Getting into the "tick" of thingsAugust 8, 2019Donning protective coveralls and rubber boots duct-taped above the ankle, eight trade editors and writers wade into the mid-thigh-high grass, wary of the tips that are likely to yield the tick species inhabiting this part of northeastern Kansas, near the college town of Manhattan.
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If liberal arts are on the decline... are veterinarians getting dumber?October 25, 2018It’s no secret a liberal arts education is less in vogue these days than it was 50, 20, or even five years ago. Getting a specialized education is what it’s all about. After all, if the end goal is an increasingly specialized workforce, it’s argued, does it not make sense to start specializing earlier in one’s scholastic career?
Improving the veterinary experience for catsSeptember 6, 2018It's doubtful any kind of service business is capable of receiving a near-perfect satisfaction rate, including most veterinary practices—except for those that are certified as Cat Friendly Practices (CFP). In January, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) announced the results of its 2017 Cat Friendly Practice Survey, which found a 99 percent satisfaction rate among participating veterinary clinics. The CFP program is a collaboration of feline experts who provide guidelines to ensure a more positive and less stressful veterinary experience for cats and their owners. According to Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, MS, DABVP, AAFP co-chair of CFP, it was a long time coming. "There was recognition that the experience of cats and their owners just hasn't been good enough, and there are ways we can do better," Dr. Colleran said. "Seeing more cats and providing better healthcare, and thus a better quality of life for those cats, is possible." "Using low-stress handling techniques on cats minimizes high stress in the veterinary team. It's a safer and more effective way to practice," said Jan Yaroslav, RVT, VTS (dentistry), of Mangrove Veterinary Hospital in Chico, Calif. Most importantly, when cats panic and their cortisol levels skyrocket, the quality of the exam isn't …
Letters to the Editor: June 2016 IssueJune 23, 2016Open Dialogue is Best I was pleased to see the “Open letter to the veterinary community” signed by Dr. Ralph L. Brinster and 19 others [Viewpoint, May 2016]. While I don’t closely follow the veterinary educational issues addressed in the letter, I have experienced and have heard of others having letters rejected by JAVMA editor-in-chief Dr. Kurt Matushek for similarly stated reasons—“not add(ing) any new information or advanc(ing) any new argument.” It appears the current editor of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has taken a different direction than his predecessor, Dr. Janis Audin, who did an excellent job of moderating letters to JAVMA, even when she disagreed with the letter writer’s point of view. Now, it seems, if the JAVMA editor disagrees with the premise of a letter, it is summarily rejected. Such is not a healthy practice in representing the variety of views within our profession. I once responded to a letter written to JAVMA by a non-AVMA member who asserted that our profession was sexist. My response questioned the writer’s criteria by which we were judged to be sexist, noting among other things that the current gender ratio …
Reply to An 'Open Letter to the Veterinary Community About COE Standards'June 23, 2016The original letter here: Viewpoint: An Open Letter to the Veterinary Community About COE Standards Even the most casual reader of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association knows that the journal has not shied away from publishing a wide diversity of views, including views that disagree with those of the AVMA. As editor-in-chief of the largest veterinary medical journal in the world—and one of the largest biomedical journals—I take quite seriously the journal’s mission “to promote the science and art of veterinary medicine and provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of ideas important to the profession.”AVMA. As editor-in-chief of the largest veterinary medical journal in the world—and one of the largest biomedical journals—I take quite seriously the journal’s mission “to promote the science and art of veterinary medicine and provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of ideas important to the profession.” The truth is that very, very few letters submitted to JAVMA are rejected. As editor-in-chief, I do, however, demand that letter writers maintain a certain level of professionalism and, as indicated in our instructions, will not publish letters containing defamatory, libelous or malicious statements or letters representing attacks on or …
Footnotes for Evidence-Based Medicine — March 2015March 2, 20151 West DP. Hemp and marijuana: myths and realities. North American Industrial Hemp Council, Inc. Accessed at http://naihc.org/hemp_information/content/hemp.mj.html on 1-16-15. 2 High Times. The strongest strains on Earth: 2014. March 11, 2014. Accessed at http://www.hightimes.com/ss2013 on 01-16-15. 3 National Conference of State Legislatures. State industrial hemp statutes. September 15, 2014. Accessed at http://www.ncsl.org/research/agriculture-and-rural-development/state-industrial-hemp-statutes.aspx on 01-16-15. 4 AVMA website. A sign of the times: Medical marijuana use and veterinary medicine. July 15, 2013. Accessed at http://atwork.avma.org/2013/07/15/a-sign-of-the-times-medical-marijuana-use-and-veterinary-medicine on 01-20-15.
Open Letter to AVMA Board Chairman Chip Price and Responses, March 2015 LettersMarch 2, 2015Should the Council on Education remain the accrediting body for U.S. veterinary colleges? Should the council still accredit foreign schools? What role should the American Veterinary Medical Association continue to play in the council’s work? Do conflicts of interest exist? These are some of the questions at the root of a raging debate in the veterinary community. Veterinary Practice News presents an open letter from four noted veterinary professionals to AVMA board of directors chairman Chip Price along with responses from Dr. Price and from Western and Lincoln Memorial universities, which the open letter references. Open letter to AVMA board chairman Chip Price Dear Dr. Price, Our profession, concerned about the proliferation and accreditation of veterinary schools that fail to meet Council on Education (COE) standards, has turned a critical eye on the AVMA’s leadership, its culture, judgment, vision for the future and capacity to lead. Membership approval of AVMA policies, procedures, decisions and philosophy can no longer be taken for granted. We hope, therefore, that you will consider using the precious commodity of time left in your tenure as AVMA board chairman to begin a process that will result in a more transparent, responsive, inclusive and accountable …
Veterinary Practice News November 2014 FootnotesNovember 6, 2014What ‘One Health’ Is Missing Surgical Insights
They Ate WHAT?! - A Look Behind The ContestSeptember 5, 2014 Veterinary Practice News editor Marilyn Iturri created the “They Ate WHAT?!” contest in 2006 to showcase the humorous situations veterinarians and pet owners can face as well as the clinical advances available through digital radiography. The 2014 contest was sponsored by Trupanion, a pet insurance company in Seattle, Wash. This year the first place winner, a frog that had eaten 30 rocks from inside his cage, was submitted by Shawn Messonnier, DVM of Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in Plano, Texas. Tim Gossman, DVM, of Gulf Breeze Animal Hospital took home the second place prize with his entry of a German shorthaired pointer that had swallowed a shish kabob skewer. The submission by DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital of a Great Dane who had eaten 43.5 socks was not only the third place winner, but also took the internet by storm. The competition was a hit with readers from the start. Some trends have been apparent from the first year. Veterinarypracticenews.com A dog who ate a shish kabob skewer took home the second place prize from Trupanion. “This year’s entries featured some of our old standards, such as …
