Universities On The Cardio Cutting EdgeMay 22, 2008Tests confirmed the lethargic 8-month-old golden retriever had subaortic stenosis. Only a few years ago, treatment consisted of medical management or surgery to remove scarring in the narrowed aortic valve. More recently, specialists have used balloon valvuloplasty to break up the obstructions. All three treatments show varying degrees of effectiveness. Last year at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, doctors used a new device, a balloon fitted with blades. The case was remarkable for more than its success in restoring the patient to high-spirited good health. It combined the skills of a veterinary cardiologist and a pediatric cardiologist: Amara Estrada, DVM, chief of the cardiology section at the school, and Joseph A. Paolillo, MD, a colleague from Shands HealthCare and director of the congenital catheterization program at the sprawling UF-affiliated hospital complex a brisk 10-minute walk away. Their continuing collaboration is part of a new discipline called translational medicine. "These collaborations are huge right now—the wave of the future," says Meg M. Sleeper, VMD, section chief of cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, renowned as the birthplace of veterinary cardiology. While breakthroughs in imaging, pharmacology and interventional surgeries using coils and catheters …
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Animal Rehab Symposium Set For AugustMay 13, 2008The 5th International Symposium on Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine will be held Aug. 13-16 in Minneapolis, Minn. It is being hosted by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and the International Association of Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy. The event will include lectures by researchers and clinicians with veterinary and physical therapy training, breakfast forums, laboratory and demonstration sessions, poster and abstract sessions, case reports and an exhibit tradeshow. Inspirational speaker Ann Bancroft will open the symposium with her presentation on "Collaboration and Teamwork." Continuing education credit is available for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and physical therapists. For details, contact Dr. Liz LaFond, University of Minnesota, at lafo0005@umn.edu or visit www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/rehab. <HOME>
AAHA Honors FiveApril 28, 2008The American Animal Hospital Assn. recently recognized five veterinarians for their contribution to veterinary medicine. The awards were given at the 2008 AAHA Yearly Conference which was held in Tampa, Fla., March 26-30. R. Michael Thomas, DVM, was named AAHA Practitioner of the Year for his commitment to the association, the profession, the community and his clients and patients. Dr. Thomas is a member of the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, Veterinary Information Network Board of Directors, Veterinary Management Group I and president-elect for the Companion Animal Parasite Council. He owns Noah’s Animal Hospital in Indianapolis. The AAHA Award went to Michael Paul, DVM, for his contributions toward the betterment of AAHA and the veterinary profession. Dr. Paul is executive director and chief executive officer of the Companion Animal Parasite Council. Roger Clarke, BVSc, received the Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award for his efforts to advance animal welfare through service and furthering humane principles, education and understanding. Dr. Clarke, an educator and international consultant, graduated from the University of Queensland, Australia, and established the Bundoora Veterinary Hospital in 1969, now one of only three emergency clinics in Melbourne. The Nestle Purina Petcare Award went to Dan Jordan, …
AAHA Announces New Board Of Directors, OfficersApril 28, 2008The American Animal Hospital Assn. recently introduced its new 2008-2009 Board of Directors and Officers: President Anna Worth, VMD. purchased West Mountain Animal Hospital in Shaftsbury, Vt., in 1979. She also chairs the Scientific Issues Committee. . President-elect John Tait, DVM, is the managing partner of the Ontario Veterinary Group in Toronto and serves as a part-time assistant professor and externship coordinator for the Ontario Veterinary College Department of Clinical Studies. . Vice president Gregg Takashima, DVM, was a Hubbs SeaWorld associate and earned a NOAH and Sea Grant Fellowship in Marine Ecology. He has his own practice—GKT Contract Veterinary Services—in Lake Oswego, Ore. . Secretary/treasurer G. Timothy Lee, DVM, works at the surgical referral practice at VCA Northwood Veterinary Hospital in Anderson, Ind. . Board Member Kate Crumley, DVM, owns the Heartwood Animal Hospital in Youngsville, N.C. <HOME>
ABKA Changes Name To Pet Care Services Assn.April 10, 2008To better reflect its membership and changes within the industry, the ABKA has changed its name to the Pet Care Services Assn., effective immediately. Founded as the American Boarding Kennel Assn. in 1977, the group had dropped the name in favor of the acronym ABKA in recent years to bridge its heritage with its members' and the industry's growth into other service areas. That growth has accelerated in the past decade, with the group's membership moving from almost exclusive ly boarding kennel services to include grooming, pet training, pet daycare, retail and pet -sitting services. For example, today, 77 percent of member facilities offer grooming, 72 percent offer dog daycare and 38 percent offer retail, the group reported. "The wide range of services offered by the Pet Care Services Assn. member facilities is helping shape the future of the association in its need to fully represent all types of pet care facilities and the types of member services it offers," said Joseph Lyman, chief executive officer of the group. The new name is also designed to better communicate its members' offerings to the pet-owning public. The group this month sent information packets to its 3,100 members with information about the name …
An Account Of Veterinary Continuing Education In AntarcticaApril 3, 2008Thanks to the North American Veterinary Conference's RACE-approved continuing education conference, I stood on my seventh continent--Antarctica. Our trip started in Ushuia, the southernmost city in the world. Thirty veterinarians and 170 other cruise passengers took a two-day boat ride on the Explorer II through the Drake Passage. This passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet and has some of the roughest water on the planet. Luckily it was more like "Drake Lake" as we sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula. On the ride out we were visited by petrels and albatross that spend their lives wandering these waters. They were attracted to the boat and entertained us by streaking past in the ample winds as we all tried to focus on them with our fancy cameras-- a good time for us to practice our focusing techniques for the opportunities to come. We had the good fortune to come across 25 humpback whales that were feeding on a massive krill swarm just below the ship. When the captain announced this find we all scurried to the deck with our cameras in tow. The whales circled our ship and put on a show as they dove and surfaced, displaying their beautiful …
Veterinarian Looks To Nematodes For IBD TreatmentMarch 31, 2008Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects more than 1 million people nationally. Now a Michigan veterinarian has introduced a parasite to help end the plague. Linda Mansfield, VMD, Ph.D., a parasitologist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, is leading a team of researchers in a study of immune responses to parasites, specifically using the pig whipworm Trichuris suis in an effort to help ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients. Dr. Mansfield is the only veterinarian in the U.S. working to create a marketed treatment for IBD using parasitic nematodes, and the first in the world to use T. suis. "IBD diseases are chronic, and occur when the bowel becomes irritated and congested with inflammatory cells," Mansfield says. "This condition can affect people's ability to work and have a normal life. Evidence from this research could change that." In June 2006, Mansfield was awarded a five-year, $500,000 grant to conduct a project to identify new molecules and compounds from the whipworm that could be used in patients with IBD, in lieu of patients consuming the parasite's eggs, which is the current experimental treatment method. While working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mansfield's chance observation of sick …
Animal Behaviorist Lines Up Nationwide Series Of SeminarsMarch 6, 2008Animal behaviorist Sophia Yin, DVM, has joined ContinuEd, a provider of continuing education seminars for the veterinary profession, to offer a series of one-day seminars for veterinarians and other team members on common animal behavior problems. Four areas will be covered: How Animals Learn, Recognizing Brewing Behavior Problems, Correcting and Reversing those Problems and Updated Handling Techniques for Dealing with Problem Pets. "The No. 1 cause of pet loss is bad behavior that forces an owner to give up the animal for adoption, or worse, to have it euthanized," said W. Drew Turner, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, founder and executive producer of ContinuEd. "You can play a critical and active role in identifying brewing behavior problems in your client's pets, and help correct them before they snowball." Some venues are still be determined. Dates and locations are as follows: March 30 – Seattle area: (Doubletree Guest Suites, Tukwila, Wash.) . April 6 – Los Angeles: (Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Los Angeles International Airport) . June 22 – Chicago . June 29 – Phoenix . July 13 – Denver .
Vet Blood Banking Endures Growing PainsFebruary 25, 2008 The veterinary blood banking industry is not without its growing pains. A lengthy legal battle between Animal Blood Bank Inc. and Sun States Animal Blood Bank serves as one example of industry conflict. The dispute, which revolved around trademark rights to the phrase “animal blood bank,” came to an end in December after more than two years in court, says Larry DeLuca, EdD, MD, president and director of Sun States. In the end, Animal Blood Bank Inc. maintained its rights to the phrase. DeLuca says that Sun States plans to change its name to Sun States Blood Banks for Animals. Perhaps the issue of greatest contention within the industry is that of closed-colony blood donors versus volunteer donors. Closed-colony programs are mandated by California law. But blood banks across the rest of the country operate under varied business models. “At Midwest, we see the advantages of both systems,” says Anne Hale, DVM, owner and director of Midwest Animal Blood Services Inc. in Stockbridge, Mich. “We have successfully run a canine volunteer program since 1995. However, in addition, we have in-house donors. This has allowed us to work with the rescue community in Michigan …
AAHA, AAFP Plan Feline Health GuidelinesFebruary 8, 2008The American Animal Hospital Assn. and the American Assn. of Feline Practitioners have agreed to jointly develop lifestage-based healthcare guidelines for cats for veterinarians by next January, pending the approvals of their respective boards. The decision to jointly develop the guidelines was made at and prompted by the CATalyst Summit, a gathering of more than 40 veterinarians and representatives from animal health companies and welfare organizations designed to improve the lives of cats. The summit, jointly sponsored by AAFP and Pfizer Animal Health, aimed to address the declining number of veterinary visits for cats—occurring despite an increase in the overall population of cats. The 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook indicated that nearly 40 percent of cat-owning households received no veterinary care for the cat in 2006, more than twice the rate of dog-owning households, and cats average less than one visit to the veterinarian per year. AAHA President-elect Anna Worth, VMD, and AAFP President Valerie Creighton, DVM, announced the tentative agreement after the group determined a significant need for such guidelines. They would be modeled after similar human health guidelines that recommend certain screening procedures at certain ages. The feline guidelines would also address certain behavior issues, notably inappropriate elimination, …
