AAVMC Taps Maccabe For Executive Director PositionApril 10, 2012The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges named Andrew Maccabe, DVM, M.P.H., J.D., as executive director, effective May 15, 2012. Dr. Maccabe, a former associate executive director with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, is currently employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases where he acts as the center’s liaison to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to coordinate policy and programs between the two agencies. “I’m energized by the challenges we face and excited by the opportunities we have to advance veterinary medical education,” Maccabe said. “The colleges are training the next generation of veterinarians who will lead our profession tomorrow. Thirty years from now, they will be practicing in ways that few of us can even imagine today.” Maccabe is a champion of the “One Health” initiative, according to the AAVMC. The North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium emphasized One Health in its Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century: Responsive, Collaborative, Flexible report. “[It’s important that] veterinary medical colleges conduct the biomedical research that provides the scientific foundation …
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Your Patient Swallowed What?April 10, 2012 Entries are being accepted for Veterinary Practice News’ seventh annual “They Ate What?” radiograph contest, which highlights the dietary indiscretions committed by veterinary clients’ dogs, cats, snakes guinea pigs, cows and horses. The entry deadline is June 30, 2012. A digital single-lens reflex camera is the grand prize. Two runners-up will each receive a point-and-shoot digital camera. Winners will be announced in the September issue of Veterinary Practice News. Sound-Eklin of Carlsbad, Calif., is sponsoring the contest.< “With the proliferation of digital technology over the past few years, we expect to see many well-defined cases presenting an even greater variety of findings,” said Greg Stoutenburgh, vice president of marketing for Sound-Eklin. High-resolution radiographs must be submitted electronically, with “contest” in the subject line, to VPNeditor@bowtieinc.com. The submitter must include his or her name, the clinic name and address, a telephone number and a brief explanation of the case. Entries become the property of BowTie Inc., which reserves the right to use them in any publication, media or promotion. Contestants agree that their photo, text, name and city may be posted on BowTie websites and, in the case of the winners, on sponsor …
MedPro Launches Veterinary Division And Transducer Repair LabApril 9, 2012 Ultrasound distributor MedPro Imaging launched a veterinary division along with a veterinary probe repair lab and became the exclusive distributor of Siemens Ultrasound products to the veterinary market, the Waukesha, Wis.-based company reported today. The new MedPro Vet division will be headed by former regional sales manager Neil Walendy, who was promoted to director of U.S. Veterinary Sales. Walendy has 13 years of experience selling into the veterinary market with companies including Sound Technologies and United Medical Instruments. With the launch of the new division, MedPro will ramp up its sales and marketing efforts in the veterinary industry with the addition of new operations personnel and repair technicians, according to Keith Rubenstein, vice president of sales and managing partner for MedPro. The veterinary ultrasound probe repair laboratory is the first of its kind in the world, according to MedPro. Repairs include micro-convex probe lens damage from needles during cystoscopy and fine needle aspiration, probe connector replacement, housings, cables, strain reliefs, arrays and re-terminate arrays. “We saw a tremendous need for [the new division], and we invested a lot of money into setting this up – especially the transducer repair …
Extralabel Cephalosporin Ban Goes Into EffectApril 6, 2012 The federal prohibition on extralabel uses of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in major species of food-producing animals went into effect yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported today. The FDA order prohibits extralabel uses of all cephalosporins, excepting cephapirin, in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys, including: • Using cephalosporin drugs at unapproved dose levels, frequencies, durations, or routes of administration; • Using cephalosporin drugs in cattle, swine, chickens or turkeys that are not approved for use in that species (e.g., cephalosporin drugs intended for humans or companion animals); • Using cephalosporin drugs for disease prevention. The FDA enacted the prohibition to preserve the effectiveness of cephalosporin drugs for treating humans by reducing the risk of cephalosporin resistance in certain bacterial pathogens, the agency said. The order does not limit the use of cephapirin, because the FDA does not believe the drug contributes significantly to antimicrobial resistance. In 2008, the FDA issued a similar order, but revoked it prior to implementation to consider remarks made during the comment period. In January 2012, the FDA issued the current …
Uptick In TicksApril 5, 2012 An unseasonably warm U.S. winter not only has meant non-stop tick-sightings, it could mean a boom in the parasite population this spring—or sooner, parasitologists say. This correlates with a higher prevalence of tick-borne diseases in dogs and humans. While dogs present with different symptoms based on the type of tick-borne disease they’ve contracted, one common presentation is fever. Experts say the variety of symptoms makes a diagnosis difficult, especially because co-infections are the norm in dogs. “When dogs are exposed to more than one tick-borne pathogen, they’re at an increased risk of clinical disease,” says Melissa Beall, DVM, Ph.D., medical affairs manager at Idexx in Westbrook, Maine. “We conducted research in Minnesota that showed dogs with co-infections had more severe disease presentations. Having more than one condition impacts the animals’ ability to manage disease.” Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, a professor at North Carolina State University and adjunct professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, played a major role in orchestrating the seventh International Conference on Bartonella as Animal and Human Pathogens (April 25-28). He warns that ticks carry at least 15 known pathogens that can be transmitted to a dog. “We’re finding more and more …
Elevated Heartworm Prevalence Expected This SpringApril 5, 2012 The United States will experience high populations of heartworm due to anticipated above-normal temperatures and precipitation levels, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council's spring 2012 parasite forecast released today. The forecast is based on National Weather Service data, weather trends, parasite prevalence statistics from veterinary clinics and animal shelters, and the collective expert opinion of parasitologists. Through April 2012, the forecast calls for the following levels of heartworm populations in five U.S. regions: “extremely high” in the South; “high” in the Northeast and Midwest; “moderate to higher-than-normal” in the Northwest; and “persistent spikes” in parts of the West. “We want everyone to be especially vigilant in protecting themselves and their pets from the risks that parasites pose in every state in the country,” said CAPC board member and former president Byron Blagburn, M.S., Ph.D., a distinguished professor at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s important to remember that almost all parasites are completely preventable.” The Companion Animal Parasite Council will issue another parasite forecast this fall that covers heartworm and ticks. In related news, the American Heartworm Society recently
Feline Infectious Peritonitis Study Headlines $174K Round Of Winn GrantsApril 4, 2012 Investigations into potential treatments for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney disease were among ten projects selected by the Winn Feline Foundation from a field of 44 proposals to receive $174,018 in funding, the Hillsborough, N.J.-based nonprofit reported today. The investigation by Belgium researchers to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment for feline infectious peritonitis received the largest chunk of funding at $24,962. Veterinary faculty from Ghent University’s Laboratory of Virology will attempt to determine if a specific blocking agent can inhibit the FIP virus from evading a host’s immune system, allowing the system to recognize and destroy infected cells. A study led by Kathryn Meurs, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine received $24,674 and will focus on identifying the gene responsible for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the Sphynx cat. Identification of the gene could lead to a reduction in the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the Sphynx cat and provide information on the disease in other breeds, as well. The foundation granted $24,513 to an investigation led by Dorothy Brown, DVM, …
BIVI To Launch Oral Bordetella VaccineApril 3, 2012 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for an oral vaccine that aids in the protection against the primary pathogen of canine infectious respiratory disease in dogs. The vaccine, called Bronchi-Shield Oral, is the first live, avirulent Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine licensed to be administered orally to dogs, the St. Joseph, Mo.-based company said. “Doctors told us they like intranasal vaccines because they provide optimal immune responses, but doctors and their patients dislike having these vaccines given in the nose,” said Arne Zislin, VMD, technical manager veterinarian for BIVI. “So we’ve developed an easy-to-administer oral vaccine that is mucosally absorbed.” The vaccine proved to provide protection against B. bronchiseptica in a challenge study, according to Zislin. Administration requires veterinarians to instill a 1.0 mL dose into the buccal cavity of healthy dogs eight weeks of age or older, and the company recommends annual revaccination. B. bronchiseptica vaccines are considered noncore by the American Animal Hospital Association 2011 Vaccination Guidelines, but BIVI says many dogs are at risk of infection. <HOME>
FHS May Have Underlying Schizophrenic LinkApril 3, 2012 Feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS) is an enigmatic and controversial behavioral and medical condition that most often affects Oriental cat breeds. I saw my first case many years ago in a Siamese cat that displayed the three cardinal signs: excessive skin rippling or twitching (hence the alternative designation “rolling skin disease”), bouts of manic self-grooming, often initiated by stroking the cat along its back (”hyperesthesia”), and widely dilated pupils during bouts of the behavior. The cat had just bitten one of our students, who was trying to restrain him, sending the student to the hospital for intravenous antibiotic treatment. Mercurial aggression, while being restrained, is another feature of FHS in some cats. Other odd behaviors associated with the syndrome include periods of freezing in position while staring vacuously into space, sudden bouts of running away from what appears to be some unseen enemy and apparent hallucinations (visually following things that aren’t there). Learning More In the early days, feline hyperesthesia syndrome was described as a compulsive disorder or stereotypy, but over time I became skeptical of the label to the point where I now consider it incorrect. The first seeds of doubt regarding the compulsive disorder …
AHS Revises Heartworm GuidelinesApril 2, 2012The American Heartworm Society has updated its canine and feline heartworm guidelines and unveiled an initiative to help practices implement the guidelines’ recommendations. The American Heartworm Society added the following new points: Diagnostics: AHS recommends annual antigen testing for all dogs. Antigen-positive dogs should be tested for microfilariae presence. Year-round prevention: AHS recommends that all dogs and cats receive chemoprophylactic drugs throughout the year to prevent heartworm disease, enhance compliance and control pathogenic and/or zoonotic parasites. Veterinary care providers must work together to increase the number of dogs receiving chemoprophylaxis and provide reminder systems to help pet owners purchase and administer products on time all year. Lack of efficacy: The vast majority of suspected heartworm preventive failures result from inadequate prevention and testing. Macrocyclic lactones are still the best and only option for preventing heartworm infection. Adulticide therapy: AHS recommends a multi-modal approach for heartworm treatment. Pretreat dogs with a monthly preventive in combination with doxycycline prior to melarsomine administration. Use a three-dose regimen of melarsomine (2.5 mg/kg body weight) for either symptomatic or asymptomatic dogs. The regimen should include an initial dose, followed at least one month later by two injections 24 hours apart. Methods using only macrocyclic as …
