Herd Health & Welfare: A ResponseApril 19, 2010Editor: We would like to respond to Dr. Laura Zehnder Jones’ comments on the article “Food Animal Vets Dispute Abuse Charges” [February 2010]. One overarching concern seems to be about the farm size, business orientation and business relationships of many of today’s operations. We do not believe it is disingenuous to note that the majority of farms are family owned. Trends in business in recent decades have been toward larger entities regardless of whether the subject is retail businesses such as the shopping supercenters, the pharmaceutical industry, railroads or manufacturing. Animal agriculture has experienced these same trends. These trends reflect that increased scale often increases efficiency. In the face of an increasing population and reduced land mass resources, becoming more efficient has become a requirement for farm survival. It is common to observe changes in business structure and business processes as farms increase in size. Frequently, more formal, legal business relationships come into existence, which make possible shared ownership and management responsibilities among close relatives and across several generations. These larger farms are capital intensive and require extensive use of risk-management tools such as crop insurance, hedging and contracts to secure inputs and sale of production. …
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Making Sense Of The Neuro ExamApril 15, 2010 The neurological exam seems to be one of the most confusing concepts in veterinary medicine. Let’s try to clarify things. To simplify, we will focus on the hind legs only. One way to look at the neuro exam is to divide it into an assessment of “the four stages” and an evaluation of four reflexes. Photo courtesy of Dr. Phil Zeltzman. The patellar reflex causes extension of the stifle. The four stages require a functional spinal cord and a functional brain, and they help us determine a lesion’s severity. Reflexes tell us only where the lesion is localized. Since I am a surgeon and not a neurologist, I talked to Todd Bishop, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (neurology), of Upstate Veterinary Specialties in Latham, N.Y., to ensure the accuracy of the following information. Decline Into Nociception Patients might go through four stages between normalcy and being paralyzed with no deep pain: First-stage patients may feel back pain. They can exhibit pain by vocalizing. Certain breeds, such as beagles, are especially good at expressing their feelings. Others may arch their back. . As they …
‘Dr. Patty’? Uh, No. But ‘Dr. K’ Is OKApril 14, 2010 ‘Dr. Patty’? Uh, No. But ‘Dr. K’ Is OK‘Dr. Patty’? Uh, No. But ‘Dr. K’ Is OKrealitycheck, practicemgmtBy Patty Khuly, VMD04-07-2010 I talk a big game about my endless list of pet peeves. They dog me like a slobbery ball that keeps getting plunked in my lap while I’m trying to digest the last few pages of a great book. But most really aren’t pet peeves. Instead, they’re more on the order of the kind of thing any thinking, feeling person might detest. Case in point: Peeving it up on the subject of people who talk loudly on cell phones in closed spaces. Now that’s just rude! So how can it be a “pet” peeve if 200 similar basic etiquette peeves offer the same degree of I-want-to-strangle-him irksomeness? That was my long-winded intro to a truly personal pet peeve I happen to harbor: modern day veterinarians who go by their first name with a Dr. preceding it. As in, “Dr. Patty.” I don’t know about you but it kinda bugs me. Not so much when exuberant clients call out, “Dr. Patty!” and wave across the supermarket. They’re just being sweet and solicitous. …
TCVM’s Silk Road May Lead To DetourApril 14, 2010 Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is etching its way into the curricula of AVMA-accredited institutions and the veterinary internship matching program.1 If this trend continues and tuition dollars support an ever-higher percentage of myth and folklore within college curricula, what it means to practice veterinary medicine may change in the foreseeable future. Diagnoses will devolve from scientific, specific descriptions of anatomic and physiologic abnormalities into vague constellations of pseudoscientific disruptions of abstract bodily processes. While this approach may have qualified as medicine millennia ago, it does not now. Having more faculty hop on the bandwagon of TCVM may mean that valuable course time better spent on evidence-based instruction will be replaced by outdated ideas from long ago and far away. Mainly over the past decade, Asian medical practitioners introduced TCVM to the U.S. By first gaining a foothold and a following within institutions of higher learning, they used those connections as business opportunities that lent legitimacy to unapproved and untested herbal products. Students may become de facto distributors for their teachers’ proprietary mixtures when they perpetuate product promotion in their practices. That some Americans fall for self-proclaimed masters in Asian arts is nothing …
Response Products Recalls Certain Dog SupplementsApril 13, 2010 Response Products of Broken Bow, Neb., has issued a voluntary recall for its Advanced Cetyl M Joint Action Formula supplement for dogs due to concerns of salmonella contamination. The affected products include 120-count bottles and 360-count bottle with lot numbers 1210903 and 0128010. The 120-count bottles were distributed nationwide from Jan. 8 to April 2, and the 360-count bottles were distributed nationwide from Feb. 11 to April 2. The lot number can be found directly above the bar code on the label. Contaminated pet food or treats can cause infections in animals as well as people who handle the products. Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may have a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pains. No illnesses have been reported, according to the company. In a statement, Response Products said it issued the recall as a “precautionary measure” after learning that a component of the supplement’s beef flavoring called hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) had been recalled due to the potential for salmonella contamination. The HVP was provided by Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas, and its facility recently tested positive for salmonella, according the company. Multiple …
Merial Extends Supply Of ImmiticideApril 13, 2010 Animal health company Merial of Duluth, Ga., has identified an alternative supplier for its heartworm treatment product, Immiticide, after recently informing veterinarians that it was in limited supply. The product’s active ingredient was no longer available from its manufacturer – the only U.S. source of the compound, Merial said. However, the company plans to continue to provide this product to veterinarians in the same way it has these past few months, said spokeswoman Natasha Mahanes. The alternative source for melarsomine is one that already makes it for the European and international markets. However, gaining U.S. regulatory approval for the new manufacturer will take time, Merial said. For now, Merial has instituted a temporary measure to extend the product supply and continue to make it available to veterinarians. Through a restricted distribution program initiated in agreement with the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), veterinarians with an immediate need to treat a dog with heartworm disease are allowed to buy Immiticide containing melarsomine manufactured by the alternate supplier. This product must be purchased directly through Merial. It is not available through Merial’s distributors. Merial is continuing to work closely with FDA-CVM and the …
University Of Minnesota College Of Veterinary Medicine Gets $3 Million GiftApril 12, 2010 A $3 million gift received by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine will go toward expanding research and teaching in veterinary orthopedic surgery at the university and improve veterinary care and education for companion animals in India. The gift is from the Tata Group, a worldwide business conglomerate based in India. In 2008, Chairman Ratan Tata was searching for a professional facility for surgical care for pets when he was referred to professor Michael Conzemius at the university in St. Paul. Tata’s experience with the care and services at the veterinary center led him to work with Trevor Ames, College of Veterinary Medicine dean, on how the same type of care might benefit in India. The gift will help create an endowment supporting small animal orthopedic surgery and to establish the Tata Group chair in orthopedic surgery, held by Conzemius. A professor of surgery at the college since 2006, he leads a research team that is internationally recognized for basic and clinical research in elbow replacement systems, gait analysis and the genetics of ligament injury and repair. This work has also led to greater understanding of the postoperative effects of rehabilitation and improvements after …
Hearing Set For Breed-Specific Bill In OhioApril 12, 2010 A bill that would strike the term “pit bull” from Ohio’s statutory definition of dangerous dogs is set for a hearing before the Ohio House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, April 14. Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Sears, R-Lucas County, House Bill 79 changes state law in order to no longer single out “pit bull” dogs as vicious. As currently written, Ohio law states that if a dog “belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull,” then it is automatically deemed vicious and dangerous. Ohio is the only state to have statewide breed-specific legislation. Owners of these dogs are required to submit reports to the board of health and county dog warden whenever there is a transfer of ownership. Breed-specific language in state law has enabled Ohio municipalities to enact strict ordinances regarding ownership of “pit bulls.” <HOME>
Modern Medicine Meets Traditional Chinese Veterinary CareApril 12, 2010 Animal Wellness Centers LLC unveiled its flagship Santa Monica, Calif., location at a star-studded launch party in mid-February. The facility—its founder says it combines modern animal health care and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine—is envisioned to be the first of many such centers. Attendees of the event, which benefited the Humane Society of the United States, ranged from reality TV stars Stephanie Pratt (“The Hills”) and Bridget Marquardt (“The Girls Next Door”) to animal industry names Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS, and Louise Murray, DVM, director of medicine for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Animal Wellness Centers was founded by Annie Harvilicz, DVM, who serves as the chief medical officer. She and the center’s other full-time veterinarian, Erin O’Leary, DVM, provide animal care largely through house calls. The new facility is dedicated to retail space and has room for behavioral classes and other educational programs. Retail offerings include Dr. Annie-branded products such as natural alternatives for treating anxiety along with joint aids and ear cleansers. The center’s design revolves around the animal’s point of view. “From 4 feet and below, the animal’s natural world is emphasized, with curves, …
Michigan State Recognizes ‘Miracle Dog’April 12, 2010 Katie, a black Labrador and former patient, was named a miracle dog at the Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Celebration of Life ceremony. Her experience led to the creation of an annual $1,000 scholarship award from PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance Co. of San Antonio for a MSU veterinary student. Owners Marilyn and Mark Johnson of Williamston, Mich., said PurinaCare allowed them to seek the best veterinary care without having to worry about finances. That’s because PurinaCare covered 80 percent of the medical bill, or about $14,500 out of a total of $18,410. Katie’s care included the hospital stay, four surgeries and many tests in the MSU critical-care unit. Her health problem started after a spay procedure led to complications. The veterinarian noted that Katie was struggling, reopened her and found internal bleeding. The dog was referred to MSU for intensive monitoring and care. MSU veterinarians found a clotting abnormality and a spleen problem. A splenectomy was performed on the 5-year-old dog, and her dramatic response against all odds was likely the reason why she was selected a miracle dog, her owners said. “We had gotten insurance for the first time a few months …
