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With his Miami practice, Southeast Veterinary Neurology, thriving, a daily commitment to health that keeps him centered, and a tight family bond, Dr. Michael Wong is feeling psyched for the future.

Dr. Michael Wong is one of fewer than 300 board-certified veterinary neurologists practicing in North America. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine and while there, founded the Universitys Veterinary Business Management Association.

He went on to complete a medical and surgical internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey and he received his neurology and neurosurgery training at North Florida Neurology.

After completing his residency, Dr. Wong successfully passed his examination and became board-certified in veterinary neurology in the same year. He founded Southeast Veterinary Neurology (SEVN) in 2010.

We caught up with cool dad of three to learn more:

If I wasnt a veterinarian what would I be:

Ive always wanted to be a veterinarian, so I havent put much thought into that question.Prior to veterinary school I was a life guard at the beach and really enjoyed that.Maybe something with the ocean?Marine biologist?Tour guide?Not sure.

Best career advice I ever received:

Its a marathon, not a sprint.My first year out of veterinary school, Dr. Rick Glass, the neurologist at my internship used to say this.The particular context he used it in was with reference to another veterinarian who didnt think about the effects her decision had on referring vets wanting to refer to her in the future.

Its really shaped the way I view things.I have a long view.I think in the macro.I try to see the big picture.I make decisions based on the effects they will have in the long term as opposed to just the short term gain.I give up lots of short-term wins (profit, awards, etc) knowing that Ive made the right decision for my team and the pets and people that care for them.

How it felt becoming board certified:

Most people hated taking boards.Its a 2-day, five part test that has around a 30% pass rate.But for me, it wasnt stressful it was exciting.I was just putting down on paper all the knowledge I had been acquiring as part of living my dream of becoming a neurologist.

In between sections of the exam, I would head back to my room at the hotel.I remember thinking the lyrics from a song:Ive waited for this moment.Dreamed it every day.This is my one true purpose.It sounds cheesy, and Im sure many people had a very different experience around taking boards and are probably rolling their eyes at me right now.Its just my experience and a happy memory.

Easiest career decision I made

I wont call it the easiest, but certainly the best career decision I made was to open Southeast Veterinary Neurology.Practice ownership, entrepreneurship and leadership have opened up avenues in my life and career that I never would have had without them.

Related, Id say another best decision I made was to surround myself with people that share the vision of bringing hope to people and their pets.

Interesting way I made extra cash in vet school:

In vet school, I would make sushi at home and sell it to my classmates for lunch.Id take orders earlier in the week, buy the ingredients, make the rice, roll the sushi, then deliver at class.

Book that left a lasting impression on me:

Simon Sineks Leaders Eat Lastthis book is for those who want to feel they and their work matter and for those who want to inspire others to feel the same.

How I clear my head after a stressful day

Tennis.Family.Orangetheory.Orangetheoryis a science-backed, technology-tracked, coach-inspired group workout designed to produce results from the inside out.

What adventure most changed my life:

Meeting my wife, Myri-Ann. She was a St. Georges student, doing her clinical year of veterinary school at the University of Florida.Her first rotation was neurology, and we were on together.

I remember seeing her for the first time: she was the first person to the neurology rounds room, sitting nervously with her books on her lap, reviewing her notes.The neurology service was slow for those two weeks.Id come in early to help with neuro exams on her patients, since I didnt have any myself.I wasnt much of a help, as I still knew nothing about neurology at the time.She ended up getting an A and I got a B+.She likes to remind me of that.

We started off as friends.She was very hesitant to get romantically involved with someone from the mainland.Her plan was to go back to Puerto Rico and start a practice after finishing up school.

But, one day I walked her home after clinics were finished and we came across an earthworm struggling to cross the sidewalk in the Florida heat.She told me that her perspective on our romance changed when I picked the earthworm up and moved it to the grass.Im still indebted to that worm, because everything I have in my life right now (kids, family, house, business, etc) is because of this worm.

Whats my favorite way of spending a day off from work:

My perfect day would spending the day with my wife and then later picking up our kids and stopping by a park together on the way home.Play with Disney princesses, build Thomas the Train playset tracks, run around the back yard, exploring the dirt and hiding in the bushes.Jump in the pool.Cook dinner while the kids get a bath.Talk about the day at the dinner table: what we learned at school, who we sat with the lunch table, who we met, who we made smile, who we played with.Have the kids FaceTime with grandparents.Brush teeth.Read stories.Get ready for bed.

Connect with Dr. Michael on Linked in

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Dr. Michael Wong on confidence, career, and the importance of family - Jill Lopez

Labs from both universities are working together to ensure the safety of all Iowans.

IOWA CITY, Iowa Iowans of all walks of life are stepping up to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Iowa State University's vet diagnostic lab is using its equipment to help test people for the virus.

Normally, the lab detects infectious diseases in all types of animals.

But now it's helping out the state hygienic lab in Iowa City to increase testing of COVID-19.

"I can tell you, it's created, step wise, an enhancement of the capabilities," dean of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Dan Grooms said.

The Iowa State veterinary diagnostic lab is turning its effort to help COVID-19 response in Iowa.

"Our veterinary diagnostic lab is a state-of-the-art diagnostic lab that's set up to do animal testing at large scales. In fact, we do over 1-million tests here on an annual year," Grooms said.

They partnered with the state hygienic lab at the University of Iowa, which houses COVID-19 testing, by sending a bulk of equipment and expertise needed to increase the amount of COVID-19 testing in Iowa.

"By Friday morning we had instruments, people, reagents on its way to Iowa City and worked with their team there that's working around the clock at the hygienic lab over the weekend to on-board our hyput molecular extraction techniques into their work flow, they validated it into their workflow and on-boarded it. as of the testing, they started doing it last Saturday," director of the ISU veterinary diagnostic lab, Rodger Main said.

"This is what Iowans do under dire circumstances. We're looking for every opportunity we can to answer the call to solve this problem in the state of Iowa," Grooms said.

Right now, Iowa has the capacity to test 970 samples of suspected coronavirus cases.

Read more from the original source:
ISU and UofI teaming up to bring more COVID-19 tests to Iowa - Local 5 - weareiowa.com

Among the headlines from yesterdays meetings of the newly-empowered government and the national security council, one that caught the eye was the announcement of a cat diagnosed with coronavirus caught from its owner.

The cat was reported to have caught the virus from close contact with its owner, who had recently returned from Italy. When the cat became ill, its stool was examined and traces of the virus discovered.

The experts were quick to reassure pet owners that the case was exceptional, that animals were not considered a vector for the disease, and that there was no reason to be afraid either for their pets or for themselves.

But one animal virologist has raised questions about the whole story.

Hans Nauwynck is a professor at the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Ghent, and a specialist in virology. The news of the corona cat took him by surprise.

Before sending this news out into the world, I would have had some other tests carried out, he told Het Laatste Nieuws. When you hear about this right now, I wouldnt wish to be a cat tomorrow.

The discovery was made by the vet faculty at Liege university, who concluded the infection passed from human to cat and not the other way around.

Look, I have no criticism of my colleagues at Liege university, he stressed. The diagnosis has been made, Ive no doubt about the result, but were dealing here with a PCR test, a way of identifying genetic material of the virus.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test allows scientists to multiply a very small sample of genetic material to produce a quantity large enough to study.

Im simply questioning the interpretation of the results. The test is positive for corona, fine, but how was the test carried out? How was the sample taken, and can that result be trusted? I would advise people to slow down. There may somehow have been genetic material from the owner in the sample, and so the sample is contaminated.

To be absolutely certain, he said, more tests should have been done to confirm the initial result, and certainly before making an announcement to the world.

I think its too bad they didnt look further, he said. There should also have been research carried out to see if the cat had produced antibodies. Im worried that people will be scared by this news and animals will be the ones to suffer, and thats not right. As scientists we ought to put out clear and full information, and I dont think that has happened.

In the latest update, the cat is doing well. Its owner is also recovering, albeit more slowly.

Alan HopeThe Brussels Times

Continued here:
The curious case of the cat with corona - The Brussels Times

Driving into work, I (Perry Jameson) no longer get the cherished 30-40 minute conversation with my wife alone without four children involved. For the past week, every morning from 8-8:30, Dr. Henri Biannucci and I are on a 30-60 minute conference call with our management team discussing the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19.

Now, we not only have to worry about treating our animal patients but also how we prevent our staff from contracting COVID-19. Since so many of our team are younger (20-30 years of age), they may be positive and not even know, thus exposing a pet parent unknowingly. How do we meet our social responsibility to do our part in blunting the spread of this disease while at the same time treating ill patients?

I spoke with the governors office yesterday and, while I did not get to speak with him, the women I did talk to felt we would be deemed an essential business should he decide to restrict which businesses remain open. That reassured me, as all I could think about if we were required to close was of a family with a pet having a life-threatening emergency and nowhere to go. This is not like a hurricane where we could send them to Columbia or Greenville, as those locations could be closed as well.

We also use the same medical supplies and personal protective equipment as those in human medicine. How do we conserve these resources in case our colleagues in hospitals for humans need them but still practice veterinary medicine the best we can?

Over the past week, our hospitals have adapted to try to accomplish all of those goals. Every day, we modify them to meet new changes and in ways we find that better serve our patients. Most of the other veterinarians in town have adopted similar policies.

We have dramatically decreased our case load. If a pet is healthy but has had some abnormal laboratory values for several months, they are safe to wait several weeks to be seen. Elective surgeries can wait. This strategy both lessens the number of people exposed to each other while also decreasing the medical supplies we use.

When a patient cannot wait, we have instituted new policies to prevent exposure. The first step is asking the following questions before any interactions occur. This is awkward for us as we are not used to asking humans about their own symptoms:

If they answer yes to any of these, we are more aggressive with our personal protective equipment. If no, we still wear a mask and gloves but no gown in order to preserve these.

Mom and Dad wait in the car while the patient is brought inside and examined. All communications are over the phone, and the parents are never allowed in the building. We email all discharge instructions so as not to exchange paperwork.

The most uncomfortable aspect is not allowing clients inside to use the restroom. Many of our patients come from several hours away to be seen. To accommodate this need but prevent exposure, we have placed portable toilets outside all three of our hospitals.

Every time we treat a patient with chemotherapy, we have to protect ourselves from being exposed to these agents. There are multiple steps taken, from a special negative vacuum hood, special devices to prevent any material from leaking when removing from the bottle, and dressing in personal protective equipment. Part of the equipment is the N95 mask, which will not only prevent you from inhaling chemotherapy agents but viruses as well.

One of our oncologists, Dr. Kathryn Taylor, was concerned whether we should be using the N95 masks while they are running out of them in human medicine. After calculating the number we had and by being more efficient with their use, she found we had enough to last several months. She has been in contact with a nurse to see if her hospital needs them.

As veterinarians, we are trying to do our jobs of treating your sick pets but to also do our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and save critical medical supplies for potential human use.

You can help us by being patient with the social distancing strategies we have put into place and seeking care only when necessary.

Read more from the original source:
Pet Docs: Meeting our patient and social responsibilities in the time of COVID-19 - Charleston Post Courier

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- If a pandemic hits the Corn Belt during the growing season, thats one thing. Butits planting season, and farmers have one eye on getting the crop in the fieldand one eye on keeping the new coronavirus away from their families.

Jim Lowe, college of veterinary medicine at University of Illinois, told visitors via a farmdoc daily webinar, Tuesday,thatCOVID-19is one that needs everyones attention.

In many ways, the virus is serving as adjvu moment for the animal medical field.

Oftentimes with animal diseases, its hard to tell which animals are infected vs. which animalsare carrying the disease thats spreading.

Animals can be infected but not diseased. And that is the same situation occurring in humans withCOVID-19.

As a result, the big challenge facing this pandemic is understanding case definition.

In other words, when the number of COVID-19 cases are quoted, that refers to the number of individuals who have tested positive (diseased).

Butwe know that is a gross underestimate of the people who are only infected with the virus in the country, Lowe says. So, weve got some real challenges with what the denominator is. The point being that all age groups can get infected and even now we are seeing that younger people are getting severely ill and passing away.

While describing the virus, its impact on U.S. hospitals, its origin, its patterns on the population, etc., Lowe suggested that folks visit covidactnow.org for more detailed information.

Normally, when a virus moves from animals to humans (known as zoonotic), it doesnt adapt very well, doesnt replicate, and pass from human to human. Therefore, the virus doesnt spread much and is of very little threat.

Obviously, that is not the case with the new coronavirus, Lowe says.

Lowe says its helpful to understand that being diseased means that a human was exposed to a pathogen and that pathogen caused the person to have a response, getting sick.

People are exposed to pathogens and viruses everyday, but the immune systems handle that, for the most part.

Being infected, but not diseased, is especially important to understand with COVID-19.

Someone who is infected and is shedding can be infecting others, Lowe says. That is one of the big differences with this coronavirus and the first SARS outbreak (known as COV-1), also originating from China.

That virus didnt transmit very well between its hosts.

Also, it was easy to tell the people that ifinfectedwere also diseased, Lowe says.

Its very apparent with this years virus that we have a lot of infected people who are not diseased. Those infected people are infectious, meaning they can cause someone else to be infected, without knowing it, Lowe explains.

For these reasons, its hard to know who to be around and not get infected.

If I cant figure out where all the infected people are, or, in my animal science profession, where all the infected pigs or cattle are located, my only choice is to stop movement, Lowe says.

When trying to control infectious diseases, veterinarians consider that every animal fits in one of three categories.

Either the animal is infected, resistant to infection, orsusceptible to infection.

To control the spread of the novel virus, i.e., COVID-19 coronavirus, the key is to keep the susceptibles away from the infected. If I dont know who the infected are, its really hard to keep the susceptibles from being contacted, Lowe says.

So, this is why farmers are urged to be carefulas they go about their business of planting, chores, etc.

The virus can live on hard surfaces such as tools, pickup truck handles, steering wheels, etc. for three days. Those of us in agriculture, there is a tendency to be the tough guy. Its not a time for farmers to be that tough guy. If you get sick, after getting on the tractor to plant, get yourself isolated and dont infect your family, Lowe says.

Lowe added, Its a good idea to wipe off pickup truck handles with a sanitizer. Farmers have to go do their job, but they should wash their hands, wash their hands, and wash their hands.

While people shouldnt take this pandemic lightly, Lowe doesnt believe living in fear is the answer, as the weeks and months go on.

While serving as a state fair veterinarian, Lowe sees it as too early to tell if the nations county and state fair celebrations will need to be canceled.

I think its going to be touchandgo. I would guess that we are going to be somewhat conservative much like the sporting events. The early state fairs could be off and I hate to even gather a guess at what could be happening by August. Its either going to be better or worse, Lowe says.

The good news is that there is zero evidence that this coronavirus infects anything other than human beings, he says.

Lowe encourages truck drivers to be cautious, as they have a lot of contact hauling livestock to packing plants and elsewhere.

Lowe joined the University of Illinois farmdoc experts, Tuesday, on a webinar focused onCOVID-19and U.S. agriculture. The webinar has been archived at farmdocdaily.illinois.edu. Look for the YouTube icon.

See original here:
With COVID-19, farmers urged to resist being the tough guy, veterinarian says - Successful Farming

While some of our bodys cells divide in a matter of hours, the process of making sperm, meiosis,alonetakes about 14days from start to finish. And fully six of those days are spent in the stage known as the pachytene, when pairs of chromosomes from an individuals mother and father align and connect.

This stage is really important, because the pair needs to be aligned for the exchange of genetic material between those two chromosomes, says P. Jeremy Wang, a biologist in Penns School of Veterinary Medicine. If anything goes wrong at this stage, it can cause a defect in meiosis and problems in the resulting sperm, leading to infertility, pregnancy loss, or birth defects.

In a new paper in Science Advances, Wang and colleagues have identified an enzyme that plays a crucial role in maintaining this chromosomal pairing during the pachytene stage of meiosis. Without this protein, named SKP1, meiosis cannot proceed to metaphase, the next major developmental stage involved in generating sperm cells.

The finding may help overcome hurdles that have stood in the way of treating certain forms of male infertility, in which a man makes no sperm but in whom sperms precursor cells, spermatogonia, can be found.

Reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization have made a huge difference for infertile patients, but the male needs to have at least some sperm, says Wang. If the male has no sperm, then the only option is to use donor sperm. But if you can find these spermatogonia, the pre-meiotic germ cells, they could be induced to go through meiosis and make sperm. So SKP1 could be part of the solution to ensuring meiosis continues.

Wang is also hopeful that his finding could aid in basic research on sperm development that his and many other labs pursue.

Right now we use animals to do our research; we dont have a cell culture system to produce sperm, he says. Manipulating SKP1 and the pathway in which it acts could allow us to set up an in vitro system to produce sperm artificially, which would be a boon for our studies.

The publication represents nearly a decade of work, led by Wangs postdoctoral researcher Yongjuan Guan, with major contributions from former postdoc Mengcheng Luo.

The team began focusing on SKP1 after conducting a screening test to look for proteins found in the area where the paired chromosomes come together during the pachytene stage of meiosis. From earlier studies, the researchers knew that SKP1 also plays a role in cell division in cells throughout the body, not just sperm and eggs. Without it, cells die.

That fact forced the Penn Vet team to get creative to understand the proteins function. Unable to simply eliminate it, they created a model system in mice in which they could turn off the protein only in the germ cells and only in adulthood.

Taking this inducible, germ-cell-specific model, we found that taking away SKP1 caused the chromosomes to prematurely separate, says Wang.

While the normal alignment process in the pachytene stage takes six days in mice, in the cells that lost SKP1 the paired chromosomes separated far earlier.

Scientists had hypothesized the existence of a metaphase competence factor, or some protein required for a cell to enter metaphase. Wang believes that SKP1 is it.

While introducing a compound known as okadaic acid to sperm precursor cells can coax them into an early entrance to metaphase, cells lacking SKP1 did not progress to metaphase.

Experiments in developing eggs showed the researchers that SKP1 is also required for females to maintain viable eggs. Oocytes, the cells that develop through meiosis to form mature eggs, that lacked SKP1 developed misaligned chromosomes and many eventually were lost.

In future work, Wang and his colleagues want to dig deeper into the mechanism of action by which SKP1 works to ensure cells can progress to metaphase, with the idea of eventually manipulating it to find strategies for addressing infertility and innovative laboratory techniques.

Now that we know SKP1 is required, were looking for the proteins it interacts with upstream and downstream so we can study this pathway, says Wang.

Wang, Guan, and Luos coauthors on the paper were Penn Vets N. Adrian Leu, Jun Ma, and Gordon Ruthel; Penn School of Arts and Sciences Biology Departments Luks Chmtal and Michael Lampson; and Cornell Universitys Jordana C. Bloom and John C. Schmienti. Luo is now a faculty member at Chinas Wuhan University.

Support for the work came from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (grants GM118052 and GM122475), National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant 2018YFC1003400), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 31771588), Thousand Youth Talents Plant, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (grants HD082568 and HD057854).

Go here to see the original:
A critical enzyme for sperm formation could be a target for treating male infertility - Penn: Office of University Communications

Oklahoma State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine strives for innovation in both animal and human health, serving education, research and extension efforts.

Each year, the CVM welcomes bright, energetic students. There are 106 students in the veterinary class of 2023; 58 are Oklahoma residents. Forty-seven Oklahoma counties are represented by current classes.

The colleges faculty and staff work diligently to ensure all students are well prepared. Our graduates have achieved a National Board Examination pass rate of 100 percent for the last three years.

For the past five years, the CVM has consistently ranked higher than the national average in students seeking employment in food animal-mixed animal practice (OSU 22.8 percent, national 16.02 percent). The CVM recognizes the shortage of rural veterinarians and is working to address those needs.

As part of a land-grant institution, CVMs research is a strong focus. Research productivity is dramatically increasing. According to the 2019 Comparative Data Report from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, the CVM ranks 13th of 30 among U.S. schools of veterinary medicine when research funding is normalized to faculty numbers.

Our signature research programs include respiratory and infectious disease, interdisciplinary toxicology, parasitology, zoonotic and tick transmitted diseases, lung biology, exercise physiology and microbiome science.

Extension is also a focus area for the CVM, specifically through outreach and education. Additionally, collaborations with other segments of extension enhance programming. This includes the Integrated Beef Cattle Program for Veterinarians, a project funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant. This project aims to retain veterinarians and attract new graduates to rural practice. It expands business opportunities by improving veterinary training in areas impacting herd management, health and production. It is a cooperative multidisciplinary project, uniting the CVM and the animal science and agricultural economics departments of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

The Veterinary Medical Hospital is a teaching facility that serves patients from across the region. The food animal service offers around-the-clock emergency care, treating thousands of animals annually. Surgery, medicine, reproduction and on-farm services are offered. The CVM caseload is in the top 10 of U.S. veterinary schools and growing.

The Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory operates within the CVM, promoting animal health through diagnostic testing, professional student instruction and research in diseases of economic importance. OADDL is a National Animal Health Laboratory Network Level 1 laboratory. This is the highest level of designation from the USDA. In 2018, OADDL served 75 Oklahoma counties and 40 states on more than 17,000 cases involving 89,000 tests.

Dr. Rosslyn Biggs is an assistant clinical professor at Oklahoma State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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VETERINARY VIEWPOINTS: Oklahoma State strives for innovation in health - Stillwater News Press

Animal Science Pre-Vet Club

Members of the Pre-Vet club alongside faculty advisor, Jeremy Powell.

In early March, 13 members of the Pre-Veterinary Club, along with two faculty advisors, Jeremy Powell and Lauren Thomas, traveled to Virginia Tech University to participate in the 2020 American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association Symposium.

Hosted by a different school each year, the annual symposium typically draws approximately 500 pre-veterinary students from all over the nation. During this year's two-day event, our students had the opportunity to attended lectures presented by veterinary professionals, participate in hands-on wet labs and meet and greet with veterinary admissions counselors from all over the nation, including international schools!As an added bonus, our students capitalized on the long drive to Virginia Tech by stopping in Knoxville, Tennessee. to tour the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

All students agree, that while the drive to and from Virginia was rather arduous, the value of the experience was well worth all the effort!

Read the original:
Students Attend American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association Symposium - University of Arkansas Newswire

When it comes to veterinary medicine duringthe coronavirus pandemic, many Cape Ann and North Shore veterinarians are keeping the human half of their client pairs out of the office.

They are only speaking with their human clients out in their parking lots or by phone.

We are not letting any clients in the building except (for) life or death things, such as euthanasia, said Dr. Donna Heaney of North Shore Veterinary Hospital in Gloucester. Were doing things like taking histories of the pets outside.

New England Veterinary Clinic of Salem is also following the outdoor intake method.

People pull up, call the office, a nurse goes out to pick (the pet) up in the parking lot, said Dr. Julie Bergeron ofNew England Veterinary. The idea behind that is to keep people who may be carrying the virus from infecting my team and other clients as well. Vet clinics are considered essential services, so we're going to try to continue working as long as humanly possible.

Heaney says her clients have been understanding of this change, as they are trying to keep away from the virus as well. Bergeron hasnt had the same luck.

Nobody likes change, she said. There seems to be confusion as well, and with confusion some get angry. But if we continue with foot traffic in and out of the building, we could get sick and wed be unable to take care of their pets.

Despite these changes, North Shore Veterinary Hospital staff has been working a full caseload, although it might not last for long.

Its a work in progress, said Heaney. Were still trying to figure out what we can and cant do. Were still having routine check-ups but we might be cutting back on that soon to make room for the pets that need immediate attention. Were down a few employees as well. Next week will be slower.

New England Veterinary Clinic has already begun cutting down its services.

As with a lot of other clinics, we are not providing elective surgeries at this time, said Bergeron. Were trying to preserve the (personal protective equipment) for human hospitals.

Pets and the virus

The CDC states there have been no cases of animalscatching coronavirus so far. Still, this doesnt mean they aren't capable of transmitting the virus. Because of this, Bergeron said, if a pet owner is self-quarantining,he or she should consider any pets quarantined as well.

These times arent just stressful for humans pets have been feeling the effects of the pandemic panic as well.

Some are the dogs are getting stressed, said Heaney. Theyre feeding off their peoples stress. Weve been seeing dogs with stress diarrhea. I think (the best way to mitigate the stress is) trying to keep them in a routine. They are creatures of habit and they dont like when their routines are interrupted.

Not all veterinarian offices are staying open during the pandemic.

Were not seeing any routine cases, said Dr. Larry Lamb of Manchester Animal Hospital. Were trying to figure out how its possible how to work with staff and keep a 10-foot distance. I feel its so important to maintain the safety of our coworkers and their families.

Lamb says hes willing to talk to clients over the phone if they have any questions. If it's urgent care theyre seeking, he says hell be able to connect them with vets still working nearby.

Ill be able to help them out on the phone as best I can, he said. I know Angell Animal Hospitalin Boston will still be seeing urgent care.

Indeed, MSPCA-Angell is stillproviding immediate medical attention to pets atits Boston and Waltham locations. LikeNorth Shore Veterinary Hospital andNew England Veterinary Clinic, however, humans are not allowed inside.

"Signage outside our front entrance provides specific phone numbers for clients to call from their mobile phones upon arrival," reads instructions on the MSPCA website. "As clients remain outside the building, our team then guides clients on next steps for an emergency, a necessary re-check, or medication/food pickup."

Back in Gloucester, Cape Ann Animal Aid of Gloucester has closed its doors for the time being as well.

Due to concerns about coronavirus and recommendations on social distancing, we are not currently open to the public, states the clinics answering machine message. We are busy caring for the animals and working on a process for adoption via appointment Please keep updated on happenings here by checking our website, capeannanimalaid.org, or viewing our Facebook page.

Representatives with SeaPort Veterinary Hospital in Rockport and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Salem declined to comment for this story. Dr. Jeff French of Cape Ann Veterinary Hospital in Gloucesterwas unable to be reached at presstime.

Michael Cronin may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or mcronin@gloucestertimes.com.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Parking lot procedures: Veterinarians on Cape Ann, North Shore adjust to coronavirus - Gloucester Daily Times

Trupanion, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and The Bridge Club have scheduled separate webinars designed to help veterinary professionals navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

Guidance for Nonprofit, Government and In Practice Veterinary Personnel, hosted by Trupanion, will take place at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 25. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/2UnNSLu.

The first 3,000 veterinary professionals who preregister will be eligible for RACE credits if they view the presentation on the Zoom conferencing platform. The event also will be streamed on Facebook Live at https://bit.ly/2wtqR1L.

Moderated by Trupanion chief veterinary officer Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, the webinar will feature three speakers:

By joining forces with these worldwide authorities in pet health and welfare, our goal is to provide the most current and useful information to the veterinary and sheltering community, Dr. Weinrauch said.

At 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 24, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association will present Coronavirus: Employment Law Updates Managers Need to Know. Topics presented by attorney Timothy A. Davis will include new federal legislation regarding paid leave and unemployment benefits, compliance with applicable laws and how to reduce the risk of workplace exposures.

Registration is available at https://bit.ly/3dlTEG9.

At 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 25, The Bridge Club, a networking group, will host COVID-19 Updates from the AVMA : What the Profession Needs to Know Now. The guest speaker will be Gail Golab, DVM, Ph.D., MANZCVS, DACAW, chief veterinary officer at the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Registration is available at https://bit.ly/3dnMuRC.

Did you know a subscription to Todays Veterinary Business is free to qualified veterinary professionals? All you have to do is sign up here (and renew each year). You also can sign up to receive the Todays Veterinary Business weekly e-newsletter.

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Webinar week: COVID-19 and veterinary practice - Today's Veterinary Business Magazine

One of the joys of owning a pet is being able to observe their curious nature. However, when they stick their noses where they dont belong, a dangerous situation can arise, especially in a state like Texas, which is home to more than 75 different species of snakes.

Dr. Dalton Hindmarsh, a veterinary resident at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, advises pet owners on what to do if their furry friend falls victim to a snake bite.

First, you should keep your pet calm and seek veterinary care, he said. Contrary to what you may read on the internet, I would not recommend giving any medications at home, including things like Benadryl, without first consulting your veterinarian. I would also not recommend a tourniquet or trying to suck the venom out.

Hindmarsh also said that prophylactic antibiotics are typically not prescribed, since the risk of infection from a snake bite is less than 1 percent. Steroid medications or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain medications are also not usually involved in treatment of a snake bite, as they have a high risk of side effects and no documented treatment benefit.

Hindmarsh adds that snake bites are very common in dogs and less frequently seen in cats. Its also important to remember that if a snake is able to harm your pet, they are likely a danger to you as well, so Hindmarsh recommends that owners exercise caution after the bite.

If the snake is already dead, you can take a picture of it to show veterinary staff, he said. Please do not bring the snake with you! If the snake is alive, do not put yourself in danger and leave the area with your pet.

Once a bitten pet has reached a veterinary care facility, there are a variety of treatment options available.

The recommended treatment ultimately depends on the severity of the bite, but most cases are treated with IV fluids to address shock, pain medications, and monitoring, Hindmarsh said. Antivenom is readily available but is not always indicated for every snake bite.

Owners should be mindful about preventing their pets from interacting with snakes, especially when in regions where these slithering creatures are more common. In the areas near Texas A&M, copperheads are the most common venomous snake.

Owners may consider avoidance training (teaching dogs to leave snakes alone) for outdoor and working dogs, Hindmarsh said. Keeping pets on a leash may also reduce the chance they encounter a snake.

If pet owners have concerns about their animal encountering snakes, they should contact their veterinarian to discuss how they can best protect their pet. Owners who suspect that their pet has been bitten should contact their veterinarian immediately.

If you end up seeing a snake the next time you and your pet are enjoying the outdoors, Hindmarsh advises that you leave the snake alone, back away, and leave the area.

Read more:
Pet talk: The biting truth of Snake Envenomation - Marshall News Messenger

RINER Dogs and cats may not have to worry about COVID-19, but the pandemic viral infection is changing how some veterinarians practice.

At Riner Animal Hospital on Thursday, that meant Bear the black lab got his vaccines in the clinic while his ride, Joe Richmeier, sat in his truck in the parking lot. And Bear got a little walk from his vet, Dr. Lindsey Mabe, who brought the 1-year-old canine outside when his appointment was over.

Its all part of the new way the clinic handles patient care. For now, animal patients come inside, but their owners dont. All communication and payment is done in the parking lot or by phone.

Were really just trying to take every precaution to prevent exposure, Mabe said. And the new service reduces the need to constantly sanitize the waiting room. That allows the staff to conserve cleaning supplies that are already in short supply.

I really appreciate them doing that, Richmeier said. Im sure its inconvenient.

Mabe said its a little more work for the staff but worth it for everyones safety.

Dr. Richard Wright, practice owner, said he implemented the procedures on Tuesday at the request of his staff. The change came after Gov. Ralph Northam announced new guidelines to slow the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Northam announced Monday that gatherings of more than 10 people, including in most places of business in the state, are prohibited, and people with elevated risk, such as the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, are asked to voluntarily quarantine themselves.

So far in Virginia, more than 1,900 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus and at least 117 cases have been confirmed as of midday Friday, including one in Botetourt County, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Two people have died in the state, and at least 19 have been hospitalized.

The changes at Riner help the clinic comply with guidelines to slow the spread.

Its not unusual to have up to 10 people in the waiting room all clustered together, and thats not good, Wright said. If the owner wants to hold their dog, youre looking in the dogs eyes, and theres a lot of close contact there.

So far clients have been positive about the change, he said.

Its a great idea, said Rick Barrow, who came to the clinic on Thursday with his wife, Deb, to pick up prescription food for their cat, Izzy. Everybodys got to be safe.

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicines teaching hospital in Blacksburg was among the first veterinary practices to institute a drop-off-only policy starting on March 13, director Terry Swecker said. It applies to small and large animal clients.

Were big, meaning we have a lot of people, Swecker said. Im trying to protect people, both my people and the clients.

As a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation with dozens of medical and other support staff, faculty, students and practitioners potentially on site at any given time, preventing coronavirus infection was a particular concern, Swecker said.

Policies meant to minimize the number of staff and clients on site were formed with advice from the colleges public health experts, Swecker said.

Veterinary students were recently sent home to complete their semesters remotely, and the hospital is working to tailor its staffing to three priority areas: emergency services for all cases where the animals life is in danger, care of existing patients with conditions such as cancer and existing clients with cases that require timely treatment.

Appointments for vaccinations and other lower priority services, as well as enrolling new patients who need those nonemergency services will be delayed until the COVID-19 threat passes, Swecker said.

His advice to all clients: Call ahead and be prepared to talk about your case on the phone and to provide photos and even videos of the problem. And if the animal needs to be seen at the hospital, be prepared to drop it off, he said.

But most private practice clinics so far have made drop-off services optional.

On Monday, Companion Animal Clinic in Blacksburg implemented an optional limited contact appointment system for clients who want it, practice manager Sarah Perdue said. On Thursday, they had five such appointments.

Were into the unknown at this particular point, so we want everyone to have the option to feel comfortable, but for their pets to still receive care, Perdue said.

So far, the majority of clients have wanted regular appointments, she added. But that could change if coronavirus begins to spread in the New River Valley.

Roanoke Animal Hospital also is offering drop-off and other limited contact options, but clients have so far shown limited interest in them, Dr. Thomas Blaszak said.

Were cleaning nonstop to make sure if it [coronavirus] does at all step into our hospital, hopefully were killing it before it goes anywhere else, Blaszak said. The hospital also has asked staff members who have traveled recently to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Worldwide, more than 250,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed as of Friday. More than 11,000 people have died.

Excerpt from:
Dogs and cats leaving owners in the car - Roanoke Times

Adaptability in the age of COVID-19 is coming in the way of telemedicine.

Over the past several weeks, Oregon leaders have announced numerous, increasingly stringent orders around social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Earlier this month, Gov. Kate Brown banned groups over 250. She narrowed that this week, banning groups of over 25. Hospitals and nursing care facilities have banned visitors all together.

Enter a lot more telemedicine.

The clinic will continue to provide in-person visits for newborns and for well-child checks for kids two and a half and undervisits that often include immunizations and monitoring developmental milestones that providers must do in person, COPA stated Friday. (Updated 3/21, 5:30pm: the original version of this story stated providers "can't" do those visits; that was inaccurate.)

Like other health care providers faced with supply chain disruptions, preserving PPEs is definitely a thing.

"COPA is conserving all our PPE supplies using multiple methods to ensure that our current supplies last as long as possible," Clausen wrote.

"The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board issued a statement saying that says we can provide telemedicine to our patients," Maas said. "We are taking it seriously. We have already, for the last two weeks, have been anticipating a need for PPE, and conserving and recycling and reusing whenever possibleautoclaving it when we can, so we don't burn through one per patient. Because of that, we can still be open and still do the care we need for our patients."

Maas said his supplies of PPE are adequate for his team, but that they don't have a stockpile.

"I've responded to the emergency task forcefor things like anaesthesia, we will have that available for them in a time of need," he said.

"Before this throwaway society, we used to have cloth masks. We have a couple employees now doing that, who have seamstress skills."

"While telemedicine is still very much in its infancy, these new health care platforms have the potential to solve some of the most persistent problems faced by rural inhabitants," the Oregon Health Sciences University's Oregon Office of Rural Healthdetailed on its web page. Part of the office's purview is Project ECHO, which focuses not only on expanding telemedicine, but on using it to help health care providers in rural areas get the continuing education credits they need to maintain or advance their careers. "There are certainly limitations as to what telemedicine can accomplish, but for populations with limited access to health care, a little has the potential to go a long way."

Read the original:
A Pivot to Telemedicine | Local News | Bend - The Source Weekly

The COVID-19 outbreak continued to drastically affect the lives of local residents this past week, with schools cancelling classes for four weeks, universities moving fully online for the rest of the semester, and bars and restaurants being forced to close dining rooms and only offer carry-out and delivery services.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus have soared in the past week, with a total of 68 in Iowa, including the first confirmed case in Story County, the governors announced Saturday.

Residents have been told to work remotely from home if they can, restrict gatherings to groups of no more than 10, and churches have canceled services, with many offering livestream service to parishioners. CyRide is limiting the number of riders on each bus to nine.

The changes we saw this past week left many residents and local business leaders stunned.

You can prepare for somethings, you can prepare for expenses that you know are coming, but instances like this honestly you really only have a matter of weeks to prepare, Andy McCormick, the owner of Torrent Brewing Company in Ames said.

On Tuesday morning, Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency, ordering the closing of bars, restaurants, movie theaters, casinos, places of mass gatherings and senior citizen and adult day care centers as a response to the continued spread of COVID-19.

Right now were shocked, said Justin Kabrick, the owner of Dublin Bay Bar & Grill, which canceled its popular St. Patricks Day celebration.

Many churches have gone to streaming platforms such as Facebook live last Sunday, in what some pastors called an unprecedented event.

Its a wild time Im trying to think of how to put it into words, said Mark Vance, the lead pastor at Cornerstone Church. This is unlike any situation Ive ever had to try and lead through in my time in ministry, which is over a decade, and its something we havent seen in generations in the church.

St. Cecilias Catholic Church is not moving towards online streaming services, but live streams of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque will be available as well as channel 23s showing of Sunday mass, which is available on any TV that has an HD antenna, Father Jim Secora said.

Local fitness centers, public offices such as City Hall, county offices and the Ames Community Center have also been shut down until further notice. Even North Grand Mall has been affected as some of its stores have closed.

Iowa State University announced Wednesday that it was moving all classes to online only the rest of the semester and canceling spring commencement.

We regret that Iowa State must also cancel spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduates, graduate students, and veterinary medicine students, ISU wrote in an email to university students and community on Wednesday. Campus leaders are working on plans for a live-streamed graduation address in May.

Students attending the university had mixed feelings on the decision, and although the outcome was predictable, it is still disappointing to some seniors who wanted to walk on stage and receive their degree.

I knew was going to happen, because Wartburg just got shut down, Megan Stonewall a senior studying materials engineering said. I kind of saw coming, even though I didnt want it, because my senior design class is all medium people meeting up. So Im very sad. But I dont know how else to react to it, so Im just kind of chillin.

Even local business owners empathized with students about the change in their academic lives.

Everyones in a good mood and looking at celebrating achievements of their graduate, McCormick said. Just the other day I was thinking I feel terrible for the students.

The cancellation of commencement at Iowa State University, an annual celebration that brings thousands of people to the community, will be a hard hit for local businesses, especially hotels, local tourism officials said.

Kevin Bourke the president and CEO of Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau said that hotels generally bring at least a half of million dollars of revenue on that weekend alone.

Its tough to say; we can look at just hotel revenue, just people staying overnight is well over a half million dollars, but that doesnt count all the food and non-overnight visitors, Bourke said. So theres a lot of revenue that can be lost just in the celebration of graduation.

Law Enforcement

For local law enforcement, changes they have made are intended to keep the public, and local officers and deputies safe.

Were trying to do what we can to make sure we keep our people and the community healthy, Ames Police Cmdr. Jason Tuttle said. The last thing we want to do is have a couple of our people contract this virus we would be in a very difficult position if we had to quarantine.

If that unlikely scenario were to happen all of the agencies in Story County have been in constant communication and are ready to assist other agencies if needed, Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said.

To help slow the spread of the coronavirus, officers are sanitizing patrol vehicles, and hand sanitizier is readily available.

All the agencies are limiting their number of non-life threatening medical calls they respond to, and asking people being apprehended how they are feeling, and screening them to see whether they may or may not have COVID-19.

If theres any indication that (someone) might be a little warm or have a temperature when they get to jail, well have their temperature taken before getting in the facility. If its over 100 degrees they will be put into a quarantine cell where nurses will come and administer tests to the individual, Fitzgerald said.

If an officer is dispatched, they may be wearing extra protective equipment like gloves or masks and will be adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Medical Professionals

Restrictions on visitors by Mary Greeley were enhanced, minor surgeries have been postponed and a COVID-19 nurse line was launched.

Professionals at McFarland Clinic launched a triage COVID-19 nurse line to assist patients who are experiencing symptoms and have had known contact with someone who has been tested.

We created a coronavirus triage line, so if (community members) are worried about it they can call the (specific number) and go through a dedicated nurse who will help guide them to the next steps, Dan Fulton, McFarlands infectious disease specialist said. Those next steps will depend on how much of the infection were seeing in the community, where is the best place for that patient to get the care we need.

The line is open from 8 a.m until 5 p.m. daily and is: 515-500-677. The Iowa Department of Public Health has a similar line 2-1-1.

Hopes within McFarland are that calls to this direct line will eliminate COVID-19 questions to their clinics, allowing other patients not experiencing a cough, fever or shortness of breath to create an appointment, or speak to their medical provider, said Shelley Goecke, director of marketing and public relations for McFarland Clinic.

Looking forward

Despite the uncertainty of how long the changes were seeing will be in place, some say the community is handling the unprecedented situation well.

I think our community (has done) a phenomenal job in reacting to the whole pandemic, Dan Culhane, the president and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce said.

Although peoples lives have been drastically changed, optimism about the future remains, and some believe Ames will be even stronger when the crisis passes.

All of us in Ames are going to experience a change in business, but we will bounce back. Ames is growing. There is a lot to do and see here for people in town and those traveling to Ames, Bonnie Alley, the general manager of Comfort Inn & Suites and Sleep Inn & Suites in Ames said.

See the rest here:
COVID-19: The week in review - Ames Tribune

By DR JOSEPH MUGACHIAMore by this Author

Laboratory testing in both veterinary and human medical practice is a crucial ingredient of disease diagnosis. It is nowadays considered the gold standard for best practice in health services.

Incidentally, just like in other areas of medical practice, the analysis reports sometimes may be inaccurate and lead to improper treatment or management of a disease.

In veterinary medicine, such results, if not detected early, may result in improper and expensive treatment. The disease may escalate, cause death to the animal and unnecessary loss to the farmer.

You may recall last month (Seeds of Gold, February 19), I shared a black quarter case in a cow where I had submitted samples for laboratory analysis. I have since received the lab report.

Unfortunately, the test results were completely out of sync with my post-mortem (PM) findings. Such results cannot be considered for confirming the diagnosis of the problem.

In veterinary practice, PM observation, testing for disease confirmation in the lab is the gold standard for diagnosis of diseases in the field.

Most causes of death leave tell-tale changes in the body that inform the doctor on the disease and cause of death.

Laboratory testing, on the other hand, seeks to identify the agent or agents that caused the disease and death.

Post-mortem findings are more likely to be erroneous due to the doctors inadequate knowledge and experience than laboratory results.

This is because laboratory tests follow laid down protocols that use various standardised materials and equipment. PM examination is based on visual observations by the doctor. However, experienced doctors become PM diagnostic machines and give highly accurate diagnoses in most cases.

A good veterinary doctor should always express their sentiments in questionable laboratory test results and engage the facility to try and understand the source of the error.

If the various professionals involved in the diagnosis and laboratory testing transparently engage, they will always confirm the source of the error.

I found myself contesting the results I received from the laboratory on the black quarter case. My two intern doctors, Eddy and Joyce, were the first to notice the anomalies when they received the results on email.

Joyce was on duty regarding laboratory issues that day. She discussed with Eddy and they informed me the results did not look right.

The laboratory had suggested Daisy died of a bacterial infection. They said they isolated Corynebacteria species that were resistant to most drugs used in animal treatment.

I had no problem with the resistance findings as the bacteria species is notorious for drug resistance. My problem was with the bacteria family apparently isolated from my samples.

The laboratory test report was completely inconsistent with the PM findings. By all counts, there was no chance in the universe that the bacteria could cause sudden death with blackening of tissues and gas accumulation under the skin.

You see, most disease-causing microorganisms, including viruses, have unique footprints that they exhibit during infection and also by the time the animal dies.

That is why an animal health service provider in most cases diagnoses a disease and treats your animal without taking samples to the laboratory. Many farmers are witnesses that most of their animals recover after such treatment.

My PM findings had shown Daisy had died of black quarter whose signs of sickness and death I explained fully in the article.

Corynebacteria species commonly cause cattle diseases but their main footprint is production of pus in boils or mastitis.

The only time members of this bacterial group could cause sudden death is if the germs formed a large abscess on a major blood vessel and caused it to burst.

This would cause the animal to quickly bleed to death. I have only seen such abscesses in the lungs of cattle on three occasions in the entire course of my practice.

Daisy had no abscess in the body but had evident areas of severe tissue blackening in the heavy muscles of the neck and shoulders.

The cow also had heavy accumulation of a foul-smelling gas under the skin. It is only some members of the Clostridium species of bacteria that are known to have these signature effects.

Therefore, the difference in the signs of diseases caused by the two bacterial species and the PM findings leave no room for confusion.

I called the doctor who signed off the report in the lab and expressed my disagreement with the results. I sent her the full post-mortem report, including photographic evidence. She was in agreement that something went wrong and would investigate.

There are many reasons why a laboratory can return inaccurate test results. Most of the causes are human errors because majority of laboratory tests are automated.

The most common errors are those related to sample recording, often called paper work mix-ups. Once a sample is submitted to the laboratory, it is given a lab number and comprehensive recording to fit with the testing and reporting protocol. Erroneous recording may invalidate the whole testing process and results.

There are also procedural mistakes where the sample may get contaminated with other microorganisms because of inappropriate handling. Faulty equipment calibration or choice of the wrong test may also cause fatal errors and unacceptable results.

Sometimes the circumstances of the animal at the time of sample collection may also affect the test results. For instance, a milk sample taken from an animal under treatment may give incoherent test results.

Such milk may show mastitis to be caused by fungi while in reality, the fungi would have grown because of severe suppression of bacteria by antibiotics used for treatment.

If the submitting doctor provides insufficient information to the laboratory such as incomplete set of clinical signs observed in sick animals or post-mortem findings, the laboratory could make a choice of an inappropriate test and return erroneous results.

Finally, there are test results that could be false, negative or positive. These are mainly tests for the immune reaction of the animal body.

They are called immunological tests. Vaccinated animals may show false positive results while those with a weak immune system may show false negative results.

Continued here:
Vet on call: Beware, not all laboratory results are free of errors - Daily Nation

By now, most people are aware of the importance of taking precautions to avoid spreading the Coronavirus to other people. But what about our pets?

First, the good news: Despite the widespread disease in the human population. There have been no reports of pets becoming ill with COVID-19," says Cassidy Rist. She teaches population health sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia tech.

Also, there's no evidence to suggest that our pets can transmit this disease to us.

But she says, it possible, a person who has COVID-19 could contaminate a pet. And while dogs and cats dont become infected, the virus could remain on their bodies for a period of time. The CDC recommends people infected with COVID-19 practice isolation from their pets just like they would any other household member.

***Editor's Note: Radio IQ is a service of Virginia Tech.

This report, provided byVirginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from theVirginia Education Association.

Read more here:
COVID-19 and Pets - WVTF

Leadership from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), Shelter Medicine, and MightyVet to participate in first, worldwide webinar collaboration addressing COVID-19 and pets impacted in the crisis

SEATTLE, March 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trupanion, the leader in medical insurance for pets, announced today that it is joining forces with The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), the membership organization exclusively for animal welfare, care and control leaders in the United States, Canada, and Australia. This partnership aims to provide veterinary and animal shelter professionals guidance on a community response during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

With the COVID-19 pandemic requiring communities to quarantine citizens, the care of impacted family pets has become a topic of concern for the entire veterinary community including, but not limited to, veterinary hospitals, veterinary educational institutions, and government and nonprofit animal shelters.

The first collaboration between Trupanion and AAWA will be a free, RACE approved, webinar for veterinary and animal shelter professionals offering guidance on community response to COVID-19, including considerations for those impacted by the crisis who have pets in their care.

We know that the veterinary community is on the frontline hearing from concerned pet owners about COVID-19 and their pets, said Jim Tedford, president and CEO for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and Certified Animal Welfare Administer (CAWA). At the same time, animal shelters play the important role as the community safety net for stray or relinquished animals within the scope of public health, law enforcement, public safety, and animal protection. By working together, united in a community response, our veterinary profession, including animal shelters, can help ease the minds of worried pet owners and provide sound guidance for pet owners to keep their pets safe as part of the family and out of shelters.

Using One Health as a driving philosophy, the webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 11:00 a.m. PDT (2:00 p.m. EDT) and will cover the latest information related to COVID-19 and its impact on our entire community. Covetrus, a global leader in animal-health technology and services, is generously hosting the webinar, which is expected to attract thousands of attendees.

Understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted, what to expect and how to bathe a pet exposed to a COVID-19 infected person, will enable veterinary professionals to help pets stay in homes and out of the sheltering system. This webinar will also provide clarity regarding conflicting information around personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements to help veterinary hospitals and shelters better anticipate the potential barriers and contingencies involved.

The webinar, moderated by Trupanions Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Steve Weinrauch, is the first collaboration of its kind, bringing together the leading organizations in human, animal, and environmental health in discussion of this latest pandemic.

By joining forces with these worldwide authorities in pet health and welfare, our goal is to provide the most current and useful information to the veterinary and sheltering community, said Dr. Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, chief veterinary officer at Trupanion and Founder of MightyVet an industry-wide platform to support veterinary professionals in their career and well-being. Trupanion is here to bring our members and pet owners across the world comfort in times of uncertainty, and that includes with Pandemics. We have been diligent in providing our members with the latest information around COVID-19 and how it impacts them as pet owners. Bringing these world leaders in pet health together to discuss these timely and important issues continues our commitment, not only to our members but also to the worldwide community. We look forward to spearheading this critical community effort with our esteemed colleagues.

This webinar will serve In Practice, Nonprofit and Government veterinary personnel as well as animal sheltering leadership.

Webinar Details

WHO: Dr. Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, chief veterinary officer, Trupanion, Founder, MightyVet; Jim Tedford, president and CEO for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and Certified Animal Welfare Administer (CAWA); Michael Lappin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), Chair, WSAVA One Health Committee; Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice), Fran Marino, Endowed Professor of Shelter Medicine, Maddies Shelter Medicine Program, University of Florida

Story continues

WHAT: Free, RACE approved webinar: Guidance for COVID-19 Community Response for Nonprofit, Government, and In Practice Veterinary Personnel

WHEN: Wednesday, March 25, 11:00 a.m. noon PDT

WHERE: There are two ways to access this webinar:

The first 3,000 veterinary professionals who pre-register at https://covetrus.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IpntPH6NQAmEOg0UKedSuA will be eligible for RACE credits and will join the webinar via the Zoom platform.

The webinar will also be streamed live at http://www.facebook.com/NotOneMoreVet . Please note that RACE credits are not available via the Facebook Live stream.

About TrupanionTrupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States and Canada with over 500,000 pets enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet owners with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Omega General Insurance Company. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

About AAWASince 1970, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement has been leading the conversation among animal welfare leaders. As the only membership organization dedicated exclusively to animal welfare, care and control professionals, The Association develops strong leaders, promotes standards of practice, and cultivates collaboration to advance the animal welfare profession with a united voice. For more information, please visit theaawa.org

About WSAVAThe WSAVA represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 113 member associations. Its core activities include the development of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including pain management, nutrition and vaccination, and the provision of continuing education.

About MightyVetMightyVet is an initiative to support and evolve the veterinary ecosystem for the common good of pets, families and the veterinary professionals entrusted with their care. MightyVet provides veterinary professionals with free on-demand Continuing Education courses, mentorship from industry experts, virtual office hours for real-time feedback with Veterinary educators, and online resources for their day-to-day needs. Incubated by Trupanion, MightyVet is an industry-wide movement with participation and support from over 30 veterinary-related organizations. For more information, please visit mightyvet.org

Contact:

MediaMichael Nankmichael.nank@trupanion.com206.436.9825

InvestorsLaura Bainbridge, Head of Investor RelationsInvestorRelations@trupanion.com206.607.1929

Read more:
Trupanion Convenes Global Authorities in Animal Welfare for Exclusive Webinar for Veterinary Professionals to Help Communities Manage COVID-19 - Yahoo...

Newsrooms have a long, not always proud tradition of gallows humor. The jokes and stories that get passed around are rarely the kind of things wed publish, especially when the people telling the stories have been in the business for a while.

One of the tame stories was from a former publisher who was, briefly, the suspect in a murder case. Authorities knew the victims body had been buried in a nearby nature reserve, and many killers will revisit locations like that. So investigators were monitoring the site.

Police noticed when he started showing up, routinely, near where the body was found. He never noticed them, and a brief investigation showed he wasnt connected to the case. After an arrest was made an investigator asked him what he was doing out there. It turns out the location was a good place to practice bird calls, which he was trying to learn.

Gallows humor has been getting a workout this past week. Im sure it has been in a lot more places than just newsrooms. Thats what happens when you know the worst of a bad situation is yet to come.

The speed with which people have reacted over the past couple weeks is remarkable. Its due to the fact medical professionals had a clear, understandable message and to people listening to that message. We dont yet know whether the actions came soon enough to really blunt this pandemic, but most people are doing what they can.

Still, life doesnt stop. Earlier this week we ran what we hope will be the first in a series of columns from Dr., Lorie Hickie, a veterinarian who moved back to Ottumwa in 2008. We know how much pets mean to Ottumwans. Pet stories and lottery winners always get a lot of traffic online. You dont work in our newsroom long before hearing veterans talk about how our website would probably crash if an area dog ever wins the lottery.

Hickie knows what shes talking about. She graduated from the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She was born and raised in Ottumwa, and lives here now with her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Amber.

Why debut something like this now? There are two fundamental reasons. One is that, frankly, we all need a break. Just writing about a subject other than this pandemic is a relief at times, and were sure people want to read about other things as well. And information about taking care of our pets accomplishes that quite nicely.

The other is that were still working on long-term goals. There will be a time when this crisis is over. There will be a time when we have to figure out what comes next. There will be a lot of work to do to get back to anything resembling what we think of as normal life. But that day will come, and this lays a little bit of a foundation for it.

Were glad to have Hickie on board as a monthly writer. And the reason goes back to some of the issues I touched on earlier. Theres a significant value to the community in having people with expertise being able to speak authoritatively on those subjects. In newspaper, its often our job to find those people and then get out of their way.

That has been our goal over the past couple weeks. No one in our newsroom is an expert on virology or medicine. Weve depended on those who are, and have tried to bring you their messages as clearly as possible. All I will add is one of my own:

Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay kind.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

See the original post here:
Finding the experts | Opinion - Ottumwacourier

A classification of Dr. med. vet. Lena Horn / POLO+10

Every day new information, updates, emails and news about the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), which is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2) are spread around the world. Most of them contain valuable information, but some also create myths and insecurity among us.

What we know for sure is that the COVID-19 virus is currently a big threat to our whole society. Worldwide the national governments are working closely together with the World Health Organization (WHO), infectious disease experts and e.g. the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), the Centers of Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and national health authorities in order to learn more about COVID-19 and to slow the spread of the virus.

Why slow the spread? Because the health systems of the affected countries need to be able to function in an efficient way. This is only possible if the number of COVID-19 patients does not exceed the local medical resources and capacities. If all of us are cautious and respect the principles of social distancing, we can lower the number of newly infected people per day which results in flattening the curve (c.f. link 1).

But what does this mean in real life?

Stay home if you can, even if you dont feel sick or have any symptoms and avoid any physical social contact. Basically, quarantine yourself at home. If you do need to go outside be sure to respect the recommendations, laws or implementations issued by your local authorities. The WHO and e.g. ECDC and CDC are excellent resources regarding daily actions and precautions you can take in order to minimalize the risk of getting infected by and spreading the virus causing COVID-19.

The virus responsible is a betacoronavirus. Corona means crown and refers to the protein spikes on the lipid envelope of the virus. Coronavirus infections are common in humans and animals, and some strains are zoonotic (transmission between animals and humans are possible). Current evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19 has an animal source, but the predominant source of transmission seems to be human to human (via bodily secretions such as saliva and mucus droplets in a cough or sneeze of an infected person). Another possible route of virus transmission is the secondary route. This can occur by touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then touching your face (esp. mouth, nose or possibly eyes). In general, non-porous, smooth surfaces (e.g. plastic, metal) can transmit viruses better than porous, non-smooth materials (e.g. paper, pet fur).

At this point infectious disease experts and multiple international and domestic human and animal health organizations, such as the WHO, the OIE, the CDC and ECDC agree there is no evidence that animals become sick and also no evidence to suggest that companion animals can be a source of infection with SARS-CoV-2, including spreading COVID-19 to people. According to the OIE, further studies are needed to understand the role of animals in the spread of this human disease.

Currently, a general consensus is, that if you are not ill with COVID-19 you can handle and interact with your pet or horse as you normally would. Be aware that some countries have implemented strict rules regarding animal handling and care in order to minimize the possible spread of SARS-CoV-2 between owners, riders, handlers, caretakers etc. Always practice good general hygiene around your animals (clean equipment/tack, water/food bowls, stables, beds and toys on a regular basis) and be sure to keep their fur or coat well-groomed.

However, because animals can also spread other diseases to people and vice-versa, it is always advisable to observe basic principles of hygiene when coming into contact with animals (e.g. wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after contact).

If you are ill with COVID-19, you should be more precautious and limit the contact with animals until more is known about the role of animals and the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Daily activities such es feeding, grooming and playing should be performed by another member of the household. Some local shelters also offer to take care of your pet if you are tested positive. If your pet is a service animal or nobody else can take care of your animal the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends wearing a facemask, avoiding close contact with the animal (e.g. no kissing or food bowl sharing) and washing your hands before and after any contact with your pet.

Please be aware of the fact that the veterinarian community around the globe is highly impacted by the COVID-2019 pandemic. The national veterinarian medical associations and boards are closely working together with national and international agencies and organizations.

They are continuously adapting their strategies and updating their members about the measures to take during these difficult times. It is important to understand that, the authorities of many countries, have issued recommendations which might restrict the range of practicing veterinary medicine. If your animal gets sick or becomes injured, needs a refill of prescription medication or a special prescription diet food contact your veterinarian via phone or email and follow closely the instructions provided. Be aware that, due to a current shortage of personnel protection equipment (e.g. gowns, face masks, gloves), ventilators and medications for human patients, elective surgeries (surgeries that are scheduled in advance and that do not involve a medical emergency) are most likely to be postponed.

Currently the primary goals of the veterinarian community are to support the human medical health systems, to ensure the protection of the nations food supplies and to keep you and your animal(s) as well as the veterinarians and their staff healthy.

Links:

The rest is here:
COVID-19: What does the virus mean for us and the handling of our animals? - POLO+10 The Polo Magazine

A parasite known only to be hosted in North America by the Virginia opossum is infecting sea otters along the West Coast. A study from the University of California, Davis, elucidates the sometimes surprising and complex pathways infectious pathogens can move from land to sea to sea otter.

For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers tested sea otters ranging from Southern California to Alaska for the presence of Sarcocystis neurona, a parasite and important cause of death in sea otters.

They were surprised to find several infected sea otters in the northern part of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, where Virginia opossums also known as the North American opossum are not known to live. They wondered: Could this parasite travel very long distances in water, or is there an additional unknown host for this pathogen?

To answer this question, the scientists examined spatial patterns and previous research into pathogen transmission, diet and movement of otters. Their results suggest the pathogen may be carried by water runoff from land to sea, where it can be concentrated through ocean movement and prey species, such as clams.

A related parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, is also known to kill sea otters. Decades of research by a consortium of scientists led by UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife traced that parasite to another land-based mammal wild and domestic cats near watersheds.

We know S. neurona kills sea otters, and we were pretty sure it comes from the land, but we didnt really know how this pathogen finds them, said lead author Tristan Burgess, a doctoral student in the lab of Christine Kreuder Johnson at the UC Davis One Health Institute at the time of the study. This new research suggests that there may be a long and complex transmission pathway, a little like the way Toxoplasma finds sea otters, but with a different cast of characters.

Most infections occurred in California and Washington, more so than Alaska and British Columbia. The study found that higher risks of exposure were associated with:

This study highlights risk factors for one species exposure to one parasite. But it also provides a better understanding of how parasites and infection can move from land to sea to marine mammals.

Seemingly unimportant species can be important in unexpected ways, Burgess said. We should also remember the value of marine mammals as sentinels, not just of the health of their marine habitat, but of nearby terrestrial environments, too.

S. neurona may be most familiar to horse owners, as the cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, or EPM. UC Davis developed the diagnostic test for the disease in horses, and it has since been adapted for use in sea otters.

The study was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation Evolution and Ecology of Infectious Disease program, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Coastal Conservancy Sea Otter Tax Check-Off Fund, PG&E, Monterey Bay Aquarium and the UC Natural Reserve System.

See more here:
Sea Otters, Opossums and the Surprising Ways Pathogens Move From Land to Sea - UC Davis