Meeting the CKD nutrition challengeAugust 20, 2018Chronic kidney disease is seen in 28 to 31 percent of geriatric cats and 7 percent of dogs. While there’s no cure, many studies show dietary management with a therapeutic renal diet containing high-quality protein and reduced phosphorus can help to slow progression and give pets with CKD better quality of life by decreasing the body’s production of waste products and maintaining normal blood pressure.
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Nonsurgical treatment of CCL tearsAugust 17, 2018The message was from a colleague, a veterinary surgeon who was referring a Tosa Inu to Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation Fitness and Pain Management, my rehabilitation-only practice outside Atlanta, for bilateral CCL tears. The owners had declined surgery for Mei Mei, a very lean 8-year-old 160-pound intact male who lumbered into my office with a significant limp in his left hind leg and short striding in the right hind. After confirming what my colleague had found—bilateral cranial drawers, medial buttressing, effusion, and a significant click on the left side—I discussed how to treat a torn CCL with the owners. As a board-certified rehabilitation specialist, I am the first person to recommend nonsurgical treatment for cases in which it is indicated, and in my opinion, this was not one of them. I have had great success treating torn CCLs conservatively in dogs less than 30 pounds or less active, older, and generally smaller dogs. Although not an active dog, Mei Mei certainly wasn’t small. However, Mei Mei’s owners were moving out of state in 11 days to an area with dozens of acres. He had not healed well from a mass removal on his hip the month prior and had chronic skin infections. Surgery was out of the question.
Doing veterinary dentistry rightAugust 17, 2018According to many veterinary professionals, the single greatest piece of advice for purchasing dental equipment is: don’t skimp.
Veterinary practice trends webinar highlights further industry consolidationAugust 17, 2018In just five years, 25 percent of veterinary practices, accounting for half of all veterinary visits, will be corporately owned, according to Brakke Consulting. During a webinar presented at the end of June, "Hot Topics in Veterinary Practice," Brakke senior consultant John Volk said myriad variables were contributing to the trend: looming mass veterinarian retirement, fewer vets wanting to own practices, low interest rates and high interest for investors, and more. The webinar also discussed the largest veterinary consolidators; Banfield Pet Hospital and VCA lead the way with nearly 2,000 practices; National Veterinary Associates counts more than 400 clinics, and VetCor has more than 200. Something corporate outfits can offer that consumers want is the convenience of pet health plans, which allow pet owners to pay in regular installments, increase clinic visits and revenue, improve patient care, attract new clients, and build a bond between the practice and the client. To counteract corporate sales, Volk said associates should work with a current owner, partner with others, and focus on one- and two-doctor practices. Other sectors of the profession mimic the consolidation trend. The top five animal drug manufacturers, Bayer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Elanco Animal Health, …
Diabetes and dental diseaseAugust 16, 2018As veterinary practitioners, we see our fair share of diabetic patients who require extensive dental work. The goal with these patients is to improve their quality of life and, in some cases, improve glycemic control by removing a source of chronic infection in the form of periodontal disease. The challenge is to “do no harm” in the process. Invariably, oral surgery will set back the appetite of any patient. Lack of appetite becomes a bigger issue when a patient has diabetes and is supplemented with injectable insulin.
Uses, evidence, and safety of laser therapyAugust 16, 2018At its simplest, laser therapy is the application of light to living organisms to improve health. However, great detail exists behind this simple idea. The wavelength and power of the laser, the location and duration of exposure, the number of treatments, and many other variables are crucial to the effects achieved.
Make Facebook work for your clinicAugust 16, 2018Social media is an important tool for any business today, including veterinary medicine. According to Statista, more than 81 percent of the U.S. population has at least one social media account. Importantly, 68 percent of U.S. adults use Facebook, and of that group, 74 percent of them access Facebook daily. When Americans access their Facebook accounts, they spend nearly 20 minutes per session on the platform.
Indiana animal shelter accused of freezing kittens to deathAugust 15, 2018The Spencer County Animal Shelter in Chrisney, Ind., is under investigation due to allegations of freezing kittens to death instead of practicing standard euthanasia methods. Bridget Woodson, a former employee of the shelter, quit and informed authorities of the alleged activity after the animal control officer at the shelter told her to put injured but alive kittens in a plastic bag and then into a freezer, according to the Courier & Press newspaper. "I had to do something," Woodson said. "If this is deemed as acceptable and no one is held accountable, what else will start to slip through the cracks?" During a text exchange with the animal control officer that Woodson shared with the newspaper, the individual told Woodson that "the freezer is no less humane" than euthanasia by a veterinarian. The "slow chilling or freezing of unanesthetized animals" is an unacceptable form of euthanasia, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Spencer County Animal Control Board attorneys released a statement to WFIE-TV saying the "board acknowledges that actions have occurred that are fundamentally opposed" to its mission of proving humane care and treatment of animals. "In response, the …
Veterinary small business owners reap pass-through income tax deductionAugust 15, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association reported that veterinary small business owners will be able to take advantage of the new "pass-through" income tax deduction for the salaries they pay themselves. The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last week released proposed regulations detailing how they plan to apply the deduction, which is available to sole proprietorships, partnerships, trusts, and S-corporations under Section 199A of the tax code. The deduction was part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed by the president in December and takes effect for the current 2018 tax year. According to the IRS and treasury officials, the full pass-through deduction will be available to owners of all small businesses, including veterinary practices, as long as their taxable income does not exceed $315,000 if filing jointly or $157,500 if filing individually. Beyond the stated income thresholds, the regulations would limit the deduction for the owners of certain types of businesses, including veterinarians and other business owners in the "field of health." The limited deduction would apply to veterinary business owners with taxable income between $315,000 and $415,000 if filing jointly, and $157,500 and $207,500 if filing …
Overcome limiting beliefs about moneyAugust 14, 2018You probably have heard the statement “I’m not in it for the money” from team members—or you may have uttered it yourself. And you probably said it because you believed it, or, because for whatever reason, you thought someone else needed to hear it.
