Veterinary Oncologist Says Career Saved Her LifeMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVS treats cancer in dogs and cats, so when she felt a mass in her neck during her nighttime moisturizing routine, she knew what it could mean. As it turned out, she had thyroid cancer. Dr. Boston, who is an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, began writing about her diagnosis and what she was going through via email in an effort to keep her friends updated. Photo credit Dr. Sarah Boston In time, those emails became lengthier, reading more like essays than updates. She soon had over 300,000 words written, some of which she read at a veterinary cancer center event in Canada. Her words got the attention of Noah Richler, a writer who connected her with Canadian Publisher, Anansi Press. At the request of her editor, Boston incorporated her life as a veterinary surgical oncologist into her book. She soon realized that her career was influencing her experience with cancer. Boston began comparing cancer treatment for animals with cancer treatment for humans, concluding that …
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Free Eye Exams Offered For Service DogsMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. On May 12, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Purdue University is offering free eye exams to qualified service dogs. The ophthamology service department of the Lafayette, Indiana, teaching hospital believes that detecting issues and beginning treatment early are of upmost importance to service animals. How well they serve their human companions is largely based on the dogs' health. "Our hope is that by checking their vision early and often, we will be able to help a large number of service animals better assist their human companions," said assistant professor of veterinary ophthamology, Wendy Townsend, according to Purdue News. To qualify for the free exam, dogs must be certified service dogs, enrolled in a training program or actively working. Eligible working dogs include search and rescue and drug detection dogs used by fire and police departments, assistance dogs for individuals with a disability other than blindness, hearing dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs. The free eye exams for eligible service dogs are offered as part of the American College of Veterinary Ophthamologists (ACVO)/Strokes Rx National Service …
Affordable Veterinary Clinic Opens In DelawareMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Low-income pet owners in Delaware now have access to vet services, due to the Faithful Friends Animal Society and its new Affordable Veterinary Clinic near Elsmere. Faithful Friends Animal Society, supported by various donors, developed the Affordable Veterinary Clinic near Elsmere, Delaware, to keep beloved pets healthy and with their families, even during economic crisis. While the clinic is not a replacement for specialty or emergency facilities, it does provide exams (sick pet and wellness), spay and neuter services, medications, tooth extractions and dental cleanings, and various small surgeries (non-emergency). Organizations specializing in animal rescue may also utilize these services. Three part-time veterinarians staff the clinic, including Dr. Paul McGough. "There are a lot of people who can't afford to do procedures for their pets, especially if they are advanced procedures. All three of us have backgrounds in emergency care and have worked in specialty clinics, so we are up-to-date on pain management and the anesthesia protocols that we use. People don't have to worry that they are compromising their pets by coming to this clinic," he said, according to
Some Infectious Diseases Hitting Cats, Dogs HarderMay 8, 2014Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Kentucky each earned the unenviable distinction of possessing the highest rate of infection for one of three common pet diseases, a Banfield Pet Hospital study revealed Tuesday. Nationwide, the three ailments appear to be rampant. The prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), canine Lyme disease and feline upper respiratory infection (URI) jumped by 48, 21 and 18 percent, respectively, over a five-year period. The study, summarized in the State of Pet Health 2014 Report, looked at what Banfield veterinarians found during examinations of 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats in 2013. The Portland, Ore., chain operates more than 850 hospitals in 43 states. The study lacked data for the seven states where Banfield is absent: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. "This year's report features an exclusive look at the infectious and emerging diseases affecting the overall health of our pet population," said Sandi Lefebvre, DVM, Ph.D., a Banfield epidemiologist and senior research manager. Here are highlights from the State of Pet Health 2014 Report: FIV Oklahoma cats were at the highest risk of contracting feline immunodeficiency virus in 2013, …
3 Veterinarians Named Congressional AdvisersMay 7, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The American Veterinary Medical Association has chosen two new graduates and a longtime veterinarian to serve as scientific advisers to Congress on animal and public health policy. From top, Drs. Elise Ackley, Chase Crawford and Carolyn La Jeunesse. Serving in the 2014-15 AVMA Congressional Fellowship Program are Elise Ackley, DVM, of Shreveport, La.; Chase Crawford, DVM, of Houston; and Carolyn La Jeunesse, DVM, CT, CCFE, of Port Orchard, Wash. Mark Lutschaunig, DVM, director of the AVMA's Governmental Relations Division, called the program "a unique way for veterinarians at all stages in their careers to learn about the legislative process and take part firsthand in developing public policies that will have a national and global impact." "Not only will Drs. Ackley, Crawford and La Jeunesse serve their country by providing advice on a wide range of pressing scientific, national issues, but they will also be able to network with officials in all branches of the federal government, which will hopefully open up new career opportunities for them," Dr. Lutschaunig added. Dr. Ackley, a 2014 …
Nestle Sues Blue Buffalo Over Advertising, Product FormulasMay 7, 2014Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Charging that Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. relied on "voodoo science," Blue Buffalo Co. fought back Tuesday against claims that it engages in false advertising and uses poultry byproduct meal and other undisclosed ingredients in some of its pet food recipes. Blue Buffalo asserts that its pet foods do not use poultry byproduct meal. Nestlé Purina's Veterinary Diets Joint Mobility dog food contains salmon meal and poultry byproduct meal. Nestlé Purina, one of the world's largest pet food companies, sued Wilton, Conn.-based Blue Buffalo in U.S. District Court, accusing the competitor of belittling Nestlé Purina's name and products. "This is not an action we take lightly," said Steve Crimmins, Nestlé Purina's chief marketing officer. "We believe consumers deserve honesty when it comes to the ingredients in the food they choose to feed their pets." Blue Buffalo, which has grown into a Top 10 pet food company and pitches its dog and cat foods as all natural, slammed St. Louis-based Nestlé Purina and the accusations. "We categorically deny all of these false allegations …
Winn Feline Foundation Awards Nine Cat Health Research GrantsMay 6, 2014 Gina Cioli/I-5 Studio Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The Winn Feline Foundation has announced recipients of nine feline health research grants. The grant money, totaling $173,121.56, goes to researches in the fields of pre-anesthesia sedation, genetic variabilities in cats with feline calcivirus, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and more. Winn's Grant Review Committee considered 50 proposals and selected the top nine by consensus based on criteria such as quality of the science, impact of results and available funding. Medical research grants went to the following principal investigators: • John S. Parker; Baker Institute, Cornell University; $22,500. Identifying a genetic variability in cats associated with resistance or susceptibility to feline calcivirus. • Bruno Pypendop; University of California-Davis; $17,083. Evaluating the cardiovascular effects of a potential new drug, MK-476, in combination with dexmedetomidine for sedation or pre-anesthesia. • Bria Fund Study: Gary Whittaker, Cornell University; $24,851. Characterizing how FIP virus binds and enters cells.
Top 10 Vet Visit Reasons For Dogs And CatsMay 6, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Cat owners most often had to pack up their cats and bring them to the vet for concerns over bladder or urinary tract disease. Gina Cioli/I-5 Studio Pets experiencing ear infections, skin issues, stomach pains or coughs rarely cause owners great grief, but they can necessitate a visit to the veterinarian to curb the illnesses before they grow worse. Pet owners who use Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (Brea, Calif.) spent more than $66 million in 2013 to treat common medical conditions. VPI recently analyzed data from 500,000 insured cats and dogs over the previous year to find the top 10 medical conditions affecting animals to the point of needing a veterinarian visit. Here are the results: Top Dog Conditions Top Cat Conditions 1. Skin Allergies 1. Bladder or Urinary Tract Disease 2. Ear Infection 2. Periodontitis/Dental Disease 3. Non-cancerous Skin Mass 3. Chronic Kidney Disease 4. Skin Infection 4. Excessive Thyroid Hormone 5. Arthritis 5. Upset Stomach/Vomiting 6. Upset Stomach/Vomiting 6. Diabetes 7. Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea 7. Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea 8. Periodontitis/Dental Disease 8. Lymphoma 9. Bladder or Urinary Tract Disease 9. Upper Respiratory …
Cats And FIC: Discover The Signs And Some SolutionsMay 6, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Cats with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) are believed to have an abnormal response to environmental stressors, which may contribute to development of lower urinary tract signs including urinating outside the litter box, frequent attempts to urinate and blood in the urine. "The signs of stress in cats may be subtle and include hiding from people or other cats, conflict with another cat in the home, exaggerated startle response to sudden or loud noises, and fearful behavior," said S. Dru Forrester, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, director of Global Scientific Affairs at Hill's Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. "When a cat perceives environmental stress, it stimulates the brain and activates the stress response system." This "flight or fight" response enhances a cat's sympathetic nervous input down the spinal cord to the urinary bladder. In normal cats, the adrenal glands release cortisol, which dampens the sympathetic response. In contrast, cats with FIC have a blunted cortisol response, which fails to adequately restrain sympathetic input to the bladder. "Increased sympathetic input to the urinary bladder causes neurogenic inflammation and increased permeability of the bladder," Dr. Forrester …
Zoetis' Improvest Put To Test At Indiana Pig FacilityMay 5, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. An Indiana veterinarian has turned over a small portion of his 120-acre corn and soybean farm to Zoetis Inc. for a demonstration of the company's Improvest castration drug. Improvest (gonadotropin releasing factor analog—diphtheria toxoid conjugate) is designed to immunologically castrate pigs, leaving them intact and reducing so-called "boar taint" in cooked pork. Keri Weppler of Zoetis Inc. administers the first dose of Improvest to 10-week-old male piglets at a demonstration farm in Greensburg, Ind. "We've long known about the inherent performance advantages of raising intact males," said farm owner Larry Rueff, DVM, who co-manages Swine Veterinary Services in Greensburg, Ind. "[Immunological castration] technology now allows producers to take advantage of these benefits while still ensuring the same high level of pork quality and great taste consumers have come to expect." An existing livestock barn was opened in April to demonstrate Improvest and pork production. Visitors who tour the 500-head nursery-to-finishing facility can learn about pre-weaning mortality, feed efficiency, split sex feeding, nutritional requirements and the economic benefits of Improvest, Zoetis reported. Improvest is touted for its …
