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Mike Strobel, MS, DVM, president and CEO of Aurora Pharmaceutical, has announced the return of its DVM student scholarship program, which will award an increased total of $75,000 to selected third-year veterinary students pursuing a veterinary medicine degree.

According to a company release, this program strives to support the next generation of DVM professionals and lessen their financial burden.

“When we developed this program last year, one of our goals was to help alleviate the costs associated with pursuing a degree,” said Matt Klotz, DVM, equine technical service veterinarian at Aurora Pharmaceutical.

“The burden of obtaining a degree in veterinary medicine can be daunting, and we are proud to play a part in helping students overcome that when pursuing their degree,” he added.

The program launched on January 17, 2022, with an application deadline of March 18, 2022. It will offer 16 individual scholarships of $2,500; 5 individual scholarships of $5,000; and 1 individual scholarship of $10,000.

“After receiving more than 80 applications in the first year, it reinforced the need that is out there,” said Grant Weaver, DVM, swine technical service veterinarian at Aurora Pharmaceutical. “I am thrilled that Aurora has decided to continue this scholarship to support future leaders within the veterinary industry.”

According to the release, qualified applicants must be a current third-year student pursuing their degree in veterinary medicine at an accredited school within the US. Recipients will be chosen based on academic achievement, related work experience, community and university involvement, goals, essay, and letters of reference. Each application will be scored by a committee of Aurora team members.

To obtain the scholarship application, contact 

Aurora Pharmaceutical announces second year of DVM student scholarship program. News release. Aurora Pharmaceutical. January 14, 2022. Accessed January 20, 2022.

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Due to the success of the 2021 inaugural scholarship, the DVM student scholarship program will return and increase its award to $75,000. 

Aurora Pharmaceutical announces second annual DVM student scholarship program 

® conference in San Diego, California, Bridget Rollins, EMBA, vice president of operations at Thrive Pet Healthcare, expressed the crucial need to advocate for yourself and your colleagues, plus she emphasized checking in with those at the clinic who appear to be struggling mentally. 

View the video below for the entire discussion. The following is a partial transcript

When we talk about being an advocate for others, in [veterinary medicine] it's interesting that we are so tuned in to nonverbal [signals] in animals, like a cat moving its ears a certain way [or] twitching its tail you know [like] it's about to bite you. But when it comes to people, I feel like sometimes we are a little bit quick to ignore the nonverbal [signals] or not think twice about [them].

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During an interview at the San Diego Fetch dvm360® conference, Bridget Rollins, EMBA, broke down the importance of self and team advocacy within the veterinary sector. 

Why you need to advocate for yourself and others

Adverse food reactions (AFR) occur in canine and feline patients, and commonly present with cutaneous or gastrointestinal clinical signs. AFRs encompass true food allergies, where the immune system is involved in a hypersensitivity reaction, and food intolerances, which lack direct involvement of the immune system, and can occur for metabolic reasons, toxins, or be idiosyncratic. It can be difficult to distinguish between intolerances and allergies due to similar clinical signs, inciting foods, and response to treatment.

Ultimately, recognizing and diagnosing an AFR in a dog or cat requires the veterinarian to recognize the clinical picture and perform a dietary elimination trial followed by food challenge. At the Fetch dvm360

 conference in San Diego California, Jennifer Aniya, DVM, DACVD of the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center in San Diego, discussed tips to appropriately recognize patients suffering from adverse food reactions.

There is no age or gender predilection to AFRs. A recent review found that German Shepherd dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and West Highland White Terriers accounted for 4 of 10 affected dogs.

 This review also found that dogs tend to present with clinical signs at a younger age than cats, with 40% of dogs developing cutaneous clinical signs by age 1 year, while cats had a mean age of onset of 3.9 years.

Cutaneous clinical signs are common in both dogs and cats with AFRs. Pruritus varies in its distribution, but most commonly includes generalized pruritus in dogs and face, head, and neck pruritus in cats.

 Aniya notes that while the ears, paws, and the abdomen are commonly affected sites in dogs, some patients may present with only otitis externa and perianal pruritus. “The most common reported cutaneous manifestation of AFR are recurrent bacterial and yeast skin infections, otitis externa, and atopic dermatitis” in dogs, Aniya noted. All of these may be present in the same patient. In addition to the “ring around the collar” pattern of pruritus seen in cats, they “can also present with self-induced alopecia, military dermatitis, [and] eosinophilic skin lesions such as eosinophilic granulomas, plaques, and indolent ulcers,” Aniya added.

Gastrointestinal signs are also common in patient with AFRs. Aniya noted that various studies have shown dogs suffering from an AFR will have concurrent gastrointestinal and cutaneous clinical signs in 6-44% of cases.Diarrhea and increased numbers of bowel movements daily are the most common gastrointestinal signs in dogs. Additional clinical signs may include vomiting, changes in stool consistency, halitosis, borborygmus, flatulence, inflammatory bowel disease, anal gland impaction, and coprophagia in dogs. Cats are more likely to present with vomiting than dogs, though diarrhea is the most common clinical sign in this species as well.

“There have been many tests developed to help diagnose food allergy,” Aniya noted. “But the consensus remains that a dietary trial followed by dietary provocation is the most effective method of diagnosis.” Commercially available, prescription diet options for elimination trials include hydrolyzed and novel protein diets.

Hydrolyzed diets are formulated to contain amino acids and peptides less than 10 kDa, which is the size of allergenic proteins that trigger mast cell activation in humans with AFR. These diets vary in their protein source and the size of the peptides (measured in kDa) in each formula. Aniya noted that advantages of hydrolyzed diets “include nutritionally balanced formulas, generally good palatability, and formulations for growth, maintenance, and other medical disorders [with multi-function formulations].” Disadvantages of hydrolyzed diets include price and variable palatability. Even in patients exposed to numerous protein sources prior to a diet trial, it is reasonable to expect these diets to be efficacious. However, there is a chance that a patient with an allergy to the parent protein will still react to the hydrolyzed diet.

Novel protein diets are complete and balanced for diagnosis and maintenance. Aniya said she feels these diets also offer good palatability. However, due to the growing number of alternative protein sources available in over-the-counter diets, finding a truly novel protein for a patient may be difficult and new allergies can develop over time to the once novel protein. Additionally, these diets are rarely formulated for growth, making them inappropriate for young patients. Aniya also advised veterinarians that there is rising concern for the potential of cross-reactivity between food allergens, which could lead to a veterinarian ruling out a food allergy based on nonresponse to a novel protein, when in fact the patient is cross-reacting. In 1 study, 9 cross-reactive Ig-E binding allergens were present in chicken, white fish, and salmon.

Historically, literature has suggested an 8-week elimination diet was needed for over 90% of dogs and cats with AFRs to achieve remission.

 However, obtaining strict client compliance to a diet trial for this period is difficult. A recent study evaluated if a short-course of prednisolone administered in the early stages of an elimination diet could shorten the overall diet trial duration.

 This study found that diet trial duration was reduced by 2 to 4 weeks with the use of low-dose prednisolone in dogs.

Aniya reminded veterinarians that fleas, yeast, superficial pyoderma, and other factors that cause pruritus should be controlled during the diet trial. Gastrointestinal signs generally improve within 2 weeks, but cutaneous clinical signs can take longer. Aniya recommends rechecking patients 2- to 4-weeks into the diet trial to assess the presence of secondary infections, monitor pruritus and other clinical signs, and assess owner compliance.

Adverse food reactions in dogs and cats can be frustrating for pet owners and veterinarians. Recognizing common clinical signs and starting diet trials with either a novel protein or hydrolyzed diet are important to obtaining an accurate diagnosis. Recent evidence suggests low-dose prednisolone use at the beginning of the diet trial may shorten the length of the diet trial in dogs. In some patients, multiple diet trials may be necessary if a patient has an allergy to the parent protein of a hydrolyzed diet or cross-reactivity to the novel protein source.

Kate Boatright, VMD, a 2013 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance speaker and author in western Pennsylvania. She is passionate about mentorship, education, and addressing common sources of stress for veterinary teams and recent graduates. Boatright is also actively involved in organized veterinary medicine at the local, state, and national levels.

Olivry T, Mueller RS. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (7): signalment and cutaneous manifestations of dogs and cats with adverse food reactions. 

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Ravens PA, Xu BJ, Vogelnest IJ. Feline atopic dermatitis: a retrospective study of 45 cases: (2001-2012). 

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Bizikova P, Olivry T. A randomized, double-blinded cross-over trial testing the benefit of two hydrolysed poultry-based commercial diets for dogs with spontaneous pruritic chicken allergy. 

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Understanding the clinical picture and performing appropriate diet trials will improve identification of patients suffering from food reactions, including allergy

Diagnosing adverse food reactions in canine and feline patients

BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital has launched Urgent Track, a new clinician development program specially designed for veterinarians striving to maximize and advance their clinical skills with the option to career path into emergency medicine.

According to a company release, Urgent Track provides 2 career paths for veterinarians: urgent care and emergency medicine. Each BluePearl urgent care clinician receives extensive onboarding with virtual modules that include subjects ranging from treatment of dermatologic urgencies to orthopedic exams to toxicities. Once clinicians complete the program, they can treat non-life-threatening conditions (eg, gastrointestinal upset, skin lesions, limping, ear disease, etc), and offer end-of-life care for patients.

"If you are a veterinarian with at least 1 year of experience, are looking to change up your case mix, and are interested in higher acuity cases but need a clear path for gaining experience, then this program is for you," said Lenore Bacek, DVM, MS, DACVECC, clinical programs manager at BluePearl, in the company press release.

"The program covers subjects from triage and wound management to treating dermatologic urgencies and more. Through the program, clinicians will gain the skills and training needed to walk into their first urgent care shift with confidence,” she added.

Additionally, upon completion of Urgent Track, clinicians have the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills, and become an ER clinician, without needing to complete an internship. The 1-year emergency path program features virtual medical modules that cover an array of emergency topics and in-person wet-lab sessions to practice common procedures. Plus, those enrolled will also gain hands-on experience working ER shifts with the mentorship of a senior emergency clinician.

"Many pets need prompt medical attention but not all these cases warrant a visit to the ER. These pets also often require care after hours when most primary veterinarians are closed. BluePearl's Urgent Track Program addresses this growing need, allowing veterinarians to grow their skills to provide urgent care for pets in communities they serve," said James Barr, DVM, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer at BluePearl, in the company press release.

"As leaders in post-graduate learning and training, we strongly believe in nurturing talent and promoting the health and well-being of our doctors. We remain committed to providing clinicians with the tools and support they need to succeed and look forward to seeing the program's impact within our hospitals and the broader profession,” he added.

BluePearl Pet Hospital launches Urgent Track Program to address growing pet care demand and provide clear urgent path growth. News release. BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital. January 17, 2022. Accessed January 20, 2022. https://www.yahoo.com/now/bluepearl-pet-hospital-launches-urgent-003000511.html#:~:text=BluePearl's%20Urgent%20Track%20Program%20is,urgent%20care%20and%20emergency%20medicine.

The initiative aims to address the rising pet care demand and offer a clear urgent care path.

BluePearl launches clinical skills development program

, Jason Wernli, president at ALLYDVM, explained how a practice's client retention plans tend to get deprioritized in favor of more urgent matters. He suggested that technology could carry some of the workload in a win-win for all parties. 

View the video below for the entire discussion. The following is a partial transcript.

Given our circumstances right now, there's a massive shortage when it comes to staff members at the animal hospital. People really struggle finding receptionists, finding technicians, finding doctors. Without technology, the sole responsibility for reminding people to come back in with their pets when they're due, for example, lies on these human beings. When we're short staffed, these are the things...hospitals are missing.   

During an interview with dvm360®, Jason Wernli, president at ALLYDVM, shared the challenges with client retention and how technology can alleviate some of the burden. 

How technology can up your client retention game

Felix Biotechnology, Inc.—a biotechnology company that develops antibacterial therapies to treat drug-resistant infections—has partnered with AnimalBiome, a company focusing on pet health and wellness, to create innovative solutions for pet diarrhea.

According to a company release, there is a rising demand for chemical-free, safe antimicrobial solutions that particularly remove problematic bacteria while preserving the beneficial bacteria of the microbiome. Felix's model can be leveraged against a broad array of problem bacterial species, plus the company’s various ongoing partnerships aim to develop phage-based solutions with personal care and cosmetic companies. This deal now extends into their animal health portfolio.

"We are committed to finding a better solution for this common affliction plaguing pets and distressing their owners," says Natalie Ma, PhD, Felix co-founder and head of business development at Felix. "Through our unique approach to phage technologies, we will create a safe, chemical-free, durable and effective treatment for this pernicious pathogen.”

Bacteriophage—or phage—are minuscule viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Felix combines machine learning and synthetic biology to engineer phage to overcome the primary obstacles facing the broad adoption of current phage technologies: narrow spectrum and phage resistance.

"At AnimalBiome, we are focused on providing new microbiome-focused solutions to help pets and their owners. Phage technology offers great promise in reducing the use of antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial pathogens, protecting beneficial microbes, and supporting better health and wellness," says Holly Ganz, PhD, chief science officer of AnimalBiome.

"We are excited to work with Felix to develop new products specifically designed for pathogens afflicting companion animals,” she added.

Felix Biotechnology to collaborate with AnimalBiome on a novel solution for pet diarrhea. News release. Felix Biotechnology, Inc. January 14, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2022.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/felix-biotechnology-to-collaborate-with-animalbiome-on-a-novel-solution-for-pet-diarrhea-301461382.html

With expertise in phage technology and pet health, together the companies strive to create a breakthrough product. 