CAPC forecasts problematic heartworm, Lyme in 2018April 19, 2018 The Companion Animal Parasite Council, or CAPC, has released its annual 2018 parasite forecasts, and the news isn't good. The agency reported there will be an increase in prevalence of heartworm and Lyme disease, and heartworm is predicted to continue its aggressive spread across the U.S., with the growth of Lyme disease focused east of the Rockies. The spread of heartworm is attributed to the hot and wet weather over a two-year span, shifting weather patterns that allow for ideal mosquito breeding conditions, and the relocation of unknown heartworm-positive dogs across the country, according to CAPC. CAPC also predicts the spread of Lyme disease into nonendemic areas, including the Dakotas, Iowa, Missouri, southern Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. "Our annual forecasts provide critical and important information to help veterinarians and pet owners understand parasites are a true risk to both pets and people," said Dwight Bowman, MS, Ph.D., CAPC board member and professor of parasitology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. "This year, there are significant shifts in prevalence, making our maps a critical educational tool for veterinary hospitals, and allowing veterinarians and pet owners to see that parasites are ever changing …
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Kansas' Manhattan area tech college receives $500K grantApril 19, 2018 The National Science Foundation awarded a three-year grant amounting to more than $500,000 to the Manhattan Area Technical College (MATC) in Kansas. The funds will help the school develop a critical environment engineering technology program, which will train students to become engineering technicians to assist in veterinary medicine. "One of the key elements is providing a skilled workforce to support the research scientists, veterinary scientists, and lab managers so the facilities operate safely and effectively," said James Genandt, MATC president. "MATC is excited to lead the way with technician training for biotechnology, biosafety risk reduction, and critical environment technology. The new program expands Kansas City's Animal Health Corridor, a cluster of animal-science businesses and educational programs available in the region, including Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and the Biosecurity Research Institute. Additionally, soon the corridor will include the college's National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility—a $1.25 billion animal disease laboratory, constructed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "It is clear that the Animal Health Corridor is a key component of the regional economy and provides this area with a global connection offering the winning combination of research, product development, markets, and …
Merck announces inaugural Dog Flu Prevention WeekApril 18, 2018Merck Animal Health announced it has created Dog Flu Prevention Week, to be held during the third week of April annually (this year April 16-22), as a reminder to pet owners to protect their social dogs, either for the first time or for revaccination. Thousands of cases of dog flu have been confirmed across the country in the past year, and Dog Flu Prevention Week is being launched to recognize the anniversary of the discovery of the newest strain—H3N2—the party responsible for most cases. Dog Flu Prevention Week will kick off the discussion around vaccine-preventable diseases in conjunction with World Animal Vaccination Day, which is April 20. "All dogs that are social and interact with other dogs are at risk for dog flu, but the good news is that dog flu is vaccine preventable," said Kathryn Primm, DVM, co-author of the Pet Parent's Guide to Infectious Disease of Dogs. "Dogs can be protected against both strains of dog flu with a single vaccine, which is given as two doses, two to four weeks apart." Social dogs that are frequently in contact with other dogs at places like dog parks, dog day care and grooming facilities, and boarding kennels are at an increased …
Researchers review mesenchymal stem cell therapy potentialApril 18, 2018 In a review published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Jessica M. Quimby, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University, and Dori L. Borjesson, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures at the University of California, Davis, consider both the current and potential clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats. The use of bone marrow-derived stem cells is established for the treatment of human cancer patients and, as such, veterinary applications for bone marrow- and adipose-derived stem cells are being evaluated. In their review, Drs. Quimby and Borjesson consider the emergence of this trend, as well as the current understanding of the biology/immunology of mesenchymal stem cells. Additionally, the authors analyze previous use of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of a number of inflammatory, degenerative, and immune-mediated diseases of cats. Traditionally, managing such conditions relies on a lifelong use of medication, with the potential for associated side effects. Often, cats do not respond to standard treatment strategies and, thus, the medication may not protect against the progression of the underlying disease. So far, applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats have produced encouraging results, including …
AAVSB announces new website, updated logoApril 17, 2018The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) has unveiled new branding, including a complete redesign of its website, and a refresh of the organization's logo. The new, mobile-friendly website provides an improved user experience and focuses on "presenting the right information to the right user at the right time," according to the organization. "We're thrilled to finally get to share our new website with our member boards, their licensees, students, exam candidates, and members of the public to whom the AAVSB is an indispensable resource," said Jim Penrod, executive director. "Our website and logo have evolved, but our mission to support and advance the regulatory process for veterinary medicine is the same. We've simply increased our ability to reach and interact with our key audiences thereby providing greater support to our member boards." The association partnered with Level Five Solutions Inc., a user-experience firm based in Overland Park, Kan.; Adventure Tech, a web and software development company also based in Overland Park; and Lost & Found Designs, an online-based creative design company. Visit the newly redesigned website at aavsb.org.
Celebrity pig Esther helps campaign for large animal CT scannerApril 17, 2018Canadian social media starlet Esther the Wonder Pig has ignited a campaign to raise money for a large animal CT scanner for the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The first of its kind Canada, the Pegaso CT scanner will provide diagnostic imaging for pigs, standing horses, and other large animals. Last fall, Esther, the 650-pound pig from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, started experiencing health complications that caused her to seizure and hyperventilate. Veterinarians at OVC recommended a CT scan to better diagnose her condition, but told owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter a scanner able to accommodate an animal of her size was not available in Canada. Further, transporting Esther to the U.S. would involve a three-week quarantine upon her return. Fortunately, the pig recovered on her own and was able to forgo the scan, but Jenkins and Walter decided to ignite a fundraiser to save other large animal owners future distress. "We wanted to give large animals the same opportunities that we give to our typical companion animals," said Jenkins. "As soon as we realized there was nothing there for Esther, we started working to get a large-scale scanner in place. …
DEA provides opioid shortage updateApril 16, 2018The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a statement last week on the ongoing opioid shortages affecting both human and veterinary medicine, resulting from issues at a drug manufacturing plant. "In order to prevent any pharmaceutical drug shortage that negatively impacts patients, DEA is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and hospital associations to ensure that patients have access to necessary hospital-administered pain medications," said the DEA in its statement. "These include certain injectable products that contain morphine, hydromorphone, meperidine, and fentanyl." "In recent months, the largest U.S. manufacturer of these injectable products has slowed production at one of their manufacturing facilities in order to perform necessary and required upgrades. As a result, this company voluntarily surrendered a portion of their quota allotment and DEA reallocated these amounts to three DEA-registered manufacturers of FDA approved injectable products in accordance with DEA regulations. "DEA is communicating actively and directly with all entities impacted and is committed to making further adjustments to individual procurement quotas as necessary and will also consider other measures that may be necessary to address potential shortages for these products." The shortage is expected to last into …
Heartgard producer announces heartworm awareness campaignApril 16, 2018 Merial, now a part of Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), announced a multifaceted campaign to assist veterinarians and clinic teams in promoting the consistent use of heartworm preventive medications for their patients. The announcement follows a recent survey conducted by the company, which showed a decreased use of year-round heartworm preventive measures and a corresponding increase in instances of the disease. "After years of steady progress in reducing the numbers of heartworm-positive cases in pets, a concerning backward slide has occurred over the past few years," said Stephen Jones, DVM, past president of the American Heartworm Society. "It is commendable that the Heartgard Plus team has recognized the urgency of the situation and is moving quickly and aggressively to address this challenge." Through the initiative, Merial's team will engage with both veterinarians and pet owners to listen to the challenges they face in starting and keeping their patients/pets on heartworm preventive medications for year-round protection. From this data, best practices for encouraging consistent usage will be determined and shared with the animal care community. The first component of the campaign, Take the Paw Pledge, launches this month, with veterinarians across the country asking their clients to commit …
PetSmart petition gets 52K+ signatures following another grooming deathApril 16, 2018 The death of an 8-year-old corgi at a PetSmart grooming facility has led to an online petition against the retail giant. The petition, which demands PetSmart shut down its grooming centers until an investigation has been completed and storewide changes have been implemented, has amassed more than 52,000 signatures. The dog's owner, Chuck Crawford, said he dropped his two Corgis, Abby and Harley, at a PetSmart grooming facility in Toms River, N.J., only to receive a phone call an hour later, informing him Abby had died and telling him where he could pick up her body. The corgi is the fourth dog to die at a PetSmart grooming facility in five months. Last December, Danielle DiNapoli's English bulldog, Scruffles, died at a PetSmart grooming center in Flemington, N.J. The death also ignited an online petition against the company, demanding PetSmart investigate and release a public report on the incident. The appeal received more than 92,000 signatures. "After Scruffles the bulldog died, the outrage caused PetSmart to launch a comprehensive review to change the way they do grooming," said Kelsey Bourgeois, the author of Abby's petition. "But obviously pets are still getting hurt …
AAVMC strengthens internship guidelinesApril 16, 2018 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines designed to ensure the academic integrity of veterinary internship programs. The review follows recent criticisms, which deemed clinical placements as a means of providing hospitals with inexpensive labor, offering little educational value for students. Working off guidelines published in 2011 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the AAVMC also looked at preexisting guides outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) when establishing the best practices for veterinary medical clinical internship programs. As such, AAVMC's Internship Guidelines include recommendations on work hours and climate consistent with health and wellness concerns referenced by the ACGME. The updated guidelines reinforce a core statement carried over from the AVMA's document, stating the primary purpose of an internship is to provide an educational program for the intern; not a service benefit to the hospital/clinic. "These guidelines will help to improve the learning experience, advance the quality of clinical internship programs, and ultimately train better veterinary practitioners," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, AAVMC CEO. "We are grateful to the working group members for their …
