Rush To Stem Cells Carries Some RiskDecember 28, 2010 Regenerative medicine, the buzzword for stem-cell therapy and the like, has given birth to the possibility of a pain-free life for orthopedic patients. Thousands of veterinarians in North America are learning to treat degenerative joint conditions using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).1 The implied translational benefits for humans are compelling. According to one account, nearly 2,000 dogs suffering from osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal ailments have received intra-articular injections of autologous, pre-processed stem cells.2 A majority responded favorably and about one-third no longer needed anti-inflammatory medication.3 Media hype suggests that a veritable fountain of youth giving old dogs new joints may have been unearthed.4-5-6-7 While hope for an arthritis cure springs eternal, if stem cells do, a problem blossoms, and that is neoplasia. This has happened and is raising questions about the safety of stem-cell therapy. The authors of a paper released in October 2010 wrote, “Understanding the conditions in which MSCs enhance tumor growth and metastasis is crucial, both to safely develop MSCs as a therapeutic tool and to advance our understanding of the role of tumor stroma in carcinogenesis.” 8In 2009, a teenager developed a brain tumor from …
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
AMA President To Show At NAVC’s One Health EventDecember 28, 2010The North American Veterinary Conference reported today that Cecil Wilson, MD, president of the American Medical Association, will be attending the One Health Symposium at the NAVC Conference on Monday, Jan. 17, in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Wilson will also participate in an evening panel discussion on the topic. “We are excited about the possibilities of collaboration among physicians and veterinarians that this meeting will afford—and by the implicit encouragement for physicians to think and act in a one-health manner that Dr. Wilson’s attendance extends,” said NAVC Executive Director Colin Burrows, BVetMed, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM. “The AMA strongly supports the One Health Initiative, the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for humans, animals and our environment. “More than 60 percent of human infectious diseases and the preponderance of emerging infectious disease have an animal vector. Better collaboration is needed between human and veterinary medicine to protect the public health.” The One Health Initiative is described as a worldwide movement to forge co-equal, all-inclusive collaboration between veterinarians, physicians and other health care and scientific disciplines. It is endorsed by various professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, AMA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global …
Certification Day Nears For Surgical Techs EverywhereDecember 28, 2010 At long last, surgery technicians will have their own certification. This is excellent news for technicians who spend their lives behind a surgical mask, scrubbed in or handing surgical instruments. After years in the making, a new breed of veterinary technicians specializing in surgery will soon emerge. The Academy of Veterinary Surgical Technicians (AVST) was approved by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. After completing a rigorous application process and passing an examination, veterinary surgical technicians will have a degree that shows their unique expertise. Since the certification announcement, hundreds of technicians from the United States and abroad have e-mailed AVST board members. Below is a guide to the seven parts of the application package. The information came from AVST president Heidi Reuss-Lamky and secretary Teri Raffel. 1. Proof of professional experience • Applicants must show proof of credentials and must be licensed, certified or registered veterinary technicians. For U.S. applicants, the designation may vary depending on the state. • A copy of a diploma from an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited program should be submitted. • Applicants should show that they have worked at least 6,000 hours as credentialed technicians. This represents about three …
NAVC Seminar To Focus On Stress-Related Behavior IssuesDecember 22, 2010 Veterinary Products Laboratories will be sponsoring a seminar on stress-related behavior issues on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. during the 2011 NAVC Conference in Orlando, Fla. “Canine Fears, Phobias and Noise Aversions,” to be presented by Gary Landsberg, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, and Theresa DePorter, DVM, will cover how management and treatment through the combined use of environmental management, behavior modification and an evidence based look at drug and natural options can provide a long term solution. The final conference program will have the assigned room. Refreshments will be served and there will be time for questions, according to Veterinary Products Laboratories (conference booth No. 2110/2112). <Home>
Kroger Recalls Dog, Cat FoodDecember 22, 2010 The Kroger Co. issued a recall on Saturday of select varieties of dog and cat food sold in some of its stores, mostly in the South and Midwest, because the products may contain the toxic chemical aflatoxin. The affected product includes certain Pet Pride, Old Yeller and Kroger Value brands with Oct. 23, 2011 and Oct. 24, 2011 sell by dates. Kroger stores in the following states are included in this recall: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The recall also includes Dillons and Gerbes stores in Kansas and Missouri; Baker’s stores in Nebraska; Food 4 Less stores in Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana (Chicago area); and Jay C, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott’s stores in Illinois and Indiana. The Kroger Co. manufactured the recalled pet food items at its own facility in Springfield, Tenn., according to company spokeswoman Denise Osterhues. No other manufacturers are included in this recall. The recalled products may contain aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical by-product from the growth of the fungus Aspergillus flavus on corn and other crops. Pet owners are …
AVMA Comments On DEA’s Proposed Controls For PropofolDecember 21, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Association reported today that it sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency offering guidance on the DEA’s proposal of designating propofol as a Schedule IV drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The DEA issued the proposal in late October based on reports it received concerning the increased abuse of propofol and that the abuse potential is comparable to other Schedule IV substances. Propofol abuse also has a high mortality rate, the DEA noted. If finalized, the rule would impose the regulatory controls and criminal sanctions of Schedule IV on those who handle propofol and products containing propofol. The AVMA is concerned that the new rule could discourage veterinarians from using the “useful and effective induction agent.” “While we understand the importance of controlling the use of any drug with high abuse potential, we also have concerns that adding propofol as a Schedule IV controlled substance may result in decreased use of this important anesthetic by some veterinarians because of the burdens associated with registration, record keeping and, especially, waste disposal in accordance with DEA rules,” Ron DeHaven, DVM, CEO of the AVMA, said in the letter. He goes on …
Appeals Court Upholds Most Of Pet Food SettlementDecember 21, 2010 A federal appeals court has upheld all but one of the terms in the $24 million class action lawsuit settlement over melamine-contaminated pet food. The term at issue involves a $250,000 cap for product reimbursements claims. The four individuals who filed the appeal argued that the figure is “inadequate.” The settling parties argued that the money was primarily for pet owners who had bought the recalled pet food back in 2007 but couldn’t return the product because they didn’t have a sales receipt. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in a judgment issued Dec. 16, 2010, found that the lower court lacked the information necessary to evaluate the value and allocation of the purchase claims. The appellate court has ordered the case back to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey for the settling parties to provide more information related to the $250,000 cap on reimbursements. Lisa Rodriquez, one of the attorneys representing the class of pet owners, said the appellate court ruling is not a major setback. “It basically says for us to expand the record with some of the information that we had when we were before the Third Circuit …
The Benefits Of Medical MassageDecember 20, 2010One of the oldest forms of healing,1--2 massage is undergoing a much-needed evolution. Over the past decade, the modern practice of medical massage has gained popularity on account of its scientific methodology. Medical massage begins with a clear-cut diagnosis and ends with a readily identifiable outcome. Understanding its biologic mechanism of action allows practitioners to make meaningful interventions that specifically target a patient’s myofascial or neurophysiologic pathophysiology. Thanks to the rapidly expanding paradigm of autonomic neuromodulation and the desire by medical massage therapists to explain how their treatments work, a unifying theory has emerged. That is, neurophysiology explains how and why soft tissue therapy improves bodily processes including, but not limited to, digestion, emotional states, sleep, weight regulation, pain control and immune function.3--4 The recognition that moderate pressure massage gave patients slower heart rates, lower blood pressure and reduced cortisol levels pointed to changes within the autonomic nervous system.5 Eventually, investigations led to the vagal nerve network as the final common pathway. This 10th cranial nerve and associated brainstem nuclei affect nearly every bodily function, serving as a neural expressway mediating the tightly orchestrated, restorative, parasympathetic nervous system. Effect on Babies Some of …
FDA Tackles Unapproved Animal Drug Prevalence With New InitiativeDecember 20, 2010 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported today an initiative to address the prevalence of unapproved animal drugs marketed in the United States. The FDA said it is concerned that the safety and effectiveness of these marketed products have not been demonstrated. An FDA approval ensures that the drug’s strength, quality and purity are consistent from batch to batch and that the drug’s labeling is appropriate and truthful, according to the agency. To read the full FDA notice, click here. As part of the initiative, the FDA is soliciting comments from all stakeholders, including veterinary professionals, the regulated industry and the public, on strategies to address this issue. Specifically, the FDA is requesting comments on approaches for increasing the number of currently marketed animal drug products that have legal marketing status. The focus is not on revising the current new animal drug approval process, the FDA noted, but to explore additional mechanisms that use FDA’s existing regulatory framework as well as strategies not currently employed by the agency to increase the number of approved or otherwise legally marketed animal drugs. The FDA is also requesting comment on the use of …
MSU Connects With Iraqi Vets Via Videoconferencing On Rebuilding ProjectDecember 20, 2010 Michigan State University reported today that a group of its veterinarians is using videoconferencing as a way to help Iraqi farmers and veterinarians rebuild the country’s livestock food industry, adopt new animal science technologies and educate its farmers and producers. The initiative is part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded project. “Much of Iraq is in disarray, and its people are in desperate need to rebuild their infrastructure,” said Robert Malinowski, acting director of the Information Technology Center in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and project leader. “While most people think of roads, sewers and communications when it comes to infrastructure, what is equally important is a vibrant livestock food and animal science industry.” “A country that seeks stability needs to be able to feed itself,” added Ann Rashmir, an associate professor with the College of Veterinary Medicine who is also working on the project. Two Saturdays each month, industry professionals provided by MSU, connect with representatives from the Iraqi groups in Baghdad via videoconferencing technology for two-hour sessions. Topics range from farm management, animal nutrition and diseases, biosecurity and modern breeding techniques. The Iraqi groups include the Iraqi Red Meats Association, a nongovernmental …
