Improve International CE provider enters U.S.March 6, 2018Improve International continuing education provider, founded in 2008 by a team of U.K. of veterinarians, has launched in the U.S., offering a range of short courses for veterinary professionals seeking to update their knowledge and develop new skills. The company's first RACE-approved courses for U.S. veterinarians will take place between April and July and feature such speakers as Kenneth Waller III, DVM, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, and Eric Monnet, DVM, Ph.D., DACVS, DECVS, and Howard Seim III, DVM, from Colorado State University. More than 20,000 veterinarians in 20 countries have enhanced their careers and improved the profitability of their practice by undertaking Improve International's programs, which combine review lectures, case-based discussions and hands-on practical sessions, according to the company. Improve is working with industry partners, including IM3, Medtronic, Mila, Sound, Storz, and Veterinary Orthopedic Implants Inc. in the delivery of its U.S. courses and will host its practical sessions at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine facilities. "As the leading supplier of CE in many countries, we have a strong understanding of the needs of practicing veterinarians and are working with highly skilled instructors and leading vendors to offer high-end practical …
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East Asian tick species turns up on New Jersey sheepMarch 6, 2018A tick native to East Asia—also known as the longhorned, bush, or cattle tick—turned up on a New Jersey sheep with no travel history or nearby domesticated animals, according to a report from National Public Radio. Haemaphysalis longicornis multiplies quickly, feeds on mammalian blood, including humans. In South Korea, it has been linked to the spread of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, described in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report as "a newly emerging infectious disease," NPR reported. H. longicornis can transmit theileriosis to cattle, which can cause blood loss and occasional death of calves; Lyme bacteria, spotted fever group rickettsioses, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Anaplasma bovis have been detected in H. longicornis. SFTS features symptoms of fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and elevated serum enzyme levels, according to the CDC. In August, the sheep's owner noticed that her clothing was covered in ticks—and not the area's native deer ticks. Investigators found hundreds on the sheep and collected nearly 1,000 more from the 1-acre paddock, according to NPR. The tick has previously been found in the U.S. on large animals in quarantine, but this is the first …
Veterinary coalition looks to study access to careMarch 5, 2018The Access to Veterinary Care Coalition (AVCC) and the University of Tennessee Center for Applied Research and Evaluation are looking to the veterinary community to participate in a national study about access to veterinary care affecting more than 25 million pets. "Your participation in this survey will provide a veterinarian's perspective and help with understanding how to best address this crisis," said Michael J. Blackwell, DVM, MPH, coalition chair. The purpose of the study is to identify barriers that families face as well as best practices in delivering veterinary care to underserved pets. Phase One of the study surveyed pet owners across the U.S. in various socio-economic groups. Now the AVCC is surveying veterinarians who work in different settings across the U.S., including for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations. The findings will be published and widely available by the end of 2018 to help guide veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, legislators, community leaders, and others as they seek to improve access to veterinary care for all pets. "Your participation will help ensure a better understanding of this societal problem and encourage evidence-based strategies to save lives," said Dr. Blackwell. To take the survey, which the …
BluePearl addresses shortage of ER clinicians with EmERgeMarch 5, 2018BluePearl Veterinary Partners has launched a new program—EmERge—that provides intensive training, one-on-one mentoring, and three years of employment to aspiring ER clinicians. It's also aimed at developing more ER clinicians, both for BluePearl and the veterinary profession as a whole, said Rita Hanel, DVM, DACVIM-internal medicine, DACVECC, who is BluePearl's vice president for clinical operations and recruiting. EmERge is a program with a three-year commitment open to recent veterinary school graduates, as well as doctors who have worked in general practice or other veterinary fields who want to move into emergency medicine. Participants are paid throughout their training, which works like this: Participants start with an intensive four-week boot camp at BluePearl's Tampa, Fla., hospital. The camp includes classroom instruction and labs, and covers emergency medicine, communication skills, and clinical leadership techniques. In the fifth week, EmERge members are sent to one of BluePearl's more than 65 hospitals throughout the country, where individual mentors provide hands-on training. In the 16th week, participants begin working full-time ER shifts. They continue to meet virtually through web-based seminars and rounds. After the first full year in the program, participants are considered fully trained and are paid …
MightyVet launches veterinary career, well-being support platformMarch 5, 2018 MightyVet today rolled out the first phase of its initiative to promote the education and support of veterinarians, students, vet techs, and other veterinary professionals about the challenges and opportunities faced by those in the veterinary profession. According to the first mental health survey of U.S. veterinarians, one in six veterinarians have considered suicide. Further, study found that the profession has seen a growing trend in the level of veterinary burnout, compassion fatigue, ethics exhaustion, and decreased career satisfaction. To address these trends, the company has gathered resources and experience of passionate veterinarians from frontline practice, specialty and ER, universities, and pet health organizations to provide a resource for real-time sustainable change, according to Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, founder of MightyVet and chief veterinary officer at Trupanion. "MightyVet is an industry-wide movement that offers access to information not otherwise taught as universal core curriculum in veterinary school," said Dr. Weinrauch. "Our profession can be physically and emotionally demanding, and despite the best efforts of so many, nothing has ever truly made a sustained and comprehensive difference. From veterinarian or tech student to retiree, these issues remain and are closer to us than most realize." One …
Experts discuss lone star tick population, associated diseaseMarch 2, 2018Three health professionals in human allergy, parasitology, and entomology brought new perspectives on the lone star tick issue during a panel discussion sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim at VMX: Veterinary Meeting & Expo 2018 in Orlando, Fla. Onyinye Iweala, MD, Ph.D., allergist and immunologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Brian Herrin, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, assistant professor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine; and Thomas Mather, Ph.D., professor of entomology and director of the University of Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center, presented a review of the diseases transmitted by the Lone Star tick and its appearance in different parts of the U.S. "National news coverage has already underscored the presence of the lone star tick in areas of the U.S. and Canada," said Zach Mills, DVM, executive director, U.S. Pet Vet Veterinary Professional Services at Boehringer Ingelheim. "This panel offered a timely discussion for veterinarians on the wide range of diseases this parasite can transmit, including a red meat allergy in humans." Three perspectives on the lone star tick Dr. Herrin led off the session with an overview of the diseases that can be transmitted by the lone star tick emphasizing …
University of Pennsylvania names new dean of veterinary medicineMarch 2, 2018The University of Pennsylvania has announced that Andrew Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, is the next Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoffman currently is director of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory and professor of large animal internal medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. At Tufts, Hoffman's regenerative medicine and stem cell research programs have contributed to both animal and human health. With Tufts he also helped shepherd the first outpatient pulmonary function testing laboratory in the world for equine and canine patients. Hoffman has served as director at Tufts of its Regenerative Medicine Laboratory since 2012. Prior to that, he served as director of the Stem Cell Laboratory. He has led the Tufts Lung Function Laboratory for more than 20 years and also served for five years as director of the Tufts Equine Sports Medicine Program. Hoffman is past president of the Veterinary Comparative Research Society and a member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. His research programs have received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for nearly 20 years, and he has authored more than 100 publications. "Andy's career exemplifies …
Vital Essentials freeze-dried food recalled due to possible Salmonella contaminationMarch 2, 2018Carnivore Meat Co. is voluntarily recalling Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs for possible Salmonella contamination. The affected product was distributed in the continental USA through independent retailers and via online retailers Chewys.com and Amazon.com through direct delivery. Affected products can be identified by comparing the following lot numbers: Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs 1-pound bag Lot #13753 No products other than the specific product identified above are subject to this voluntary recall.
Tripawds Foundation expands veterinary financial aid programsMarch 2, 2018The Tripawds Foundation has announced expansion of its Amputation Surgery Assistance Program (ASAP) veterinary financial aid fund, which aids families in financial need due to the unexpected expense of amputation for their dog or cat. The Tripawds Foundation also provides reimbursement for certified canine rehabilitation services and free pet amputation brochures for clinics to offer their clients facing a limb cancer diagnosis and/or amputation surgery. These materials help save veterinarians time spent answering common questions and provides links to such support resources as the Tripawds Helpline, a toll-free volunteer-staffed emotional support hotline for pet owners coping with amputation recovery and care. At the 90th annual Western Veterinary Conference March 5-7 in Las Vegas, the Tripawds Foundation will be educating attendees about outreach and financial assistance programs just for clients facing amputation for their pets. Tripawds founders Jim Nelson and Rene Agredano will be available for interview during the WVC conference with spokesdog Wyatt, a three-legged German shepherd dog who lost his leg due to neglect as a puppy. Visit them at booth #1032 on the exhibit floor. The Tripawds Foundation is a 501c3 public charity formed in 2014 with the mission to help three-legged pets and …
First veterinary TED Fellow speaks to the plight of an ocean in troubleMarch 1, 2018You don't hear the title conservation medicine veterinarian often. What inspired you to become one, and what did your educational/post-grad path look like? Is this sector lacking in veterinary professionals? My father was an environmentalist, and some of my earliest memories with him were watching David Attenborough and asking questions about nature. I credit my father with inspiring me to love science, wildlife and the environment. My career path trajectory really began after graduating from veterinary school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. I completed an internship in aquatic medicine with the National Marine Mammal Foundation and SeaWorld San Diego, both of which I credit for giving me my foundation in marine mammal medicine. The aquatic medicine sector is a highly specialized one, but one in which there are many nontraditional veterinary careers—researchers, pathologists, and consulting specialists, to name a few. What does it mean to be the first veterinarian to become a TED Fellow? What are your responsibilities and obligations? It's absolutely a dream come true, and I'm honored to be selected in a field with so many talented and qualified individuals. I'm currently preparing my talk for TED2018, which will involve the intersection of marine mammal …
