Smithsonian’s National Zoo Veterinarians Check Elephant’s ArthritisMarch 8, 2016Shanthi is a 9,000-pound Asian elephant that lives at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Now in her 40s, Shanthi is suffering from arthritis and needs regular checkups by the zoo’s veterinarians. A recent checkup was filmed and involves the zoo’s veterinary team evaluating Shanthi to check the progression of her arthritis as well as to look for infection. Take a look: </center> Shanthi’s foot was X-rayed and the veterinary team found that her infection had not spread, but was localized to one area. Even though they were relieved, the veterinarians will continue to monitor her health. At this time they are treating her infection with topical disinfectants and microbials. The team is also helping her exercise to reduce the impact of the arthritis, The Telegraph reports. Born in Sri Lanka around 1975, Asian elephant Shanthi developed arthritis in her front-left leg more than a decade ago.... Posted by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Have you ever had to do a checkup on a such a large animal? Share your story in the comments.
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Iowa Vet College Upgrades AquariumMarch 8, 2016Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has upgraded and doubled the size of its aquarium, making it home to 175 freshwater fish. Eighteen schooling fish species are represented in the 350-gallon tank, according to the college. The new fish are all native U.S. species, with a majority being Mississippi River fish. The largest fish should grow to between six and eight inches when it reaches adulthood, the college reported. The fish, which were shipped from an East Coast company, became acclimated in the college’s new 200-gallon sump tank before being transferred to the aquarium. “We have worked hard to make sure that we have not only fish that will get along, but by putting them into the aquarium at the same time they won’t develop territories,” said Samantha Ford, president of the Aquatic Animal Medicine Club, which promotes aquatic animal education while ensuring the proper care of the new aquarium. Christopher Gannon, Iowa State University News Service Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine's new 350-gallon aquarium is home to 175 freshwater fish. The new fish are all native U.S. species, with a majority …
Veterinarian Creates Way to Make Senior Dogs’ Lives a Little EasierMarch 7, 2016Clients with senior dogs may come in to your veterinary office with a host of complaints. Their senior dog has trouble eating or getting up and down stairs. Maybe their senior dog needs help standing up or isn’t as active as he once was. Perhaps their senior dog can’t grip the floor as easily as he could when he was younger and is now prone to slipping. That was the complaint Julie Buzby, DVM found in her practice. She has been a practicing veterinarian for 19 years, but earlier in her career, she became certified in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic. Due to that, she started seeing more geriatric dogs than she normally might have. “Most of the senior dogs I treated were improving with medications, herbs, supplements, and alternative therapies,” Buzby said on Dogster.com, “but my clients worried about their dogs slipping on the floors at home. I understood their frustration.” After opening her own clinic and then selling it in 2008, she moved with her family to South Carolina where she works in a veterinary clinic part-time. It was there, at an annual open house in 2011, that the idea for a product that would …
Purdue Veterinarians Now Using Underwater Treadmill to Rehabilitate Dogs and CatsMarch 7, 2016After suffering a back injury, a 2-year-old Dachshund named Bond had movement in his front legs, but not his back legs. His owner, Robin Ream, told WLFI, “We were afraid that he might be on wheels for the rest of his life.” Instead, Bond underwent surgery and is currently in a rehabilitation program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Bond’s therapy involves a newly installed underwater treadmill. Stephanie Thomovsky, DVM and Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, runs the teaching hospital's physical rehabilitation service. She told WLFI, “When you’re in water, you’re lighter and you’re easier to lift, so their hips are easier to lift, if they have a neurologic injury. Even if they have something orthopedically, the warming effects of the water help with that. Also, them being lifted and the buoyancy of the water helps make it easier for them to move.” She added that “it helps to rebuild kind of the mind and body connection.” The underwater treadmill therapy so far has proven beneficial. After just five weeks, Bond …
2016 Western Veterinary Conference: Day 1March 7, 2016One of the largest veterinary continuing education events is held every year in Las Vegas: The Western Veterinary Conference (WVC). The annual event attracts thousands of veterinary professionals to Sin City for a week of hands-on labs, seminars, workshops, lectures, networking and much more in six topic areas: small animal, equine, veterinary technician, practice management, food animal, and avian and exotics. Once you're done for the day, you can head out and check out all Las Vegas has to offer, from casinos to live shows. The WVC, as they write on their website, is "dedicated to providing quality continuing education to the veterinary community through an array of learning styles and environments. Our courses provide comprehensive, progressive and practical knowledge that can be applied immediately to the veterinary practice." More than 1,000 CEs are available to participants. Have you never been to a WVC event? Here are a few highlights on what to look forward to below. (Click on each photo for explanation.) Next year’s conference will take place March 5 through 9, 2017.
2016 Western Veterinary Conference Starts TodayMarch 6, 2016One of the world’s largest veterinary continuing education (CE) events is starting today in Las Vegas. The annual Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) is expected to attract nearly 15,000 veterinary professionals to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from March 6 to 10, 2016. The conference is five days of seminars, wokshops, new product announcements, networking functions, entertainment and an opportunity to connect with colleagues. This year’s conference has been dedicated to Dr. Randall G. Ezell, who served as the WVC president, Secretary-Treasurer and board member. Participants can choose from a variety of learning environments including: meal-time seminars, workshops, symposia, lectures and hands-on labs across six topic areas: small animal, equine, veterinary technician, practice management, food animal, and avian and exotics. Hands-on labs with expert instructors will be held at WVC’s Oquendo Center, a clinical educational facility located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. “We are constantly striving to make each conference better than the year before,” said WVC CEO David Little in a press release. “More than 1,000 hours of CE will be available for participants to create their own learning experience. And the new date in March has allowed WVC to have a dedicated space at Mandalay Bay, which will make …
Pet Owner's Video About Dangers of Xylitol Goes ViralMarch 4, 2016It’s no question dogs will eat strange things — we have a yearly X-ray contest showcasing the odd things found in their stomachs. Dancer, a 1-year-old Labrador retriever, is no exception, but what she ate nearly killed her. She devoured roughly 25 pieces of sugar-free gum that contained xylitol. Dancer’s owner Jeni Connor rushed her to Seville Veterinary Hospital in Gilbert, Ariz. She suffered a seizure on the way there, and the veterinarians at the hospital gave her a shot of glucose. Then she was transferred to the Emergency Animal Clinic, which is affiliated with BluePearl Veterinary Partners. Dr. Raegan Wells, a board-certified in emergency and critical care, took over Dancer’s care. According to Blue Pearl, “Dancer’s blood glucose levels were monitored around the clock and that the dog received medicine for possible liver damage. Xylitol prompts dogs’ bodies to secrete too much insulin, which can cause their blood sugar levels drop dangerously.” In 2015, there were more than 2,800 xylitol-related calls to the Pet Poison Helpline, compared to 300 calls in 2009, Blue Pearl reported. While Dancer was recovering, Connor, with the help of her daughters Whitney, 9, and Haley, 11, posted a Facebook video warning …
Veterinary Students, Low Income Pet Owners Win With Free ClinicMarch 4, 2016How many times have you heard “I just can’t afford it” from a client when it comes to their pet’s veterinary care? While you might be able to combat the issue on a client-by-client basis, doing so on a wider scale might be a bit more difficult. Enter Canada’s Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) and the University of Calgary. The two have teamed up for the second year to bring free veterinary checkups to the pets of low-income owners. Doing so not only helps owners who may not otherwise be able to afford veterinary care, but it also helps veterinary students. The students conduct the exams, giving them real-world experience that is essential in this field. Danielle Cyr, a student at University of Calgary’s veterinary school, told CBC News, “I think it's one of the most valuable things we do as part of our program. We spend our first three years practicing with actors and some of our animals at the school. But to come down here and have the opportunity to interact with real people who love their animals and real animals with real …
NCSU Veterinarians, Duke Doctors Join Forces to Fight CancerMarch 4, 2016Cancer is a terrible disease. We’ve all been affected by it either personally or through someone we know (I just lost my aunt to cancer two weeks ago). It seems that it’s more and more prevalent nowadays, not only affecting our human loved ones, but our animals as well. Chances are you’ve treated some of those animals who were (or are) afflicted with cancer. Some have survived; some haven’t. When they do, it’s often deemed a miracle. One such miracle came in the form of a 13-year-old Labrador Retriever named Eliza almost one and a half years ago. She was placed in a clinical trial at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine after a diagnosis of nose and mouth cancer, The News & Observer reports. Her symptoms started with a swollen snout, before she began bleeding from her mouth. The veterinarian informed Eliza’s owner, Lynne Murchison, that the Lab had about five weeks to live. At most. Unwilling to give up, Murchison searched for — and found — a clinical trial at NCSU’s vet school. It was for oral tumors. According to The News …
AVMA Convention Registration Now OpenMarch 4, 2016Registration for the 153rd annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention 2016 is now open. The convention will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on August 5 to 9, 2016. The AVMA convention offers continuing education (CE) opportunities in all disciplines and practice types. It also features an exhibit hall for attendees to see the latest products and services available to the veterinary industry. New to convention this year is a “Meet-the-Experts Roundtable” that will feature more than 20 roundtable discussions related to current topics in veterinary medicine. Also there is a one-of-a-kind addition to the exhibit hall is the AVMA’s Vet Clinic Live!. The state-of-the-art veterinary facility will serve as an interactive educational space for exhibitors to engage with attendees and showcase their products as they would be used in an actual clinic, along with live action scenarios based on case studies. Convention attendees will be able to download an app for the AVMA Convention, which allows user to plan CE and events, download session handouts, track CEs and receive CE certificates. It will also be updated with convention alerts. New features to the app this year will include a messaging system so attendees can network with other attendees, …
