Advocacy Group Challenges EPA Over Flea Collar ChemicalsMay 13, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Senior scientists from the advocacy group say the chemicals found in flea collars are dangerous to children. The chemicals tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) and propoxur are used in some dog and cat flea collars, and the Natural Resources Defense Council wants the chemicals eradicated from the pet industry. To that end, it sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 6 in an attempt to force a decision. Manufacturers Hartz Mountain Corp., Sergeant's Pet Care Products Inc. and Wellmark International defended the formulation of their flea collars. "We have provided all of the relevant data to the EPA to support the safe use of our products," a Hartz representative stated. Dr. Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, called the two neurotoxic pesticides particularly dangerous to children and cited scientific literature that linked the chemicals to neurodevelopment problems. The chemicals may be transferred when a child touches a collar and then puts her hand in her …
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Women's Veterinary Leadership Group Starts Student ChaptersMay 13, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. A fledgling group striving to boost the number of female leaders in the veterinary profession has launched its first three student chapters at Cornell University, Texas A&M University and the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. The parent organization is the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI), which Karen Bradley, DVM, of Onion River Animal Hospital in Middlesex, Vt., created in July 2013. "The purpose of the student chapters mirrors that of the WVLDI: to support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity," said Cassandra Tansey, a Texas A&M student representative. "These determined and talented young women are exactly who we need in private practices, in local and state VMAs, and in veterinary colleges, shaping and expanding the future of veterinary medicine." Cornell WVLDI student chapter officers are, from left, Michelle Forella, vice president; Jordan Daniels, president; Katherine Schuhmacher, secretary; Yuan Kang, treasurer; and Becky Donnelly, historian. The chapters bubbled up after a March symposium organized by the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA). "From my …
Trupanion Adds Rare Procedures To Standard Pet Insurance PolicyMay 12, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Trupanion, one of the nation's largest pet health insurance companies, has expanded its core policy to cover less common veterinary services such as bone marrow transplants, stem cell therapy and herbal therapy. Policyholders are entitled to 10 newly covered treatments as well as to wider coverage for conditions commonly seen in nonsterilized pets. Colloidal silver injections and platelet-rich plasma are among the treatments now offered to all Trupanion clients. "In order to provide value to all pet owners in all markets, as procedures, treatments and diagnostics become more mainstream and available to all policyholders to use, we add them to [the] core policy," said Kerri Marshall, DVM, the Seattle company's chief veterinary officer. The enhanced coverage, announced Thursday, is available throughout Canada and in most states, though regulatory approval is pending in some locations. Besides bone marrow, stem cell and herbal treatments, the 10 new covered services include colloidal silver injections, gold seed therapy, kidney transplants, platelet-rich plasma, polyethylene medication, shockwave therapy and hyperbaric oxygen. All 10 previously were available in a policy add-on.
Rural Vet Reflects On CareerMay 12, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Marv Maul, a former rural veterinarian, jokingly considers himself "a member of the exclusive veterinary society called the Order of the Green Armpit," according to The Gazette. In other words, he's had his arm so far up a cow's rectum that he was able to feel its uterus to determine if it were pregnant. A right-handed man, this was something he always did left-handed. That, and throw a Frisbee. THINKSTOCK Maul grew up around animals on his family's ranch in Kiowa, Colorado. The cattle ranch, started in the 1870s in Elbert County by Maul's great-grandfather, is still family-run. Farming was a big part of living at the Maul ranch, since they grew corn silage and alfalfa hay to feed their cattle. Maul and his three older brothers spent a lot of their childhood doing hard work, but they were also happy. Since his father did not believe in the newer farm machinery, Maul collected hay using a horse-drawn sulky rake. Dangers presented themselves often in such a life, such as an accident with a …
Vet Students Work At Pet Day At Oregon State UniversityMay 9, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, in Corvallis, Oregon, held its 27th Annual Pet Day earlier this month. First- and second-year veterinary students of the university create, organize and staff the event every year, in an effort to carry on the college's public service legacy as well as give back to the community. This year, Magruder Hall, the grounds where the College of Veterinary Medicine is located, was lively with four-legged visitors and their two-legged counterparts. Canines and humans of various ages gathered to participate in the festivities. There were 59 nonprofit and commercial booths. Visitors could research veterinarians, find a new kennel, gather information on animal health and wellness and nutrition or even get their dogs' nails trimmed. In less than an hour, the students had trimmed 10 dogs' nails and more were waiting in line. Molly, a Rottweiler-mix, was one. Her owner, Nikki Means, knew Molly did not like pedicures. "She's going to go crazy and make a lot of noise," she warned the students manning the booth, according to Corvallis Gazette-Times. Possibly …
Veterinary Oncologist Says Career Saved Her LifeMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVS treats cancer in dogs and cats, so when she felt a mass in her neck during her nighttime moisturizing routine, she knew what it could mean. As it turned out, she had thyroid cancer. Dr. Boston, who is an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, began writing about her diagnosis and what she was going through via email in an effort to keep her friends updated. Photo credit Dr. Sarah Boston In time, those emails became lengthier, reading more like essays than updates. She soon had over 300,000 words written, some of which she read at a veterinary cancer center event in Canada. Her words got the attention of Noah Richler, a writer who connected her with Canadian Publisher, Anansi Press. At the request of her editor, Boston incorporated her life as a veterinary surgical oncologist into her book. She soon realized that her career was influencing her experience with cancer. Boston began comparing cancer treatment for animals with cancer treatment for humans, concluding that …
Free Eye Exams Offered For Service DogsMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. On May 12, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Purdue University is offering free eye exams to qualified service dogs. The ophthamology service department of the Lafayette, Indiana, teaching hospital believes that detecting issues and beginning treatment early are of upmost importance to service animals. How well they serve their human companions is largely based on the dogs' health. "Our hope is that by checking their vision early and often, we will be able to help a large number of service animals better assist their human companions," said assistant professor of veterinary ophthamology, Wendy Townsend, according to Purdue News. To qualify for the free exam, dogs must be certified service dogs, enrolled in a training program or actively working. Eligible working dogs include search and rescue and drug detection dogs used by fire and police departments, assistance dogs for individuals with a disability other than blindness, hearing dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs. The free eye exams for eligible service dogs are offered as part of the American College of Veterinary Ophthamologists (ACVO)/Strokes Rx National Service …
Affordable Veterinary Clinic Opens In DelawareMay 8, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Low-income pet owners in Delaware now have access to vet services, due to the Faithful Friends Animal Society and its new Affordable Veterinary Clinic near Elsmere. Faithful Friends Animal Society, supported by various donors, developed the Affordable Veterinary Clinic near Elsmere, Delaware, to keep beloved pets healthy and with their families, even during economic crisis. While the clinic is not a replacement for specialty or emergency facilities, it does provide exams (sick pet and wellness), spay and neuter services, medications, tooth extractions and dental cleanings, and various small surgeries (non-emergency). Organizations specializing in animal rescue may also utilize these services. Three part-time veterinarians staff the clinic, including Dr. Paul McGough. "There are a lot of people who can't afford to do procedures for their pets, especially if they are advanced procedures. All three of us have backgrounds in emergency care and have worked in specialty clinics, so we are up-to-date on pain management and the anesthesia protocols that we use. People don't have to worry that they are compromising their pets by coming to this clinic," he said, according to
Some Infectious Diseases Hitting Cats, Dogs HarderMay 8, 2014Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Kentucky each earned the unenviable distinction of possessing the highest rate of infection for one of three common pet diseases, a Banfield Pet Hospital study revealed Tuesday. Nationwide, the three ailments appear to be rampant. The prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), canine Lyme disease and feline upper respiratory infection (URI) jumped by 48, 21 and 18 percent, respectively, over a five-year period. The study, summarized in the State of Pet Health 2014 Report, looked at what Banfield veterinarians found during examinations of 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats in 2013. The Portland, Ore., chain operates more than 850 hospitals in 43 states. The study lacked data for the seven states where Banfield is absent: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. "This year's report features an exclusive look at the infectious and emerging diseases affecting the overall health of our pet population," said Sandi Lefebvre, DVM, Ph.D., a Banfield epidemiologist and senior research manager. Here are highlights from the State of Pet Health 2014 Report: FIV Oklahoma cats were at the highest risk of contracting feline immunodeficiency virus in 2013, …
3 Veterinarians Named Congressional AdvisersMay 7, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The American Veterinary Medical Association has chosen two new graduates and a longtime veterinarian to serve as scientific advisers to Congress on animal and public health policy. From top, Drs. Elise Ackley, Chase Crawford and Carolyn La Jeunesse. Serving in the 2014-15 AVMA Congressional Fellowship Program are Elise Ackley, DVM, of Shreveport, La.; Chase Crawford, DVM, of Houston; and Carolyn La Jeunesse, DVM, CT, CCFE, of Port Orchard, Wash. Mark Lutschaunig, DVM, director of the AVMA's Governmental Relations Division, called the program "a unique way for veterinarians at all stages in their careers to learn about the legislative process and take part firsthand in developing public policies that will have a national and global impact." "Not only will Drs. Ackley, Crawford and La Jeunesse serve their country by providing advice on a wide range of pressing scientific, national issues, but they will also be able to network with officials in all branches of the federal government, which will hopefully open up new career opportunities for them," Dr. Lutschaunig added. Dr. Ackley, a 2014 …
