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Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, and the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital have partnered to provide a 2-day clinical educational program in veterinary radiation oncology. 

 the inaugural clinical “school,” hosted by Varian Veterinary Oncology, will occur from August 12 – 13, 2022. Custom designed for the veterinary radiation oncology team, the curriculum will hone in on clinical workflows, clinical implementation, treatment planning, and treatment delivery. Participants will obtain instruction on radiotherapy and similar topics and will participate in hands-on workshops.

“This program is the first of its kind in Varian’s history and reflects our commitment to advancing patient-centric solutions,” expressed Eric Stewart, global managing director, veterinary oncology, at Varian, in the release. “As veterinary oncology continues to evolve and expand, it is critical that we also enhance awareness of and access to the latest innovations in veterinary-specific cancer care technologies and treatment methods.”

The courses will feature instruction from guest speakers Michael Kent, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology) DACVR (Radiation Oncology) from UC Davis; and Jessica Lawrence, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Radiation Oncology) from the University of Minnesota. Participants, consisting of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs), Radiation Therapy Technologists (RTTs), Medical Physicists, and Certified Veterinary Technicians (CVTs), will engage in possible real-world scenarios involving positioning, verification, and linear accelerator operation. They also will learn why and how radiation is offered to animals.

“We are excited to collaborate with Varian on this unique clinical school,” said Kim A. Selting, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Radiation Oncology), University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. “Our team is dedicated to teaching veterinary radiation oncology teams all over the world about patient care, specialist training, and translational research, and we’re eager to build on these educational efforts and share our combined expertise.”

Varian Veterinary Oncology announces first-of-its-kind two-day clinical educational program. News release. August 10, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.varian.com/about-varian/newsroom/news-items/varian-veterinary-oncology-announces-first-its-kind-two-day

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With address radiation therapy as this is emerging as a common veterinary cancer treatment

Varian Veterinary Oncology to host inaugural 2-day clinical educational program

During the 2022 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention, some attendees volunteered with The Street Dog Coalition to give pet owners experiencing homelessness free veterinary examinations, complimentary food, and essential supplies. The event was held on July 31, 2022, from 9 AM-1 PM EST. Once on site, volunteers were then broken up into a morning shift and an afternoon shift. At Norris Square Park, teams set up a check-in area, waiting area, pop-up clinic stations, food, and supplies stations, and more for the community to get the resources they needed.

AVMA attendee volunteer with patient at pop-up station 

“Pets offer us love and companionship, and in return, we need to provide them with care and nutrition, but when the owner is homeless, sometimes giving the animal everything that it needs is challenging,” said Jose Arce, DVM, former president of the AVMA, in an organizational release.

“As we return to an in-person Convention, we are delighted and thankful that we can join with The Street Dog Coalition, Merck Animal Health, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition to offer high-quality, free veterinary services and supplies to these animals in our host city of Philadelphia,” he concluded.

When arriving at the exam table, pet owners were provided a hygiene kit for themselves and their pets, providing them with dog food, collapsible water/food bowls, toys, treats, leashes, and collars.

 Provided by Merck Animal Health, clients at the clinic also received vaccinations and preventatives for heartworm and flea/tick medication. Along with Merck’s contributions, Hill’s Pet Nutrition provided up to 350 free bags of cat and dog food.

“It is about taking care of both ends of the leash and to have an awareness of people that are living unsheltered on the streets. Many, if not every, city in the USA [those experiencing homelessness] are often being stigmatized for many reasons and including they should not own a pet,” said Jon Geller, DVM, founder of The Street Dog Coalition, in an interview with 

“But we found that in their world of stigmatization, social isolation, dysfunction, high incidence of mental illness, health problems, drug abuse issues, addiction issues that their pet is often their only and best friend, and their only family member really. A pet provides them unconditional love and acceptance, and we try to do the same thing in our clinics,” he continued.

For any pet that needed a spay, neuter, or other surgery, they were referred to a Philadelphian veterinarian who donated or reduced the cost of these procedures at their clinic.

AVMA, Merck Animal Health and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Join The Street Dog Coalition to Offer Free Veterinary Clinic for the Pets of People Experiencing Homelessness in Philadelphia. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. July 31, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. 

https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/avma-merck-animal-health-and-hills-pet-nutrition-join-street-dog-coalition

Veterinary professionals at the 2022 AVMA Convention were given the opportunity to give back to the Philadelphia community through free veterinary care

AVMA Convention attendees volunteer with The Street Dog Coalition 

In early April 2022, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden announced the 23-year-old hippo 

. Recently, the zoo proudly shared she gave birth to the healthy, full-term male hippo on August 3, 2022, who is a brother to the world-famous, Fiona.

Mom Bibi and her baby (Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden). 

“This calf looks huge to us because Fiona, Bibi’s first baby, only weighed 29 pounds when she was born six weeks premature and wasn’t able to stand on her own. This new calf weighs at least twice as much as Fiona did and is already walking,” expressed Christina Gorsuch, Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care, in an organizational release.

“We’re not sure if nursing has occurred yet because the water is murky. It’s Bibi’s first time nursing, since Fiona had to be cared for by the hippo staff, so we’re keeping a close eye on them to make sure we don’t need to step in.”

On the morning of August 2, 2022, the hippo team at the zoo recognized a change in Bibi’s behavior, indicating signs of being in labor. The team had to intervene when Fiona was born 6 weeks premature and too small and weak to reach Bibi to nurse. Fortunately, that didn’t happen this time around.

“A female would take her newborn away from the bloat for about that amount of time in the wild, and we try to give Bibi the choice to do what feels natural to her,” said Gorsuch, in the release.

Fiona and Bibi’s mate, 19-year-old Tucker, are spending time together and staying out of the mom's way as she bonds with the new calf. Keepers have been separating them from Bibi periodically over the last weeks so they become accustomed to being a duo. They have grown comfortable with each other, in fact, 2,000-pound Fiona has even been seen napping on 4,500-pound Tucker.

Mom and calf will not be visible to the public immediately. Tucker and Fiona will be in the outdoor habitat except during key introduction times.

“Bibi and the baby are doing great together. They are inseparable, which is why it took almost five days to be sure about the sex,” said Gorsuch.

“They will continue to bond inside for another week or two. Fiona and Tucker are outside, so visitors will still be able to see hippos when they come to the Zoo.”

“It will be interesting to observe and compare the behavioral differences between a hand-raised girl and a mom-raised boy,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care, Christina Gorsuch. “Will this calf be as comfortable with humans as Fiona is? Will he be less independent? Will he love cameras?,” added Gorsuch.

Zoo members have access to live cameras in the outdoor habitat and can view the action in Hippo Cove from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm daily. Access to the live hippo cams is also available to Virtual Members. NOTE: Cameras may not be on during introductions or when the animal team needs private access.

The baby hippo still does not have a name. You can submit names on the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s website and they will review them and announce a winner at the end of this week . 

Baby hippo joins Bibi, Tucker, and Fiona’s bloat at the Cincinnati Zoo. News release. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. August 4, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://cincinnatizoo.org/news-releases/baby-hippo-joins-bibi-tucker-and-fionas-bloat-at-the-cincinnati-zoo

It’s a boy! News release. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. August 8, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://cincinnatizoo.org/news-releases/its-a-boy

Well-known Fiona the hippo gets a baby brother to complete the family

Baby hippo born at Cincinnati Zoo

The environment you work in can greatly affect your job satisfaction. Workplace culture can be based on the overall environment of a clinic but can also vary depending on the individual. Specifically with health care cultures and veterinary medicine workplaces, the service provided by staff and the patient outcome can also affect the clinic culture.

Aaron Smiley, DVM, discussed clinic culture in his lecture at the 2022 Directions in Veterinary Medicine Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. In his lecture, he compared clinic culture to being in a river: “Can you think about what your clinic culture is? Sometimes it's all around you [and] you forget that you're in the river, you're just doing things instinctively [and] you don't even know why. It's a lot to do with the culture. So, with that definition of the culture, we want the culture of the river going the correct way. We want to float downstream. We don't have to get to a specific destination [and] we don't want to float the wrong way. So how do we create a clinic culture to cause us to float in the correct direction?”

Smiley used this metaphor of a river to show how practice managers can redirect clinic culture if it seems to be “flowing the wrong way” or simply not working for its employees. It is important to make sure the culture of the clinic is affecting its employees positively instead of adding another level of daily stress.

Smiley noted that implementing these 4 concepts can help improve clinic culture

 Use collaborative efforts and support team members when someone needs help. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by large responsibilities if there is a lack of support from team members and a lack of working together.

 It is important to make sure that you are listening to understand the other person’s perspective and opinion, rather than just listening until it is your turn to speak. Feeling like you are heard and understood when expressing certain challenges or frustrations can allow employees to feel appreciated.

 If a colleague is in a bad mood and gets angry with you, it is common to have an initial reaction of taking it personally. However, Smiley suggests to assume good intention from people to ensure that you are not acting rashly to situations and escalating problems. A colleague’s bad mood could reflect their personal life and not anything to do with your job performance.

 To solve a miscommunication, it is best to talk to the person in conflict rather than talking about them to others. This might seem obvious to some, but it often feels safter to avoid confrontation and not talk to the direct source of the issue. However, this can prolong the issue and can lead to a passive aggressive clinic culture.

With staff shortages on the rise, creating a positive clinic culture is more important than ever. According to Smiley, it is crucial to make sure everyone in the clinic feels safe and happy in their work environment.

Tillott, S. The importance of staff engagement to the development of positive workplace cultures. Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B. Published 2013. Accessed August 10, 2022. 

https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2354&context=smhpapers1

Smiley, A. The river of clinic culture. Presented at: Directions in Veterinary Medicine Conference; June 24-25, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana.

How to steer your clinic to flow in the right direction for a positive workplace culture

Navigating the flow of clinic culture 

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc recently announced an evolution in its organizational design and new roles to allow continued growth by maximizing its end-to-end ecosystem for customers. The company's model features over 200 veterinary hospitals and over 1,000 veterinary clinics, grooming, training and owned and exclusive brands, to serve its over 24 million customers.

 to further support its leadership team in executing Petco's strategy in putting customer first, the company made these appointments:

, chief merchandising officer, is going to be responsible for demand planning. This is to enable her and her teams to drive an even sharper, integrated view of product and customer demand. College's background managing omni-channel businesses and demand planning at Best Buy will help her succeed in this position.

, senior vice president services, has been promoted to chief services officer. Heffelfinger has been key to the build-out of the company's owned veterinary model, including the acquisition of its Thrive joint venture and smaller veterinary hospitals. He also spearheaded rapid advancement of Petco's grooming business.

, chief digital and innovation officer, is taking on an expanded role as chief customer officer. MacDonald will lead customer-focused teams including his current digital team, plus marketing, membership, loyalty, enterprise analytics/data science and customer service. In the new role, MacDonald will add on his prior experience leading customer centric organizations at Jet, Walmart.com and IAC.

, chief pet care center officer, has been named chief operating officer, taking on additional responsibility for company-wide logistics including managing the company's distribution centers. He will further run Petco's over 1,400 Pet Care Centers in the US and, by strengthening the connection between distribution and Pet Care Centers, the right inventory will be in the right places to meet customer demand. Tichy will maximize his experience throughout Walmart, Target and Best Buy to advance Pet Care Centers and Distribution.

Additionally, Petco announced that Mike Nuzzo, chief operating officer and president of services, will be leaving the company after working there for 7 years.

"These appointments and our organizational design are emblematic of our focus on putting the customer and data at the center of everything we do as we meet the customer need of a single partner for the health and wellness needs of their pet. It also manifests our dedication to driving operational excellence. Lastly, it highlights the tremendous talent we have at Petco and our focus on developing that talent," said Petco CEO, Ron Coughlin, in the release.

"I also want to express my deep thanks to Mike who has served in many leadership roles at Petco, from CFO to COO and President of Services, and who has left an indelible mark on our company," Ron added.

Petco evolves organizational design to enable next phase of growth. News release. Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. August 9, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/petco-evolves-organizational-design-to-enable-next-phase-of-growth-301602844.html

The latest updates to Petco's leadership team and more

Petco advances organizational design for next phase of growth

CarePlus is an exclusive suite of pet-first wellness and insurance plans to make pet health care more affordable and accessible. CarePlus plans cover wellness coverage as well as accidents and illness. The service provides 24/7 access to the customer care team and enables access to Connect With a Vet, Chewy’s telehealth service. Chewy customers’ costs are covered for eligible prescription medications, supplements, and veterinary diet food. Direct payments can be made to the veterinarian or you can submit a claim.

An eco-friendly, reusable pet body wrap and transport kit, the Care Cradle is a considerate alternative to the plastic body bags, sheets, and towels often used during euthanasia. Made of 100% cotton, the pet wrap ensures pets stay secure while the cradle allows you to lift, carry, and transport the pet discreetly and with respect within the practice and further for burial and cremation. Designed for all breeds and sizes of dogs, as well as cats and other animals.

Fera Pet Plant-Based Omega 3s Oil is the only plant-based oil for dogs and cats that has EPA and DHA in high concentrations. The product is made from natural (non–genetically modified organism [GMO]) marine microalgae, organic flaxseed, and vitamin E from sunflowers. It is sustainably sourced without any animal products, gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, or sugar. Plus, the Omega 3s oil contains no additives, fillers, preservatives, wheat, corn, soy, gluten, dairy, or artificial colors.

This line of fully plant-based meat for dogs offers a complete, balanced meal, containing all the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals necessary. The products aim to improve pet health, reduce animal farming, and decrease the effect of pet food manufacturing on the environment. There are 4 recipes: vitamin-rich green mix and carrots; high protein and fats with peanut butter and apple; anti-inflammatory with pumpkin and cranberries; and antioxidant rich with blueberries and vegetables.

The Puppy Pack and Kitten Kit, respectively, include hand-selected supplements—Canine/Feline Whole Body Support and Canine/Feline Immune System Support—to improve nutrition for young dogs and cats. The products are designed to deliver complex nutrients that might not be sufficiently consumed through an average diet alone. They provide vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and phytonutrients in forms close as possible to the way nature intended so pets can experience a lifetime of optimal health.

Creating Wellbeing and Building Resilience in the Veterinary Profession: A Call to Life

This book by Sonja A. Olson, DVM, couples real-life experiences with academic research into the contributing factors of compassion fatigue and offers advice on combatting these factors. Normalizing the conversation in the profession enables a range of possible solutions to create resilience and foster a culture of collaboration and support in which caregivers can thrive.

Here's our regular rundown of new and notable veterinary products.

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