News

On the eve of his retirement from the University of Tennessee's veterinary college, Dean Michael Blackwell, DVM, reflects on all he's learned. In an interview with Your DVM Career, he conveys his wisdom to veterinary medical students. In his own words, Blackwell talks about the veterinary profession's responsibility to society, clients and public health. "These are things I wish I had known while studying for this profession. I actually practice what I'm sharing," he says.

Washington - 11/1/07 - The National Pork Board is soliciting research proposals to address environment, swine health, animal welfare, pork safety, public health and animal science issues. The top proposals will then be selected to receive grant funding.

Do you remember the things during childhood that made your father special? Perhaps it was the sound of his voice whispering goodnight, the way his footsteps sounded across the floor as he approached your room or the look on his face that meant you'd better straighten up.

Denver, Colo. - To help veterinarians track disease and client health-care compliance, standardized diagnostic terms are under development by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

National Report - Getting your practice, or what you hope to be a future practice, properly zoned can be a nightmare - but it doesn't have to be.

Boston - It's a surprise when Alan Van Tassel comes to visit. He drops by unannounced during business hours, makes a quick introduction and starts poring over a seven-point inspection checklist.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation at press time to create the Large Animal Veterinary Student Loan Program and wants to earmark $500,000 to pay for it.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a greater risk to equine veterinarians and to other people who work with horses than to the general population, a recent report suggests.

As various associations adopt guidelines or standards of care for the practice of veterinary medicine, a concern exists that they will be interpreted as current standards of practice by state regulatory boards and the attorneys general who represent them before they have been accepted by the masses.

West Lafayette, Ind. - Preliminary research shows a correlation between periodontal disease and heart disease in dogs, according to a Purdue University researcher who's mining Banfield, The Pet Hospital data on 200,000 patients.

Schaumburg, Ill. -The American Veterinary Medical Association plans to release its latest U.S. pet ownership and demographics study by year's end.

Charleston, S.C. - An independent consumer-rights advocate is pushing for a change to state law that would allow veterinarians to face criminal charges for animal abuse and mistreatment.

Are you facing a state-board inquiry? Think you can handle it alone?

It has been said that 69 percent of customers leave a business because of indifference. When clients perceive that the practice does not care about them, their loyalty is diminished.

In calming an irate client, remember your tone and goal. Keep your tone normal when talking to the client and your body relaxed. Always remember that your goal should be to listen to their needs and try to meet them when appropriate.

Madison, Wis. - The Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) soon plans to accept resumes for executive director.

The clinical investigation team comprising our Nephrology/Urology Center meets daily to discuss progress, address problems and make plans.

Jackson, Miss. - Cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) are up sharply in Mississippi this year, with EEE cases already more than double the 2006 totals, according to State Veterinarian Jim Watson, DVM.

National Report - Client expectations have increased over the last two years, according to 80 percent of veterinarians surveyed.

IBD is a chronic, idiopathic disease of the intestinal tract that has no identifiable cause.

National Report - Consumers chalked up another victory in the battle of the public's right to know vs. a veterinarian's right to privacy.

The emotional cost of defending oneself in a state-board investigation sometimes runs deep.

Food-animal practitioners commonly perform local-anesthetic techniques due to the dangers associated with general anesthesia. Local anesthetic techniques usually are simple, cheap and have relatively few side effects. Unless otherwise stated, "local anesthetic agent" refers to lidocaine or carbocaine. It is preferable to clip the hair and perform a surgical prep of the site before anesthetic agents are injected, particularly those injected deep into tissues.

Boston - Veterinarians in Massachusetts were snared in the latest identity-theft scare involving some 450,000 licensed professionals.

Beltsville, Md. - When he found a live Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) on the agitator of his washing machine, entomologist John Carroll, of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, decided to find out how tough ticks really are.

National Report - A veterinarian seeking to protect his or her reputation and practice may be forced to battle an unlikely nemesis - the mailman.

San Francisco -Attorneys with the California State Department of Consumer Affairs want to put a legislative stopper on West Hollywood's anti-declaw law, cemented last month by the state Supreme Court's refusal to hear a challenge to the ban.

San Diego - Wind-whipped wildfires drove Southern California residents from a cluster of "horse-loving" communities, leaving veterinarians and volunteers to care for thousands of animals left behind.

Red-maple hybrids should be considered toxic until proven otherwise.

San Diego County - 10/31/07 - Responsible for 14 deaths and the scorching of more than 800 square miles, California wildfires continue to be fought by local and state firemen who are eager to get the blaze extinguished before this weekend, when wind speeds are expected to pick up again.