BluePearl addresses shortage of ER clinicians with EmERgeMarch 5, 2018BluePearl Veterinary Partners has launched a new program—EmERge—that provides intensive training, one-on-one mentoring, and three years of employment to aspiring ER clinicians. It's also aimed at developing more ER clinicians, both for BluePearl and the veterinary profession as a whole, said Rita Hanel, DVM, DACVIM-internal medicine, DACVECC, who is BluePearl's vice president for clinical operations and recruiting. EmERge is a program with a three-year commitment open to recent veterinary school graduates, as well as doctors who have worked in general practice or other veterinary fields who want to move into emergency medicine. Participants are paid throughout their training, which works like this: Participants start with an intensive four-week boot camp at BluePearl's Tampa, Fla., hospital. The camp includes classroom instruction and labs, and covers emergency medicine, communication skills, and clinical leadership techniques. In the fifth week, EmERge members are sent to one of BluePearl's more than 65 hospitals throughout the country, where individual mentors provide hands-on training. In the 16th week, participants begin working full-time ER shifts. They continue to meet virtually through web-based seminars and rounds. After the first full year in the program, participants are considered fully trained and are paid …
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MightyVet launches veterinary career, well-being support platformMarch 5, 2018 MightyVet today rolled out the first phase of its initiative to promote the education and support of veterinarians, students, vet techs, and other veterinary professionals about the challenges and opportunities faced by those in the veterinary profession. According to the first mental health survey of U.S. veterinarians, one in six veterinarians have considered suicide. Further, study found that the profession has seen a growing trend in the level of veterinary burnout, compassion fatigue, ethics exhaustion, and decreased career satisfaction. To address these trends, the company has gathered resources and experience of passionate veterinarians from frontline practice, specialty and ER, universities, and pet health organizations to provide a resource for real-time sustainable change, according to Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, founder of MightyVet and chief veterinary officer at Trupanion. "MightyVet is an industry-wide movement that offers access to information not otherwise taught as universal core curriculum in veterinary school," said Dr. Weinrauch. "Our profession can be physically and emotionally demanding, and despite the best efforts of so many, nothing has ever truly made a sustained and comprehensive difference. From veterinarian or tech student to retiree, these issues remain and are closer to us than most realize." One …
Experts discuss lone star tick population, associated diseaseMarch 2, 2018Three health professionals in human allergy, parasitology, and entomology brought new perspectives on the lone star tick issue during a panel discussion sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim at VMX: Veterinary Meeting & Expo 2018 in Orlando, Fla. Onyinye Iweala, MD, Ph.D., allergist and immunologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Brian Herrin, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, assistant professor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine; and Thomas Mather, Ph.D., professor of entomology and director of the University of Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center, presented a review of the diseases transmitted by the Lone Star tick and its appearance in different parts of the U.S. "National news coverage has already underscored the presence of the lone star tick in areas of the U.S. and Canada," said Zach Mills, DVM, executive director, U.S. Pet Vet Veterinary Professional Services at Boehringer Ingelheim. "This panel offered a timely discussion for veterinarians on the wide range of diseases this parasite can transmit, including a red meat allergy in humans." Three perspectives on the lone star tick Dr. Herrin led off the session with an overview of the diseases that can be transmitted by the lone star tick emphasizing …
University of Pennsylvania names new dean of veterinary medicineMarch 2, 2018The University of Pennsylvania has announced that Andrew Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, is the next Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoffman currently is director of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory and professor of large animal internal medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. At Tufts, Hoffman's regenerative medicine and stem cell research programs have contributed to both animal and human health. With Tufts he also helped shepherd the first outpatient pulmonary function testing laboratory in the world for equine and canine patients. Hoffman has served as director at Tufts of its Regenerative Medicine Laboratory since 2012. Prior to that, he served as director of the Stem Cell Laboratory. He has led the Tufts Lung Function Laboratory for more than 20 years and also served for five years as director of the Tufts Equine Sports Medicine Program. Hoffman is past president of the Veterinary Comparative Research Society and a member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. His research programs have received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for nearly 20 years, and he has authored more than 100 publications. "Andy's career exemplifies …
Vital Essentials freeze-dried food recalled due to possible Salmonella contaminationMarch 2, 2018Carnivore Meat Co. is voluntarily recalling Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs for possible Salmonella contamination. The affected product was distributed in the continental USA through independent retailers and via online retailers Chewys.com and Amazon.com through direct delivery. Affected products can be identified by comparing the following lot numbers: Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs 1-pound bag Lot #13753 No products other than the specific product identified above are subject to this voluntary recall.
Tripawds Foundation expands veterinary financial aid programsMarch 2, 2018The Tripawds Foundation has announced expansion of its Amputation Surgery Assistance Program (ASAP) veterinary financial aid fund, which aids families in financial need due to the unexpected expense of amputation for their dog or cat. The Tripawds Foundation also provides reimbursement for certified canine rehabilitation services and free pet amputation brochures for clinics to offer their clients facing a limb cancer diagnosis and/or amputation surgery. These materials help save veterinarians time spent answering common questions and provides links to such support resources as the Tripawds Helpline, a toll-free volunteer-staffed emotional support hotline for pet owners coping with amputation recovery and care. At the 90th annual Western Veterinary Conference March 5-7 in Las Vegas, the Tripawds Foundation will be educating attendees about outreach and financial assistance programs just for clients facing amputation for their pets. Tripawds founders Jim Nelson and Rene Agredano will be available for interview during the WVC conference with spokesdog Wyatt, a three-legged German shepherd dog who lost his leg due to neglect as a puppy. Visit them at booth #1032 on the exhibit floor. The Tripawds Foundation is a 501c3 public charity formed in 2014 with the mission to help three-legged pets and …
First veterinary TED Fellow speaks to the plight of an ocean in troubleMarch 1, 2018You don't hear the title conservation medicine veterinarian often. What inspired you to become one, and what did your educational/post-grad path look like? Is this sector lacking in veterinary professionals? My father was an environmentalist, and some of my earliest memories with him were watching David Attenborough and asking questions about nature. I credit my father with inspiring me to love science, wildlife and the environment. My career path trajectory really began after graduating from veterinary school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. I completed an internship in aquatic medicine with the National Marine Mammal Foundation and SeaWorld San Diego, both of which I credit for giving me my foundation in marine mammal medicine. The aquatic medicine sector is a highly specialized one, but one in which there are many nontraditional veterinary careers—researchers, pathologists, and consulting specialists, to name a few. What does it mean to be the first veterinarian to become a TED Fellow? What are your responsibilities and obligations? It's absolutely a dream come true, and I'm honored to be selected in a field with so many talented and qualified individuals. I'm currently preparing my talk for TED2018, which will involve the intersection of marine mammal …
Alaska state veterinarian warns of emerging diseaseFebruary 28, 2018Diseases that afflict livestock and wildlife are increasingly emerging in Alaska, said Bob Gerlach, DVM, state veterinarian, as he spoke at the 46th Annual Delta Farm Forum. Other diseases are increasing in northern-tier states and Canada due to climate change, increase in human population, and worldwide movement of agricultural products. Alaska's cool climate and isolation has for millennia helped protect wildlife and the people who subsist on it from many of the diseases that thrive in warmer, lower latitudes, according to Dr. Gerlach. But that's changing, as Alaska is no longer isolated from what's happening globally, he said. "We're in the center of a lot of what's going on," he added. Globalization, including commerce that brings livestock and other agricultural products, new residents and travelers who bring their pets, and wildlife species slowly moving northward due to warming temps, all are to blame, he said. "[It's] not just moving food," he said. "It's moving animals, it's moving products, and it's moving disease." Farmers must be on alert for signs of disease in their livestock and in the wildlife that live or range near their farms and ranches, Gerlach said. "We're seeing some things that we've never seen in the …
VitusVet partners with IAVMAFebruary 28, 2018VitusVet, a digital communication solution for North American veterinary practices, today announced a new partnership with the Indo-American Veterinary Medical Association (IAVMA). Under the terms of the partnership, which launches with select practices in California and soon will extend to the association's 131 members, the company will offer IAVMA members exclusive pricing, service, and product features via a flexible pricing plan. Each participating practice will have access to VitusVet's platform, which they can use and offer to pet owners. The platform includes: Mobile client app, branded for each practice 24/7 pet medical record access and updates (mobile and web) VitusVet Connect text and picture messaging Intelligent digital reminders (text, email, and push notifications) Medication orders and refills via the online store Digital customized appointment confirmations VitusVet's targeted email/push marketing solutions Post-appointment surveys with positive online review solicitation Performance and activity dashboard "IAVMA was searching for a technology platform that is as innovative as the professionals in our practices and we found it in VitusVet," said Dr. Kanwaljit Mann, IAVMA president who practices at Aborn Pet Hospital in Fremont, Calif., and will be among the initial group of practice users. "Our primary goal is …
Did a media reveal help reunite owner, puppy separated at veterinary clinic?February 27, 2018Several days after undergoing a routine spay procedure earlier this month, 4-month-old goldendoodle Roxy developed complications and was rushed to Willowdale Animal Hospital in Toronto. When owner Natasha Goodman said she couldn't afford to pay $8,000 for the emergency surgery, the doctor told her the "other option was to surrender the dog to her clinic," Goodman said. The owner, citing concerns for Roxy's health, surrendered her pet to the hospital, meaning that it could keep the puppy. Goodman instantly regretted the decision, she said. Goodman said that after several attempts on her part to get Roxy back, Willowdale Animal Hospital contacted her to seek a resolution only after a Toronto news outlet, CTV Toronto, aired the story. Goodman thanked news anchor Pat Foran for helping her get Roxy back home. "I don't think I would have got Roxy back had it not been for you," Goodman said. A spokesperson for the clinic said in a statement that emergency surgery was performed at no cost and that the hospital has "been diligently and ethically working with Natasha Goodman… We are pleased to confirm that Roxy has been reunited with her family." Goodman said she and her family were glad to …
