Small Mammal Practitioner Wins Clinical Case Report ContestJanuary 6, 2010 Vittorio Capello, DVM, Dipl. ECZM (Small Mammal), a practitioner from Milan, Italy, has been named winner of the Harrisons’ Pet Products 2009 Clinical Case of the Year Award, according to the Lake Worth, Fla.-based company. Dr. Capello’s entry, titled, “Use of HEALx Soother Plus for Postoperative Management of Extensive Osteomyelitis of the Mandible Following Periapical Infection in a Mini Lop Rabbit,” consists of a photographic essay featuring 11 snapshots, said Richard Larson, the company’s creative director. The award includes a $1,000 cash prize and a plaque. The company’s medical review team selected Dr. Capello’s project out of 24 other submissions from veterinarians around the world. This was the first contest in what the company plans to turn into an annual event, Larson said. The contest involves documentation of an animal case in which one of the Harrisons’ Pet Products is used alone or with other products to successfully resolve a disorder. Each case includes an introductory paragraph,犀利士 with a case history and presumptive diagnosis as well as multiple images, and is rated according to the following: Medical relevance. . Case completeness. . Photo …
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Service Dogs Qualify For Free Eye Exams In The U.S. And CanadaJanuary 5, 2010 The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, or ACVO, plans to launch the 3rd Annual ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam event. Thousands of guide dogs, assistance dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs receive free sight-saving eye exams in the United States and Canada during the month of May. As part of the event, more than 150 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists participate in providing free eye exams to service dogs. The goal is to make sure that these animals are being represented so they are able to keep working, according to event organizers. Dr. Robert Peiffer says these ocular exams offer an opportunity to identify any health issues before major complications develop. “Early detection and treatment are keys to fast recovery,” he adds. During an exam, doctors look for any retinal disease or early cataracts. They also check for things that will limit a dog’s vision down the road, such as an ingrown hair or anything that can result in a scratch of the cornea. Registration for the event begins April 1. To qualify, dogs must be active “working dogs” that were certified by a formal training program or organization, or are enrolled in …
Canine Health Foundation Plans Two EventsJanuary 5, 2010 Canine health research stands to gain a financial boost thanks to a pair of special events set to take place in Florida and New York. The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation hosts the Charity Golf Tournament and Party on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The event takes place at the Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Fla. Guests are invited to take a break from the Florida Classic Cluster Dog Shows - the state’s version of the Westminster Dog Show - to play a round of golf for canine health. The tournament starts at 1 p.m. and features a party after the event for golfers and non-golfers, including a buffet dinner. In addition, Friends of the Canine Health Foundation will host a Charity Cocktail Party on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel. All proceeds help fund canine health research. Click here for more information or call 888.682.9696. <HOME>
The 10 Commandments Of Referral BlissJanuary 4, 2010 Most referred surgery cases lead to a healthy patient, a happy client and a pleased referring veterinarian. Little is learned from a well-oiled referral process, but we can all learn from the rare mishap, occasional slip-up and infrequent diplomatic fiasco. I asked several general practitioners and surgeons from across the U.S. to share stories of surgical cases that should have been routine but turned into a difficult situation. From these discussions come our ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek 10 commandments of referral bliss. 1. Thou shalt not use aspirin in vain Photo courtesy of Dr. Phil Zeltzman. This cat, with bilateral sacroiliac luxations, was referred as a paralyzed patient. Aspirin may be an acceptable drug in specific cases, but because of its effect on platelets, it rarely is a surgeon’s best friend. In a perfect world, a seven-day wash-out period should be respected before surgery. This is annoying but doable with an elective procedure such as a ruptured cruciate ligament. But it becomes tricky when the client lives two hours away and needs to drive back one week later. And it is plain risky in …
Freedom From FolkloreJanuary 4, 2010 The aggressive marketing of Chinese veterinary herbs in the U.S. clouds the longstanding tradition of Western veterinary herbal medicine. As authors in an integrative medicine journal acknowledged, “The rise in popularity of complementary and alternative medicine over the past few decades has placed greater demands on medical practitioners to explain and justify their own systems of knowledge and practice.”1 Their research further illuminated the disparity in objectivity and reliability between Western medical and Eastern diagnostic approaches. Why should we turn over our patients’ health and well-being to a primitive and poorly understood system of Chinese medicine when we can reclaim our heritage of herbal prescribing and still provide quality health care? By first establishing a clear-cut diagnosis, we can determine whether plant-based compounds will offer safe and appropriate treatment. We may even introduce Asian herbs if they meet muster, or decide that no herbs can replace the benefits of medication for a given illness. The following list provides a sampling of evidence pertaining to both Western and Asian herbs administered to dogs. Boswellia Veterinarians will find bos-wellia in canine products designed to treat arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Its anti-inflammatory effects are well characterized. …
New Guidelines Published To Promote Appropriate Wellness Care For CatsJanuary 4, 2010 The American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association have released the AAFP/AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines, developed to promote appropriate wellness care for cats. These guidelines recommend cats be seen by a veterinarian at least once a year, regardless of the cat's age. The need for such guidelines was identified by the CATalyst Council, a national initiative to champion the cat, in light of "alarming" statistics reported in the 2007 American Veterinary Medical Association U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. For instance, the sourcebook revealed that the number of cats kept as pets outnumber dogs, yet receive significantly less veterinary care. Further studies have indicated that an inability to recognize signs of illness of injury is a key factor as to why cat owners are unaware of their cat’s medical needs, according to AAFP and AAHA. In addition, the associations note that the concern of a stressful veterinary visit for both cat and owner is a contributing deterrent to veterinary visits for cats. The aim of the guidelines is to help veterinarians act in partnership with cat owners which will in turn enhance the client-veterinary bond, according to AAFP and AAHA. Specifically, …
Down With Live-Plucked DownJanuary 4, 2010 Many of us like to sleep under down-stuffed comforters and on soft down-filled pillows. When it’s cold, there is something special about the lightweight warmth and breathability of down-filled jackets and coats. Down fills bedding, clothing, gloves, furniture and other heat-preserving items for people. Most high-quality down for commercial use comes from the soft layer of smaller feathers that cover the skin of geese and ducks. The sourcing and production of down goes back hundreds of years. While at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference in Seattle last July, I stopped by the Animal Welfare Institute booth and picked up its fall quarterly magazine, which included an article titled “Down on the Goose and Duck Farm.” It reported on a 2009 Swedish TV documentary that estimated today’s down is provided to manufacturers either as a byproduct from ducks and geese slaughtered for meat or by live plucking. Defining the Term What is live plucking? I had to clarify this question for myself. It seemed offensive to me from the start to learn that down feathers might be plucked or harvested from live geese and ducks. Live plucking is the rapid pulling off of feathers from …
Transaction To Form Butler Schein Animal Health CompletedJanuary 4, 2010 Butler Schein Animal Health has officially formed. Henry Schein Inc. and Butler Animal Health Supply first announced the planned merger on Nov. 30. The transaction closed on Dec. 31. The new company, based in Dublin, Ohio, is 50.1 percent owned by Henry Schein and 49.9 percent owned by the owners of Butler Animal Health Supply, including Oak Hill Capital Partners and The Ashkin Family Group. Combined revenue for the last 12 months was about $850 million on a U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles basis. About 900 Butler Schein Animal Health team members, including about 300 field sales representatives and about 200 telesales and customer support representatives, will serve animal health customers in all 50 states. Oak Hill Capital Partners is a private equity firm with offices in Stamford, Conn.; Menlo Park, Calif.; and New York. The Ashkin Family Group distributes veterinary and dental products. The Jericho, N.Y.-based company is also involved in a variety of other businesses. <HOME> Butler Schein Animal Health has officially formed. Henry Schein Inc. and Butler Animal Health Supply first announced the planned merger on Nov. 30. Butler Schein Animal Health has officially formed. Henry …
Interview With A Suture GuruDecember 30, 2009 Suture material is the most common foreign body intentionally left inside patients. It can delay wound healing, cause infection or create an ugly scar. Choosing which suture type to use should therefore be taken seriously. In a perfect world, suture material would be strong, easy to handle, non-reactive, non-toxic and affordable. It also would offer good knot security and be reabsorbed by the body at a predictable rate once the tissue has healed. Courtesy of Dr. Phil Zeltzman Appropriate suture choice and technique are just the beginning. It is important to use an E-collar to prevent self-trauma, as in this 10-year-old Labrador, who had a hemilaminectomy for a disc hernia. But the variety of suture materials and needles can be overwhelming. We asked Thomas McMahan, sort of a suture guru, to help us untangle the web of suture materials in an exclusive interview. Q. What is your background? A. I have been involved in the medical field for the past 40 years. I am a surgical devices consultant for Novartis Animal Health, where I help educate and train veterinarians, vet students, vet technicians and sales …
Natural Vs. Synthetic VitaminsDecember 30, 2009 From holistic websites to nutritional seminars, messages bombarding consumers and the profession argue that “natural” vitamins are better than “synthetics” and often espouse the “more is better” line for orthomolecular or megavitamin therapy. Skeptics counter this by insisting that “with minor exception, molecules made in the ‘factories’ of nature are identical to those made in the factories of chemical companies.”1 They maintain that a good diet should supply all necessary nutrients. The true story builds a much more complex picture. With respect to the argument in favor of food-based vitamins, even natural sources of vitamin A in unnatural quantities produce problems like metabolic osteopathy in cats, a species with particularly high susceptibility to vitamin A toxicity.2 For precursors to vitamin A, the carotenoids, as many as nine factors influence their bioavailability when ingested in food. These variables include: • Their type, diversity and quantity. • The host’s nutrient status, genetic makeup and digestive health. • The integrity of the plant substrate when carotenoids are ingested in food.3,4 The carotenoid lycopene, which lowers prostate cancer risk, illustrates this last point. Cooking improves lycopene bioavailability because heating and homogenizing lycopene-rich tomatoes into paste disrupts …
