Disney Veterinary Team Saves Taveta Golden WeaverOctober 14, 2015About two weeks ago, a Taveta golden weaver chick was attacked by a Hamerkop in the middle of the night as he attempted to fly. Both birds reside inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The 15-gram chick was found in critical condition in its aviary along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail at the resort, Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment, Disney Parks, wrote in a Disney Parks Blog Wildlife Wednesday post. A keeper brought the injured bird to the veterinary hospital located at the resort. The veterinary team that examined him discovered the Taveta golden weaver had suffered damage to his trachea and was having trouble breathing. Natalie Mylniczenko, MS, DVM, DACZM, said of the bird, “His trachea had basically started closing in on itself from all the inflammation so he couldn’t breathe. The advantage of birds is that they also have air sacs in their body which help with flight, but are also an integral part of their respiratory system.” With that knowledge, Dr. Mylniczenko and her veterinary team (which included keepers) acted quickly, realizing the best way to save the bird’s life was to insert a …
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Vet Speakers Group Is Work in ProgressOctober 13, 2015Thirteen veterinarians with expertise in areas ranging from anesthesia to surgery are teaming up to share their knowledge with fellow practitioners. A new group called the Veterinary Association of Progressive Speakers, or VAPS, will hold its first seminar Feb. 20 and 21 in Atlanta and has tentatively scheduled a second meeting for April in Chicago. VAPS was co-founded by pet obesity expert Ernie Ward, DVM, and pharmacology and nutraceuticals authority Lester Mandelker, DVM, Dipl. ABVP. “While our lectures may not have the razzle-dazzle of the big national meetings, we believe one can learn a lot more intense, up-to-date practical information from our forthcoming lectures, including direct interactions with our speakers,” Dr. Mandelker said. Attendees at the Atlanta meeting should be able to earn continuing education hours, Mandelker said. The seminar will take place at the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel and Conference Center. “We will have all our seminars certified for CE credit and even offer state pharmacy law requirement courses,” he said. Vic Cook, director of program operations and strategic initiatives at the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, wasn’t aware of VAPS but said the classes could be …
Banfield Owner to Buy BluePearl ChainOctober 13, 2015Mars Petcare, which owns Banfield Pet Hospital and food brands such as Royal Canin and Iams, has agreed to purchase the BluePearl Veterinary Partners chain for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals but is expected to close by year’s end, the companies announced Friday. BluePearl, based in Tampa, Fla., operates 54 specialty and emergency care hospitals in 17 states. “This agreement is a natural fit for us,” said Darryl Shaw, BluePearl’s CEO and co-founder. “Mars is an iconic, family-owned organization with a very significant commitment to pets. Once completed, this exciting development will enable us to make key investments in our people, facilities, systems and infrastructure, allowing us to continue to grow and drive up standards of veterinary care.” The BluePearl leadership team will remain in place, spokeswoman Carrie O’Brion said. BluePearl will operate independently from Mars and the more than 900 Banfield veterinary hospitals, O’Brion said. As it does now, BluePearl may get referral cases from Banfield veterinarians, she added. The purchase fills a hole in Mars’ pet business. …
UW Blood Donor Dog RetiresOctober 13, 2015Rueben, an 8-year-old Labrador retriever, has retired after donating 37.6 pints of blood to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Care blood bank over the course of four and a half years. “When you take his size into account, about half that of your average person, that’s the human equivalent of about nine gallons,” said Julie Walker, DVM, clinical assistant professor of critical and emergency care. Reuben and his owners, Dawn and A.J. Brauner of Portage, Wis., have made the trip to UW Veterinary Care at least 40 times for donations, according to the UW’s School of Veterinary Medicine. That adds up to a lot of time since donor animals need to spend the day at the hospital. However, as the school noted, there are many benefits to being a donor, such as free food, preventative medications, routine vaccines, health examinations, heartworm testing and dental scaling and polishing. The blood bank is always looking for new donors. For details, visit the website here.
Skewer-Gobbling Boxer Wins Hambone AwardOctober 9, 2015Curtis made a wooden barbecue skewer disappear, but he couldn’t keep it hidden forever. The Princeton, W.Va., boxer on Wednesday was named the 2015 Hambone Award winner, an honor bestowed by Nationwide pet insurance on the animal with the most unusual insurance claim. Curtis’ story began when he snatched a chicken and beef shish kabob off a kitchen counter. “I saw him grab it and chased him outside,” owner Valerie Mould said. “When I caught up to him, I yelled for him to drop it and grabbed the end sticking out of his mouth, but the skewer snapped right as I got my hands on it and Curtis swallowed it in one bite.” Thinking the skewer would break down naturally, a veterinarian advised Moulds to monitor Curtis. When he started vomiting the next day, Curtis was rushed to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., where ultrasound and endoscopic examinations revealed nothing, leaving the experts to assume the wooden skewer had dissolved. Curtis resumed acting like Curtis, but months later he stopped playing and his appetite declined. Visits to his local veterinarian …
Onsior Now Comes in Injection FormOctober 9, 2015Elanco Animal Health has released an injectable formulation of Onsior for pain management in cats. Onsior (robenacoxib) tablets were launched in 2012 under Novartis Animal Health, which Elanco acquired earlier this year. The two formulations may be used interchangeably, Elanco reported this week. Onsior injection is indicated for 24-hour control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with orthopedic surgery, ovariohysterectomy and castration. The drug may be used in cats at least 4 months old and weighing at least 5.5 pounds. Onsior injection “provides veterinarians with the flexibility to choose the administration formulation and corresponding labeled dose that best fit within their surgical protocols,” the Greenfield, Ind., company stated.
University of Florida Launches Equine Online CourseOctober 9, 2015The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has launched an online, undergraduate equine course. It will include everything from common health issues and anatomy to history of the species and an understanding of equine-related business and research. “Because it’s online, we are able to offer this course to students at universities where they might not have a strong equine sciences department,” said Patrick Larkin, Ph.D., an adjunct lecturer in the college’s department of large animal clinical sciences who serves as course coordinator. “It’s also good exposure for students to decide whether or not they want to go into this field.” The course is aimed at sophomore or higher-level students and features pre-recorded lectures. Students must log in to the course website to watch lectures and complete assignments and may post questions in a discussion forum, Larkin said. About 30 students from across the country and the world are enrolled in the course this semester, according to the university. “This class offers students who are interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or
Purdue to Begin Testing Phase for Dog-Breeding StandardsOctober 8, 2015Purdue University reported that it will begin the pilot testing phase for its recently completed dog-breeding standards by the end of the year. The goal of the research is to provide breeders with uniform standards for care and wellbeing in all states to ensure the quality of life that dogs deserve, according to lead researcher Candace Croney, head of Purdue’s Center for Animal Welfare Science. The center is jointly supported by the Purdue Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture. The wellbeing of the dogs will be evaluated before and after the breeders implement the standards. The draft standards take in all areas of health and wellbeing and address the needs of adult dogs, juvenile dogs and puppies, including dogs’ access to food, water and shelter; availability of veterinary and preventative health care; behavioral wellness; and genetic selection. The research also is addressing ethical issues such as the end of breeding careers and rehoming of animals. “All animal care policies must be grounded in science as well as ethics and social responsibility,” Croney said, who …
High School Students to Get Hands-On Veterinary ExperienceOctober 7, 2015Teenagers who’ve decided they might want to become a veterinarian don’t usually have much opportunity in high school to pursue that desire — or to find out if veterinary medicine is really the avenue for them. Kingsway High School in New Jersey is looking to change that. The school has partnered with Swedesboro Animal Hospital and Saint Francis Medical Center to give aspiring veterinarians the hands-on experience in animal science they might not get otherwise … or at least not until they’re in college. The partnership, according to nj.com, will consist of two phases. The first phase of the program will give students “the ability to participate in a veterinary science practicum where a Kingsway teacher and a veterinary professional will provide instruction and practical coursework, including on-site experience at the hospitals,” nj.com reports. Phase two will be a little more selective, only allowing a few chosen students to participate in a veterinary science fellowship and scholarship program. During this phase, students will obtain at least 250 clinic hours, including experience in cardiology, critical care, emergency, internal medicine, …
Avian Veterinarian Nominated for Local TV Station's "Pay it Forward" AwardOctober 6, 2015 Julie Burge, DVM, recently received a $300 cash prize after a local pet owner nominated her for Kansas City's FOX 4's "Pay It Forward" award. Carl Bryant, the pet owner who nominated her, did so because of Burge's dedication to birds. "She goes out in situations and bird mills, just like puppy mills, she's called in to go in and basically rescue birds," Bryant told Fox 4. Fox 4 asks its readers to nominate people for their "Pay It Forward" award. The purpose of the award is to "show us what happens when someone you don’t expect steps up at just the right time to make someone else’s life a little easier." The chosen nominee gets $300. Burge is an avian veterinarian, and runs Burge Bird Rescue, along with the Burge Bird Services veterinary hospital. The avian-only veterinary practice was open in 1990, and offers a number of services, including grooming to complex medical and surgical case management. Why did Burge start rescuing birds on top of treating them? In a BirdChannel article titled "
