News

Kennett Square, Pa. -- Many patients leave caregivers with indelible memories, but none like this one.

Oxytocin is a pituitary hormone that causes strong, coordinated contractions of the estrogen-primed uterus during parturition. It may be used therapeutically to relieve nonobstructive dystocia in bitches.

This music-loving internist and nutrition specialist finds practicing in the university setting to be a perfect fit, but he fears the declining interest in academic work by others. "It is becoming difficult to find people who are interested in staying in academia, and there doesn't seem to be a contingency plan in place to address this problem."

New guidelines give equine practitioners information on containing outbreaks.

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.

Jefferson City, Mo. - A Missouri Supreme Court ruling that exempts the retail sale of prescription veterinary drugs from the state pharmacy board's oversight has prompted a Senate bill calling for regulatory clarification.

Alachua, Fla. –– A practice manager program through the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) earned accreditation from the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA).

Pleasant Hill, Calif. - Veterinarians vulnerable to lawsuits and state board complaints must remain vigilant when it comes to liability in their practices, and graduates equally should beware the dangers of working in an unsound legal environment.

Las Vegas - More than 850 wild horses and burros were gathered from southern Nevada's Spring Mountains, thinning the densely populated herds, improving group balance in sex, age and condition and allowing nature to support the remaining animals.

Nutrition problems, and chronic parasitism should be ruled out first.

With skunks, use the hit-and-run approach

National Report - One-third of 2006 veterinary graduates pursued specialty studies via internships, residencies or formal education programs, almost doubling participation from 10 years ago, according to a recent American Veterinary Medical Association poll.

Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) plans to hand out $10,000 in grants this year to food animal practitioners who agree to host a student intern.

New York - Pfizer Animal Health donated $1.1 million to the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) to establish a national canine tumor biospecimen bank.

I am a strong believer in the adage, "the harder you work, the luckier you get." But old adages usually come with caveats. Perhaps a better expression might be, "the harder you work, the luckier you get unless you don't work smart."

Washington -- Proponents of an overdue national program to beef up veterinary medicine's presence in underserved, largely rural areas are pressuring its administrator -- USDA.

National Report - State racing commissions now have the ability to screen for what once was only a whispered-about technique - using vodka injections to calm racehorses.

National Report - An avian influenza outbreak in Great Britain resulted in the deaths of more than 150,000 birds and prompted import restrictions in the United States, which continues to remain clear of the disease and focused on prevention.

Davis, Calif. - The University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) is in line to receive $4.5 million this year from a bond act voters passed statewide in November.

How one hospital design winner surprised his family with the big news.

Geriatric dogs are commonly referred to us for evaluation of what clients call slowing down. Often the tentative diagnosis before referral is arthritis (or is interpreted by the client as such), and the dog is receiving an NSAID.

A blood sample of Twilight, Cornell's research Thoroughbred gave geneticists the tools to begin charting the map.

Barbaro's eight-month stay at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center had a dramatic effect on the work environment at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals and other school facilities.

Pet owners are suing because a company's food killed or sickened their pets.

For most adolescents it was a rite of passage. Signed and decorated by their friends, it was that itchy, white-plaster cast on his/her wrist, arm or ankle. It may have been acquired from a bike, skateboard or skiing mishap, a sports injury from football or hockey or just a fall on the ice.

Washington, D.C. - The American Veterinary Medical Association hired John W. Sullivan III to advance the group's agenda in Washington.

National Report - From Alabama to Wyoming, state legislatures opened 2007 with a flurry of bills potentially impacting veterinary medicine. With the help of the American Veterinary Medical Association, DVMNewsmagazine dusted off the bureaucratic minutia to offer this state-by-state analysis. It's anything but a clean bill of health.

The National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) emerges from an obscure initiative in 2001 to passing in both congressional chambers two years later. The act, which amounts to a student loan repayment for veterinarians practicing in underserved areas, takes shape with a 2005 funding allocation.

We have found that pre-formed disposable bottle liners are a perfect covering for a bandage or cast on a small animal.

Ames, Iowa - A virus spreading among U.S. swine operations caused nearly three times the infection rates reported last year, inducing "devastating economic loss" for producers and calls for vigilance among veterinarians, Iowa State University (ISU) researchers say.