Tuskegee University Becomes a Tobacco Free CampusOctober 7, 2014Tuskegee University has joined more than 1,300 colleges and universities around the nation in becoming a tobacco free campus. The Tobacco Free Policy, which became effective Sept. 2, applies to the entire university community including contractors, vendors, recruits and visitors. The campus-wide policy prohibits the use of all forms of smoking, tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes, water pipes or vapor devices. The policy covers all areas owned or controlled by the university. “Tuskegee University is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for all students, faculty and staff,” according to the policy. Violators at the university could face a $25 fine. Students and employees who break the rule could be punished with an applicable action under the Student Code of Conduct or Human Resources Policies and Procedures, respectively. Visitors that do not comply with the ban could be asked to leave the campus. Most of the university community has cooperated with the new restrictions, said Patrick Mardis, Tuskegee University Police Department chief. “We expected more resistance than this,” Mardis said. “So far, we haven’t gotten any.” The new policy is a strong and positive communication to the university community, according to Rueben Warren, DDS, director of the Tuskegee …
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Is Plasma the Future of Veterinary Medicine?October 3, 2014Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Early in the 1967 Oscar-winning movie “The Graduate,” Mr. McGuire provides young Benjamin, played by Dustin Hoffman, with one word of career advice: plastics. Jump ahead nearly a half century and Ron Robinson, the CEO of Veterinary Energy Technologies Inc., is trying to persuade investors to recognize the potential of an entirely different science: plasma. The future that Robinson envisions was on display in late August in Kansas City, Mo., where a panel of judges chose Veterinary Energy Technologies and its cold plasma invention as the winner of the $2,500 Innovation Award. Fourteen companies at the early or middle stage of their growth were given 10 minutes each onstage to highlight what they would like to introduce to the veterinary market if only investors would buy in to the idea and the business model with cash or expertise. Veterinary Energy Technologies earned the loudest applause at the KC Animal Health Corridor’s annual Investment Forum, but all 14 presenters achieved something more valuable than $2,500: the opportunity to advertise themselves to representatives from 40 financial funds and 88 animal health companies. Investors have bought into the hype, handing over $130 million …
"Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER" Premieres Oct. 4October 3, 2014Neighbors in the Buffalo, N.Y., suburb of Hamburg got used to seeing Susan Kelleher delivering their newspaper as a chicken sat on her shoulder. Then there were the chicken sitting in her family’s front window, the duck swimming in the swimming pool and the rabbit running around the backyard with a bell on its collar. So it should be no surprise that young Susan wound up becoming Susan Kelleher, DVM, an exotic animal practitioner in South Florida. She’s also the star of the new Nat Geo Wild series “Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER,” premiering Oct. 4 at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. “Dr. K,” as she is known to clients, graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and moved to Florida to focus on avian and exotic pet medicine. After a few years working in small-animal practices, she started Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital. Nat Geo Wild cameras document her day-to-day challenges at the clinic in the six-part series. “Nat Geo Wild found us on the Internet,” Kelleher explained. “They wanted to do a show. They have Dr. Pol’s show [‘The Incredible Dr. Pol’] and wanted to do a show involving exotic animals. So they basically …
Pet Blogger, Vet Lorie Huston Dies at 54October 2, 2014Providence, R.I., veterinarian Lorie A. Huston, DVM, a blogger, author and president of the Cat Writers’ Association, died Tuesday from complications of liver failure. She was 54. Dr. Huston died at an Omaha, Neb., hospital. She had been visiting family members. Huston, who practiced at Hoffman Animal Hospital, “struggled with liver issues her entire life,” the Cat Writers’ Association reported on its website. “Earlier this year she had a close call,” the group added. “Despite her more frequent and severe hepatic bouts, she never sought a liver transplant because of the lifelong complications.” Born in Omaha, Huston earned her veterinary degree in 1986 from Iowa State University. She was the first veterinarian to receive Winn Feline Foundation’s Media Appreciation Award, an honor bestowed in May at the BlogPaws conference in Nevada. Her blog, Pet Health Care Gazette, covered cats, dogs, exotic pets, fish and horses. Her last post, from Aug. 31, focused on getting cats acclimated to carriers in the interest of getting them to veterinary appointments and turning the cage into a sanctuary. The author of “Labrador Retrievers: How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend,” Huston also owned and operated the websites Canine Health Care Corner and Feline Health …
Terramycin for Dogs and Cats ReturnsOctober 2, 2014Drug maker Zoetis Inc. has reintroduced the eye ointment Terramycin more than two years after supply issues curtailed distribution. Terramycin (oxytetracycline hydrochloride) Ophthalmic Ointment with Polymyxin B Sulfate is indicated for the treatment of superficial ocular infection and bacterial inflammatory conditions in dogs and cats. The topical antibiotic is not a steroid. It may be used to treat conjunctivitis, keratitis, corneal ulcer and bacterial inflammatory conditions, according to Zoetis. Examiner.com reported in June 2012 that Zoetis’ predecessor, Pfizer Animal Health, suffered a “temporary interruption of supply” that at first was expected to last through 2012. The reason for the extended delay was not revealed. Animal drug shortages are infrequent but may occur for a variety of reasons. Unavailable raw materials, unavailable packaging materials and marketing decisions are among the common causes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated. Two popular drugs currently in short supply are Zoetis’ canine anti-itch medication Apoquel and Merial Ltd.’s Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride), which is used to treat severe heartworm disease in dogs. Zoetis, based in Florham Park, N.J., is working to expand production of Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) and expects the shortage to end by April 2015. The FDA has allowed Merial to import …
Illinois Vet College Names Alumni, Special Service Award RecipientsOctober 2, 2014The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine recently honored six veterinarians as part of the college’s annual Fall Conference for Veterinarians, held in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 11. Four veterinarians received the Dr. Erwin Small Distinguished Alumni Award and two received a Special Service Award. The Dr. Erwin Small Distinguished Alumni Award was created in honor of Erwin Small, DVM. Dr. Small dedicated his entire career to the veterinary profession as professor and associate dean of the Illinois veterinary college. The award recognizes distinguished graduates who have made significant contributions to the veterinary profession or the college. The recipients are: Lloyd Helper, DVM, now an emeritus professor at the college, was part of the faculty for 38 years, including 11 years as the associate dean for academic and student affairs. He was a charter diplomate of American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and has trained and mentored veterinary students, veterinary ophthalmology residents and graduate students. His dedication to the profession includes serving as president of the ACVO, American Society for Veterinary Ophthalmology and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association as well as holding other offices regionally and nationally. Linda Tollefson, DVM, began her public health career as an epidemiologist at …
Arizona Regents Approve UA Vet SchoolOctober 2, 2014A four-year veterinary medicine program planned at the University of Arizona received the go-ahead from the Arizona Board of Regents. The panel approved the school Sept. 25 after hearing about its proposed mission and from stakeholder groups and university administrators. The doctoral program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is scheduled to launch next fall in Tucson with about 100 first-year students. Pending is a comprehensive site visit by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education, which accredits U.S. veterinary schools and some international institutions. The Veterinary Medical and Surgical Program was on the drawing board for years but moved forward quickly with the announcement Aug. 22 of a $9 million gift from the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation. Arizona would join two other fledgling veterinary programs: Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., and Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. The two newest programs began classes in August as the nation’s 29th and 30th veterinary schools. The Board of Regents was told that the Arizona school will be founded on three critical pillars: commerce, human-animal interdependence and One Health. “Not only will the program train DVMs, it will also allow students who do not become …
Mars Unveils Dog, Cat Food Research CenterOctober 1, 2014Mars Petcare expanded its Tennessee footprint today with the opening of the Global Innovation Center, a facility designed for the research and development of dry food for cats and dogs. The eco-friendly research facility is the company’s first in the United States and third overall. The other Global Innovation Centers are in Verden, Germany, and Aimargues, France. As many as 180 dogs and 120 cats will be transplanted from shelters and animal rescues to live at the center in Thompson’s Station, south of Nashville. The animals will receive veterinary and grooming care, indoor and outdoor exercise, and training as they participate in feeding trials, Mars reported. The dogs and cats will be kept for two or three years, Mars spokesman Gregory Creasey said. “After that time, we’ll help them find their forever home by adopting them out to our associates and local community,” Creasey said. “We feel it’s our responsibility to make sure they find a great home. In fact, our associates have already started a waiting list to adopt many of the pets.” Mars has a large presence in Tennessee, which already hosts two facilities in Franklin and single operations in Cleveland, Chattanooga and Lebanon. The international company’s …
On the Scene in ’15: Another Veterinary SchoolOctober 1, 2014Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News The University of Arizona is on the fast track to opening the nation’s 31st veterinary school just one year after Midwestern and Lincoln Memorial universities launched their inaugural classes days apart. A $9 million gift from the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation was announced Aug. 22, providing seed money necessary for establishment of the year-round Veterinary Medical and Surgical Program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. While some veterinary schools require years of planning and construction before the first students enroll, Arizona expects to throw open the doors next fall to an inaugural class of about 100. The university will forgo a teaching hospital and instead focus on a distributive brand of education by sending students to private practices and government agencies, where clinical skills will be taught. Another selling point—one emphasized on the school website—is that graduates may land jobs at a younger age than most other veterinary degree holders. “Students do not necessarily need an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite to apply for admission,” said Bethany Rutledge, the college’s director of administration and communications. “It should save time …
California Pet Insurance Consumer Protection Bill Signed by BrownSeptember 30, 2014California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a law to require pet insurers to disclose more information about their policies, to standardize definitions and provide consumers with a “free look” period. Assembly Bill 2056 is the first law of its kind in regard to pet insurance in the nation, according to the state’s insurance department. The popular bill was supported by many players in the pet insurance industry as well as Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. AB 2056, which goes into effect July 1, 2015, was authored by Matt Dababneh, D-Encino. It garnered unanimous support in both the Assembly and state Senate. Under the law, pet insurers will be required to disclose policy information such as reimbursement benefits and pre-existing condition limitations, and offer a clear explanation of limitations of coverage, such as co-insurance, waiting periods, deductibles and annual or lifetime policy limits. The law also gives consumers a 30-day “free look” period during which a pet insurance policy can be returned for a full refund. One of the carriers that supported the bill was Brea, Calif.-based Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., which evidently had no trouble with the changes called for in the …
