AKC Forms Advisory Panel Dedicated To Canine Health, WelfareAugust 19, 2009The American Kennel Club has formed the Canine Health & Welfare Advisory Panel, which aims to provide factual and impartial information by creating a forum for discourse based on scientific and ethical concerns. Members of the panel are: Sandra Barker, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University . Jerold Bell, DVM, clinical associate professor of genetics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University . Edmund Dziuk, chief operating officer, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Columbia, Mo. . John Hamil, DVM, Canyon Animal Hospital, Laguna Beach, Calif. . Joan Hendricks, VMD, Ph.D., The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine . Linda Lord, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University . Colleen O’Keefe, DVM, division manager, Food Safety & Animal Protection, Illinois Department of Agriculture . Patricia Olson, DVM, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Morris Animal Foundation . Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D., chief and senior investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (still pending, according …
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"Thank Your Vet " Nomination Deadline NearsAugust 19, 2009 Nominations of outstanding veterinarians for the third annual "Thank Your Vet for a Healthy Pet" contest, conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation, are due Aug. 31. 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. Click here to make a nomination. Veterinarians may nominate colleagues for the honor. <HOME> Read about last year's "Thank Your Vet" winner: Rachel Boltz, DVM
AVMA Urges Members To Vote ‘No’ On Antibiotics For Medical Treatment ActAugust 18, 2009 The American Veterinary Medical Association urged its members Aug. 17 to vote against the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), also known as HR 1549 and S 619. The call is based on a scientific response AVMA released to Congress disputing several of the findings and recommendations made in a report released last year by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. The Pew Commission’s findings and recommendations are being used to advocate PAMTA. In short, the act amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny an application for a new animal drug that is a critical antimicrobial animal drug unless the applicant demonstrates that there is a reasonably certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. “Critical antimicrobial animal drug” is defined as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals that contains specified antibiotics or other drugs used in humans to treat or prevent disease or infection caused by microorganisms. The AVMA said the Pew Commission’s process for gaining …
Shelter Medicine Conference Scheduled For OctoberAugust 18, 2009 The 2009 Shelter Medicine Conference will take place Oct. 23-24 in Gainesville, Fla. The conference, organized by the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, is open to shelter veterinarians, directors, technicians and volunteers. Topics will include the use of veterinary forensic science to fight animal cruelty, how to improve the outcomes of impounded animals by controlling infectious diseases in the shelter and strategies for ending the use of euthanasia for population control. Presentations are planned on feline upper respiratory infection, managing disease outbreaks and understanding how to deal with ringworm and dermatologic disease. “New this year will be a daylong seminar presented by Maddie’s Fund and featuring some of the nation’s top animal welfare leaders addressing ways to help your organization achieve its lifesaving goals,” said Julie Levy, DVM, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine professor and program director at UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Specifically, the seminar will address “creating a pet evaluation matrix and building a thriving foster care program.” Continuing education credits will be offered. Only 200 slots are available. Click here for details. <HOME> …
AAHA Executive Director To Step DownAugust 14, 2009John Albers, DVM, will step down as executive director of the American Animal Hospital Association on Dec. 31. He has held the position for 23 years. “I’m honored to have had the privilege of leading this prestigious association for over two decades,” Dr. Albers said. “The most rewarding part of this job has been working with AAHA leadership, staff, other veterinary organizations and the veterinary industry to help ensure the best possible care for companion animals.” Albers’ decision was not an easy one, according to Jason Merrihew, communications coordinator for AAHA. “It was a very tough decision for Dr. Albers,” Merrihew said. “However, he feels that the association is heading in the right direction, and that if there was a right time, it was now. He feels comfortable leaving, knowing that the guidance and strength of the current board of directors and leadership team, an experienced staff and a dedicated membership base will make the transition for the association easier.” The board of directors is appointing a search committee to work with an executive search firm to begin the process of finding a successor. As executive director, Albers has managed the administrative affairs of AAHA, carrying out …
Mars Donates $2 Million For Human-Animal Interaction ResearchAugust 14, 2009 The Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Inc., recently committed more than $2 million to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for Human-Animal Interaction research (HAI). The NICHD, a division of the National Institutes of Health, will combine the donation with funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research to form what it says is the first formal program in HAI. The donation will span four years and help fund NICHD studies in three areas: The impact of human-animal interaction on typical development and health; . Clinical trials that will focus on the role animals play in both physical and psychological therapeutic treatments; . The impact of animals on public health, including the cost-effectiveness of animals in reducing and preventing disease. “NICHD is pleased to be able to support an expansion in HAI research,” said Peggy McCardle, Ph.D., chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch at NICHD. “Over the next four years, through our joint research initiative, we hope the scientific community will make great strides in understanding the significance of …
LSU Vet School Researchers Study Respiratory DiseasesAugust 12, 2009 Four faculty members at Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine are investigating respiratory diseases that affect animals and humans. The combined research is supported by more than $3.8 million in extramural grants. Shafiqul Chowdhury, DVM, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, is researching molecular virology and recombinant vaccine technology of bovine herpesvirus. Dr. Chowdhury’s long-term goal is to understand the following two specific areas of BHV-1 research: How BHV-1 and BHV-5 spread within the nervous system. . The role of envelope glycoproteins in the regulation of pathogenicity and immunogenicity of BHV-1. Both projects are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The researchers investigating respiratory diseases in humans are: Samithamby Jeyaseelan, DVM, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. . Maria Antonieta Guerrero-Plata, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., also an assistant professor in the department. . Arthur Penn, Ph.D., a professor of toxicology in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences and director of the Inhalation Research Facility. <HOME>
Animal Welfare Organizations Question ‘Donor Intent’ In Leona Helmsley CaseAugust 11, 2009 Three animal welfare organizations have filed suit in New York’s Surrogate Court to intervene in the matter of Leona Helmsley’s $5 billion estate. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund reported at a news conference August 11 that the Helmsley trustees are misdirecting funds despite her expressed intent to help dogs. Howard Rubenstein, spokesman for The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, said in a written statement Tuesday, “After waiting for nearly six months following that decision of the Surrogate, these three organizations have leveled a broadside attack against the trustees, against the Surrogate and against the New York State Attorney General, and have accompanied those attacks with an extensive media campaign. The trustees will be litigating this matter in the court, not in the press.” A statement posted on the trust website denies that Helmsley’s wishes have been ignored: “Did Leona Helmsley intend for this charitable trust to focus on the care and help of dogs, rather than people? Absolutely not. Have the trustees of this vast fortune acted improperly and …
AnimalScan Buys Iams Pet ImagingAugust 10, 2009AnimalScan LLC of Easton, Pa., has acquired Iams Pet Imaging LLC, a joint venture of Procter & Gamble Co. and ProScan Imaging, both based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Financial terms were not disclosed. Iams Pet Imaging's locations—Vienna, Va., Raleigh, N.C., and San Francisco, Calif., will join the AnimalScan headquarters in Easton to form the AnimalScan network of diagnostic facilities. The company reported that it expects to keep all IPI employees. Salvatore DeFrancesco, AnimalScan's chairman, said the acquisition fits well with the company’s long-term growth plans. “Diagnostic MRI centers for pets are a recent and growing trend in the U.S.,” he said. “Using the same state-of-the-art MRI equipment found in hospitals and health care facilities nationwide, we expect to expand into more major markets over the next 18 to 24 months." <HOME>
20 Ways To Avoid Trouble With SurgeryAugust 6, 2009Editor’s Note: Dr. Zeltzman scored a coup in getting the trust representatives of the AVMA PLIT to participate in a conference call for publication. The first part of his report—“10 Ways to Avoid Anesthesia Trouble”—was published in the July issue. Every day, the trust representatives of AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust receive liability insurance claims related to surgery. The representatives agreed to speak candidly with me to help Veterinary Practice News readers avoid 20 of the most common liability claims over surgical complications. #5 Not this paw During the consultation, the diagnosis should not be the only part of the discussion. It is important to discuss the possible complications so the owner’s expectations are compatible with what you can provide. Every surgical candidate should have a thorough physical exam. This means not focusing on the tip of the iceberg, such as skin mass, but looking at the rest of the patient. For example, a patient facing ACL repair may not do as well because he also has hip dysplasia. Honestly discuss the prognosis. Even a 99 percent success rate means a 1 percent risk of …
