Letters to the Editor: May 2016 IssueApril 29, 2016Confronting a Complex Issue I am compelled to write in response to your article “Confronting Suicide” [March 2016] by Dr. Lou Anne Wolfe. First, I would like to say that I do not know any of the deceased referenced in the article, and I write only of my personal experiences as a veterinarian. The article not only misrepresented veterinary professionals but also discredited the profession by stating that veterinarians “are not used to failing” as one explanation for suicide. I would venture to guess that most veterinarians would agree that that statement is a gross misrepresentation of the problems we face and in no way begins to explain why someone would take his or her life. It’s not about failing; it’s about real problems inherent in veterinary medicine. For example, there is a complete lack of a support system among veterinary professionals, particularly if one is a solo practitioner, like me. For those of us involved with rescues and shelters, there’s the endless stream of neglected and homeless animals, what sometimes seems like a hopeless animal overpopulation problem, compassion fatigue, long hours and intense physical demands, juggling client money …
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Tennessee Vet College to Host Equine Podiatry ConferenceApril 29, 2016The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine will host its third annual Equine Podiatry Conference in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 21. The conference is geared for veterinarians and farriers. Continuing education credits are available. Topics will include body condition scoring, Palmar Foot Pain and farrier techniques for managing the condition. A pre-conference workshop covering the anatomy and physiology of the foot will be held May 20 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Speakers slated for the conference: Scott Plesant, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. He is a board-certified surgeon and currently serves as Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Equine Podiatry Service, as a member of the Equine Field Service Section, and as the college’s Equine Extension Liaison. His clinical and research interests include equine podiatry, lameness and nutrition. Travis Burns, a lecturer and the chief of Farrier Services at Virginia Tech. He attended farrier school at the North Carolina School of Horseshoeing and received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State University. Burns worked at the university’s College of …
Florida Veterinary Student Named 2016 National Winner of the Bayer Excellence in Communication AwardApril 28, 2016Bayer Animal Health today announced that Brittany Martabano, a senior from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, is the national winner of the Bayer Excellence in Communication Award (BECA). Brittany was selected from entries representing 27 veterinary schools, which were awarded a total of $70,000 in scholarship funds through the 2016 competition. Over the last four years, Bayer has provided a total of $232,500 in scholarship awards through the BECA communication program. Incorporating effective communication skills in veterinary practice, as well as other medical professions, has long been recognized as one of the main tasks in delivering comprehensive medical care to patients. BECA, established to recognize effective communication in the veterinary profession, rewards veterinary students who are executing this critical core skill that needs to be taught and learned to the same degree as other clinical skills. The competition challenged students to submit a filmed interview between themselves and a veterinary client in a clinical setting. A panel of faculty judges at each participating school selected a winner using a scorecard developed by nationally renowned …
Texas Vet College Receives Accreditation RenewalApril 28, 2016The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) recently awarded the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences full accreditation for the next seven years. Eleanor M. Green, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ABVP, the Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine, announced the accreditation renewal to the college in late April. “Achieving this benchmark in a college with a rich 100-year history during its centennial is especially meaningful,” Dr. Green said. “This designation speaks to the superb quality of the only college of veterinary medicine in the state of Texas, constantly striving for excellence. This is a resounding endorsement of the quality of the faculty, staff and students upon which all programs depend, as well as the leadership of Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M University System and the Board of Regents. The knowledge of the CVM and support by the leadership has been essential.” Green said that during the AVMA COE accreditation site visit exit interview the accreditation team commented on the CVM’s positive learning and working environment and complimented the faculty, staff and students. The team also noted the strong research program and success in engaging students …
Veterinary Professionals Gather to Discuss Ways to Lower Vet Student DebtApril 27, 2016Student debt is an increasingly critical issue for the entire veterinary profession, and how to reduce that debt and improve the overall economic picture for young veterinarians was the focus of a summit called "FIX THE DEBT…Our Future, Our Responsibility" held at Michigan State University last week. Summit attendees put forth a number of recommendations, including: Streamlining curricula Increasing scholarship opportunities Boosting starting salaries Lobbying federal lawmakers for legislation for lower interest rates on student loans Creating a national plan for reducing the debt-to-income ratio The summit, organized jointly by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, brought together approximately 180 individuals from across the veterinary spectrum. The collective goal over the three-day summit was to agree on specific strategies to address the many facets of this complex challenge, with the goal of reducing the debt-to-income ratio. The debt-to-income ratio is an indicator of the financial health of the veterinarian entering the profession, and it currently stands at about 2:1, representing a level of educational debt approximately …
Green Sea Turtle Undergoes Surgery at Perth ZooApril 27, 2016 A Green Sea Turtle at the Perth Zoo in Australia is undergoing surgery to remove two Fibropapilloma lesions that are on her neck. “They are a benign growth which is caused by the herpes virus which is specific for sea turtles,” Perth Zoo Veterinarian Katja Geschke told The Western Australian. The turtle was found in March at Rottnest Island, an island off the western coast of Australia. She was in poor condition, so she was eventually taken to Perth Zoo, and then the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre. There, she was nursed back to health until she could have surgery. After her surgery, the Green Seat Turtle will spend a couple more days at Perth Zoo before going back to the Centre. Once there, she'll undergo rehabiliation until she is fit to return to the wild. While a turtle often seen in Western Australian waters, Green Sea Turtles are endangered.
These Veterinary Practice Signs Will Leave You LolingApril 27, 2016PawMyGosh put together a collage of great veterinary practice signs in their article "These Hilariously Clever Veterinarian Signs Will Have You In Stitches!" Check out the ones featured. Which ones are your favorites? 1) There's this dog joke. 2) *ba dum tish* 3) I see what you did there. 4) There's a reason it's called the Cone of Shame. 5) Just keeping dancing! 6) The "Pug" Life 7) This is why you don't gamble. 8) Another *ba dum tish* 9) Watch your feet.
Study Shows that Canine AD Shares Significant Features of Human ADApril 27, 2016Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin condition and the most common form of eczema, is estimated to afflict as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population, and is much more common now than it was 50 years ago. Veterinary clinical estimates also show that approximately 10 percent of dogs have atopic dermatitis. How AD arises isn’t yet fully understood, but a new study from researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, have uncovered important insights about the association of AD in dogs compared to humans. The study appears online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. To a greater extent than mouse models, canine AD shares important features of the human version. For example, in both humans and dogs AD has been linked to abnormal blooms of Staphyloccocusbacteria on the skin – mostly Staphyloccocus aureus in humans, and Staphyloccocus pseudintermedius in dogs. In the study, the research team, comprised of veterinary dermatologists, microbiologists, pathologists and primary scientists, tracked the bacterial populations, or “microbiomes,” on dogs’ skin, …
Henry Schein Joins World Veterinary Association in Celebrating 'World Veterinary Day'April 27, 2016Henry Schein, Inc., has joined the World Veterinary Association (WVA) to celebrate World Veterinary Day, which recognizes the critical role veterinarians play in protecting animal and human health. World Veterinary Day is celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April. This year on April 30, the WVA will celebrate World Veterinary Day through the promotion of the One Health Concept. According to the WVA, the One Health Concept recognizes that the health and wellbeing of animals, humans, and the ecosystem are interconnected, and depend on effective and sustained collaboration between varied professions and disciplines—both animal and human-focused—in the public and private sectors. "On World Veterinary Day, we honor these dedicated professionals for all that they do in service to the world's animals, and increasingly, its human population as well," said Dr. René Carlson, president of the WVA. "In an ever-shrinking world, the importance and impact of veterinarians will only grow as high-density populations, climate change, and an increasing proximity and affection between people and animals present unique and increasingly important health challenges. The WVA is committed to working with partners around the world to improve the health and …
PetPace Plays Role in Research Into EpilepsyApril 26, 2016PetPace, the maker of a collar-based vital-signs monitor, has launched an epilepsy study in partnership with universities and veterinary hospitals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel. The researchers hope to use collected data such as pulse and respiratory rate, temperature, activity patterns, body posture and heart rate variability to predict and detect seizures in dogs. The lead investigator is Bob Murtaugh, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, the chief medical officer at hospital management company Pathway Partners. “Understanding the true prevalence of seizure activity is invaluable in our attempts to effectively manage epilepsy in dogs,” Dr. Murtaugh said. “The introduction of the PetPace technology will allow us, for the first time in veterinary medicine, to attempt just that: know exactly when, in real time, and for how long each patient has a seizure.” PetPace is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. Originally published in the May 2016 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today!
