'Thank Your Vet' Contest Brings In Hundreds Of NominationsOctober 8, 2009 The third annual "Thank Your Vet for a Healthy Pet" contest, conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation, has brought in more than 370 nominations. The contest honors America’s veterinarians for their dedication to helping animals and strengthening the bonds people have with their pets. One national winner and five regional winners will be selected and featured in the January 2010 issue of Veterinary Practice News, a co-sponsor of the contest along with sister publications Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy. Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., is also a co-sponsor. The winners will be honored at the North American Veterinary Conference, which takes place in January in Orlando, Fla. The contest judges include last year’s winner, Rachel Boltz, DVM, of Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, Calif.; Julie Legred, CVT, president of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America; Jason Merrihew with the American Animal Hospital Association; and Marilyn Iturri, editor of Veterinary Practice News. Click here to see the list of nominations. <HOME> Read about last year's "Thank Your Vet" winner, Rachel Boltz, DVM
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Two Vets Vie For $100,000 Indianapolis PrizeOctober 8, 2009 Twenty-nine animal conservationists have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize, worth $100,000. The prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo to inspire local and global communities and to celebrate, protect and preserve the world through conservation, education and research. Among the nominees are Edward Louis Jr., DVM, Ph.D., from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, and Patrick Redig, DVM, Ph.D., from The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Louis is an advocate of island biogeography and has discovered about 30 percent of known lemurs to date, according to the Indianapolis Zoo. Dr. Redig has dedicated more than 35 years to protecting raptor populations through field work, bench research, clinical work, professional teaching and community service. Six finalists will be announced in the spring of 2010. The winner will be determined in mid-2010 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala, to be held Sept. 25, 2010 in Indianapolis. The 2008 Indianapolis Prize was awarded to field biologist George Schaller, Ph.D., whose work spanned decades focusing on several endangered species, such as tigers in India and gorillas in Rwanda. “Following in Schaller’s footsteps will not be easy, but …
Diamond Recalls Some Premium Edge Cat Food In Eastern U.S.October 8, 2009 In an action limited to the Eastern United States, Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Mo., recalled its Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and its Premium Edge Hairball formulas with date codes: RAF0501A22X (18-lb.), RAF0501A2X ((6-lb.), RAH0501A22X (18-lb.) and RAH0501A2X (6-lb.) The recall was prompted by calls from cat owners and veterinarians in the Rochester, N.Y., area. Retailers in the area have been asked to remove affected products from the shelves and contact any customers that had purchased affected product. Diamond is further requesting that any cat owners that purchased the above products return them to their retailer. The affected cats displayed neurological symptoms. Product testing showed no contaminants in the cat food but that the foods were deficient in thiamine. Diamond reports that tests performed on other Premium Edge cat foods using the same lot of vitamin premix as used in the recalled foods did not show a thiamine deficiency. Neurological signs have not been seen in other Diamond Pet Food products, the company reported. <HOME>
What Suture Size Should I Use?October 6, 2009 A Veterinary Practice News reader asked an excellent but tough question: “What suture size should I use?” It is very difficult to answer this question, as there are multiple variables. Choices are debatable and subjective. Among many other factors, suture sizes will obviously vary with the size of the patient, hence the ranges suggested. That said, here are some general guidelines for various procedures: Procedure Suture Size Suture Type Enterotomy/Enterectomy 4/0 or 3/0 Monofilament, absorbable Oral surgery such as tooth extraction 5/0 to 3/0 Absorbable. Braided is less irritating to the patient Vessel ligation 4/0 to 0 Monofilament, absorbable Cystotomy 4/0 or 3/0 Monofilament, absorbable Splenectomy (ligatures) 4/0 or 3/0 Monofilament, absorbable
Cornell Reproductive Biologist Wins NIH Pioneer AwardOctober 6, 2009 Alexander Travis, VMD, Ph.D., an associate professor of reproductive biology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, recently received the Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health. He is the first veterinarian to receive the award, according to Cornell. The award, which was handed out to 17 other individuals, is an aspect of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, a high-risk research initiative of Research Teams of the Future. As outlined by the NIH, the term “pioneering” is used to describe highly innovative approaches that have the potential to produce an unusually high impact on a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research, and the term “award” is used to mean a grant for conducting research, rather than a reward for past achievements. Dr. Travis’ research investigates the design and function of mammalian sperm, particularly the organization of their energy-producing pathways. With his five-year, $2.5 million grant, Travis plans to harness this design to develop very small energy sources for implantable medical devices that could carry out a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic functions, according to the NIH. “We’re borrowing the sperm’s strategy for locomotion,” Travis said. The idea was conceived after he …
North River Enterprises Expands In More Ways Than OneOctober 2, 2009 North River Enterprises LLC, a pet industry consulting firm, has opened a new office in Cumming, Ga., to accommodate an increase in business. The new 1,200-square-foot office is situated in an established office park, according to president and owner Melissa Brookshire, DVM. Previously, the company had operated out of a home office in the same town. In addition to the move, Brookshire recently hired a new full-time employee to serve as key accounts manager, help expand the company’s services and manage the new office. New hire Nicole Hylan brings more than 10 years of marketing, account management and customer service experience to the company. “I have found that over the past, probably six to 12 months, my business has grown to the point where I was able to add someone on-site,” Brookshire said. “Because of that, I was ready to open an office space and continue to grow the business.” Brookshire founded North River Enterprises in 2007. The company offers consulting services to the animal health and pet food industries “I believe that North River Enterprises is currently filling a void in the pet industry, particularly for smaller companies that do not keep their …
AVMF And Pfizer Animal Health Introduce Scholarship ProgramOctober 1, 2009 The American Veterinary Medical Foundation and Pfizer Animal Health of New York have introduced an annual scholarship program that will award up to $2 million through 2012. The Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, to be administered by the AVMF and funded by Pfizer Animal Health, aims to help U.S. veterinary students cope with rising school debt while reinforcing the importance of building a diverse profession and addressing a shortage of food animal veterinarians. The program will award $2,500 scholarships to more than 225 veterinary students per year in U.S. veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Although the program is open to all second and third year veterinary students, AVMF estimates that at least 40 percent of the awardees will be students likely to enter food animal medicine or rural practice. About 30 percent of scholarship recipients will be from diverse backgrounds, according to age, gender, physical disability and ethnicity, among other characteristics. Applications for the spring 2010 scholarships are due by Nov. 13. Click here for details. <HOME>
Is Losing A Patient Worth $1.77?October 1, 2009I recently had a skin biopsy performed by a dermatologist. When the results came in, I asked the receptionist to kindly send me a copy of the biopsy report. "Are you aware of the $1.77 fee?" she asked. After I fell off my chair, I managed to ask why there is a fee. And why $1.77? She didn't have a good answer. She just works there. I considered never going back ever again. But I thought that talking with the dermatologist would be the mature thing to do. Amazingly, he called back. He explained that some patients have very complicated files, sometimes with hundreds of pages. That surely is a good reason. But I just needed one copy, not hundreds. He could not explain why the fee is $1.77, as opposed to $1.78 or $2. But he seemed to realize that the fee was a little bit silly, and spontaneously offered to waive the fee "as a professional courtesy." Obviously, because Veterinary Practice News is a very generous employer, I could easily have afforded the $1.77 without skipping a meal. The amount is not the issue. The issue is the concept. In our surgical referral clinic, we routinely render free …
Welcome To "Cutting Edge"October 1, 2009Welcome to "Cutting Edge," a blog provided twice a month by Veterinary Practice News and yours truly. The blog will appear on the first and third Mondays of each month, and will deal with a variety of veterinary life topics--surgical or not, scientific or philosophical, deeply profound (let's even say earth-shattering) or ever-so-slightly impertinent. We will explore surgical principles, new products and emerging concepts, current techniques, oncology, anesthesia and pain management, relevant articles and recent professional meetings. We will shatter misconceptions, blow apart urban legends and expose bad habits--of course, always in a respectful and ethical way. We will share thoughts on communication and relationships with pet owners, colleagues and specialists. The concept of this blog is to present, in a few paragraphs, topics that can't be addressed in "Surgical Insights," my monthly surgery column in Veterinary Practice News. But topics won't be confined to surgery. Feel free to comment on my future rants so that we can start a dialogue, share stories and help each other out. Who knows, maybe ideas for future blogs will come out of your feedback! See you on the Net. Welcome to "Cutting Edge," a blog provided twice a month by Veterinary Practice …
Bimeda Named Distributor Of Equell And EquimaxSeptember 30, 2009 Bimeda of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has been named the exclusive U.S. and Canadian distributor of Equell (ivermectin) Paste and Equimax (ivermectin praziquantel) Paste, effective Oct. 1. The products, manufactured by Virbac Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, were previously distributed by New York-based Pfizer Animal Health. Additional terms of the agreement had not been disclosed at press time. Bimeda, which also has a facility in Cambridge, Ontario, reported that the Equell and Equimax products complement its growing line of equine products already marketed in Canada, including Bimectin (ivermectin) Paste 1.87% and Exodus (pyrantel pamoate) Paste anthelmintics. Other Bimeda equine products include Flunazine (flunixin meglumine) Injectable Solution, Xylamax (xylazine) Injection, Electrolyte Infusion, Aminolean, Lactated Ringer’s Injection and Procillin/Pen G (penicillin G procaine) Suspension. <HOME>
