New Arizona Vet School Gets $2.5 Million RanchJuly 27, 2015The University of Arizona has added a 45-acre ranch to the array of facilities awaiting students when the nation’s 31st veterinary college opens. The Steele Foundation reported last week that it is donating DK Ranch to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which anticipates welcoming 100 students to the new Veterinary Medical and Surgical Program in August 2016. The program’s original 2015 start-up date was moved back pending a site visit this winter by the Council on Education, which accredits colleges of veterinary medicine. The ranch, valued at $2.5 million, is located southwest of Sedona, Ariz. “Our schools and departments will utilize DK Ranch to complement existing programs at the UA and to create new ones specifically related to the region,” said Shane Burgess, Ph.D., dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “The DK Ranch allows us to offer experiential learning and research opportunities to our students.” Among those benefiting from the gift will be UA’s School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences. “We are confident that the DK Ranch is in great hands,” said Marianne Cracchiolo Mago, president of the Phoenix-based Steele Foundation. “The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is poised to break barriers …
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Voting Underway in Favorite Veterinarian ContestJuly 27, 2015The American Veterinary Medical Foundation is looking for the next Dr. Carlos Campos and Dr. Tim Hunt. The charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association has selected 20 finalists from among 500 nominees for the title America’s Favorite Veterinarian. Public voting in the annual contest runs through Sept. 1 at www.avmf.org/afv. Campos and Hunt were the 2013 and 2014 winners, respectively. “This honor has given me the opportunity to talk about the merits of our great profession to others,” Hunt said. The nomination process began with clients submitting a brief essay on why their veterinarian deserved special recognition. A judging panel chose the finalists based on the essays and each nominee’s community involvement, ethical behavior, passion for the profession, and connections to animals and their owners, according to the foundation. “Each nominee’s story is unique and compelling,” said AVMF board chairman John Brooks, DVM. “It is the public who will decide America’s Favorite Veterinarian.” The foundation website shows the top-10 vote getters. As of today, the leader was Lisa Aumiller, DVM, of Mount Laurel, N.J. The finalists: Dr. Aumiller Dustin Brown, DVM, of Midwest City, Okla. Kirsten Cooke, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Gainesville, Fla. Emilio …
Assisi Relaunches Electromagnetic Healing DeviceJuly 27, 2015A New York company, Assisi Animal Health, has released an upgraded device that uses electromagnetic current to reduce inflammation and pain and promote wound healing in cats, dogs and horses. The Assisi Loop 2.0 is an animal version of SofPulse, which generates a targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF) to control pain and inflammation in people. SofPulse, made by Ivivi Health Sciences of San Francisco, is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Assisi acquired the veterinary rights from Ivivi in 2013. The improved device, the Assisi Loop 2.0, comes in 4- and 7.5-inch diameters and with a strengthened sheath to protect the coil from patients’ teeth and to retain its shape. The smaller unit was unveiled in July at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference. Assisi Animal Health points to the FDA clearance as proof of the technology’s efficacy. The company is both funding and planning clinical trials on the veterinary side—something not required by law. “[We] look forward to helping educate the veterinary profession on the latest innovations in NPAIDs and tPEMF technology to improve the level of care they are providing their patients,” said Assisi CEO John Wilkerson, Ph.D. NPAID stands for non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory device, a term coined and trademarked …
Veterinarians Play Table Tennis to Raise Funds for CharityJuly 24, 2015Your veterinary office may have shown its support of various animal-related charities. Perhaps you made a donation or offered some service, such as free checkups or neuter or spay surgeries. For staff of the Mandeville Veterinary Hospital, giving to charity was a little more creative. Twelve staff members, including head veterinary surgeon and regional manager Jeremy Stewart BVetMed CertVR MRCVS and practice manager Adrian Hayter, engaged in 60-minute shifts beginning at 3 p.m. on July 10 and ending on July 11 at 3 p.m., Get West London reports. When they weren’t on shift, there was a barbecue, water slide and badminton for them to enjoy. Monies from the event went toward Dogs Trust and The Celia Hammond Animal Trust. The 12 participating members played while other staff and friends showed their support. Hayter told Get West London that, “It was an extraordinary 24 hours. We had our core team of players and we had staff and friends popping in at all times of the day and night to lend their support by joining in the table tennis matches. It was such fun and this is what kept us going through the …
Illinois Vet College’s Fall Conference Set for Mid SeptemberJuly 24, 2015The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine will host its Fall Conference for Veterinarians at the iHotel and Conference Center in Campaign, Ill., Sept. 17-18. The event will feature more than 70 sessions ranging in topics from practice management to insulin resistance in dogs and cats to anesthesia in reptiles. Pre-conference classes on foreign animal disease will be offered Sept. 16, as part of the National Veterinary Accreditation Program. The conference includes up to 17 hours of CE credit for veterinarians. The early registration discount ends Aug. 31. Sponsors include Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim, IDEXX, Storz, Elanco, the Class of 1962 Endowment Fund, the Dr. LeRoy G. Biehl Endowment Fund and the Sidney Krock Radiology Lectureship Fund. For details, visit the website.
Britain Ponders Language Test for Some Vets, Vet TechsJuly 23, 2015European veterinarians pursuing work in the United Kingdom may have to prove that they can communicate in English, according to a government proposal. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering allowing the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to halt the registration of any veterinarian coming from a European Union country if “serious and concrete doubts” are raised about the applicant’s English skills. “It is felt that animals and members of the public may be put at risk if vets are unable to meet a certain standard of proficiency in English,” a Defra document reads in part. “An example of an unwelcome situation would be a veterinary surgeon unable to understand English language drug labeling and thus unable to ensure that the drugs they dispense for treatment are correct. “In addition, a large part of the role of the veterinary surgeon is to communicate clearly and effectively with their clients … discuss potential treatments accurately, and ensure that the client is aware of and can agree [to] the proposed treatment.” The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)—the regulatory body for veterinarians and veterinary technicians in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—is asking members to comment on …
Texas A&M Dean Elevated to AAVMC PresidentJuly 23, 2015Texas A&M University’s Eleanor Green is the new president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, taking over from Trevor Ames, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, the dean of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Green, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ABVP, was installed in Boston during the organization’s annual July meeting. She is the Carl B. King dean of Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We’re fortunate to have so many talented and dedicated educators working in our member institutions and I look forward to working closely with them as we continue our efforts to create opportunity and progress in veterinary medicine,” she said. The nonprofit AAVMC represents 35 veterinary medical colleges in the United States and Canada, 14 international colleges of veterinary medicine and 23 affiliate members. Succeeding Green in 2016 will be Douglas Freeman, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACT, the dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, who was named president-elect. Other newly elected board members for 2015-16 include: At-large director representing Canadian colleges: Alistair Cribb, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. At-large liaison …
‘Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet’ Premieres This August on Disney ChannelJuly 23, 2015If you have children (or nieces, nephews or grandchildren), you may have come across “Doc McStuffins,” a children’s cartoon on Disney Junior that features a 6-year-old girl who acts as veterinarian to her toys and stuffed animals – and treats them in her playhouse clinic. Now Doc McStuffins is moving her practice to her backyard where she’ll continue to treat the toys and stuffed animals child viewers have grown to love. “Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet” is a multi-episode story presented in collaboration with Solid Gold Holistic Pet, Nationwide and the ASPCA, zaptoit.com reports. The show, geared toward kids aged 2 to 7 (though adults – especially those in veterinary medicine – will probably enjoy it too), will begin airing on the Disney Channel and WATCH Disney Junior on Friday, August 14, 2015 at 9 a.m. EST/PST. The Disney Channel, Disney Junior and WATCH Disney Junior will also feature episodes of “Doc McStuffins.” Episodes will include “Fetchin’ Findo/Dragon’s Best Friend,” “Take Your Pet to the Vet,” “Stuffy and Squibbles” and “Three Goats A’ Cuddlin.’” Besides episodes of “Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet,” the programming event will include a music video mash-up of songs from the show …
UC Davis to Host Beef Cattle SymposiumJuly 23, 2015The University of California, Davis will hold the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Aug. 17-18. The goal of the symposium is to facilitate improvements in reproductive performance and enhance knowledge and use of technologies to increase profitability and sustainability in the beef industry. The event’s location will combine the strengths and expertise of the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, U.C. Davis Department of Animal Science and U.C. Cooperative Extension. The program will include six general sessions, covering a variety of topics such as physiology, genetics and management. A sample of confirmed lectures: “Drought: devastating natural event or wake‐up call for better cattle management,” “Veterinary considerations –Male breeding soundness exams and venereal diseases in bulls,” and “Development and testing of vaccine(s) for epizootic bovine abortion (EBA; foothill abortion): current status.” For schedule and registration info, visit here.
Vets Get Extra Time to Weigh in on Bulk Drug ListJuly 22, 2015The deadline to nominate bulk drugs that may be authorized for use in veterinary compounding across the United States has been extended to Nov. 16. Comments on a related matter, the compounding document “Guidance for Industry No. 230,” are still due by Aug. 17. The American Veterinary Medical Association had asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to extend both deadlines. “This [nomination] extension allows us to work with our members to more fully identify the compounds needed for veterinarians’ office stock, which we know is critical for veterinarians’ ability to protect animal health and welfare,” the organization reported Tuesday. AVMA is collecting nominations and relevant scientific literature at regulatorycomments@avma.org. The subject line should read “FDA bulk compounding guidance.” Nominations also may be made through FDA at www.1.usa.gov/1PZBIxn. Released in May, “Guidance for Industry No. 230” acknowledges that the compounding of animal drugs from bulk substances is currently illegal but may be an appropriate treatment option in some cases. Feedback on the draft document may be provided at www.1.usa.gov/1ImZiQq.
