UC Davis Veterinarian Wins National Teaching AwardMarch 19, 2014 A UC Davis professor described as having a passion for teaching and a creative approach to instruction will receive the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ 2013 Distinguished Teacher Award, the organization reported Wednesday. Matthew Mellema, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVECC, an assistant professor of emergency and critical care at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, will be presented with the award March 14 during the AAVMC’s annual conference in Alexandria, Va. The award, sponsored by drug maker Zoetis Inc., recognizes excellence in professional veterinary medical education. The honor is more than 50 years old. "Dr. Mellema exemplifies the qualities we seek in an honoree,” said AAVMC President Kent Hoblet, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM, the dean at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "Students and colleagues alike applaud his dedication and passion for education. Teaching is his priority, and his emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving and self-directed learning maximizes students’ chances for lifelong success.” Four of Mellema’s students added their voices to his nomination. "As a mentor, Dr. Mellema has been truly invaluable in shaping the careers of veterinary students,” they wrote. …
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Buyers of Innovative Dog Product to Get LifeLearn AccessMarch 19, 2014 LifeLearn, a Canadian company that generates educational resources for veterinarians and other medical professionals, has attached its name to a new pet product that drew raves at the Consumer Electronics Show. The gadget, called Voyce, is a computerized collar designed to monitor a dog’s vital signs, such as heart and respiratory rates, and track activity, rest time and calories burned. The partnership between LifeLearn and Voyce’s manufacturer, i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va., calls on the Canadian company to grant exclusive educational information to Voyce subscribers. Customers may access thousands of articles written by veterinarians, board-certified specialists and animal behaviorists on subjects such as dog nutrition, training, health and behavior. "We ... believe that the veterinary community will benefit greatly from Voyce, both due to better educated clients and additional business opportunities,” said Mark Stephenson, DVM, LifeLearn’s chief development officer. Voyce won worldwide attention this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when PC World/TechHive and Yahoo Tech placed the device on the Best of CES 2014 list, joining such products as the 2015 Hyundai Genesis car and a 105-inch television from Samsung. Powered …
Douglas Freeman, Dean, Western College Of Veterinary Medicine—University Of SaskatchewanMarch 19, 2014 Dr. Douglas Freeman, dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine—University of Saskatchewan, has had a varied career. After his first job at a small mixed-animal practice in Minnesota, he returned to his studies and took a residency in theriogenology and has since held several positions and been on a variety of boards, including service on the board of directors for the Associaton of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. He quips, "I am the ideal poster child for why our veterinary schools should continue to be comprehensive in their education." Later this year, his school will complete over $70 million worth of expansions and renovations. Name: Dr. Douglas A. Freeman, dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine—University of Saskatchewan Age: 53 Degrees and Schools: • 1991 — PhD, reproductive physiology, Washington State University/University of Idaho • 1987 — MS, theriogenology, University of Minnesota • 1983 — DVM, University of Minnesota • 1981 — BS, University of Minnesota Family: Wife Mary; daughter Emma; sons Benjamin and Daniel Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask. (current); Minneapolis, Minn. (native). Western College of Veterinary Medicine—University of Saskatchewan. 1. Why did you enter veterinary medicine? Like many people, I grew …
AVMA Delegates Push Jerky InvestigationMarch 18, 2014 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates backed away last week from a proposal that would have discouraged the feeding of jerky treats to pets and instead recommended that veterinarians continue to work with federal investigators to determine whether jerky is to blame for the deaths of hundreds of animals since 2007. The House of Delegates, which enacts policies for the veterinary profession, returned a petition to the Executive Board with a recommendation that AVMA members "provide input to the Food and Drug Administration on incidents and conditions [that] could be associated with pet food and treats.” The FDA admitted in October that the agency could not conclusively link jerky treats and pet illnesses. Bernadette Dunham, DVM, Ph.D., the director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, at the time called the episode "one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we’ve encountered.” The FDA also urged veterinarians to contribute to the ongoing investigation by reporting adverse events. The House of Delegates, which met during the Veterinary Leadership Conference in Chicago, endorsed the federal investigation and urged veterinarians "to work with FDA to enhance efforts in safeguarding a healthy pet population through quality control …
UC Davis Vets Hold Continuing Education Symposium in ChinaMarch 13, 2014 Veterinarians from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine leveled the international veterinary playing field somewhat as they traveled to China to showcase the latest small animal veterinary techniques. The inaugural International Small Animal Practice Symposium—produced and taught by UC Davis’ Andrew Burton, DVM, Gina Davis, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, Jonathan Dear, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, and Karl Jandrey, DVM, MAS, Dipl. ACVECC—was held over a four-day span at the Nanjing Agricultural University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Nanjing, China. The multiple daily sessions were attended by 50 Chinese veterinarians. The veterinary focus in China is on food animal medicine, according to UC Davis, and educational opportunities for veterinary students interested in small animal medicine are not as plentiful as they are at American and other Western veterinary schools. Drs. Burton, Davis, Dear and Jandrey discussed topics routinely encountered at the UC Davis’ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. “Our colleagues at Nanjing Agricultural University were fantastic hosts and truly placed a large amount of energy and support into this event,” said Jandrey. “They are committed to continue this relationship and these training symposia,” he added. The daily symposium schedule consisted of:
No Vacation This Year From Lyme, Heartworm DiseaseMarch 13, 2014 Besides heat waves and thunderstorms, other serious conditions will threaten the United States this year as temperatures rise, the Companion Animal Parasite Council warned today. The nonprofit Salem, Ore.-based group is forecasting the spread of tick-borne Lyme disease beyond its traditional borders and a heightened risk of heartworm disease across much of the nation. The council used computer models similar to those employed to predict hurricanes to issue several advisories to veterinarians and pet owners: • Lyme disease, historically a Northeastern threat, is spreading into the Midwest and southward through the mid-Atlantic states. • New England and the Pacific Northwest will play host to Lyme disease hot spots. • The region from Virginia to Texas, and even into California, will be at high risk of ehrlichiosis. • The risk of heartworm disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, may be particularly bad in Texas, the Southeast and along the Pacific coast from Northern California to Washington state. To keep pets safe, CAPC recommends: • Using medications that offer year-round protection against ticks, heartworm and other parasites. • Scheduling regular veterinary checkups. • …
Activyl Manufacturer Knocks Effectiveness of Frontline PlusMarch 13, 2014A study comparing the efficacy of the spot-on topical flea treatments Activyl and Frontline Plus has left one pet pharmaceutical manufacturer declaring victory and a competitor challenging the research. Merck Animal Health on Feb. 26 released the results of an in-home study that found Activyl, in the company’s words, “was more effective than Frontline Plus in controlling flea populations on pets.” Frontline Plus is manufactured by Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. “Activyl eliminated more than 99 percent of fleas on pets after two monthly applications versus a 54.8 percent reduction achieved by Frontline Plus,” Merck reported. “At the end of the two-month study, nearly five times more pets treated with Activyl were flea free, and Activyl users found significantly fewer fleas in their homes.” Merial countered that in-home product comparisons are unreliable because of multiple variables. “These variables include pre-existing flea biomass (eggs, larvae, pupae) in the home, differences in temperature and humidity between different homes, flea development ‘hot spots’ outdoors, and even flea-infested visitor pets,” the company noted in a prepared statement. “We know from many years of conducting our own flea and tick control research that studies such as this—conducted in pet owners’ homes—are not well suited for …
Ectoparasites: The Risk is Present all Year LongMarch 13, 2014“So, you’re telling me that fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are going to be in my yard, biting my dog and giving her allergies and heartworms in these freezing temperatures,” Mrs. Client says sardonically, looking at price tags and glaring at you in disbelief. “Really?” While some clients will always be skeptical about the need to use flea, tick and heartworm prevention products year round, veterinary entomologists and scientific researchers have evidence to prove that most ectoparasites are a continual problem, especially in the southern U.S. “Frankly, with ectoparasites, we’ve never been able to determine that weather has much effect on their life cycle,” said Nancy C. Hinkle, Ph.D., professor of entomology at the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “The host maintains its microhabitat and, so long as the host stays warm, the ectoparasites are very comfortable. “If you are a flea and you live on a squirrel, your habitat is the same temperature as that squirrel,” she said, adding that mammals are always warm and the fleas will survive “unless they make the mistake of getting off the squirrel.” Ditto for people’s houses, said Susan E. Little, DVM, Ph.D., veterinary parasitologist at Oklahoma State University’s Center …
Financial Picture Far from RosyMarch 13, 2014Veterinarians have seen the future and it doesn’t look all that good. A study commissioned by Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., found that many veterinarians are pessimistic about the financial health of both their practice and their personal life. Veterinarians in many cases are confronted with a triple whammy: onerous student debt, fewer patient visits and paychecks that don’t come close to paying the bills. In fact, the survey of 1,193 veterinarians discovered that one-fourth of practice owners and 30 percent of associates rated their personal financial condition as poor. The study, conducted with the assistance of Brakke Consulting of Dallas, and also sponsored by Veterinary Economics, was designed only to measure veterinarians’ financial standing, not identify ways to eliminate the red ink. "It’s not about solutions, it’s about developing a foundation so we can work together to create solutions for the betterment of the industry,” said VPI President Scott Liles. Practice owners are financially the healthiest, for the most part, according to the study. They take home an average annual income of $109,000—compared to $84,000 for associates—and possess a monetary stake in the clinic. While one-third of practice owners reported their hospital was doing well, the same proportion …
We Should Have Learned These Lessons BeforeMarch 6, 2014 Everyone learned that “What goes up must come down.” Anyone with money in the stock market in late 2008 saw accounts drop seemingly by half almost overnight. Real estate values went down and the banks became unstable. As a result of the economic meltdown, the Gross National Product fell and the unemployment rate rose. All in all, not a good time for most people from 2008 through 2010. The specific numbers are still being crunched, but the veterinary profession was not as affected as most other business sectors. Most veterinarians felt lucky they were not automobile dealers, real estate salespeople, bankers or stock brokers. Were veterinarians hurt? Absolutely, but not to the extent many others were hit. The specific effect depended on your practice location, practice type and your attitude about the recession. In most cases, veterinary practices were somewhat resistant to the recession, although not recession-proof. From various surveys done by AAHA, AVMA and NCVEI, reported gross revenues vary from being up 10-15 percent to being down 25-30 percent. As Dr. Karen Felsted, CEO of NCVEI, has said many times, “Flat is the new up.” Some practices on both coasts of the …
