When Pets Lose Their Sense Of PlaceJuly 9, 2013 Canine and feline cognitive dysfunction syndromes are degenerative brain diseases that are often missed until the signs become so advanced that it may be too late to help the pet or owner. "One of the greatest problems we have with cognitive dysfunction is the lack of awareness, not only on the part of the public, but on the part of the practicing veterinarians. They understand that it is out there, but they don’t appreciate how common it is,” said Jeff Nichol, DVM, a veterinary behavior practitioner at the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M. "Veterinarians assume that the owner will tell them ‘My older dog is not acting the same’ during the course of an exam,” Dr. Nichol says. "But many pet owners assume the behavior changes are a normal part of aging.” A large 2011 study out of Australia bears this out. Researchers found that the overall prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was a little more than 14 percent, but only about 1.9 percent of cases are diagnosed. The same study found that the chances of having cognitive dysfunction increase with age, so that by the time dogs are 15 years old, 41 …
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Too Many Indebted Veterinary Grads Chase Too Few JobsJuly 9, 2013 In the year 2023, veterinary medicine will appear very different from the way it is now. I have felt for some time that we are training too many veterinarians for the number of available job openings. This was confirmed by the AVMA Workforce Study released April 22. This study reported 12.5 percent excess capacity in the profession, which could continue through 2025. I have read for the past 25 years that we need to have veterinarians go into non-traditional fields. We now have veterinarians in many new and expanding areas--public health, epidemiology, shelter medicine, food safety, etc.--but still have the issue of low salaries as many of these new areas offer lower pay. Student debt continues to increase at a higher rate than starting salaries. We often compare veterinary medicine to human medicine to evaluate how we are doing. However, the two professions are vastly different once we get away from four years of training. Today there is a shortage of physicians, and the Association of American Medical Colleges projects this shortage to reach 90,000 by 2020. On the other hand, the number of veterinarians is adequate with a …
Zoetis To Expand Nebraska Drug PlantJuly 3, 2013 Animal health company Zoetis Inc. will enlarge its Lincoln, Neb., pharmaceutical plant to accommodate the transfer of products from a third-party manufacturer. A 19,000-square-foot, three-story expansion of Zoetis' Lincoln, Neb., plant could add 30 jobs. The 19,000-square-foot, three-story expansion could add 30 jobs to what is now a 500-employee operation. A groundbreaking is planned for this summer, with completion sometime in 2014, the company added. Operating since 1961, the Lincoln plant is one of 29 Zoetis manufacturing sites. It produces some of the company’s flagship products, including Bovi-Shield Gold cattle vaccine, RespiSure One swine medication and the anti-inflammatory canine drug Rimadyl. "This expansion shows our continuing commitment to the Lincoln community, a community that we have been a part of for several decades,” said Michael Morgan, site leader in Lincoln. Zoetis, headquartered in Madison, N.J., split from one-time parent company Pfizer Inc. in February and became fully independent as of June 24. In other news, Michael McCallister was appointed nonexecutive chairman of the Zoetis board of directors. McCallister, former CEO of the Humana health insurance …
Patterson To Carry MediVet Stem Cell ProductsJuly 2, 2013 The companies reached agreement on the distribution of stem cell and platelet-rich plasma kits and associated tissue-processing equipment to veterinary practices nationwide. Jeff Baker, vice president of sales at Devens, Mass.-based Patterson, called MediVet "a forward-thinking company that is a leader in the emerging regenerative therapy segment.” "MediVet’s line of stem cell therapies and equipment is a strong addition to the Patterson Veterinary portfolio of cutting-edge technologies,” Baker said. The companies have developed an educational platform designed to help veterinarians learn about stem cell therapy. More than 550 veterinarians in 47 states perform in-clinic stem cell procedures, noted MediVet, which is headquartered in Nicholasville, Ky. Adult animal stem cell technology uses the body’s regenerative healing power to treat dogs, cats, horses and other animals suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia, tendon, ligament and cartilage injuries, and other ailments. The stem cell kit allows for same-day harvest and application of repair cells derived from an animal’s fat tissue. MediVet stem cell technology also is distributed by
Dental PearlsJune 28, 2013Dental Pearls: Veterinary Dentistry InsightsDental Pearlsdental pearls, dental cleaning, pet dental cleaningdentalpearlsGet advice and insights on what's happening in veterinary dentistry.Dental Pearls is a column about veterinary dentistry.John Lewis, VMD, FAVD, Dipl. AVDC, offers up advice and insights on veterinary dentistry. Lewis is assistant professor of dentistry and oral surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia.
Veterinary Practice News Web ExclusivesJune 28, 2013 Veterinary Practice News Web ExclusivesVeterinary Practice News Web ExclusivesVeterinary Practice News Web ExclusivesVeterinary Practice News Web Exclusivesweb exclusivesVeterinary Practice News Web Exclusives For Dr. Villalobos' Quality of Life Scale click here »
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Summer Holds Special Hazards For PetsJune 27, 2013 Summer Holds Special Hazards for PetsSummer Holds Special Hazards for PetsPets Best, veterinarian, dog, cat, surgery, summer, claim, insurance, reimbursement, petPets Best Insurance processes some bizarre summertime claims on behalf of its four-legged clientele.Pets Best Insurance reveals cautionary tales from its database.newsline, pet-health-newsPosted: June 27, 2013, 3:15 p.m. EDTAgents who field calls for Pets Best Insurance of Boise, Idaho, have heard it all. Since it first began offering pet insurance nationwide in 2005, Pets Best, the only veterinarian-founded pet insurance company in the United States, has processed some bizarre summertime claims on behalf of its four-legged clientele. And if summers past are any indication, the insurer is sure to have a few doozies by the time fall rolls around. Eating golf balls can be painful for dogs and costly to their bill-paying owners. Pets Best revealed these cautionary tales from its database in the hope they won’t be repeated in the summer of 2013: • Tango, a German shorthaired pointer, consumed a beach towel. After the dog regurgitated parts of the towel, the remaining portion had to be surgically removed. …
ACVO Smashes Eye Exam RecordJune 24, 2013 A record 7,700 service and therapy animals had their eyes checked in May during the sixth annual ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event. The project, sponsored by Merial Ltd. and the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, involved more than 250 board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists who volunteered their time in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Australia, the ACVO reported today. Fifty-two dogs attached to the Transportation Security Administration or Defense Department were examined at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Also receiving eye exams were guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs, search and rescue dogs, registered therapy animals and service animals such as horses. Their owners were extremely appreciative, said Stacee Daniel, executive director of the Meridian, Idaho-based ACVO. "The letters and Facebook posts that have been sent to us regarding the generosity of our sponsors and ophthalmologists have been heartfelt and amazing,” Daniel said. "Educating people about the importance of animal eye health has never been more rewarding.” Moose, a certified Federal Emergency Management Agency urban search and rescue dog, received …
AVMA Movie Ad Shines Light On ProfessionJune 24, 2013 Moviegoers waiting to watch "World War Z” or "Man of Steel” will see something unexpected on the screen: an advertisement about veterinary medicine. The American Veterinary Medical Association released the ad today in selected cities as part of the organization's 150th anniversary celebration. The commercial will appear through June 27 and should be seen by an estimated 3.2 million people. "The goal of the ad is to promote the veterinary profession to the public and to highlight the many other things that veterinarians do beyond treating pet cats and dogs,” said AVMA president Douglas G. Aspros, DVM. "We hope that this will help boost public awareness of the important role veterinarians fill in our society and across the globe.” The ad will play during pretrailer advertisements in 160 theaters and on 2,760 screens in the Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and Washington, D.C., markets. It will be shown before movies such as "Monsters University,” "World War Z,” "Man of Steel,” "This is the End” and "Iron Man 3.” The
