Many Pet Hospitals Escape SoCal FiresApril 17, 2009 Although 11 large wildfires are still burning across Southern California, the Santa Ana wind event is over, making it easier for firefighters to contain them, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center, a group that coordinates the mobilization of resources for wild land fire and other incidents throughout the U.S. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reported Wednesday that the fires have destroyed about 1,600 structures—including more than 1,400 homes—but it appears that many veterinary hospitals escaped destruction. Rancho Santa Fe Veterinary Hospital in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., faced the massive Witch Creek fire head on. "There was a very real threat of our hospital burning down," says hospital director Dave Oei. "The fire line was drawn right at our intersection and our hospital survived." Oei woke early Monday morning to smells of smoke in the air. "I went online to discover a mandatory evacuation order for our community," Oei says. "At the clinic we triaged the hospital for what we needed to save. I backed-up our critical [computer] systems, we cancelled appointments, forward calls to my cell, and the nurses created a mash unit in large plastic bins in case we needed …
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Colorado State Launches Canine Massage CourseApril 17, 2009 The Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has launched a new continuing education course in canine massage. Medical Massage for Animals, designed for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, massage therapists and canine rehabilitators, emphasizes the scientific basis of massage and its foundational elements of anatomy and physiology. “Massage can help canine patients and athletes recover from illness, injury, spinal pain and stress,” said Narda Robinson, DVM, DO, a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences and director of Colorado State’s Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine, who will co-teach the course. “Participants will have a unique opportunity to learn the proper integration of massage in the veterinary clinic for either sick or well patients, and will gain those skills based on solid, scientific information.” The hands-on program will cover musculoskeletal anatomy, muscle physiology, canine first aid, canine behavior and issues related to the human animal bond and working with grieving clients. The course begins Oct. 17 and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. It will include written examinations, a practical examination and 20 hours of closely reviewed independent study. Eighty hours of continuing education are also available. Additional …
Virginia Vet Named Grand Prize Winner Of Vectra 3D GiveawayApril 17, 2009Summit VetPharm of Fort Lee, N.J., announced the final two winners of "The Great Vectra 3D" $125,000 Giveaway. The contest was held from Jan. 3 to March 31 as part of the company's introductory sales incentive program for Vectra 3D, a broad-spectrum topical designed to protect dogs against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Winners were randomly chosen. Elizabeth Leonard, DVM, of Seaford Veterinary Medical Center in Yorktown, Va., was named as the grand prize winner of $50,000 in medical equipment for her veterinary clinic. Dr. Leonard said possible purchases may include a videoscope, heated surgery table, capnograph, teaching microscope and respiratory monitor/apnea alert. The third winner is Sean Raleigh, DVM, of Sun Prairie Veterinary Clinic in Sun Prairie, Wis., who will receive $25,000 in medical equipment. Dr. Raleigh said he intends to digitalize the clinic's X-ray equipment and update its videoscope system so that they can incorporate endoscopic techniques for exploratory, surgical and biopsy procedures. The first two winners, announced earlier this year, were Shawn Hook, DVM, of Arbor Ridge Clinic in Madison, Wis., and Paul Hartman, DVM, of Upper Union Street Veterinary Hospital in Schenectady, N.Y. They each received $25,000 in medical equipment for their veterinary clinic. All four winners …
Noni Juice - Why All The Hype?April 17, 2009 Finding out the truth about noni juice, in contrast to the widely available claims and sales pitches, is elusive and challenging. One reason is that many noni researchers who submit papers in support and/or defense of the product disclose financial affiliations with noni products.1,2,3,4,5 A quote by Keith I. Block, M.D., editor-in-chief of "Integrative Cancer Therapies," sums up the problem well: "A significant trend in contemporary herbal medicine has been the movement of traditional medicines of indigenous peoples directly into international commerce, often with little scientific exploration before widespread marketing."6 This lack of evidence leaves unanswered questions about the actual health value of noni, the advantages of one product over another, as well as the dangers noni ingestion may pose to consumers. Concerns about safety even led the European Union to ban the marketing of noni because of unknown safety in the late 1990s.7 Representatives from Tahitian Noni International Inc., the largest noni juice company and research center, insist that "not all noni liquid dietary supplements are created equal," and that their product is safe.8 Product Consistency They are certainly correct on the first count, and the benefits and risks involved with one …
Santa Barbara Delays Spay/Neuter Law To Study EffectsApril 17, 2009Santa Barbara County, Calif., will not require pet owners to spay or neuter their cats and dogs for now. County supervisors decided to form an 11-member community task force instead, charging it with studying the effects of a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance. Tuesday's 4-1 vote by the board of supervisors means that the implementation of a countywide spay/neuter ordinance will be delayed for months. The task force will consist of board-appointed individuals. The goal of the county's draft ordinance is to "reduce pet overpopulation and arrest the growth of the associated costs," a staff report prepared for the board of supervisors states. The usual exemptions in such ordinances include: Veterinary medical exemption Purebred and/or show cats and dogs In the county temporarily Working dogs (law enforcement, service, search and rescue, herding and others if determined) Breeding permit, if breeding If pet owners don't comply, they generally get "fix-it" tickets, with a grace period to resolve their case. Exemptions and grace periods, however, are not enough to gain the support of some animal groups. On one side of the ongoing spay/neuter debate, opponents say that a mandatory spay/neuter law infringes on the property rights of pet owners and might also …
We Can’t Have It Both WaysApril 17, 2009 I’ve suffered the disgrace of a malpractice lawsuit--no, not mine. But I served as a witness in a case brought against another veterinarian. The deposition was an uncomfortable experience (understatement). Restraining my unfortunate inclination towards verbal excess was the hardest part, yet I managed. And so did my colleague on the hot-seat, by the way. I’m sure he’s almost gotten past the night sweats nearly two years after the fact. In case you’ve never been the defendant --or unwitting witness-- in a lawsuit brought against you or your hospital for negligence, malpractice or (God forbid!) animal cruelty, let me inform you that it’s just what you’d expect: a nightmare worthy of the post-traumatic stress disorder that we spared folk can only imagine. Perhaps I hyperbolize, but it’s no stretch to say that most of us worry a whole lot about being sued. I do. But as a generalist, I’ve got it easy. Our profession rejects the human-animal bond—in a court of law, that is. I’m lucky enough to know my every client and have the luxury of investing time in their trust. The specialists, ER docs and high-volume vets? They’re not so fortunate. I’ve gotta …
New Website Tracks Wildlife DiseasesApril 17, 2009The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. Geological Survey have developed the Global Wildlife Disease News Map. The online map tracks news of wildlife disease outbreaks around the world, such as West Nile virus, avian influenza, chronic wasting disease and monkeypox. Other health conditions, such as pesticide and lead poisoning, are also marked by geographic location. The project is part of the Wildlife Disease Information Node (WDIN), a collaboration between UW-Madison, the National Wildlife Health Center and the National Biological Information Infrastructure. WDIN aims to provide a comprehensive online wildlife disease information warehouse, said project leader Josh Dein, VMD, of the Madison-based U.S. Geological Survey wildlife health center. "People who collect data about wildlife diseases don't currently have an established communication network, which is something we're working to improve," Dr. Dein said. "But just seeing what's attracting attention in the news gives us a much better picture of what's out there than we've ever had before." <HOME>
Dog Breed Bans Explored In TexasApril 17, 2009The issue of enacting laws to ban or regulate pit bulls, Doberman pinchers and Rottweilers in Texas has landed on the Texas state attorney general's desk. A request for an opinion on whether cities and counties have the power to target certain dog breeds through legislation was made by Republican state Rep. Tony Goolsby in a letter to Attorney General Greg Abbott. Lawmakers are set to consider the topic in the next legislative session in Austin. Measures commonly known as breed-specific legislation, or BSL, have been proposed in municipalities across the United States. In Sioux City, Iowa, the city council recently voted 5-0 in favor of a pit bull ban. In Texas, several cities have expressed interest in enacting similar laws, Goolsby wrote in his letter to Abbott. Members of the state's pit bull clubs, however, oppose BSL and instead are in favor of improvement and enforcement of existing laws. <HOME>
Pet Therapy Bill Passes First HurdleApril 17, 2009 A Colorado House of Representatives committee on Feb. 5 approved a bill that would allow licensed physical therapists who aren’t veterinarians to perform physical therapy on pets. The legislation, which is sponsored by Rep. Anne McGihon, is House Bill 1126. Members of the state’s House Health and Human Services Committee approved it this week after hearing testimony from pet owners, some of whom brought along their pets. Under the bill, a therapist would not be able to practice veterinary medicine, just physical therapy. The measure now moves to the full State House for debate. If it passes, the bill would become law effective July 1. The full text of the bill is available on the Colorado Legislature website.
Top 10 Holistic TrapsApril 17, 2009Many of us get snowballed sometimes by the hype that alternative treatment providers heap onto the airwaves and Internet. Here are 10 of the most common holistic traps to avoid. 1.Dubious Allergy Diagnostics and Treatments In January 2008, the Washington state attorney general and Department of Health secretary asked the FDA to block the sale and distribution of unproven and dangerous "energy medicine" devices, citing several, including Bicom, Bodyscan and VEGA.1 Other dubious allergy-testing techniques include applied kinesiology (AK), pulse testing, and hair analysis. AK tests for allergies by noting muscle strength alterations in an individual's outstretched arm when they hold "test" vials.2,3 2,3 Veterinary AK employs a human surrogate who touches the animal and gets tested on behalf of the animal, since animal patients cannot follow instructions as well. More bizarre is treating the surrogate in place of the animal: "Once the sensitivities are identified, a quick, painless and noninvasive acupressure treatment through the surrogate is used to rebalance the pet's nervous system response to the identified allergens. Muscle testing is also utilized in the prescriptive phase to identify any additional necessary medications and to individualize dosages."4 2.Glandulars Authors touting glandular lore advise …
