MyCatDNA analysis aims to breed healthier catsJune 21, 2018MyCatDNA test, a new feline DNA test from Wisdom Health, a division of Mars Petcare, is designed to help veterinarians and breeders maintain the health and wellness of cats from a genetic level. MyCatDNA test, also known as the Optimal Selection Feline test in North America, provides insight into an individual cat's unique genetic makeup, allowing breeders to make more informed breeding decisions and subsequently lessen the chance of passing down inherent diseases to future generations. "New insights based on genetics, such as mutations linked to health conditions and traits, can transform the lives of cats and their offspring," said Leslie Lyons Ph.D., a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri–Columbia. "Having these discoveries and many other tools readily available to cat owners and breeders on a global scale can only improve the health care of cats and our breeding decisions." The MyCatDNA test develops a comprehensive view of a cat's unique genome, including inherited characteristics. The analysis is able to identify more than 40 genetic mutations that cause inherited feline diseases, as well as traits such as blood type, coat color/length, and body type. Owners can then access online health profiles for their …
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OSU kicks off expansion to boost veterinary hospitalJune 21, 2018Oregon State University's (OSU) Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on June 20 to kick off a 21,729-square-foot expansion of Magruder Hall that will improve instructional space and increase services at the small animal hospital. Over the next two years, the college will add a 100-seat lecture hall and two wings to the small animal hospital. One new hospital wing will house oncology, cardiology, and internal medicine; another will house a linear accelerator for a new radiation oncology service. The small animal hospital has treated more than 20,000 animals, primarily cats and dogs, since its opening in 2006. Over the past five years, the hospital's caseload has increased an average of 9.1 percent annually. Adding a linear accelerator for radiation oncology to the hospital's existing chemotherapy services means OSU will be able to provide comprehensive cancer care to patients in one location for the first time. Many owners must currently travel out of state for access to advanced cancer care for their animals. The added lecture hall also helps meet needs of the growing veterinary medicine program, which recently increased enrollment from 56 to 72 students per year. The expansion is supported in part by a …
Study explores predicting canine disease risk through genetic testingJune 21, 2018 Genetic testing can be used to predict if a dog is at risk for developing certain diseases, enabling preventative care for better health, reports a new study by Wisdom Health and Genoscoper Laboratories. Published in PLOS Genetics, the study, "Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs," also shows fewer mixed-breed dogs than purebreds are affected by the most common disease-causing mutations tested in the study. "There has been a long-standing perception that mixed-breed dogs are less disease prone than purebred dogs," said Cindy Cole DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, general manager at Wisdom Health. "This DNA-testing-based evidence shows that while mixed-breed dogs are in fact less likely than purebreds to develop the recessive disorders evaluated in the study, they may still be carriers." The study examined the DNA of more than 100,000 dogs (18,000 purebreds representing 330 breeds, types, and varieties, and 83,000 mixed-breed dogs) for the presence of 152 genetic disease mutations, including: Progressive retinal atrophy (multiple forms) Hyperuricosuria Collie eye anomaly Multidrug sensitivity (MDR1) von Willebrand's disease (multiple forms) Based on the 152 diseases tested: Approximately two out of 100 mixed-breed dogs are at risk of becoming affected; 40 …
Why annual screening for exposure to infected ticks is vitalJune 20, 2018It's important to remember that a single tick can transmit multiple infectious agents that may cause or contribute to serious illness, including kidney disease. And because dogs don't always show clinical signs, it can be challenging to understand the true harm of any given infection to a pet's health. This makes regularly screening of pets—including asymptomatic or seemingly healthy ones—to identify exposure to infected ticks all the more important. Here's a quick look at why regular, comprehensive screening is critical, and what veterinarians can do to help keep dogs healthy. All dogs need to be screened annually for exposure to infected ticks It's quite possible a patient could be fighting an infection without showing any signs of disease. That is why limiting screening to symptomatic pets and those known to have had a tick on them is too restrictive—it will miss infections. All dogs need to be tested, and pet owners need to be reminded that negative results are the goal in order to verify that preventive measures against ticks are working. A new study reinforces the importance of detecting exposure The study, found at idexx.com/ckdstudy, showed two key findings: 1) dogs with Ehrlichia antibodies …
UC Davis Veterinary Hospital launches free public educational seriesJune 20, 2018The University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) has launched a public educational series of lectures on animal health topics. The series—An Evening with Vet Med—will feature on-campus seminars once a month that are free and open to the public. The lecture series is geared toward both large and small animal owners interested in learning the latest in caring for their four-legged family members. The first three lectures in the series are: Farrier Services: Hoof Care Myths and Truths June 26, 7-8 p.m. Presented by UC Davis farrier Shane Westman The event is free, but you must register. Basic First Aid and Preventative Care for Horses July 24, 7-8 p.m. Presented by UC Davis equine resident Emily Schaefer, DVM The event is free, but you must register. Pet Dental Health Aug. 21, 7-8 p.m. Presented by UC Davis dental hygienist Kimi Kan-Rohrer The event is free, but you must register. "We are so excited to bring this lecture series to animal owners in the community," said Jane Sykes, BVSc (Hons), PhD., DACVIM, VMTH chief veterinary medical officer. "At UC Davis, the health and wellness of our clients' …
KSU conducts first US livestock study with Japanese encephalitis virusJune 20, 2018North American domestic pigs could be susceptible to Japanese encephalitis virus infections, according to a study by Kansas State University (KSU) College of Veterinary Medicine researchers. The study, believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S., was published recently in Scientific Reports. "Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that North American domestic pigs can contribute to the Japanese encephalitis virus transmission cycle as amplifying hosts," said So Lee Park, a third-year veterinary student and concurrent doctoral student in pathobiology who was first author of the study. Japanese encephalitis virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that has human and veterinary health significance. The virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia and the western Pacific, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus can be maintained in a cycle between mosquitoes and vertebrates, mainly pigs and wading birds. While most human infections are mild, a small percentage of people develop encephalitis. About 1 in 4 cases of Japanese encephalitis are fatal, the CDC stated. The virus in swine can cause encephalitis in piglets and reproductive diseases in mature adult pigs. The KSU study suggests …
GlobalVetLINK joins Amazon Web Services for cloud solutionsJune 19, 2018GlobalVetLINK (GVL) announced it has migrated its online animal health documentation platform to Amazon Web Services (AWS), a third-party cloud solution, to assist in customer data security and system functionality. GlobalVetLINK, founded in 2001, provides web-based animal health solutions for food and companion animal health practitioners. GVL's online certification solutions enable users to quickly and accurately create professional health records, including veterinary feed directives, certificates of veterinary inspection, veterinary prescriptions, diagnostic results and history, equine infectious anemia test certificates and more. Amazon AWS cloud computing service offers businesses the virtualized computing power, storage, and other platform services needed to more efficiently host their websites and internet-based functionality. The transition from a traditional data center to AWS allows GVL to better support current users, certificate creation, advances in technology, and feature enhancements. With the transition, the company said it expects to see greater customer satisfaction through various platform improvements: Increased data and system security Faster technology advancements, increased development capacity and more seamless deployment of new features Expanded server capacity and improved performance Reduced system downtime
AAVMC updates its Cost Comparison ToolJune 19, 2018The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has updated and enhanced its Cost Comparison Tool (CCT) for 2018. Introduced in 2016, the CCT web-based tool helps applicants and students more precisely estimate the cost of earning a DVM degree, according to AAVMC. Updates now allow users to research schools and use interactive filters to compare data related to tuition, projected cost-of-living, and the cost of financing one's education. The tool still features information on all 30 U.S. schools, but now includes 13 international members, up from 11. Five-year international programs are designated, and calculations have been adjusted for the differential. The tool demonstrates three levels of cost: tuition, tuition and living expenses, and total cost of attendance (TCA). The TCA includes the previous two categories as well as the cost of loan interest accruals on an assumed fully financed DVM education (the current interest rate for graduate students using the Federal Stafford Loan is 6 percent). The sorting feature has been enhanced so that programs generally are shown from higher costs to lower cost. The map includes resident, nonresident, and international total tuition (adjusted for colleges where residency may be established after the first year) …
Auburn Vet Camp introduces students to veterinary medicineJune 19, 2018The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine is offering hands-on summer camps to middle and high school students to give them an idea of what a career in veterinary medicine entails. Conducted by students, faculty, and staff of the college, Vet Camp takes students into classrooms, laboratories, and clinical facilities to give them a glimpse of veterinary studies and the animal health industry as a whole. Kimberley Moyers and Trey McElroy, both third-year veterinary students at Auburn, are Vet Camp's student directors, overseeing more than 20 second- and third-year veterinary students who work with campers. "Vet Camp is a week of hands-on education where we show the students as many aspects of veterinary medicine as possible," said McElroy. "We incorporate learning with many fun-filled activities. We want to immerse them in the medical side, along with showing the many other aspects of the veterinary field." A total of 100 students will attend the camps, which are coordinated in partnership with Auburn's Office of Professional Continuing Education. Two camps for high school students will take place in June—one for grades nine to 11 and the second for high school seniors—while the third, a junior veterinary camp for …
Iowa State to offer Ph.D. in population sciences in animal healthJune 18, 2018The Iowa State University Board of Regents has approved a new doctorate of philosophy in population sciences in animal health in the department of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine within Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine. The new program will promote research, disseminate knowledge, and create future leaders in the area of population sciences, according to a university announcement. The program is multidisciplinary and aims to equip future leaders (veterinarians and nonveterinarians) with the knowledge and skills to protect and promote the welfare and health of animals in populations. "Program graduates will be prepared to respond to health and welfare issues in animal populations through research, education, clinical medicine, extension and outreach," said Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, Ph.D., assistant professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. "The new program will train generations of high-degree professionals capable of keeping Iowa's $18 billion animal agriculture industry sustainable and strong over time. "This program will generate science and professionals to help secure and improve the health and welfare of livestock and poultry industries in Iowa and around the globe," he added. The Iowa State degree will be one of only five similar programs offered in North America. The 20-hour degree will …
