“Charlie Bucket” Goes From Chocolate Factory to FarmAugust 18, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. As a child, Peter Ostrum, DVM had theatrical aspirations. He performed in the local theater and landed his first role as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The iconic film based on the book by Roald Dahl would not only be Dr. Ostrum’s first movie, but also his last. Although he enjoyed the experience and remembers it fondly, it was the time he spent working on a farm afterward that had the biggest impact on him. As he says in the video, when he saw the veterinarian that came to the farm he was working on, he thought, “This guy’s got the greatest job in the world.” See how Ostrum went from film sets to farms in this VPN video of the week.
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The Life Of A Veterinary PathologistAugust 5, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Veterinary pathologists are very much like the crime scene investigators on numerous police dramas. They delve into the mystery – such as the 1989 virus that spread in New York City, leaving several crows dead on the ground – and look at the clues at hand to solve it. Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP, veterinary pathologist at the Bronx Zoo, set to work, examining the deceased birds and analyzing the tissue samples. She was instrumental in helping to diagnose the condition: West Nile Virus. Watch this VPN Video of the Week to see her full story.
Things You’d Love To Say To A Client, But Can’tJuly 28, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Have you ever had a client bring their pet in to your clinic and you just stared at them in disbelief as they spoke? You think, Did they really just say that? Don’t they know that’s not how to take care of a dog? You do your best to keep your decorum, offering advice as gently as possible, all the while different responses swirl in your mind. Do you ever want to say those things out loud? In this satirical video of the week, one veterinarian does just that. Watch what happens when a new client brings their dog to the vet.
Children Today, Vets TomorrowJuly 22, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. They say children are like sponges, soaking up all the information they can. It’s almost as though they can’t get enough. They are fascinated on field trips to police and fire stations, learning about what it takes to have those jobs, perhaps getting to put on the hats and coats, maybe a badge. Watching this video, I discovered they react in much the same way to the veterinary industry. The children of the Blue Room preschool, along with their teachers, brought their “sick” stuffed pet gorilla, Gary, to the vet. Dan, the veterinary technician and a friend to one of the Blue Room preschool teachers, agreed to take a look at Gary. The children looked on in awe as he checked the stuffed animal’s vitals. Watch how excited they get when they actually get to assist, after putting on protective covering of course. We may be viewing a future generation of veterinarians.
The Life of a Military VeterinarianJuly 14, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. I have heard a number of military members praise their career as being very rewarding. They fight for our country and save lives while doing so. Some of the lives they save are those of working military animals. These animals are their family away from home. They work beside servicemen and women of all branches of the military, and they need just as much care as their human companions. That’s when the role of veterinarian becomes especially important. Even though the Army is the only branch with veterinarians, these men and women aimed to serve the United States while treating animals are deployed not just to Army bases, but to the other military branches as well. As rewarding as being a military member may be, it must be doubly rewarding to be a military veterinarian. There is the reward of what the military stands for, but also the reward of treating and saving animals for those who are in battle, who need some sort of stability, of normalcy, of some semblance of home. Sadly, military veterinarians are sometimes placed in …
A Special Thanks to Equine VeterinariansJuly 14, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. You spent years studying to become a veterinarian, pouring over books and information, learning technique and procedures. When you officially became a practicing veterinarian, answering to "Doctor,” you spent hours treating ailing animals. You checked that well animals were still well. You may have even been the one a client turned to at the end of their pet’s life. In return you get the satisfaction of saving a pet, the joy from a client spilling over to you. Maybe you feel the fatigue of working long hours or the stress of a particularly long and trying day. Chances are those are the days you remember most – a lost pet, or perhaps a client’s wrath. But for all the hard work you do, you deserve thanks. Thanks for treating a client’s pet – whether or not it survived. Thanks for support in difficult situations. Thanks for doing your job and doing it well. In this video, several horse owners do just that: give a much-deserved thanks to their equine veterinarians.
Meet Courtney, a 15-Year-Old Veterinary AssistantJuly 7, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews Disney’s “Citizen Kid” boasts the motto “An ordinary kid doing extraordinary things.” This video features Courtney Oliver, a young lady who became a veterinary assistant shortly after she turned 10. Her persistence and drive has propelled her career. An animal lover since early childhood, Courtney began calling her local veterinary practice to ask if she could volunteer. She was just 8 years old. Being told ‘no’ several times did not deter her. She just kept calling until that ‘no’ became a ‘yes.’ Now, at 15, she’s a certified veterinary assistant, on her way to becoming a vet tech. She is an inspiration to others that with effort you can achieve your dreams. After all, failure does not exist for those who don’t give up. Want more veterinarian videos? Check out the previous Video of the Week: The Curious Case of Jax. See all veterinarian videos here.
Veterinarian Saves Puppy That Can’t Gain WeightJune 30, 2014Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Jax is a 10-month-old puppy who suffers from a rare condition making it nearly impossible for him to gain any weight. Veterinarians informed Jax’s owners that surgery was necessary to save his life. However, the procedure was too expensive for the family. To witness a member of the family go through such a harrowing experience, to see him growing thinner and thinner and not have the means to save him must have been a devastating experience. Just seeing Jax's bones through his skin in this video was heartbreaking to me. But thanks to a veterinarian who goes by Dr. Matt, Jax and his family didn't have to suffer long. Dr. Matt heard of the situation and volunteered to conduct the surgery, which revealed Jax’s intestines were full of grass, dirt and mulch. Thankfully Jax is now healthy and recovering. Want more veterinarian videos? Check out the previous Video of the Week: Why Vet Emergency Teams Are Superheroes See all veterinarian videos here.
Why Vet Emergency Teams Are SuperheroesJune 23, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Superman? Batman? Spiderman? All are superheroes, as are first responders – the police officers, firefighters and EMTs that arrive to the scene to help those in need. Unbeknownst to many people, veterinarians are often part of that team. They help injured animals, ensure the safety of working and military dogs, help avert zoonotic disease outbreaks and keep track of health concerns. All that they do in these situations makes Veterinary Emergency Teams superheroes. Want more veterinarian videos? Check out the previous Video of the Week: Veterinary Team Treats Mauled Lioness See all veterinarian videos here.
Video: Veterinarian’s Proposal to Decrease LamenessJune 16, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Daniel Thomson, MS, PhD, DVM, in an effort to decrease lameness in cattle, has come up with a new approach, called the Step-Up Management Program, that starts with education and consistently scoring locomotion. One of the ways of doing that is through communication. "Being able to communicate clearly across segments about the severity of lameness is critical not only to managing lameness, but also to preventing the injuries that cause it," Thomson said, according to Drovers CattleNetwork. "Lameness is prevalent and it does cause losses. It is one of those issues we've seen for years; however, it hasn't received the credit or the blame it deserves for what it really costs us within the industry." The Step-Up Management Program hopes to enlighten those in the industry about lameness through communication. Its other goals include: • Protection of the animal's well-being • Implementation of a scoring system to determine lameness severity • Diagnosis and treatment of lameness …
