In Wake Of EHV-1 Outbreak, Some Say Better Biosecurity Measures Are NeededSeptember 19, 2011 The equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) outbreak traced to an April National Cutting Horse Association event in Ogden, Utah, is over, according to a June 23 U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) situation report. Ninety cases of EHV-1, or equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM), were confirmed in nine states. Of the 90 cases, 54 were present at the Utah event. Thirteen horses linked to the incident died or were euthanized. “Financial losses from this outbreak go deep into six figures, maybe more,” said D. Paul Lunn, BvSc, MS, PhD, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVIM, a professor and head of the department of Clinical Sciences at the Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. “That takes into considering event cancellations, the economic effect felt by communities in which the events would have taken place and treating sick animals. The USDA is conducting additional research on the outbreak which will offer a new analysis of the effect the outbreak had on the industry.” Dr. Lunn said the NCHA behaved responsibly by acting quickly and effectively when the virus spread at its event. …
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Laser Therapy Units: Facts And FallaciesSeptember 19, 2011 In light of its ability to combat pain, muscle injury and inflammation, laser therapy (LT) is gaining prominence in practices across the country. The scientific literature on this topic is proliferating rapidly, shining light on LT’s panoply of mechanisms and applications. In fact, so many papers are appearing annually that the journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery now offers a monthly compilation to keep evidence-based practitioners abreast of new papers.1 The popularity and promise of LT come at a price, however. Literally speaking, the monetary outlay for a Class IIIb laser (1 milliwatts (mW) to 500 mW) starts in the low thousands while a Class IV laser (>500 mW power) can approach 20 grand. More figuratively, the “promise” of laser, as one vet quipped, “to cure everything except death,” sparks skepticism among those who have heard before about gadgetry with guarantees of glowing results. Which Is Right for You? As more makers crowd the marketplace, laser manufacturers highlight unique features of their products. Depending on the power of the unit they sell (i.e., Class IIIb or Class IV equipment), the prospective buyer can expect to receive an earful of information about the superiority of either the …
DVMInsight Joins Idexx LaboratoriesSeptember 9, 2011 Telemedicine firm DVMInsight of San Diego joined Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, Idexx reported Friday. DVMInsight CEO Matt Wright, DVM, MS, DACVR, and CTO Stephen Walters became part of the leadership team at Idexx Laboratories’ Telemedicine Consultants division and will continue to oversee the DVMInsight technology platform used by independent radiologists. Idexx will support DVMInsight’s platform and imaging software and integrate them with the Idexx Cornerstone Practice Management System and Idexx-PACS Imaging Software. Idexx Telemedicine Consultants will integrate DVMInsight’s Sight Hound Radiology teleradiology service, as well. Sight Hound Radiology customers will gain Idexx cardiac services, such as 20-minute turnaround times for ECG screens and one-hour STAT internal medicine consultations. “The proven expertise of these companies strengthens the Idexx position as the leading provider of diagnostic information and telemedicine services to the veterinary healthcare industry, and the integration of these important services will help DVMInsight reach an even broader audience while achieving a seamless customer experience,” said Don Schofield, director and general manager of IDEXX Telemedicine Consultants. <Home>
Study Shows Greyhounds Susceptible To ‘White-Coat Effect’September 8, 2011 A new study revealed that retired racing greyhounds experience a “white-coat effect” that causes the dogs’ blood pressure to rise in a veterinary clinic setting. The average systolic arterial pressure of the 22 dogs tested in the study was 30 points higher when recorded in a clinic than when recorded at home. “Some greyhounds come in here with blood pressure above what an instrument can read. That is, 300 systolic,” said Guillermo Couto, DVM, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. “We know this could not really be their blood pressure because these dogs would be dead. But we also almost never get blood pressure under 150 or 160 for systolic.” Couto and his colleagues recommend that owners of retired racing greyhounds record the dogs’ blood pressure at home to provide more accuracy, though the machines used to record blood pressure in the study cost about $1,500 each. The study was published in the July-August issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team Responds To WildfiresSeptember 8, 2011 The Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on Wednesday assisted in the response to the wildfires sweeping across Bastrop County, Texas. Texas Task Force-1, an urban search and rescue response team, called on VET to provide veterinary support for the force’s search and rescue dogs. Lisa Howe, DVM, Ph.D., and Philippa Sprake, BVetMed, responded along with veterinary technicians Dana Whitaker, Karin Ponder and Lessa Block and senior veterinary students John Williams and Jaci Carriker. Meanwhile, four other VET members joined the Texas Animal Health Commission to assess animal needs in affected areas. Wesley Bissett, DVM, Ph.D., Norberto Espitia, Ph.D., Glennon Mays, DMV, and fourth-year veterinary student Josh Shields worked with local veterinarians, the Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Texas Animal Health Commission to identify needs and develop a coordinated response, Dr. Bissett said. The VET team redeployed today in increased numbers, according to Angela Clendenin, director of communications and public relations at the Texas A&M veterinary college. She did not know how many additional members were called into action. VET, which formed in 2010, is designed to respond to official state requests for …
Nestlé Purina Launches GI Diagnostic AppSeptember 8, 2011 Nestlé Purina Petcare of St. Louis has launched an app designed to aid veterinary staff in diagnosing gastrointestinal issues in cats and dogs. The Purina Veterinary Diets GI Diagnostic App, available in the Apple App Store, works like a digital version of the company’s GI Quick Guide, allowing iPhone and iPad users to streamline the diagnosis of GI issues, according to Kristine Costello, manager of veterinary digital communications for Nestlé Purina Petcare. The program uses algorithms to aid in localizing GI conditions and considers history, physical exams and test results in helping to make a diagnosis. It also traces normal and abnormal signs, rules out issues and suggests steps to resolve the issue. The app covers symptoms such as anorexia, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, regurgitation, vomiting and weight loss. The GI Diagnostic App will be available for Android devices this fall, the company said.
AAHA And Heska Team Up To Launch Online CE SeriesSeptember 6, 2011The American Animal Hospital Organization and Heska Corp. of Loveland, Colo., will launch an online continuing education series in October. The “Solve It!" program will challenge members of veterinary practice teams to solve real-life cases under an added element of mystery. Points will be awarded to teams for participation and accuracy. The team earning the most points at the end of the year will receive new diagnostic laboratory analyzers from Heska. The presentation will be made at the 2012 AAHA Conference, which is scheduled for March 15-18 in Denver. The first part of the series, “The Case of the Limping Poodle,” will be unveiled in October. Other cases will follow each month, culminating in a series overview at the AAHA Conference. Participants can earn up to 13 CE hours through the series and attendance at the conference, according to Tom Workman, Heska's national training manager. To register, visit the AAHA website at www.aahanet.org.
FDA Warns Of Fracture Risk With Vet Jet Vaccination SystemSeptember 6, 2011 The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning today about a possible fracture risk associated with the use of the Vet Jet transdermal vaccination device. The Vet Jet is sold by Duluth, Ga.-based Merial as the exclusive delivery system for the company’s Purevax Recombinant Feline Leukemia Vaccine and is manufactured by Bioject Inc. of Tualatin, Ore. The FDA was made aware of three “adverse event reports” involving the use of the Vet Jet on kittens, the administration said. In each of two of those cases, the user may have failed to properly lock the device’s nozzle into place before using it, causing the nozzle to dislodge and fracture the femur of the kitten being vaccinated. Update: Merial spokeswoman Natasha Mahanes said the company is investigating the cases, revising the device's instructions and sending letters to all Vet Jet users advising them to follow the proper nozzle locking procedure. <HOME>
APHIS Accepting Comments On Dog Importation Rule ChangeSeptember 2, 2011 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed a rule Wednesday that would require any dogs imported into the United States be accompanied by rabies and health certifications along with an APHIS-issued permit. A 2008 amendment to the Animal Welfare Act required that all imported dogs to be in good health and at least 6 months old and to have received all necessary vaccinations. The amendment did not specify how the regulations would be administered, and the task fell to APHIS. The rabies and health certifications would have to include the signature and license number of the issuing veterinarian as well as the name and address of the person intending to import the dog. Limited exceptions would be made for dogs entering the United States for veterinary treatment or research purposes or into Hawaii. From 2005 to 2010, an average of 17,000 dogs a year were imported into the United States, accounting for less than 1 percent of the nation's total dog population, according to APHIS. Comments on the rule change can be submitted until Oct. 31, 2011, at www.regulations.gov.
APHIS Reopens Comment Period For CEM Rule ChangeSeptember 1, 2011 The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) delayed enforcement of an interim rule relating to the importation of horses from companies affected with contagious equine metritis (CEM) and re-opened the issue for public comment. The interim rule, originally put into effect in March, requires additional certification requirement for imported horses 731 days of age or younger and adds new testing protocols for test mares and imported stallions and mares more than 731 days of age. APHIS is considering two changes to the requirements for the testing protocols. First, rather than requiring three sets of cultures to be collected from imported stallions, the proposed change would require only one culture to be collected. Second, instead of requiring all three cultures from imported and test mares to be taken from either the distal cervix or the endometrium, only the third culture taken would have such a requirement. APHIS will accept public comments on the proposed change through September 7. Comments can be submitted digitally at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0112-0020 or via mail at Docket No. APHIS-2008-0112, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238
