Make Sound Commitment To SonographyJanuary 18, 2011 Ultrasound services aren’t necessarily reserved for high-volume practices, experts say. Although many veterinarians determine that their client bases might not validate the expense, some sonographers work independently and will travel to a veterinarian’s office. Depending on the quality, a new ultrasound machine can cost from $10,000 to $100,000, but the price tag isn’t the only potential obstacle. A veterinarian sometimes invests in the equipment but is unprepared for the learning curve. Some say that even seasoned practitioners need a year to feel comfortable interpreting ultrasound images. “A lot of practices buy ultrasound equipment with the intent of using it more,” says Gretchen Rowe, DVM, of Animal Diagnostic Imaging LLC and president of the International Veterinary Ultrasound Society. “In reality, it takes a pretty dedicated person within a practice to use ultrasound to its fullest potential as a diagnostic tool. It takes thousands of cases to be really good at it, but it depends on what your goal is and how you intend to use it.” Bear, 14-year-old MN Siamese cat with a spontaneous diaphragmatic hernia. The anechoic gall bladder (left) and spleen (near field top) residing with the heart (bottom right) within the thorax. …
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Small-Animal Practices Not Immune To Antimicrobial ConcernDecember 29, 2010 Though study results vary, researchers looking into methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in human and animal medicine say the incidence of colonization is high. Veterinary researchers postulate that animals can be carriers of the bacteria and transfer it to humans, but it is much more likely for the animal to become colonized by a human carrier than the latter. Scientists report that every bacterium has resistance capabilities and that determining which animal a resistant strain will show up in is impossible. Statistics are lacking, and there’s not a specific region, breed or healthy person known to be more affected than another. This lack of information calls for vigilance from the veterinary industry, as it has become a target when looking to pin blame on why antibiotic resistance is occurring. “The American Veterinary Medical Association created the judicious use guidelines, in part to ensure current and future availability of veterinary antimicrobials,” says Christine Hoang, DVM, MPH, assistant director in the Scientific Activities Division of the AVMA. “We are bringing veterinary expertise to the table in the antimicrobial discussion for the benefit of people and animals.” Veterinarians in small-animal practices should keep up with federal discussions regarding the therapeutic …
Boost Profit Now To Maximize Practice ValueDecember 29, 2010 Practice values have been trending down for the past decade because of the economy and management mistakes, according to consultants. But, they say, an owner can maximize practice value by increasing net profit. Those steps aren’t new or mysterious but take work and a willingness to change. Seasoned owners are shocked when the appraised value of their practice is less than anticipated, so they may postpone retirement in hope of recouping some value. “Veterinarians frequently rely on the sale of their practice for retirement funds,” says Paul Camilo, CVPM, of Veterinary Consulting Services. “This is a bad idea. If the practice doesn’t sell at the rate necessary for a comfortable retirement, there’s no Plan B and veterinarians end up holding onto the practice, working past their planned retirement date.” A better idea is to make the practice as profitable as possible during the practicing years and save money during that time, says Jessica Lee, CVPM, of Pinnacle Integrated Veterinary Solutions. “Building practice value can be simple,” Lee says. “Having good customer service, making your practice stand apart from others and adding new services can bring in new clients and retain existing ones. Having a good …
Hold Off Or Write Off?December 8, 2010A new laboratory suite can take the bite out of 2010 taxes. It’s that time of year when veterinarians decide to make an in-house laboratory purchase or find they need to hold off. Fortunately, there are purchase options for 2010 tax deductions that allow for a write-off whether or not the practice has made a profit. The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama on Sept. 27, made veterinarians’ capital improvement plan options a lot better. If a veterinarian has a profitable year in 2010, they could write off on their tax return as much as $500,000 on equipment purchases. The law expands section 179, doubling the write-off amount from $250,000 to half a million dollars. This allowance could boost any practice’s bottom line, experts say. But, if this sounds too good to be true, it might be. Accountants should be able to properly advise a veterinary client based on the practice’s financial situation and state guidelines. “The $500,000 is a federal limit, not a state limit,” says Gary I. Glassman, CPA, of Burzenski & Company, P.C., a Connecticut-based accounting firm. “Each state has its own income …
New Study Reveals Most Cats Will Wear CollarsDecember 7, 2010 Almost 73 percent of cats wore collars consistently during a six-month study period; statistics that can help veterinarians discuss the importance of pet identification with cat owners, according to The Ohio State University. Convincing cat owners, even those with indoor-only cats, that their pets need identification is a “tremendous uphill battle,” said Linda Lord, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at the university and lead author of the study. “A lot of people start out with the dogma that cats can’t wear collars, that they won’t tolerate them or that they’re dangerous,” Dr. Lord said. “Now pet owners can look at this research and, if they own a cat, maybe they will now consider that they will be able to put identification on them. A collar with an ID tag is probably a cat’s greatest chance of ever being re-homed or brought back if it is lost.” The researchers recruited 338 cat owners for a total of 538 cats from the college of veterinary medicine at Ohio State, the University of Florida, Texas A&M University and Cornell University. Thirty-two animals were withdrawn from the study for various reasons, leaving 506 cats. Cats were …
The Flip SideNovember 30, 2010 Pets living primarily outdoors need more calories during winter months to maintain a healthy weight, nutritionists say. This fact may be unknown to the owner and overlooked by the veterinarian considering many pets now enjoy indoor life. Statistics Overweight and obese stats (according to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention: • An estimated 15 percent of U.S. dogs and cats are obese. That’s 26 million obese pets. • An estimated 45 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight or obese. • 35 million U.S. dogs are estimated to be overweight or obese; 6.7 million are obese. • An estimated 58 percent of U.S. cats are overweight or obese. “If kept in a cooler environment, pets’ energy expenditure actually increases with the increased calories that are burned to keep them warm,” says Sally Perea, DVM, Dipl. ACVN, a senior nutritionist with Natura Pet Products Inc. “Some pets kept outdoors may even put on extra weight as a way to increase their fat layer to stay warm. With this said, most pets are going to be kept in an indoor environment, so they should not have these additional energy needs.” Veterinarians should ask clients …
Corridor Sponsors Animal Health Investment ForumOctober 20, 2010 Nineteen companies seeking capital presented their cases at the second KC Animal Health Investment Forum 2010, held Aug. 31 in Kansas City, Mo. Presented by the KC Animal Health Corridor, the investment forum capped off two days of activities that included a research symposium on biosecurity, a technology transfer event in which reps from Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska universities sought commercialization partners, and the “Late Night in the KC Corridor” gala event, featuring Finton Molloy, former executive with Teva Animal Health and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, in the role of a late night talk show host. Molloy’s guests included new Corridor chairman George Heidgerken, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.; Neil Thompson, president and CEO of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, presenting former Hill’s chairman and CEO Bob Wheeler with the Corridor’s Iron Paw Award for career achievements; and Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Paul Hays, CEO of Synbiotics Corp., served as Molloy’s co-host and sidekick. Heidgerken said he planned to continue the original vision of the corridor and attract more animal health companies to the region and support key initiatives that are larger than any one …
They Ate WhatSeptember 21, 2010 Animals will swallow just about anything they can get in their mouth. Don't believe it? The proof isonthe pages of this month's Veterinary Practice News. Our annual radiograph contest, sponsored by Sound-Eklin of Carlsbad, Calif., was judged by Matt Wright, DVM, Dipl.ACVR, of Animal Insides, who has seen just about everything on an X-ray. His verdict: First place to Florida veterinarian Amy McGinnes, DVM, of Black Creek Veterinary Hospital in Middleburg, Fla., whose canine patient, Hooch, ate 39 screws, nails and staples. Veterinary Practice News thanks all readers who e-mailed radiographs. McGinness will receive a digital single-lens revlex camera courtesy of Sound-Eklin. Runners-up Patricia N. Young, DVM, and Stephen H. Hart, DVM, each get a point-and-shoot camera. Click here to see X-ray winners and runners-up.
World Rabies Day Expanding To 120 CountriesSeptember 2, 2010 World Rabies Day, now in its fourth year, will take place Sept. 28 in an effort to raise awareness and resources in support of human rabies prevention and animal rabies control. The campaign seeks to reinforce the message that rabies is a preventable disease yet kills 55,000 people a year, or about one person every 10 minutes, according to the Alliance for Rabies Control. The United Kingdom charity helped spearhead the effort with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide participation is expected to exceed previous figures, said Peter Costa, global communications coordinator of the Alliance for Rabies Control. Last year, at least 300 events were held in 105 countries, educating about 20 million people. This year, about 120 countries will host events, educating about 25 million to 30 million people, according to Costa. “World Rabies Day has truly grown by leaps and bounds,” Costa said. “We began with a first-year goal in 2007 of involving 55,000 people and resulted in mobilizing 400,000 people in 75 countries. World Rabies Day has since become a call to action and a catalyst for rabies prevention activities. The campaign has galvanized support across the spectrum of …
Practical Evaluation Of Novel Treatments For Equine Metabolic SyndromeJuly 23, 2010 The horse world has not proven resistant to the obesity epidemic and related diseases that have swept our human population. Every day in my practice I see animals that are overweight or over-conditioned, conditions that put them at risk for a variety of long-term and debilitating diseases. Many of these animals might now be diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). EMS is a likely diagnosis for overweight animals, animals prone to laminitis, animals with “cresty” necks or other exaggerated fat pads, and animals with elevated fasting insulin levels. Just as in humans, these elevated insulin levels are of particular concern. This key hormone is responsible for sugar and energy metabolism in the body, and high fasting levels suggests that the body is not responding to insulin. The result is that metabolism controlled by insulin isn’t working optimally, which in people can lead to diabetes. While the impact of elevated insulin levels on the horse is still being studied, likely consequences, based on information from other species, include inflammation and circulatory issues. Without a doubt, exercise and diet modification play a central role in the management …
