Survey: Most Practices Solicit Pet Owner InputDecember 11, 2014Nearly three in every four veterinary practices request client feedback through surveys, but whether the comments are helpful is another matter. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) of Alachua, Fla., reported Tuesday that a survey of its own members found that 72 percent issued client questionnaires and that more than half of them did so after an office visit. Among the reasons 28 percent of practices refrained from putting out surveys were low response rates during previous efforts or not enough time, money or resources. Some of the survey-free practices justified their decision by noting that the request for input puts pressure on a client or can present the image that the clinic is trying to fix something. VHMA urged that hospitals invite feedback from clients. “When clients are dissatisfied, they register their complaints with their wallets, which can have a devastating effect on a practice’s bottom line,” the organization stated. The 272 VHMA members who returned their surveys noted that not all client feedback was valuable. Twelve percent of those that use surveys said the results were insufficient to effect meaningful change, and 5 percent said the responses were often too rosy and therefore not very helpful. The other 83 …
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Tufts Vet School Launches Master’s Program in Infectious DiseaseDecember 11, 2014Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has created a 12-month Master’s Program in Infectious Disease and Global Health. The program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to pursue careers in infectious disease as well as related areas of disease management, transmission, prevention, treatment and control. Students may also choose the program as a means to make them more competitive for doctoral level programs such as a DVM or Ph.D., according to the school. The creation of the program stems from a critical need, according to Saul Tzipori, DVM, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health. “The future will likely witness more frequent emergent diseases with increased virulence than in the past,” Dr. Tzipori said. “Many human, biological, environmental and climatic factors contribute to this phenomenon, including the exponential growth in human and domestic animal populations along with shrinking wildlife habitats. Infectious diseases will be, therefore, an increasing scientific and global public health concern with significant economic consequences.” The program’s coursework will examine the natural history of infectious agents and the diseases they cause, as well as aspects of detection, pathogenesis, transmission, prevention, control, treatment, ecology, immunology, vaccinology and animal models. Among infectious …
Cornell Satellite Animal Hospital Receives Level 1 CertificationDecember 9, 2014Cornell University Veterinary Specialists (CUVS) has received Level 1 certification from the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. The certification distinguishes CUVS as a facility at the highest level of veterinary trauma, emergency and critical care. A Level 1 Emergency and Critical Care facility is a 24-hour acute care facility with the resources and specialty training necessary to provide sophisticated emergency and ICU patient care. Such certification identifies those hospitals that meet certain standards and guidelines. “[The certification] is a terrific step forward for the specialty,” said Susan Hackner, BVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, chief medical officer and chief operating officer of CUVS. “It creates a set of standards to which facilities can aspire and work toward; and it enables pet owners to make educated decisions about their pet’s care, especially in emergent and critical situations in which these decisions can have significant impact.” CUVS was established in 2011 in Stamford, Conn. It is wholly owned by Cornell University and under the direction of the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
AVMA Warns Days Numbered for Soring BillDecember 5, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association is urgently asking veterinarians, veterinary students and horse lovers to contact their congressmen in support of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, a piece of legislation that will die if the 113th Congress doesn’t act by Dec. 12. The PAST Act has been stuck in a House subcommittee because of the reluctance of some legislators to bring the measure to the floor for a vote. The 113th Congress will end its term Dec. 12, spelling the end for all proposed laws not acted upon and forcing PAST supporters to start from scratch with the new Congress. The soring bill, sponsored by Kentucky Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield, has 307 co-sponsors in the House. The PAST Act would crack down on the deliberate infliction of pain in performance horses to produce a high-stepping, unnatural gait. Specifically, the bill would: Make the actual act of soring illegal. Increase civil and criminal penalties for violations. Prohibit the use of action devices such as boots, collars, chains and rollers that encircle or are placed upon a horse’s leg. Protective and therapeutic devices would be permitted. Overhaul the federal enforcement system to remove what AVMA calls “inherent conflicts of interest” …
AVMA to Weigh Spay/Neuter Policy ChangeDecember 5, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association board of directors is recommending that practitioners who participate in spay/neuter clinics follow the standards of care outlined by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. The idea is among six new resolutions that the AVMA House of Delegates may vote on in January during the governing body’s regular winter session in Chicago. The spay/neuter proposal, Resolution 3, would clarify the current policy, which advises veterinarians working at spay/neuter clinics to abide by the AVMA’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics. The possible move to Association of Shelter Veterinarians medical care guidelines would keep veterinarians up to date with current standards of practice, the board of directors noted. “Because of a wide range of geographic and demographic needs, a variety of programs have been developed to increase delivery of spay/neuter services to targeted populations of animals,” the revised policy reads in part. “These include stationary and mobile clinics, MASH-style operations, shelter services, feral cat programs and services provided through private practitioners. “These services should conform to current standards of practice as described by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ veterinary medical care guidelines for spay/neuter programs.” Among other proposals scheduled for consideration in January are: Resolution 1: …
Penn Vet Seeks Volunteer Foal SittersDecember 4, 2014The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is recruiting volunteers to assist veterinarians and staff in its New Bolton Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) during the foaling season. Registration begins in December with an orientation following in January. The volunteer shifts start in February and go through June. The New Bolton Center enlists more than 90 foal sitters each year, about half of them returning volunteers, according to the school. Foal sitters include local horse owners and enthusiasts as well as university and high school students. Second-year Penn Vet students also foal sit for five shifts of six hours each as part of an elective course. “The foal sitters are very important,” said Jon Palmer, VMD, chief of New Bolton Center’s NICU and director of perinatal/neonatal programs. “To deliver the level of intensive care that we do, we need help. Foal sitters are vital to our operation.” Foal sitter duties include holding foals upright when they are lying down, assisting staff as they stand and turn foals, milking mares and storing the milk, monitoring equipment for alarms, changing bedding, restocking treatment areas and cleaning equipment and hospital areas. To register, email foalsitters@nicuvet.com.
Santa Paws Photo Event to Support LSU’s Vet Pathologist ClubDecember 2, 2014The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine will host its annual Santa Paws photo event on Sat., Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pets—and their families—can have their picture taken with Santa Paws. The event is sponsored by the Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and will fund the club’s programs. Michael Hilferty of LA Outdoor Vet Nature and Landscape Photography will take the photos. Fees for the shoot itself are $10 with an LSU faculty, staff or student ID, or $15 without an LSU ID. For details, call 225-578-9900.
Cornell’s Farrier Conference Celebrates 30 YearsNovember 27, 2014About 75 veterinarians and farriers attended the first day of the Cornell Farrier Conference at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the start of the conference, which ran Nov. 8-9. Several lectures were presented during the conference, including “How Material Moves” and “Farrier Tool Use and Maintenance” by Roy Bloom of Drummond, Wis. Dave Farley of Coshocton, Ohio, and Wellington, Fla., also delivered two presentations, giving his insights on shoeing the sport horse. In addition, the conference featured an exhibitor area for a variety of footcare manufacturers and suppliers. These included Delta Mustad Hoofcare Center, Farrier Product Distribution, Vettec, Soundhorse Technologies, Grand Circuit, Life Data Labs, Well Shod, Across the Anvil East, Montague Blacksmith Supply, BillThis and Stonewell Bodies. Steve Kraus, head instructor of Cornell’s farrier school, gave a presentation showing the milestones and historic pictures over the 100 years of the farrier school’s history. Cornell is the oldest farrier school in the United States, according to the university.
Tennessee Vet School to Host Pet Memorial CelebrationNovember 26, 2014The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Social Work will host its winter Pet Memorial Celebration on Friday, Dec. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, seeks to help pet owners celebrate the lives of their companion animals, both living and dead. The opportunity to gather with others who have also experienced the loss of an animal can be therapeutic, said Sarina Manifold, the staff social worker at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. The event is an opportunity to find new ways to memorialize their pets, she added. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of photos of their pet that can be used in a memorial art project. People are also invited to bring a human-friendly food item to share that reminds them of their animal. The event will be held at the UT Veterinary Medical Center on the UT agricultural campus. Reservations are required by Dec. 3: 865-755-8839. Check out images from the past Pet Memorial Celebrations, courtesy UT College of Veterinary Medicine. brightcove.createExperiences();
Virginia-Maryland’s Vet College Welcomes New Clinical InstructorNovember 25, 2014Marcos Santos, DVM, has joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech as a clinical instructor of large animal surgery in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. In this role, Dr. Santos will train and supervise residents, interns and veterinary students in large animal surgery through lectures and student teaching laboratories. Santos was previously at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he completed an equine surgery internship and residency. Prior, Santos completed equine surgery internships at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., and The Equine Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
