AAHA Hospitals in Ohio Can Skip State InspectionsJuly 2, 2015Ohio’s AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals are no longer subject to state inspections in most cases. The American Animal Hospital Association reported Wednesday that the Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board agreed to exempt 106 clinics—and future accredited hospitals—from compliance inspections because of the national organization’s stringent standards. Alabama is the only other state to accept a hospital’s AAHA accreditation in lieu of a government examination. “Our board’s view is that Ohio veterinarians whose hospitals have achieved AAHA accreditation have met and exceeded Ohio’s standards for their facility,” said Tim Kolb, DVM, president of the state licensing board. “Our limited budget does not permit us to do compliance inspections on all Ohio veterinary facilities on as regular a basis as we would like,” Dr. Kolb said. “This [policy change] will allow us to do more random compliance inspections on the veterinary hospitals that are not AAHA-accredited.” Hospitals earning AAHA accreditation are evaluated on more than 900 standards, ranging from patient care and pain management to team training and medical recordkeeping. Accredited hospitals are re-evaluated periodically. Ohio regulators will not inspect accredited hospitals “unless there is a written complaint filed with the board related to the conditions of the veterinary facility,” …
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OSU Hosts Grandparent UniversityJuly 2, 2015The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences welcomed 14 grandparents and 17 grandchildren as part of OSU’s 2015 Grandparent University. The two-day event is designed to give children ages 7 to 12 and their grandparents a closer look at the world of veterinary medicine. Oklahoma State University In the Dr. Duane R. Peterson Anatomy Learning Center, children and grandparents looked at radiographs to help determine each patient’s diagnosis. Participants were able to listen to a horse’s heart, use an endoscope to look inside the stomach of a stuffed demonstration dog (which contained a miniature wrapped candy bar for each child), visit the dairy during milking time to see the milking process, look at radiographs of various animals and simulate surgery on a stuffed toy, among other activities. Those that helped make the event possible included veterinary student ambassadors Miranda Anthony, Kaylynn Gruntmeir, Lauren Powell and Cameron Smithee; staff members Chris Pivinski and Emily Snow; senior equine medicine students; and faculty instructors Drs. Kelly Allen, Elisabeth Giedt, Andrew Hanzlicek, Brian Herrin, Camilla Jamieson, Yoko Nagamori and D. L. Step.
Wanted: 4,600 Dogs for Bloat StudyJuly 1, 2015Tufts University researchers are looking for 4,600 purebred dogs to participate in a landmark study of bloat, a life-threatening condition that primarily afflicts larger canines. The study will use DNA taken from blood and abdominal tissue samples to investigate possible genetic links to bloat. The condition—a stomach dangerously filled with gas, fluid or food—can kill a patient even after immediate veterinary treatment and surgery. “Bloat is a challenging disease because it escalates quickly,” said assistant professor Claire Sharp, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACVECC. “The dog is fine one minute and in a life-threatening situation the next. Dogs often die from bloat while their owner is off at work or sleeping at night.” Sharp and colleague Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, received a $250,000 grant from the AKC Canine Health Foundation to examine bloat. Teaming up with researchers from the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, the two Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine professors hope to enroll 200 dogs from each of 23 breeds. Ideally, half of the dogs are bloat survivors and half have been bloat-free. More than 150 dogs were enrolled as of late June. “We are confident that a significant amount of risk for bloat …
‘Operation Wild’ Showcases Veterinarians & The Big Animals They TreatJuly 1, 2015As veterinarians you treat all kinds of animals, from dogs and cats to birds and snakes to horses and cows. Some of you may have even treated animals in the wild, such as elephants, gorillas and tigers – or perhaps you know someone who has. It is these veterinarians who often put their lives at great risk, but perhaps don’t get the due they deserve. PBS is changing that with their three-part series, “Operation Wild.” The series follows several veterinarians as they travel to remote areas and bring along the latest technology to treat birds, tigers, gorillas, giraffes and more, including an elephant in Laos that was shot in the leg. According to Mother Nature Network, “Operation Wild” was a three-year long project. Producer Serena Davies told the network, "From the moment we went into production, a team of researchers compiled a massive list of zoos, sanctuaries, animal reserves and conservation organizations. These were all asked that if one of their animals got sick could they phone the vet first and us second. We were soon receiving a large amount of calls about different cases around the world. We also then got to know many of …
Idexx Hits CE Milestone: 800,000 Free CreditsJuly 1, 2015Idexx Laboratories Inc. has some free advice for veterinary professionals: Try our no-cost continuing education. The Westbrook, Maine, provider of diagnostic veterinary products and services announced last week that the company’s Idexx Learning Center has awarded more than 800,000 free CE credits since 2007. Worldwide, nearly 31,000 veterinary practices in 207 countries have signed up for webinars, in-person seminars, tutorials and online courses, Idexx reported. The company valued the educational offerings at $30 million, based on other sources of continuing education in the veterinary industry. “Medical and practice technology is constantly evolving, changing and improving in veterinary medicine,” said Jonathan W. Ayers, CEO of Idexx Laboratories. “By providing these educational resources, we help to strengthen the bonds that lead to healthy pets and practices, in a way that also advances the veterinary profession,” Ayers added. Idexx called itself the leader in veterinary continuing education, a claim other top providers didn’t directly challenge. One of them, the North America Veterinary Community, which schedules classes at its annual convention and throughout the year, described Idexx as “a valued partner.” “We are always impressed with how Idexx creates new ideas and innovations,” said NAVC’s CEO, Thomas M. Bohn, MBA, CAE. “The Idexx …
Ohio State Promotes Rustin Moore to Veterinary DeanJuly 1, 2015Rustin M. Moore, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS, will move from one executive office to another when he takes over Sept. 1 as dean of Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Moore, an expert in equine health, was announced Tuesday as the replacement for Lonnie King, DVM, Dipl. ACVPM, who is retiring Aug. 31 after six years as dean. Moore, executive director of Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center, will oversee what U.S. News and World Report this year ranked as the nation’s fifth-best veterinary school. The college enrolls about 640 students and employs 130 faculty members. After earning his Ph.D. at Ohio State in 1994, Moore was hired as an assistant professor in Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and was elevated to professor in 2000. While in Baton Rouge, La., he led efforts to rescue horses and other animals left in peril by a pair of 2005 hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. Moore, a 1989 DVM graduate of Ohio State, returned to Columbus in 2006 as a professor and as chairman of the department of veterinary clinical sciences. He later became chief of the Veterinary Medical Center—among the world’s largest animal hospitals—and simultaneously served as associate …
Vet-owned Dog Selected as World’s UgliestJune 30, 2015Second place wasn’t good enough for Quasi Modo, who last week was honored as the world’s ugliest dog. The 10-year-old pit bull-shepherd mix was born with birth defects that left her with a hunched-over appearance shared by the fictional character Quasimodo in the novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” The canine Quasi Modo, who lives in Loxahatchee, Fla., with veterinarian Virginia Sayre, DVM, finished as runner-up in the 2014 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest but returned to Petaluma, Calif., to try again. The competition, held annually at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, is a beauty contest of sorts. “We aren’t interested in lineage—it’s the inner beauty and personality that shine in our World’s Ugliest Dog Contest,” said the fair’s marketing director, Karen Spencer. More than two-dozen arguably unattractive contestants walked a red carpet in front of judges and 500 spectators. Chief judge Brian Sobel said Quasi Modo “epitomized excellence in ugliness”—an achievement worthy of the $1,500 first-place prize. The contest also served to draw attention to shelter dogs and pet adoptions. Like Quasi Modo, most of the contestants had been rescued. Quasi Modo’s application, ghost-written by Dr. Sayre and husband Mike Carroll, explained her origins. “I was abandoned at an animal shelter and …
In Minnesota, 1 Million Urinary Stones and CountingJune 30, 2015The Minnesota Urolith Center has left no stone unturned in its quest to reduce urinary disease in cats and dogs. Researchers led by co-director Jody P. Lulich, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, reported this month that they had analyzed 1 million bladder stones, or uroliths, since the center opened in 1981. Located at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, the Urolith Center provides veterinarians around the world with free analysis of suspected stones as small as poppy seeds to as large as gravel or even bigger. “In the past, stones were thrown away or even taken to school for show and tell, but it is increasingly accepted that analysis provides valuable data to improve the health of companion animals and is vital to prevent recurrence,” said Dr. Lulich, a professor in the department of veterinary clinical sciences. Identifying urinary tract-obstructing bladder stones—struvite? calcium oxalate?—is only part of the mission. The findings have led to surgery-free therapies such as improved canine and feline diets. Food manufacturer Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan., which makes stone-fighting formulas for dogs and cats, provides financial support to the Urolith Center. “Our close partnership with the [center] shows the value of …
Aratana Optimistic About Canine Appetite DrugJune 30, 2015An appetite stimulant for dogs showed positive results in a pivotal field effectiveness study, according to developer Aratana Therapeutics Inc. The drug—code-named AT-002—is delivered orally by syringe. Its chief ingredient, capromorelin, mimics ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, increases body weight and increases serum growth hormone levels, Aratana reported this month. The Kansas City, Kan., company, which is working on a number of other animal drugs, hopes that AT-002 could be given to inappetent dogs suffering from acute or chronic illness, undergoing chemotherapy, recovering from surgery or enduring the last stage of life. “We believe it could be a first-in-class approved drug for treating inappetence in dogs,” said Ernst Heinen, DVM, Ph.D., Aratana’s chief development officer. More than 200 client-owned inappetent dogs received either a 3 mg/kg daily dose of capromorelin for four days or a placebo. The randomized, multisite study used an owner questionnaire to assess the results. The data and other information will be delivered to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Based on current timelines for the FDA approval process, Aratana anticipates commencing commercialization of capromorelin for treatment of inappetence in dogs in 2016,” the company reported. AT-002 also is being investigated for …
UC Davis Vet School Honored with Legislative ResolutionJune 30, 2015The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine was honored in late June with a state resolution acknowledging its recent ranking as the top veterinary school in the world. Specifically, the school was ranked best in the nation for veterinary medical teaching, research and service by U.S. News and World Report and No. 1 in the world by QS World University Rankings. “This resolution means a lot because it recognizes the faculty, the staff and the students who have done so much hard work built upon the history of helping animals, people and the environment. We really greatly appreciate the resolution which recognizes the excellence here within the School of Veterinary Medicine and all throughout U.C. Davis.” said Michael D. Lairmore, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Assemblyman Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis. presented the resolution. “UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has long been a leader in providing exceptional education to its students.” Dodd said. “The top national and international rankings recognize the outstanding work of the students, faculty and staff in helping animals and continuing to advance veterinary medicine.” “Congratulations to Dean …
