Exotics Expert: Marla Lichtenberger, DVMOctober 28, 2009 Marla Lichtenberger was 22 and had never been on an airplane when her parents dropped her off at the Milwaukee airport as she headed for veterinary school half a world away. This was in the late ’70s, when female veterinarians were less common. A few years earlier, a high school counselor had flatly told her to pick another career, something more suitable “for a girl.” Her home state of Wisconsin had no school of veterinary medicine at the time, and she had not been one of the few out-of-state students granted admission in neighboring Minnesota. At the suggestion of an Indian-born veterinarian she had worked for, Lichtenberger looked into veterinary schools in India. Soon, she was jetting to Punjab Agricultural University, where, after struggling with malaria and dysentery, strikes that idled classes for months at a time and a rabid water buffalo, she earned her DVM degree in 1985. “It was quite an adventure,” says Lichtenberger, Dipl. ACVECC. “But I would never give up this experience. It made me grow up very fast, and it gave me an incredible background.” For one thing it gave her early interest and experience in working with exotics, which, …
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A New Perspective: Joel Pasco, DVMOctober 28, 2009Once he got over the shock that his cancer was terminal, Joel Pasco, DVM, realized that he had two choices. Dr. Joel Pasco with his five dogs at home. He could get depressed, feel sorry for himself and wait to die. Or he could stay positive and pack as much life as possible into each remaining day. To the California veterinarian, it was no contest. Told last year that he had as little as 12 months to live, Dr. Pasco, 62, decided to surround himself with family and friends. He would continue to pursue hobbies that brought him joy, like painting, sculpting, fishing and bonsai gardening. And, as long as he could, he would continue to practice veterinary medicine, the profession he’d loved for more than 30 years. Dr. Pasco with a tortoise patient. “People ask me, ‘Why are you working? You should be retired,’ ” Pasco says. “But my answer is, ‘I love what I do. I love my animal patients and I love my human clients, and my life would be very empty if I could not continue to do this.’ ” Life-Changing Moment The diagnosis came late last summer. A cancerous tumor …
Paging Dr. Green: Matt Rooney, DVMOctober 28, 2009 Of all the “green” features at Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists in Longmont, Colo.—the energy-efficient lighting, the recycled building materials, the on-site composting—which one gets the most initial attention from clients? The toilets. Dr. Matt Rooney is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification for his clinic. Courtesy of Jon Orlando Photography They have a dual-flush design: Push one lever for a regular flush of solid waste, push the other to get a low flow for liquid waste. Common in Europe, such water-conserving toilets are rare in the U.S. “That one takes some explaining,” says clinic owner Matt Rooney, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS. “Americans are very inquisitive, and we found out that at first a number of people were pushing them both. We had to put up little signs so people would know what to do.” Educating people about sustainable technology, not just toilets, is part of the plan at Dr. Rooney’s hospital. In turning a car dealership into an 8,400-square-foot clinic, Rooney aimed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. In fact, the veterinarian is working to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for the …
To Protect And Serve: Gary Riggs, DVMOctober 28, 2009 A pair of jaguars at the Akron, Ohio, zoo produced a litter of three cubs in 2005, one more than the mother could care for. So Gary Riggs, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, the zoo’s director of veterinary services, took home the rejected baby. He and his wife, Denise, hand-raised the tiny jaguar, getting up for middle-of-the-night feedings and checking on it pretty much around the clock. At 6 months old, the cub, named Maya, returned to the 50-acre zoo, eventually landing at the San Antonio Zoo. Dr. Riggs with an avian patient. That would be the end of the story, except it wasn’t. Dr. Riggs, 53, had been at the Akron Zoological Park for more than 20 years as it grew from a handful of mostly North American exhibits to more than 800 North American and exotic animals. Long interested in animal conservation, Riggs found himself profoundly touched by having cared for Maya so closely. He and Denise wanted to do something more. So in 2006, working with a handful of volunteers, the Riggs' started the non-profit organization Wild4Ever, a wildlife conservation foundation dedicated …
Neogen Launches Equine Loyalty ProgramOctober 27, 2009 Neogen Corp. of Lansing, Mich., recently launched its Equine Loyalty Program to provide rebates of up to 6 percent to licensed veterinarians who purchase eligible equine veterinary care items, including select sizes of AluSpray, Chondroprotec, EqStim, HyCoat, Liver 7, ThyroKare Powder, Tri-Hist Granules, Vita-15 and EquiSleeve. The program runs from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28. “Like every other business that has been able to weather the recent tough times, we owe our success to our loyal customers,” said Tracey Reynolds, Neogen’s ethical products marketing manager. “Our loyalty program is an opportunity for us to say thank you to our best customers, and go a little further than that by offering cash rebates for qualifying purchases.” To qualify for the minimum rebate of 3 percent, veterinarians must purchase at least $2,500 of the qualifying products during the program period; purchases of at least $5,000 can earn a 4 percent rebate; $7,500 can earn a 5 percent rebate; and purchases of $10,000 can earn the maximum rebate of 6 percent. Products can be mixed and matched. Earned rebates will be paid to veterinarians within 45 days after the conclusion of the program. One …
Opinion: Let’s Reform Health Care For A Better TomorrowOctober 26, 2009 Health-care reform would be especially good for our profession, as practice owners and employers wouldn’t have the financial burden and social obligation of carrying health insurance for their employees. Many veterinary hospitals, like other small businesses, don't always have the money or the will to offer health coverage as a benefit. One of my former receptionists, Martha, had health-care insurance during the six years she was on my staff. Then she went to work at another hospital that did not provide health insurance. When Martha developed symptoms of a urinary tract infection, she delayed going to see the doctor because she and her husband were saving for a house and she was uninsured. Six weeks later, she did go to the doctor and was told she had advanced cervical cancer. Martha died in three days. She was only 32 and had been married for 10 years. Everyone who knew Martha was upset that she put off seeing the doctor because she didn’t have health insurance. This is a sad but true story. Many people believe that not having insurance isn't a good excuse for not getting yourself checked out if a problem comes …
Boehringer Ingelheim To Acquire Fort Dodge Products From PfizerOctober 26, 2009 Boehringer Ingelheim and its subsidiary Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. reported Oct. 26 that it will acquire a “significant portion” of the Fort Dodge Animal Health business from Pfizer Animal Health. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Pfizer Inc., parent company of Pfizer Animal Health, recently acquired Wyeth and its subsidiary Fort Dodge Animal Health. Pfizer and Wyeth began joint operations on Oct. 16. The Boehringer Ingelheim-Pfizer deal includes products in the United States, Australia, Canada and South Africa, as well as two manufacturing and research facilities located in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Products being acquired in Europe are still subject to approval by European anti-trust authorities. As part of the deal, Boehringer Ingelheim will acquire the Duramune line of vaccines for dogs, the Fel-O-Vax line of vaccines for cats and the Rabvac line of rabies vaccines manufactured and sold in the United States, Canada and Australia. The company will also acquire a portfolio of pet and equine pharmaceutical products currently sold in the United States. In addition, the company will acquire cattle vaccines in the United States and Canada, including the Triangle, Pyramid and Presponse vaccine lines. Pharmaceutical products …
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health’s Q3 Dips 12%October 23, 2009 Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health recently reported revenue of $669 million for its third quarter ended Sept. 30, a 12 percent decrease compared to $759 million in the year-ago period. The sales decline was primarily due to the overall economic environment, difficult comparisons against the 2008 launch of bluetongue vaccine and back orders on certain products, according to the company, adding that the back orders were due primarily to the ongoing integration of animal health manufacturing practices and quality standards. Year to date, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health reported revenue of $2 billion, a 14 percent decrease compared to $2.3 billion in the year-ago period. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health’s parent company, Schering-Plough, reported net income of $515 million on revenue of $4.5 billion for its third quarter, compared to net income of $614 million on revenue of $4.6 billion in the year-ago period. Year to date, Schering-Plough reported net income of $2 billion on revenue of $13.5 billion, compared to net income of $1.4 billion on revenue of $14.2 billion. <HOME>
AAEP Foundation Study Highlights Equine Research PrioritiesOctober 22, 2009Equine veterinarians believe that the musculoskeletal system, laminitis and horse-side laboratory tests are research and funding priorities, according to a new study by the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Foundation. The 2009 AAEP Membership Equine Research Study assessed the opinions of AAEP members regarding priorities in equine health care and research. The aim is to assist the equine industry in directing its financial support of equine research projects. The last similar study was conducted in 2003. “The 2009 AAEP Membership Equine Research Study is a valuable tool in determining where the industry should direct support for equine research in the future,” said Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, Ph.D., chair of the AAEP Foundation. “With this updated study, the industry is able to identify the areas of equine research important to veterinarians, thus enhancing the industry’s ability to make important decisions as to where time and resources should be directed to help horses through research.” The survey was sent to 6,717 members via email with the survey to be completed online. AAEP received 572 responses. About 88 percent of respondents practice in the United States, with another 6 percent in Canada and the remaining percentage practicing in other countries. …
Hill’s Pet Nutrition Names New PresidentOctober 21, 2009 Suzan Harrison has been named president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. North America, a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Co. She succeeds Neil Thompson, who was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. in April. Prior to her new role, Harrison served as vice president of marketing for Colgate U.S. “Suzan’s record of delivering strong business results reflects her focus on innovation and across-the-board functional collaboration,” Thompson said. “Her leadership will help drive Hill’s initiatives and our mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationship between people and their pets.” Harrison said she is excited to become part of the Hill’s team. “I have long admired the Hill’s business and look forward to continue building upon our heritage of caring and our commitment to the community and the profession,” she said. Hill’s Pet Nutrition is based in Topeka, Kan. <HOME>
