What We Killed In 2010February 14, 2011 Can you guess how many animals I euthanized last year? Sadly, this morbid mental exercise is kind of like guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar. But it ís undertaken less as a senseless descent into morbidity than by way of reaching into our profession’s heart of darkness and attempting an exorcism of the demons that live there. That’s what whatikilledtoday.com was all about. Though it has sadly gone the way of other great websites whose dearth of financial backing sounded the death knell for its continued online presence, it was an excellent blog based on one wildlife worker’s euthanized cases. From crabs and fish to common small mammals, this not-for-profit wildlife rehab employee had it rough on the death front. (I can only hope he has a less stressful job now, wherever he is.) Mostly, these “beautiful deaths” are recorded matter-of-factly, allowing any of us to read into their grim words what we will. This is why these minimalistic entries are nothing short of brilliant (if you have a thing for Nietzsche and Kafka, that is). How better to convey the loss of life than by memorializing the death through the lasting, ecumenical …
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Utah State One Step Closer To Getting Vet ProgramFebruary 10, 2011 A bill that would create a veterinary education program at Utah State University passed the Senate today. It was then tabled for further financial review. Specifically, House Bill 57 would allow Utah State University to enter into a partnership agreement with Washington State University to establish a vet program. Washington State University already has a College of Veterinary Medicine. Students would complete the first and second years of study at Utah State University and the third and fourth years of study at Washington State University. Initially, up to 20 Utah resident students and 10 nonresident students would be accepted each year into the program, according to the bill. The bill would also require the Legislature, subject to future budget constraints, to annually appropriate money to pay for the nonresident portion of tuition for Utah students enrolled at Washington State University under a partnership agreement. House Bill 57 is currently tabled in the Senate 3rd reading calendar, where house bills are placed if they have a fiscal note of $10,000 or more. This bill has a fiscal note of $1.7 million. If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1. To read …
Comment Deadline For ‘Roadmap’ Education Report Gets ExtensionFebruary 9, 2011 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges reported today that it is extending the comment deadline for the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium’s draft report on the future of veterinary medical education from Feb. 28 to May 1. The association, which spearheads the NAVMEC, said the extension will allow for more deliberation and input. “The original deadline was very ambitious and we know that many national veterinary meetings are scheduled between March and May,” said Jeanne Johnson, director of communications for the association. The report, “Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century: Responsive, Collaborative, Flexible,” outlines how to work toward an economically sustainable future for veterinary medical education and prepare graduates with the core competencies required to meet society’s evolving needs, according to AAVMC. For example, the draft report stresses the need to research the most effective teaching models and offers an analysis of ways to share education resources and best practices across institutions. The NAVMEC began soliciting comments on the report, available at the group’s website, in mid November. Related webinars have been ongoing since December. The webinars discuss how and why the consortium was …
North Dakota Considers Bill Allowing Police, Vets To Seize AnimalsFebruary 9, 2011 Legislators in North Dakota have introduced a bill that would allow police and veterinarians to seize animals they believe are being treated inhumanely. A public hearing on the measure is set for Friday, Feb. 11, 2011. As introduced, Senate Bill 2365 would grant a law enforcement officer or licensed veterinarian the right to take custody and control of an animal if there is “reasonable cause to believe” that the animal has been subjected to activity prohibited by state laws pertaining to the humane treatment of animals. The measure would allow law enforcement officers to seize an animal without a warrant or court order. If the officer or the veterinarian seizing the animal knows the animal’s owner, they must notify the owner immediately. If they don’t know the owner, they must publish a notice indicating that the animal may be sold or otherwise disposed of if it is not claimed in five days (from the date of notice). The law enforcement officer or veterinarian would have a lien on the seized animal for the reasonable value of the animal’s care and shelter and for any expenses incurred in notifying the animal’s owner. SB 2365 would allow the …
FDA Warns About Compounded Use Of Deslorelin Now That SucroMate Equine Is ApprovedFebruary 9, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to veterinarians today reminding them that now SucroMate Equine is approved and available for veterinary use in the United States, deslorelin should not be imported from other countries or compounded from bulk. SucroMate Equine is the only marketed FDA-approved animal drug that contains deslorelin as the active ingredient. The drug, manufactured by Thorn BioScience, was approved in November 2010 as a way to regulate ovulation in mares. The injectable, sustained-release suspension is said to increase the likelihood of conception during breeding for both natural bred and artificially inseminated horses. The suspension comes in a 10 mL vial that can be used for 10 doses. The strength is 1.8 mg deslorelin acetate per mL. The FDA’s letter to veterinarians outlines its “rigorous” drug evaluation process. It also emphasizes that animal drugs compounded from bulk do not go through this process. “An animal drug that is compounded from bulk drug ingredients is not FDA-approved,” the FDA said in its letter. “This means FDA has not evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the compounded drug or the adequacy of the manufacturing process. “In prescribing FDA-approved SucroMate Equine …
New Website Maps Emerging Zoonotic DiseasesFebruary 8, 2011 A new website has launched to help governments and health agencies track emerging infectious diseases across the world. HealthMap.org/Predict delivers real-time information from a number of sources “to give users in more than 20 countries a comprehensive view on the current global state of infectious diseases and their effects on human and animal health.” The website launch was announced at this week’s International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance in Vienna, Austria. The website is a component of the Predict project, which was created in 2009 as part of the United States Agency for International Development’s Emerging Pandemics Threats Program. The project’s main focus is building a global early warning system for emerging diseases that move between wildlife and people. Such zoonotic diseases include influenza, ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome, also known as SARS. The project is implemented by the University of California, Davis; the Wildlife Conservation Society; EcoHealth Alliance; Global Viral Forecasting Initiative; and the Smithsonian Institution. Additional partners include Harvard Children’s Hospital, ProMED, Yale University and Praecipio. The website uses the HealthMap platform to bring together a number of data sources—more than 50,000 Web sources an hour—into a …
VCS Salutes Oncology Icon WithrowFebruary 7, 2011 The Veterinary Cancer Society’s 2010 Theilen Tribute Award honored Steve Withrow, DVM, of Colorado State University for lifetime achievement in veterinary oncology. The award recognizes the visionary “One Medicine” career of Gordon H. Theilen, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology). Dr. Theilen is one of veterinary oncology’s most prolific and internationally appreciated forefathers. He contributed diverse pivotal research in cancer virology, initiated the first veterinary clinical oncology service, was a founding member and first president of the VCS in 1976 and contributed the first reference textbooks, Veterinary Cancer Medicine, 1979 and 1987. Dr. Theilen created the Comparative Cancer Center, which evolved into the Center for Companion Animal Health at the University of California, Davis. He mentored many researchers and the first generation of veterinary oncologists, who became leaders in their respective fields, touching millions of lives worldwide. The VCS’s first Theilen Tribute Award in 2009 honored Dr. Greg MacEwen posthumously. Dr. Withrow, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), was selected as the second recipient, to be honored during the VCS meeting in San Diego in October. The winner’s name was kept a surprise. VCS host Dr. Greg Ogilvie invited Dr. Withrow to be a keynote speaker, which …
Vetsulin Critical Need Program DiscontinuedFebruary 7, 2011 Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health reported today that it is discontinuing the Vetsulin Critical Need Program and will no longer provide Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) after the current supply is exhausted, which is expected to be the end of February. The discontinuation is being initiated based on quality tests that showed that the sterility of the most recent batch of Vetsulin, a product used to treat diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats, may be compromised by bacterial contamination. The batch has not been released from the manufacturing facility, according to Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc. of Whitehouse Station, N.J. The company further noted that they are aware of no evidence that the Vetsulin currently on the market and being used under the program is affected. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sent out a notice late Friday announcing the anticipated shortage, confirmed that statement. No adverse events consistent with bacterial infection in dogs and cats receiving Vetsulin under the current program have been reported, according to the agency. The Vetsulin Critical Need Program was launched in May 2010, intended for a critical need dog or cat that, in the medical …
Companion Animal Vets See Salary Increase; Equine Hit With LossesFebruary 4, 2011 A new study shows that the average salary for private practice veterinarians increased from $115,447 in 2007 to $121,303 in 2009. The figures are based on the 2011 American Veterinary Medical Association Report on Veterinary Compensation, which is published every two years. The private practice salary boost is largely due to the fact that companion animal exclusive veterinarians saw salary increases from $113,373 in 2007 to $124,768 in 2009, according to the AVMA study. However, other private practice sectors—mixed animal, companion animal predominant and equine—faced salary decreases. The AVMA attributed the decline to the recession. Specifically, mixed animal veterinarians saw the average salary drop from $117,201 in 2007 to $107,064 in 2009, companion animal predominant from $120,462 to $117,524 and equine from $131,195 to $126,641. Food animal exclusive veterinarians also saw a dip in pay, from $139,612 in 2007 to $131,479 in 2009, but they are still the highest paid veterinarians working in private practice, according to the AVMA study. All veterinarians working in public and corporate positions experienced salary increases between 2007 and 2009, according to the study. The top earning veterinarians in 2009 worked in industry, on average earning $167,415. …
Abaxis Vet Sales Increase 10% In Q3February 3, 2011Abaxis Inc. reported veterinary market sales of $26.3 million for its third quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to sales of $23.9 million in the year-ago period. This represents a 10 percent increase. Year to date, veterinary market sales were $79.8 million, compared to sales of $67.4 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Abaxis reported net income of $3.8 million on revenue of $35.9 million for its third quarter, compared to net income of $3.4 million on revenue of $31 million in the year ago period. Medical and veterinary instrument sales increased 10 percent to $9.3 million for the quarter, while medical and veterinary reagent disc sales increased 20 percent to $19.5 million for the quarter, according to the Union City, Calif.-based company. Year to date, Abaxis reported net income of $11.2 million on revenue of $106.1 million, compared to net income of $10.4 million on revenue of $90.9 million in the year-ago period. <Home>
