Medical

Lexington, Ky. – The ongoing risk that equine viral arteritis (EVA) poses for American horses, its detection, carriers, possible new strains and the various means of prevention were the subject of a recent DVM Newsmagazine interview with expert Peter Timoney, MVB, PhD, FRCVS, chairman of the Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He has spent 24 years studying EVA. We asked him the following questions:

Miami - The American Association of Feline Practitioner (AAFP) seeks to cement its authority on welfare, devoting a committee to the topic and drafting principles for guidance.

Costa Mesa, Calif. - Improved communication, partnership and innovation are top priorities for Dr. Thomas Carpenter, new president of the American Animal Hospital Association.

Greenwich, Conn. – Pet-industry spending will top $40 billion in 2007, and the top market movers include animal health.

Las Vegas –– Explaining care benefits, catering your communication style to each client's personality and showing genuine interest in a pet-owner's concerns and questions are, according to a recent study, the best ways to ensure that owners are willing to pay for the highest quality of care for their animals.

National Report - A tidal wave of telephone calls from worried pet owners flooded veterinary practices nationwide last month after nearly 1 percent of all the pet food sold in the United States was recalled and later reported to have been contaminated with a rodent-killing toxin.

Urbana, Ill. - Human medications were responsible for the most cases of pet poisoning in 2006, according to a new report from the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Sacramento, Calif. - A controversial bill pushing the nation's first statewide mandate to sterilize dogs and cats pits California shelter leaders against breeders and spurs bitter debate among veterinarians.

The move is designed to enhance Congress' support and the bill's chance of passing.

National Report - 4/1/07 - Worried pet owners nationwide flooded veterinary practices with calls last month, after nearly 1 percent of the pet food sold in the United States was recalled and later reported to have been contaminated with a rodent-killing toxin.

Editors Note: In a new series, DVM Newsmagazine asks experts within a variety of veterinary specialties to break commonly held medical, business or professional myths. This month, NCSU's expert, Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, takes a swipe at diagnosing vector-borne infection.

Ames, Iowa - 3/29/07 - Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has been granted accreditation status by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education for the college's academic program, including a new partnership program with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Urbana, Ill. - 3/15/07 - A University of Illinois research team uncovered a similarity between known human protein pathways in osteosarcoma patients and the proteins of canine and feline patients that could help improve palliative care for animals.

Kenilworth, N.J. - 3/12/07 - A deal valued at $14 billion, Schering-Plough is purchasing the animal and human healthcare businesses of Akzo Nobel NV, the parent of Intervet. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is slated to close by the end of 2007.

Naperville, Ill.–– Illinois joins nine other states in passing a law requiring emergency measures to accommodate the needs of pet and service-animal owners during major disasters.

Can you rearrange the letters in "NEW DOOR" to form one word?.

Columbia, Mo. - A University of Missouri (MU) veterinary ophthalmologist hopes continued research and advancement in eye-implantation technology will one day end retinal blindness for companion animals and humans.

Denver - The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released draft guidelines regulating communication between veterinarians referring and those receiving patients and seeks industry response and collaboration to develop a final version for implementation.

Orlando, Fla.- Fort Dodge Animal Health reports it received licensure of CaliciVaxâ„¢, the only vaccine licensed and proven effective against the deadly virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV), which has emerged in the United States.

Seek comfort from friends rather than stoically trying to push feelings aside.

Analysis: 1981 to 2006

Orlando - With only 4 percent of cats estimated to be on heartworm medicine, a new campaign from the American Heartworm Society (AHS) aims to change what officials are calling an abysmal prevention rate.

Definitive diagnostic criteria should be used to aid in the selection of available agents.

SHAWNEE MISSION, KAN. - 1/31/2007 - Bayer Healthcare LLC recently received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new topical product targeting fleas, heartworms and intestinal nemotodes for both dogs and cats. Bayer officials report the approval and subsequent launch signal an important development for broad-spectrum parasite control. Advantage Multi-TM for Dogs Topical Solution and Advantage Multi-TM for Cats Topical Solution are available by prescription only through licensed veterinarians.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Reported rabies cases dropped in 2005, according to a report in the December Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA).

Q: Clients sometimes schedule an appointment for one pet and show up with several. What should we do?

Take this quick quiz to discover how crispy you really are.

How would you define learning? Webster's dictionary defines "learning" as acquiring knowledge or skill by study or experience, while "study" is the act or process of applying our mind in order to acquire knowledge by reading or investigating. Unfortunately, Webster's definition of the term study emphasizes acquisition of knowledge without properly emphasizing the importance of acquiring wisdom. What's the difference?