Former veterinary military surgeon shares his experiencesOctober 12, 2017The keynote speaker at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons conference in October 2016 was board-certified veterinary surgeon Jim Giles, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA.
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UK veterinarians regularly threatened by clients over pet care costsOctober 9, 2017A new survey from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) found that nearly 85 percent of veterinarians in the UK have experienced some form of intimidation and have felt threatened by a client's language or behavior. The survey queried more than 1,600 members of the BVA. Clients are likely to pressure their pet's veterinarian to waive fees and become angry and aggressive over the cost of care, according to the report. This behavior includes swearing, shouting, threats to damage property, disparage the clinic on social media, and even threats of death, according to survey participants. Support staff, women, and younger veterinarians seem to bear the brunt of client anger, according to the survey. Other survey findings: Vets who work with companion animals or in a mixed practice are particularly likely to have experienced difficult clients, with 89% reporting some form of intimidating experience 6 in 10 vets said they or a team member experienced intimidating language or behavior at least every couple of months, while almost a third at least monthly 1 in 8 vets said they suffered intimidating language or behavior on a weekly basis Cost of treatment was one of the most …
Trupanion angles to create the 'Cone of Joy'October 5, 2017Memes about the "Cone of Shame" abound on the internet, despite the fact that these devices often are medically necessary for companion animal recovery. Trupanion aims to take the "shame" out of the cone with its Cone of Joy design contest. The Cone of Joy design competition is simple: Design a fun and fashionable pet-friendly cone and submit a high-quality photo and a brief description of the creation to trupanion.com/coneofjoy. Pet lovers in the U.S. and Canada will vote for their favorite Cone of Joy submissions. The 25 finalists who receive the most votes will each win a $100 cash donation to an animal welfare organization of their choice. How to enter the Trupanion competition Create an original design using a cone for a cat or dog Submit a photo of your design and a brief description on trupanion.com/coneofjoy Vote for your favorite design through Oct. 20 Share your submission and encourage friends, family, colleagues, and followers to vote to increase your chances of winning "This is a fun way to celebrate the wonderful work shelters do throughout the U.S. and Canada," said Chloe Gill, shelter channel manager at …
Zoetis launches Witness FFH test to detect three feline diseasesOctober 4, 2017Zoetis Inc. announced the launch of Witness FFH, a triple test that detects antigens to feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline heartworm, as well as antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Witness FFH is a simple, convenient, and cost-effective test that requires no refrigeration and is priced comparably to current FeLV-FIV tests on the market with the added benefit of heartworm testing, the company stated. "Zoetis is committed to delivering high-quality, point-of-care diagnostics to help easily and affordably diagnose conditions or diseases that affect the quality or duration of a pet's life," said Chris Demiris, marketing director, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "The new Witness FFH test is a rapid, reliable test that helps keep cats healthy." "A shared clinical sign of all three diseases is vomiting, so a triple test helps veterinarians make accurate diagnoses more quickly," said Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA, DACVIM, senior technical services manager, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "Sick cats may also have FeLV or FIV; therefore, testing for those concurrent with heartworm is sensible." Veterinarians should consider testing for heartworm infection in cats because clinical signs can be confused with those of many other diseases, including feline asthma, …
Canine rabies vaccination promises unexpected benefitsSeptember 28, 2017 New research funded by Morris Animal Foundation shows the rabies vaccine may have a positive impact on overall canine health and is associated with a decrease in death from all causes. Darryn Knobel, BVSc MSc MRCVS PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine recently published his research results in the journal Vaccine. What the findings show The study found that vaccination reduces the risk of death from any cause by 56 percent in dogs 0 to 3 months of age. While all dogs had decreased mortality, the percentage decrease was highest in young dogs, with the effect diminishing over time. Dr. Knobel's study area incorporates an impoverished region of South Africa, where infectious diseases, including rabies, are an ever-present threat to humans and dogs. The research team concluded that the decrease in mortality couldn't be explained by a reduction in deaths due to rabies alone. "This led us to propose that the vaccine may have a non-specific protective effect in dogs, perhaps through boosting the immune system to provide enhanced defense against other, unrelated diseases," said Knobel. "A similar phenomenon has been observed in children, although …
Dental product earns veterinary oral health council sealSeptember 28, 2017Two clinical studies show that SwedencareUSA's ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites for dogs significantly reduce the formation of plaque and tartar. As a result, the bites earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) health claim seal "helps control plaque and tartar." Jerzy Gawor, DVM, Ph.D., president of Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations and president elect of the European Veterinary Dental College, performed the studies. "VOHC acceptance is an important indicator in the efficacy of pet dental health products," said Martin Shimko, president of SwedencareUSA in Poulsbo, Wash. "Pets love them, and now … there is science behind the product." Study methods Two groups of dogs, one group with small dogs, and one with small and medium size dogs, participated in the studies. Between two subgroups, one received ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites and one received a placebo without the bites' active ingredient, Ascophyllum nodosum. All dogs were examined and had their teeth cleaned prior to the study. Study results After 30 days, researchers measured for plaque and tartar. Groups receiving ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites had significantly less plaque and …
Reducing the fear factorSeptember 25, 2017Not even her owner could handle her, and he told his veterinarian, Jonathan Bloom, DVM, of Willowdale Animal Hospital in Toronto, that he just wasn’t going to bring Dakota in anymore.
Fit from fatSeptember 21, 2017I must confess: I believe most pet owners dread hearing me suggest a weight loss plan for their pet. I also confide that I think many veterinarians tremble at the thought of proposing a weight loss plan. To further complicate matters, I believe pet weight loss is as much an art as it is a science.
Nationwide annual 2017 Hambone Award voting underwaySeptember 21, 2017After reviewing nearly 1.5 million pet insurance claims received over the past year, Nationwide has nominated 12 candidates for the 2017 Hambone Award. Each year, the pet health insurer combs its database of more than 600,000 insured pets to honor the most "Unusual Pet Insurance Claim of the Year." The winner will be decided after a public voting period of Sept. 21 – Oct. 4. Originally named after a dog who ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator, the annual Hambone Award has since been given to the most bizarre medical claim each year since 2009. In addition, the veterinary practice that treated this year's Hambone Award winner will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment. From the dog who was impaled by a tree branch to the cat who fell down an abandoned well, each of the 12 nominees have uniquely harrowing tales. All nominated pets have made full recoveries and received Nationwide insurance reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses. Below are brief summaries of the 12 unusual claims nominated for the 2017 Hambone Award. For a more detailed account of each story, photos of the …
AMC launches Usdan Institute for Animal HealthSeptember 20, 2017 The Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, which sees more than 50,000 patient visitors a year and has more than 100 years of veterinary medical experience, announced the launch of the Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education to help educate owners on all aspects of their pet's health. AMC has appointed Jaclyn Skidmore, MSc, an infectious disease epidemiologist, as the institute's director. "The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will focus on three areas of education: animal health, public health as it relates to animals, and the human-animal bond," said Kathryn Coyne, Animal Medical Center's CEO. "We hope pet owners everywhere will utilize the institute to find resources for their pet's health needs, and we invite all New York City area pet owners to join us at our Usdan event series." The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will present a series of educational events that will be open to the public. On Sept. 28, Mark Macina, DVM, head of AMC's dermatology service, will discuss seasonal pet allergies and advances in treatment. Every Tuesday the Institute will issue a "Usdan Tuesday Tip" on timely animal health information across AMC social platforms with the hashtag #UsdanTuesdayTip. …
