Zoetis 2019 scholarships open to veterinary studentsOctober 6, 2018Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges will partner once again in 2019 to provide scholarships to second- and third-year veterinary students in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Eligibility criteria for interested candidates include academic excellence, financial need, diversity, sustainability, leadership, and career interest. Scholarships will be awarded to students in all areas of professional interest, including food animal medicine, small animal clinical medicine, research, government services, public health, and organized veterinary medicine. "Zoetis continues its long-standing commitment to assist veterinary students in alleviating financial debt related to their education," said Christine Jenkins, DVM, DACVIM, chief medical officer and vice president, Veterinary Medical Services and Outcomes Research at the Parsippany, N.J., company. "Each year, we hear from Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship winners about how these awards helped them offset educational expenses and facilitate experiential learning opportunities such as externships." Recipients of the 2019 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Awards will each receive $2,000 for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. Interested students can visit the Vetvance website to apply or download the Vetvance mobile app, which is available at the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store, from now through Nov. 28.
SPONSORED CONTENTStart Treating Canine MMVD Patients at Stage B2Learn about early treatment with pimobendan for canine Stage B2 preclinical MMVD patients. + Learn More
VolitionRx tests nucleosome diagnostic for veterinary space applicationsOctober 5, 2018 VolitionRx Ltd., a multinational Belgium-based life sciences company with offices in Texas, London, and Singapore, announced it is entering the veterinary market after "very encouraging" preliminary results from a study using its NuQ diagnostic blood tests for canine cancer testing. NuQ, currently used to screen for colorectal and prostate cancers, works by measuring and analyzing irregular levels of nucleosomes—a section of DNA wrapped around a core of proteins—in the blood to identify cancers. According to the company, the proof-of-concept study showed that blood nucleosomes also can be detected in dogs. With the promise of veterinary medicine applications, VolitionRx said it will now move NuQ into larger trials to answer the question of whether the method will work with animals. The company said it intends to outsource much of the veterinary clinical trial work through a partnership with Heather Wilson-Robles, DVM, DACVIM, associate professor and Fred and Vola N. Palmer chair in comparative oncology with Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in the Small Animal Clinical Sciences department. "The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine Oncology Department is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Volition," said Dr. Wilson-Robles. "Its innovative work in …
Morris Animal Foundation funds three equine medicine pilot studiesOctober 4, 2018 The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) will fund three pilot studies in horse health focusing on parasitic worms and equine metabolic syndrome. The studies, which collectively awarded more than $30,000 in grants, are in addition to eight large-animal research projects the foundation announced in April. Identifying Drug Resistant Parasites, University of Delaware Uses molecular methods to identify which species of equine parasitic worms come back first after deworming. Understanding drug sensitivity and specific resistance mechanisms will help researchers develop more effective and targeted deworming strategies. Evaluating New Equine Metabolic Syndrome Test, Murdoch University, Australia Investigates a new laboratory test to improve diagnosis of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), a metabolic and hormonal disorder in horses. A new efficient and cost-effective EMS test will help veterinarians better diagnose and manage this complex disease in horses. Understanding the Role of the Microbiome in Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Utrecht University, the Netherlands Studies the potential relationship between the bacterial composition of the microbiome and the development of EMS in Shetland ponies. Understanding how EMS develops, and the role of gut bacteria in this process, might provide new opportunities to intervene in early stages of disease and help prevent horses and ponies from …
WSAVA elects Australian veterinarian as its new presidentOctober 3, 2018Shane Ryan, BVSc, MVS, CertVetAcupuncture, GradDipAnimChiro, MChiroSc, MRCVS, an Australian veterinarian practicing in Singapore, has been appointed president of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). Dr. Ryan, a member of the WSAVA's executive board and former chair of its Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee, will take over from Walt Ingwersen, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, and will serve a two-year term. After graduating from the University of Queensland, Ryan worked and traveled in Australia, the U.K., and Europe before moving to Singapore in 1984. In 1989, he opened his own practice in Singapore, Companion Animal Surgery, which is now a 24-hour veterinary facility with 10 veterinarians and 15 auxiliary staff. He first became involved with the WSAVA while a member of the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA) Committee and played a part in developing its bids to host WSAVA World Congress in 2018. He also helped develop WSAVA's new Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team, which were launched during this year's WSAVA World Congress. "I will build on his efforts to strengthen the sense of community across the association and I'll be engaging with our members and working with our leadership team to …
Study: "Dog cognition does not look exceptional," researchers findOctober 3, 2018 Dogs may be smart cookies—just not quite the braniacs that many believe they are, according to research published in Learning & Behavior. In a study that examined more than 300 papers on the intelligence of dogs and other animals, researchers reviewed evidence that compared dogs' smarts with other domestic animals, other social hunters, and other carnivorans, such as wolves, bears, lions, and hyenas. What scientists from the U.K.'s University of Exeter and Canterbury Christ Church University discovered were that dogs' cognitive abilities were at least matched by several species in each of these groups as well as several cases where dogs' mental abilities suffered from "over interpretation." "During our work it seemed to us that many studies in dog cognition research set out to 'prove' how clever dogs are," said Stephen Lea, PhD, the study's principal author, from the University of Exeter. Lea went on to say that dogs' correct responses or actions are often compared to those of chimpanzees, but researchers found "in each and every case … other valid comparison species that do at least as well as dogs do in those tasks." The review focused on sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial cognition, social cognition, and …
WSAVA announces Purina Institute as first Diamond PartnerOctober 1, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) announced that the Purina Institute has become the organization's first Diamond Partner, lending support to some of the WSAVA's key clinical committees and initiatives. These include: The Global Nutrition Committee, which produces research and resources to help the veterinary healthcare team understand the importance of nutrition in companion animal health The Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (AWWC), which promotes advances in companion animal wellness and welfare around the world (the committee published its Global Guidelines on Companion Animal Welfare at this year's WSAVA World Congress) The Hereditary Disease Committee, which raises awareness and understanding of hereditary disease and genetic predispositions in dogs and cats WSAVA One Health Committee, which works to highlight the importance of the small companion animal-human interface on the global One Health agenda The Purina Institute is also a Global Partner for WSAVA One Care, an initiative to motivate veterinary associations in countries where companion animal practice is still emerging to raise standards of care. Serving as the global voice of Purina's science and its more than 500 scientists and pet care experts, the Purina Institute aims to put nutrition at …
Australian researchers discover way to halt T. gondii spreadSeptember 28, 2018According to research published in PLOS Biology, scientists in Australia have discovered a way to halt the invasion of the toxoplasmosis-causing parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) into cells, depriving the parasite of a key factor necessary for its growth. The study found that there are two steps that allow T. gondii to take hold within the body: the parasite needs to enter a host cell; from there it replicates and spreads. "After Toxoplasma infects humans it needs to switch off the infection machinery and switch on replication," said Chris Tonkin, PhD., associate professor at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, who led the study. "Without the ability to do this, Toxoplasma will die and be unable to cause disease. We discovered that the gene protein kinase A (PKA) is required for this switch. Without PKA, Toxoplasma can't hold steady." The findings are an important step in getting closer to developing a vaccine to protect pregnant women from the parasite, which carries risk of miscarriage or birth defects, and may also have a link to neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, according to the study. T. gondii is transmitted by cat feces and can be acquired from …
Large dogs are king according to international surveySeptember 27, 2018 According to a new international survey, dog owners say they are more satisfied owning large dogs than small dogs. The study, conducted online by RightPet starting in 2010 to 2018, surveyed dog breed reviews from 12,167 pet owners from 106 countries. Seventy-five percent of the reviews were of purebred dogs; 25 percent were of mixed breeds. The study found that both women and men are happier owning large dogs than small dogs and that men and younger people are significantly more satisfied with medium, large, and giant breeds, and less satisfied with toy and small dogs. Older people (around age 70) were found to be equally satisfied with dogs of any size, though dog owners with experience owning multiple dogs of different sizes report the greatest satisfaction with large dogs. The RightPet study found a direct correlation between dog size satisfaction and the fact that dog owners rate bigger dogs as more emotionally stable, child-safe, trainable, and less barky than small dogs. "What our study has found is that large dogs score higher in traits that are really important to most dog owners," said Brett Hodges, owner/editor at RightPet. "People don't prefer large dogs per se—they like them …
WSAVA releases first global guidelines for companion animal practitionersSeptember 26, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is highlighting the key role of veterinarians as animal welfare advocates with the launch of its Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team. The guidelines, introduced during WSAVA World Congress 2018 in Singapore, aim to bridge differing perceptions of welfare around the world and help veterinarians to tackle the ethical questions and moral issues that impact welfare. They offer guidance to ensure that veterinarians can advocate for animals' psychological, social, and environmental well-being. WSAVA currently offers Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including pain management, vaccination, nutrition, and dentistry. "As veterinarians, our responsibility extends far beyond the physical health of our patients," said Shane Ryan, BVSc, MVC, CVA, MRCVS, incoming president of WSAVA and former chair of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee. "Animal welfare as a science is a new and rapidly developing discipline and veterinarians need current, evidence-based information to enable them to maintain the highest welfare standards and to provide knowledgeable, accurate advice for pet owners and communities. "Our new guidelines provide recommendations, checklists, and other tools to promote optimal levels of welfare throughout the veterinary visit. They also offer guidance …
WVA, Ceva announce new WVA Animal Welfare awardSeptember 20, 2018Following the World Veterinary Association (WVA) Animal Welfare Awards in 2017 and 2018, Ceva Santé Animale and WVA in collaboration with the International Veterinary Students Association will this year add a new category recognizing a veterinary student for his/her involvement and engagement in animal welfare. The WVA Animal Welfare Award 2019 will be presented to six selected veterinarians from the WVA's six geographical regions and to one veterinary student from around the world. The award ceremony will take place during the 35th World Veterinary Association Congress on April 28, 2019, in San Jose, Costa Rica. The aim of the WVA Animal Welfare Awards is to recognize and reward veterinarians who in their daily lives contribute to the protection and welfare of animals and have provided outstanding and exemplary welfare-related services to animals, animal owners, fellow veterinarians, and the public. "World Veterinary Association and Ceva Santé Animale recognize veterinarians and veterinary students for their exemplary work in protecting and promoting Animal Welfare," said the WVA in a statement. In addition, WVA and Ceva are hoping to expand the awards categories further to include veterinary schools in future editions, recognizing them for animal …
