Given the constant new research, trends, and practices in veterinary medicine related to oncology, it’s difficult for general practitioners to keep up. Now, there’s a resource to help.
Today, AAHA released its 2016 Oncology Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (“Guidelines”), a “go to” resource general practitioners can use with oncology patients.
After a recent advertising campaign by Petco revealed the retailer's 7-Point Pet Care Check conducted by in-store groomers, many veterinarians expressed concern, according to a post from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Concerns from AVMA members regarding the ads—specifically that anything out of the ordinary discovered during a pet’s grooming visit should be assessed by a veterinarian and treated as necessary—came forward soon after the advertisements debuted online and on television, according to the AVMA.
Investigation of the pathogens contributing to naturally occurring outbreaks of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) using Next Generation Sequencing
Dr. Lee Jones and Dr. Rebecca Wilkes, UGA Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Tifton, GA
The average price for a canine and feline sick pet exam is $50.85, and exotic sick pet exams are a few pennies less, note the authors of The Veterinary Fee Reference: Vital Statistics for Your Veterinary Practice. If you’re charging more, unless you can communicate the value of that higher fee, guess what? With an existing client, you may lose the appointment. With a potential new client, you may never get her to walk in the door.
That’s why it’s critical, especially with new clients whose only contact with your practice is that initial phone call, to train staff on how to communicate the value of your fees, especially if they are higher than your competitors.
Andreas Barner, chairman of the board for Boehringer Ingelheim, says the transaction “demonstrates the consistent orientation of our business towards innovation-driven sectors. As a research based pharmaceutical company, we will substantially enhance our position in the future market for animal health and will prospectively be one of the largest global players in this segment.”
Likewise, Sanofi CEO Olivier Brandicourt, MD, says the move positions his company to become a leader in consumer healthcare.
We have reported in the past about a court case here in Georgia that has national implications because it left open the potential for awarding damages above and beyond the market value of a pet, also known as non-economic damages. On January 19, 2016 the Georgia Supreme Court heard this case. The GVMA contributed to an amicus brief produced by the AVMA that argued emotion-based awards would be detrimental to veterinary medicine and the health and welfare of Georgia's pets.
Below is more information assembled by the AVMA on non-economic damages.
A marketing campaign that implied Petco grooming services include health checks was quickly recast after the national retailer heard concerns from the American Veterinary Medical Association. The AVMA contacted Petco following complaints from members and state veterinary medical associations that Petco commercials on television andonline about its “7-point Pet Care Check” verged into the territory of unlicensed practice. The “care check” entails a “visual and physical screening” of the pet’s eyes, ears, teeth, nose, under-side, skin, coat, nails and paw pads, according to a description on the Petco website.
Also on the website, a groomer identified as “Glenn, stylist/mentor since 2013,” previously was quoted as saying, “With my background in animal science, I’m able to give my clients much more than a bath and a haircut. I can delve into the health and the nutrition of the pet, and make sure they leave happy and healthy.” By Monday, the quotation was replaced with, “It’s nice to get new dogs in and see my regular clients at the same time and know that we are providing a service that people really appreciate on a daily basis.”
Sileo, designed for pet owners to administer before or at the time of a fear or anxiety-eliciting noise stimulus, is the first FDA-approved treatment specifically for noise aversion.
For many dog owners, summertime isn't all about fun in the sun. Fireworks, storms, parties and even construction work—all of which can negatively affect dogs with noise phobia—means that warmer weather can make for a frequently scared, anxious pet. Noise phobia is a dog's sudden and profound, sometimes extreme response to noise, manifested as intense, active avoidance; escape; or anxiety behaviors.
POSITIVE RABIES ALERT IN EAST HALL AREA
This is to advise that in the Joe Chandler Road area of East Hall there was contact between a raccoon and a dog. The raccoon was shipped to the Georgia Public Health Lab- Virology Section in Decatur. On May 09, 2016 Hall County Animal Control was advised that the raccoon was positive for rabies. This is the 7th confirmed case of rabies for 2016.
The Veterinary Services Grant Program is authorized by Section 7104 of the 2014 Farm Bill and received a first-time appropriation of $2.5 million in the FY16 federal budget. NIFA anticipates releasing the first Request for Applications for this program in April 2016 and announcing the first grants awarded under this program by October.
NIFA will host three Veterinary Services Grant Program webinars to provide information to applicants and address their questions.
Is "canine influenza" a misnomer? Perhaps, in light of a recent finding.
The Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (UW Shelter Medicine) has confirmed that the virus that sickened a large number of dogs in the Midwest last year has now infected a group of cats in the region.
If you live in a part of the country where your water has a high mineral content, also called “hard water,” not only will you use more laundry detergent when washing kennel blankets. You may also see a higher number of urinary health conditions.
On April 7, Trupanion, a pet insurance company, released data that linked urinary health conditions in pets with hard water ratings in U.S. cities, as identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Published on March 11, 2016
Alachua, Florida --The year 2008 marked the beginning of the Great Recession. More than seven years later, the economy seems to be slowly getting back on track. When the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association administered its Compensation and Benefits Survey in 2013, managers’ salaries reflected the struggling economy, registering a decrease between 2013 and 2011. The newly-released 2015 VHMA Compensation and Benefits Survey indicates that in general, managers’ and administrators’ salaries have increased over the previous two years. Furthermore, factors such as education and certification can help to raise salaries even more.
USDA Announces $4.4 Million in Available Funding for Veterinary Loan Repayment
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $4.4 million in available funding to help repay veterinary school loans in return for veterinarians serving in areas lacking sufficient veterinary resources. The funding is available through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
March 25, 2016
The legislature adjourned early Friday morning, concluding the 2016 session in their usual fashion. Bills flew back and forth throughout the evening and legislative mischief, which is common during the final days, was pervasive. House and Senate members now return home, many to kick off reelection campaigns. Over fifty incumbents have a challenger in the May 24 Primary Election and will spend the next two months fundraising and campaigning. Governor Nathan Deal, on the other hand, will spend the coming weeks reviewing and acting on legislation sent to him by the General Assembly. He has until May 3 to sign or veto legislation. Legislation not eligible for action by the Governor is lost and will have to be refiled to be considered again. All eyes are watching his decisions related to controversial religious freedom and gun bills.
Results highlight the increasing weight of increasing weight as well as a lack of standard definition in the veterinary industry.
About 58 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs are overweight in the United States, according to a release from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). APOP conducts an annual survey of obesity prevalence, and the percentage of overweight cats in 2015 is the same as last year’s survey but slightly up for dogs—53 percent of dogs were reported to be overweight in the 2014 survey.
The Atlanta Humane Society and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine are partnering to provide veterinary students experiential learning opportunities in a shelter medicine setting.
The agreement allows fourth-year UGA veterinary students an elective shelter medicine rotation at the AHS, during which the students may perform spays, neuters, other basic surgeries, and dental procedures, all under the supervision of the AHS veterinarian. The partnership, which represents the first formal agreement between the UGA CVM and the AHS, provides students with learning opportunities in a busy shelter environment. Shelter medicine was recently recognized as a veterinary specialty by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
New drug in isoxazoline class lasts 35 days without drop in efficacy, company reports.
Zoetis announced Feb. 25 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Simparica (sarolaner) Chewables to kill adult fleas and prevent flea infestations, as well as treat and control tick infestations due to the Lone Star tick, the Gulf Coast tick, the American dog tick and the brown dog tick. Simparica is approved for use in dogs 6 months of age or older weighing 2.8 pounds or more. In a single-dose chewable tablet, once-monthly Simparica’s peak performance lasts for 35 days without losing efficacy at the end of the month, according to product testing.
A clinical trial at UC Davis using fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells helped some cats with feline gingivostomatitis finally be pain-free.
Feeling no pain! Bob the cat underwent successful stem cell therapy to alleviate the lingering discomfort of feline gingivostomatitis. Even after all his teeth had been removed, Bob, a 14.5-year-old cat, was still in pain from feline chronic gingivostomatitis. In April 2013, Bob’s owner decided to enroll Bob in a clinical trial involving stem cell therapy at the University of California, Davis, to treat this chronic oral inflammation nightmare.
Many veterinary students will tell you they’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since they were small children. Whatever persuaded them—a beloved pet, involvement in FFA or 4-H, or time spent shadowing a veterinarian—this profession has no lack of passion. Passion for the profession is what allows these students to look past the sacrifices and strenuous academic requirements necessary to pursue a veterinary degree.
The question we face now is whether those individuals know the true cost of these financial sacrifices. It’s easy to look at a single summary dollar figure. But a dollar figure on paper doesn’t capture what it means for you, your family or your day-to-day life. To that end, let’s explore the similarities and differences between expenditure patterns of early-career veterinary households and the average U.S. family between the 70th and 80th percentiles of income using data collected from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Personal Financial Planning (PFP) tool and from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1
