News

Dr. Nancy Matthews didn't cry. She didn't run. After a short fight, she curled into the fetal position and remained still, trying to keep her neck, face and the back of her legs unexposed.

Biosecurity is no joke. Most practitioners are aware of its significance considering the media focus on bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy and agroterrorism. Yet veterinarians who are known to make a host of producer safety recommendations often omit some security suggestions because they appear excessive.

Washington, D.C. - A study monitoring the success of weight loss for people and animals showed better results when owners and pets worked together.

St. Paul, Minn.- American Association of Bovine Practitioners' (AABP) board members voted during the group's annual meeting in September to establish a charitable foundation.

Pomona, Calif. -Western University's (Western U) veterinary college broke ground on its veterinary clinical center.

Louisville, Ky. - At 3:45 a.m. Dec. 20, Louisville Metro Council members passed a dangerous dog ordinance that rejected an original version calling for the ban of seven large breeds including Pit Bulls.

Annapolis, Md. - The Maryland Republican Party named a 58-year-old mixed animal practitioner as spokesman for its agenda.

Chicago - The American Veterinary Medical Association's annual leadership conference agenda appears ordinary apart from an administrative rules rewrite.

I finished the surgery with feelings of pride and accomplishment. There were enterotomies in four places. The abdomen was closed, the skin was closed, and the drain was in place.

The fourth goal of therapy is to prevent serious side effects of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.

Washington - The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requests agenda topics for a meeting on veterinary biological products.

It's in every corner of your hospital, and you try to avoid it as much as possible. It's in your exam rooms, your treatment area, your surgery suite and even your employee lounge.

Orlando, Fla. - Florida veterinarians are constructing a comprehensive strategy to beat back lay practitioners' attempts to gain unregulated access to animals to perform complementary and alternative procedures.

With excellent veterinary care ... foals will get past any early disease.

Dublin, OH - Unable to agree on acquisition terms, Butler Animal Health Supply terminated a letter of intent to acquire IVESCO, a leading product distributor.

If ... like Rodney Dangerfield, you get no respect ... your boss takes all the good clients ... or you're so busy you can't remember what your spouse looks like.

Believe it or not, I read this gem on the back of a beer bottle recently. (I've heard of reading tea leaves for wisdom, but this is the first time I've ever found insight in the brew of the grain.) This brewer says he tastes a sample from every batch of beer he makes to ensure it meets his high standards. What a job! This brewer is a pretty bright guy. He found a job he loves and he stands behind his work.

In this experimental study of six cats and six dogs, the contribution of subcutaneous tissues to first and second intention cutaneous wound healing was evaluated.

Commercial peritoneal dialysis catheters work well, but over-the-needle catheters can be fenestrated and used with good results for a diagnostic peritoneal lavage.

National Report -- It was nearly a landslide victory for veterinarians.

At our reception counter, we have a pedestal designed especially for clients to place a cat carrier.

For a low-cost and efficient surgery positioning devise, use Space Bag Storage Packs (ITW Space Bag) with packing peanuts inside.

To make it easy for us to identify which ear an otic sample was taken from, we smear the sample into the shape of an R or an L directly on the slide.

If you wash slides for reuse, try adding about a teaspoon of Jet-Dry Rinse Agent (Reckitt Benckiser), made for automatic dishwashers, to the rinse water.

Over the last two decades, embryo transfer has grown in acceptance and is now performed in many horse breeds. The majority of embryo transfers in the United States each year are performed on Arabian and Quarter horses. The American Quarter Horse Association allows multiple foal registrations per year, and the high-dollar Quarter horses are boosting the embryo transfer industry. The embryo transfer technique has not undergone significant innovations for the past few years, but there has been an increasing trend to have embryos shipped to a reproductive facility that manages a large recipient herd. This trend has been supported by encouraging pregnancy rates following embryo transfers from shipped embryos.

Olympia, Wash. - State Rep. Kathy Haigh, DVM, retained her seat for a fifth term with a solid election win, but she's still shaky about the stereotypes of being a politician.

National Report - With at least 24 DVMs now calling state legislators their colleagues, the profession has never been more poised to bolster veterinary medicine's voice and initiatives.

The puzzled looks on our faces were replaced with wide-mouthed, eye-squinting laughter.