offering members’ products. A former beagle breeder, Lening said she wanted to create an organization for a broad range of pet businesses, because members will better be able to cross-promote their goods and services. She also said there is a need for a women’s group, since many women work and own businesses in the industry. "I just think it would be cool to help women help each other in this business,” said Lening, who has worked …
Butter: A Story Of Compassion And HealingNovember 19, 2010 For many, the spiritual aspect of the bond spins a vibrant web that catches us and holds us together, at least for the pet’s lifetime and often longer. Pawspice, my name for pet hospice, is a bigger part of our practice as the recession deepens and families can’t afford first-line care for their pets. Is Pawspice a containing structure for witnessing this thread more often? Is it the loom that holds the elements, emotions and threads of the human-animal bond? A Spiritual Bond As a beloved pet nears the end of life, pet owners often tell me about the transcendent elements in their relationship. The spiritual threads in their bond spin into a very meaningful realm that may extend after the pet has passed. This was the case for Carole Kammen and her beloved yellow Labrador retriever, Butter. A friend told Carole to call me for advice after Butter’s cutaneous lymphoma became resistant to the best of care at the University of California, Davis. Butter “found” Carole only four years previously, as a 9-year-old retired service dog. Butter became so attached to Carole that it became obvious to Carole and Butter’s owner that Butter …
Avivagen Animal Health Begins Marketing In CanadaNovember 18, 2010 Chemaphor Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, reported today that its new subsidiary, Avivagen Animal Health Inc., has begun commercial operations. Avivagen is now marketing exclusively through the veterinary channel in Canada its Oximunol Chewable Tablets for dogs and its in-licensed VetStem RC regenerative cell treatment for dogs, horses and cats. A dedicated interactive website has also been launched. “We believe it is important to take full advantage of the social media capabilities of online communities, to communicate with and build the all-important, long-term relationships with pet parents and veterinarians,” said Dave Hankinson, CEO of Chemaphor and Avivagen. “At the same time this discussion creates awareness of and buying interest in our novel and innovative products and services. “According, we have appointed a dedicated consumer and marketing communications coordinator, Jennifer Febel, who will be blogging on the website and facilitating discussion with website visitors through services such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as by regular e-mail.” Hankinson invited veterinarians who would like to discuss aspects of the company’s products and services to contact Dr. Isabelle Epshtein-Verzberger, veterinary research scientist, at 902-940-7395 or i.verzberger@avivagen.com. <HOME>
