Virginia Tech Honors Digital Artist for Donated ArtJuly 16, 2015The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech recently honored Ted Smusz, a communications assistant for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, for his animal art donations. His work appears in the hospital’s examination rooms, student lounge and library. Smusz, who has been with the college for more than 30 years, is a self-taught digital photographer and editor. He turned to photography more than 10 years ago. “I can spend up to 40 hours on a photo,” Smusz said. “I’m not only sizing the photo, but also blowing it up and digitally redrawing it. I do most of it manually to save the skin texture and tone on my subjects.” Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech Ted Smusz works on a piece of digital art at a home studio. In some cases, Smusz spends up to 40 hours digitally remastering a single photo such as this one of a horse. Smusz often spends evenings in his home studio focusing on his art. In addition to a high-resolution digital camera with a variety of lenses, he also has three software programs that allow him to edit photos pixel by …
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Merial Releases OraVet Dog Dental ChewJuly 15, 2015Pet medication manufacturer Merial Inc. hopes to take a bite out of the growing market for canine dental chews with the introduction of the veterinary-exclusive OraVet line. Launched this month during the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, OraVet Dental Hygiene Chews contain delmopinol, a compound commonly used in plaque-inhibiting mouth rinses for people. Merial holds the exclusive license to delmopinol for veterinary use. OraVet answers “the need for an effective, safe and easy-to-use preventive home care option to support canine oral health,” said Doug Jones, head of Duluth, Ga.-based Merial North America. The chews, formulated for daily use, are proven effective at reducing halitosis, plaque and calculus by approximately half, the company reported. The study compared dogs given the chews to those on a dry diet alone. Merial noted that dental chews promote canine health because only 14 percent of dogs receive dental care at a veterinary clinic and only 2 percent of owners brush their pet’s teeth daily. “Many pet owners recognize the importance of maintaining their dog’s oral health but aren’t always sure what to do,” said Bob Menardi, DVM, director of U.S. Veterinary Technical Services. OraVet chews are available in three sizes: small, for dogs …
Council on Education Survives Reform MovementJuly 15, 2015The AVMA House of Delegates rejected four resolutions that could have led to further changes in the college-accrediting Council on Education. Meeting Friday during the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Boston convention, the delegates also acted on another high-profile issue by agreeing to hold themselves more accountable to the organization’s 86,000 members. How each delegate votes on everything except elections will now be revealed. The House easily defeated two resolutions seeking a more independent Council on Education and one urging the AVMA board of directors to push for the temporary suspension of accreditation actions at new veterinary schools. Also voted down was a last-minute measure, Resolution 14, which called for the formation of a committee to investigate all options—from creating a fully autonomous council to maintaining the status quo. AVMA’s executive vice president and CEO, Ron DeHaven, DVM, MBA, saw the collapse of the resolutions as a vote of confidence in the Council on Education. The council, which accredits colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and elsewhere, has been under fire for its close association with AVMA, for education standards that critics complain are too low, and for its money- and time-consuming work overseas. Two of the resolutions—11 and 12—were …
Dr. Stephanie Valberg to Join MSU’s Vet CollegeJuly 14, 2015The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine has named Stephanie Valberg, DVM, Ph.D., the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies. She will join the college on Nov. 1, 2015. “Dr. Valberg is an international leader in understanding and managing equine neuromuscular disorders,” said Dan Grooms, DVM, Ph.D., chairperson of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “Her experience in establishing collaborative relationships with specialists across the health sciences will play an important role in driving the research, teaching and clinical missions of the department and the college.” Valberg’s research goal is to define the basis for neuromuscular disorders in horses, develop accurate, minimally invasive diagnostic tests and optimal methods for preventing or managing these diseases, according to the college. Valberg comes to MSU from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. As a professor in the Department of Clinical and Population Sciences, she established the Neuromuscular Diagnostic Laboratory and directed the University of Minnesota Equine Center from 2003 to 2013.
Ontario’s Vet College Gets $1.4 Million from NSERCJuly 11, 2015Researchers and students from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College recently received more than $1.4 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), a funding agency supporting Canada’s science and engineering research community. The award, announced on the college’s website in early July, is part of a larger sum U of G received in the amount of nearly $11.5 million to support the work of 80 faculty, researchers and students. The collective funding spans six colleges and numerous departments. Most projects are supported for five years. “This funding will enable U of G faculty members at all career stages to leverage their discoveries into new knowledge and applications,” said Malcom Campbell, Ph.D., vice president (research). For example, Ontario Veterinary College professor Nicole Nemeth, DVM, Ph.D., received a $125,000 grant. “It will allow me to lay the groundwork for establishing a research program in the evolving field of arthropod-borne viruses,” she said. Initially, Dr. Nemeth will focus on the Powassan virus. Related to West Nile virus, this rare virus can spread to wildlife and humans through tick bites. In humans, it can cause encephalitis, and be fatal. With the grant, Nemeth will study pertinent tick species, …
Team Works Together to Save Dog, Get Her to New HomeJuly 10, 2015 The Fort Bend County Animal Control in Texas found Devon, a Labrador, on the road. She had a gunshot wound and broken paw. After being taken to see a veterinarian, it was determined that a car had dragged her, according to My Fox Houston. She received the care she needed from veterinarians, along with Save a Lab, a rescue group, and Saving Our Companion Animals, a nonprofit working out of Fort Bend. After recovering from her injuries, a new home was found for Devon. With the help of social media and the Pilots and Paws organization, Devon was flown for free to her new family in Atlanta. Do you have a similar story? Let us know in the comments.
6-Legged Cat Getting Surgery Thanks to DonorsJuly 9, 2015It was a rare sight for Little Cats Lost (Trap-Neuter-Return) Society, when the group picked up a 6-legged cat off the streets of Edmonton. Named Pauly, the stray has two extra legs attached to his sternum and an extra small kidney, according to the group. Pauly's Journey YouCaring Page It is believed that Pauly absorbed one of his siblings in utero and that was why he has an extra set of limbs, according to the Edmonton Journal. “It’s very rare,” Dr. Tamer Mahmoud told the Edmonton Journal. Mahmoud is the owner of Oxford Animal Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where Pauly is being treated. “Most likely there were two kittens (in utero) and this cat absorbed the extra.” The extra legs are not functional, Virginia Marando of Little Cats Lost explained in Edmonton Journal video. She believes removing the legs will help give Pauly a better quality of life — as a young cat, they’re not bothering him yet, but may become impractical as he grows older. An online fundraiser was started on Monday to help pay for the costs of …
Wisconsin Partnership with Milwaukee Shelter Going StrongJuly 9, 2015Numerous shelter animals continue to get healthy and find homes thanks to a partnership between the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC). The partnership also gives students in the junior surgery program real-world experience since they help with spay/neuter surgeries and other related care. The two groups aligned a little more than a year ago with the help of Kristen Cooley, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia), Instructional Specialist, Clinical Skills Training Center, UW School of Veterinary Medicine. “I came on board in my current role in the fall of 2013 and we began working with MADACC in the spring of 2014 and haven’t looked back,” she said. In fall 2014, the junior surgery program helped 79 animals and found homes for 30 of them, according to Cooley. “This year, we’ve seen 151 dogs and cats and have found homes for at least 24 of them,” said Cooley, noting that there could even be a few more. Prior to the partnership, the junior surgery program staff worked mostly with shelters in the local Madison area. However, working with various shelters meant a higher risk of disease transfer and mixing up paperwork, according …
Wisconsin Vet School to Launch Osteosarcoma StudyJuly 7, 2015Thanks to a $96,000 grant from the Puppy Up Foundation, the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine plans to launch a study aimed at improving mobility and quality of life for dogs afflicted by osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is the most common form of canine bone cancer, according to the school, with about 10,000 new cases diagnosed in dogs each year. Neil Christensen, BVSc, Dipl. ACVR, clinical instructor in the Department of Surgical Sciences and member of the UW Veterinary Care (UWVC) radiation oncology team, will lead the study. Research will explore the potential benefits of stereotactic radiation therapy for osteosarcoma patients. “Stereotactic radiation is a newer form of treatment made possible by recent technological advances,” Dr. Christensen said. “It allows for larger, more accurate doses of radiation while still sparing healthy tissue, in comparison to traditional palliative radiation, which involves smaller, prolonged doses.” Specifically, the study will look at how stereotactic radiation performs in terms of pain relief for patients and in stimulating an immune response that helps patients’ bodies fight bone tumors on their own, according to the school. UWVC has a TomoTherapy unit which will be able to deliver …
New Animal Planet Series Stars Dr. Jeff Young of Planned Pethood PlusJuly 6, 2015 There’s a new veterinarian in the television town: Dr. Jeff Young, owner of Planned Pethood Plus in Denver, Colo. He is the star of a new 10-part Animal Planet series called, “Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet,” which premieres Saturday, July 11, at 10 p.m. EST. According to Animal Planet, “There's no such thing as ‘a regular day’ at Denver's Planned Pethood Plus veterinary clinic. For over 80,000 clients and their pets, the clinic and its maverick vet Dr. Jeff Young represent one last hope and possibly the difference between life and death. This summer, Animal Planet reveals the lengths one man is willing to go within the emergency room and beyond.” According to his Animal Planet bio, Planned Pethood Plus is “always a mad house ... With more than 80,000-plus clients, approximately 30 surgeries a day, 30 staff, a bustling emergency room, and a far-reaching mobile clinic, Dr. Jeff is under constant pressure to keep his staff, clients and patients both healthy and happy.” The series will follow the day-to-day of the clinic. Will you be watching? Let us know in the comments.
