Animal welfare agency tackles rabies in MyanmarApril 20, 2018 Within four weeks of launching its "Don't Wait, Vaccinate" campaign in Myanmar, global animal welfare agency Four Paws International has administered rabies vaccinations to more than 30,000 dogs and cats in 220 villages surrounding Naypyidaw, the country's capital city. The area, which is three times the size of Singapore, is now considered rabies free. The mission is reflective of the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal to eradicate rabies in humans by 2030. According to WHO and the Myanmar Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, nearly 62,000 people in Myanmar were bitten by dogs in 2017, with 40 percent of those bitten under the age of 15. Approximately 1,000 of those bites resulted in deaths due to rabies infections. In response to the frequency of the disease, residents and authorities have started mass-killing many of the estimated four million stray and community-owned dogs across the country, especially throughout summer months. "The misconception that dogs are particularly aggressive when it is hot is unfortunately widespread in Myanmar," said Marina Ivanova, DVM, with Four Paws. "Therefore, our task is not only to vaccinate the animals, but also to educate people about …
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Why annual screening for exposure to infected ticks is vitalApril 18, 2018It's important to remember that a single tick can transmit multiple infectious agents that may cause or contribute to serious illness, including kidney disease. And because dogs don't always show clinical signs, it can be challenging to understand the true harm of any given infection to a pet's health. This makes regularly screening pets—including asymptomatic or seemingly healthy ones—to identify exposure to infected ticks all the more important. Here's a quick look at why regular, comprehensive screening is critical, and what veterinarians can do to help keep dogs healthy. All dogs need to be screened annually for exposure to infected ticks It's quite possible a patient could be fighting an infection without showing any signs of disease. That is why limiting screening to symptomatic pets and those known to have had a tick on them is too restrictive—it will miss infections. All dogs need to be tested, and pet owners need to be reminded that negative results are the goal in order to verify that preventive measures against ticks are working. A new study reinforces the importance of detecting exposure The study, found at idexx.com/tickrisk, showed two key findings: 1) dogs with Ehrlichia antibodies …
Casco Pet enters veterinary industry with clinical housing lineApril 17, 2018Casco Pet, known for its retail fixtures and fittings for the pet retail industry, is launching a range of Clinical Housing for the veterinary industry. The range delivers modern and innovative units that will revolutionize patient care without compromising on affordability, according to the company. The company has created housing combinations suitable for most practices, including ISFM Gold and Silver standard for cats, a full-size walk-in unit, and walk-in doors for dogs. Each individual component is designed for maximum flexibility and customization. The units are constructed from toughened, easy-to-clean glass and offer a warm, quiet environment to help to reduce patient stress. Each door features a push-shut mechanism, secure twist locks, and top-half ventilation to ensure that no paws get caught. The enclosures are available with integrated heat mats, LED lighting, air-pump ventilation, removable dividers, and specially designed calming graphics. Additional features include privacy frosting for cats, cut corners for IV lines, and built-in power sockets. For more information, visit cascopet.com.
WVC makes list of top nonprofits to work forApril 16, 2018Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) has been named one of the NonProfit Times'(NPT) 50 Best Nonprofits to Work For in 2018, landing in spot No. 23. NPT assesses companies based on results from a two-part assessment. First, the employer completes a questionnaire, allowing NPT to examine the organization's policies, practices, and demographics. Next, NPT asks the organization's participating employees a series of work culture questions, ultimately organizing collected data into eight "core focus" categories, including leadership and planning, role satisfaction, work environment, pay and benefits, and overall engagement. More than 70 percent of the conference's 59-person staff completed the voluntary survey. "[We are] on this list because of our incredibly dedicated, responsible, and passionate team," said David Little, WVC CEO. "It is because of each of them that [we are] able to provide the veterinary community with the highest quality continuing education and world-class facilities, which support their personal and professional growth. We are honored to have received this recognition. It is confirmation we are on the right track as an organization." In 2018, the conference will host several events at its Oquendo Center in Las Vegas, including: Veterinary …
The Idea vet student competition yields up-and-coming product conceptsApril 13, 2018The student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) annual symposium, held in March, featured lectures, clinical skills competitions, events … and the second annual live finale of The Idea, an innovation competition exclusively for veterinary students hosted by VetPrep and ViralVet. More than 27 student teams from across North America entered the competition. Semi-finalists worked closely with Aaron Massecar, MA, Ph.D., from the Texas A&M Veterinary Innovation Lab, as well as many other guest mentors to take an entrepreneurial and innovative journey that resulted in the selection of three teams to compete in the finals. Participants pitched their innovative Ideas live to the panel of judges and answered a series of questions before learning the results in front of a live audience. The $10,000 grand prize of the competition was presented to Michael Conguista from the University of Minnesota for his Dental Vet typodont concept. William Aqeel and Emmanouil Emmanouilidis were awarded the $5,000-second place prize for their U-Syringe concept, and Cory Erb and Devyn Bartell from Washington State University were awarded the $2,500 third place prize for their PetStat app. The cash prizes were awarded to assist …
LexaGene, Ethos Veterinary Health partner for pathogen detection testingApril 6, 2018LexaGene has partnered with Ethos Veterinary Health, which has hospitals across the U.S., to test canine urine samples on LexaGene's prototype LX6 diagnostic tool for more effective, rapid and on-site pathogen detection. The samples have been previously characterized using conventional technologies such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry at LexaGene's reference laboratory, the company said. The organization is currently developing the LX6 tool as an open access, fully automated platform that allows end users to load real-time PCR assays. It will process six samples at a time and return results in around an hour, according to the company. "Veterinarians at Ethos will send LexaGene clinical annotated samples for processing, which will allow our team to continue to fine-tune and perfect our pathogen detection prototype's testing capabilities," said Jack Regan, Ph.D., LexaGene CEO. "This process is vital as we improve sensitivity to different isolates. We expect this to be a long-lasting collaboration as we work together to bring the best product possible to the veterinary market." "We've recently performed a market assessment for LexaGene's technology by interviewing many emergency and critical care veterinarians, and—coupled with an internal financial assessment of the cost of conventional testing versus …
Aquatic animal health seminar coming to PEIMarch 26, 2018 Registration is open for the eighth International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health (ISAAH), which will be hosted in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Sept. 2-6. Held every four years, this marks the second time the event will be hosted in Canada and the first in the country's Atlantic region. Research institute PEI BioAlliance is partnering with the American Fisheries Society and the University of Prince Edward Island's Atlantic Veterinary College to host the symposium. This year's theme is Integrating Biotechnology in the Advancement of Aquatic Animal Health. Preconference workshops on diagnostic test evaluations, publishing piscatorial papers, clinical pathology, shellfish necropsy, and virtual microscopy will be hosted at the Atlantic Veterinary College on Sept. 2. Four of the workshops are targeted for veterinary continuing education credits for veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and veterinary technologists. ISAAH will include general education sessions on a range of topics, including coral diseases, virology, immunology vaccines, and microbiomes, as well as special sessions exploring co-infections in fish, gill health, sturgeon disease, and aquatic epidemiology. Organizers are seeking speakers for this event. (For more information, click here.) This year's keynote speeches will …
World Veterinary Day theme promotes sustainable developmentMarch 19, 2018 The World Veterinary Association (WVA) announced that the theme of World Veterinary Day 2018, April 28, is "The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety." The WVA created World Veterinary Day in 2000 as an annual celebration of the veterinary profession, falling on the last Saturday of April. Each year, the WVA and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) choose a theme. The AVMA and food security Among its recent efforts in food security, the American Veterinary Medical Association hosted the Global Food Security Summit, Feb. 9-11, 2017, in Washington, D.C. More than a hundred people attended, including representatives from humanitarian and intergovernmental organizations involved with food development. The AVMA Committee on International Veterinary Affairs is developing recommendations for future action by the AVMA to continue the association's involvement in global food security. The WVA and OIE confer the World Veterinary Day Award for the best contribution to the annual theme by a WVA member association working alone or with other veterinary groups. In 2017, the theme of World Veterinary Day was "Antimicrobial Resistance—From Awareness to Action." The National Council of …
Make Facebook social media work for your veterinary clinicMarch 15, 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. Facebook continues to dominate the social media space. Here are the numbers of users on popular social media platform as reported by Statista: Facebook: 2.1 billion YouTube: 1.5 billion Instagram: 800 million Twitter: 330 million LinkedIn: 260 million SnapChat: 255 million Pinterest: 200 million Approximately 90 percent of the people who use many of these other social media platforms also use Facebook. As most veterinary practices have limited time and resources to devote to their communications and marketing efforts, Facebook should be their social media platform of choice. Communications/marketing plans To be most effective, Facebook and other social media activities should be just one part of a comprehensive communications and marketing plan. Other tools should include electronic newsletters, brochures, community activities, an engaging website, and more. All of these …
4 things veterinarians, pet marketers must know about Gen Z, millennialsMarch 13, 2018Pet ownership in the U.S. is trending younger and younger. The 57 million pet owners under age 40 account for 41 percent of all pet owning adults in the United States. Over the past decade Gen Z (18- to 24-year-olds) and millennials (25- to 39-year-olds) accounted for more than half of the growth in the pet owner population, according to Rockville, Md.-based market research firm Packaged Facts in the company's new report Gen Z and Millennials as Pet Market Consumers: Dogs, Cats, Other Pets. "Adult pet owners under age 40 are as much the present as they are the future of the industry," said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts. "These younger generations of pet market consumers are critical to the bottom line of pet product and service marketers because the vanguard of the baby boomer generation is reaching the age when pet ownership declines sharply. Moreover, boomers will be succeeded by members of Gen X, who spend heavily on pet products and services but are a relatively small population cohort." As to be expected, Gen Z and millennial pet owners are influencing the pet industry in unique ways that are quite different when compared to the …
