Australian vet awarded 2018 WSAVA, Hill's Next Generation honorAugust 15, 2018Dr. Guyan Weerasinghe, an Australian veterinarian working in small animal practice and as a state government veterinary officer, has been honored by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and Hill's Pet Nutrition as the winner of the 2018 Next Generation Veterinary Award. The award acknowledges the work of a veterinarian who graduated within the past 10 years and who has contributed significantly to the betterment of companion animals, the veterinary profession, and society at large. He graduated from the University of Queensland in 2011, gaining experience in dairy practice in New Zealand and in shelter medicine in Sydney, Australia. In 2017, he achieved a master's in veterinary public health and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. In his current role at Greencross Caloundra, a companion animal practice on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, he maintains a small animal caseload and works alongside local animal rescue groups. Through his work for the Queensland Government's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, he is involved with animal disease surveillance and response and increasing the awareness of public health risks in veterinary practice, including small animal clinics. He also collaborates on a number of …
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WSAVA announces 2018 Global One Health Award recipientsJune 29, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has announced that a veterinarian and a physician are the joint winners of its 2018 Global One Health Award. Edward B. Breitschwerdt, DVM, from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Christopher W. Woods, MD, from Duke University, Durham, N.C., were nominated for the award in recognition of their work on atypical manifestations of bartonellosis in people and veterinary healthcare providers in particular. The WSAVA Global One Health Award is presented by the WSAVA's One Health Committee (OHC) to an individual or organization which has promoted an aspect of One Health relevant to companion animals. Drs. Breitschwerdt and Woods will receive their award and jointly present the One Health Award lecture during this year's WSAVA World Congress, Sept. 25-28 in Singapore. Multiple Bartonella spp. can infect people and their pets, with cat scratch disease being the most recognized manifestation. However, Bartonella spp. are considered "stealth" pathogens and can be difficult to diagnose. Breitschwerdt and Woods have developed more sensitive Bartonella tests for use with humans and other species and have applied these tests to people, in the process discovering new chronic disease associations, including headaches, …
WSAVA World Congress 2018 early bird deadline approachingJune 15, 2018Veterinarians planning on attending World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) World Congress 2018 need to act fast: The deadline for early bird registration rates is June 25. WSAVA World Congress, a gathering of more than 2,000 companion animal veterinarians, will take place Sept. 25-28 in Singapore. Highlights of this year's congress include: The launch of the association's new Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Welfare A series of outreach programs to enable veterinarians who wish to volunteer their services to gain new experiences and support animal welfare in countries in which companion animal practice is still developing A Donation Drive run by local host, the Singapore Veterinary Association, to help veterinary students and developing associations in South East Asia by asking sponsors and delegates to donate equipment The next steps in the association's campaign to secure equal access to veterinary therapeutics for veterinarians around the world Precongress workshops on aquatic medicine and practical dentistry and a packed scientific program in which global veterinary and business experts will explore cutting-edge thinking in all aspects of companion animal veterinary care. State-of-the art lectures from some of the association's 2018 award winners are also included on the …
WSAVA global veterinary therapeutics access campaign gains supportersJune 1, 2018As the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) continues its campaign to secure equal access to veterinary therapeutics around the world, more global animal health organizations lend their support. The World Veterinary Association, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, and the Federation of Companion Animal Francophone Veterinary Associations are the latest groups to join the cause with 10 WSAVA member associations already involved. In a 2016-2017 member survey, 75 percent of respondents confirmed that challenges to accessing veterinary medical products hampered their ability to meet the needs of their patients, and 20 percent assessed the impact of this issue as resulting in a severe restriction on their ability to provide a high level of care. "We face a Herculean task in trying access everything from basic medical consumables, such as syringes and needles, right up to veterinary drugs," said Olatunji Nasir, DVM, MVsc (Surgery), MCVSN, medical director and CEO of the Truthmiles Animal Hospital in southwest Nigeria, one of the countries affected. "Registration fees are very high because they are the equivalent of what is charged for human drugs despite the fact that the volume used is much lower. The process of registering a new drug …
AFSCAN announces 2018 research and studentship awardsMay 29, 2018The African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN), a project supported by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's (WSAVA) Charitable Foundation, has announced the recipients of the 2018 AFSCAN Research and Studentship Awards. AFSCAN Research Awards AFSCAN Research Awards offer academics working at a veterinary school in Africa the opportunity to secure a grant to fund a locally relevant clinical research project of their devising in partnership with a research laboratory overseas. From six applications this year, two projects have been selected for funding following review by the WSAVA scientific advisory committee and the AFSCAN management board. Dr. Willy Mwangi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, has been awarded $9,945 for an 18-month project: "Spatial and molecular epidemiology of Giardia duodenalis in shelter and client-owned dogs in Nairobi County, Kenya." Dr. Adekunle Bamidele Ayinmode from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, has been awarded $8,170 for a two-year project: "Prevalence and genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis in clinical samples from cats and dogs in south west Nigeria." AFSCAN Studentship Awards The AFSCAN Studentship Awards enable a fourth- or fifth-year African undergraduate veterinary student to spend six to eight weeks participating in research …
WSAVA launches campaign for global access to veterinary therapeuticsMarch 27, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has launched a campaign to secure equitable access to veterinary therapeutics for veterinarians. The association also is forming a Therapeutics Guidelines Group (TGG) to spearhead its efforts improve access to veterinary therapeutics. The organization, represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 105 member associations, has launched the campaign to address long-standing problems experienced by companion animal veterinarians in some regions of the world in gaining access to the veterinary medicinal products they require to provide a high level of patient care. The WSAVA's Position Statement was drawn up following concerns raised by WSAVA member associations during discussions at member forums during 2017. The Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations, the Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations, the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations, the Federación Iberoamericana deAsociaciones Veterinarias de Animales de Compañía, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, and HealthforAnimals, the global animal medicines association, are statement co-signatories. The TGG aims to: Develop minimum standards for a veterinary hospital pharmacy to ensure it can support a veterinarian's ability to provide an appropriate standard of care Monitor issues relating to access to veterinary therapeutics and recommend solutions using an evidence-based approach Engage global stakeholders to raise awareness of the issue and build a collaborative approach to resolve the issues. "The ready access by veterinary professionals to diagnostics and therapeutic modalities is the foundation of proper patient care," said Walt …
WSAVA launches new website to broaden global veterinary communityFebruary 21, 2018 The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has launched a new website. Optimized for viewing on all internet-connected devices, the site includes recordings of lectures at previous World Congresses, an interactive map to enable members to find out quickly about the association's activity or continuing education by region, improved site navigation and search functions, and updated information on the full range of the organization's activities. Later this year, the website will feature Global Village, a forum for WSAVA member veterinarians to participate in discussion boards, view CE lectures, access quizzes, vote on WSAVA business, and connect with fellow WSAVA members from around the world. Reflecting the diversity of the WSAVA's membership, the new site will feature more content in Spanish, Russian, and simplified Chinese. "You only have to attend WSAVA World Congress to see the bond among our members and the extent to which they are keen to build relationships with each other, learn more about veterinary practice in other parts of the world and share experience and opportunity globally," said Siraya Chunekamrai, DVM, Ph.D., WSAVA vice president. "Our new website offers them a wealth of resources and information on the WSAVA, on our various committees …
First WSAVA CEO charged with attracting sponsorship revenueFebruary 2, 2018Arpita Bhose has been named CEO of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). She will work with WSAVA President Elect Shane Ryan, BVSc (Hons) (Qld), MVS (Murdoch), CVA (IVAS), GradDipAnimChiro (RMIT), MChiroSc (RMIT), MRCVS. Bhose's responsibilities include generating sponsorship revenue to support the organization's activities, including the development of global guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including vaccination, nutrition, and pain management; developing information, tools, and other educational resources to veterinarians; providing continuing education, including its flagship annual WSAVA World Congress; and campaigning on key issues to veterinarians globally, such as access to veterinary medicines and animal welfare.
WSAVA unveils first global veterinary dentistry guidelinesOctober 4, 2017To support veterinarians around the world in improving recognition of dental disease and providing greater dental care to patients, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) launched global veterinary dentistry guidelines. WSAVA hopes the guidelines will help bridge what it perceives as a significant gap in veterinary education globally and to encourage a greater emphasis on dentistry in the veterinary curriculum, according to the organization. WSAVA's Global Dental Guidelines, launched during its World Congress in Copenhagen, include information and images of oral anatomy and common pathology, as well as best-practice recommendations for oral examinations and an easily implementable dental health scoring system. Evidence-based guidance on periodontal therapy, radiology, and dental extractions also is included, together with details of minimum equipment recommendations. A key theme is WSAVA's rejection of anesthesia-free dentistry, which it describes as ineffective and a cause of unnecessary stress and suffering to patients. "Dental, oral, and maxillofacial diseases are, by far, the most common medical conditions in small animal veterinary medicine," said Brook Niemiec, DVM, DAVDC, co-chair of the WSAVA Dental Guidelines Committee. "They cause significant pain, as well as localized and potentially systemic infection but— because pets rarely show outward …
WSAVA pushes responsible dog breeding through education about inherited diseasesMay 30, 2017Dr. Cathryn Mellersh, BVSc, Ph.D., head of canine genetics, Animal Health Trust, an English nonprofit looking for cures for companion animal diseases, and a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Hereditary Disease Committee (HDC), is urging veterinarians to educate dog breeders and dog owners about the perils of hereditary diseases.
