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DVM360 MAGAZINE, Nov 1, 2007

News Calif. High court rejects anti-declaw challenge By Jennifer Fiala 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. DVMs, volunteers aid evacuees following California fires By Krista Schultz 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. AAHA develping unified diagnostic code to improve care By Krista Schultz 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). Tougher rules sought on informed consent By Jennifer Fiala MADISON, WIS. — Wisconsin veterinarians are railing against plans to implement what is being billed "the most restrictive informed-consent law in the United States." Mass. DVMs included in identity-theft scare By Krista Schultz Boston — Veterinarians in Massachusetts were snared in the latest identity-theft scare involving some 450,000 licensed professionals. Smash & grab burglars target flea, tick products Sacramento, Calif. — For the second year in a row, thieves hit Dr. Katie True's Midtown Animal Hospital in Sacramento, Calif. Roughly $4,000 worth of medication was stolen during a September break-in. Governor pledges $500,000 to ease rural vet shortage By Jennifer Fiala 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. AVMA to release report on pet demographics Schaumburg, Ill. —The American Veterinary Medical Association plans to release its latest U.S. pet ownership and demographics study by year's end. Getting into the zone By Krista Schultz 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. A consumer claims victory in S.C. By Krista Schultz National Report — Consumers chalked up another victory in the battle of the public's right to know vs. a veterinarian's right to privacy. Research links oral, heart disease in dogs 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. The costs of care By Daniel R. Verdon National Report — Client expectations have increased over the last two years, according to 80 percent of veterinarians surveyed. Charges dropped, but practitioner is 'DVM No More' By James M. Lewis The emotional cost of defending oneself in a state-board investigation sometimes runs deep. Ultimate authority By Jennifer Fiala 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. Researchers to unleash shelter report Raleigh, N.C. — Researchers are working on a comprehensive study concerning shelter animals, collecting data from four U.S. regions to garner statistics on animal intakes and the people relinquishing them. Complaint filing, free; notification, 41 cents; impact, immeasurable By Krista Schultz National Report — A veterinarian seeking to protect his or her reputation and practice may be forced to battle an unlikely nemesis — the mailman. Proposed amendment aimed at 'a few bad apples' By Krista Schultz 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. Defending a state-board action has far-reaching costs By James M. Lewis Are you facing a state-board inquiry? Think you can handle it alone? Wanted: executive director, WVMA Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) soon plans to accept resumes for executive director. Handwritten thank-you notes just what the doctor ordered By David Richards 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. Is your communication readiness at DEFCON 1? 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. Here come the reporters: What are you going to say? By James M. Lewis It started as a payment issue — something common and relatively minor — but by the time it ended the board-certified veterinary surgeon felt so much heat from the media he closed his practice and left town. Texas board wins hearing against lay dentists Austin, Texas — A consortium of lay equine dentists and their clients lost the first round of legal battles with the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME). Business Better management techniques are the cure for economic doldrums By Gerald Snyder, VMD I hear from 20 or more veterinarians every day, most of whom want to tell me about the economic downturn in their area and the fact that clients just are not coming in as frequently, so their revenues are down. Defeating complacency: The practice killer By Michael H. Riegger, DVM, Dipl. ABVP Complacency is a terrible disease. Wanted: cooperation, please By Charles E. Gardner, DVM, MBA, Dipl. ABVP Last night I received a phone call from the doctor who provides routine veterinary services to a dairy herd where I do the ration balancing. This herd is experiencing some problems with fresh cows, and the doctor performed some blood testing in an attempt to obtain clues regarding the cause of these problems. The blood work revealed moderately low albumin levels in most of the six dry cows he tested. This suggests low protein intake. Whom do you trust By Christopher J. Allen, DVM, JD When the average person thinks about a "trust fund," he envisions Paris Hilton or some filthy-rich kid from college days who wouldn't recognize a hard day's work if it bit him. Negotiate a line of credit before terms get tougher By Mark E. Battersby With business loans becoming harder to obtain, many DVMs are turning to community banks. Small Animal Analgesics for oral surgery in dogs and cats By Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, Dipl. AVDC, Dipl. AAPM Six of the most common agents used for managing pain associated with oral surgery in dogs and cats will be discussed in this third article of a series on pain management. They are the opioids (opiates), the Cox-2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), the 5-Lox selective NSAIDs, the alpha-2 agonists, the NMDA-receptor antagonists and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Tough ticks 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. The use of metronomic chemotherapy in dogs By Mona Rosenberg While this was a relatively small study (nine dogs were treated with LDC), this paper suggests that LDC may be an effective alternative to MTD chemotherapy in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. Nutrition mainstay to success By Johnny D. Hoskins, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM IBD is a chronic, idiopathic disease of the intestinal tract that has no identifiable cause. Equine Experts push for greater EVA awareness, regulations By Ed Kane, PhD Outbreaks of equine viral arteritis (EVA) are infrequent in the United States but, because a large percentage of the equine population is susceptible, several leading experts continue to push for improved awareness and protective measures. MRSA infections a growing concern in equine medicine By James M. Lewis 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. Mississippi reports uptick in EEE, WNV cases 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. Identifying nephrotoxic plants, and how to minimize poisoning By Bryan Stegelmeier, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVP Red-maple hybrids should be considered toxic until proven otherwise. Food Animal Local anesthesia in cattle By Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM 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. Humor The healing power of laughter By Carl A. Osborne, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM The clinical investigation team comprising our Nephrology/Urology Center meets daily to discuss progress, address problems and make plans. A DVM by any other name would smell as sweet 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. Commentary Communicate first, discipline second By James Wilson 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.