Former president of AVMA, WVA diesJune 20, 2019The veterinary industry has lost a mentor, educator, and trailblazer with the recent passing of Leon Russell, DVM, PhD.
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Veterinary loan repayment bill introduced in House of RepresentativesMay 16, 2019Rural veterinarians are one step closer to seeing the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) Enhancement Act become law. The act, a companion bill to S.1163, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and would remove a withholding tax to maximize funding for the veterinary medicine loan repayment program. The VMLRP offers loan repayment assistance to relocate veterinarians to areas deemed by the U.S. department of agriculture to have shortages. In a statement, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) president, John de Jong, DVM, said, "Too many rural communities today don't have access to adequate veterinary care, leaving livestock at risk for dangerous diseases, which could impact agricultural communities and threaten public health. Unfortunately, the reality is that food-animal veterinary careers typically pay less than small-animal careers, and high levels of student debt can make it financially difficult for veterinarians to follow these career paths. "The VMLRP is extremely effective in addressing this challenge because it provides veterinarians with loan repayment assistance so they don't have to choose between paying off their loans and pursuing food-animal or public health careers. These efforts are critical to our farming and ranching communities, and we're grateful to the members of Congress …
AVMA offering new well-being certificateMay 10, 2019Veterinarians and clinic staff are now able to improve their knowledge of and skills in well-being, thanks to a new certificate program offered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The Workplace Wellbeing certificate program was created with the help of an educational grant from Merck Animal Health. The program will be taught by experts from the veterinary community. According to the AVMA, the purpose of the certificate is to provide resources for problem solving to create a work culture focused on well-being. Those who participate will be eligible to receive up to four continuing education (CE) credit hours. The courses can be taken individually and do not have to be done as part of the program. To receive the certificate there are five units one must complete: Creating a culture of wellbeing How to request, receive, and give feedback effectively Transforming conflict Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) assessment Diversity and inclusion
UA applies to launch a veterinary programApril 15, 2019Students interested in veterinary medicine may soon have the opportunity to study at the University of Arizona (UA). According to an online news report by the Arizona Republic, the university received support from the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). Opening an accredited veterinary medicine program at the school has been a work in progress for many years, as the UA initially asked for approval from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council's on Education in 2014. According to the same report, AVMA denied the accreditation, as it had concerns over the potential program's finances, number of faculty members, research programs, and clinical resources. UA appealed the decision, but it was not successful. The school reapplied in 2017. Now with the approval from ABOR, a site visit by the AVMA is scheduled to happen next month, says the report. UA will hear by September whether it will receive a letter of reasonable assurance, which is required to receive accreditation. The UA College of Veterinary Medicine would be the state's only public veterinary medicine program.
Education and awareness are key to preventing dog bitesApril 9, 2019Parents learning canine behavioral cues and teaching them to their children to avoid injuries is one of the ways to prevent dog bites. That's according to Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA), which released several recommendations for parents and veterinarians to help keep children safe. The advice comes during National Dog Bite Prevention week, which runs from April 7 to 13. Parents should also be aware of a dog lifting its lip, panting or yawning inappropriately, cowering, holding its breath, flattening its ears to its head, growling, or snapping. "Many dogs will give a warning or several warnings they are uncomfortable, and a person needs to back off," says Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP, a past TVMA president who is a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. "People often miss these signs and think a dog bite occurred out of the blue." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 4.7 million dog bites are reported every year. Seventeen percent of them require medical care—half of the victims are children. According to TVMA, it is important to teach children not to approach unknown dogs, but it also warns many dog bites occur when interacting …
AVMA publishes guidelines for the depopulation of animalsApril 3, 2019 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has released Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals, a set of procedures and direction designed to help veterinarians make humane decisions in critical situations. "Humanely ending the lives of animals is one of the most difficult, but necessary, tasks for veterinarians to oversee," says chair of the AVMA panel on depopulation, Steven Leary, DVM, DACLAM. "During times of crisis or major catastrophe, depopulation of affected animals may sometimes be the most ethical and compassionate action." According to AVMA, depopulation balances the need to respond swiftly and avoid further devastation with the most humane method of death possible in response to pressing circumstances. The new guidelines are designed to ensure animal welfare is considered and achievable during an emergency, and provides procedures for the possibility of urgent situations. The depopulation guidelines are part three of AVMA's Humane Endings guidance. The others are the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals and the AVMA Guidelines for the Humane Slaughter of Animals.
AVMA health insurance in limbo following court rulingApril 2, 2019The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is not backing away on its promise to deliver health insurance plans to its members following a ruling by a federal district court judge. Last week, the judge sent a recent rule allowing association health plans back to the Department of Labor to revisit certain aspects of it the court found objectionable. "We are disappointed, obviously, but we knew this was a possibility, and we know this isn't the final word," says AVMA president, John de Jong, DVM. "Veterinarians across the country were very pleased the AVMA was poised to again sponsor health plans, and we're not giving up on that effort. We are evaluating all our options, and we will continue to advocate for the interests of veterinarians, including access to high-quality, affordable health plans through our association." Association-sponsored health insurance plans were part of membership in AVMA for 60 years until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) forced it to end in 2013. While aware of the potential legal challenges, AVMA decided to move forward in its efforts to once again offer its members a health insurance program beginning in several states in July.
Former president of AVMA and WVA dies at 64March 29, 2019The former president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA), René Carlson, DVM, has died. She was 64. A resident of Chetek, Wis., Dr. Carlson graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1978 and practiced as a small-animal veterinarian for many years. She was involved in many leadership roles within the AVMA, including as a member of the House of Delegates (HOD), the council on education, as vice president, as director of international affairs, and as chair of the association's committee on international veterinary affairs. From 2011 to 2012, she served as AVMA president. In 2014, Carlson was elected president of the WVA. "René was an exceptional leader and voice for our profession," said AVMA president, John de Jong, DVM. "She had been incredibly strong these past few years as she battled her illness and fought with the optimism and dignity we will always remember her for. Personally, I will always remember her positive energy, her humility, and her love of her husband, the AVMA, and the profession." At the 2018 AVMA convention in Denver, the AVMA presented her with the Global Veterinary Service Award for promoting veterinary medicine worldwide. …
Keep more flea and tick preventive purchases in-clinicMarch 20, 2019When pet owners needed to purchase parasite control products, they traditionally went to their local veterinarian. However, the influx of retail businesses (both online and brick and mortar) competing in this market has created a financial feasting frenzy on clinic profits. "We have moved from having a near monopoly on the sale of flea/tick products to the current situation where less than half of clients are now purchasing their flea/tick products from their veterinarian," says Lowell Ackerman, DVM, DACVD, an independent consultant, author, and lecturer. In most veterinary hospitals, pharmaceuticals represent 25 to 30 percent of revenue, according to Dr. Ackerman. As the bulk of that revenue comes from the sale of parasite control products, this "erosion" of sales is both significant and troubling. Reel 'em back in Reasons as to why pet owners have strayed beyond home base varies. Cost, convenience, and just not knowing the benefits of purchasing from their veterinarian are examples. When it comes to product pricing, veterinarians need to be competitive, but they don't need to be the low-price leader, according to Ackerman. "Clients see most noninjectable parasite control products as commodities, and it is easy for them to compare prices across different sources," …
AVMA economist shares findings on antibiotics, sustainabilityOctober 1, 2018Matthew J. Salois, chief economist for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), presented to the New York Academy of Sciences on the implications of raising animals without antibiotics. The presentation, "Sustainability and Antimicrobial Use in Animal Agriculture," calls for nuanced and evidence-based antibiotic policies that consider a holistic view of antibiotics' impacts on animal welfare, the environment, and economics. In recent years, some companies and consumers have embraced raising animals without antibiotics; today, nearly half of all broiler chickens are raised without antibiotics, according to the AVMA. During his presentation, Dr. Salois cautioned that reduced use of antibiotics in farm animals can have negative implications for animal welfare and the overall sustainability of animal agriculture, if not accompanied by appropriate changes in management practices. For example, the average mortality rate for broiler chickens raised without antibiotics can be 25 to 50 percent higher than for conventionally raised broiler chickens, he said. Additionally, birds raised without antibiotics are much more likely to suffer from painful medical conditions, such as being more than three times as likely to experience ammonia burns in their eyes, Salois added. The higher incidences of disease and mortality for birds raised without antibiotics, …
