AAVMC Board Of Directors Approves NAVMEC ReportJuly 21, 2011The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges board of directors approved the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC) report on the future of veterinary medical education. The nine-member NAVMEC board created The Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century report, which details a need for an alliance between veterinary medical education, accreditation and testing/licensure groups to facilitate U.S. veterinary graduates with tools to meet pet owners’ needs. “We recognize that there are many ways to educate students to become veterinarians and that each college is unique and serves a unique constituency,” said Dr. Willie M. Reed, immediate past-president of the AAVMC board of directors and dean of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. “But this effort will go a long way toward ensuring that academic veterinary medicine continues to evolve and adapt in order to remain relevant. With NAVMEC, academic veterinary medicine continues to be one step ahead of change.” NAVMEC Authors’ Industry Goals: • Create proficient veterinarians who use an agreed-upon set of core competencies • Competence-driven admissions, curricula, accreditation and testing/licensure • Share resources to ensure veterinary education is quality and cost effective • Promote an economically viable education system …
SPONSORED CONTENTYear-Round Tick Control is ImportantEmpower dog owners to protect their dogs with protection approved by the FDA for the prevention of Lyme infections in dogs as a direct result of killing black-legged ticks. + Learn More
Veterinarians And DEFRA Support Measures To Control TB In CattleJuly 21, 2011 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a controlled cull of badgers as a key component of the bovine tuberculosis (TB) eradication plans for England. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and its specialist cattle division the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) support the cull to control TB in cattle and wildlife. “The BVA and BCVA have long argued for a targeted, humane badger cull to be used alongside stricter cattle controls,” said Dr. Harvey Locke, president of the BVA. “We believe that failure to tackle wildlife sources of TB infection has prolonged the presence and enhanced the spread of infection in all affected species populations.” DEFRA announced a plan to license groups of farmers and landowners to carry out controlled culls of badgers during a nine-week time frame. The association will also remove some exemptions to pre-movement testing to reduce TB spread. DEFRA says the department plans to financially invest in the development of cattle and oral badger vaccines. The BVA and BCVA said science supports the case for a badger cull, along with the need for stricter cattle control measures in areas where badgers are a contributor to the persistent presence …
BVA Looks To Expand Draw To Veterinary ProfessionJuly 21, 2011 Simon Hughes MP, the coalition government's advocate for access to education, today issued a report on widening access to veterinary education, while the British Veterinary Association (BVA) provided ideas on how to encourage people from non-traditional backgrounds into veterinary medicine. Hughes’ report on access to education recognizes that longer courses, such as the veterinary science degree, require additional support to help attract applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. In past surveys, the BVA determined financial restraints deterred some students from pursuing a veterinary degree. “Newly qualified vets are guaranteed one of the most expensive degree courses while entering a profession that is relatively low paid when compared to other professions with long degree courses,” said Dr. Harvey Locke, president of BVA. “The profession needs additional support to help attract the brightest students from all backgrounds and to ensure less well-off students are not discouraged from starting or continuing the veterinary degree on their path into this wonderful profession.” The Hughes Report suggests that education institutions recruiting for longer courses and the organizations associated with these professions should have particular programs aimed at widening access to these courses. “We know that some veterinary schools already …
Human-Animal Bond Group Forms Initial Steering CommitteeJuly 20, 2011 The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative Foundation (HABRI), a recently incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the positive role animals play in the health and well being of people and communities, announced today the members of its initial steering committee, as well as three association supporters. The initial HABRI steering committee members are the American Humane Association; American Veterinary Medical Association; Central Garden and Pet Co.; Hartz; Hill’s Pet Nutrition; Morris Animal Foundation; Natural Balance; Petsmart; Radio Systems Corp.; Segrest Farms, funded by Allen Levey; Sergeants; and Wellpet. In addition, the Pet Industry Distributors Association, The Pet Care Trust and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council have joined HABRI at the association supporter level. “We are pleased that these companies, organizations and industry leaders recognize the importance of HABRI’s efforts and have joined us to support research, education, advocacy and a national commitment to the positive impact of the human-animal bond,” said Bob Vetere, president the American Pet Products Association, which along with Petco and Pfizer Animal Health is a founding sponsor of HABRI. “Together with their support we are poised to help others come to understand what we already know, that the human-animal bond has …
Merck Animal Health Expands Netherlands Vaccine PlantJuly 20, 2011 Merck Animal Health is expanding a vaccine manufacturing facility at its Biosciences Center, Boxmeer campus in the Netherlands. The $18 million expansion doubles the company’s tissue culture department capacity where antigens for viral and parasitological vaccines are manufactured. The existing facility manufactures more than 100 different vaccines and is expected to be operational with the expansion by 2013. The manufacturing increased ability will allow for larger general production and large-scale emergency production of veterinary vaccines within a short time period such as during outbreaks of emerging diseases. “Animal health is an important part of Merck’s business going forward and the company is committed to the strategic development of the animal health business,” said Dr. John T. McCubbins, senior vice president for animal health manufacturing at Merck Animal Health. The tissue culture department specializes in biotechnological production processes that require high flexibility, using roller bottles, cell factories and other cell and virus culture and purification systems. In 2010, the department produced 12 different antigens, totaling almost 300 million vaccine doses for cattle, horses, dogs, cats, fish and swine. “The investment in the extension of the tissue culture department here in Boxmeer is of significant importance as …
BioVeteria Licenses Regenerative Technology For Cartilage And BoneJuly 20, 2011 BioVeteria Life Sciences LLC, an Arizona-based bioscience company, has licensed an orally active cartilage and bone repair technology called ANABU from the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN). The technology showed the ability to stimulate cartilage cell proliferation, enhance bone repair and preserve cartilage and bone architecture in severe models of arthritis, according to its maker. Common disorders found in veterinary medicine such as osteochondrosis dessicans, fracture repair, bone cysts and navicular disease may be treated using this new technology. “We are very excited to be working with CAN on this new technology,” said Craig Woods DVM, MS, MBA, general manager for BioVeteria. “The technology represents a significant advancement in veterinary orthopedics and proposes to improve our understanding on new techniques for cartilage and bone regeneration. In addition, our comparative work in dogs and horses will benefit our understanding for human medicine.” The technology is an optimized glucosamine derivative and was developed by Tassos Anastassiades, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and biochemistry and head of the division of rheumatology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. The lead compound was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. “CAN is very pleased to be working with BioVeteria,” said Johnathan Riley, …
BVA Responds To Union Recruitment CampaignJuly 19, 2011 Unite the Union, a British and Irish trade union, launched a recruitment campaign for those working in veterinary practices and set up a professional advisory committee within its health sector. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) today made a statement regarding their sentiment toward the campaign. “Those working in veterinary practice have always been able to join Unite or any other trade union and it is unclear whether vets are actually being offered anything new in this recruitment campaign," said Dr. Harvey Locke, president of the BVA. “The BVA provides the majority of services traditionally offered by a union and we are constantly working to improve our services to support the veterinary team.” Dr. Locke said in the past two years the BVA has developed mediation and legal representation services to help members through difficult issues in the workplace. The BVA’s 24/7 legal helpline receives approximately 600 calls a year on employment and personal issues. The BVA is a stakeholder of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland administrations and represents members on issues such as pet travel, bovine tuberculosis and medicine regulations.
U Of F Offers Urinary Treatment OptionsJuly 19, 2011 University of Florida (UF) veterinarians expanded treatment capabilities for animals that suffer from urinary obstructions ranging from cancer to kidney stones. UF veterinarians are treating cancer of the urethra in dogs through a combination of high-dose targeted radiation and chemotherapy. Last year veterinary oncologists devised a treatment for cancers in the bladder neck, an area of thick muscle where the bladder joins the urethra. “Most veterinarians aren’t aware that we can treat tumors in the bladder neck by surgically removing the area containing the cancer and then moving the ureters into a healthy part of the bladder,” said Nick Bacon, a clinical assistant professor of surgical oncology at the UF Small Animal Hospital. “Frequently, veterinarians will tell their clients that with cancer of the bladder neck that there is nothing that can be done, so we feel it’s important to get the word out that at UF we have the ability to help them.” UF veterinarians say they removed a cancerous tumor in the bladder neck in a mixed-breed dog named Tucker following up with chemotherapy treatments. “He was doing well, until around six months after surgery, when we began to see small tumor growth …
Physical Rehab, Integrative Medicine As Growth OpportunitiesJuly 18, 2011 These are difficult times for many small businesses, and veterinary practices are no exception. Prior to the recession, industry reports indicated a declining trend in several metrics, including patient visits, transactions and new clients. Confirmation of this decline came earlier this year with the release of the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study. This study compiled industry data, extensively surveyed pet owners and presented it in a format that left little room for interpretation. The study also confirmed that declining veterinary metrics are not a result of a shrinking potential market base. From 1996-2006 the number of pets owned in the U.S. grew at a steady rate of approximately 10 million per year, but the number of veterinary visits, which had matched or exceeded this rate of growth until 2001, fell flat and began a slow decline. To reverse this trend, our profession needs to evaluate our ability to convert pet owners into active, educated clients. If there is a bright side, it is that the average per-transaction dollar amount has continued to grow, in most cases as a result of incremental fee increases. Yet even these increases have been unable to make up for the declining …
Partnership For Preventive Pet Healthcare EstablishedJuly 18, 2011 A new Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare was announced today at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in St. Louis. The partnership was created to address an increase in the prevalence of preventable pet health conditions. The stated goal of the partnership is to provide guidance and ensure that veterinary visits lead to early detection and prevention to extend pets’ quality of life. Despite a growing pet population, fewer pets are seen for routine veterinary exams, according to the AVMA. Experts agree that the exam decrease is linked to an increase in preventable and treatable illnesses in pets and say veterinarians could do more to communicate benefits of preventive healthcare. "It is important that we recognize that, as a profession, we have to be better at educating pet owners regarding the importance of preventive care and of the unique role that veterinarians play in enhancing the relationship between pet owners and their best friends," said Michael Moyer, VMD, president of AAHA. Initial plans of the partnership include creating tools for veterinarians to communicate the value of preventive care to pet owners. Educational and awareness initiatives directed toward pet owners are also planned with launch …
