Here's an interesting report from the Associated Press: Veterinarians are increasingly using stem cells to treat animals with degenerative arthritis. Carol Fischman of Vero Beach, FL says that her 5-year-old Labradoodle has greatly benefitted from the $2000-$3000 procedure. The jury is still out on whether these procedures are indeed effective.
Link to Article
The Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today announced that veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary students through the Obama Administration's 'United We Serve' initiative, can participate in the National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps. NAHERC, a program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), ensures that critical veterinary staffing needs are met during the response to exotic disease outbreaks and other disasters which affect livestock, poultry, companion animals, and wildlife.
Read more about the initiative here:
A couple recent stories have pointed to the fact that veterinary medicine is a promising career for those seeking long-term job seeking. The recession has taken a particularly heavy toll on construction, finance and real estate jobs, but veterinary medicine remains one of the few bright spots with promising long term trends. The fact that the practice requires certification coupled with the pet poluation in the US helps to offset the negative effects of a shrinking economy.
Here are links to news stories that highlight this trend:
Examiner article
KFOR article
This is the first in a series of posts that describe to our readers some of the great blogs and web resources out there that deal with animal health.
Equid Blog started publishing in 2006 and provides the latest analysis on news in the equine (horse) health community. The Equid Blog is written by a pair of doctors: Scott Weese and Maureen Anderson. Scott is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph, and Public Health and Zoonotic Disease microbiologist for the University's Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. Maureen Anderson is currently a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph.
Recent tragedies such as the Polo Pony deaths in April which EquineBlog covered with great analysis, highlight the relevance to the wider world of horse health. Horse racing, breeding and leisure ownership of horses are very popular activities in North America, and the equine veterinary community is well-served with Equid Blog.
Fox 8 News out of North Carolina has an interesting piece about a new summer camp at the Zoo in North Carolina that allows children and others to see and experience the life of a veterinarian who feeds and tends to zoo animals. Rod Hackney interviews and explains the purpose and obvious benefits to such a great program. If you'd like to learn more about the summer program, go to the N. C. Zoological Web site.
With over 10,000 expected attendees and over 200 vendors vying for their attention, Seattle is set to be buzzing with activity this coming week. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) was founded in 1863 and last held its annual convention in 1991.
In addition to vendor booths and exhibits there are talks scheduled to discuss veterinary care abroad and the latest advances in medical technology. For the exhibitors it will present good marketing opportunities and a chance to network with other vendors and veterinarians.
Interesting news out of Texas today: authorities in Montague County seized about 496 dogs that were part of a breeding ranch that considers itself the largest kennel in North Texas. Sandy Grambort of the Humane Society of North Texas said authorities served search warrants after complaints that the dogs were not receiving proper veterinary care.
The kennel owners are disputing the accusation that the dogs were not receiving proper veterinary care and market their dogs online as having the most up-to-date vaccinations and shots. The dogs were taken out of the kennel to a warehouse owned by Cheasapeake Energy and as of today the search is ongoing. You can read more about the stoy here.
Fireworks shows are as much a staple of Fourth of July as summer barbeques. But to pet owners, Fourth of July can present challenges when it comes to dealing with the reaction of their pets to the fireworks. Alicia M. Borges, communications director of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, was quoted as saying that pets' ears are far more sensitive to our own and when they hear such loud noises all out once they are likely to panic and run away. She recommends keepng your pet indoors during the fireworks show.
Sometimes being indoor may not be enough, and Ms Borges recommends in addition to keeping them indoors, to turn on the televesion or anything that will provide white noise to drown ou tthe sound of fireworks or firecrackers.
VCA Antech, a publicly-traded veterinary healthcare company operating in the United States and Canada, announced today that it has acquired Eklin, a software provider of technology equipment and veterinary practice management software for an undisclosed amount. The amount is likely to be released to the public in the next financial disclosure of the company.
VCA Antech currently offers medical techology products, but Eklin offers a veterinary software suite called Veterinary Information Assistant, VIA. VCA now claims that it is the largest supplier of digital radiology, ultrasound and practice management software systems in the veterinary market.
A couple American veterinarians are headed to Liberia this month to care for animals ravaged during 14 years of strife and war. The vets are said to be the only practicing veterinarians in the country. Though there was a tradition of veterinary medicine in Liberia, it is assumed most vets left to escape civil war.
According the Veterinarians Without Borders US, the project is vital to ensure that Liberias animals remain healthy and contribute to its food security, human health and economy. You can read more about the project and the organization here.
