Two Aspiring Vets Receive AVMA Funded FFA ScholarshipsJuly 7, 2009 The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, recently awarded two $1,000 American Veterinary Medical Association scholarships. The recipients were Alyzabeth Looney of Denton, Texas, and Megan Westerhold of Rich Hill, Mo. Looney plans to use the scholarship to pursue an undergraduate degree and then a veterinary degree at Texas A&M University. Westerhold plans to do the same at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Both are interested in practicing large animal veterinary medicine. Looney and Westerhold were chosen from 7,810 applicants from across the country. Selections were based on the applicant’s academic record, FFA and other school and community activities, supervised agricultural experience program in agricultural education and future goals. This is the second year that the AVMA has sponsored scholarships for aspiring veterinarians through the FFA. AVMA plans to offer them again in 2010. The AVMA and its charitable arm, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, will distribute more than 23 scholarships this year, including 21 to students attending AVMA-accredited veterinary schools in the United States. The scholarships this year are aimed at students interested in large animal veterinary medicine, food safety, public health and shelter medicine.
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California Spay/Neuter Bill Moves ForwardJuly 2, 2009 California Senate Bill 250, which would require spay or neuter surgery for most of the state’s dogs and cats, recently passed the Assembly Business and Professions Committee by a 6-4 vote. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on July 15. SB 250, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, calls on cat owners to spay or neuter their cats at 6 months of age if the cats are allowed to roam at large. The bill also requires the sterilization of all dogs at 6 months old unless the owner gets an unaltered dog license. The bill has been amended to authorize local governments to use existing procedures to issue the intact dog licenses or to charge a fee for procedures related to the issuance, denial or revocation of unaltered dog licenses. Unaltered dogs used in legal hunting activities would be exempt from being cited. The sterilization of dogs found to be at-large continues to be a requirement under the bill. Click here for the most recent version of SB 250. <HOME>
VCA Antech Acquires Eklin Medical SystemsJuly 1, 2009 VCA Antech Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. reported July 1 that it has acquired Eklin Medical Systems Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Eklin sells digital radiology, ultrasound and practice management software systems in the veterinary market. The company, founded by chairman and CEO Gary Cantu, was privately owned. Terms of the sale were not announced. VCA Antech also owns Sound Technologies Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif. Steve Eyl, president of Sound Technologies, will continue as president of Sound Eklin. “Sound Technologies and Eklin truly have revolutionized the veterinary care industry,” said Bob Antin, chairman and CEO of VCA Antech. “We believe that joining these two entities together will create a significant technology advantage. The combination of expanded services and talented people from both organizations create a far stronger and larger company, which will greatly benefit the profession.” Cantu will step down to spend time with his family, continue angel investments and work on outside board activities. “The combination of VCA Antech’s Sound Technologies Division and Eklin will provide the ability to offer veterinary care providers with much broader and deeper technology solutions, customer education and customer care,” Cantu …
UPDATE: California Senate Public Safety Committee Postpones Intact Animal Cap Bill HearingJune 30, 2009 Updated: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 1:36 p.m., EDT The California Senate’s Committee on Public Safety is has postponed its hearing on AB 241, a bill that would limit the number of intact dogs and cats any person could own for breeding and selling as pets, from Tuesday June 30 to Thursday July 2. Assembly Bill 241 would prohibit any person from having more than a combined total of 50 unsterilized dogs and cats that are kept for breeding or raised for sale as pets. Those in possession of more than that would have to spay or neuter the excess animals or sell, transfer or relinquish the animals within 30 days. If necessary, any euthanasia procedures would have to be performed by a licensed veterinarian or other qualified person as pursuant to regulations adopted by the Veterinary Medical Board. AB 241 authorizes a peace officer, humane officer or animal control officer to take possession of any animal that is kept in violation. Violators would be guilty of a misdemeanor. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has issued an alert stating that AB 241 would impose an “irrational ban on the possession of …
Why Is Deception So Common?June 30, 2009 It has always bothered me when doctors and nurses blandly tell dying human patients that they will be “OK.” I am also bothered when I hear veterinarians and their support staff tell pet owners that their pet is going to be “all right” despite a poor prognosis looming overhead. We may feel guilty if we take away a person’s hope, but should we lie about reality? Deception is all too common a habit in the human health care field, but should veterinarians also support the false hopes of their clients? Should frank lies come straight from health care professionals who encourage terminal patients to thrash in the gears of the “mindless machinery” of medicine? Is there harm in giving clients the truth about their pet’s actual condition and probable prognosis, at least as a reality check? If veterinarians follow the pediatrician model, we need to inform the “parents” about their pet’s condition. Are physicians and veterinarians too blunt when they inform us with the statistical prognosis? Is there a more compassionate way to say, “You have six months to live”? How can this difficult information be gently delivered to the family without ripping their hearts out and …
Herb-Drug Interactions For CancerJune 30, 2009 The high-stakes drama in the news this spring told the tale of a teen with cancer leaving town with his mother, who wanted him to have alternative treatment instead of court-ordered chemotherapy.1,2 The panoply of cures peddled for both human and veterinary cancer patients can end up consuming the most limited resources: time and money. People’s allegiance sometimes splits between the tried and true and the too good to –be true. Many pick the middle ground of choosing both, hoping to offset the envisioned misery of chemotherapy with feel-good supplements. All too often, however, fact-based information about supplements and cancer becomes buried in the chaos of the Internet. In truth, herbs and supplements can often improve well-being and even outcomes when given appropriately. When administered injudiciously, however, they risk lowering the therapeutic value of chemotherapy and radiation.3 The oft-touted garlic, for example, induces the P-glycoprotein drug efflux transport system to aid the body in ridding itself of perceived toxins such as chemotherapeutics.4 In addition, antioxidants can counter the pro-oxidant effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and plant-derived anticoagulants can predispose patients to unexpected bleeding. Antioxidants Megadose vitamin regimens occupy center stage …
Practitioners Should Consider Professional And Personal Insurance NeedsJune 29, 2009 Veterinary practitioners may well prefer handling unruly animals to handling their own insurance. But insurance smarts are as crucial to sustaining a successful practice as is knowledge of animal diseases and vaccines. Purchasing veterinary insurance is “all about planning for the unknown or planning for surprises,” says Thomas McFerson, a partner with Gatto McFerson, CPAs, a veterinary consulting firm in Santa Monica, Calif. Such surprises might include: Losses to buildings, business vehicles or clinic equipment taken on house calls. Losses of animals in a clinic’s care. Claims of malpractice by an animal’s owner. The death of a practice owner. Protection typically starts with a business owner’s basic policy covering physical damage to a veterinary office or clinic and on-site, non-employee accidents. The policy also should cover specialized veterinary tools such as radiographic equipment, says Rodney Johnson, DVM, a representative of the American Veterinary Medical Assn.’s Professional Liability Insurance Trust (PLIT). Indeed, “The dilemma the veterinarian faces is finding an insurance agent who is knowledgeable about his unique exposures,” says Brent Allen, the owner of Allen Financial Insurance Group of Phoenix. Those exposures, or risks, loom large. “We’re not seeing any large increase in …
Vets Offer Tips On Keeping Pets Calm For July 4 FireworksJune 26, 2009With the Fourth of July around the corner, a day of energetic festivities often involving fireworks and loud noises, veterinarians are promoting tips on how to keep pets calm during the holiday. For instance, Rolan Tripp, DVM, founder of the Animal Behavior Network, has made available to veterinarians free lobby posters and hand outs outlining canine fireworks noise phobia. Dr. Tripp defines noise phobia as “an excessive, unreasonable fear response to specific loud noises. It is more common in dogs than cats and the most common noise phobias are to fireworks and thunder.” For mild cases (somewhat anxious) or as prevention to fireworks phobia, Tripp suggests what he calls a “Fireworks Party.” Starting around July 2 to 3 either fast, or feed only ¼ of the early meal. Then at the first faint of fireworks, pet owners respond with a happy, “It’s a fireworks party!” The pet owner then gets a treat for the dog. From there on out, every boom triggers a “party snack” until the dog “happily” waits for the next boom. “The idea is to turn the fear into joy,” Tripp said. A dog appeasing pheromone collar can also be added, he said. For …
California Spay/Neuter Bill Hearing Set For June 30June 25, 2009 California Senate Bill 250, a measure that seeks to require spay or neuter surgery for most of the state’s dogs and cats, will be heard by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on June 30. The bill was sent to the Assembly when the State Senate approved SB 250 with a 21-16 vote on June 2. SB 250, by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, calls on cat owners to spay or neuter their cats at 6 months of age if the cats are allowed to roam at large. The bill also requires the sterilization of all dogs at 6 months of age, unless the owner gets an unaltered dog license. The bill has been amended to authorize local governments to use existing procedures to issue the intact dog licenses or to charge a fee for procedures related to the issuance, denial or revocation of unaltered dog licenses. In addition, unaltered dogs used in legal hunting activities would be exempt from being cited. The sterilization of dogs found to be at-large continues to be a requirement under the bill. Click here for view the most recent version of SB 250. …
Animal Emergency And Treatment Center Opens In ChicagoJune 25, 2009The Animal Emergency & Treatment Center is scheduled to open a new location in Chicago, Ill., this September, becoming the first 24-hour emergency and specialty center in the city. “Today’s pet owners expect a high level of care and service when their companion pet is sick or hurt,” said Matt Tompkins, DVM, co-founder and managing partner of AETC. “We identified a desperate need for high-quality, round-the-clock treatment for pets in Chicago. Until now, city dwellers have not had the option of 24-hour care for their pets, but instead have had to transport their sick animals from after-hours emergency facilities to their regular veterinarians’ offices every morning. AETC provides ongoing hospitalization, which allows pets to receive uninterrupted treatment from the same skilled medical team.” The center, which joins AETC’s existing facility in Grayslake, Ill., broke ground on June 1 and will span more than 10,000 square feet. AETC Chicago will be staffed by a team of more than 50 veterinary professionals. Specialty services will include surgery, internal medicine and critical care. Other services will include video endoscopy, video ultrasound, digital radiology and computed tomography, as well as a diagnostic laboratory and an intensive care unit. In addition, AETC Chicago will house …
