DogsLife offers financial aid for canine cancer treatmentsMarch 20, 2019A new nonprofit is helping pet owners pay for canine cancer treatments by any board-certified veterinary oncologists in North Texas. The organization, DogsLife, selects recipients through an application and interview process involving the pet's owner and veterinarian, as well as the treating veterinary oncologist. The private charity is primarily supported by donations and all of the funds go directly to providing treatments to the dogs. Sir Desmond, a retired racing Greyhound, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. As a result, the dog's veterinary oncologist recommended his leg be amputated. The price of surgery and chemotherapy was not in Sir Desmond's owner, Caitlin Schmidt's budget, so she applied for assistance from DogsLife. The charity covered half of the surgery and all of the chemotherapy costs. "I cannot really put into words what the phone call meant to me when I was told DogsLife was providing a grant to help pay for all the overages for Desmond's treatment that I simply could not afford," Schmidt says. "Desmond had his amputation surgery and is beginning his chemotherapy."
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Banfield Pet Hospital, Banfield Foundation reports highlight commitment to animalsMarch 19, 2019More than $2.2 million in grants have been awarded to 265 nonprofits, thanks to the Banfield Foundation. That's one of the highlights from the organization's 2018 Banfield Foundation Impact Report, which was released in conjunction with Banfield Pet Hospital's 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. It details how the company has leveraged its resources, reach, and relationships to improve the well-being of pets, communities, and the veterinary industry. "At Banfield, everything we do is in service of our purpose—a better world for pets—including our collective efforts, which support pets, communities, our associates, and the veterinary profession," says Banfield Pet Hospital president, Brian Garish. "I can't think of a better legacy than being known as one of the country's most community-minded companies. Through the initiatives highlighted in these reports, we get to live our purpose of caring for pets, while also inspiring future generations of pet lovers to be more socially conscious and make a difference in their own communities." Since September 2015, the foundation has worked to give pets access to veterinary care, temporary shelter, and/or disaster relief, including Spayathon, which offers spay and neuter clinics across Puerto Rico aimed at decreasing an unwanted population of pets while also …
Must you pay your staff for being on call?March 19, 2019Suppose you operate a 24-hour emergency hospital. In this tight labor market for veterinary technicians, you are faced with a staffing shortage for the night and overnight shifts. It occurs to you that requiring existing technicians to be on call from time to time may be a way to help solve the staffing dilemma. But how would this affect your budget? More specifically, would you be required to pay your staff for being on-call even if they are not actually called in to work? What is considered compensable? Well, that depends. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees in on-call status must be paid if they are "engaged to wait," but not if they are "waiting to be engaged." Hmmm. How does this obtuse rule of thumb work in the real world? The key is whether the on-call time is predominantly for the practice's benefit. The more the employee is under the practice's control, the more likely it is the on-call period will be viewed as benefiting the practice and, in turn, as being compensable. Requiring technicians to remain on the premises during their on-call time will almost certainly render this time "hours worked" under FLSA. In …
VetSuccess and Fear Free team up to increase fecal testingMarch 18, 2019VetSuccess and Fear Free have partnered to create Fear Free Fecals, a reminder program designed to increase compliance for fecal testing. The program sends pet owners prescheduled reminders, which include a personalized letter, as well as a stool collection bag. Clients are then encouraged to collect their pet's sample at home and bring it in for testing. "The Fear Free Fecals program is fully automated, making it very simple and affordable for practices to be more successful in terms of profitability and patient care," says Martin Traub-Werner, VetSuccess CEO. "Practices can create positive client touch points with zero staff time." VetSuccess sends monthly performance reports showing how many reminders were sent out and how many fecal exams happened as a direct result of the program. "Partnerships like the Fear Free Fecals program with VetSuccess are crucial in helping every pet be happy and healthy," says Marty Becker, DVM, founder and CEO of Fear Free, and columnist for Veterinary Practice News Canada.
Trust, education can build vaccine complianceMarch 18, 2019Can people control their exposure to whatever virus du jour is making the rounds? No—and that's the point veterinarians should stress among vaccine-wary clients, says Tony Rumschlag, DVM, director of consulting veterinarians, companion animal at Elanco Animal Health. "We cannot in all circumstances control our pets' exposure to disease," he says. "We can help prevent disease in our beloved pets by simply following an appropriate vaccination protocol." As in human medicine, some veterinary clients are expressing concern over the necessity and safety of vaccines for companion animals. "Because some of the diseases we vaccinate against are not as prevalent as in the past, both on the human and animal side, people start to lose sight of the value of vaccines," Dr. Rumschlag explains. "When vaccination rates decrease, these diseases tend to reappear. And I understand how pet owners can forget the extent of parvo and distemper cases we saw in the 1980s and early '90s." Rumschlag says that while there is a lot of science backing the safety and value of vaccines, many of the concerns about them are based more on emotions. "Veterinarians who have treated dogs infected with preventable diseases, such as parvo and distemper, need to …
OVMA names 2018 Veterinarian of the YearMarch 18, 2019The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) has named Dave Bauman, DVM, as the Veterinarian of the Year for 2018. Outgoing OVMA president Liesa Stone, DVM, BS, presented the award to Dr. Bauman at the association's annual Midwest Veterinary Conference. "A lifetime of achievement as an educator, a volunteer, and a veterinarian clearly represents the qualities worthy of recognition as veterinarian of the year," said Stone, as she gave Bauman the award. Bauman has dedicated more than four decades to the veterinary profession. He taught laboratory animal medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) veterinary technology program for 42 years and served on the OVMA board of directors for 18 years.
Merck Animal Health awards $5,000 scholarships to 54 studentsMarch 18, 2019Fifty-four students from around the world are each the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship thanks to Merck Animal Health. In collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), the company selected students in their second and third year of school who are pursuing careers in companion or large-animal medicine. The recipients were also chosen based on academic excellence, financial need, and leadership. "Merck Animal Health is proud to help lay a solid educational foundation for these students to excel in their future careers," says Scott Bormann, senior vice president for Merck Animal Health, North America. The winners of the 2019 Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship are: Imrul Kayes Anwar, Bangladesh Agricultural University Michael Barua, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Andrea Basque, University of Pennsylvania Kalie Beckers, Louisiana State University Robert Buntz, Colorado State University Emily Calbaum, University of Wisconsin Brittany Campbell, Purdue University Virginia Carrero, Louisiana State University Michael Congiusta, University of Minnesota Lindsay Courtney, Ohio State University Stephanie Crawford, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Brenna Daly, Tufts University Anik Das, Bangladesh Agricultural University Erin Deavours, University of Georgia Thomas Duff, University of Minnesota Peter Ellis, University of California, Davis Grace Ertle, Michigan State University Abdullah Al Fahad, …
University of California, Davis ranked number one U.S. veterinary medicine schoolMarch 15, 2019University of California, Davis is the best school for veterinary medicine in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. The results were released as part of the 2020 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools Rankings. These are the 28 best schools for veterinary medicine: 1) University of California, Davis 2) Cornell University 3) Colorado State University 4) North Carolina State University 5) Ohio State University 6) Texas A&M University, College Station 7) University of Pennsylvania 8) University of Wisconsin, Madison 9) University of Florida 10) University of Georgia 11) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 12) Tufts University 13) Purdue University, West Lafayette 14) Auburn University 15) Iowa State University 16) Washington State University 17) Michigan State University 18) Virginia Tech, University of Maryland 19) Kansas State University 20) University of Missouri 21) University of Tennessee, Knoxville 22) Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 23) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 24) Mississippi State University, Oregon State University (tied) 25) Oklahoma State University - Tuskegee University, (rank not published (RNP) - Western University of Health …
CT or MRI? When to use each and whyMarch 15, 2019Use MRI for meningitis, encephalitis, fibrocartilaginous embolism, malignancy of liver tumors, muscle tears and strains, and cranial cruciate rupture, says Tony Pease, DVM, MS, DACVR, chief veterinary medical officer of the Western Veterinary Conference Oquendo Center in Las Vegas, Nev. For fragmented medial coronoid processes, dental disease, 3-D reconstructions, and small bone fractures, use CT, he advises. "In general, MRI can see more medically treated lesions, but CT and MRI can see lesions that are amenable with surgery," Dr. Pease says. "However, gastrointestinal lesions are questionable. The motion of the gastrointestinal tract makes large artifacts, as does metal (e.g. microchips), which is not a factor with CT as opposed to MRI." MRI is preferred whenever disease of the central nervous system is suspected, says Nathan C. Nelson DVM, MS, DACVR, clinical associate professor of radiology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "MRI has excellent ability to image soft tissue structures and is able to differentiate gray matter, white matter, nerves, and cerebrospinal fluid to a much greater extent than CT," Dr. Nelson says. "In any case, where brain disease is suspected—such as the acutely seizing dog or the dog with sudden behavior change—MRI is the …
Salt Lake City, Utah, tops the list of heartworm cities for February in the U.S.March 15, 2019Salt Lake City, Utah, was the number one city for heartworms in February according to Companion Animal Parasite Council's (CAPC's) top 10 list. The monthly report warns pet owners, veterinarians, and pet-related service providers of U.S. metropolitan areas with highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests. CAPC is devoted to monitoring and reporting emerging threats to pets. "The new CAPC Top 10 Cities Heartworm Report demonstrates heartworm disease—transmitted by mosquitoes—is a national threat to pets who are increasingly vulnerable to this debilitating and potentially fatal illness in most communities across the country," says CAPC board member, Michael Yabsley, MS, PhD, FRES. These are the U.S. cities with the highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests for February: 1) Salt Lake City, Utah 2) Alexandria, Va. 3) Riverside, Calif. 4) Topeka, Kans. 5) El Paso, Tex. 6) Paterson, N.J. 7) Chesapeake, Va. 8) Reno, Nev. 9) Modesto, Calif. 10) Boise, Idaho "It takes just one heartworm-infected dog in an area to become a reservoir of infection, increasing the number of infected mosquitoes and ultimately spreading the heartworm parasite to unprotected dogs and cats," Yabsley says. "This is why CAPC recommends monthly …
