Calif. Vets Face Off On Farm Cruelty MeasureApril 17, 2009California veterinarians are in conflict with one another again. This time, it's over Proposition 2, also known as "The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act." Proponents are trying to regulate the housing and care of farm animals, especially egg-laying hens. Other efforts are ongoing to provide more humane husbandry for pigs, veal calves and livestock. Most of the general population does not even think about the issues involved in intense food animal production. However, when people are asked how they would vote, they want to be kind. Our profession is being taken to task over this issue because opponents feel that Prop. 2 will force egg production out of California, while proponents feel that eliminating battery cages for egg-laying hens is the right thing to do and that industry can make the adjustment over time. Prop. 2 is supported by the California Veterinary Medical Assn. (based upon the "8 Basic Freedoms" adopted by the CVMA during Dr. Jon Klingborg's presidency) and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assn. HSVMA is a well-funded national organization with thousands of members, including the members of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, who were merged into the group at …
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Ketogenic Diet, Zonisamide Ease SeizuresApril 17, 2009Based on Abstracts presented at the 23rd annual ACVIM Forum in Baltimore (2005). Speculation exists that diet may have an effect on seizure activity. A prominent role has been played by so-called ketogenic diets. These diets are low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and high in fat. This diet results in the production of ketones and mild to moderate acidosis. The diet is generally used in patients with seizures that are refractory to other medications, often in children. In children with either glucose transporter deficiency (GLUT-1) or pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, this diet is the primary form of therapy. The exact reason this diet has a beneficial effect is uncertain (Sinha SR. The ketogenic diet. The neurologist 11;161-170:2005). The acidosis or ketones may play a direct role. Alternatively, changes in polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles may be the cause of the benefit. This diet may also induce changes in the energy metabolism of the neuron. Regardless of the reason the diet works, it seems to have significant benefits in approximately two-thirds of patients using the diet. The diet can cause significant problems, however, especially GI tract upset, hyperlipidemia, renal calculi, stunted growth and pancreatitis. Ketogenic Diet …
Dechra To Exclusively Distribute Oxyglobin In U.S.April 17, 2009 Dechra Veterinary Products has been named the exclusive U.S. distributor for Biopure Corp.’s Oxyglobin solution [hemoglobin glutamer-200 (bovine)]. Dechra will market the product, indicated to treat anemia in dogs, in 60 mL single dose and 125 mL single dose infusion bags. “We look forward to mutual success with Dechra to have Oxyglobin reach its market potential,” said Barry Scott, vice president for Business Development of Biopure. “We selected Dechra because it has been successful at developing its presence in the U.S. veterinary market with FDA approved products for companion animals.” Biopure is based in Cambridge, Mass. Dechra Veterinary Products, a division of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC, is based in Overland Park, Kan. <HOME>
Vet Medicine Highlighted In Ag Day RecognitionApril 17, 2009 Every year, veterinarians, agriculture associations and universities celebrate National Agriculture Day organized by the Agriculture Council of America. This year, it falls on March 21. “On Ag Day, March 21, we are reminded to recognize and respect some of the most valuable workers in the country—the people who produce the food we eat,” said Roger Mahr, DVM, president of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. “Veterinarians are an essential part of that workforce. “At the AVMA, we are cognizant of the responsibility of the veterinary profession to society and their unceasing work to improve the health and welfare of food animals and food safety. This includes the legislative efforts of our Governmental Relations Division, based in Washington, D.C., where veterinarians are lobbying Congress to ensure that the entire food supply system is healthy, safe and humane from farm to fork.” The reauthorization of 2007 Farm Bill is among a number of important pieces of pending legislation in the U.S. Congress that will have dramatic impacts on veterinary medicine, Dr. Mahr said. "The current Farm Bill reauthorizes $760 million targeted for agriculture research, which will be essential if we are to ensure safe and secure food production," …
Bringing Pawspice To Your PracticeApril 17, 2009 This article answers requests about how to set up "pawspice" (hospice services) following the article, "Helping Clients With the Long Goodbye" (November 2006). It featured a thoughtful letter from Kimberly Fox sharing her feelings about Rennie, her Golden Retriever with terminal cancer. Rennie entered our pawspice program, which provides comfort care for both the family and the patient. Pawspice provides clients with end-of-life care and staff with a protocol that validates a mutual willingness to endure its special purpose. Pawspice is actually a philosophy which can be personalized to fit into your own practice. The human-animal bond is a celebrated, life-enriching relationship that an increasing number of pet caregivers want to nurture and cherish at home to the end. Our clients need and want us to facilitate and lengthen the process so they can spend as much quality time as possible with their beloved pets before the inevitable loss. A well-conceptualized, creative and palliative pawspice plan is often the very best medicine that our profession can offer a terminal patient. When pets approach their final days, their caregivers can be very emotional. They suffer from anticipatory grief, interruption of routine and financial outlay. …
Banfield Names Klausner VP Of Professional Relations And Government AffairsApril 17, 2009Banfield, The Pet Hospital, of Portland, Ore., has named Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, its vice president of professional relations and government affairs. Dr. Klausner will build and strengthen relationships with universities and national veterinary organizations, as well as lead Banfield's evidence-based medicine initiative and help demonstrate how the practice's use of this knowledge can serve as a model for the veterinary profession. Klausner previously was the president and chief executive officer for The Animal Medical Center in New York City. He is also former dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. "As a medical professional and academic leader with more than 25 years' experience, Dr. Klausner's education and business leadership background will be a valuable asset in Banfield's efforts to advance the quality of medicine throughout the practice and the veterinary profession," said John Payne, chief executive officer of Banfield. <HOME>
Our Dirty Laundry On Lack Of Definitive Care StandardsApril 17, 2009 I like to sift through my stack of journals and industry periodicals and collect animal books and consume online pet press with equal vigor. I consider all of it work-related, and not just so I can deduct the sizable expense from my taxes at year’s end. I like to think the literary mix lends me some big-picture perspective on where the profession is headed, as on the recent exposure of this critical issue: the complex administration of professional standards in veterinary medicine. Readers React After the July 1 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. published a paper by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians on guidelines for spays and neuters in low-cost settings, I reviewed its implications on my personal website. I argued in favor of more stringent standards on spays and neuters in all settings. I asserted that the public needs to be better informed about what it’s paying for when its pets are sterilized, in part so it will pony up to fair prices beyond the discounted comparison shopper’s rates we too often settle for in private practice. Within days I had more than a hundred fiery comments and e-mails, largely aimed at …
Compensation Standards For Specialists LackingApril 17, 2009 Specialty veterinary medicine has blossomed over the past 10 years, mainly because the human-animal bond has become stronger. However, as veterinary hospitals begin incorporating specialized care into their practices, they are not finding the balance between specialist compensation and allowing the practice to thrive, according to a new study by Veterinary Specialty Practice Alliance. The group comprises 18 veterinary specialty hospitals and about 10 percent of veterinary specialists in private clinical practice. “Many hospitals are trying to hire specialists and specialists have many choices,” said Brent Calhoun, DVM, of Michigan Veterinary Specialists in Southfield and Auburn Hills, an alliance member. “This competition is causing some businesses to offer compensation that cannot be maintained with the demand for services and the willingness of pet owners to pay for such services.” “You’re seeing practices growing quickly and building large facilities and investing in expensive equipment and then realizing the profitability to support that investment just isn’t there,” said Darryl Shaw, CPA, MBA, treasurer of the alliance and chief executive officer at Florida Veterinary Specialists in Tampa. Compensation standards already exist in general veterinary practices, but because the specialty field is so new, data hasn’t been …
Ephedra Ban Highlights Importance Of Adverse Event ReportingApril 17, 2009 Fireflies might prove a fatal snack to exotic reptiles, according to a health alert released by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). Veterinarians should alert pet owners and advise them to take steps to prevent both the intentional or accidental ingestion of these common insects, the center reported. Based on a handful of reports from reptile owners, symptoms of poisoning quickly follow a lizard's ingestion of fireflies. These symptoms include head shaking, oral gaping, unsuccessful attempts at regurgitation and a darkening in color. The symptoms usually appear within 30 minutes of ingestion, and death might follow within the hour. Death is thought to be a result of heart malfunction. "A single firefly would have a very high probability of resulting in death," says Dr. Steve Hansen, board-certified veterinary toxicologist and director of the APCC. The warning is being issued to amphibian and bird owners as well. In addition to the lizard cases, fatal poisonings in tree frogs have been documented. In another instance, a bird that ingested a firefly regurgitated it but did not die, says Hansen. The health alert is based …
The Art Of Draining Evil HumorsApril 17, 2009 Drains are often used to help treatment of infected wounds, but they can also be very helpful after excision of large skin or subcutaneous masses. This is not a new idea; early surgeons, during the 19th century, thought of using glass tubes to drain infected wounds. Indications for drain placement include reduction of dead space and prevention or reduction of fluid collection. This in turn decreases the risk of infection, since inflammatory fluid, necrotic tissues and blood are excellent culture media. Respecting some basic guidelines will help speed up the healing process. There are two main types of drains: passive and active. Passive latex drains are most often Penrose drains, although a sterile piece of IV tubing or a red rubber catheter can be used in a pinch. Fluids leak along the outer surface of the drain, so cutting fenestrations into it actually reduces its efficacy and makes the drain more likely to tear. Passive drains rely on gravity and therefore must exit ventrally. Letting a drain exit through a dorsal incision defeats its purpose. Moreover, it creates a second opening through which bacteria can enter and …
