Should televeterinary medical practitioners be globally certified?May 8, 2018At the second annual Veterinary Innovation Summit (VIS), which concluded recently on the campus of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (TAMUCVM), several of the veterinary startup exhibitors included a televeterinary component in their offerings, and it also was a common lecture and breakout topic. Currently, most state practice acts require a hands-on physical exam to create a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) before a veterinarian can provide any service that might involve animal diagnosis, prognosis or prescription. One of the breakout sessions featured Rolan Tripp, DVM, who spoke on the subject, "Should telemedicine practitioners be globally certified?" Following is an interview with Dr. Tripp about his presentation. How long have you been interested in telemedicine? I published my first futurist article in 1984, "Veterinary Telecommunications," and incorporated a business of the same name in 1986, so I have been interested in this field for quite some time. In that first article I predicted that high-speed broadband internet would be ubiquitous and global televeterinary medicine would be common by the year 2000. Why suggest a global standard now? Control at the state level made sense when every animal patient lived within a reasonable …
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AVMA announces recipients of three major awardsMay 8, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Merck Animal Health announced the winners of the AVMA Humane Award, the AVMA Animal Welfare Award, and the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award, which will be presented at the 2018 AVMA Convention in Denver. Â AVMA Humane Award The AVMA Humane Award is presented to a nonveterinarian who has helped advance the welfare of animals through leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and advocacy. Amanda Arrington, director and founder of the Pets for Life program at the Humane Society of the United States, has received the 2018 AVMA Humane Award. Pets for Life has assisted 130,000 pets to date, raising awareness about the needs of pets in poverty and helping pet owners keep the pets they love in safe, forever homes. AVMA Animal Welfare Award The AVMA Animal Welfare Award is presented to an AVMA member veterinarian in recognition of his or her achievement in advancing the welfare of animals via leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and advocacy. T. Robert Bashara, DVM, founder of Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals in and around Omaha, Neb., has received the 2018 AVMA Animal Welfare Award. A …
KSU veterinarian, interns help bald eagle soar after lead poisoningMay 8, 2018Thanks to action by staff of the Milford Nature Center and veterinary intervention at Kansas State University (KSU), a bald eagle suffering from lead contamination is flying once again. The eagle, brought to the Veterinary Health Center at KSU, was depressed, emaciated, not eating, and unable to fly, leaving it with a poor prognosis for regaining its health, according to James Carpenter, DVM, DACZM, professor of wildlife and zoological medicine. After the bird was admitted to the Veterinary Health Center, a physical examination and testing found it was suffering from lead poisoning. It was also determined that the eagle was a male around 4.5 years old. Birds acquire lead poisoning most commonly by consuming dead animals that were shot by lead bullets or from other sources of lead contamination, said Dr. Carpenter, adding that lead toxicity is a common ailment in eagles. Before joining KSU in 1989, Carpenter headed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Propagation Program at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland for 15 years. During this time, this program reintroduced 83 captive-produced eagles into the wild in 13 states. "While I was at Patuxent, a severely debilitated eagle was brought to us and we …
Petland retail franchise hires consulting veterinarianMay 8, 2018Petland, which offers retail pet franchises across the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and El Salvador, has hired Thomas Edling, DVM, MSpVM, MPH, as the Chillicothe, Ohio-based company's consulting veterinarian. "Petland cares about the health of our pets before they arrive at our stores, while they are in our care and after they go home," said Joe Watson, Petland pesident and CEO. "We are excited to have the leadership of Dr. Edling in assisting Petland to exceed the needs of our pets and our customers." Edling, who received his degree in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University, previously served as vice president of veterinary medicine for Petco and was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In addition, he completed the American Board of Veterinary Practitioner's residency program for companion and wild avian medicine and surgery at North Carolina State University, where he also received his master's degree in specialized veterinary medicine in 2001. In 2011, he completed the master of public health program at Johns Hopkins University. Edling will work closely with the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the Centers for Disease …
Amazon enters the pet food arena with dry kibbleMay 7, 2018Everyone wants a bite of the pet food market, including Amazon, which just this week launched its own brand of dog food, Wag. According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent $32 billion on pet food in 2017, and competition among online and brick-and-mortar retailers isn't slowing any time soon. Wag, available to Amazon Prime customers, comes in chicken, beef and lentil, and salmon varieties, and contains no added grains, according to the online retailer. The dry kibble comes in 5-pound bags for $12.99 and 30-pound bags for $44.99, and a 15-pound bag for puppies for $26.99. Amazon's guarantee of quality statement claims that all its pet food is manufactured in the U.S., with U.S. and imported ingredients (but doesn't specify countries of origin), and each serving is comprised of 35 percent protein. The company plans to offer additional products at a later date, said spokesperson Nell Rona.
MedVet Chicago becomes eighth Level I Veterinary Trauma CenterMay 7, 2018MedVet Chicago joins an elite group as the eighth hospital internationally to be certified by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Board of Regents and Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) as an official Level I Veterinary Trauma Center (VTC) and the only Level 1 VTC in Chicago. Hospitals receiving this distinction undergo an intensive application and verification process that requires the availability of board-certified specialists for consultation seven days per week in the fields of emergency and critical care and trauma-related specialties, a team-based approach to trauma care, and a demonstrated commitment to continual process improvement, education enhancement, and internal (between specialty groups) and external (between trauma centers) collaborations. MedVet Chicago is certified by the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) as a Level 1 Emergency Facility. "We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to delivering exceptional service and care to our patients, clients, and referral partners," said Michael Podell, senior medical officer, MedVet, a veterinary-led and employee-owned growing network of emergency and specialty animal hospitals. "Our team of well-qualified, experienced, and compassionate critical care and emergency medicine doctors, board-certified specialists, and expertly trained technicians and …
AVMA offers 'The Role of Veterinarians in One Health' webinarMay 7, 2018The AVMA Veterinary Career Center will explore One Health and the roles that veterinarians can play in advancing the movement during an upcoming webinar, The Role of Veterinarians in One Health. Jonna Mazet, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., professor and executive director of the One Health Institute at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss the ways in which veterinarians influence, and are influenced by, the One Health approach. The free webinar is scheduled for 12 p.m. Central, June 5. What the webinar covers Application of the One Health approach to global problem solving How veterinarians are involved in—and in many cases, leading—the One Health movement Career opportunities related to One Health Veterinarians who attend the live webinar will be eligible to receive one hour of CE. The webinar also will be recorded for on-demand viewing, but CE credit will be available only for live attendees. Space is limited. Dr. Mazet is a leader in international research programs, most notably in studying disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals and people, and the ecological drivers of disease emergence, according to the AVMA. She was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine in 2013, serves on the …
American Humane Hero Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse Awards voting openMay 7, 2018Voting has opened for the fifth annual American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards sponsored by Zoetis. A panel of veterinary professionals and animal care experts reviewed more than 200 nominations and has selected 10 veterinarians and veterinary nurses as finalists. The winners will be flown to Los Angeles to be honored on Sept. 29 as part of the eighth annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and Zoetis. The Hero Dog Awards will air nationwide as a two-hour special on Hallmark Channel this fall. "Veterinarians and veterinary nurses are heroes to our animals, and to us," said Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., president and CEO of American Humane. "These dedicated professionals work behind the scenes and without fanfare to keep these family members happy and healthy. We and the nation thank them, one and all!" "Our finalists are outstanding examples of the veterinary community," said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP, executive director, Zoetis Petcare marketing. "The American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Veterinary Nurse Awards are Zoetis' way of giving back to those who keep our best friends healthy and strengthen the life-enhancing, even life-saving human-animal bond. Congratulations to …
AVMA offers resources to help observe, celebrate National Pet WeekMay 4, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association wants to help veterinary professionals share National Pet Week with clients by providing resources and content for social media and marketing purposes. The event, which occurs each year during the first full week of May and celebrates the special bonds between pets and people, provides an opportunity to deepen connections with clients and educate pet owners about the importance of providing a lifetime of love to animal companions of all shapes and sizes, according to the AVMA. To help practices observe National Pet Week, the AVMA provides a toolkit of veterinary clinic resources for members, including: Ready-to-use content to post on social media pages, including copy-and-paste message posts and ready-to-download images Ideas for easy, stress-free ways to celebrate National Pet Week in the clinic and around the community Marketing tips and best practices to spread the word about clinic events or promotions Each day of National Pet Week incorporates a different theme: Sunday - Choose well, commit for life Monday - Socialize now. New doesn't have to be scary. Tuesday - Nutrition and exercise matter. Wednesday - Love your pet? See your vet! Thursday - Pet …
Veterinary Hospital Managers Association opens management prep courseMay 4, 2018 The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has launched an online test preparation study program for individuals pursuing Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification or otherwise interested in refining and expanding their management skills. The course's outline, content, and correlating assignments were developed directly from the CVPM Task Analysis Outline and Recommended Reading List. Participants will receive a print copy of the CVPM Preparation Workbook, which will serve as a guide throughout the course and continue as a valuable workplace resource after the program concludes. Facilitated by Jessie Merritt, CVPM, the program covers five essential management domains identified by the CVPM certification course: Human resources Law and ethics Marketing Organization of the practice Finance The course explores veterinary management concepts common to both U.S. and Canadian practices. While only U.S. federal law is discussed, the workbook includes a list of Canadian federal laws as reference for managers working in that country. The program will run for nine consecutive Saturdays, from June 2 to July 28. Online meetings will be held for durations of 90 minutes beginning each morning at 8 a.m. Pacific time. Students will be given a workbook assignment after each meeting, as well as assigned readings from …
