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Assistance with guiding clients through end-of-life care with compassion and understanding

Navigating different client types as their pet's journey nears its end 

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The laparoscope was developed as a diagnostic tool in the early 20th Century with the first experimental laparoscopy being performed in a dog in 1901. It wasn't until the 1930s that the laparoscope began being used as a diagnostic tool in human medicine. It took another 50 years before the laparoscope was used to perform surgeries such as appendectomies and cholecystectomies.

Laparoscopy: Underused yet definitive diagnostic tool

Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP (Canine, Feline), FAVD, has been a pioneer in the creation of the veterinary dentistry specialty. His achievements in the field have helped earn him recognition in the 2024 Veterinary Heroes program supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center as an award recipient in the dentistry category sponsored by PRN Pharmacal.

Bellows had been working at a veterinary clinic for in Florida 10 years when a friend approached him about joining him at a dentistry wet lab. Bellows returned from that lab noticing how his patients really needed dental services. As luck would have it, his practice was located in a shopping mall, next to a human dentist whose practice was not super busy and who loved animals. The dentist next door would go on to teach Bellows about dentistry for several years.

“At the time, there weren’t very many veterinarians [who] were into dentistry. There were 5 of them [who] were going around the country and giving [educational] seminars. They were wanting to form a specialty, so they formed the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, and I got certified by them. That was back in 1988. Then the [American Veterinary Medical Association. (AVMA)] said that is not an AVMA-approved specialty, it’s an academy. So the American Veterinary Dental College was formed in 1989, I believe, and I became the 13th board-certified veterinary dentist in 1990,” Bellows explained in a 

Bellows went on to become involved in the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry and would go on to serve as its president for 6 years. Today, there are more than 250 veterinary dentists.

He practiced veterinary medicine for 1 year before opening his own practice in Pembroke Pines, Florida, according to his nominator. In 1999, he opened Hometown Animal Hospital and All Pets Dental in Weston, Florida, which continues to be operated by Bellows as the owner and a practitioner.

“He is known for his hometown vibe and bedside manner. The clients absolutely adore him,” the nominator wrote.

Over the course of his career, Bellows has worked on committees, helped provide grants for colleges, and educated veterinary professionals. His work within veterinary dentistry has allowed him not only to provide better care for his patients but also to help others across the globe provide better dental care for their patients as well.

“He has helped thousands of veterinarians and veterinary technicians advance their dentistry skills through lectures, webinars and wet labs,” his nominator wrote. “Dr Bellows offers his cell phone and personal email to anyone that has questions.He has Facetimed many general practitioners in the middle of a procedure to walk them through [it, which is] often a flap or interpreting a radiograph.”

Additionally, Bellows is an international speaker, who will be presenting sessions at the 

2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Long Beach

, California. He has also written 5 dental textbooks, book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, and has been featured in many veterinary magazines, according to his nominator. These publications include 

, which continues to feature his “Dentistry A to Z” series.

Bellows plans to receive his award alongside 11 other distinguished inductees of dvm360’s Veterinary Heroes program during a luncheon celebration at the Long Beach Convention Center. The special event will take place during the 

 on December 8, 2024, at 11:30 AM PST. All conference attendees are invited to attend.

The 2024 Veterinary Heroes program is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center.

The dentistry category for the 2024 Veterinary Heroes program is supported by PRN Pharmacal.

The award recipient for dentistry is a pioneer in the specialty field

Clinical

Veterinary Heroes: Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP (Canine, Feline), FAVD

dvm360®, the leading multimedia provider of animal health care communications, education and research for veterinary professionals, is honored to announce the winners of the fourth annual Veterinary Heroes® recognition program. In honor of the inductees, an award ceremony will be held during the 

, where the winners will be recognized for their unwavering commitment and extraordinary efforts within the veterinary profession. The ceremony will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at noon PST. All Fetch Long Beach registrants may attend the award ceremony for no additional fee.

This year’s Veterinary Heroes program is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center and category sponsors Blue Buffalo Natural, MedVet, Banfield Pet Hospital, Thrive Pet Healthcare and PRN Pharmacal. The program recognizes those who have positively impacted animal care, demonstrating leadership, expertise and a commitment to improving the health and well-being of animals. These recognized individuals have excelled in their professional roles and influenced the broader veterinary community, setting new standards and inspiring others to continue evolving the practice of veterinary care.

“As their colleague, I’m truly honored to congratulate all of the winners of the fourth annual Veterinary Heroes award program and shake their hand,” Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer at dvm360 and the Fetch veterinary conferences, said in a news release. “It is my sincere pleasure to be part of an incredibly passionate and compassionate profession that goes above and beyond the call of duty for animals.”

: Geraldine Sprague — Tabernacle Animal Hospital (Tabernacle, New Jersey)

: Camia Tonge, M.S., LVT, VTS (SAIM) — Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (New York, New York)

: Jan Bellows, DVM, DIPL, AVDC, ABVP — Hometown Animal Hospital and All Pets Dental (Weston, Florida)

: Meghan Solc, DVM, DACVD — Dermatology for Animals, A Thrive Pet Healthcare Partner (Catonsville, Maryland)

: Dennis Tim Crowe Jr, DVM, Ph.D., DACVS, DACVECC, DACHM, NREMT-I, CFF — Veterinary Surgery, Emergency, and Critical Care Services and Consulting (Ventura, Thousand Oaks, California, and Bogart, Georgia)

: Susan V. Whittred, DVM — Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc./The Paw Project (Oyster Bay, New York)

: Patricia Kennedy Arrington, DVM, CVFP — Jefferson Animal Hospital Regional Emergency Practice and Trauma Center (Louisville, Kentucky)

: Ann E. Hohenhaus, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology, SAIM) — Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (New York, New York)

: Valerie J. Parker, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM and Nutrition) — The Ohio State University Medical Center (Columbus, Ohio)

: Adrianne Hiller, BS — CityVet – MidCities (Bedford, Texas)

: Karl Maritato, DVM, DACVS-SA — MedVet Cincinnati (Fairfax, Ohio)

Veterinary Paraprofessional (non-credentialed support staff)

: Khalfani Carr — VCA Woodbridge (Woodbridge VA), Regional Veterinary Referral Center (Springfield, Virginia)

To learn more about the conference and to register, please visit the 

dvm360 announces winners of the prestigious Veterinary Heroes program. News release. dvm360 and MJH Life Sciences. September 6, 2024.

This year’s event is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center and category sponsors Blue Buffalo Natural, MedVet, Banfield Pet Hospital, Thrive Pet Healthcare and PRN Pharmacal.

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The FDA is advising pet owners to discontinue use of 6 of Darwin’s Natural Selections raw cat and dog food products, manufactured by Arrow Reliance, Inc. The announcement came after 5 FDA samples of these products tested positive for 

Arrow Reliance was advised by the FDA to recall the 6 affected product lots, according to the announcement.

 However, the company has not recalled these products and may still be distributing them.

According to Darwin's Natural Pet Products, they contacted their clients on the same day of the FDA's announcement to offer detailed information about the situation. "As the Darwin’s community knows, transparency in communication is important to us. It is second only to our top priority: the health and wellbeing of the pets we serve," Gary Tashjian, founder and CEO of Darwin's Natural Pet Products, told 

“As part of our outreach, we specifically communicated with customers who had already received product lots that were included in the FDA’s notice – about 3% of our customers nationwide," continued Tashjian. According to the company, only a small amount of product left their facilities, and they had stopped shipping any potentially affected products earlier this month as soon as the FDA informed them about the testing.

The impacted products include specific lots of Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats and Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs. They are sold in frozen 2-pound white and clear plastic packages with 4 separate units. The Darwin’s Natural Selections products for dogs comes in blue packaging. The cat food has a combination of blue and green packaging.

The following are the impacted varieties and lot codes

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10832 MFG. Date: July 25, 2024.

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10856 MFG. Date: August 4, 2024.

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10890 MFG. Date: August 13, 2024.

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10828 MFG. Date: July 24, 2024.

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10844 MFG. Date: July 30, 2024.

Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10887 MFG. Date: August 12, 2024.

Lot codes for these products can be found printed on the lower left corner of the front of the package. The FDA is also recommending that consumers regularly check the lot numbers of Darwin’s Natural Selection Antibiotic & Grain-Free products before feeding them to their pets.

In its announcement, the FDA urged any individual that has any of these 6 products to stop feeding it to their pets and dispose of it in a secure container that is inaccessible to other animals, including wildlife. The FDA also warned against the donation of these products. Moreover, the organization advises that consumers throw the products away if lot codes are illegible or if packaging has been discarded.

Should consumers be in possession of the affected pet food products, they should clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that came into contact with the food or pet, including refrigerators and freezers.

Veterinarians interested in testing pets for 

 can utilize the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet comes from a household where someone is infected with either of these pathogens.

Darwin's Natural Pet Products maintains that their meals are safe. According to Tashjian, the company hired an independent 3rd party to conduct testing using conventional methods, and found that all lots tested negative for listeria. However, the testing did reveal small trace amounts of salmonella, which is inherent to poultry, Tashjian told 

“The products were flagged under the FDA’s zero-tolerance policy, which is largely designed for human safety, not pets. In fact, under the FDA protocol, the products tested positive for pathogens only following an incubation period," said Tashjian in an email to 

“At Darwin’s, the health and wellbeing of the pets we serve is our absolute top priority, which is why we have rigorous standards for quality and safety in manufacturing and sourcing. These protocols help ensure the safety of our products while maintaining the good bacteria that are crucial to pets’ gut health and immune systems,” he continued.

According to the FDA, animal companions may not always show symptoms when infected with Salmonella, but they could exhibit signs such as vomiting, diarrhea—including bloody diarrhea—fever, loss of appetite, and/or reduced activity levels. However, some animals may be asymptomatic and still shed the bacteria in their feces, contaminating the environment when they have a bowel movement.

Five FDA samples of Darwin’s Natural Selections raw cat and dog food products tested positive for Salmonella, with a 6th showing Listeria monocytogenes

Katharine R. Salmeri, DVM, DACVS

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