Relief Comes Quickly For Tornadoes' Animal VictimsMay 21, 2013 Groups ranging from the Petfinder Foundation to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society are working to assist pets injured or lost in tornadoes Monday that killed at least two dozen people.The Petfinder Foundation and Central Oklahoma Humane Society request donations after Oklahoma tornadoes, while veterinarians and a distributor pitch in as well. newsline Groups ranging from the Petfinder Foundation to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society are working to assist pets injured or lost in tornadoes Monday that killed at least two dozen people. The natural disaster, which ravaged a wide area south of Oklahoma City, also moved medical products distributor Henry Schein Inc. to open a hot line serving veterinarians, dentists and physicians. The Central Oklahoma Humane Society website today asked for donations of towels, paper towels, bleach, gloves and crates. The organization, based in nearby Oklahoma City, reported that it is helping to receive, assess and shelter animals affected by the tornado. "Our staff and volunteers are working to ensure that these animals receive necessary care as they find their way home,” OK Humane stated. Information on how the public can help OK Humane …
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AAVMC Aims To Ease College Application ProcessMay 20, 2013 Prospective veterinary students may save time and money through an upgrade of the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). One feature is the ability to order a single set of college transcripts rather than send records to each veterinary college to which a student applies for admission. The service, offered by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, will audit an applicant’s coursework and compare it against official transcripts, verifying the term, session, course title, credit hours and grades. "Transcript verification and other enhancements will make the application process more efficient, effective and media friendly for applicants to veterinary medical school,” said AAVMC executive director Andrew Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD. "This will benefit schools by correcting any discrepancies ahead of time, easing the transcript verification process.” Applications for the 2014-2015 school year will be accepted starting June 5. Transcripts must be submitted by Sept. 1 to ensure verification by Oct. 2. AAVMC today also launched the admissions portal WebAdMIT, a Web-based program designed to improve how schools work with incoming applications. Features include built-in email, status reports and admissions committee review modules. Enhanced social networking …
Las Vegas Veterinarian Wins National Award From Pets Best InsuranceMay 20, 2013 Online voters have selected Las Vegas veterinarian Dennis Arn, DVM, as the winner of the My Vet’s the Best contest sponsored by Pets Best Insurance. Dr. Arn, who runs the nine-doctor Desert Inn Animal Hospital, received more than 45 percent of the votes cast by thousands of people through the Pets Best website and the company’s Facebook page, the insurer reported today. Arn was among hundreds of veterinarians nominated for the quarterly award, which Pets Best created to honor practitioners who go above and beyond to keep animals healthy. His name was submitted by a client who touted Arn’s use of stem cell therapy and his willingness to treat pets when their owners cannot afford procedures. Arn received $1,000 from Boise, Idaho-based Pets Best to treat animals in need. The pet owner who nominated him received $200. "We created the My Vet’s the Best contest to spotlight exceptional veterinarians who work tirelessly to keep pets healthy and promote the advancement of animal treatment,” said Jack Stephens, DVM, president and founder of Pets Best …
Mississippi State Prepares To Host Rabies SymposiumMay 17, 2013 The location, on the campus of Mississippi State University, was chosen last year during a competition between U.S. veterinary colleges in which pharmaceutical giant Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga., asked students to raise awareness about rabies in their communities. Mississippi State's Class of 2016 hosted a community education program and coined the phrase "Less Rabies, More Cowbell,” which was printed on T-shirts sold to students and faculty. "We had a great time competing and promoting rabies education last year,” said Ryan Gibson, Class of 2016 president. "Getting to host this national event this year is an honor.” The symposium will address rabies from local to international angles. Its goals are to increase rabies awareness and its impact on human and animal health and to encourage prevention through education and animal vaccination. Hundreds of experts and students are expected to attend the conference, which will take place on World Rabies Day. Hosting the event is as opportunity to highlight the intersection of animal and human health, said Kent Hoblet, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVPM, the dean of
Veterinary Social Work Summit Was A Success!May 15, 2013 In my last blog, I shared information about the Veterinary Social Work Summit. Now, the event has happened, so I wanted to give an update. In my humble opinion, it was a great success! Why? Well, attendance has grown by roughly 30 to 40 percent, and best of all, there was a great mix of people from both areas of expertise, veterinary medicine and social work. That resulted in greater collaboration and mixture of topics presented. They had numerous presentations on each one of the four basic cornerstones of Veterinary Social Work: Animal-assisted therapy (for "humans”) The link between animal and human abuse Pet loss and grief Compassion fatigue Of course, my area is veterinary medicine, but I wanted to touch on the two most "non-veterinary” cornerstones to give you a glimpse into this special program. Just briefly touching on the first cornerstone, most of us are familiar with animals that provide "therapy” to certain groups of people. It’s important …
Banfield Documents Pet Life Spans, Common AilmentsMay 15, 2013 Dogs in Mississippi and Alabama don’t live as long as their cousins from other states, Banfield Pet Hospital reported today in its 2013 State of Pet Health Report. The annual survey, which also looked at the most common diagnoses and other statistical trends, was based on data compiled from visits by 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats to Banfield hospitals in 2012. Sterilized pets tended to live longer, the Banfield data revealed. Neutered cats lived, on average, 62 percent longer than unneutered males, while spayed cats lived 39 percent longer than unspayed females. For dogs, neutered males lived 18 percent longer. Spayed females enjoyed a 23 percent advantage. "Although considerable differences in life span were highlighted in comparisons of pets by year, sex, reproductive status, breed size and state of residence, the factors underlying these differences remain to be identified,” said Sandi Lefebvre, DVM, Ph.D., veterinary research associate at Banfield Pet Hospital. "Our internal research team is following up on this report’s findings by thoroughly investigating factors that might influence life span in dogs and cats—factors such as body condition that, when effectively managed, may help keep pets with their owners longer.” Here …
Bayer Rolls Out Former Teva ProductsMay 14, 2013 Bayer HealthCare’s $145 million purchase of Teva Animal Health began paying off last week with the reintroduction of six products in the DVM line. The rebranded items, which retained Teva’s DVM logo, were among 75 products acquired in January. More rollouts from the DVM line, which is sold through the veterinary channel, are expected to occur over the next 12 to 18 months, Bayer reported. The newly available products include: • ChlorhexiDerm 4% Shampoo, an antimicrobial shampoo formulated for dogs, cats and horses. • Free Form Liquid, an omega-3 fatty acid formulation designed for overall pet wellness. • Malaseb Flush, an antimicrobial solution for skin conditions associated with infections in dogs, cats and horses. • OtiRinse ear cleanser. • Relief Spray and Relief Creme Rinse itch relief for dogs, cats and horses. Coinciding with the reintroduction was the launch of Preva Medicated Wipes, which are intended for veterinary use during medical procedures. "The rapid introduction of the widely recognized and respected DVM brands shows how the acquisition fits well with our strategic goals to strengthen and broaden our range of animal care solutions for companion …
Poor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian VetsMay 14, 2013 Poor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian VetsPoor Infection-Control Habits Sicken Australian Vetsinfection, Sydney, veterinarian, equipment, study, Dhand, animal, patient, mask, gown Nearly half of all surveyed Australian veterinarians have contracted an infection from a patient, according to researchers at the University of Sydney, who found that many practitioners failed to protect themselves adequately when exposed to sick animals.75 percent of veterinarians used adequate protection, such as masks, gowns and gloves, to prevent infection while performing postmortems, dental procedures and surgeries, a University of Sydney survey found.newsline Posted: May 14, 2013, 2:35 p.m. EDT Nearly half of all surveyed Australian veterinarians have contracted an infection from a patient, according to researchers at the University of Sydney, who found that many practitioners failed to protect themselves adequately when exposed to sick animals. The study, published Monday in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine, documented rampant noncompliance with infection-control standards. "There is an urgent need for our profession to better educate vets about protecting themselves, and by extension the general public, against contracting infection from animals,” said principal investigator Navneet Dhand, MACVSc, MVSc, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. To their credit, 75 percent of …
Study Finds 10% Of Pet Adoptions Fail QuicklyMay 10, 2013 Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly Study Finds 10% of Pet Adoptions Fail Quickly adoption, pet, dog, cat, study, failure, shelter, American Humane, behavior, adoptNewly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months.Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. newsline Posted: May 10, 2013, 3:50 p.m. EDT Newly released research from the American Humane Association reveals a dirty secret about pet adoptions: One in every 10 dogs and cats is returned to a shelter, given away, lost or dead within six months. The Animal Welfare Research Institute, an arm of the American Humane Association, released the results of the second part of the "Keeping Pets (Dogs and Cats) in Homes Retention Study” on Wednesday to coincide with Be Kind to Animals Week. Sixty out of 572 pet adopters surveyed, or 10.5 percent, reported a failed adoption. Why? People who cited commitment, health and behavior as "always” important issues in an adoption were less likely to keep a pet, compared …
Luitpold Warns Of Adequan I.m. ShortagesMay 10, 2013 The drug has no generic equivalent and is the only polysulfated glycosaminoglycan approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Luitpold added. The plant renovations, intended to guarantee higher quality standards, depleted the supply of Adequan, the company stated. "We have carefully managed supply to allocate inventory optimally, but the product will be out of stock for a short period of time,” Luitpold acknowledged. "We expect to resume shipments of the 5mL in early July, followed by the 50mL in August.” Approved for equine use in 1984, no other polysulfated glycosaminoglycan has been developed to treat noninfectious degenerative or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses, the company stated. "We recommend careful evaluation of any alternative product claims to ensure safety and efficacy,” Luitpold added. The company is fielding questions through its Customer Service Department at 800-458-0163. Updates and more information will be posted at Adequan.com. An Adequan i.m. shortage also occurred in 2011, when back orders were in effect because of issues involving …
