Balancing Motherhood And Veterinary PracticeDecember 30, 2009 When building Coast Pet Clinic/Animal Cancer Center (Coast) in 1977 I was only 29 years old. We designed the upstairs with a big conference room and a full kitchen and bathroom that opened to a spacious room that could serve as a day care facility for babies and small children. But the children did not come to our practice, not until this century. A Chance to Help African Orphans As I write this, I’m getting ready to lead a group to South Africa to see Dr. Peter Brothers, a wildlife veterinarian who leads Brothers Safari. So I am making a special plea to readers to help feed orphaned African children who have lost parents to the AIDS epidemic. These children have nothing. In Malawi alone, 2 million of its 12 million people are orphans. Please join me in sending donations to Nourish the Children at NourishTheChildren.com. Nourish the Children had nutritionists from my alma mater, the University of California, Davis, create a special fortified food called Vita Meal to nourish starving children. In addition, …
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Know When To Leave It To The SpecialistDecember 30, 2009 I’ve got this acquaintance. She’s an educated professional and a commonsensical kind of person. Unfortunately, none of this kept her from suffering a failed root canal at the hands of a general practitioner dentist. She trusted him and he failed. Not only did he legitimately fail to provide a reasonable root canal, leading directly to an abscessed tooth that he never re-radiographed postprocedure. Where he most failed was in his duty to offer the services of an endodontist before performing the work. That got me to thinking about all the cases I see as a “second opinion” and all the disaster cases my significant other, a vet surgeon, treats on the back end of poor general practitioner judgment calls. Most of mine are cases that need not stop at another GP before heading directly to a specialist. That they land in my lap in the absence of a referring vet’s communication is testament that this “second opinion” was not recommended by their initial veterinarian. Rather, it’s an outright defection that represents a dereliction of trust in their regular vet—all of which might have been prevented given a simple referral to the appropriate source: a specialist. …
High Achiever: Lance S. Fox, DVMDecember 30, 2009 It’s a somewhat unlikely tale: Motivated by his father’s early death and his son’s premature birth, a 39-year-old veterinarian with limited climbing experience decides to take on the world’s highest mountain. Photo courtesy of Dr. Lance S. Fox. Dr. Lance S. Fox pauses on top of Mount Everest. But it’s all true, even the Hollywood-style happy ending. On the morning of May 21, after 10 final, exhausting hours of climbing—six of them by headlamp in the dark—Lance S. Fox, DVM, joined a very exclusive club. He reached the summit of Mount Everest, one of fewer than 3,000 people who have set foot on top of the world. And now the Wisconsin vet is telling his story to the world. Soon to be featured in the third season of the Discovery Channel series “Everest: Beyond the Limit,” Dr. Fox is drawing on his adventure during speeches to high school and college kids, hoping to persuade them to conquer their personal Everests. “My opening slide is ‘If You Believe, You Can Achieve,’ ” Fox says. “So often we hear people say the words, ‘I can’t.’ But I disagree …
Digital RadiographyDecember 30, 2009 Conventional X-ray technology has been used for decades, virtually unchallenged and unchanged. Now the rapid evolution of digital X-ray options makes veterinary consumers ask what’s the right system for me? How do I store my images? Who do I make them available to? About 25 percent of veterinarians use digital radiography equipment in their practice and 70 percent are expected to use the technology within the next five years, according to Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine. But the profession is divided when privacy enters the conversation, leaving some less eager to trust an outside company with the responsibility of storing images. Veterinarians agree that determining what to do with picture archiving and communication systems, or PACS, is a big decision. PACS are servers dedicated to the storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of images. They can stay under the owners’ roof or be placed in the care of an outside company. While keeping images in-house solves privacy concerns, an off-site company takes responsibility for the images’ protection and can be a good way to protect records in the event of a fire or natural disaster. “There are a small percentage of clients who educate themselves to …
Dogged Determination: Dr. Gail C. GolabDecember 30, 2009 When Gail C. Golab was studying biomedical research in graduate school at Texas A&M University, well before she planned to become a veterinarian, she happened to live in a neighborhood popular with vet students. Other students knew that future vets lived there. So when they no longer could care for their pets, the students often dumped them at the housing complex. Golab and the veterinary students tried to take care of the strays. They bought food, tried to find new homes for the animals and held meetings to talk about the problem. But Golab quickly realized their efforts were likely to fail. “No one was trying to figure out why students were getting rid of the animals,” Golab, Ph.D., DVM, MACVSc (Animal Welfare), recalls now, more than 20 years later. “And it seemed to me that if we didn’t figure out the source of the problem, we wouldn’t ever be able to solve it.” First, she helped found a student chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, figuring that educating students on the costs and challenges of pets might keep them from adopting an animal they couldn’t keep. Then she …
Equine Wellness, Compliance Remain Works In ProgressDecember 30, 2009 The 4,000 veterinarians expected to attend the 55th American Assn. of Equine Practitioner convention are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to discuss wellness concerns and equine issues with colleagues. Though observations vary region-ally, even those practicing in affluent areas are seeing clients pull back on preventive care for horses and are chalking it up to economic concerns. Some are concerned because the proactive approach is the best for staying ahead of potential disease, parasite and viral issues. “People are doing more of their own routine care [because] of the economy,” says Christi Garfinkel, DVM, of Equine Veterinary Services Inc. in El Cajon, Calif. “This makes preventive care difficult.” Wellness is defined differently by veterinarians, varying by region, client compliance and beliefs, says Harry W. Werner, VMD, of North Granby, Conn., president of the AAEP. “I define wellness as practicing preventive medicine,” Dr. Werner says. “Biannual physical examinations provide baseline findings that tell us what is normal for the patient. Exams help determine which vaccinations, parasite control and care are appropriate and help us identify diseases and problems early. Exam findings can also be valuable comparison points if the horse has health problems in the future.” Preventive …
Survey: Pet Owners Aware Of Insurance, Balk At CostDecember 30, 2009 More than nine of 10 surveyed pet owners (94 percent) know that pet insurance exists but are likely to avoid buying plans because of cost concerns, according to a survey of pet owners and veterinary professionals. The online survey, conducted by the marketing firm LePoidevin Rickinger Group of Brookfield, Wis., polled 806 veterinary professionals and 4,626 pet owners in September to gauge their awareness of pet insurance providers. Results were provided exclusively to Veterinary Practice News. “The most significant finding was the relatively high number of veterinarians who had no opinion or a low opinion of the facts of pet insurance,” said Dean LePoidevin, strategic director at LePoidevin Rickinger Group. He referred to a finding that 40 percent of veterinary professionals surveyed do not recommend pet health insurance. “We see pet insurance as more likely to help save a pet’s life by allowing the owner to avoid decisions based solely on economic euthanasia,” he said. “Armed with information, vets and pet owners should embrace the benefits of pet insurance. After all, it’s about being able to practice better medicine.” Despite the high awareness of insurance in general, the survey found that 78 percent of …
A Look Ahead For 2010December 30, 2009What’s new and improved? It’s an appropriate question as we greet a new year. We asked some veterinary leaders to envision advances and other influences likely to affect veterinary practice in 2010 and beyond. Their insights covered considerable ground, from targeted therapies to regenerative medicine, diagnostic imaging to diet and nutrition. Collectively, the view ahead is not of giant leaps but of carefully placed steps, with advice to keep one eye on the economics and the other searching for that elusive target: the cutting edge. Our insiders didn’t have to strain to find reasons for optimism. “Looking at the big picture, I’m excited about 2010 and the future,” says Leah Cohn, DVM, Ph.D., vice president of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. More Specialists Dr. Cohn’s first choice for an area of impact and expansion: specialization. She expects to see not only the number of specialists grow but also an acceleration of the shift from academic settings to private specialty practices. The trend is good for clients because we will see “vast increases in knowledge and treatment options,” she says. But it’s also good for practitioners, she adds, because while she sees generalists as excellent clinicians, “No one can …
Treating Advanced Periodontal DiseaseDecember 30, 2009 Periodontal disease is the most common disease of companion animals—more common than kidney disease, diabetes and lymphoma. Most dogs and cats show early signs of periodontal disease by 4 years old. Many practices are realizing there’s more to the treatment of periodontal disease than just cleaning and polishing. Advancing your knowledge of perio-dontal disease treatment is good for the patient and good for your practice. What follows is a list of dental pearls highlighting today’s approach to periodontal therapy. 1. Don’t call it a “prophy.” Don’t call it a dental, either. These terms grossly underestimate the effort required in most veterinary patients. The term “prophy,” shorthand for “prophylaxis,” is simply inaccurate. In our patients, we are rarely just preventing disease and more commonly treating existing disease. Calling this procedure a “prophy” is like referring to an engine rebuild as an oil change. Other terms have been proposed that more accurately describe the extent of treatment. COHAT is an acronym gaining in popularity. It stands for comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment. In our practice, we often refer to various aspects of the procedure to ensure that clients comprehend the steps that may be …
AAHA Names Cavanaugh New Executive DirectorDecember 29, 2009Mike Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, has been named the new executive director for the American Animal Hospital Association, effective Jan. 21. Dr. Cavanaugh is replacing John Albers, DVM, after 23 years with the association. “I am very pleased with the choice of Dr. Cavanaugh as AAHA’s new executive director,” said John Tait, DVM, president of AAHA. “He has an extensive history of accomplishments in veterinary medicine and is well suited to lead AAHA and maintain the high standards the association has set. “Mike possesses the leadership, innovative qualities, ethics, communication skills and analytic abilities to implement the direction of the [AAHA Board of Directors] and make decisions in the members’ best interests. I look forward to working with Mike in his new capacity as executive director.” Cavanaugh has practiced small animal medicine at various AAHA accredited practices, including West Ridge Animal Hospital in Topeka, Kan., a hospital he founded and owned from 1988-1996. Before joining AAHA, Cavanaugh served as director of Veterinary Hospital Services at Pfizer Animal Health of New York. He has also worked for Heska Corp. of Loveland, Colo., and Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. “Ever since I first discovered AAHA in veterinary school, I have always …
