12-Point Checklist For Financial PlanningMay 23, 2008Do you have a lawyer? Do you have a will? Do you have an executor? Do you have a guardian for your children? Do you have a revocable living trust? Do you have a durable power of attorney covering healthcare? Do you have a durable power of attorney covering financial matters? Does your family know who your lawyer is? Does your family know where your important papers are? Do you have life insurance? Do you have disability insurance (short-term and long-term)? Do you have long-term care insurance? Here are a few recommendations for reading up on securing your financial situation. “Smart Women Finish Rich” by David Bach. "Smart Couples Finish Rich” by David Bach. “The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom” (and other titles), by Suze Orman. “The Wealthy Barber” by David Chilton. <HOME>
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Advances In Cat Litter Help Clients Recognize Urinary Tract DiseaseMay 22, 2008According to Veterinary Pet Insurance in Brea, Calif., the No. 1 claim filed in 2005 and 2006 for cats was for urinary tract infections. Diabetes, kidney failure and ear infections follow. With millions of American cats at risk for this common ailment, manufacturers began creating litters designed to detect signs of urinary problems. In fact, some cat owners may have even wondered why it didn't happen sooner. "It's hard to do," says John York, president of Health Meter Cat Litter in Mira Mar Beach, Fla. "It took a lot of research and development, time and expense, to develop [a litter] that would do this." Diagnostic Cat Litters Diagnostic litters are evenly coated with a safe, nontoxic pH detector; the litters turn colors when they detect pH changes in a cat's urine. "You know the strips you use to test the pH in a swimming pool?" says Tim Barber, Ph.D., chief operating officer and director of research and development for Camarillo, Calif.-based Performance Plus Laboratories. "It's the same principle, although you'll never get that little strip underneath your cat. This is the simplest way to identify if a cat may have a problem." If the litter changes to a color other …
Universities On The Cardio Cutting EdgeMay 22, 2008Tests confirmed the lethargic 8-month-old golden retriever had subaortic stenosis. Only a few years ago, treatment consisted of medical management or surgery to remove scarring in the narrowed aortic valve. More recently, specialists have used balloon valvuloplasty to break up the obstructions. All three treatments show varying degrees of effectiveness. Last year at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, doctors used a new device, a balloon fitted with blades. The case was remarkable for more than its success in restoring the patient to high-spirited good health. It combined the skills of a veterinary cardiologist and a pediatric cardiologist: Amara Estrada, DVM, chief of the cardiology section at the school, and Joseph A. Paolillo, MD, a colleague from Shands HealthCare and director of the congenital catheterization program at the sprawling UF-affiliated hospital complex a brisk 10-minute walk away. Their continuing collaboration is part of a new discipline called translational medicine. "These collaborations are huge right now—the wave of the future," says Meg M. Sleeper, VMD, section chief of cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, renowned as the birthplace of veterinary cardiology. While breakthroughs in imaging, pharmacology and interventional surgeries using coils and catheters …
An Account Of Veterinary Continuing Education In AntarcticaApril 3, 2008Thanks to the North American Veterinary Conference's RACE-approved continuing education conference, I stood on my seventh continent--Antarctica. Our trip started in Ushuia, the southernmost city in the world. Thirty veterinarians and 170 other cruise passengers took a two-day boat ride on the Explorer II through the Drake Passage. This passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet and has some of the roughest water on the planet. Luckily it was more like "Drake Lake" as we sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula. On the ride out we were visited by petrels and albatross that spend their lives wandering these waters. They were attracted to the boat and entertained us by streaking past in the ample winds as we all tried to focus on them with our fancy cameras-- a good time for us to practice our focusing techniques for the opportunities to come. We had the good fortune to come across 25 humpback whales that were feeding on a massive krill swarm just below the ship. When the captain announced this find we all scurried to the deck with our cameras in tow. The whales circled our ship and put on a show as they dove and surfaced, displaying their beautiful …
Veterinarian Looks To Nematodes For IBD TreatmentMarch 31, 2008Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects more than 1 million people nationally. Now a Michigan veterinarian has introduced a parasite to help end the plague. Linda Mansfield, VMD, Ph.D., a parasitologist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, is leading a team of researchers in a study of immune responses to parasites, specifically using the pig whipworm Trichuris suis in an effort to help ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients. Dr. Mansfield is the only veterinarian in the U.S. working to create a marketed treatment for IBD using parasitic nematodes, and the first in the world to use T. suis. "IBD diseases are chronic, and occur when the bowel becomes irritated and congested with inflammatory cells," Mansfield says. "This condition can affect people's ability to work and have a normal life. Evidence from this research could change that." In June 2006, Mansfield was awarded a five-year, $500,000 grant to conduct a project to identify new molecules and compounds from the whipworm that could be used in patients with IBD, in lieu of patients consuming the parasite's eggs, which is the current experimental treatment method. While working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mansfield's chance observation of sick …
Vet Blood Banking Endures Growing PainsFebruary 25, 2008 The veterinary blood banking industry is not without its growing pains. A lengthy legal battle between Animal Blood Bank Inc. and Sun States Animal Blood Bank serves as one example of industry conflict. The dispute, which revolved around trademark rights to the phrase “animal blood bank,” came to an end in December after more than two years in court, says Larry DeLuca, EdD, MD, president and director of Sun States. In the end, Animal Blood Bank Inc. maintained its rights to the phrase. DeLuca says that Sun States plans to change its name to Sun States Blood Banks for Animals. Perhaps the issue of greatest contention within the industry is that of closed-colony blood donors versus volunteer donors. Closed-colony programs are mandated by California law. But blood banks across the rest of the country operate under varied business models. “At Midwest, we see the advantages of both systems,” says Anne Hale, DVM, owner and director of Midwest Animal Blood Services Inc. in Stockbridge, Mich. “We have successfully run a canine volunteer program since 1995. However, in addition, we have in-house donors. This has allowed us to work with the rescue community in Michigan …
A Comparison Of Veterinary Practices In The United States And HollandJuly 18, 2007In the August 2007 issue, Dennis M. McCurnin, DVM, wrote on an article titled, “A Comparison of Veterinary Practices in the United States and Holland.” The article discussed single practitioners, diagnostic fees, cat services and client education. Here is the continuation of the article that appeared in print: Several issues could be considered by both U.S. and Dutch veterinarians to increase and improve efficiency. First, we all must learn to do more multitasking; that is to handle more cases per day, by using more than one exam room at a time per DVM. Many practices have only one consultation or exam room per DVM. This limits the number of cases that can be seen each day. If two consultation rooms were available per FTE DVM receiving cases, then larger numbers of cases could be serviced. To make full use of two consultation rooms per DVM, the art of delegation must be perfected. Delegation also requires a well-trained staff to be able to delegate to. We must develop quality staff to allow delegation to improve efficiency. We also need to develop more consultation rooms in most practices by converting office space, storage space or other areas that could be developed into …
Analgesic Considerations For Oral SurgeryApril 24, 2007Analgesics are an essential component to treating a variety of painful oral conditions in dogs and cats. Chronic pain and acute pain associated with oral surgery comprise the majority of pain states where analgesics are considered. Individual patient circumstances vary considerably and knowledge of individual agents and their mechanisms help us choose the correct analgesics for each patient. Surgical Pain National Pet Dental Health Month in February is a reminder of the importance of providing state-of-the-art oral care for our patients year round. Managing periodontal disease is by far the most common problem we encounter as general practitioners and specialists alike. Proper diagnosis of periodontal lesions involves a complete oral examination, periodontal probing and full-mouth dental radiography. Periodontal lesion therapy involves painful procedures including periodontal flap surgery and tooth extraction, requiring appropriate analgesic choices. Pre-emptive intraoperative and postoperative pain control should be considered in cases where surgical manipulation is expected to result in postoperative pain. A multimodal approach dictates the use of two or more analgesics to eliminate high doses required when using individual agents. Pure mu agonist opiates such as morphine and hydromorphone provide the basis for optimal pain management for oral surgery. These agents should be used …
