Why heartworm prevention begins in your practiceApril 24, 2019According to the American Heartworm Society (AMS), it is estimated more than one million dogs have heartworm disease. Spread by mosquitoes, heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of infected dogs and cats. Left untreated, the disease can lead to heart failure, as well as damage to other organs. To mark Heartworm Awareness Month, we asked Claire Walther, DVM, veterinary specialty operations at Zoetis Petcare, for her take on what veterinarians can do to better convey the need for heartworm prevention to pet owners. 1) What is the single biggest misconception among veterinarians regarding heartworm disease? Biologically, it is how missing one dose of a preventative medication can lead to the development of heartworm disease. We say it to our clients daily, but many of us couldn't explain why if a client asked. In my own practice, I struggled with the answer. Here is a 30-second sound bite I've used with my clients to help simplify what is a complex discussion. "Young heartworms are carried by infected mosquitoes, and it only takes one bite to transmit them to your dog.1 Once in your dog, the young heartworms live just underneath the skin for about a month—this …
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IDEXX CEO launches wild cat conservation foundationApril 23, 2019IDEXX's chief executive officer, Jonathan Ayers, and his wife, Helaine, have created a foundation to support the funding of global wild cat species conservation initiatives and organizations. "We lionize cats such as jaguars, leopards, and cheetahs in popular culture, yet felid species in the wild are threatened with declining populations and, in time, extinction," Ayers says. "We need to do more to preserve their populations in their natural habitat." "Helaine and I believe in the importance of dedicated species conservation efforts, and we hope our foundation will help to support the vitality of wild cats, their natural habitats, and the professionals dedicated to them in a meaningful way for years to come." The Ayers Wild Cat Conservation Trust will focus on 33 species of small cats, as they currently only receive a small fraction of all wild cat conservation funding. A lot of these wild cats are endangered or vulnerable with declining populations, including the clouded leopard, the black-footed cat, the sand cat, and the fishing cat. Funds will be given to initiatives such as the Panthera Small Cats Program, which the Ayers family helped establish. The program is dedicated to the conservation of the world's 40 wild cat …
Three international programs awarded CIVME research grantsApril 23, 2019The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' (AAVMC's) Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) has awarded its 2019 research grants to three international programs. The grants are aimed at fostering the enrichment and advancement of international academic veterinary medicine. CIVME's goal is to advance AAVMC initiatives by promoting inter-regional collaboration. This year, 27 proposals representing collaborative efforts from more than 40 institutions around the world were received. The three funded programs and principle investigators are: • Optimizing work-based learning in veterinary undergraduate studies by identifying factors and issues contributing to the experiences of students, placement providers, and faculty by Ahasanul Hoque, DVM, MS, PhD, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh; • Establishing evidence-based wellness practices for veterinary medical students to decrease burnout, depression, anxiety, and improve quality of life: A response to increasing rates of veterinarian suicide by Munashe Chigerwe, BVSc, MPH, PhD, University of California, Davis; and • Art and Identity: Using creative methods to support professional identity formation: The students' perspective by Elizabeth Armitage-Chan Vet MB, PhD, Dip ACVAA, FHEA, Royal Veterinary College, London, U.K.
Equine asthma treatment study underwayApril 22, 2019Having already invented a means of diagnosing equine asthma, a professor at Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine is focusing his attention on treating horses with the condition. Laurent Couëtil, DVM, PhD, professor of large animal internal medicine, director of Purdue University's Equine Sports Medicine Center, has spent majority of his career treating and researching equine asthma. "Milder equine asthma has been difficult to detect because horses don't necessarily show many signs besides the fact they're not performing well," says Dr. Couëtil. "Some of them cough once in a while, but it isn't crippling them. Now that we have the tools to look for it, we realize it's very common." "In humans, the most common test performed to test for asthma is forced exhalation. The nurse trains you to take in the deepest breath possible and blow out as hard as you can. This is easy for people because we can follow instructions, but you can't tell a horse to do that, so I worked with Purdue engineers to develop a pulmonary function test for horses." Corticosteroids are typically used to treat equine asthma; however, they come with a risk of drug violations in racehorses, suppress the horse's immune system, and …
New bill would allow California veterinarians to recommend cannabisApril 22, 2019A new bill introduced to the California legislation could repeal an original ban on veterinarians recommending cannabis to their clients. The bill, SB 627, would allow licensed veterinarians to discuss the use of and recommend medicinal cannabis or related products on an animal patient for any condition for which these products provide relief. The bill would also prohibit a veterinarian who makes a recommendation under these provisions from being punished, or denied any right or privilege, for recommending these products. Currently, The Veterinary Medicine Practice Act authorizes the board to revoke or suspend the license of a person to practice veterinary medicine, or to assess a fine, for discussing medicinal cannabis with a client while the veterinarian is employed by or has an agreement with a Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) licensee and is distributing advertising for cannabis in California. Further, the bill would permit pet owners to purchase medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products on a veterinarian's recommendation.
Zoetis named one of America's best employers, says ForbesApril 18, 2019For the fourth year in a row, Zoetis has been named one of America's best midsize employers, according to Forbes Magazine. The list comprises 150 companies. It is based on an independent survey among a sample of 50,000 American employees working for companies with at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. The most important factor in the assessment was the willingness to recommend one's own employer. Employees were consulted anonymously through online access panels allowing them to express their opinions. "At Zoetis, we know our people shape our reputation as a great place to work and drive our success," says Roxanne Lagano, Zoetis executive vice president, chief human resources officer and communications. "We are proud of the culture we have at our company, and we are excited our colleagues and others recommend Zoetis as one of America's best employers."
Boston's Museum of Science receives AZA accreditationApril 18, 2019The Museum of Science, Boston, has once again been granted an Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accreditation. The certification comes after the museum underwent a thorough review by the AZA's independent accreditation commission to ensure it has and will continue to meet standards in animal care and welfare, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. The accreditation process must be completed every five years for members to remain in good standing. The museum has been an accredited AZA member since 2002. "Less than 10 percent of animal facilities registered with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have achieved AZA accreditation, so the Museum of Science is truly a leader in the profession," says AZA president and CEO, Dan Ashe. "AZA accreditation signifies the Museum of Science's active role in protecting our world's wild animals and wild places while providing exemplary animal care and meaningful guest experiences." The accreditation process comprises of a detailed application and an on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquarium professionals. The inspection team observes all aspects of the institution's operation, including animal care and welfare, keeper training, visitor safety, staff and animals, educational programs, conservation efforts, veterinary programs, financial stability, risk …
Bayer, adivo to develop therapeutic antibodiesApril 17, 2019Bayer Animal Health and adivo have signed an agreement to develop therapeutic antibodies for companion animals. The collaboration may be good news for veterinary medicine. Although the use of therapeutic antibodies is not widespread, they offer a variety of healing options for diseases that still cannot be treated with current technology. "Today's agreement is another example of how we realize our innovation strategy," says Douglas Hutchens, DVM, PhD, Bayer Animal Health's head of drug discovery, external innovation and chief veterinary officer. "By combining the know-how from creative start-up companies like adivo with opportunities derived from Bayer's research, we broaden our space of therapeutic medicine options and complement our portfolio. We are constantly looking for innovative technologies enabling us to generate novel treatment options for the companion animal sector. Now, we will focus on evolving the options presented by adivo from research and development to market maturity." Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer will have access to adivo's species-specific monoclonal antibody technology, which uses an exclusive fully canine phage display library. Bayer will provide targets involved in severe animal diseases. "At adivo, we truly believe pets have a positive impact on our society," says the company's managing director, Kathrin …
Overland Park, Kans, tops list of heartworm cities for MarchApril 17, 2019According to Companion Animal Parasite Council's (CAPC's) top 10 list, Overland Park, Kans, was the number one city for heartworms in March. CAPC says annual testing is more important than ever to ensure dogs and cats are protected no matter where they live or travel. It also recommends year-round heartworm protection. "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," says CAPC board member, Michael Yabsley, MS, PhD, FRES, professor in the department of population health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. According to CAPC, national frequency rates for heartworm have increased each of the last five years and are now up 20 percent from 2013 levels. The following U.S. cities have the highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests for March: 1) Overland Park, Kans. 2) San Francisco, Calif. 3) Laredo, Tex. 4) Thousand Oaks, Calif. 5) Salinas, Calif. 6) Oceanside, Calif. 7) Clarksville, Tenn. 8) Portland, Ore. 9) Providence, R.I. 10) Jersey City, …
UF studies anesthetic with potential for misuse in racehorsesApril 16, 2019A local anesthetic with the potential for misuse in racehorses is being studied by veterinarians at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine in collaboration with UF Racing Laboratory. The study will observe bupivacaine as there are concerns the extended release form of the drug could be used unethically to mask pain or an injury in a racehorse. "Bupivacaine has been around for a while," says Taralyn McCarrel, DVM, an equine surgeon and the grant's principal investigator. "We don't use it a lot, as most of the time we're doing very short procedures and for those, we tend to use drugs that are shorter-acting. This is true also when we're using them in a lameness examination. We only need the drugs to last a few hours in most cases." "In this new formulation, tiny droplets of bupivacaine are wrapped in a membrane, which is the liposomal component. After injection, the liposomes start to break down, and gradually release these small pockets of drug over a long time." The research team will start by determining the minimal effective dose to block pain in a horse's foot and to assess how long the anesthetic effect lasts. They will then …
