Dirty Mouths, Euthanasia Denial And UsJanuary 18, 2011 Some recent new clients were special. An aged woman was accompanied by her adult granddaughter with a middle-aged min-pin in tow. The subject at hand was perhaps the most impressively putrid mouth I’ve beheld in more than 15 years of practice. And yep, you guessed it: The owner declined to treat. How bad was said cavity of doom? Let’s just say her osteomyelitis was so severe this dog no longer possessed a cranial mandible. Her canines sagged ineffectually in what was left of their sockets, held aloft more by the mass of matted hair and heavy tartar than by the promise of any alveolar bone below. Of course, this dog could no longer close her mouth, which was why the old woman had deigned to allow her granddaughter to drag the dog to a vet. The woman was obviously not happy to be there. In her early 90s and hard of hearing, she loudly cleared up any remaining doubt as to her reluctance, accusing me of trying to steal her savings when her dog wanted for nothing in her care. This, after a detailed explanation of periodontal disease with a way-beyond-textbook example as Exhibit A. Worst. …
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Exploring Owner-directed AggressionJanuary 18, 2011 Nothing is so distressing for an owner as having a seemingly ungrateful dog who metaphorically or literally bites the hand that feeds. Why on earth would a dog joyously receive a delicious treat from his owner, say a rawhide chew, and then protect that morsel from his owner with every last ounce of strength? Simply walking past the bad players when they have such a highly emotive item is enough to trigger a display of growling, lip lifts, snaps or even biting. And as for touching this food item, forget about it. Or trying to take it away, well, that is just plain dangerous. If protecting valued food objects is the only area in which the dog expresses aggression, the solution is easy. Simply don’t give the dog those things in the first place. The philosophy here is the same as if you gave a child a penknife and he stabbed you in the leg with it. Your reaction should be to confiscate the penknife for good. Unfortunately, the protection of valued food or quasi-food-like items is often not where the syndrome of owner-directed aggression ends. There are several typical situations in which dogs of …
Make Sound Commitment To SonographyJanuary 18, 2011 Ultrasound services aren’t necessarily reserved for high-volume practices, experts say. Although many veterinarians determine that their client bases might not validate the expense, some sonographers work independently and will travel to a veterinarian’s office. Depending on the quality, a new ultrasound machine can cost from $10,000 to $100,000, but the price tag isn’t the only potential obstacle. A veterinarian sometimes invests in the equipment but is unprepared for the learning curve. Some say that even seasoned practitioners need a year to feel comfortable interpreting ultrasound images. “A lot of practices buy ultrasound equipment with the intent of using it more,” says Gretchen Rowe, DVM, of Animal Diagnostic Imaging LLC and president of the International Veterinary Ultrasound Society. “In reality, it takes a pretty dedicated person within a practice to use ultrasound to its fullest potential as a diagnostic tool. It takes thousands of cases to be really good at it, but it depends on what your goal is and how you intend to use it.” Bear, 14-year-old MN Siamese cat with a spontaneous diaphragmatic hernia. The anechoic gall bladder (left) and spleen (near field top) residing with the heart (bottom right) within the thorax. …
Raw Food Webinar Presented By Nature's VarietyJanuary 17, 2011Raw Food Webinar Presented by Nature's VarietyRaw Food Webinar Presented by Nature's VarietyRaw Food Webinar Presented by Nature's VarietyJoin DogChannel and our sister site VeterinaryPracticeNews.com on Thursday, March 10, as Nature's Variety presents an exclusive webinar on raw food diets for dogs.Join DogChannel and our sister site VeterinaryPracticeNews.com on Thursday, March 10, as Nature's Variety presents an exclusive webinar on raw food diets for dogs.newslinePosted: January 17, 7:30 p.m., EDT Register today to participate in an upcoming webinar on raw food diets for dogs. Join VeterinaryPracticeNews.com and our sister site DogChannel.com on Thursday, March 10, as Nature's Variety presents an exclusive webinar on raw food diets for dogs. The "Raw Food Demystified" webinar will help you understand the commercially packaged raw food diet option. This webinar answers the what, how, when and why of raw food diets, taking the mystery out of this diet option. Raw Diets Demystified will be presented by Nature's Variety and seen exclusively on DogChannel.com and VeterinaryPracticeNews.com, Thursday, March 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PST. To attend the webinar, register in advance at VeterinaryPracticeNews.com/diet. In addition, four lucky dog lovers will be chosen at random to …
Study Reveals Causes For Yearly Decline In Vet VisitsJanuary 17, 2011 A new study reveals why companion animal veterinary visits have been declining over the past several years. The reasons, as cited by the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study, are: the economic impact of the recession, fragmentation of veterinary services, consumers substituting Internet research for office visits, feline resistance, perception among pet owners that regular medical check-ups are unnecessary and the cost of care. Bayer Animal Health, Brakke Consulting and the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues released the study today. The study included individual interviews and focus groups with veterinarians, focus groups with pet owners and a nationally representative survey of 2,000 dog and cat owners to determine the factors contributing to the decline in veterinary visits. According to a recent survey conducted by the NCVEI, 56 percent of veterinarians reported that patient visits for the first nine months of 2010 were down compared to the year-ago period. But declines in veterinary visits have been documented as far back as 2001, according to the three groups behind this new study. The six root causes defined: • Economic impact of the recession—Although the study did not reveal an exact figure on how much of the …
Sergeant's Obtains Patent For Pest Control FormulaJanuary 17, 2011Sergeant's Obtains Patent for Pest Control FormulaSergeant's Obtains Patent for Pest Control FormulaSergeant's Obtains Patent for Pest Control FormulaSergeant's Pet Care Products Inc. of Omaha, Neb., reported today that it has acquired the rights to a patented pest-control formula from Sumitomo Chemical Co. of Japan. Sergeant's Pet Care Products Inc. of Omaha, Neb., reported today that it has acquired the rights to a patented pest-control formula from Sumitomo Chemical Co. of Japan. newslinePosted: January 17, 2011, 7 p.m., EDT Sergeant's Pet Care Products Inc. of Omaha, Neb., reported today that it has acquired the rights to a patented pest-control formula from Sumitomo Chemical Co. of Japan. The deal allows Sergeant's to manufacture and sell spot-on pesticide compositions that combine fipronil with an insect growth regulator, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Both fipronil and the insect growth regulator s-methoprene are used in top selling veterinary channel flea and tick product Frontline Plus. "The license agreement with Sumitomo for its pest controlling formulation is both exciting and important for Sergeant's," said Bob Scharf, president and CEO of Sergeant's. "It will allow us to gain access into a large market that has been dominated by a small number of products." Caryn …
Dr. Stephen Ettinger Receives Lifetime Achievement AwardJanuary 17, 2011 Stephen Ettinger, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, chief medical officer at Pet DRx, received the 2011 Mark L. Morris, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in small animal veterinary internal medicine, small animal cardiology, teaching and hospital management. The award was presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. on Jan. 15 during the opening ceremony of the North American Veterinary Conference being held in Orlando, Fla. “Each year, our nominees have experience in a wide range of fields in the veterinary profession,” said Janet Donlin, DVM, chief veterinary officer at Hill’s. “Dr. Ettinger’s organizational service, research contributions and involvement in the academic future of veterinary medicine put him at the forefront and made him a natural choice to receive the Mark L. Morris, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, his authored Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine remains the gold standard in veterinary internal medicine resources.” In recognition of Dr. Ettinger’s lifetime of service, Hill’s will donate $20,000 to the Morris Animal Foundation in his name. The nonprofit was founded by Dr. Mark Morris, Sr., in 1948 and has since funded more than 1,700 studies. <Home>
Co-Promotion Focuses On Feline HyperthyroidismJanuary 14, 2011 Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, and Dechra Veterinary Products of Overland Park, Kan., reported yesterday that they have partnered in an effort to help identify and manage feline hyperthyroid disease. Now through March 31, practices that purchase any box of Idexx Snap T4 tests will receive two bottles of Dechra’s Felimazole (methimazole) coated tablets (2.5 mg) at no extra cost. The co-promotion is designed to make diagnosing and treating feline hyperthyroidism more efficient and affordable, according to the two companies. “Hyperthyroidism is one of the most commonly diagnosed feline endocrine disorders,” said Tammi Lesser, LVT, director of marketing for Idexx VetLab, Idexx Laboratories. “Our Snap T4 point-of-care test and Dechra’s Felimazole 2.5 mg tablets give veterinarians a convenient, cost-effective way to provide pet owners with Real-Time Care; they can diagnose and start treatment of this chronic, progressive disease immediately. The ability to discuss diagnostic results and treatment plans face-to-face with clients may also help increase compliance by as much as 40 percent.” For details on the program, click here. <Home>
Four Fronts In The War Against Evil BugsJanuary 13, 2011 Surgical asepsis should constantly be on the mind of anyone with an interest in surgery. We asked Scott Weese, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, to share some pearls of wisdom on how to prevent surgical infections. Our colleague at the University of Guelph vet school is an internist turned infectious disease specialist (see box). We talked about the four facets of surgical asepsis: how to take care of surgical instruments, how to keep your OR sterile, how to scrub patients and how to scrub your hands. Instrument sterility “There is often a lack of quality control with instrument sterility. If you use chemical indicator strips, the first question is: do you look at them before using your instruments? The second question is, are you aware that autoclave tape (on the outside) and chemical indicator strips (on the inside) are not 100% reliable?” Arguably, the best sterility indicators are biological. They are reasonably affordable (maybe around $5 each) and contain bacteria. If the bacteria have been killed by your sterilization cycle, then you can rest assured that your instruments are truly sterile. Biological indicators probably don’t need to be used daily. “In general practice, they could be used every …
N.C. State Introduces Program To Help Pets With Heart DiseaseJanuary 13, 2011 Veterinary cardiologists at North Carolina State University unveiled today a Web-based resource to help veterinarians and pet owners across United States support dogs and cats with heart disease. The N.C. State Cardiology Care Network, developed by clinicians with the Cardiology Service at N.C. State’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), provides a range of educational tools, advanced diagnostics, consultative services and treatment options to improve the lives of dogs and cats with various heart conditions. “The cardiology care network is the first of its kind for veterinary patients,” said Dr. Bruce Keene, a professor of cardiology at N.C. State. “We designed the network to serve as a personalized resource for veterinarians and their clients with the goal of improving both the inpatient and outpatient management of pets with heart disease.” Veterinarians who participate in the network will have the opportunity to work closely with the VTH Cardiology Service team to develop individual treatment plans that offer the best “therapeutic fit” for both patients and pet owners. The network team will coordinate with the consulting veterinarian and pet owner to access advanced cardiac services. The network offers: • Access to the proprietary online …
