Cat-Friendly Practices Happy With ResultsMay 6, 2016Becoming a cat-friendly practice pays off, literally. A survey conducted by the American Association of Feline Practitioners found that nearly 7-in-10 hospitals designated as cat-friendly practices attracted new clients because of the status. Eleven percent gained at least 26 feline patients. Launched in 2012, AAFP’s cat-friendly practice (CFP) program aims to make hospitals more accommodating to the needs of cats and improve the animals’ handling, treatment and overall health. Reducing stress levels during a veterinary visit is of utmost importance. “Our 2015 survey results have definitively concluded that the CFP designation helps practices grow their client base of feline patients as well as positively impacts client compliance with the increase in feline visits,” said Ilona Rodan, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, co-chairwoman of the CFP Committee. Just over 950 veterinary hospitals carried CFP status as of early January. An additional 635 clinics were working to meet program requirements, AAFP reported. The time, money and effort involved in becoming more amenable to cats were worthwhile, the survey found. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents stated that they were satisfied with being designated a cat-friendly practice. The top benefits, according to the survey, included: Less stress in …
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Cornell Vet College Names New DeanMay 6, 2016Cornell University has named Lorin Warnick, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVPM, as the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine. His appointment became effective May 6. Dr. Warnick has been interim dean for the college since August 2015. Prior to that, Warnick served as associate dean for veterinary education since 2007 and director of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals since 2012. “Lorin is the ideal choice to lead the College of Veterinary Medicine as dean,” said Cornell Provost Michael Kotlikoff, VMD, Ph.D. “He is a proven leader who has managed the college effectively and with great thoughtfulness since taking over as interim dean last year. He will keep the college on the cutting edge of best practices in veterinary medicine and scientific research.” Though Warnick has been a faculty member in the college since 1996, he said, “Being interim dean has given me new insights into how the college operates and an in-depth understanding of the main issues we are facing.” As dean, Warnick said his overall vision is “to excel in our core missions of research, veterinary education, graduate education and service to the public.” Specifically, on …
UK Vets Extract Tooth from ElephantMay 5, 2016Lucha, a 33-year-old Asian elephant living at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Whipsnade Zoo, had stopped eating, and veterinarians there quickly found out why: She had a wobbly tooth that had become infected. Veterinary dental surgeon, Dr. Peter Kertesz, who practices in central London, was called in to work with Lucha. He easily extracted the tooth, thanks in part to Lucha being so well-trained. “While most people dread the idea of a visit to the dentist, for Lucha the elephant it was a relaxed experience, due to the regular training and close relationship she has with our keepers," said Nic Masters, head vet at ZSL, on their website. He also added, "When anesthetizing an animal, we can’t predict what side they’ll lie down on, but thanks to training, Lucha was able to lay down on the right side, ensuring we could access her gum easily, and quickly remove the tooth to get her back on her feet as soon as possible.” The whole procedure was caught on camera, which you can watch below: Have you ever …
Study: Labs More Interested in Food Than Other BreedsMay 5, 2016Dog owners tell their vets that Labrador retrievers are always interested in food, and new work shows there might be a biological truth to the claim. A study in the journal Cell Metabolism links a gene alteration specifically found in Labs and related flat-coat retrievers to greater food-motivated behavior, describing the first gene associated with canine obesity. The variation also occurs more frequently in Labradors chosen as assistance dogs, and might explain why these canines seem more trainable with food rewards. The study was called “A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs.” Labrador retrievers are more interested in food and tend to be more obese than other breeds, regardless of owner. "Whenever there's something more common in one breed than another, we think genetics are involved," said Eleanor Raffan, MRCVS, a veterinary surgeon and geneticist at the University of Cambridge who previously studied human obesity before investigating the canine angle. Starting with an initial cohort of 15 obese and 18 lean Labrador retrievers, Raffan and her colleagues selected …
Dean of Purdue’s Vet College Receives Black Graduate Student Association AwardMay 5, 2016The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) recently honored Willie Reed, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, Dipl. ACPV, dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award. The award honors individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to Black Higher Education within the state of Indiana. Designated honorees share “a commitment to play vanguard roles in the struggle to equip tomorrow’s leaders of African descent with the requisite intellectual attainment, technological skills, humanitarian focus, and social commitment and political consciousness so that their scholarly and societal contributions can be more enlightened and enduring than that of the previous and current generations,” Purdue University noted. The award was presented at BGSA’s annual banquet in early April. BGSA members were also honored, including several from the College of Veterinary Medicine, who have completed or will complete the requirements for graduate or professional degrees this academic year. This included: Corina Collins and Stara Robertson of the DVM Class of 2016 and graduate student Moriah Hurt, who will complete her M.S. Animal Welfare in August.
Ruling Months Away in Texas Cat CaseMay 5, 2016Embattled veterinarian Kristen Lindsey, DVM, who admitted using a bow and arrow to kill a cat and then bragged about the act on social media, should learn this fall whether she will keep or lose her Texas license. A two-day hearing held in late April in Austin featured testimony on whether the cat was feral or actually a neighbor’s pet, how fast the animal died and why rural residents often kill undomesticated cats. Both sides are expected to submit and respond to written closing arguments by July 1. Two administrative law judges who presided over the hearing will issue a recommendation to the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which may approve a final decision Oct. 18. Dr. Lindsey could continue her fight by appealing to a state district court. Her attorney, Brian Bishop, criticized the board for pursuing the year-old case, which advanced to the hearing after a mediation attempt failed. “It should be very troubling to Texas taxpayers and to all regulated licensees that the [board] diverted so much in tax money and resources to the prosecution of a license revocation action based on ‘politically incorrect’ actions that had nothing to do with the practice of veterinary medicine,” …
Two Suspects Arrested for Veterinarian's DeathMay 3, 2016A sad story out of Burlington, Colo.: A veterinarian was murdered by her stepson and his friend. According to the police, Cynthia Campbell Eason, DVM, was killed when her stepson and his friend entered her home, beat her to death, and then stole items from the residence. Eason was found dead on Friday afternoon. A tip led police to arrest Dylan Eason, 19, and Isaiah Churchwell, 24, according to Fox 31 Denver. The father of Dylan Eason, Jon Eason, has called for the death penalty for his son and friend. As he wrote on Facebook: "I am wondering as a parent, why I'm so insistent on my son and his friend receive the death penalty for killing my wife over simple greed. I have never felt hate before, but I'm so engulfed in hate, that I want my kid and his friend to pay with their lives. I'm ashamed of feeling this way, I know Cindy would not like my anger and madness that I'm living with." Neighbors and friends reported that they knew Dylan was violent and were "saying he was going to snap one day," …
Midmark Animal Health Announces 'Bring It!' PromotionMay 3, 2016Midmark Animal Health has announced the launch of its “Bring It!” promotion. Veterinarians and veterinary facilities can receive cash incentives and an onsite anesthesia-monitoring course for CE credit when they purchase select veterinary equipment through July 31, 2016. During this promotion, rebates and incentives are available with the purchase of the following products when purchased through an authorized Midmark Animal Health dealer: Matrx Anesthesia Machines (excluding VMR) Midmark UltraClave® Automatic Sterilizers Cardell Touch Vital Signs Monitor Masimo CO2 Module (Masimo Multigas also accepted) 255 Single LED Procedure Light 255 Dual LED Procedure Light Customers who purchase a qualifying Matrx Anesthesia machine with a Cardell Touch Monitor and Masimo CO2 Module can receive a free Anesthesia Monitoring 101 course valued at $1,150. The Anesthesia Monitoring 101 course provides veterinarians and credentialed technicians the training needed to operate and maintain monitoring and anesthesia equipment. Veterinarians and credentialed technicians who complete this session will earn four hours of CE credit. For more info, go to midmarkanimalhealth.com/BringIt
OVC Takes Part in Bone Cancer Clinical TrialMay 3, 2016The University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College recently entered an 8-year-old Rottweiler named Cujo into a clinical trial headed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (NCI COTC). It’s the first such collaboration between the college and the NCI COTC. The study, funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, will include about 160 dogs from 21 veterinary teaching hospitals across North America. Researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of the therapeutic agent rapamycin for treating osteosarcoma in dogs by delaying or preventing metastases. The trial is expected to last about eight to 12 months. “This is exciting for us,” said Paul Woods, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, a veterinary cancer specialist at OVC and co-director of U of G’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation. “Our goal is to improve the dogs’ quality and quantity of life while living with cancer.” Dogs, especially large breeds, develop osteosarcoma 10 times as often as humans, according to the college. OVC’s Animal Cancer Center sees up to three new osteosarcoma cases each week, the college further noted. “We’re not sure why it’s so common in large dogs,” Dr. Woods said. Despite aggressive treatments …
Dog Regains Mobility Thanks to UC Davis NeurologistsMay 2, 2016Not too long ago, Leah, a 4-year-old female Border Collie, got loose from her owner and went missing for the night. When a local veterinary facility found her the next day, the staff immediately called her owner and informed her that Leah had been injured. She had a facial laceration that might have been from a deer kick. Otherwise, she appeared normal, and so her wound was repaired, and Leah was on her way home. Two days later, however, Leah became acutely non-ambulatory. She had minimal motor function in all four limbs, and was unable to sit up on her own. Leah was then hospitalized with a suspected case of tetanus. She was treated with an anti-toxin and other supportive care and monitored. Her severe tetraparesis did not improve for three weeks. Leah’s veterinarians no longer suspected tetanus and were much more concerned that she might have a spinal cord injury. That was when they referred her to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis. Once at UC Davis, specialists in the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service performed a …
