Where Banfield Stands On Other ProceduresAugust 24, 2009 Banfield, The Pet Hospital’s ban on cosmetic tail docking and ear cropping may leave pet owners wondering about other controversial procedures, such as debarking, dewclaw removal and feline declawing. Karen Faunt, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, vice president of medical quality advancement, said Banfield has an official policy against debarking procedures, though she pointed out that the company really didn’t perform such procedures previously. Dewclaw removal is left to a veterinarian’s discretion, Dr. Faunt said. Dewclaws that are not attached can get easily ripped, and the surgery to fix it, which can be complicated, is no fun for the adult pet, she added. Banfield will continue to declaw cats, though it strongly recommends alternatives. “We prefer our clients work with behavioral training and figure out ways to work with their cats,” Faunt said. In reality, she said, a cat tearing up furniture or scratching people is not going to bond with the family and consequently will end up at an animal shelter, where it isn’t likely to find a new home. “So we will continue to declaw to keep cats in homes and prevent them from going to the shelter,” Faunt …
SPONSORED CONTENTArtificial Intelligence (AI) and Veterinary Radiology: Supporting Clinicians with Smarter DiagnosticsAI can help speed up radiologist throughput by properly orienting images on the screen; it can help with a tool like assisted reading, then can edit those findings, if needed. The machine can also assist in writing reports for the radiologist. +
BluePearl Veterinary Partners Joins Bequest ProgramAugust 24, 2009 BluePearl Veterinary Partners has joined the Bequest affinity program to help Frankie’s Friends Charitable Pet Foundation find a cure for pet cancer. Atlanta-based Veracity Payment Solutions, which developed the Bequest program, will donate a portion of every dollar processed in the BluePearl Veterinary Partners’ community to Frankie’s Friends. Funds are donated electronically from the point of sale terminal. BluePearl Veterinary Partners will launch the Bequest program in Tampa, Brandon and Clearwater, Fla., as well as its Kansas City, Minneapolis and New York City locations. Frankie’s Friends has launched Cure Canine Lymphoma, a national program to address lymphoma cancer in dogs. “The program’s goals are to raise public awareness of the successful early treatment of this disease, to underwrite the costs of treatment for financially qualified families and to provide free or heavily subsidized care for dogs enrolled in approved clinical programs of promising new treatments,” said Bonita Voiland, executive director of the nonprofit foundation. Bequest was launched to provide veterinarians access to on-demand grants for families who cannot afford the full cost of their pet’s health care. These grants can offset some of the pro bono services that veterinarians may offer, …
Survey: Charities Continue To Feel Effects Of EconomyAugust 21, 2009 More than half of charitable organizations saw a decline in contributions from March to May compared to the year-ago period, according to a new survey. GuideStar, which provides information on more than 1.8 million nonprofit organizations, conducted the online survey of 2,279 public charities and private foundations in June. About 4 percent of the organizations were animal-related. The survey revealed that 52 percent of organizations reported a decrease in contributions from March to May, 29 percent had no change, 18 percent saw an increase and 1 percent responded “don’t know.” The results were similar to GuideStar’s previous survey, which covered October 2008 through February 2009. “Our latest survey presents both a ‘glass is half full’ and ‘glass is half empty’ scenario,” said Bob Ottenhoff, president and CEO of GuideStar. “On the one hand, the number of nonprofits reporting decreased contributions remained the same as in our previous survey. On the other hand, participants’ comments indicate that their organizations are stretched to the limit. Further, 8 percent still face closure because of financial reasons, and 58 percent report that demand for their services has increased.” The survey also asked about what kind of measures these …
European Commission Approves Pfizer-Wyeth MergerAugust 21, 2009 Pfizer Inc. has received conditional approval from the European Commission for its pending acquisition of rival drug maker Wyeth. New York-based Pfizer is the parent company of Pfizer Animal Health. Wyeth, of Madison, N.J., is the parent company of Fort Dodge Animal Health. The approval is conditional upon Pfizer’s commitment to divest several types of animal health vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medicinal feed additives. The commision said the original transaction would have raised competition issues in the field of animal health products on a number of national markets. The merger received the approval of shareholders at Wyeth’s annual meeting July 20. The deal needs the approval of China’s Ministry of Commerce, which extended its review of Pfizer’s regulatory submission beyond the initial 30-day period, and governmental and regulatory approvals in certain other jurisdictions. The transaction, announced in January, is expected to close at the end of the third quarter or during the fourth quarter. The companies say the merger will create “the world’s premier biopharmaceutical company” and establish it as a leader in animal health. <HOME>
How To Confirm Partial ACL TearAugust 21, 2009 Few things are as frustrating as trying to diagnose a partial anterior cruciate ligament tear. A dog presenting with hind limb lameness but no obvious drawer sign is a common situation. Bernard Paré, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, practices at Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill. We asked surgeon Bernard Paré, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill., to share tips on how he diagnoses partial ACL tears. History and Signalment It starts with the history. Clients may describe mild to moderate on-and-off lameness that has lasted for weeks, months or years. They may interpret the lameness as exercise intolerance. The patient may be stiff in the morning or after rest or exercise. Patients with bilateral ACL tears may appear to have a neurological problem such as lumbo-sacral disease. Stifle degenerative joint disease in a 2-year-old male Greyhound. The signalment may be helpful as well: Most patients are 5 to 7 years old on average. Breeds commonly afflicted with ACL tears include Labradors, Rottweilers, Akitas, mastiffs and St. Bernards. Some breeds, like Akitas, often have hyperextended hocks and stifles, which increases stress on the ACL. Other …
Follow The Tuition MoneyAugust 21, 2009 Are you, like me, still paying off your student loans despite entering the second decade of your life in this biz? Did you, also like me, refinance your debt for a song, only to realize you might well be retiring long before your last payment is due? The jury’s still out on what our plight might mean. But there’s one thing I do know, and it has to do with how completely the jealousy consumes me when I consider the college tuition veterinarians paid back in the day. As recently as 20 years back, I was granted the choice of attending one of two schools offering dramatically different price points. Back then, most in-state veterinary students went to school for well under 10 grand a year. Out-of-state candidates, however, often suffered under a load two to three times greater than their geographically blessed classmates. I chose the pricey out-of-state option for reasons I can no longer fully fathom, but suffice to say the decision came down to the preference of programs and opportunities. I spent the next four years knowing I’d paid the equivalent of a first-class ticket while my fellow students shelled out coach fares. …
Dealing With Daily DilemmasAugust 21, 2009 I received some responses regarding my August column about “Food Inc.,” a documentary film released this past summer. No doubt, there are animal welfare issues in the field of food animal production that will put some veterinarians at odds with other veterinarians. Part of my job is to raise awareness of issues that affect our profession and how we serve society. The information quoted in my article came from the documentary. The first Bustad Award Winners’ Reunion took place during the AVMA convention. It was organized by Dr. William McCulloch and hosted by Larry Norvell, president of the Delta Society. No other single event has attracted as many Bustad recipients in one room. From left are: Drs. Jane Shaw from the Argus Center at Colorado State University, James Harris from Tasmania, Brian Forsegren (this year’s recipient) from Cleveland, Caroline Shaffer from Tuskegee, Marv Samuleson with VARL, Dr. Alice Villalobos, Bill McCulloch from Washington, Gen Kato from Japan and Marie McCabe from Arkansas. I recommend that all veterinarians see the movie because some of your clients most likely will see it. California had …
How To Perform The Tibial Compression TestAugust 21, 2009 This very useful test can be performed with the patient standing or in lateral recumbency (affected leg up), awake or sedated. The stifle is held in slight flexion. The index finger of one hand is placed over the tibial crest. The other hand flexes & extends the hock. The beauty of the tibial compression test is that it mimics the loading that causes cranial tibial thrust when the dog walks. If the ACL is torn, the tibial tuberosity will move cranially, ever so slightly, as the hock is in the flexed position. The reason for this displacement is that hock flexion causes tension of the gastrocnemius muscle, which in turn displaces the tibia cranially. This is called tibial compression or cranial tibial thrust. The beauty of the tibial compression test is that it mimics the loading that causes cranial tibial thrust when the dog walks. This is very different than the cranial drawer sign, which is a motion that doesn’t exist in real life. Think of it this way: The cranial drawer sign is “iatrogenic” whereas the cranial tibial thrust is generated …
Beware The Silver Bullet Solution To Pet Health Insurance ReimbursementAugust 21, 2009 As a practicing veterinarian, an original board member of the country’s oldest (27 years) and largest provider of pet health insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (VPI), and current member of VPI’s external Veterinary Advisory Board, I believe I have a unique perspective on the pet health insurance industry. As such, I think Dr. Jack Stephens’ article “80% Reimbursement: A Straightforward Model for Pet Health Insurance” needs some clarification and comment. Dr. Stephens argues that an 80 percent reimbursement insurance model is preferred because it is easier to understand and provides greater transparency to policyholders regarding actual claims reimbursement amounts. Dr. Stephens indicates that the following concerns have been raised regarding the 80 percent reimbursement model: (1) costs will rise due to increased veterinary fees and greater utilization, (2) rates and claim costs cannot be predicted with any accuracy due to constantly escalating utilization and fees, and (3) 80 percent reimbursement will lead to financial collapse or at least bad results for the insurance company, resulting in its pulling out of the market or going insolvent. As evidence that these concerns are invalid, Dr. Stephens indicates that two pet health insurance companies that pay 80 percent …
Planning Is Pivotal To Tax Season SanityAugust 21, 2009 Veterinarians not investing in a practice overhaul need to dig deeper to find deductions and loopholes this tax season. Smart tax planning is key in optimizing an annual return and starts by finding a certified CPA with industry experience. A CPA will help veterinarians avoid an audit and maximize the benefits of state and federal tax laws. A professional accountant who understands the ins and outs of the profession can provide a check-off list of the type of tax information that should be gathered throughout the year and can show how to catalog those expenses. Bonus Depreciation Practices that struggled financially in 2009 should be looking into bonus depreciation. Section 1201 of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows additional first-year depreciation of 50 percent of the purchase cost by extending for one year the depreciation bonus created by the 2008 Economic Stimulus Act. Depreciation bonus helps businesses that buy equipment this year decrease their 2009 tax bill. This rule applies to purchases of tangible personal property with a Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) …
