Vets Reflect On Disaster To Prepare For Next TimeApril 17, 2009 “I’m so sorry, but all of the 27 animals you have entrusted in my care have died,” read the note posted outside of a small-animal hospital in Waveland, Miss. It was a note that Trey Wofford, DVM, owner of Palmetto Vet Calls mobile clinic, found after Hurricane Katrina stormed through their small town in 2005, and one he prayed he would never have to write. “I put myself in the place of those veterinarians, and if the animals had been in my care, I would have felt horrible,” he says. While the storm left behind a trail of ripped roof shingles and shattered windows, many veterinarians were left with similar feelings of chaos and brokenness. As June marks the beginning of another hurricane season and the Humane Society of the United States’ national animal preparedness month, others are still plagued by the question of what they could have done differently to better prepare. That was certainly the question Gregory Rich, DVM, asked himself after he found his exotics practice, the West Esplanade Veterinary Clinic in Metairie, La., in shambles. “Without a roof, it looked like a mixer [had come through] the inside of the …
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Immunotherapy Moves Beyond The BasicsApril 17, 2009 With about 150 diplomates of veterinary dermatology, and fewer than 20 of them researching allergen immunotherapy treatments, the profession has relied on the same basic testing and treatment methods for decades until recently, specialists say. Treatment administration methods are of high interest to veterinary allergen immunotherapists. Sublingual Immunotherapy Sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, is an alternative to allergy shots. With SLIT, a compound is placed under the animal’s tongue as opposed to being injected, which is seen as a good alternative for pet owners leery of administering routine shots. “We want to find molecules that increase immunity to the allergens without having to inject the allergen,” says Thierry Olivry, DrVet, Ph.D., Dipl. ECVD and ACVD, a professor at North Carolina State University. “With SLIT, animals and owners could be less anxious about treatment.” Research on SLIT is being conducted for human use and is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But veterinary immunologists predict the treatment will soon be useful in canine cases. “Testing in dogs for sublingual immunotherapy treatment will begin at NCSU in conjunction with the Japanese RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology, a center researching immunotherapy alternatives. Testing is expected …
Giving Clinic Fixtures A Face-liftApril 17, 2009Years ago, it wasn't unusual to walk into a veterinary office to discover a dim, fluorescent-lighted waiting room, checkered tile halls that could have only been designed in the 80s and chain-link kennel runs that made its inhabitants look more like captive prisoners than beloved family pets. But, throughout the years, as new equipment and fixtures are introduced to the market, clients' image of the "standard" veterinary practice has changed. With clients' expectations growing, veterinary practices must decide between stepping up to the plate or getting left in the competition's dust. And one of the best ways to set a clinic apart from the rest is by keeping up-to-date on the products and fixtures used in the practice, says John Eppes, national sales manager of LGL Animal Care Products Inc. in Bryan, Texas. "When a practice is first starting out, they don't have a lot of money to spend on equipment so they buy what they can [afford]," he says. But the products within their price range may not always be of the best quality. "You get what you pay for," Eppes says. "A chain-link [kennel] run is still going to hold a dog, but could wear over time. …
Animal Forensic Lab Solves Human CasesApril 17, 2009During the investigation of a man who fled after attempting to sexually assault a woman working in her front yard in Iowa in 1999, it was a dog’s urine sample—not the man’s face—that identified him as the attacker. Despite that the victim was unable to identify her attacker in a police line-up, she did remember the vehicle he drove—and the fact that her dog had urinated on one of his car tires. A urine sample, taken from what was suspected to be the perpetrator’s car, was sent to Elizabeth Wictum, director of the forensic division of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, who confirmed the sample had come from the victim’s dog. It was all the evidence needed to get a guilty plea from the attacker, and put him behind bars for two years. No stranger to strange cases, Wictum has seen animal DNA provide enough evidence to put many criminals behind bars. And after working in the forensic lab since its opening in 1999, she’s seen just about everything. “You never know what’s going to come through the door,” Wictum says. “You have to think outside the box.” Each year, the service laboratory tests about …
Planning For RetirementApril 17, 2009 In the November issue of Veterinary Practice News, Mark Crootof, DMV, discusses how practice owners can plan for retirement. In this Web exclusive, he finishes up with the question of what to do with yourself once it's all said and done. The last question to ask while planning for retirement seems obvious, but it's one which most veterinarians rarely consider: What are you going to do after you retire? Retirement may not be the extended holiday you anticipate. You’ve spent your life working hard and mostly enjoying it, so it’s unreasonable to think that abruptly you’re going to be happy sitting around for the next 30 years. Sure, a week with your feet up is great, but soon you might find you’re itching for something to do. Because most vets work incessantly in their professional careers, the majority have not cultivated the hobbies that might otherwise fill the empty hours. To avoid post-retirement depression, you should start thinking now of how you would like to spend your time. That trip to the French Riviera is appealing, but what are you going to do when you return? Maybe volunteer for a library, work …
Vaccination Facts Vs. FictionApril 17, 2009 The latest iterations of both the canine and feline vaccine guidelines have been available since the end of 2006. Clearly these guidelines have affected how veterinarians select and use vaccines, but questions and controversies remain. The guidelines are available at www.aahanet.org and www.aafponline.org. Why Vaccine Guidelines? One of the most significant reasons for publishing vaccine guidelines is the fact that an unprecedented number of vaccines are available to veterinarians today. There are approximately 23 vaccine antigen types for the dog and 18 types for the cat. Combined, there are over 180 proprietary (trade name) vaccines used in companion animal practices throughout the U.S. But it’s not just the number of vaccines that drives the need for vaccine guidelines. With so many vaccines to choose from, veterinarians continue to express concern over the frequency of vaccination, the duration of immunity of the various vaccines in use, the important changes in vaccine technology (recombinant and DNA), vaccine safety, medical, legal, and ethical responsibilities associated with implementing a rational vaccination program, and much more. Core Vaccines Neither the American Animal Hospital Assn. Canine Vaccine Guidelines nor the American Assn. of …
Prosthetics Advance With OsseointegrationApril 17, 2009 Animal limbs damaged beyond repair are typically amputated, but specialists say the recent success of osseointegration may change the veterinary standard of care. Veterinary oncologists and surgeons performing frequent amputations due to disease or accident are especially interested in finding alternatives to removing an entire limb when only a portion is adversely affected. “Osseointegration is the connection of living tissue and bone with an artificial implant and has seen success through numerous surgeries,” says Denis Marcellin-Little, DEVD, associate professor of orthopedics at North Carolina State University. “The procedure is similar to that used in dentistry with artificial teeth and allows the patient to retain the integrity of the limb.” Infection and implant longevity have stymied vertical evolution of the procedure until now. Dr. Marcellin-Little recently performed osseointegration on a German shepherd missing a portion of its rear leg, while Erick Egger, DVM, associate professor of small-animal orthopedic surgery at Colorado State University, used osseointegration to replace the foot of a Saluki. Both animals are bearing weight on their new limbs. These procedures serve as markers for the future of animal prosthetics. The implant allows the prosthetic limb to attach without chafing or irritation, and gives …
Pet Insurance Rising In Down EconomyApril 17, 2009 Just Politics Just as advocacy groups use presidential elections as platforms to issue general policy statements, several veterinary organizations delivered position statements this year advocating their vision for veterinary health insurance. . The North American Pet Health Insurance Assn., a year-old trade group, spelled out six standards to which its members must adhere. . The American Veterinary Medical Assn.-Group Health Life Insurance Trust issued a white paper that endorses the concept of pet health insurance. (GHLIT concurrently entered an exclusive agreement with Pets Best Insurance and Aetna to offer Pets Best insurance.) . The American Animal Hospital Assn. bestowed its first Seals of Acceptance for pet insurance to the policies of Trupanion and PurinaCare. The three documents share a great deal of common ground, all emphasizing a desire that insurance providers not use their clout to influence veterinary care, fees or choice. Much as the economic crisis loomed large in the election of Barack Obama as president, it also has sparked a heightened interest in pet healh insurance from pet owners and veterinarians. Concerns about the …
How One Clinic Promotes Pet Dental Health MonthApril 17, 2009 Veterinary practices promoting the Pets Need Dental Care, Too campaign next month—National Pet Dental Health Month—can win $1,000. The winning clinic will also receive a free membership to the American Veterinary Dental Society and a one-year subscription to the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. The campaign is designed to help pet owners better understand the importance of dental care for their pets. It illustrates a three-step program for dental care: Step 1: Take your pet to the veterinarian for a dental exam; A group of community children on tour at Shaker Veterinary Hospital. Step 2: Begin a dental care regimen at home; and Step 3: Schedule regular veterinary checkups. “Veterinary health-care team members should also help their clients understand that while February is the month designated to the promotion of pet dental health, ensuring proper oral care requires a year-long commitment,” said Janet Donlin, DVM, chief of veterinary business channel at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan., one of the sponsors. “By promoting routine maintenance they help clients prevent periodontal disease and help ensure a healthy life.” Pet-dental seminars and lectures were held for clients and the surrounding …
Fleas & Ticks — What’s New?April 17, 2009 Theories abound as to why clients report more flea and tick infestations despite the availability of the best preventive products the profession has ever seen. Weather patterns, heightened owner awareness and neighborhood wildlife are the most likely reasons clients are slinging questions at veterinarians about ongoing flea and tick infestations and product efficacy, experts say. Although a recent study fingers global warming as the reason ticks are causing more trouble for humans than in past years, the evident issue is clients’ expectations of flea and tick products. Veterinarians might not want to get tangled in the global warming debate, but it’s still necessary for them to educate clients on realistic expectations of the products they recommend. “An overall sense of complacency has seeped into the profession and we’ve gotten away from educating clients,” says Michael Dryden, DVM, Ph.D., professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University. “We treat fleas and they go away, but these products don’t last forever. Treatment must be continued to get rid of the entire infestation. Fleas can lay 40 to 50 eggs a day, and they drop in the carpet and spread anywhere the pet goes. If owners could understand …
