American Humane Hero Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse 2018 nominations openDecember 8, 2017American Humane has announced that nominations are open for the fifth annual American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards, sponsored by Zoetis. For millions of Americans, animals are not just their best friends, but also their heroes. Whether they are lending eyes to the blind or ears to the deaf, protecting the sleeping family or the soldier, or providing a welcoming kiss at the end of a hard day, animals affect us in many ways. Behind almost every hero pet (and millions more animals) is a hero veterinarian or hero veterinary nurse or technician. These benefactors save and improve the lives of our two- and four-legged best friends in many ways, and for the past four years, American Humane's awards ceremony has honored their tremendous achievements. Pet owners and animal lovers alike are invited to visit herovetawards.org between now and Feb. 8 to nominate their favorite veterinary professionals. The awards are not limited to companion animal veterinarians. Professionals from all fields of veterinary medicine are eligible for entry including, but not limited to, those who work in research, emergency services, shelters, and those who work with large and exotic animals. The …
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VCA Animal Hospitals offers free boarding for pets affected by Southern California wildfiresDecember 7, 2017VCA Animal Hospitals announced that select VCA hospitals in Southern California near Los Angeles are offering free boarding assistance for small animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and pocket pets to families who are impacted due to multiple wildfires burning in the area, including the Thomas, Rye, Creek, and Skirball Fires that have resulted in major evacuations. "Our thoughts are with the many families who are being impacted by these wildfires," said Art Antin, chief operating officer of VCA Animal Hospitals. "We are extending free boarding for family pets that have been displaced by these fires so families can feel confident their pets are safe and focus on their priorities during this critical time." Boarding assistance at participating Southern California hospitals that are in close proximity to the fire areas is based on space availability. Pets should be current on vaccinations, but in case they are not, VCA veterinarians will update vaccinations free of charge. VCA hospitals also will offer a free health assessment exam for pets that have been evacuated or displaced because of the fires. Pet owners are encouraged to contact the American Red Cross, visit vcahospitals.com/main/directory, or call 1-800-VCAPETS to check …
VETgirl launches free veterinary wellness app for iOS, AndroidDecember 6, 2017VETgirl, the online veterinary continuing education resource for busy veterinary professionals has released a free app to help maintain daily wellness. The subscription-based service offers RACE-approved, online veterinary continuing education that teaches through podcasts, webinars, blogs, videos, and social media. The company was created by veterinary specialists, lecturers, and clinicians, Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT, and Garret Pachtinger, DVM, DACVECC. The team has a passion for wellness, said Dr. Lee. With the growing prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, and suicide within the veterinary profession, she and Dr. Pachtinger created a veterinary wellness app as a gentle reminder to engage in self care. The VETgirl veterinary wellness app can be downloaded for free here: iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vetgirl-wellness/id1310785374?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.communityone.veterinaryselfcare&hl=en Users can check in every day to receive an easy reminder of how they can help take care of themselves with simple tips. For more information, visit VETgirlontherun.com.
UC Davis creates 3D printed mask for dog with fractured skullDecember 6, 2017Loca, a 4-month-old female Staffordshire bull terrier, was bitten by another dog so severely that her right zygomatic arch (cheekbone) and mandible (jawbone) were fractured, and her temporomandibular joint (TMJ) suffered extensive damage. In addition, there were multiple puncture wounds on her face and neck. University of California, Davis, veterinary hospital Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS) faculty members Frank Verstraete, BVSc, DrMedVet, MMedVet, and Boaz Arzi, DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC, and resident Colleen Geisbush, DVM, saw promising aspects to this challenging case. First, Loca was young, which meant there was a good chance that the damage to the TMJ could correct itself with natural bone regrowth. Second, this case offered them the opportunity to utilize a new face mask they developed with biomedical engineering students. Designed to be used as a cast for a fractured skull while it heals, the mask was the result of a long-standing collaboration between the oral surgeons and the UC Davis College of Engineering. To assist with surgery preparation, DOSS has used COE's Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department many times over the years to 3D print skull models in BME's Translating Engineering Advances to Medicine (TEAM) Laboratory. Recently, DOSS has been working with BME …
Boehringer Ingelheim announces $80M expansion investmentDecember 5, 2017Boehringer Ingelheim announced it will invest more than $80 million to expand its existing facilities in Athens, Ga., and St. Joseph, Mo., to accommodate increased production of animal vaccines. The company's facility in Athens, Ga., will grow from its current footprint of approximately 350,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet, and will nearly double its filling capacity for companion animal and avian vaccines. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and will continue through 2019, with commercial production anticipated to begin in the second half of 2019. The facility employs approximately 400; research and development operations also are based there. The company expects to add 50 positions over the next three years to support the expansion. Construction at the company's facility in St. Joseph, Mo., also will begin in the fourth quarter 2017 on a 13,000-square-foot expansion to accommodate increased production of livestock animal vaccines sold in the U.S. and globally. The manufacturing operation is part of a 700,000-square-foot total campus in St. Joseph, which also includes a warehouse, research and development, and other support functions. Twenty additional jobs will be created over the next few years to support the increased …
Auburn to strengthen vet medicine in rural KentuckyDecember 5, 2017The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine is directing a program to strengthen veterinary services to underserved rural populations in Kentucky through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services Grant Program and in partnership with Kentucky veterinarians. The $237,233 grant allows the college to create a program to "develop, implement, and sustain private veterinary services through education, training, recruitment, placement and retention of veterinarians and students of veterinary medicine," said Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs at Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine. It is one of 13 grants by USDA's National Institute of Food & Agriculture. Objectives of the grant are: Connect veterinarians serving in rural geographic areas where additional veterinarians are needed with veterinary students interested in working in those areas; Provide quality educational opportunities for veterinary students in business management and sustainability in rural veterinary practice; Provide quality continuing education at a reduced cost to veterinarians serving in designated rural areas of unmet needs; Provide business management education and practice sustainability consultation to rural veterinary practitioners in underserved areas, and Facilitate and create networking opportunities that assist graduating veterinarians with transitioning into sustainable careers in rural underserved …
Wiley releases second edition on common neoplasias in geriatric dogs, catsDecember 5, 2017Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Second Edition by Alice Villalobos, DVM, with Laurie Kaplan, MSC, newly released by Wiley, provides a complete clinical approach to the most common neoplasias in geriatric dogs and cats.
2017 They Ate What?! People's Choice winners namedNovember 22, 2017Earlier this year, Veterinary Practice News' panel of distinguished veterinary professionals had their chance to vote on the most odd and incomprehensive items removed from the stomachs of their clients' animal companions in the 2017 They Ate What?! X-ray contest. Now the people have spoken. As part of the annual contest, VPN invites its reader community to vote on what they think is the best rad among the year's submissions. "Turtle vs. Turtle" is the winning radiograph of the 2017 They Ate What?! People's Choice X-ray contest. "Turtle," which was a runner-up in the larger contest, was submitted by Don Harris, DVM, of Avian & Exotic AMC in Miami. Lola, a 7-kilogram tortoise, presented for inappetence and lethargy. Radiographs revealed that she had consumed a 1.5-centimeter turtle pendant of unknown origin. A flap plastronotomy was performed to remove the pendant, and Lola recovered completely. Floyd Rowe, office manager for VCA Pacific Avenue South Animal Hospital in Spanaway, Wash., is the winner of the 2017 People's Choice sweepstakes. Floyd will receive a $500 Visa gift card, courtesy of IDEXX Laboratories Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim funds three equine research awardsNovember 22, 2017Boehringer Ingelheim has selected three research proposals to fund as part of its 2017 Advancement in Equine Research Award program. The company has given more than $470,000 to advancing the knowledge of equine infectious disease since 2011. "For the past six years, BI has supported equine research into identifying new disease treatment and prevention methods," said Steve Grubbs, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, equine technical manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. "Through this program we are committed to helping advance the understanding, diagnosis, and prevention of infectious equine diseases." The 2017 Equine Research Award recipients are: Nicola Pusterla, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, and Sharon Spier, DVM, PhD., DACVIM, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "Investigation of the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and anti-histaminic drugs on the humoral response to a commercial Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccine given to naïve healthy horses." Nicola Pusterla, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "Investigation of the Florida sublineage clade affiliation of equine influenza virus strains using novel multiplex real-time quantitative PCR in nasal secretions submitted to a diagnostic laboratory (2012-2017)." Rebecca P. Wilkes, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. "Targeted next-generation sequencing panel for detection of equine pathogens." …
Juniper Systems releases equine ultrasound reproduction solutionNovember 20, 2017Juniper Systems Inc. has announced the release of EmberEquine, a new equine ultrasound reproduction solution developed to optimize workflow. The Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet, running EmberEquine software, pairs with Draminski's 4VetJ Ultrasound to provide practitioners with everything needed to simplify mare exams and recordkeeping, according to the company. The 4VetJ allows veterinarians to record measurements directly on the ultrasound for improved accuracy and efficiency. Measured images are then sent to the Mesa 2 Rugged tablet via Wi-Fi, attached to the mare record form, and safely stored on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet and Microsoft Cloud for easy access. The unit offers touchscreen interface, wireless design, and all-day battery life. In addition, the EmberEquine software provides veterinarians with a powerful yet user-friendly interface for quick data entry on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet during each reproduction exam, the company states.
