University of Florida 3-D printer gives patients new chance at mobilityJuly 27, 2018Chance, a greater Swiss mountain dog abandoned with a severe limb deformity, is walking better. Bebop, a pot-bellied pig is back to rooting in his yard after a painful shoulder injury stopped him. Chance and Bebop are the first two clinical cases treated over the past six months at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine through a state-of-the-art 3-D printer that uses high-performance plastics and offers numerous advances in patient care, teaching, and research, according to UF veterinarians. Among the printer's capabilities are the ability to create bone models with which veterinarians can "practice" a surgical procedure prior to actual surgery, as well as patient-specific surgical guides that improve accuracy and reduce surgery time, according to the university. "We have the Rolls Royce of 3-D printers," said Adam Biedrzycki, BVSc, Ph.D., an assistant professor of large animal surgery at UF, who purchased the printer with startup funds when he was hired by the UF College of Veterinary Medicine three years ago. "It can not only print parts that are approved in the aerospace industry to go into aircraft but also parts that are biocompatible for medical applications. That is, they can be used in live tissues." …
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5 questions with Dr. Susan KelleherJuly 3, 2018Whether they run, fly, crawl, or slither into Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in Deerfield Beach, Fla., clinic owner Susan Kelleher, DVM, and her team strive to give these species the care they need and deserve, and often perform heroic feats to save their patients and help their families.
Enter Veterinary Practice News' 2018 They Ate What?! X-ray ContestJune 1, 2018Pets eat the most puzzling things that land them in the vet's office: shoes, coins, socks, teddy bears, watches, rubber ducks, rocks, lightbulbs, kitchen utensils, pendants, golf balls, and more. If the rads weren't there to prove this stuff actually happens, the tales would be hard to believe. That's why Veterinary Practice News is asking the veterinary community to submit radiographs to the 2018 They Ate What?! X-ray contest that show how truth is often stranger than fiction when it comes to the contents of some pets' stomachs. The winner, selected by a panel of veterinarians and Veterinary Practice News editors, will receive $500 and a one-year subscription to Web PACS, a Picture Archiving Communications System valued at $2,400, from contest prize sponsor, IDEXX Laboratories Inc. How to enter: Go to VeterinaryPracticeNews.com/xraycontest and log in or register to enter. Upload high-resolution images—large files reproduce best—and fill in your name, clinic name and address, telephone number, and a short explanation of the case, including the outcome. If available, include images of the patient and the recovered item(s). The submission deadline is July 23. The winner and honorable mentions will be unveiled in the …
AVMA gives sports medicine, exotic mammal specialties full recognitionMay 11, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported that it has granted full recognition to the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) and the Exotic Companion Mammal specialties under the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (AVBP). The AVMA board of directors approved the recognition of each on recommendations from the AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties. The ACVSMR and the Exotic Companion Mammal specialty had been granted provisional recognition by the AVMA in 2010 and 2008, respectively. "Veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation meets the unique needs of athletic and working animals to optimize performance, to treat injuries and diseases, and to provide rehabilitation for all patients after injury or illness, with neurological, cardiovascular, or respiratory impairments or with chronic musculoskeletal disease and pain," said Andris J. Kaneps, DVM, Ph.D., DACVS, DACVSMR, ACVSMR representative to the American Board of Veterinary Specialties. "The need for a veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation specialty has arisen as a result of the explosive growth of animal participation in sports and service activities, recognition of the benefits derived by all animals from rehabilitation, and the intimate relationships between the fields of veterinary sports medicine and …
Celebrity pig Esther helps campaign for large animal CT scannerApril 17, 2018Canadian social media starlet Esther the Wonder Pig has ignited a campaign to raise money for a large animal CT scanner for the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The first of its kind Canada, the Pegaso CT scanner will provide diagnostic imaging for pigs, standing horses, and other large animals. Last fall, Esther, the 650-pound pig from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, started experiencing health complications that caused her to seizure and hyperventilate. Veterinarians at OVC recommended a CT scan to better diagnose her condition, but told owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter a scanner able to accommodate an animal of her size was not available in Canada. Further, transporting Esther to the U.S. would involve a three-week quarantine upon her return. Fortunately, the pig recovered on her own and was able to forgo the scan, but Jenkins and Walter decided to ignite a fundraiser to save other large animal owners future distress. "We wanted to give large animals the same opportunities that we give to our typical companion animals," said Jenkins. "As soon as we realized there was nothing there for Esther, we started working to get a large-scale scanner in place. …
Salmonella outbreak linked to pet guinea pigsMarch 26, 2018 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported nine cases of Salmonella infection connected to pet guinea pigs across eight states. The illnesses, which resulted in one hospitalization, ranged from July 2015 to Dec. 2017. "This outbreak is a reminder that pet rodents such as guinea pigs, regardless of where they are purchased or adopted, can carry Salmonella bacteria even when they look healthy and clean," states the advisory. States cited in the advisory include Colorado, with two reported cases, as well as Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Virginia, and Vermont, with one case each. The outbreak strain of the bacteria was identified in a sample collected from the guinea pig belonging to the patient in Vermont. Illness resulting from exposure to Salmonella usually lasts four to seven days. Those affected usually recover without treatment, but extreme cases of diarrhea and vomiting can lead to hospitalization. Infection is considered most dangerous for children younger than 5, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. The CDC recommends veterinarians remind clients with pet rodents to enforce good hygiene practices, especially in regard to young children. To read the full report, click
Getting a leg upJanuary 3, 2018While prosthetics have been used in veterinary medicine for more than a decade, the application of these devices in this sector is still relatively new compared to human medicine.
When disaster strikes Florida, UFVETS works to aid its animalsSeptember 12, 2017By Donald Vaughan Cookie was following her owner across their yard in Gilchrist County, Fla., outside Gainesville, when the ground suddenly opened up, plunging the 10-year-old pug to the bottom of a 30-foot sinkhole. Among the agencies called in to rescue Cookie was the University of Florida Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service (UFVETS), which provides veterinary emergency response throughout the state. Once the sinkhole had been shored up to prevent a cave-in, VETS team member Jennifer Groover, DVM, was lowered down via an A-frame. "The hole was so narrow that I couldn't bend over," Dr. Groover said, "but Cookie was so happy to have a way out that she climbed up my leg and into my arms, and then they lifted us out. Thankfully, she was unharmed by the fall." Technical rescues like this are all in a day's work for the agency, said John Haven, CPA, UFVETS team leader and the UF College of Veterinary Medicine executive director. The program also provides emergency services during natural disasters such as hurricanes (they're very busy now!), tornadoes, and wildfires, as well as for large-scale animal hoarding cases. Born from adversity UFVETS was established in 2004, which saw Florida threatened …
Morris Animal Foundation funds 11 wildlife research studiesJuly 11, 2017Morris Animal Foundation hopes to advance the health of certain wildlife species through its funding of 11 studies aimed at tuberculosis, lead exposure, vaccine strategies, assessing chronic stress and more.
Zoo elephant undergoes successful cancer procedureJuly 6, 2017Joe Impellizeri, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), MRCVS, of Veterinary Oncology Services of Middletown, N.Y., Lisa DiBernardi, DVM, ACVIM, ACVR, of Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, and the El Paso Zoo animal care team successfully performed electrochemotherapy on Juno, one of the zoo’s Asian elephants.
