Holding On To What Makes You Happy As A VeterinarianAugust 2, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. I’m guessing that when you realized you wanted to be a veterinarian, it wasn’t because you were super excited about doing paperwork or thinking only about the science side of it. When was the last time you took a step back from your day-to-day veterinary life, away from your clients and patients and even from your staff and practice and reflected on why you became a veterinarian or why the job makes you happy? The Society for Veterinary Medicine and Literature wants you to remember the reason, as well as help veterinary students hold on to that reason. “Literature can help them retain their sense of joy about becoming/being a veterinarian,” Dean Elizabeth Stone, DVM, MS, MPP of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College said, according to The New York Times. According to their website, “The Society promotes the reading and discussion of literary works to explore important issues in veterinary medicine—and for the intrinsic pleasure and value of reading and discussing good literature, a way of renewing one's joy in being a veterinarian and …
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Vet Schools Debut In Arizona, TennesseeAugust 1, 2014Amid the debate over whether veterinary school graduates can afford mortgage-sized tuition debt and whether the United States has too many practitioners comes Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., who sees a reason to produce more veterinarians. “I know the world says, ‘Hey, vets don’t get paid enough’ and ‘Vet school is expensive,’ but I also know that the desire to be a vet is very strong in many people,” Goeppinger said. The president and CEO of Midwestern University this month opens the nation’s 29th veterinary college, while 1,620 miles to the east in Harrogate, Tenn., Lincoln Memorial University launches No. 30. The two newest veterinary colleges — each eligible for provisional accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education — will add a combined 197 first-year students to the national rolls. Last year, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges counted 2,981 first-year students among the 11,474 DVM students enrolled at 28 schools on U.S. soil. Lincoln Memorial, a private liberal arts college set in the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Tennessee, offers master’s programs in nursing and physician assistance and awards a doctoral degree in osteopathic medicine. Midwestern, which despite its name sits on the sun-baked desert floor of …
Liposuction For Pets: Procedure Becoming Increasingly PopularJuly 31, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Our society is a bit obsessed with appearance. Countless ads pop up on radio, television and in magazines promoting breast augmentations, anti-aging creams and countless ways to lose weight (through exercise, weight-loss programs, special diets, medications and surgeries). One such option is liposuction. The ad may show a woman with a not-so-flat belly next to a picture of one with a toned stomach, telling people that liposuction was the answer. So when I saw in the news that liposuction was now available for pets, I thought our society had gone too far. But, like everything else, you have to read the fine print. Although referred to as liposuction, when the procedure is performed on pets it is not cosmetic (even if your client’s pet is hoping for a svelte figure). It’s actually used to improve the health of the pet. The non-invasive procedure removes the fat from lipomas in overweight and senior dogs. If gone untreated, they can grow quite large and impede the dog’s movement. “They can be really big,” Rebecca Pentecost, DVM, told Fox 8 Cleveland. …
MSU Vet Inducted Into AOSSM Hall of FameJuly 31, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @VetPetNews. Steven Arnoczky, DVM, was inducted into the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Hall of Fame at its annual meeting in Seattle on July 11. Dr. Arnoczky is a sports medicine researcher from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has conducted basic science orthopaedic research for 40 years. Only the second non-physician to receive this honor, Arnoczky is being recognized for basic science contributions to the advancement of ligament reconstruction of the knee and meniscal repair and replacement. “This extraordinary honor for Dr. Arnoczky reflects the human medical community’s recognition of his contributions to orthopaedic medicine,” said John Baker, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “It speaks to his accomplishments in basic science and comparative research, and his contributions reflect well on the college’s leadership in the comparative medicine philosophy.” The AOSSM established the Hall of Fame in 2001 to honor members of the orthopaedic sports medicine community who have made original and significant contributions to the specialty. Induction is the highest honor given to a society member. There are currently 58 members from 11 countries …
Pre-Veterinary Program Launches At Centenary CollegeJuly 30, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Beginning fall of 2015, Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey will offer a pre-veterinary track degree: Bachelor of Science in Equine Science. “This is a wonderful opportunity for those who are interested in the field of veterinary medicine, as well as the science-associated careers within the industry,” Michael Fugaro, VDM, Dipl. ACVS and Professor of Equine Studies said, according to NJ.com. Designed for highly motivated students by the Equine Studies and Mathematics & Natural Sciences departments, the four-year program will consist of 20-credit course loads per semester. The program is for academically-minded students pursuing careers in veterinary medicine and other animal science fields. Those fields include physiology, biomedical research, nutrition, pharmaceuticals and technology. Students in this program will receive career development advisement from experts in the field, and will also be encouraged to participate in experiential learning and internships. They will receive skills training in the areas of pro-activeness, professional networking, handling stress and time management through the pre-professionals organization. The organization will also help students with graduate school options and applications. To learn more about Centenary College’s pre-veterinary degree, …
Avivagen Explores Possible Breakthrough in Female SterilizationJuly 30, 2014 A Canadian animal health company wants to do for female dogs and cats what Ark Sciences Inc. is doing for male dogs. Ark Sciences this year began shipping to veterinarians an FDA-approved nonsurgical sterilization drug, Zeuterin Injectable Solution, that is formulated to permanently cease canine sperm production. Seizing an opportunity on the female side, Avivagen Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, is partnering with University of Saskatchewan veterinarian Duncan Hockley, DVM, who invented what the company calls a drug-based alternative to surgical spaying. The agreement puts Avivagen first in line for an exclusive license to a technology designed for the permanent sterilization of female mammals, starting with dogs and cats and potentially extending to livestock, wild animals and even humans. The technology, which for now goes by the name “Sterilis Project,” is a long way from hitting the veterinary market. Avivagen hopes to finish proof-of-concept work by year’s end and at some point launch trial studies. “We estimate that a nonresource-constrained project could attain registration in about five years, absent technical hurdles and delays in reviews,” said Avivagen’s CEO and president, Cameron Groome. How the “Sterilis Project” drug would work on females is …
NAVTA Co-Sponsors Heartworm CE Course, Vet Tech ContestJuly 30, 2014 The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) is partnering with Merial Ltd. on a client education campaign and with Pets Best Insurance Services on a nationwide contest. The Merial partnership involves a continuing education course designed to teach veterinary technicians to have effective conversations with pet owners about the importance of year-round heartworm disease prevention. “Empowering veterinary technicians with the tools and knowledge needed to offer sound advice is paramount to Merial’s commitment to pet health,” said Sarah Cloud, a marketing director with the Duluth, Ga., drug maker, which produces the heartworm preventive Heartgard Plus. “With NAVTA’s approval, Merial is now able to offer this course to all veterinary technicians.” The free online course, available at JoinPowerOf12.com/education, is RACE approved for one continuing education credit. The material also addresses misconceptions and miscommunication. “This course provides simple tips on how to make that conversation more constructive and truly showcase the need that year-round protection serves,” said Julie Legred, CVT, NAVTA’s executive director. Also announced July 25 was the “Why I Love Being a Vet Tech” contest, which asks veterinary technicians to write a short essay explaining how they …
Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter School ExpandsJuly 30, 2014 A clinic designed to teach spay and neuter procedures to hundreds of veterinarians and fourth-year veterinary students each year opened Tuesday in Asheville, N.C. The Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Training Center, which was funded through a $1.5 million grant from PetSmart Charities, features six surgical bays and enough kennels to accommodate 140 feline and canine patients. The host, Humane Alliance, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching high-volume, low-cost sterilization techniques. “The support of PetSmart Charities allows us to increase the number of veterinarians who will take back new skills to their community to save more pets and make an impact nationwide,” said Quita Mazzina, executive director of Humane Alliance. The 12,400-square-foot training center includes office space for 16 staff members. A separate, 2,200-square-foot dormitory houses up to 20 students. PetSmart Charities, the charitable arm of the Phoenix-based PetSmart chain, has given more than $4.5 million to Humane Alliance since 2010. “When organizations come together and collaborate as we’ve done with Humane Alliance, the results can be transformational,” said Julie White, the charity’s senior director of programs, grants and field initiatives. Humane Alliance has helped create a network of 137 low-cost
3-Year Nonadjuvanted Rabies Vaccine Available for CatsJuly 29, 2014 Merial Ltd. has released what the Duluth, Ga., drug maker is calling the world’s first nonadjuvanted feline rabies vaccine with a three-year lifespan. Other three-year rabies vaccines are made with an adjuvant that increases a cat’s immune response but that has been blamed for causing vaccine-related fibrosarcoma, a rare disease. The new vaccine is part of the PureVax family, which includes a one-year nonadjuvanted rabies vaccine. “The recombinant technology that has also been used to produce other vaccines such as the one-year PureVax rabies … allows the development of effective vaccines for feline viral diseases without the need for adjuvants,” said Leigh O’Mara, Ph.D., PMP, an associate director of technical marketing for Merial. The three-year duration of immunity makes the vaccine a good choice for cat owners who don’t schedule regular veterinary checkups, Merial stated. “Veterinarians now no longer have to choose between a multiyear adjuvanted rabies vaccine and an annual nonadjuvanted rabies vaccine for clients who do not reliably return to the clinic annually,” the company reported Monday. PureVax Feline Rabies is recommended for healthy cats 12 weeks or older. A one-year booster vaccination is required after the initial shot. Rabies …
Voting Opens for ‘America’s Favorite Veterinarian’July 29, 2014 Public voting will run through Sept. 1 in the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s “America’s Favorite Veterinarian” contest. Twenty veterinarians are finalists for the award, which carries a $500 prize and a trip to the 2015 American Veterinary Medical Association convention in Boston. The voting is a new component of the contest. The inaugural winner, Carlos Campos, DVM, of San Francis Veterinary Hospital in Spring Hill, Fla., was selected outright last year from among more than 1,000 nominees. The new format enlisted a committee of judges to choose 20 finalists out of more than 700 nominations. Individuals nominated veterinarians online and included a brief essay explaining why the person was deserving of the honor. The judges read the essays and took into account the nominee’s community involvement, ethical behavior, passion for veterinary medicine and connections to animals and their owners. “Each of these 20 finalists are examples of the pivotal roles veterinarians lead as medical professionals in research labs, in public health and agriculture, and in government services and academia,” said Michael Cathey, the foundation’s executive director. The 2013 contest was rewarding in many ways for Dr. Campos. “The hospital grew from …
