News

A proposed new curriculum for veterinary students at the University of Illinois would have them practicing what they are learning in clinical rotations from day one.

The fate of Merck's and Schering-Plough's animal-health products is unknown in the face of yesterday's announcement of the companies' merger.

A way to keep cats with toxoplasmosis from shedding infective oocysts into their environment would be of great benefit since these same oocysts can infect people, especially children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people.

The discovery of a genetic link between cats and people for two forms of retinitis pigmentosa could lead to gene-based therapies for both species.

We urge you to amend incorrect dosages in Table 4 on page 32 in your January Veterinary Medicine.

A new study says veterinarians are frequently affected by psychosocial stress and demoralization, which can increase their chances of alcohol or drug abuse.

We've long known that certain herding breeds, especially collies, have a sensitivity to ivermectin. The cause of this sensitivity is a deletion mutation in the ABCB1 gene (formerly known as the multidrug resistant gene, or MDR1).

To keep the ultrasonic scaler, drill, and polisher on our dental unit from snagging on the clothing of passing personnel, we made covers for the instruments out of 60-ml syringe cases.

A recent survey looked into how safely and effectively bacterial cultures are performed in practice.

ClinQuiz: Fast tick facts, answer 4A

To keep our laptop keyboard clean during dental procedures, we cover it with Press'n Seal wrap (Glad).

As every practitioner knows, men are more likely to faint or get sick to their stomachs watching some of our more gory procedures than are women.

Ascites is a known negative prognostic factor in people with liver disease, so the authors of a recent study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine set out to determine whether this is true in dogs as well, especially since no definitive prognostic indicators have been established for chronic hepatitis in dogs.

We found that sometimes in the middle of a busy day, those patients needing their temperature, pulse, and respiratory rates or another type of assessment were accidentally being overlooked, so we put a digital timer on each cage in the treatment room and on the cages of boarding animals when needed.

Only in the last 10 or 15 years has hyperbaric oxygen therapy become widely accepted, based on well-designed and controlled experimental studies in animals.

I am about to reveal one of the great truths about veterinary practice.

In the letter "Our profession's identity crisis" in the January 2009 issue of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Drew L. Allen writes, "As I look for direction for my practice, should I be looking to the Mayo Clinic or Wal-Mart?"

Clients with pets suffering from chronic disease often have a difficult time knowing when they should opt for euthanasia.

We placed this plastic container designed for storing plastic bags on the outside of a cabinet above our sink and use it to store surgical scrub brushes.

Some things in this life just aggravate, occurring with no rhyme or reason like a bad dream or a pimple.

A recent survey looked into how safely and effectively bacterial cultures are performed in practice.

For some dogs that do not want to be handled or that may bite, we twist a thick bath towel so that it resembles a long noodle.

A bill up for consideration in Missouri would allow only veterinarians and owners to interact with exotic animals, which could only be kept at zoos, circuses, scientific or educational institutions, research laboratories, and veterinary hospitals.

The Government Accountability Office warns of a shortage of public health veterinarians.

An extensive retrospective study in the January 2009 Journal of Small Animal Practice reviewed the records of 369 dogs that had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy over a 13-year period at a specialty center.

Including the recent denouncement of ear cropping and tail docking, the AVMA is starting to take a lead in animal welfare issues.

Animal Nutrition Inc. has announced the recall of several of their products containing peanuts.

About 66% to 75% of nephrons are no longer functioning by the time traditional blood and urine test results reveal renal abnormalities in dogs. So an earlier method to detect kidney tubular damage would be of great benefit.