Dr. Tracy Hanner Wins Bell AwardApril 17, 2009 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges on March 13 presented Tracy Hanner, DVM, with the Iverson Bell Recognition Award for his leadership and contributions in promoting opportunities for underrepresented minorities in veterinary medical education. William Allen Hill, DVM, who submitted the nomination, described Dr. Hanner as “a tireless soldier (who) has labored intensely since 1986 to promote and extend diversity within the veterinary medical community.” Dr. Hill, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine, attributed his entrance into veterinary medicine to the enthusiasm and mentorship of Hanner. Hanner was the first black graduate of North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. He is an adjunct assistant professor, the coordinator of lab animal science and a clinical associate veterinarian at North Carolina Agriculture & Technology State University. <HOME>
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Morris Animal Foundation Awards Vet Students Funds For Research ProjectsApril 17, 2009 The Morris Animal Foundation recently named eight veterinary student winners in its annual research competition. They were among the more than 20 veterinary students who submitted posters on companion animal and wildlife studies as part of the foundation's Veterinary Student Scholars Program. The program aims to give students the opportunity to work on MAF-funded projects while they are in veterinary school and, in turn, encourage them to consider a career in research. “[The program] recognizes the critical need to train new scientists,” said Patricia Olson, DVM, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Morris Animal Foundation. “By giving students the opportunity to work on MAF-funded projects while they are in veterinary school, we hope to encourage them to consider a career in research.” Winners were: • Ballard Award for Companion Animals, $5,000 Aric Frantz at the University of Minnesota examined the use of stem cell therapy to repair a dog’s heart after a heart attack. • Ballard Award for Wildlife, $5,000 Scarlett Magda at the University of Guelph analyzed saddle-related injuries in elephants used for tourism in Thailand and developed recommendations to reduce injury. • 2nd Place for Companion Animals, $2,500 …
Radiosurgical Applications For Oral Surgery And OphthalmologyApril 17, 2009 Tom Tully, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (avian), ECAMS, a professor of zoological medicine at Louisiana State University, says his Ellman Surgitron 4.0 MHz dual-frequency radiosurgery unit is indispensable in his practice of avian and exotics medicine. “I can use the unit throughout a surgery,” he says. “I can make the initial incision using a needle electrode and, while using the same hand piece and pressing a different button, switch from a cutting to one of cut and coagulation. And when you’re working on patients as small as 20 grams, hemostasis is very important. “Depending on the size of the patient, I have different electrodes available,” he adds. “I like to switch out electrode tips to meet specific surgical needs.” One limitation to radiosurgical equipment arises when operating in a fluid environment. “Any time there is a pooling of blood, you will not get the optimum performance from the electrode,” Dr. Tully says. “The blood must be removed, and then the electrode can be applied for hemostasis.” In regard to hemostasis, Tully says that one of the greatest equipment enhancements to the 4.0 MHz radiosurgical unit has been the ability to transition between the hand piece …
Common Cause Of Chronic UTI Has A Surgical SolutionApril 17, 2009 The solution to some chronic urinary tract infections is not always antibiotics. When female dogs present excessive or redundant skin folds dorsally and laterally to the vulva, a cascade of events often follows. Common complaints from the owner include excessive licking of the vulvar area, scooting, malodor, hematuria and sometimes urinary incontinence. How can a simple skin fold cause urinary incontinence? The redundant skin fold acts like a dam and enables urine retention. Moisture, body heat, darkness and accumulation of skin debris create an ideal environment within the skin folds for bacteria to proliferate and cause local infection. The two main challenges are assessing precisely how much skin to remove, and closing the surgical site in a cosmetic manner. After vulvoplasty, the vulva becomes visible.(Courtesy of Dr. Zelztman) Friction between the two skin surfaces causes microtrauma, which adds to self-trauma via licking and scooting. This leads to skin fold dermatitis or pyoderma. In turn, secondary vestibulitis, vaginitis or ascending UTIs have been reported. At worst, urinary incontinence can occur. The poster child for this condition is an overweight female dog with a hypoplastic or recessed vulva. The mean weight was 71 pounds …
Humane Society Opens ‘Green’ Animal Community CenterApril 17, 2009 Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas, Calif., held an open house March 28 to celebrate the opening of what it says is California’s first regional Animal Community Center. The $25 million center, funded through donations, is expected to be the first Animal Community Center in the U.S. to earn Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Planning for the 48,000-square-foot center, which is situated on nearly five acres, began about 12 years ago. The building is designed to be much more than an animal shelter. It’s a destination for the community, said Christine Benninger, president of the HSSV. “Those words—Animal Community Center—were chosen specifically (to reflect that),” Benninger said. For example, the center incorporates: • An animal adoption program. • A community dog park and training center. • A spay/neuter medical center. • A veterinary hospital and public viewing room. • Doggie day care, boarding and grooming. • A pet store. • An education center offering programs for children, teens and families. • A community events room. • A pet-friendly café. The cage-less habitats for dogs, cats and rabbits simulate home …
Carolina Prime Pet And Salix Add Peanut Butter Dog Treats To Recall ListApril 17, 2009 More dog treats containing peanut butter have been voluntarily pulled from the market, this time by Carolina Prime Pet and Salix. The companies said their recalls are a precaution following a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Carolina Prime Pet is voluntarily recalling four of its dog treats that contain peanut butter made by PCA in Blakely, Ga. The products bear lot date codes of between 081508 and 010909 and are sold at various retailers in the U.S. and Canada. The products are: • 6-inch Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542007. (Also packaged as 6-inch Healthy Hide Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 09109333479.) • 2-pack Hooves Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542000. • 4-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542003. • 6-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542005. Salix is voluntarily recalling its three-count, Healthy Hide Deli-Wrap 5-inch Peanut Butter-Filled Rawhide dog treats that contain peanut butter made by PCA. The rawhide treats are sold at PetSmart, Target and Wegmans Food Stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. The UPC of the …
North Carolina Vet College Receives Grant For Clinical Trials ProgramApril 17, 2009 North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently received a $625,000 grant from Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc. of Greensboro, N.C., to support its Clinical Trials Program. The grant, which will be presented over a five-year period, will fund a clinical trial veterinarian, a veterinary research technician, laboratory space and equipment for studies involving patients in the college’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “Clinical studies advance veterinary medicine by investigating risk factors for disease as well as methods to prevent, treat or cure illnesses that affect both animals and humans,” said Gregg Dean, DVM, Ph.D., director of the college’s Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, which administers the program. “The Novartis grant will fund resources that are critical to helping the research center ensure an effective Clinical Trials Program.” <HOME>
President Bush Endorses FDA Recall PowerApril 17, 2009 After meeting with a Cabinet-level working group assigned to review the country’s safety measures for imports, President Bush endorsed the Food and Drug Administration’s right to recall all food products. “Specifically, the FDA would be empowered to order a recall when a company refuses to recall their product voluntarily or moves too slowly in removing the unsafe product from the market,” he said. “With this authority, the FDA will be in a better position to act quickly if any problem occurs.” The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety presented its 14-point action plan to the president today and the FDA released its Food Protection Plan simultaneously. Both reports recommend granting the FDA new authority to recall food products in the event a voluntary recall is ineffective. The new mandate would, however, “provide for appropriate due process rights for any firm subject to a recall order,” according to the working group’s report. "We need to do more to ensure that American families have confidence in what they find on our store shelves. They have the right to expect the …
FDA Seeks Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee NominationsApril 17, 2009 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting nominations for voting members to serve on the Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee, Center for Veterinary Medicine. Nomination deadline is Oct. 30. The committee reviews and evaluates available data concerning the safety and effectiveness of marketed and investigational new animal drugs, feeds and devices for use in the treatment and prevention of animal diseases and increased animal production, and makes appropriate recommendations to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs regarding scientific issues and regulatory policies. The FDA is requesting nominations from the following veterinary specialties: companion animal medicine, food animal medicine (avian, bovine, porcine and minor species), microbial food safety and risk assessment, biometrics, toxicology, pathology, pharmacology, animal science and epidemiology. Nominations may be emailed to cv@fda.hhs.gov. For more information, call 240-276-9004, email aleta.sindelar@fda.hhs.gov or visit FDA Advisory Committees. <HOME>
Practices Should Honor The Technician-Animal BondApril 17, 2009 Practices Should Honor the Technician-Animal BondPractices Should Honor the Technician-Animal Bond12-29-2008By Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPMweb exclusives, practicemgmt A lot is said and written about the human-animal bond these days. Typically the focus is on the ways in which the veterinary staff can and should both support and respect clients’ bonds to their pet. There is no question that this is necessary for the improved compliance of the owner and the overall profitability of the practice; great client service should equal big profits. But what about other the high turnover rate among technicians, the attrition rate of veterinary professionals in general and the pervasive compassion fatigue that is affecting our teams? Can this human-animal bond, or technician-animal bond as it were, provide answers? Typically the people who go into veterinary medicine have a powerfully strong attachment to their own pets, from childhood on up. Their desire to help both their own pets and other animals is so strong they decide to pursue a career helping animals. This is particularly true of technicians, who tend to gravitate toward the nursing care of animals rather than the diagnosing and treatment challenges of veterinary doctors. Then they …
