Building the next generation of veterinary professionals (FCL Feb. 22, 2023) FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX
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Building the next generation of veterinary professionals (FCL Feb. 22, 2023) - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX
The UC Davis VMTH client portal allows online access for clients to handle all aspects of their pets appointments and invoices. Register today for our new UC Davis VMTH client portal!
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Welcome to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California,Davis, a unit of the #1 ranked School of Veterinary Medicine. The hospital is equipped with cutting-edge, modern technology and services, allowing our board-certified faculty veterinarians to provide the best care possible and continue to be innovators of the some of the latest advancements in veterinary medicine, all while training the next generation of general practitioners and veterinary specialists.
The UC Davis veterinary hospital is accredited by theAmerican Animal Hospital Association, the only organization to accredit companion animal veterinary hospitals. AAHA-accredited hospitals are recognized among the finest in the industry because they voluntarily choose to be evaluated on more than 900 quality standards that go above and beyond state regulations, ranging from patient care and pain management to staff training and advanced diagnostic services. Less than 15% of animal hospitals in the United States and Canada achieve AAHA accreditation.
Explore jobs available at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
Beyond the main hospital on the Davis campus, the SVM also has two satellite clinical facilities:
UC Veterinary Medical Center - San Diego
UC Veterinary Medicine Teaching & Research Center - Tulare
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Veterinary Hospital | School of Veterinary Medicine
The American Association of Feline Practitioners and EveryCat Health Foundation announced on Sept. 1 that they have released the 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines.
These guidelines, published in the September issue of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, provide veterinarians with the information necessary to diagnose FIP in cats.
First recognized over 50 years ago, feline infectious peritonitis has been one of the most important infectious diseases and causes of death in cats, especially affecting young cats less than two years old, said Dr. Vicki Thayer, co-chair of the guidelines task force, in an announcement about the new resource. Further, FIP can be challenging to diagnose in some cases and is often considered an enigma by the veterinary profession. Today, diagnosis relies upon evidence from signalment, history, physical examination findings, and diagnostic testing. The 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines serve as a critical resource for veterinary practitioners diagnosing FIP in their cat patients.
According to the guidelines: FIP was once considered a terminal diagnosis. Research has demonstrated efficacy of new antivirals in FIP treatment, but these products are not legally available in many countries at this time, which includes the United States. The guidelines encourage veterinarians to review the literature and stay informed on clinical trials and new drug approvals.
Given the fact that FIP is fatal when untreated and nearly every small animal veterinary practitioner will see FIP cases, the ability to obtain a correct diagnosis is critical. FIP can be challenging to diagnose because of the lack of clinical signs or laboratory changes. The guidelines provide veterinarians with information to assist their ability to recognize cats presenting with FIP.
These Guidelines were written with the intent of providing the most current knowledge available in one comprehensive format combined with extensive supplemental resources all in one location, said Dr. Susan Gogolski, co-chair of the task force, in the announcement. The Guidelines will be an invaluable resource to veterinary teams around the world as a clinician builds the index of suspicion of FIP brick by brick.
The 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines were developed by a task force of experts in feline clinical medicine. Tips, clinical images and tables, and algorithms are included throughout the document. In addition, the guidelines feature 16 supplemental online resources, such as videos, figures, instructions, and a client questionnaire.
The FIP diagnosis guidelines and supplemental resources are available here. Resources for cat caregivers can be found here.
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AAFP, EveryCat release guidelines on diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis - American Veterinary Medical Association
Specialty: Dermatology
Webcast: Chronic Proliferative Otitis Prevention, Not Surgery!
Date/Time: September 29 a 7:00 PM EST
Sponsor: Nextmune
Missed last months live webinars? These are available on-demand via dvm360 Flex
Webcast: Urine Culture Shock! - Updates on the Diagnosis and Treatment of UTI in Dogs and Cats
We will take a uropathogen centered approach to gain a better appreciation for the bacteria that cause UTI and the drugs that can kill them! A review of the results of a study entitled Comparison of a Chromogenic Urine Culture Plate System (UTid+) and Conventional Urine Culture for Canine and Feline Specimens will also be included.Faculty: Stephen Cole VMD, MS, DACVM
Sponsor: Vetrimax
Webcast: Phosphate Binders: The Good, The Bound and the Ugly
This presentation will focus on the history of Phosphate Binder Medication development, dating back to the late 1960s, with an overview of each class of Phosphate Binder product manufactured, as to the designed commitment of its efficacy in the control of Hyperphosphatemia, and its ability to match the clinical assignment of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism regulation.
Faculty: Jerry A. Thornhill, DVM, DACVIM
Sponsor: Nutramax
Webcast: Debunking Pet Insurance
Recommending pet insurance for your clients can be overwhelming for both you and your client. Learn the various types of pet insurance providers, policy types, and benefits for pet owners and the veterinary practice, including the resources you need to make the best recommendation for your clients.
Faculty: Matthew McGlasson DVM, CVPM
Sponsor: Nationwide
Webcast: Non-antibiotic Therapy in Diarrhea
Antibiotics are no longer commonly used for treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea due to their adverse effects on the gut microbiome and risks for propagating antimicrobial resistance. We will focus on causes for acute/chronic diarrhea and the use of diet, probiotics/synbiotics, immunosuppressive therapy (with intestinal biopsy), as well as other novel treatment options in managing these patients.
Faculty: Karin Allenspach, DVM, FVH, PhD, Dipl. ECVIM-CA, FHEA, AGAF
Professor of Internal Medicine and Translational Health, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Sponsor: Vetoquinol
Join us this October 10-12, 2022, in Atlantic City, NJ for the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference. Hear from our inspiring keynotes, Craig Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), Niccole Bruno, DVM BLEND Founder, and Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology).Choose from over 146 continuing education credits in 38 tracks of practical veterinary medicine, including companion animal, exotics, hands-on labs, and technician CEs. Plus learn more about the latest products from over 100 exhibitors and so much more. During your stay, network and unwind during the evenings at the casino shows and restaurants, the Boardwalk, or Absecon Lighthouse all within walking distance. Register early for the best rates.
Watch our latest dvm360 Live! episode!
Spectrum of care and meeting client expectations with empathy
Ryan E. Englar, DVM, DABVP joins this segment ofdvm360 Live!to explain how empathy and "unconditional positive regard" can help clinicians better serve patients when they cannot afford the gold standard of care for their pets. She shares her personal experiences with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA and discusses the concept of "spectrum of care.
A new sedative for dogs, endangered antelope born, and more
Check out the latest news and trending headlines, brought to you by Adam Christman, DVM, MBA.
Tune in to your favorite podcast channel and listen to a variety of these animal health care topics!
Have ideas for future continuing education opportunities or wish to educate fellow colleagues as one of our faculty? Tell us more at rlewis@mjhlifesciences.com.
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Don't Fall Behind on Your Continuing Education this Autumn! - DVM 360
The harassment began five years ago with a piece of hate mail, sent to Kenneth Fandrichs Oregon City home. It was disguised as a letter from his union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Then, someone broke into Fandrichs truck and left a condom wrapper under a pair of his wifes work gloves.
By the time the Clackamas County bomb squad arrived to remove a large suspicious device from underneath his truck, Fandrich, 56, claims he was well aware of the identity of the culprit.
He filed for a series of stalking orders against 55-year-old Steve Milner, an animal surgeon. In court filings, Fandrich says Milner is responsible for all the incidents, which followed the end of an affair Milner was having with Fandrichs wife.
Fandrichs attorney filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court onSept. 12 for $245,000, and police have filed criminal charges against Milner in Clackamas County for allegedly planting a GPS tracker on Fandrichs truck, again, and violating the stalking order.
WW could not reach either man for comment. Milners attorney declined to speak about the case. Michael Fuller, who represents Fandrich in the civil lawsuit, provided WW with legal documents outlining both sides arguments. They were filed in court following Fandrichs request for a stalking order.
The bizarre saga is noteworthy because of the reluctance of police to intervene. According to the documents, the latest legal actions are the culmination of years of threats by both menand futile pleas for law enforcement to step in.
As recently as 2016, Fandrichs wife worked with Milner at his Oregon City veterinary hospital. (Milner recently retired.) There, the two had an affair, according to a statement Fandrich made to police. It was documented in a report that was included in the legal filings. That affair ended, Fandrich said, and the stalking began.
That police report was a result of a 911 call made by Fandrich on March 2, 2022, after Milner allegedly followed him all the way from Oregon City to Cornelius Pass Road in Hillsboro.
After being pulled over by police, Milner admitted to following Fandrich, according to the police report. Milner told the officer that Fandrich beat his wife, and he wanted to talk with him about it. Milner was taking the issue into his own hands because the police werent doing anything about it, he told the officer.
The officer then talked to Fandrich, who sounded terrified, according to the report. Milner, he said, was going to cut me up into little pieces because he is a surgeon. Milner is a doctor of veterinary medicine and operates on pets. Fandrich told the officer that he and his wife did have marital problems, but that she had been arrested for domestic violence, not him.
Fandrich told the officer that hed been trying to get the police to do something about Milners stalking for years, but they hadnt. He claimed, according to the report, that police [had] advised it was not against the law to place a GPS tracker on someone elses vehicle. (It is, if the owner does not consent.)
Neither the Oregon City Police Department nor the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office immediately responded to a request for comment.
The Hillsboro police officer noted that Milner did not seem receptive to the officers warnings that hed end up in jail if he kept up the harassment. Milner was not cited or arrested.
A few weeks later, Fandrich applied for a stalking order against Milner, who he said is trying to kidnap me and possibly kill me or disfigure me, Fandrich wrote in his application.
Milner unsuccessfully fought the order in court. His attorney, Ross Denison, filed a legal document arguing that the conduct was neither malicious nor undertaken in bad faith. Milner, Denison argued, engaged in the conduct with the sole motivation of protecting his intimate friends[Fandrichs] wifesphysical safety.
Denison played a recording for the court in which Fandrich threatened Milner. He used multiple hateful racial slurs and said he would put a bullet in his head, according to a legal filing that described the recording.
Even with the stalking order, the harassment did not end, prosecutors allege. Last month, Milner was finally arrested for an incident that prosecutors say happened in April. Milner was charged with violating the stalking order for unlawful use of a global positioning system device.
The complaint in Fandrichs recent civil lawsuit includes a still image from a video, allegedly showing Milner placing a tracking device on Fandrichs truck. The lawsuit accuses Milner of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional harm, trespassing and negligence.
That video, reviewed by WW, shows someone crawling under the vehicle and then running away in the night.
Milner has been released from custody pending a Clackamas County court date next week. In the meantime, hes been ordered to have no contact with Fandrich or Fandrichs wife.
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Stalking Allegations Against Retired Oregon City Veterinarian Lead to $245,000 Lawsuit - Willamette Week
Although Sarah S le Jeune trained in Western veterinary medicine, she added acupuncture to her practice after experiencing the benefits for her own back pain.
Acupuncture had amazing effects on me, so I decided to explore how it might have application for my horses, said le Jeune, a board-certified equine sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist and surgeon with the University of California Davis.
She studied and earned certification in acupuncture through Chi University in Florida and began integrating it with conventional modalities to treat a range of conditions, often in conjunction with chiropractic.
The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society describes acupuncture as the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body to produce a healing response. There are about 150 acupoints on a horse in areas associated with a high density of free nerve endings, mast cells, which are part of the immune system, small arterioles, which help regulate blood flow and pressure, and lymphatic vessels.
Typically, needles are inserted in five to 50 acupoints during a single session and rotated manually or stimulated by a weak electrical current sent by attaching electrodes, le Jeune said. Depending on where the needles are placed, they stimulate nerves, improve circulation, relieve muscle spasms, and trigger the release of hormones, including endorphins, one of the bodys pain control chemicals, and cortisol, a natural steroid.
Acupuncture has diagnostic as well as therapeutic value, le Jeune said, and is especially helpful in relieving pain.
Sarah S le Jeune believes acupuncture has diagnostic and therapeutic value and helps relieve pain in horses.
Any time pain is a component, acupuncture can be an adjunct and I stress adjunct modality, she said. It basically modifies the perception of pain, in how the nervous system processes pain. I use it in horses with back, neck and sacroiliac problems, any kind of muscular pain, and chronic lamenesses. It also can lower blood pressure, improve gastrointestinal motility, address endocrine and immune conditions, and reduce inflammation. They all seem to benefit from this modality.
Although equine acupuncture dates to ancient China, where horses were used in agriculture and battle, it has been practiced in the United States since the 1970s, and has become increasingly popular in recent years. While the earliest acupuncture likely was performed using sharp stones and more akin to acupressure, le Jeune said, modern acupuncture uses ultra-fine needles, 0.5 to 3 inches long and made of flexible stainless steel.
Trainers like acupuncture because they are limited in the drugs that can be given to horses that compete, and because they see results with very few negative side effects. Back pain is a fact of life for hunter jumpers and dressage, said le Jeune. For them, acupuncture and chiropractic work together fantastically. Ill treat horses with both in-between shows.
For older and retired equines, acupuncture can be an effective component of palliative care. If a horse has chronic, degenerative joint disease that causes pain, nothing will make the joints appear normal, but if you address the pain, quality of life improves, le Jeune said, noting that acupuncture can string out the time between more invasive interventions.
When used after surgery, acupuncture can speed healing by promoting blood flow and reducing inflammation.
Acupuncture has a calming effect because it triggers the release of beta-endorphins, serotonin and other neurotransmitters, le Jeune said. Its similar to the release we feel when we take a hot bath, listen to music, or eat chocolate.
Although it generally is considered safe, because acupuncture is an invasive procedure, it must be performed by a licensed veterinarian board-certified in acupuncture. As part of the process, practitioners typically will begin by examining the horse, palpating the body to locate areas of discomfort, and then gauging the horses sensitivity.
Acupuncture is very individually tailored, so you care very much how sensitive the individual is on a scale of one to five, said le Jeune. The more sensitive the horse, the less stimulation is needed; the more stoic, the more stimulation required.
Most, but not all, equines accept acupuncture, she said. You have to gain their trust. But if a horse is needle shy, it might not be the right modality for them. If the horse resists the procedure, I back off.
Le Jeune avoids using sedation during treatment because it would inhibit interacting with the horse and monitoring its responses, she said.
Acupuncture is also not usually a one-time treatment. The more chronic and severe the condition, the more acupuncture is needed, she said. Ill space it out to every other day and then weekly.
Veterinarian Carlos Jimenez of Complete Equine Health Service in Coatesville, Pennsylvania has practiced acupuncture for 30 years, having been introduced to the modality when one of his own horses a young hunter-jumper prospect developed problems during training.
He was being trained near Pittsburgh, and when we went to visit him, we saw that he wasnt moving right, Jimenez said. A veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton referred Jimenez for corrective shoeing to a well-known farrier who, in turn, suggested that Jimenez consult with a veterinarian certified in acupuncture and chiropractic.
The difference was night and day, Jimenez said. The horse went from not being able to turn his neck to the right to being able to touch his back hip with his nose after both the chiropractic adjustments and the acupuncture. Thats what got me started in integrative therapies in my own practice.
Acupuncture and chiropractic are almost exclusively what Jimenez practices now, with patients ranging from Amish buggy horses to dressage and racehorses.
Besides effectively treating sports-related injuries, acupuncture, especially electro-acupuncture, can help horses with colic, he said. Ill put needles into horses on either side of the spinal cord where they will innervate the intestines. By the end of treatment, I will start to hear gut sounds where there were none before. If the horse has a displaced large intestine, acupuncture may prevent it from turning into a volvulus that would require surgery.
Jimenez has used acupuncture on dying horses to help them peacefully transition, he said.
Kristin Edwards, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, is a small-animal veterinarian and horse owner who added acupuncture to her practice 23 years ago. She became interested when a client gave her a book on the modality, and she realized a calling to pursue training and certification.
Her equine acupuncture patients range from retired performance horses to endurance athletes.
Professional trainer Stephanie Kleinbauer of Laceyville, Pennsylvania, has Edwards perform acupuncture on her four horses once a month to stay ahead of, and even diagnose, problems.
If multiple visits show recurring pain in a particular spot it can be an indication that an injection or some other treatment might be needed, she said. Kristin helped find a problem with Quest, my 23 year old Norwegian Fjord gelding. He seemed so stiff when I went to ride him it was as if his whole body was involved. Through acupuncture, Kristin was able to narrow it down to a tear in his right pectoral muscle, and recommended massage therapy.
Kleinbauer is typically present when Edwards treats her horses and said the release of tension is often visible.
Helping horses to let go of anxiety and stress associated with pain or discomfort is one of acupunctures most fascinating benefits, Edwards said.
I love looking at the emotional component of disease in animals, and acupuncture lets me get into their emotions and help them release whatever issues they are holding onto. Acupuncture enables owners to see the emotions their horse is expressing. It helps them to have a closer relationship.
Horses respond quickly, which is gratifying to her as a practitioner, she said. Their eyes will soften and theyll lick and chew. They want to be helped and feel better, which makes it fun for me.
Lancaster Farmings Mid-Atlantic Horse tells the stories of horses and their people. Big and small horses; fast, slow, harness, carriage and farm horses; wild horses, donkeys, mules, mustangs and more. Mid-Atlantic Horse covers the wide world of the genus Equus. And for every horse story, there are many more about the people who live so closely with their horses.
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Using Acupuncture to Pinpoint The Source Of A Horse's Problem - Lancaster Farming
GOSSELIES, Wallonia, Belgium, September 19, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 - ticker: ALVET) (Paris:ALVET), a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in pets, announced today its participation in the annual congress of the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ESVOT) which will be held from 21 to 24 September at the Acropolis in Nice, France.
With nearly 1000 participants, this event is the largest specialised congress in veterinary orthopaedics and traumatology in Europe, bringing together high-quality international speakers and therefore represents a prime showcase for the Company. ESVOT is chaired by Pr. Marc Balligand, who is also the President of the Scientific Advisory Board of TheraVet.
The Company will be particularly well represented with 3 scientific communications. The results obtained through close collaborations with renowned veterinarians will be presented during this conference, proof of the growing interest of the veterinary community in the Company's products:
"Percutaneous cementoplasty as a palliative treatment for dogs with osteosarcoma using a new self-setting bone substitute"Thursday 22 September 2022 at 8:00 pmPoster presentation by Dr. A. Villamonte Chevalier (DVM, PhD), Vet Technical Manager at TheraVet
"Microwave ablation as part of limb sparing multimodal therapy in dog with appendicular osteosarcoma"Saturday 24 September 2022 at 12:10 pmOral presentation by Dr. D. Jacques (DVM, DIPL. ECVS) Clinique Vtrinaire Occitanie, France
"Efficacy and safety assessment of a self-setting bone substitute (alpha-TCP) as an efficient alternative to autografts"Saturday 24 September 2022 at 5:30 pmOral presentation by Dr. G. Ragetly (DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, DIPL. ECVS), CHV Frgis, France
The Company will also have a strong commercial presence for its BIOCERA-VET products, including:
- Drylab sessions allowing veterinarians to test and evaluate the performance of the products,- Videos demonstrating the use of the products in real clinical cases,- Coupons, promotional documents
Story continues
About TheraVet SATheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specialising in osteoarticular treatments for companion animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from joint and bone diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVets mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and Brussels, has its head office in Belgium (Gosselies) with a US subsidiary in Texas.For more information, visit the TheraVet website or follow us on LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter
About BIOCERA-VETIn close collaboration with an international scientific board, THERAVET has developed a new line of calcium-phosphate and biological bone substitutes, BIOCERA-VET. BIOCERA-VET is a full range of innovative, easy-to-use, efficient & cost-effective bone substitutes indicated in bone surgeries where a bone graft is required and as a palliative alternative in the management of canine osteosarcoma. Based on extremely promising clinical results, this line offers the possibility of a better, more convenient and more efficient orthopedic surgery.
BIOCERA-VET is declined in different lines:
BIOCERA-VET BONE SURGERY RTU, ready-to-use highly injectable self-hardening calcium-phosphate cement
BIOCERA-VET SMARTGRAFT, a naturally osteoconductive bone graft
BIOCERA-VET GRANULES, an affordable biocompatible calcium-phosphate bone substitute
BIOCERA-VET OSTEOSARCOMA RTU, a ready-to-use highly injectable calcium-phosphate bone substitute for cementoplasty
For more information, visit BIOCERA-VET website.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220918005014/en/
Contacts
TheraVet Chief Operating OfficerSabrina Enainvestors@thera.vet Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43
Chief Corporate OfficerJulie Winandinvestors@thera.vet
NewCap Investor Relations and Financial CommunicationsTho Martin / Hugo Willeferttheravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
Press RelationsArthur Rouilltheravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15
NewCap Belgique Press RelationsLaure-Eve Monfortlemonfort@thera.vet Tel: + 32 (0) 489 57 76 52
Excerpt from:
TheraVet Announces Its Participation in the 2022 ESVOT Congress With 3 Scientific Communications - Yahoo Finance
A committee in the U.S. Senate has finally set a nomination hearing to consider Jose Emilio Esteban for the U.S. Department of Agricultures top food safety job.
Nominated on Nov. 12, 2021, by President Joe Biden, Esteban is scheduled to go before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Sept. 22. The committee has not offered any reason why the nomination hearing has been delayed so long, except for a comment from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI. At one point she said there was paperwork needed from the White House.
Also set to testify before the Ag Committee are Alexis Taylor, the long-awaited nominee for undersecretary for trade and foreign agriculture affairs at USDA, and Vincent Garfield Logan who is nominated to serve on the Farm Credit Administrations board.
One nominee not scheduled for a confirmation hearing before the committee is Stacy Dean, who is nominated to be the undersecretary of food, nutrition and consumer services. Republicans have kept Dean under scrutiny for her handling of the Thrifty Food Plan reauthorization, which increased SNAP benefits, previously known as the food stamp program. Dean headed up that initiative after it was authorized in the 2018 farm bill.
As for Esteban, he has been waiting for confirmation while working at USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as the agencys chief scientist. There he provides scientific advice to support agency policies, including microbiology, chemistry and pathology.
It is his fourth position at FSIS, all within the Office of Public Health Science. Before his current assignment, he was Executive Associate for Laboratory Services, the Scientific Advisor for Laboratory Services and Research Coordination, and the Laboratory Director for the Western Laboratory.
Before joining the USDA, Esteban worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Staff Epidemiologist, and Assistant Director of the Food Safety Office.
Outside the U.S. federal government, Esteban is the Chair for the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene. This committee sets definitions for international food hygiene standards for international trade.
Esteban was trained as a veterinarian in Mexico and supplemented his training with an MBA, a masters degree in preventive veterinary medicine, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of California-Davis.
To fill the gap while Esteban has been waiting for his confirmation, the White House named Sandra Eskin on March 17 as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. Deputy jobs do not require Senate confirmation and Eskin went to work shortly after being named to the No. 2 food safety job.
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Senate committee sets nomination hearing for top food safety official - Food Safety News
Experts offer advice on identifying and managing feline OA and discuss the latest treatments for this painful condition
As veterinary medicine improves and cats live longer, they experience more complications associated with old age, including osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive degenerative joint disease. The median age of cats with OA is 10.2 years,1 and approximately 90% of those over 12 have been found to have OA.2
In an interview with dvm360, Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, DABVP, medical director at Chico Hospital for Cats in Chico, California, offered veterinarians and clients tips for detecting and managing the disease in cats.
According to Colleran, identifying osteoarthritis can be more difficult in cats than in dogs. Cats are secretive, she says, because hiding their emotions is to their advantage. As solitary hunters, they dont have [a] great repertoire of emotional signs on their face...but they do show what they think and how they feel.
One should look for a cat whose lifestyle [has] changed, she explained; for instance, a cat that used to sleep with the owner... [but] isnt sleeping with the owner anymore, that used to climb up to a high point on a cat tree...[but] doesnt do that anymore, or even a cat that is sleeping more than usual.
At the April 2022 Fetch dvm360 conference, Colleran mentioned other signs of OA: avoidance of other household members, increased grumpiness, decreased grooming, restlessness, changes in elimination behavior, clumsiness, and reluctance to jump.3
Pet parents can also use the Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index, a validated pain score, to check their pets more closely. The Index asks questions about specific indicators of OA that reveal the intensity of a cats pain.
A visual assessment of the cats gait is important, but the environment mustbe carefully controlled. According to Colleran, a quiet, low-stress atmosphere is essential, and the cat should be given time to acclimate to the room. The veterinarian should then gently palpate the joints, even though cats not experiencing joint pain will also be averse to this.
Because OA is complex and usually affects various joints, it can be challenging to stage. Staging is best accomplished by examining the overall impact on the cat. Based on activity and mobility, OA stages are as follows.
When it comes to addressing the disease, its important to tell clients that it cant be treated, only managed to improve mobility and quality of life. A multimodal approach is the most beneficial, Colleran pointed out, because it combines traditional medication, adjunctive therapies, and environmental modification.
On the pharmacological side, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used. There are also some really helpful adjunctive therapies, like laser therapy [and] acupuncture, she said. Assisi Loop is a favorite of mine because the cats dont mind it at all, she added, and then there are...supplements like omega-3 fatty acids.
Environmental modification includes making the cats space more comfortable so that it can get around more easily and providing it with a warm bed to soothe its joints.
Environmental modification means that were changing the environment to accommodate...something thats going on with the cat. For example...a lot of my clients will build stairs or ramps for the cats to get up to really high places where they like to sit and watch the world go by or watch the birds outside.
At the 2022 convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association,4 Alonso Guedes, DVM, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesia at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, talked about the newest kid[s] on the block: anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibodies.
Guedes explained that nerve growth factor (NGF) is synthesized and active on many types of cells: various cells secreteand are affected byit. NGF signaling is upregulated during the chronic inflammation associated with OA, which results in central and peripheral sensitization and hyperalgesia. In patients with OA, the secretion of NGF increases, sensitizing the periphery and central terminal of the neurons in the spinal cord.
The NGF also will activate immune cells, and these...cells will then secrete their mediators, [which]...will then amplify inflammation...so it seems like a good idea...[to use] a nerve growth factor neutralizing antibody to block NGF's many effects, and then the nervous system is able to return to its normal [state]. It is [a] pretty nice concept, Guedes added.
References
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Helping osteoarthritic cats live their best lives - DVM 360
Progress made over decades to control overpopulation of dogs and cats through high-volume spay-neuter surgeries is at risk thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a team of UF researchers conclude in a new study.
The impact felt both at community shelters and veterinary clinics includes sharp declines in spay-neuter surgeries after the initial pandemic-triggered lockdowns, followed by staffing shortages in clinics and shelters, overcrowding and lagging pet adoption rates. All of these problems are compounded by a nationwide shortage of veterinarians, which has been felt even more acutely in shelters and spay-neuter clinics, the researchers say in a study that appears today (Sept. 13) in Frontiers of Veterinary Science.
Progress made over decades to control overpopulation of dogs and cats through high-volume spay-neuter surgeries is at risk thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a team of UF researchers conclude in a new study.
The study focused on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume of surgical procedures performed by spay-neuter clinics, said Simone Guerios, D.V.M., Ph.D., a clinical assistant professor of shelter medicine at UF and the studys lead author.
The team drew its research from 212 clinics nationally, all of which make use of the cloud-based clinic management software program Clinic HQ, which is specifically designed for facilities that focus on spay-neuter and preventive health care services.
The high level of spay-neuter achieved over the past five decades is the single most important driver of reduced pet overpopulation and euthanasia in animal shelters, Guerios said. The rise in subsidized spay-neuter access helped drive the euthanasia of shelter pets in the United States from an estimated 13.5 million in 1973 to 1.5 million in 2019.
Using 2019 as a baseline, the UF team aimed to determine the impact of the pandemic on the volume of spay-neuter procedures performed in 2020-2021 at the 212 clinics, which collectively performed more than 1 million surgeries per year and were on track to increase surgeries by 5% over the previous year.
But in the 24 months from January 2020 through December 2021, 190,818 fewer surgeries were performed at the clinics studied than would be expected had 2019 levels been maintained, the researchers found.
If a similar pattern was experienced by other spay-neuter programs in the United States, it would suggest there is a deficit of more than 2.7 million spay-neuter surgeries that animal welfare organizations have yet to address, said co-author Julie Levy, D.V.M., Ph.D., the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at UFs College of Veterinary Medicine.
All the impacts of the pandemic combined have the potential to undermine progress made in controlling pet populations and euthanasia in shelters, Levy added.
Currently, shelters are in crisis mode, with overcrowding and lagging adoptions, Guerios said. Pet overpopulation seems to be increasing, leading to increased shelter euthanasia for the first time in many years.
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine is responding to societal needs by increasing class size and remodeling its surgical training facility to enhance surgical skills development. The college also offers four courses and clerkships specifically designed to provide students with real-world spay-neuter experience, Levy said.
As part of these hands-on learning opportunities, UF veterinary students spay and neuter thousands of cats and dogs in their local communities, she added.
Through our recent expansion of class size to meet the increasing demand for veterinary graduates, along with unique certificate programs and shelter medicine internships, our college is taking proactive action to address these disturbing trends in animal healthcare and well-being, said Christopher Adin, D.V.M., chair of UFs department of small animal clinical sciences, which oversees the colleges shelter medicine program.
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Research shows what is driving shelter overpopulation - Vet Candy
Its been known for decades that astronauts immune systems become suppressed in space, leaving them vulnerable to disease, but the exact mechanisms of immune dysfunction have remained a mystery now a Cornell undergraduate has found a potential solution.
A biological and mechanical engineering double major in the College of Engineering, Rocky An 23 published his theory, MRTF May be the Missing Link in a Multiscale Mechanobiology Approach toward Macrophage Dysfunction in Space, Sept. 12 in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.
An reviewed the last 20 years of literature on the behavior of macrophages key cells in the bodys immune response in space and recent research about how macrophages respond to forces in normal gravity, identifying a transcription factor that could prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
I just kept asking questions about how the data is presented, An said. There are these two really important papers, in particular, one a review of how macrophages are suppressed in microgravity, and another about the mechanobiology of macrophages. I was able to connect these two papers, and that's when the idea came to me. I was really excited, as it was kind of a eureka moment for me.
In space, the lack of gravity changes the shape of the immune cell, and scientists have suspected that changes to the cytoskeleton, the filamented infrastructure of the cell, were involved in immune dysfunction. Recent studies in normal gravity have shown that disturbing the cytoskeleton of macrophages reduces the transport of a particular protein, a transcription factor important for immune response, to the nucleus.
By comparing the studies of cells in microgravity and analyzing the modes of study and associated timescales whether macrophages were actually studied in space, or on a parabolic airplane, or in a simulation of microgravity in the lab An was able to point to this protein, Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor (MRTF), as a probable culprit in immune system dysfunction.
I think its a pretty convincing argument that MRTF is a big part of the problem, An said. I hope it will inspire future studies that really focus on that one protein and the cytoskeleton, and maybe it could be the first step towards a spaceflight immune treatment.
The paper suggests that MRTF could be implicated in the stress on the cardiovascular health of astronauts as well. An also points to other factors that may play a role in immune dysfunction and notes that further research is needed to understand how MRTF interacts with the macrophage nucleus in microgravity.
While An worked independently on the publication, he credits his Cornell professors (including Mingming Wu, professor, and Minglin Ma, associate professor, both of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Brian J. Kirby, the Meinig Family Professor of Engineering; and Donna Cassidy Hanley, senior research associate in the College of Veterinary Medicine, among many other teachers) for modeling an interdisciplinary approach and encouraging inquiry.
Even before enrolling at Cornell, An had contact with the lab of Theodore Clark, professor of microbiology and immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, where An has engaged in research since his freshman year. He also credits his experience on the Cornell iGEM (Genetically Engineered Machines) Project Team, with advising from Jan Lammerding, professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, as helping him develop as a scientist.
The biggest help has been the professors and the way theyve taught my classes, An said. And then with research in the lab and my project team, there have been a lot of opportunities to learn independently and ask our own questions.
An also gained valuable experience in summer internships. In 2021, he was chosen as a research associate for NASAs Space Life Sciences Training Program, where he studied the impact of microgravity on cells and co-authored his first paper, an optimization of a modeling framework for studying cells in microgravity.
An then spent the summer of 2022 as an Amgen Scholar at Harvard Universitys Wyss Institute, where he worked in the area of mechanical immunotherapy, exploring therapies that work by manipulating cells structure.
Ive always been interested in cells, but also the mechanics, how cells react to forces, An said. I like this approach because its somewhat new, and I think it's very different from what you generally learn in biology, where everything's a series of chemical reactions. I really enjoy the interaction between the two fields.
Support for Ans publication came from the Cornell Open Access Publication Fund.
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Undergrad publishes theory on immune dysfunction in space | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle
September 19, 2022
Contact:Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
TUSKEGEE, Alabama-- Tuskegee University has been named a Fulbright Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Institutional Leader for 2022.
For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is recognizing selected HBCUs strong engagement with the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders have demonstrated noteworthy support for Fulbright exchange participants during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years and have promoted Fulbright program opportunities on campus. Tuskegee University is new to the list this year.
The announcement of the 19 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders was made by the State Department as HBCU leaders prepare to gather in Washington, D.C., and virtually for the White House Initiative on HBCUs National HBCU Week Conference, and Fulbright opportunities will be highlighted in events such as the career and recruitment fair during this week.
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield commended the HBCUs receiving the Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader designation this year, noting that HBCUs are an important part of the American and global higher education communities, providing life-changing exchange opportunities for American and international students, faculty, and administrators alike. I hope that these institutions success encourages all HBCUs to engage further with Fulbright and with the State Department.
This is an exceptional note of distinction, said President Charlotte P. Morris. We have always known the caliber of students and faculty whose vigorous academic work influences our society in a variety of areas. This acknowledgment will help our students and the broader community see the enormous value our university brings.
On Nov. 3, a Fulbright HBCU Virtual Workshop will feature representatives of Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders sharing best practices for HBCUs to leverage Fulbright Program engagement to support students and faculty, increase campus internationalization, and build global networks. This event is open to the public and is specifically designed for HBCU faculty, staff, and stakeholders.
Our goals for academic excellence mapped out in our Strategic Plan are confirmed once again by this acknowledgment, said Provost Dr. S. Keith Hargrove. We are providing academic tools for scholars and researchers to develop and contribute their best work. By supporting this kind of academic brilliance, it confirms our commitment to remain an HBCU that attracts and maintains a strong community of global scholars.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since its inception over 75 years ago, the Fulbright Program has given over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad, exchanging ideas, and contributing to finding solutions to important international problems.
Each year, the U.S. Congress appropriates funds to the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the Fulbright Program. Many foreign governments contribute substantially as well. Additional funding and in-kind funding is provided by U.S. and foreign host institutions, non-governmental organizations, private organizations, corporate partnerships, and individual donors.
Over the years, we have had faculty and student Fulbright awardees representing Tuskegee around the globe, said Dr. Rhonda Collier, director of the TU Global Office, Fulbright Faculty Liaison and Fulbright Program Advisor. Im so proud of the work were doing to support their study and research.
Over many years the Fulbright Program has designed and implemented a wide range of initiatives to increase participant diversity and inclusion. The program strives to ensure that its participants reflect the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. Fulbrighters come from all backgrounds and are selected through an open, merit-based competition, regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Information on the Fulbright Programs diversity and inclusion initiatives is detailed on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.
For more information on the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright or contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office by e-mail ECA-Press@state.gov.
Stories about the positive impact of the Fulbright Program over its first 75 years can be found at: https://fulbright75.org
Follow the Fulbright Programs social media accounts and websites for highlights on HBCUs and Fulbright:
2022 Tuskegee University
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Tuskegee University is named HBCU Institutional Leader by Fulbright Program - Tuskegee University
After the unexpected deaths of three animals on campus a horse, a rabbit and a ferret multiple sources have accused NC State of gross negligence. According to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2022 Inspection Report, the University has committed multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Furthermore, USDAs inspection at NC State in 2021 reported three specific violations pertaining to NC States mistreatment of animals. One of the violations, 3.127(a), mentioned that a pasture containing five horses had no shelter or shade of any type, despite the summer heat.
The violations of animal protection laws documented by federal inspectors at North Carolina State University (NCSU) are so severe that the school should lose its license to house and experiment on animals, said PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo in a statement.
NC State was inspected May 11, and it was found that three animals unexpectedly died one horse had urine scalding, and lack of quick action resulted in the horses euthanization. A veterinary student also improperly handled a rabbit, breaking its back, while another veterinary student prolonged surgery for a ferret. Both the rabbit and ferret were also euthanized.
Students are not being properly trained, and with all the animals dying and being hurt, it seems like a systematic problem, said PETA Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Dr. Alka Chandna.
These health problems are not being properly addressed, and the University has now received a complaint filed by a National Research Watchdog, SAEN, a non-profit watchdog that monitors U.S. research facilities.
A rabbit died of a broken back, a horse was euthanized after failure to receive veterinary care and a ferret died in connection to a botched surgery, said co-founder and executive director of SAEN, Animal Health Technician Michael Budkie in a press release. These deaths are made worse by NC States failure to investigate these deaths. This attempted cover-up by research administration is criminal.
Any research facility must have an animal care committee, also known as the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC is responsible for evaluating and approving every research protocol, experiment or procedure that use live animals and making sure animals are taken care of in correspondence with the Animal Welfare Act.
The IACUC failed to investigate what was going on with injured animals, such as with the rabbit, horse and ferret recently, Chandna said.
The complaint from SAEN was written to Dr. Robert Gibbens, director of Animal Welfare Operations, USDA/APHIS/AC, discussing the violations that NC State has committed. In this complaint, Gibbens is urged to penalize the University $10,000 per infraction/per animal.
Most of the time, the fines are considered part of the cost of doing business, Budkie said in an interview. My opinion is that they are more concerned about the negative media intention that can come out of things like this than the fines.
In a statement, Mike Charbonneau, the director of communications and marketing at NC States College of Veterinary Medicine, said the euthanization of the horse was an isolated incident, and after this incident, the University is working with the USDA to ensure care of animals.
In an unfortunate, and isolated, incident, a team caring for a horse that was on campus to provide life-saving blood donations for sick horses didnt immediately recognize medical symptoms of a bladder stone, and when the condition was discovered and diagnosed, the decision was made to humanely euthanize the horse, Charbonneau said. Following this incident, we strengthened our procedures and requirements for daily health monitoring of all teaching and support animals.
While the statement Charbonneau offered referred to the horses euthanization, it failed to provide clarity on the unexpected deaths of the rabbit and ferret mentioned in the original inspection notes. When asked about the same, Charbonneau declined to give any further information.
According to Budkie, NC States first citation was for not performing investigations on animals after they were hurt or mishandled, leading to the death of the animals.
When the injuries occur, it is not being reported so the animals cant receive veterinary care, and the IACUC is not looking into it to find out what the problem is so procedures can be changed to keep injuries or mistakes from happening again, Budkie said.
Budkie also voiced his concerns that the University may have committed more violations than just those the inspections revealed.
There is no reason to assume that more things have not occured and just were not discovered by the inspector, Budkie said. When the inspector comes through, they only have one or two days to inspect everything.
According to Budkie, critical citations are rare, yet NC State has received several. One of these critical violations found after an inspection in August 2021, showed that five employees did not know who to call if there was a hurt or mishandled animal, revealing a lack of knowledge on what to do in a veterinary emergency.
We are talking about the workers, the animal technicians and the students, and they have not been trained that they need to inform a veterinarian if there is a problem, Chandna said. Students are not only injuring animals, but are handling them so poorly that they require euthanization. There's an issue in the classroom, and with the IACUC.
According to Charbonneau, the necessary changes have been made to ensure that animals are properly taken care of.
We continue to work with our partners at the USDA to ensure that all animals at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine have the recommended level of shelter, food, water and medications as well as exceptional medical care, Charbonneau said. The compassionate treatment of all animals is at the heart of all we do, and its something clinicians, faculty, staff and students at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine carefully train for and prioritize every day.
SAEN and PETA are urging NC State to make a change. Animals are suffering, hurting and dying due to the lack of care from the University, and if concrete change doesnt happen soon, its possible more animals will be mishandled and mistreated at the hands of faculty, staff and students.
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NC State commits multiple Animal Welfare Act violations, animals suffering and dying - N.C. State University Technician Online
The bacteriumStaphylococcus aureushas long been known to cause infections in humans, ranging from mild skin infections to pneumonia to more serious infections of the heart. In high-income countries, its the leading cause of a sometimes-fatal condition known as infective endocarditis, involving inflammation of the hearts valves or lining.
Now, in a new study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine describe another way the bacterium can cause harm: by undermining the bodys ability to heal from those infections.
The findings may point the way toward improving treatment of infections withS. aureus, more commonly called a staph infection.
TheS. aureusbacteria produce small toxins, called superantigens, that bind to white blood cells and over-activate the immune system, which can cause complications for the circulatory system. Thestudy in rabbits, published recently in Science Advances, found that a superantigen called SEC (superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin C) prevents injured blood vessels from healing. It also stops the formation of new branching blood vessels crucial to the wound repair process.
The role of many immune system molecules is to make the vessels around the infection more permeable, so they can enter and heal the infection, explains senior author Wilmara Salgado-Pabn, professor of pathobiological sciences. But when superantigens hyperactivate the immune system, your blood vessels can become leaky, leading to low blood pressure and organ dysfunction.
When an area of the body has suffered injury, it will form tiny branching blood vessels called capillaries, which send nutrients and oxygen to the damaged area. Using whats called the aortic root model, researchers sliced small sections of a rabbits aortic artery to imitate an injury. These ring slices were unable to form new capillaries in the presence of SEC, hindering the vascular system from healing the injury.
The model works well, says Salgado-Pabn, because it allows us to test capillary formation which can be complex in a laboratory environment, with all of the elements you would expect in the body.
Infective endocarditis disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous populations, as well as people predisposed to infection such as the elderly, people with diabetes and people who smoke.
The condition is responsible for high rates of in-hospital mortality, as it progresses very quickly and can go on to cause complications in other organs throughout the body, Salgado-Pabn says.
Over the last 50 years, treatment for infective endocarditis has remained largely unchanged, currently consisting of a six-week course of antibiotics or heart surgery to clear the infection. The new findings offer potential for developing new and better approaches.
You could not only neutralize the toxins vascular effects, but you could possibly treat patients to improve their vascular health, says Salgado-Pabn, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health. By strengthening a patients vascular health, you could proactively prevent the complications that lead to fatality.
Now that the lab has identified this new biological function, it is working to define the structures and molecules that are critical to the process, including identifying the molecules SEC interacts with and defining the cellular receptors that react to the toxins presence.
Maddie Arthur
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New understanding of 'superantigens' could lead to improved staph infection treatments - University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Jackson was working in an Alberta mountain town a few summers ago when a patient came in showing signs of heatstroke.
The dog had just had a long day of hiking and was disoriented, vomiting, panting heavily, and "very, very weak," she recalled. "He had a high elevated heart rate, he had low blood pressure. His body temperature was elevated."
He was immediately put on intravenous fluids and wrapped in cool towels. Isopropyl alcohol was applied to his paw pads for an evaporative cooling effect. He was also given an anti-nausea injection to prevent any further dehydration through vomiting.
The story has a happy ending: The dog's body temperature came down and he made a full recovery, Jackson said.
But it's a reminder during these hazy, humid days of summerthat humans aren't the only ones feeling the heat pets are, too. And with even hotter days projected to come, veterinarians say it's important to take precautions and watch for signs of trouble in your furry family members.
Heatstroke may be top of mind for pet owners since it's something that humans can also suffer from. But burnt paws are actually a more common summertime injury and one that can be easy to overlook, said Jackson, an instructor at the University of Calgary's faculty of veterinary medicine.
Imagine walking barefoot across a sidewalk or beach on a hot summer day, and you get some idea of what our four-legged friends go through.
"We forget that they're very unique in that their paw pads are touching the ground as they walk," she said. "Black pavement in particular can attract a lot of heat and can cause burn injuries to those paw pads."
Severe burns on paw pads can be tough to heal because the surface of the pads is relatively avascular, meaning that it's lacking in blood supply. On very hot days, consider keeping your pet inside and walking them only in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler, Jackson said.
If you're unsure, the American Kennel Club suggests placing the back of your hand on the asphalt on hot days; if you can't comfortably hold it there for 10 seconds, it's too hot for your pup's paws.
If you do take your pet out on a hot day, watch for signs of heatstroke, which happens when the body is unable to cope with external heat.
As humans, we regulate our body temperature in part through sweating: the evaporation of sweat from our skin's surface removes excess heat and cools us down. But our pets don't have sweat glands distributed throughout their body in the same way.
In dogs and cats, the sweat glands are mostly located in the paw pads. It's such a small surface area that it doesn't help much with temperature regulation, according to Dr. Sarah Machell, a licensed veterinarian and medical director of Vetster, a telehealth app that connects pet owners to veterinarians for virtual consults.
That's why our pets pant in the heat it's their way of cooling off.
"[Panting is] the only way that pets dogs, in particular, we see this in can really evaporate water from any surface to help lower body temperature," Machellsaid.
"So their capacity and their tolerance for heat is much, much less than humans."
To help your pets stay cool, make sure they have lots of access to shade and that any exercise taken on is very moderate and at a slow pace, Machellsaid. Keep them hydrated by carrying water bottles, taking frequent breaks and encouraging them to drink.
Specialized cooling bandanas and cooling vests can also keep your pets from getting overheated, Machellsaid.
Most pet owners know to never leave their pets alone in a car because of how fast temperatures can rise in the enclosed space. Machellrecommends planning ahead and taking a second person with you who can walk the dog while you pop into the store.
As with humans, it only takes a few degrees of difference in your pet's body temperature for the situation to tip intodangerous territory.
A normal body temperature for a dog is in the range of 37.5 C to 39.2 C. When it gets above 41 C, the possibility of heatstroke starts to be a significantconcern, and there is risk of multiple organ failure and death, said Dr. Matthew Richardson, a veterinarian at The Animal Clinic in Toronto and president-elect for the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA).
The higher above that level it goes and the longer it is elevated, the more serious the consequences, he said.
According to the OVMA, the signs of heatstroke in pets can include:
While symptomsare fairly similar across pet species, there are some minor differences.
"In dogs, we will see vomiting and diarrhea as symptoms of heatstroke. In birds andreptiles, ittends to be a reduction in the production of fecal matter and a reduction in the amount that they want to eat," Richardson said.
If you think your pet is suffering from heatstroke, you should move them to a cooler setting and use cool not cold water and damp towels to try to lower their body temperature, according to the OVMA. If they are able, allow them to drink.Bring any pets suffering from heatstroke to aveterinarian as soon as possible, the OVMA says.
Pet owners should also be aware that some animals are more vulnerable to heatstroke than others. The Toronto Humane Society says these include animals with flat faces, such as pugs and Persian cats, as they can't pant as effectively; elderly pets; overweight pets; and those with heart or lung diseases.
A puppy would also be more prone to heatstroke than an adult dog, Richardson said.
Heat stress can also be an issue for indoor pets if there is a lack of air conditioning.
Machellsuggests having multiple locations for access to fresh water and adding ice cubes to water or even using a water fountain, since running water can sometimes be more appealing for pets.
For pets like birds and guinea pigs, make sure the cage is out of direct sunlight, and you could place a fan on them, Richardson said.
For small mammals, you can also try to create a special spot for them in their cage that will retain a cooler temperature for longer than regular bedding.
"If you can find a piece of stone, tile, granite, something like that that's cool and can stay in the shade so it stays cool you can put that in their cages," he said. "You can have this sort of cold area where they can go to try to find that cooler spot."
Have you ever had a dispute over ownership or custody of a pet? We want to hear from you for an upcoming story. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
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Pets are also feeling the heat this summer. Here's how you can protect them - CBC.ca
Rep. Kurt Schrader would have to apply for a new license from state board led by wife of candidate who defeated him.
Oregon is a small state, prone to odd intersections of political lives. To wit:
U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, would have to apply for a new veterinarian's license from a state board led by the wife of the candidate who defeated him in the May primary.
State records show that Walter Schrader the congressman goes by his middle name, Kurt received a state veterinary license in 1977. Elected to Congress in 2008, Schrader has served as chair of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus.
But state records show that after 42 years, Schrader allowed his license to lapse in December 2019.
Schrader lost the May 17 Democratic primary to Terrebonne attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner.
If Schrader wanted to resume his practice after he leaves office in January, he'd apply for a new license from the Oregon Veterinary Medicine Examining Board.
The board's interim executive director since December 2020 is Cass McLeod-Skinner. She's Jamie's wife.
Cass McLeod-Skinner is also the executive director of the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners. She stepped into the additional work of leading the veterinary board after the previous executive director, Lori Maakinen, retired in December 2020.
State records show Cass McLeod-Skinner has a base pay of $119,899 and earned total compensation in the 2021 fiscal year of $120,109.
Gov. Kate Brown announced she plans to fill the veterinary board commission job and was accepting applications until the end of June. No announcement has been made on an appointment.
Schrader is paid $174,000 per year as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Starting next year, the paycheck will go to either Jamie McLeod-Skinner or Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, depending on the outcome of the November election.
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Oregon's a small world: Politics and vetting veterinarians - Portland Tribune
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - With temperatures as hot as they are, veterinarians say it's important to keep your pets inside to avoid heat stroke and other emergencies.
"Recently, we actually saved a police dog. He was working outside and his temperature went up to 107 degrees and we were very lucky...they brought him in immediately," said Dr. Julie Nelson, an emergency veterinarian at Bay Beach Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Virginia Beach.
The dog and its handler were also lucky because they were able to find a clinic to take the case.
Bay Beach's schedule for emergency doctors currently has numerous openings, particularly during overnight shifts No doctor on staff means pets could be turned away. It nearly happened on Monday of this week, the clinic tells News 3.
We did not have an emergency doctor overnight and most of the veterinary emergency hospitals in our community did not have emergency doctors overnight either so we did not have anywhere to send the patient. We did end up getting him taken care of, but, at the same time, its a really tough situation for people to be in," said Allison Rye, the Hospital Administrator at Bay Beach.
According to Blue Pearl an emergency veterinary hospital that operates across the country, with two locations in Hampton Roads the problem is nationwide due to a shortage of veterinarians and support staff.
A statement to News 3, from company spokesperson Laura Fourniotis, reads, "Over the past decade, there has been an increased generational interest in pet ownership, which was accelerated by a historic influx of pandemic pets. Adding to this, the industry is facing a national veterinary professional shortage. COVID-19 only exacerbated pre-existing issues in veterinary medicine, including burnout. Loss of qualified/experienced para-staff, clinicians, and leadership is notable across all aspects of the veterinary business. However, emergency and critical care medicine has seen the greatest attrition or movement of Associates. Many determined to take a break, to move to another role or another team/practice, or to leave the profession altogether. This trend is not yet slowing in 2022."
Fourniotis pointed News 3 to a study by Mars Veterinary Health that breaks down the numbers.
Rye says the staffing situation at Bay Beach and across the region is the worst she's seen since joining the clinic as a veterinary assistant in 2001.
"I think we had five or six 24-hour facilities locally. Now we have two," she said. "We do our best to cover the holes (in our schedule) that we can, but our doctors can only work so many hours in a week."
If the hospital is unable to take on a new patient, Dr. Nelson says her staff may refer the owner to another clinic outside the region.
It hurts us immensely to have to send them somewhere else, like all the way to Richmond. That is a two-hour drive to do in the middle of the night when their pet is having an emergency but when you dont have the doctor to take care of them, we have to do whats best for them," she told News 3.
But sometimes even those locations are already full too.
Dr. Nelson says the best thing for someone having an emergency with their dog, cat or another pet is to call ahead to make sure a hospital is accepting patients to avoid a wasted trip.
Also, if you think your pet might be sick, try to get in to see your regular veterinarian before it becomes an emergency.
And keep in mind if you do have to visit the ER, be patient and prepared to wait several hours in the event the doctor is working on another, higher priority case.
A cat treated for care at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital after the 2018 Camp Fire. (UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine)
Discovery Could Change the Way Veterinarians Treat Wildfire-Injured Cats
Quick Summary
July 24, 2022 - By Trina Wood - Cats who suffered burns and smoke inhalation in urban California wildfires are at risk of forming deadly blood clots, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.The study, recently published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, follows up ona previous discoverythat showed cats injured in urban wildfires had a high incidence of heart problems.
Prior to these two papers, we didnt realize that cats impacted by urban wildfires were prone to forming clots, which can lead to sudden death, said lead co-author Ronald Li, associate professor of small animal emergency and critical care at UC Davis. This study will change the standard of care for rescued cats from these wildfires and hopefully save more lives.
Cats treated for their injuries from the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, were some of the models for this study. Researchers examined their platelets, the cells that circulate in blood and help stop bleeding or form blood clots. They found that cats with wildfire injuries had increased overactive platelets compared to healthy cats or cats with heart disease, in this case subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. HCM is the most common cardiac disease in cats and causes a thickening of the heart muscle.
Cats with HCM are hypercoagulable, meaning they are more likely to form clots, explained lead co-author Ava Tan, a veterinary research fellow currently working in Lis laboratory. Thats why we used them as a control group to compare with cats in the wildfire group.
The platelets of wildfire-injured cats also released high amounts of microvesicles, microscopic membranous bubble-like structures filled with proteins, which are associated with cardiovascular disease and an elevated risk of clotting.
We found cats exposed to wildfire smoke and injuries are even more prone to throwing clots, showing a direct association between wildfire injuries, platelet response and clot formation, Tan said.
In addition to clot formation, platelets have a lot to do with overall cardiovascular health and disease. The study also led to the discovery of a novel receptor on cat platelets, Toll-Like-Receptor-4, that may play a role in clotting and could be the target for treatments developed in the future.
These results could lead to bigger health implications for our feline patients and highlight the important role that platelets play in linking inflammation with the coagulation system, Li said.
Wildfires pose a major risk for humans as well. Emergency room visits increase due to heart attack and strokes after wildlife exposure. Although the underlying mechanism isnt known in humans, this study in cats may shed light on systemic platelet activation, which plays a crucial role in mediating the likelihood of developing clots as a result of wildfire injuries.
This study opens a new door to looking at how wildfires impact cardiovascular health in humans, Li said.
The researchers were able to use blood samples collected from cats brought in for treatment from the Camp Fire, which have been used in these two studies to date. This study has also led to a third study, which is underway, to discover new cellular processes that may explain why feline platelets are so sensitive and prone to clotting, especially in cats with heart conditions or wildfire injuries. The data collected is critical to developing early treatment plans, Li said.
Other authors include veterinary cardiologists Joshua Stern, Catherine Gunther-Harrington and Ashley Sharpe; veterinary critical care specialists Yu Ueda, Steven Epstein and Satoshi Haginoya; and research associates Nghi Nguyen and Mehrab Hussain in the Li Comparative Platelet and Neutrophil Physiology Laboratory. The diagnostics and therapeutic management of feline burn victims reported in this study were funded through the UC Davis Veterinary Catastrophic Need Fund.This study also received funding through the Center for Companion Animal Health.Source: UC Davis
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Cats Injured in Wildfires at Risk of Deadly Blood Clots - Sierra Sun Times
By Vidya Rajan, Columnist, The Times
We seldom think of the home or medicine cabinet as a storehouse of poisons, but that is what they are. From the very food we eat, the sprays we clean with, to the drugs we take, the chemical activity of um, chemicals can have diabolical effects upon biological systems. In this article, I will explore a few of the drugs we use to keep ourselves healthy, and how drugs can become poisons.
That drugs can be dangerous is the reason why so many are regulated, and available only by prescription by a licensed physician or psychiatrist. Most drugs are derived from other living organisms which use the chemicals to ward off predators, and they do this by messing with the biochemistry of the attacker, sometimes lethally. However, some drugs are from inanimate sources. Elements such as lithium, iron, potassium, iodine, zinc, and sodium, and compounds such as bicarbonate of soda and calcium carbonate, are used as part of the spectrum of pharmacological interventions to manage health. But the questions arise: What distinguishes a poison from a drug? Is the difference due merely to a dosage effect? What interactions can drugs have with each other that singly they are okay, but together will send you six feet under? Why are there so many potential side effects for each drug?
Drugs act through a physiological intermediary, through which they activate or shut down a pathway. Dosage matters here to modulate the pathway correctly. Consider a problem of acid overproduction in the stomach. There are two ways to manage this problem: 1. turning down acid production levels or, 2. absorbing the excess; both will have the desired outcome of less acid. But other problems may arise from the reduction of acid levels. If most or all the acid is absorbed, there may not be enough left to digest protein, or potential pathogens or their eggs, and will have the undesired side-effects of malnutrition or parasitic infestation. But if not enough absorption of acid occurs, the remaining acid may cause other problems such as possible ulceration, reflux, or heartburn. Therefore, the dose must be achieved that sponges up just the right amount of acid not too little, and not too much.
A second consideration for drugs is their interactions with other drugs or the body itself, if it changes the drugs persistence or activity. As a simple example, a drug that requires acid in the stomach to be activated, such as a supplementary digestive enzyme, will be modulated by the levels of acid. Agonistic, or similar actions, will be amplified. For example, barbiturates and alcohol are both nerve depressants and, taken together, can be lethal. So also aspirin and warfarin, both of which act to thin blood, will have lethal additive effects. Antagonistic drugs, such as morphine and naloxone, have opposite effects at the same receptor. Thus, a morphine overdose can be reversed by administering naloxone. Drugs whose actions involve the brain are particularly complicated in this respect their outcomes are affected regionally by agonistic and antagonistic effects, but they can even have systemic effects because of their regulation of the secretion of neurotransmitters and hormones.
Drug action is further modulated by whether the drug is rapidly or slowly broken down, and the organs involved in its removal from the body. Drugs metabolized through biochemical pathways in the liver or the kidney can place excess stress on those organs if used in conjunction with other drugs metabolized via the same organ. For example alcohol and acetaminophen a popular analgesic are both metabolized in the liver using similar oxidative enzymes. Taking them together may place such a large load on the liver that it can cause liver failure and death. Some foods may interfere with drug metabolism as well. Grapefruit juice is known to interfere with some liver enzymes that break down drugs like cholesterol-lowering statins, leading to a drug buildup which can then lead to muscle pain or damage. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can affect kidney function, impeding the removal of drugs from the body. So be sure to list these in your medication lists when you see your physician for your annual checkup! Illegal or street drugs can also interact with prescription drugs in the body. The list is long! Here is a place where you can check prescription drug interactions: https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html#. Stay safe by checking with your doctor, especially if you are required to take multiple medications. Keep your medications away from children. Expired and no-longer-needed medications can be disposed at the Police Station and through Controlled Substance Public Disposal Locations (search for your closest location at Controlled Substance Public Disposal Locations Search Utility (usdoj.gov)).
It is not usual practice to praise federal governmental institutions, but the Food and Drug Administration has been the bulwark against ineffective treatments marketed as panaceas, and against food and drug adulteration in the United States. The first part of its mission statement reads as follows: The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nations food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA requires data on two key requirements prior to licensing a drug: safety and efficacy. These data are gathered through clinical trials (at levels I, II, and III, as you may know from the testing of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19), and bolstered by the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System (VAERS) where side effects of vaccines are reported to the FDA for safety follow up. But the FDA also demands that any negative drug interactions that are found are publicized by the drug company this is the reason for drug labeling and the laundry list of side-effects that accompany any over-the-counter or prescribed drug. The FDA is so trusted that many other countries have adopted the practices they pioneered, such as Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) with stringent record-keeping and trackable supply chains.
To stay safe, read the small print, and be honest with your physician when they ask you which other drugs you take.
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Inner Nature: The medicine/poison cabinet | The Unionville Times - The Unionville Times
There are a few actors in Hollywood who start acting as children and continue in their acting careers through adulthood. There are far more who appear in one or a few movies and then move on to completely different careers. Peter Ostrum is one interesting example of an actor who left the big screen behind.
Ostrum was born November 1, 1957, in Dallas, Texas but spent most of his childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, according to IMDb. While in Cleveland, he enjoyed acting for the local childrens theater. It is from those productions that he got discovered for his only film appearance. He starred as Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Ostrum was an instant hit in his role as the lovable Charlie. Ostrum, however, did not love acting in the film enough to want to return. He even turned down a three-movie deal he received as soon he finished Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He said, When it was over, I was anxious to become just another kid again.
Ostrum didnt enjoy talking about his time as a child actor for a long time. Now that a lot of time has passed, Ostrum can look back with fondness. He said,
For a long time, I hated talking about the movie. When anyone brought it up, I wanted to change the topic. I didnt want to be known as the former child actor. Now, since Ive been out of the industry for so long and have grown up, I look on the whole experience with fond memories and see it as a wonderful part of my life. Its fun to reflect now with the maturity that I didnt have at one point when I was younger.
OWN reports that Ostrum and his fellow child actors (a.k.a the Wonka Kids) maintain a close relationship to this day. They often come together at celebrity signing events around the country.
Ostrum used the earnings he got from starring in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to buy his first horse, according to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. He started working at the stable where his horse was kept. It was his horses veterinarian that left a strong impression on him.
About the veterinarian, Ostrum said,
I can remember the veterinarian coming out and taking care of the horses, and it made a huge impression on me. This person really enjoyed what he did for a living. My father was a lawyer, and I really didnt have a clue what he did all day. But I knew exactly what the veterinarian did. Someone making a living from something he enjoyed so much really sparked my interest.
Ostrum took time off between high school and college to work as a groom at a few stables, and then he worked at the Delaware Equine Center in Pennsylvania. He ultimately ended up at Cornell University, where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 1984.
Ostrum now works as a veterinarian at a small veterinary clinic in Lowville, NY. He is a senior partner and primarily works on dairy farms. For over 25 years, Ostrum has found great satisfaction in working closely with dairy farm owners and their families.
On top of his veterinary practice, Ostrum has also been featured on the reality series called Vets on Call, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health. The show sought to raise awareness about the unique bond between rural veterinarians and their dairy farmer clients and to hopefully inspire young people to enter the food animal medicine career.
Ostrum enjoys visiting public schools in his area to talk about his movie role and his work as a veterinarian. He seeks to teach about how our life can change based on our decisions. He said, Acting was fine, but I wanted something more steady. The key is to find something you love doing, and thats what I got.
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