Portland, Ore., veterinarian wins My Vet's the BestMay 11, 2018Joshua Elliot, DVM, a board certified Small Animal Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists in Portland, Ore., is the grand-prize winner of Pets Best Insurance Services' 2017 My Vet's the Best contest. The win came after Elliot was selected as a finalist by pet owners on Pets Best's Facebook page and an internal review of a panel of veterinary professionals. As part of his prize, Elliot received $1,000 from Pets Best to help and treat animals in need in his community. He has used a portion of his winnings to help a homeless family's dog fight cancer and intends to use the remaining money to give back in a similar circumstance, he said. "It really meant a lot to me to be nominated," he said. "It's always nice to get positive feedback and be appreciated. I love being able to help furry family members and it's always nice to hear back when things go well." Pets Best has recognized outstanding veterinarians through its My Vet's the Best Contest since 2010. "This is our seventh year hosting the nationwide contest honoring and recognizing the exceptional service of veterinarians," said Chris Middleton, president of the Boise, Idaho-based company. "Dr. …
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AVMA announces recipients of three major awardsMay 8, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Merck Animal Health announced the winners of the AVMA Humane Award, the AVMA Animal Welfare Award, and the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award, which will be presented at the 2018 AVMA Convention in Denver. AVMA Humane Award The AVMA Humane Award is presented to a nonveterinarian who has helped advance the welfare of animals through leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and advocacy. Amanda Arrington, director and founder of the Pets for Life program at the Humane Society of the United States, has received the 2018 AVMA Humane Award. Pets for Life has assisted 130,000 pets to date, raising awareness about the needs of pets in poverty and helping pet owners keep the pets they love in safe, forever homes. AVMA Animal Welfare Award The AVMA Animal Welfare Award is presented to an AVMA member veterinarian in recognition of his or her achievement in advancing the welfare of animals via leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and advocacy. T. Robert Bashara, DVM, founder of Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals in and around Omaha, Neb., has received the 2018 AVMA Animal Welfare Award. A …
Petland retail franchise hires consulting veterinarianMay 8, 2018Petland, which offers retail pet franchises across the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and El Salvador, has hired Thomas Edling, DVM, MSpVM, MPH, as the Chillicothe, Ohio-based company's consulting veterinarian. "Petland cares about the health of our pets before they arrive at our stores, while they are in our care and after they go home," said Joe Watson, Petland pesident and CEO. "We are excited to have the leadership of Dr. Edling in assisting Petland to exceed the needs of our pets and our customers." Edling, who received his degree in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University, previously served as vice president of veterinary medicine for Petco and was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In addition, he completed the American Board of Veterinary Practitioner's residency program for companion and wild avian medicine and surgery at North Carolina State University, where he also received his master's degree in specialized veterinary medicine in 2001. In 2011, he completed the master of public health program at Johns Hopkins University. Edling will work closely with the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the Centers for Disease …
Cornell vets perform tricky cardiac procedure on shepherd puppyApril 11, 2018Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA) and veterinarians from three countries joined forces to save a young German shepherd's life. At 6 months old, Rex was by far the calmest dog the Silverman family of New York had ever owned. Their other German shepherds all bounced off the walls at that age, so at first they attributed Rex's docile behavior to temperament. Nothing in his regular checkups indicated a problem, but when Rex became violently ill, the Silvermans noticed the dog's heart was racing and knew it was something far more serious. Gretchen Singletary, DVM, DACVIM, a veterinary cardiologist in New York, stabilized him and performed a series of tests, including an electrocardiogram that confirmed the presence of an arrhythmia. The culprit turned out to be a small bundle of muscle running inside the wall of his heart, a defect he was born with and likely caused his low energy. Dr. Singletary told Silverman that Rex was a candidate for radiofrequency catheter ablation, where small areas of the heart muscle are heated through the tip of a catheter to destroy abnormal tissue. It's a complicated, precise procedure, and only two places in the U.S. offer it routinely—a …
WVC event attendee count nears 14,000March 30, 2018This year's Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas, held March 4 to 8 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Convention Center, was attended by almost 14,000 veterinary professionals from all 50 states and 27 countries. Visitors sat in on more than 1,000 hours of scientific sessions and perused an exhibit hall featuring almost 520 companies. "WVC hosted veterinary professionals from around the world for an inspirational week of education and networking designed to help them grow their skills and clinical offering," said W. Mark Hilton, DVM, DABVP, president of the WVC board of directors. "This year's event gave us an opportunity to celebrate 90 years of tradition and excellence in education, but also provided a vibrant platform to share experiences with colleagues, discover the latest products and services, and reignite our collective passion for serving the health and welfare of animals." In addition to lectures, hands-on labs, and workshops, attendees were treated to music entertainment by Grammy award winners Jewel and Darius Rucker and Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Kevin Nealon. On the exhibit hall floor, the Learning Lounge hosted 34 CE sessions. The Dr. W. Bruce Wren Food Animal Incentive Award was given to five recent post-graduates and the …
Merck, AVMF award $280K in scholarships to 56 veterinary studentsMarch 22, 2018Fifty six veterinary students from around the world have received scholarships from Merck Animal Health, in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). Through the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, select second-and third-year students pursuing careers in companion animal or large animal medicine each will receive a $5,000 scholarship (totaling $280,000) to support their educational endeavors. "We know that the cost of veterinary education can be a challenge but want to encourage talented students to pursue their dreams," said Scott Bormann, vice president, North America, Merck Animal Health. "We're honored to support these recipients, as the work they do throughout their careers will have an important impact on the animal health industry, helping to advance the well-being of both companion and large animals." The AVMF, the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association, has supported veterinary students for more than five decades. "The AVMF helps ensure the future of veterinary medicine by recognizing and supporting outstanding students," said Jan K. Strother, DVM, chair, AVMF board. "We are honored to partner with Merck Animal Health in providing these scholarship opportunities." Award recipients from U.S. and international veterinary schools …
AAVMC introduces new slate of officersMarch 21, 2018Calvin Johnson, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, dean of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, has assumed his duties as president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Johnson had been serving as president-elect of the organization. Michael Lairmore, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was named president-elect following an intra-organizational election held in late January. Lairmore, board certified by both the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM), has served as dean at California since 2011. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Phillip Nelson, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, has completed his term of service as AAVMC president and will now serve a year as past-president. The president, president-elect, and past-president comprise the executive committee of the AAVMC board of director樂威壯 s and meet monthly. Mark Markel, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, continues as treasurer. Paul Lunn, BVSc, MS, Ph.D., MRCVS, DACVIM, dean of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine continues as secretary. …
AVMA names Matthew J. Salois as Veterinary Economics Division headMarch 9, 2018Matthew J. Salois, Ph.D., has joined the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to head the association's Veterinary Economics Division. He will replace Michael R. Dicks, Ph.D., who is retiring after serving five years as AVMA's chief economist. Previously, at Elanco Animal Health, Dr. Salois served as director of global scientific affairs and policy since 2016, and as an economic research and policy advisor from 2014 to 2016. Prior to joining Elanco, he worked as the chief economist at the Florida Department of Citrus and as an assistant professor in economics at the University of Reading. "Matt … has the opportunity now to build upon the AVMA Economic Division's solid foundation to ensure that all the incredible data we have is turned into the most effective tools and resources for our members and the profession," said Michael J. Topper, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, president of the AVMA. Salois said the scope of achievement already accomplished by the AVMA Economics Division has been "breathtaking" and that the economics team currently in place is a testament to AVMA's commitment to the veterinary profession. "I feel very privileged to be joining not only a team that I admire, but also to be a part …
Banfield releases Corporate Social Responsibility, Foundation Impact ReportsMarch 9, 2018Banfield Pet Hospital recently released its 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, detailing its support of pets, communities, its associates, and the veterinary profession. The company's charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation, also released its 2017 Banfield Foundation Impact Report, which summarizes how the foundation leveraged the resources entrusted to it by donors and shares stories about the pets, people. and organizations it supported in 2017. The company's 2017 CSR efforts included volunteer programs, championing preventive care, partnerships with animal welfare organizations, environmental stewardship, and investments in its associates, as well as the broader veterinary industry. Continued disaster relief efforts in 2017 from Banfield and the Banfield Foundation helped more than 26,000 pets and their families in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, demonstrating their commitment to the communities they serve—and in which company associates live and work. "In 2017, Banfield grew as a company and as a corporate citizen," said Brian Garish, president of Banfield. "We provided much-needed veterinary care and supplies, as well as volunteer services, to animal welfare organizations, communities, people and pets in need. We invested in our associates and continued to use our resources, reach, and relationships to strengthen the …
University of Pennsylvania names new dean of veterinary medicineMarch 2, 2018The University of Pennsylvania has announced that Andrew Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, is the next Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoffman currently is director of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory and professor of large animal internal medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. At Tufts, Hoffman's regenerative medicine and stem cell research programs have contributed to both animal and human health. With Tufts he also helped shepherd the first outpatient pulmonary function testing laboratory in the world for equine and canine patients. Hoffman has served as director at Tufts of its Regenerative Medicine Laboratory since 2012. Prior to that, he served as director of the Stem Cell Laboratory. He has led the Tufts Lung Function Laboratory for more than 20 years and also served for five years as director of the Tufts Equine Sports Medicine Program. Hoffman is past president of the Veterinary Comparative Research Society and a member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. His research programs have received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for nearly 20 years, and he has authored more than 100 publications. "Andy's career exemplifies …
