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Donkeys and mules receive special note as they are responsible for many of the injuries to genitalia.

A retainer agreement should include a statement of hourly billing rates.

You have graduated; you passed the boards, and you have finally found a practice that is a great fit. The owner is excited about having you start your career at the practice, too. Now you must walk through the door of that practice and make your first impression as a new team member.

The failure to thrive in newborn puppies and kittens, or neonates, is known as fading puppy and kitten syndrome. The syndrome can occur from birth to 9 weeks of age. Affected neonates can decline quickly and die, so immediate detection and treatment are key to survival. Be sure you know what to look for and what to do if you see any warning signs.

Orlando, Fla. — The 23rd North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) scheduled for Jan. 7-11 in Orlando, Fla. promises a wide range of informative programs for practitioners.

Chances are that you have been presented with puppies or kittens that have failed to thrive, some of which have eventually died.

"I never felt so helpless in my life," says Dr. Dennis Selig, a Gulfport, Miss., veterinarian, recalling his emotion during Hurricane Katrina. "I couldn't stop anything from being ruined. I thought about how family and friends were holding up and before the storm was over, I was thinking about what I would need to do to fix everything. What Hurricane Katrina didn't finish off, Rita did."

Baton Rouge, La. — In dealing with a crisis, Ginger Gunter, public information officer for the Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine was not only trying communicate the college's efforts in helping victims of the U.S.' largest natural disaster, but also correct a lot of misinformation.

Unlike human medicine where surgery is the exclusive domain of the specialist, general practitioners in veterinary medicine are often called upon to perform a wide variety of surgical procedures.

NORTH GRAFTON, MASS.- 11/1/05 - Cynthia R.L.Webster, DVM received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study liver disease at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Calls to treat cows giving bloody milk are very common.

Take an active role in professional organizations, says the first female presidentof the AVMA. "What we do today will determine whether our future colleagues are held in high esteem."

Advancements in hematology have aided veterinarians greatly. Today's equipment for inclinic hematology analysis can provide accurate white blood cell (WBC) counts and partial or complete differential leukocyte counts. When considering leukocyte differentials, practitioners may ask whether a five-part differential is necessary. In a word, yes. To interpret leukocyte changes in a patient accurately, practitioners must obtain a WBC count and a complete fivepart differential. They should also obtain a peripheral blood film to assess the leukocytes for any morphologic changes. In some cases, practitioners may need to do serial complete blood counts (CBCs) to understand the changes in the different leukocyte forms during various disease states.

Establishing routine feeding, exercise and bathing times might ease adjustment efforts.

Denver — The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Dental Care Guidelines aim to change veterinarians' approach to dental cases — the first in many steps that will examine the way dentistry is practiced.

An estimated 100 Texas veterinary practices were located in the area hardest hit by Hurricane Rita, according to the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA); long-term economic damage to practices had not been estimated at presstime.

Schaumburg, Ill. — As the government faces accusations it was wildly out of touch on Katrina, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) joins the list of concerned parties seeking after-the-fact answers from federal officials.

Baton Rouge, La. — It's been dubbed the greatest pet rescue in history. When the levees broke in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, veterinary students found themselves at the heart of the recovery.

The Vet Cancer Registry

My goal for this symposium is to provide resources and encouragement for practicing veterinarians to confidently examine, perform appropriate diagnostic testing in, and treat these tiny patients.

In the August 2005 issue, the article "Idiosyncrasies in greyhounds that can affect their medical care", it was stated that symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy is also known as pemphigus.

It takes more than scientific intuition to become a well-rounded, successful veterinarian, experts say.

Baton Rouge, La.—Louisiana State University (LSU) wasn't part of the state veterinarian's hurricane response or contingency plan before Katrina was a household name. But shortly after the large Category 4 storm ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, it became clear that unsolicited veterinary help would be needed on an unprecedented scale to rescue and relieve thousands of animals.

Pullman, Wash. — Non-technical competencies contributing to career success are being investigated as a new model for training veterinary students.

Of all the values on a general blood panel (complete blood count, serum chemistry profile), the platelet count may have the greatest potential to fool you.

Washington — Legislation to terminate federal funding of inspections for U.S. horse slaughter facilities made its way into both cameral versions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) appropriations bill. At presstime, Congress passed budget extensions for all U.S. agencies after missing the Oct. 1 deadline while House and Senate versions of federal spending bills are hammered out in conference, but observers expect the provision that would kill funding for inspection services at horse slaughter plants to make it into the final bill.

Plum Island, N.Y. — The fate of Plum Island's aging research facility hangs in the balance as the government mulls scrapping the laboratories and DVM leaders argue the nation needs higher-level biocontainment capabilities.

When Senior Editor Jennifer Fiala and I boarded the flight for Baton Rouge, La., following the most destructive hurricanes on record, I had no idea what to expect.

We are frequently asked about the serum chemistry profile changes that may be seen in dogs receiving corticosteroids.

Hurricane Rita's single-digit death toll is overshadowed by more than 1,100 lives claimed by Hurricane Katrina three weeks earlier. Of course, livestock, pets, and wildlife also suffered tremendous devastation in the wrath of the hurricanes.