Midmark Animal Health Announces Two New Training CoursesMarch 22, 2016Midmark Animal Health today announced the addition of two new Midmark Academy training courses for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. The courses — Anesthesia Monitoring 101 and Anesthesia Monitoring 201 — focus on operating and maintaining monitoring and anesthesia equipment, and how to complete a successful anesthetic case. Veterinarians and credentialed technicians who complete these sessions will earn 4 hours of continuing education (CE) credit for each course. The Midmark Academy training program was created to help owners of veterinary hospitals run successful practices and promotes dentistry excellence for their patients. “Veterinary dentistry represents the single largest opportunity for patient care and practice growth for today’s companion animal hospitals. Utilizing best practices in anesthesia and educating your clients about your anesthetic and monitoring protocols will alleviate client concerns about anesthetizing their pet for dentistry procedures," said Dr. Cindy Charlier, DAVDC, the chief medical architect of the Midmark landmark dentistry study and training curriculum. “These Midmark Academy courses will give veterinary professionals the knowledge and training they need to help enhance patient care and create sustained success in their veterinary practice.” Members of the Midmark nationwide Anesthesia Monitoring …
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Corrie Brown Named UGA University ProfessorMarch 22, 2016The University of Georgia (UGA) has named Corrie Brown, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, Meigs Professor of Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, as University Professor. It’s an honor bestowed on faculty members who have made a significant impact on UGA beyond their normal academic responsibilities, according to the university, which made the announcement in mid-March. Dr. Brown has been at UGA for 20 years where her research, instruction and outreach have shaped global initiatives and transformed lives, the university noted. “Working at the interface of animal and human health, Dr. Brown has dedicated her career to creating a healthier and more prosperous future,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten, Ph.D. “She is an inspiring instructor and mentor, a pioneering researcher and a global ambassador for the University of Georgia.” Brown created an elective course in international veterinary medicine at the college and helped spearhead the creation of the International Certificate Program, which allows veterinary students interested in global affairs to develop a portfolio that prepares them for international work. Her effort has become a model for other colleges, according to UGA. …
Goldfish Gets Braces, Thanks to VeterinarianMarch 21, 2016While dogs with braces might be strange enough, the concept takes on a whole other level when it’s applied to fish. That’s right: A pet goldfish was recently outfitted with braces. Brian Palmeiro, VMD Dipl. ACVD of Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology in Allentown, Penn. told Action News that the goldfish, named Mr. Hot Wing, “was born without a lower jaw bone and his mouth couldn’t stay open, which made it hard to eat and breathe.” Dr. Palmeiro performed the surgery on Mr. Hot Wing after researching the case and constructing the custom braces out of a credit card. The surgery reportedly cost around $150. Fish Braces!!?? Mr. Hot Wing came in today for trouble breathing and inability to eat. He was born without a lower jaw... Posted by Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology on Thursday, March 17, 2016 Have you ever seen a fish with braces before?
Cheetah Cubs Born Via C-Section Receiving Critical Care at ZooMarch 18, 2016A 5-year-old cheetah named Willow had to have a rare C-section last week at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The birth took place on March 8 at the zoo’s regional cheetah breeding facility. Following the birth, the cubs — which consisted of three boys and two girls — were taken to the Cincinnati Zoo Nursery where they have been receiving around-the-clock veterinary care and bottle feeding. They will remain in the nursery for a minimum of eight to 12 weeks. “The cubs were born under difficult circumstances,” said Dr. Mark Campbell, Director of Animal Health at the Cincinnati Zoo in a press release. “For puppies and kittens the vast majority of their passive immunity comes from their mom’s milk especially the colostrum. Their immune systems are not developed very well at all at this time so they are unable to actively ward off infections. We are doing all we can to keep them healthy and strong, but it will be a challenge for these cubs moving forward.” Campbell, who has been with the zoo for 25 years, said that this is only the third C-section he’s been involved with. A true …
Kansas, Texas Researchers to Conduct Beef Cattle Production Health StudyMarch 18, 2016Kansas State University and Texas Tech University have teamed up to learn more about feedlot cattle production and health. They are seeking feedlots to participate in the study, which is slated to begin in May. Researchers will focus on two areas of cattle feeding, according to Dan Thomson, DVM, Ph.D., a member of the collaborative research group and a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University. The two areas: starting cattle on feed and associated risks with bovine respiratory disease and the end of the feeding period focused on performance, carcass quality, fatigued cattle syndrome, heat stress, acute interstitial pneumonia, liver abscesses, cattle transport and others. The research group will work with feedlots participating in the study to better understand risks associated with acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) and liver abscesses. A parallel study involves interested feedlots to participate in advanced necropsy training for their feedlot employees in coordination with their consulting veterinarian better understanding acute interstitial pneumonia lesions by sending samples from necropsied cattle to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University. “AIP cases and liver abscesses are economically crippling issues in our cattle feeding operations,” …
Royal Veterinary College Performs Groundbreaking Open-Heart Surgery on DogMarch 18, 2016Mabel, a 3-year-old Labrador, had congenital tricuspid dysplasia, which resulted in her being increasingly fatigued after exercise. She also had trouble keeping up with the other dog in the household. Because Mabel’s tricuspid valve was completely fused in the middle and there were just two very small holes for her blood to flow through, her abdomen had fluid buildup and she developed heart failure, Royal Veterinary College (RVC) stated in a recent press release. Mabel was subsequently referred to cardiology specialists at the small animal referral hospital at RVC. Dan Brockman, BVSc, CertVR, CertSAO, DipACVS, DipECVS, performed surgery on Mabel at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals. RVC specialists assisted the Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Head of Department of Clinical Science and Services with pre- and post-operative care. Students at RVC conducted Mabel’s initial examinations, which included a cardiac ultrasound. Annabelle Meek, Mabel’s owner, knew of the risks involved in the surgery, which, according to Dr. Brockman, were “much worse than most other operations. In our hands, for this type of disease, we have about an 80-percent chance of getting them through the procedure. The owner has to gamble what life the …
Dog Nearly Dies After Swallowing Stuffed Polar BearMarch 17, 2016Dogs will eat just about anything. They eat door hinges, fishing poles, socks and much, much more. Sometimes it even happens unbeknownst to the dog’s owner. Until that dog gets sick. That’s exactly what happened with Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux. On March 14, 2016, she was brought in to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter in New Mexico after having been vomiting for a week, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society posted on Facebook. The owner told Rick Snook, DVM, that the dog’s condition had originally been diagnosed as a uterine infection, but when she was still ailing after seven days, they brought her in. Dr. Snook has been busy for the past few days with some unusual and challenging cases. Here's one that he just finished... Posted by Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society on Monday, March 14, 2016 It turned out Honey had swallowed a stuffed toy. Dr. Snook conducted surgery to remove what was originally thought to …
British Vet Techs Don’t Get Enough CreditMarch 17, 2016Attention, British pet owners. Those scrub-wearing employees running around the hospital and doing just about everything are called veterinary nurses, and they play a very important role. The British Veterinary Association, in a survey of practitioners, reported that more than 50 percent of pet owners do not understand what registered veterinary nurses do. From the veterinarian’s perspective, the two chief responsibilities of a veterinary nurse—known in the States as a veterinary technician—are to monitor patients during anesthesia and fulfill the medical needs of in-patients. Julie Legred, CVT, executive director of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, said those are only two tasks in a long list of crucial duties. “The technician does so much more,” Legred said. “We are the surgical assistants, the medicine givers, the radiology techs, the anesthesiologists, the dieticians, the educators, the parasitologists, the lab techs, the nurse, the behaviorists, the grief counselors, the phlebotomists, the groomers, the dental hygienist, the OSHA experts, the inventory specialists, the pharmacist, the shoulder to cry on, the mediator. And I can go on and on.” British veterinary regulators want to raise the profile of nurses and protect their status by safeguarding the title registered veterinary nurse (RVN). …
Pet Owners Ready to Spend More in 2016March 17, 2016Americans are expected to spend nearly $16 billion on veterinary care in 2016, according to a report issued today at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla. The $15.92 billion total would be a record, the American Pet Products Association stated, and would represent 25 percent of all pet-related spending in the United States. Veterinary revenue stands to grow even more when ancillary sales of pet food and other products are taken into account. Food makes up the largest piece of pet owner spending—about 38 percent overall—while supplies and over-the-counter medications combine for just under a quarter slice. Altogether, spending on veterinary care, food, supplies, live animal purchases and other pet services is expected to hit $62.75 billion in 2016, a 4.1 percent increase over the $60.28 billion total last year. “The pet humanization trend is alive and well and continues to drive growth at the premium end of the market,” said Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association. “As millennials prepare to take the reins from the baby boomer generation as the primary demographic of pet owners, they stand to further develop this trend.” Certain segments of the pet market do better than others. …
Pet Obesity Shows No Sign of ShrinkageMarch 17, 2016The overweight pet problem is getting bigger. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reported Tuesday that the number of U.S. cats and dogs classified as overweight or obese inched upward to 58 and 54 percent, respectively, in 2015. The evaluation of 1,224 veterinary patients brought calls for a better understanding of what constitutes obesity—to eliminate confusion—and for a standardized scale measuring an animal’s body condition score (BCS). Three major BCS scales are used worldwide, said Julie Churchill, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVN, an associate clinical professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and an Association for Pet Obesity Prevention board member. “We need a single standard to ensure all veterinary health care team members are on the same page,” Dr. Churchill said. The organization is consulting with European veterinarians to develop a global scale and has proposed numerical scores of 1 to 9. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention noted that veterinary professionals often don’t agree on definitions of overweight and obese and that pet owners see things differently, too. According to the association, clinical obesity is defined as 30 percent or more above ideal weight. The words obese and overweight “have significant clinical meaning and affect …
