Study: Obese Horses Less Likely To Recover From LaminitisMay 6, 2009 Overweight horses and ponies that develop laminitis tend to have more severe signs than those of optimal weight, according to a new study by the British Equine Veterinary Association, which documented about 107 cases over the period of four years. About 83 percent of the cases were overweight. “When laminitis does occur, overweight animals are more likely to die of the disease than their thinner counterparts,” said Celia Marr, BVMS, Ph.D., principal investigator and veterinary surgeon. “The animals with the best outcome tended to be those that had received acepromazine, a drug that improves the blood supply to the feet and relaxes the animal. Horse owners and vets are encouraged to ensure that horses and ponies are not allowed to become excessively fat as this can have a significant effect on their health, as we have seen in this study.” The study was sponsored by the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation and Merial of Duluth, Ga. <HOME> Overweight horses and ponies that develop laminitis tend to have more severe signs than those of optimal weight, according to a new study by the British Equine Veterinary Association, which documented …
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On Becoming A Food Animal Vet In Modern AmericaMay 6, 2009 Veterinary students are less willing to tackle the hardships of a career in veterinary medicine now that the economic forces on earning a buck off the backs of food animals are skewed against them. So says “Marketplace,” which rolls up all the economic news into an irresistible, abbreviated rush-hour show on National Public Radio. Hence, it doesn’t get much of a chance to provide the depth that many economic events and issues deserve. That’s why I wrote “Marketplace” a little note about its brief treatment of a rare veterinary segment. Dear Marketplace: Thank you for addressing the issues surrounding the dwindling supply of food animal veterinarians in this country. Americans deserve to understand the complexity involved in bringing animals to the dinner table. Showcasing my profession’s often overlooked role in the process is an excellent way to do that. However, as a veterinarian who once strongly considered entering the field of food animal medicine, I’m concerned that your focus on the economic factors may do a disservice to the larger issues at play. Indeed, veterinarians have many reasons for electing a career in agriculture medicine and it is my view that financial …
Heska’s Companion Animal Segment Sees Increase In Annual RevenueMay 6, 2009 Heska Corp.’s Companion Animal Division reported product revenue of $13.4 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, down 22 percent from the year-ago period. However, year to date, the division reported product revenue of $67 million, up 2 percent. Heska’s other segment, which consists of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, reported product revenue of $1.7 million in the fourth quarter, down 34 percent from the year-ago period. Year to date, the segment saw revenue of $13.3 million, down 11 percent from the year-ago period. Overall, the Loveland, Colo., company reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $1.9 million on revenue of $15.4 million, compared to a net income of $30.4 million on revenue of $20 million in the year-ago period. Year to date, Heska reported a net loss of $850,000 on revenue of $81.7 million, compared to a net income of $34.8 million on revenue of $82.3 million in the year-ago period. <HOME>
The Omentum Is Your FriendMay 6, 2009 The Omentum Is Your FriendThe Omentum Is Your Friend05-05-2009surgicalinsightsBy Phil Zeltzman, DVM, Dipl. ACVS We’ve all heard it: “The omentum is a surgeon’s best friend.” It is “the abdominal policeman” and “the forgotten organ.” So how can we use it to our advantage in surgery? In the Abdomen The omentum is mostly used in the abdominal cavity. After a gastrotomy, the omentum can be loosely sutured near the incision, effectively creating an omentopexy. . After an enterotomy or enterectomy, the intestine can be wrapped in omentum. Sutures are not even necessary. Omental wrapping, or augmentation, should be done after lavage has been performed. . Similarly, the bladder can be covered with omentum after a cystotomy. Used in this fashion, the omentum promotes vascularization. It brings fibroblasts to the surgical site and enhances healing. The omentum also can help reconstruct the abdominal wall. For example, it can be used between nylon mesh and the skin. The omentum may contain and fight septic peritonitis. It can be used to control mild hemorrhage from the liver or the spleen, as it has …
When Folklore Meets Food FadMay 5, 2009 1. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 2. BBC News, Oct. 31, 2008. “Chinese melamine scandal widens.” 3. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 4. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 5. Laflamme DP, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et. al. “Pet feeding practices of dog and cat owners in the United States and Australia.” JAVMA. 2008; 232(5):687-694. 6. Laflamme DP, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et. al. “Pet feeding practices of dog and cat owners in the United States and Australia.” JAVMA. 2008; 232(5):687-694. 7. Xie H. Personal communication on March 24, 2009. 8. Clemmons RM. “Feeding according to TCM. “ Obtained at Google cache page. Part of the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine Course VEM 5208, “Additional Approaches to Disease Prevention and Treatment.”
H1N1 Flu Virus Found In Alberta Swine HerdMay 5, 2009 The A/H1N1 flu virus, also known as swine flu, has been found at a pig farm in Alberta, Canada, the World Organization for Animal Health reported May 5. The information was submitted by Brian Evans, DVM, chief veterinary officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, to comply with OIE regulations. The chance that the Alberta pigs could transfer the virus to a person is remote, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which maintains that Canadian pork continues to be safe to eat. The infection was linked to a farm carpenter who returned to Canada from Mexico on April 12. The carpenter, the producer and the producer’s family suffered flu-like symptoms, and signs of respiratory illness were subsequently observed in the pigs. Canadian Veterinary Services immediately put the farm under quarantine. The Clearwater County farrow/finishing operation includes 220 sows and their piglets in two barns and 1,800 growers in four barns. The 450 cases with clinical signs were in the grower population. No deaths were reported within this pig population. The OIE considered the episode “a mild disease and the pigs have now recovered.” Weekly follow-up …
Supplements Gaining Sales And RespectMay 5, 2009 Despite the recession, veterinary supplement makers are reporting better sales in 2009 than they experienced last year, along with a steady flow of new inquiries from veterinarians. Consumers spent $1.3 bill-ion on veteri-nary supplements in 2007. The industry is experiencing 15-18 percent growth each year, with annual revenue of $1.8 billion projected by 2012. Holistic veterinarians have long praised supplements and nutraceuticals, but the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) says some producers don’t provide enough evidence that their products work. Practitioners of evidence-based medicine also can be skeptical. While the CVM hasn’t changed its stance, some in the veterinary industry have. “Supplements are an acceptable component to veterinary medicine today,” says Bill Bookout, founder and president of National Animal Supplement Council, which is trying to create a nationally consistent framework for veterinary supplements. “Supplements are used by 90 to 95 percent of general practitioners and 100 percent of holistic veterinarians.” More research is being conducted and has been publicly presented. Many supplement companies are forging strong relationships with veterinarians and are working together, providing one more tool for veterinarians to use. Internet-savvy clients are finding information online and asking …
Surviving RecessionMay 5, 2009 The veterinary medical industry is said to be recession proof, a reputation earned from minimal damage suffered in past economic downturns. It even has seen notable growth during times other industries struggled to stay afloat. But in reality, veterinary clients are the same Americans featured in daily news reports—people losing their jobs and cutting family budgets. If a practice is feeling the pinch, it’s because clients are feeling it, too. Demographics, client base and a practice’s focus tend to be the top factors in a clinic’s ability to withstand the turbulence. Depending on their location in the U.S., veterinarians report either troubling times or business as usual. Practices that offer grooming, nail trimming or pet supplies are seeing a drop in revenue. Those that focus on vaccinations, spay/neuters or high-cost specialty services have similar issues. “Specialty and emergency care is being affected more than primary care practices,” says Ted A. Sprinkle Jr., DVM, CEO of New York-based Pet Partners LLC. “I own 20 primary care facilities from Maine to Florida and as far west as Denver. Each practice is being affected differently. “The veterinary industry hasn’t been as affected as others, but it has …
Poor Psychological Health Common In Vet Profession, Researchers SayMay 4, 2009 Compared to the general population, young veterinarians experience a significantly higher level of psychological distress, work-related anxiety and depression, according to the March issue of the Australian Veterinary Journal, published by Wiley-Blackwell. Furthermore, the study, “Psychological well-being of Australian Veterinarians,” found that at least one-third of the 2,125 respondents, regardless of age, reported poor psychological health. “Anecdotally, veterinarians have a stressful job, dealing with sick animals, upset owners and the challenges of managing a small business,” said co-author Lin Fritschi, Ph.D., from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research. “We found that the average levels of distress were about the same as other professional groups such as doctors. However, about a third of the vets, especially new graduates, had quite high levels of stress, anxiety and depression.” Based on their findings, the authors contend that “professional bodies and veterinary schools may wish to consider the merits of providing training in dealing with work-related distress, anxiety and depression to improve the psychological well-being of veterinarians, and possible reduce the attrition from the profession.” The authors also cited another study published last year in which the estimated rate of suicide in veterinarians in Western Australia and Victoria …
Effort To Ban Exotic Pets ‘Effectively Dead’May 4, 2009 *Editor's Note: This item was updated on May 4: "Non-Native Species Bill Needs Changes, Sponsor Says."* Opponents of House Resolution 669, known as the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, proclaimed the bill “effectively dead” after a Congressional subcommittee hearing April 23 in Washington, D.C. The legislation could have halted trade in thousands of nonnative animal species in the U.S., including most birds, reptiles, fish and several mammals—hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and ferrets—commonly kept as pets. Pet owners and pet industry players throughout the country have been contacting their representatives in grass-roots opposition to the bill. The hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, chaired by Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, D-Guam, who wrote the bill. The hearing record is being held open for 10 days for responses and for the panel to decide whether to proceed with the bill. But Andrew Wyatt, president of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, called the hearing a “smashing success.” “H.R. 669 is effectively dead,” Wyatt said. “Two weeks leading up to the hearing, USARK mounted a grass-roots campaign of letter writing and phone calls,” he said. “We …
