Wyoming Hosts Biodefense, Emergency Animal Response ConferenceApril 17, 2009 The University of Wyoming is hosting the second annual Rocky Mountain Regional Conference on Biodefense and Emergency Animal Response on March 17-18. The conference, intended for veterinarians, animal care and control professionals, agricultural professionals and others, will include information on national animal emergency management issues, zoonoses and infection control plans for animal facilities, avian influenza, personal protective equipment use in animal facilities, local animal emergency plan development, animal search and rescue and hazardous materials and animal decontamination. Presenters will include Cindy Lovern, DVM, American Veterinary Medical Assn. assistant director for emergency preparedness, who will speak on emergency programs; and Donal O’Toole, DVM, head of the University of Wyoming Department of Veterinary Sciences and director of the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, who will speak on the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. The conference is designed to provide a regional forum for Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming for information on biodefense and emergency issues related to animal health, animal welfare and public health. The conference is a joint program of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence on Biodefense and Emerging Diseases at Colorado State University and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation. …
SPONSORED CONTENTOne dose protects for 12 months.One ProHeart® 12 (moxidectin) injection puts compliance in your control. + Get started
Fatty Acids Play Key Role In Overall HealthApril 17, 2009 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are showing up everywhere – in foods, supplements and even joint cream.1 At least one prescription dog food contains more omega-3 content than even nutraceuticals provide. Navigating successfully among the many supplementation options requires understanding the unique attributes of each fatty acid and deciphering the alphabet soup of acronyms. Where to Find PUFAs Naturally occurring fats fall into three categories – saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. (“Trans” fats occupy a separate category of hydrogenated fats created by food processors.) Saturated fats include beef and dairy fat while monounsaturated fats arise from plants such as olive and canola. PUFAs include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Fish, walnuts, flaxseed and hemp seed contain omega-3s whereas safflower oil, corn oil, peanuts and soybean oil have omega-6’s. PUFAs produce bioactive molecules known as eicosanoids. Leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes derived from omega-3s predominantly afford anti-inflammatory and platelet-inhibiting effects, whereas omega-6s do the opposite. The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in carnivore diets remains unclear. Given that the “typical Western diet” exhibits an unhealthful high omega-6 and low omega 3 ratio, augmentation of omega-3s seems advisable. Further, food grown today contains less omega-3 and …
WSU’s Vet College Offers New Alternative Medicine CourseApril 17, 2009 Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is offering “Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine,” a new class for fall 2007. The one-credit elective course, which runs Sept. 22-23, examines complementary and alternative medicine. Topics include information on natural nutritional supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic techniques and rehabilitation techniques for animals. Complementary and alternative medicine externships will also be available through the class. The externship is in addition to the weekend class and will allow students to earn between one to four credits through hands-on experience in applying alternative medicine techniques. Previously, WSU offered an elective course that provided a brief outline of alternative medicine. However, graduates still felt unprepared in this area, according to a survey of WSU graduates from 2000 to 2004. The survey also revealed that many graduates experienced a high demand from pet owners for these services for their animals. “Veterinarians face different demands than they did in the past,” said Mushtaq Memon, BVSc, Ph.D., an associate professor of reproduction at WSU’s veterinary college and who introduced the new course. “People are having fewer children, and are often emotionally replacing children with pets, who become their family.” As pets hold a higher …
Cornell’s Vet College Names Kotlikoff DeanApril 17, 2009newslineCornell's Vet College Names Kotlikoff DeanCornell's Vet College Names Kotlikoff DeanCornell's Vet College Names Kotlikoff DeanMichael Kotlikoff, VMD, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, has been named dean of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine.Michael Kotlikoff, VMD, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, has been named dean of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine. Michael Kotlikoff, VMD, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, has been named dean of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine. His five-year term begins July 1. As dean, Dr. Kotlikoff will be the chief academic and administrative officer of the college, which has about 265 faculty, 680 staff members, 320 doctors of veterinary medicine and 145 graduate students. He will be responsible for overseeing the college's administrative operations and programs of teaching and research and outreach, including the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory. Kotlikoff also directs the Cornell Core Transgenic Mouse Facility, which is internationally recognized in the areas of mouse genetics, cardiac and smooth-muscle biology and cell signaling. The Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine was ranked the best veterinary college in the …
FEC Approves American Kennel Club’s Political Action CommitteeApril 17, 2009 The Federal Election Commission unanimously voted Oct. 11 to give the American Kennel Club the right to form a political action committee (PAC) that can solicit money from its members. "We are very pleased with this outcome as it will allow us to draw support from those with a vested interest in canine legislation," said Ron Menaker, AKC’s chairman of the board. The AKC filed a request with the commission in August but indicated its interest even earlier. Menaker said the AKC PAC will launch in the “very near future” with a formal unveiling for its members this December at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Dog Show in Long Beach, Calif. The board of directors will approve a final structure for the fund’s management at its November meeting, it reported. The type of PAC the AKC was approved to form, also called a separate segregated fund, allows it to take in contributions for political campaigns from its members only, and not the general public. In its decision, the FEC commission wrote: “The Commission concludes that AKC and its voting clubs and accredited clubs are membership organizations and that both the voting clubs …
Complementary Medicine Footnotes September 2007 IssueApril 17, 2009 1 Peuker ET, White A, Ernst E, et al. Taumatic complications of acupuncture. Arch Fam Med. 1999;8:553-558. 2 MacPherson H. Fatal and adverse events from acupuncture: allegation, evidence, and the implications. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999;5(1):47-56. 3 MacPherson H. Fatal and adverse events from acupuncture: allegation, evidence, and the implications. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999;5(1):47-56. 4 Lectures on implants and gold bead therapy listed for the 2008 AAVA Annual Meeting - Nashville, Tennessee, March 7-9, 2008, obtained at http://www.aava.org/php/aava_blog/?p=40 on July 29, 2007. 5 Gerard PS. Images in Clinical Medicine: acupuncture-like fragments. NEJM. 1995;332(26):1792-1794. 6 Imray TJ and Hiramatsu Y. Radiographic manifestations of Japanese acupuncture. Radiology. 1975;115:625-626. 7 Durkes T. Gold bead implantation in small animals. The Medical Acupuncture Web Page. From the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) 25th Annual Congress. Obtained at http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/articles/durkgold.html on July 29, 2007. 8 Durkes TE. Gold bead implants. Problems in Veterinary Medicine. 1992; 4(1):207-211. 9 Durkes T. Gold bead implantation in small animals. The Medical Acupuncture Web Page. From the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) 25th Annual Congress. Obtained at http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/articles/durkgold.html on …
The Pudding PrincipleApril 17, 2009 How do we know which chemotherapy drug works best in the treatment of cancer? I guess the "proof is in the pudding." Wait a minute! Where did that silly phrase come from? And what does pudding have to do with chemotherapy? After a bit of searching in a real library (rather than on Google), I found the quotation in the comic novel "Don Quixote" written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1615. The phrase is actually written as, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." In the context of Don Quixote, it means that the true value or quality of something can only be judged when it's put to use. It's the result that counts. Nearly 300 years later, in 1890, the German physician Robert Koch applied the "pudding principle" in his microbiology laboratory. He devised four steps, now known as Koch's postulates, on how to prove a microbe was responsible for a particular illness. We refer to his postulates when proving cause and effect relationships. Modern day chemotherapy began near the start of World War II when Yale scientists were asked to study chemical warfare agents. Their research showed that a cause-and-effect …
Feds Seek Comments On Killing SkeetersApril 17, 2009 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reopened the public comment period on its draft mosquito and mosquito-borne disease management policy until Feb. 19. Existing policies do not address mosquito control. The new policy states, “We will allow populations of native mosquito species to function unimpeded unless they cause a human and/or wildlife health threat.” The policy then details how refuges should monitor and manage mosquito populations. Generally, the refuges have been set up to conserve natural habitats for wildlife, including insects. However, mosquitoes can present significant public health issues, serving as vectors for diseases such as West Nile virus. Through this past Dec. 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 3,400 cases, including 98 deaths, of human West Nile virus in 43 states, equine cases in at least 33 states and more than 2,000 bird deaths from the virus during the year. Click here for a copy of the draft policy. <HOME>
Partnership Brings New Pet Treats To Veterinary MarketApril 17, 2009 As part of a new licensing agreement, culinary technology company Gourmetceuticals LLC of Big Horn, Wyo., and Curamedics Pharmaceuticals Inc. of South Plainfield, N.J., will co-develop animal treats for canines and equines. Distribution channels have not been determined, but it’s likely the products will first be available through veterinary clinics and possibly move to pet stores sometime thereafter, a Gourmetceuticals spokeswoman said. The treats will include Gourmetceuticals’ ingredients, PPL-240, an antioxidant with photoprotective properties, and GLPH-1, an immune booster. Royalties will be paid to Gourmetceuticals upon the sale of products, which are expected to launch nationally in 2009. Further details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. <HOME>
Mapping Future Of Cancer ResearchApril 17, 2009 Oncology and pet hospice have been the focus of my practice career since I completed the first-ever, though unofficial, oncology residency program under the guidance of Gordon H. Theilen, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), at the University of California, Davis. Veterinary oncology has grown rapidly over the past 15 years because of the amazing foundation set forth by our great forefathers, Dr. Robert Brody, Dr. Greg MacEwen, Dr. Amiya K. Patnaik, Dr. Edward Gillette and my mentor, Dr. Theilen. We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to celebrate Theilen’s 80th birthday with a first-of-its-kind cancer research symposium at UC Davis. The Theilen Tribute Symposium honored the visionary “One Medicine” career of Theilen. He is considered one of veterinary oncology’s most prolific and internationally appreciated forefathers. He contributed diverse pivotal research in cancer virology, initiated the first veterinary clinical oncology service, contributed the world’s first reference textbook, “Veterinary Cancer Medicine,” and mentored many who became leaders in their respective fields, touching millions of lives worldwide. Theilen based his research and teaching career at UC Davis, where he was influential in the growth of the veterinary and medical facilities. His research work and …
