Hill's Global Symposium 2018 highlights nutrition, healthy agingMarch 30, 2018The role of nutrition in healthy aging is the focus of Hill's Global Symposium 2018, scheduled for April 27 and 28 in Lisbon. The symposium will have an expected attendance of 200 veterinarians from more than 30 countries, but a 24-hour educational livestream will make the event free of charge to veterinary professionals and students around the world. The symposium's theme, Adventures of Aging: Early Chronic Kidney Disease & Growing Older, addresses the reality of veterinarians treating an increasing number of elderly dogs and cats. Helping these animals age healthily is a rapidly growing area of practice and one in which nutrition plays a key role, according to Iveta Becvarova, DVM, DACVN, director of global academic and professional affairs at Hill's Pet Nutrition, and organizer of this year's event. Veterinary experts participating in the symposium from around the world will discuss the implications of recent research into older dogs and cats by Hill's, early chronic kidney disease, and the key role of nutrition in increasing both quality and length of life. Speakers also will advise members of the veterinary healthcare team on strategies to debunk potentially misleading and inaccurate information, and give practical advice on optimizing practice performance …
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An inconvenient truthFebruary 16, 2018If you’re like me, you were raised to think that all dogs should be sterilized. Veterinary school and our lives in practice further reinforced that truism. Dogs, we were reverently informed, require sterilization if they’re to live long, healthy lives.
Probiotics and today's petsJanuary 10, 2018It has been said that there are 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the average human body. It has been said, but it’s probably not true. Still, there is undoubtedly a large and complex ecology of microorganisms living in and on every individual mammal, and this ecology has multifaceted and important health effects.
Giving the topic of sound veterinary nutrition the respect it deservesDecember 20, 2017Do enough professionals among the veterinary profession treat companion animal nutrition with the significance it deserves? What's driving the US pet obesity epidemic? Are practitioners doing enough to address it? Veterinary Practice News asked Martha G. Cline, DVM, DACVN, president, American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, and a clinical veterinary nutritionist at AAHA-accredited Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, N.J., these questions and more about the topic of diet and nutrition. Here's what she had to share. Why did you decide to specialize in veterinary nutrition? During the summer between my first and second year of veterinary school, I worked with the nutrition department at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) through a summer research program. The focus of this research was canine obesity. This experience was the foundation of my interest, which solidified during my clinical year when I spent additional time rotating through the nutrition services at UTCVM, Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, N.J., and Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. I had excellent mentorship at all of these facilities that helped guide me on my way (shout out to Drs. Angela Witzel, Joe Bartges, Claudia Kirk, Laura …
Tomlyn Veterinary Science partners with Jackson GalaxyNovember 10, 2017Tomlyn Veterinary Science, maker of veterinary-quality health and wellness supplements for pets, is partnering with cat expert and animal advocate, Jackson Galaxy to promote the company's Pill Masker paste for cats and dogs. Jackson will participate in Facebook Live events, where he'll answer questions about cats while providing tips to create a harmonious home for cats and their owners. The company also will be hosting a sweepstakes for one grand-prize winner to receive a 30-minute Skype session with Jackson Galaxy to help solve their cat-related problems, along with a selection of Tomlyn cat health products. The overall pet supplement market is approximately $580 million annually, growing 3.5 percent over 2016, as consumers turn to supplements for their pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 79 million cats and dogs in the US alone. Close to 9 million of these pets (11 percent), according to their owners, struggle with taking medications, as reported in a survey conducted by Tomlyn and a Harris Poll.
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.
Equine dietary supplementsSeptember 14, 2017In the past few decades, the equine health market has seen a significant uptick of myriad supplements that purport to do just about anything that a horse might need—to support, enhance, or boost everything from hooves to intestines to joints to hair coat.
Food as medicine messagingAugust 25, 2017Therapeutic diets, increasingly part of pets’ health care regimens, are good tools at veterinarians’ disposal when addressing specific ailments. A problem surrounding these diets, however, isn’t whether they work; it’s discussing their benefits with clients.
Support veterinary clients' supplemental endeavorsAugust 16, 2017As pet owners become increasing proactive when it comes to their pets’ health, one category that surfaces regularly during veterinary exam room discussions is supplements.
How to talk to owners of obese pets for better patient resultsAugust 9, 2017A common misperception exists among veterinary professionals that addressing a pet’s obesity will offend a pet owner with obesity. This falsehood prevents many veterinarians from initiating a vital medical conversation, resulting in the avoidable suffering of untold millions of pets and owners spending countless millions in preventable pet care costs.
