VPI Partners With Pets2Vets To Provide Insurance For Heroes’ PetsNovember 10, 2011 Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. is partnering with non-profit Pets2Vets to provide insurance policies to pets adopted by veterans through the Pets2Vets program. Pets2Vets matches active military, veterans, first responders, and their families with at-risk shelter animals nationwide. The organization’s goals are to alleviate the psychological suffering of servicemen and women and to reduce the number of shelter animals euthanized in the U.S. Through the partnership, Pets2Vets will cover first year premium for the pets of qualifying servicemen and women under a VPI Major Medical plan – the most comprehensive coverage protection offered by Brea, Calif.-based VPI. The pets will also be covered under a Careguard Core rider, which covers expenses related to vaccinations, flea protection and other preventive routine care benefits. “We know first-hand that the bond between people and pets can have an incredible healing power,” said Dennis Drent, president and CEO of VPI. “This new relationship will allow Pets2Vets to continue to ease the transition back into society for these servicemen and women while providing further peace of mind with health care coverage for their rescued companions.” <Home>
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Reality of Veterinary Surgery ErgonomicsOne of the greatest challenges of Work-Related Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (WRMSD) is that they can come on slowly. They can be easy to ignore initially. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued ergonomic guidelines to help veterinarians catch problems early. + Learn More
New Joint Venture Launches Canine Lymphoma TestNovember 9, 2011 A new canine lymphoma diagnostic kit can differentiate patients with lymphadenopathy due to lymphoma from ones with lymphadenopathy due to other ailments, such as lymphoid hyperplasia. The Tri-Screen Canine Lymphoma Assay Kit is the first product to be offered by Tri-Screen—a new joint venture between Ireland-based animal diagnostic technology firm Tridelta Development Ltd. and animal cancer test developer Petscreen Ltd. of the U.K. Petscreen developed the Advanced Lymphoma Blood Test on which the kit is based. The test combines relative values of the acute phase proteins haptoglobin and C-reactive protein in a patient’s blood serum into an analytical algorithm to determine if a patient’s lymphadenopathy is due to lymphoma or another ailment. Petscreen enlisted support from veterinarians in the U.S. and the U.K. to test the method on samples from 194 canine patients with lymphoma, diseases with similar presentation to lymphoma, and healthy dogs. Petscreen said it partnered with Tridelta because of the company’s reputation and experience with the international pharmaceutical industry in the niche sector of manufacturing and marketing acute phase protein diagnostic kits. <HOME>
Neuromodulation And Kidney DiseaseNovember 4, 2011 Neuromodulation and Kidney DiseaseNeuromodulation and Kidney DiseaseNeuromodulation and Kidney DiseaseNeuromodulation and Kidney DiseasefootnotesNeuromodulation and Kidney DiseaseSeptember 2011 FootnotesBy Narda Robinson, DO, DVMPosted: September 2011 1. Skelton D. Age is not a disease. Can Fam Physician. 1979;25:353-357. 2. Hotta H and Uchida S. Aging of the autonomic nervous system and possible improvements in autonomic activity using somatic afferent stimulation. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010;10(Suppl 1):S127-S136. 3. Hotta H and Uchida S. Aging of the autonomic nervous system and possible improvements in autonomic activity using somatic afferent stimulation. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010;10(Suppl 1):S127-S136. 4. Liang F and Koya D. Acupuncture: is it effective for treatment of insulin resistance? Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2010;12:555-569. 5. Hori E, Takamoto K, Urakawa S, et al. Effects of acupuncture on the brain hemodynamics. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical. 2010;157:74-80. 6. Noguchi E. Acupuncture regulates gut motility and secretion via nerve reflexes. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical. 2010;156:15-18. 7. Li P, Tjen-A-Looi SC, and Longhurst JC. Nucleus raphe pallidus participates in midbrain-medullary cardiovascular sympathoinhibition during electroacupuncture. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2010;299:R1369-1376. 8. Manni L, Rocco ML, Paparo SB, et al. Electroacupuncture and nerve growth factor: potential …
Cranial Electrotherapy To Treat PainNovember 4, 2011 Cranial Electrotherapy to Treat Painfootnotes 1. Tan G, Dao TK, Smith DL et al. Incorporating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to expand psychological services to veterans suffering from chronic pain. Psychological Services. 2010;7(3):148-161. 2. Alpha-Stim ® SCS. Accessed at http://www.alpha-stim.com/the-alpha-stim-scs/ on 09-21-11. 3. Alpha-Stim ® website. Accessed at http://www.alpha-stim.com/veterinary-medicine/ on 09-18-11. 4. Berger JM, Holcomb K, San Jose N, et al. The effect of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on cribbing behavior in horses. Proceedings, 2010 ACVB/AVSAB Veterinary Behavior Symposium. Atlanta, GA. July, 2010. Pp. 6-8. 5. Culp LB, Skarda RT, and Muir WW. Comparisons of the effects of acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and transcutaneous cranial electrical stimulation on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2005;66:1364-1370. 6. O’Connell NE, Wand BM, Marston L, et al. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for chronic pain (Review). European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2011; 47(2):1-124. 7. Bystritsky A, Kerwin L, and Feusner J. A pilot study of cranial electrotherapy stimulation …
AVMA Urges Legislators To Act Quickly On Appropriations PackageNovember 4, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association urged Senate and House conferees to quickly pass H.R. 2112, the consolidated appropriations package, and to maintain the agriculture funding levels set in the Senate version of the bill. The House and th犀利士 e Senate have each passed a version of the bill that would provide funding to certain programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. The bill would provide appropriations to the U.S. departments of agriculture, commerce, justice, transportation, and housing and urban development. The House and Senate each sent conferees to resolve differences in the respective versions of the bill. In a letter sent today to the House and Senate conferees, AVMA governmental relations division director Mark Lutschaunig, VMD, M.B.A., applauded lawmakers for including funding in the bill for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, and for Animal Health and Disease Research. He urged the conferees to prioritize funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Food Safety Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service and the Agriculture and Food Research Institute, and the Center for Veterinary Medicine. The AVMA …
Purdue To Develop Online Hub For Human-Animal Bond ResearchNovember 3, 2011Purdue to Develop Online Hub for Human-Animal Bond ResearchPurdue to Develop Online Hub for Human-Animal Bond Research, HABRI animal bond, Purdue University Press animal bond, Purdue School of Veterinary MedicinePurdue University announced today it will launch a new online resource in early 2012 to further the study of the human-animal bond.Purdue University announced today it will launch a new online resource in early 2012 to further the study of the human-animal bond.newslinePurdue to Develop Online Hub for Human-Animal Bond ResearchPosted: Nov. 3, 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT Purdue University announced today it will launch a new online resource in early 2012 to further the study of the human-animal bond. The Purdue University Press and School of Veterinary Medicine will develop the site, to be called HABRI Central after the nonprofit Human Animal Bond research Initiative (HABRI) that funded the project through an $831,535 grant. Founding sponsors of HABRI include the American Pet Products Association, Petco and Pfizer Animal Health. The site will serve as a comprehensive bibliography and repository of scholarly material, an online publishing platform for peer-reviewed content, and a virtual collaborative community for those involved in human-animal bond studies. Human-animal bond research explores the complex relationships between animals and …
The Road To IndiaNovember 3, 2011 When British veterinarian Jack Reece, B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., first arrived in Jaipur, India, in the late 1990s for what was to be a brief volunteer stay, he couldn’t help but notice the dogs. They were everywhere—sleeping on piles of building materials or sand, rooting through rubbish, lying by the side of the road or in the medians of city streets. “It’s not something that we are used to seeing in the West,” Dr. Reece says. “But these are not abandoned pets; they are not dumped animals. These are dogs that are born, live, mate and die, all on the streets.” Jaipur still has street dogs today, but their population is smaller, healthier and more stable—thanks in large part to Reece and the Indian charity he has worked for during most of the past 12 years, Help in Suffering. The HIS spaying and vaccination program has shrunk the number of street dogs, improved their quality of life and sharply reduced the number of dog bites and rabies cases in humans. And as the program’s manager, Reece, 49, has established himself and HIS as authorities on the humane management of street animal populations in developing countries, despite limited resources …
Legal Exposure Might Not Be Worth The SavingsNovember 3, 2011 Some veterinarians believe they are helping clients reduce costs by ordering compounded drugs instead of medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But there’s a reason compounded drugs are cheaper than FDA-approved medications, pharmaceutical companies say. Compounding pharmacies’ quality-control procedures are rarely as stringent or comprehensive as the good manufacturing practices required by the FDA for approved products. Therefore, the safety and efficacy of compounded drugs are not guaranteed. In a case of therapeutic failure of a compounded product when an FDA-approved medication is available, the amount the veterinarian saves the client might turn a competitive advantage into a serious disadvantage. That prescription could leave the veterinarian exposed to legal liabilities because the FDA does not test or approve compounded drugs. Liability Dangers “Many times veterinarians don’t understand that they are the first in line in liability in the event that a compounded product goes bad,” says Denise E. Farris, Esq., owner of Farris Law Firm LLC in Kansas City, Mo. “If there is an adverse reaction, he or she is liable to the client for veterinary malpractice. The liability coverage may not cover that activity because most policies do not cover …
What’s Beyond For Baby Boomers And The HAB?November 3, 2011 As a baby boomer, I officially enter my senior years when I turn 65 on Nov. 5. My husband, Ira Lifland, who is two months younger than I, follows in January. We are glad to be eligible for Medicare and thankful to be able to save a lot of money on our health insurance premiums, which were more than $30,000 last year. Even though we are healthy, our premiums have been upped annually, paralleling the profits of our carrier. Going on Medicare will be a raise for us. Our strategy is to forgo Social Security payments until we turn 70 so we receive more in the long run if we survive past 80. Ira always envied me for loving what I do. This profession is wonderful, and I enjoy working our concierge referral practices. Animal Oncology Consultation Service and Pawspice is one. Carreen Lynch, RVT, is my Pawspice partner. Pawspice offers palliative care and gentler standard care for cancer patients. It transitions into hospice as the patient’s quality of life declines or if death is expected soon. Carreen has worked with me for most of the past 25 or so years. She has read my …
FDA Approves Drug To Treat Signs Of Equine Cushing’s DiseaseNovember 2, 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market a drug for treatment of the clinical signs associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as equine Cushing’s disease. Prascend, Boehringer’s registered trademark for the drug pergolide mesylate, is the first and only FDA-approved product for the management of PPID in horses, the company said. The drug is administered in tablet form and decreases the risk of complications of PPID, including those that have the potential to be life-threatening. Equine Cushing’s disease affects an estimated one in seven horses over the age of 15, and horses as young as seven years of age have been diagnosed with the disease, according to Boehringer. Chronic laminitis is significantly more common in horses suspected of having PPID. The most common clinical signs of advanced-stage PPID that occur in horses are hirsutism or an abnormal amount of hair growth, abnormal sweating, weight loss, muscle wasting, abnormal fat distribution, lethargy, laminitis, polydipsia, polyuria, chronic infections, and recurrent infections. “Unfortunately, PPID is not a curable disease,” said John Tuttle, DVM, Boehringer equine technical services veterinarian. “However, Prascend does offer a safe and efficacious treatment option to …
