News & Info
Click here for the July 2010 issue of The Kansas Veterinarian newsletter.
Public Health Warning – Blue-green Algae Blooms
August 31, 2010
Several counties in Kansas have reported harmful blue-green algae blooms in their lakes. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued public health warnings at several locations. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, produce toxins that can result in illness of humans and death of pets and livestock. Recommendations by KDHE include precautions to keep both humans and animals safe.
Blue-green algae toxins in freshwaters have been implicated in human and animal illness in at least 36 states, including Kansas. The greatest risk of adverse human health effects after exposure to these toxins is through accidental ingestion and inhalation of water during recreational activities such as swimming and skiing. Exposure to toxins from the algae can cause illness and is dependent on the route of the exposure.
Contact with the water, such as wading or swimming, can cause a skin rash, as well as eye, ear and throat irritation. Ingestion or inhaling aerosols (such as from jet-skiing or boating) of contaminated water can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, fatigue and flu-like symptoms.
Animals, especially dogs, can also become ill after contact with an algal bloom. Ingestion of the water by animals or cleaning of their coats after contact with water are two common routes of exposure. Signs of illness in animals depend upon the type of toxin present but can include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and death.
In order to understand the scope of this issue, KDHE requests that veterinarians report suspect or confirmed cases of algae toxicosis to the Bureau of Surveillance and Epidemiology at 1-877-427-7317. In addition, you may call this number if you have any questions. Click here for KDHE’s news release.
New Veterinary Technician Specialty Recognized by the NAVTA
August 31, 2010
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in American (NAVTA) recently announced a new specialty academy for their members. The Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT) is the newest specialty to become approved as an official specialty by NAVTA. The AVNT joins the nine, NAVTA approved, existing specialties: dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgical, equine, zoology, behavior and clinical practice. Read more.
Local Student Wins State Award
June 28, 2010
A member of the Prairie View FFA Chapter was recognized Thursday for having one of the best career development programs in the state at the 82nd Kansas FFA Convention.
Eric Noel received a State FFA Proficiency award during the convention for outstanding accomplishments he has made in developing programs that will prepare him for a career in agriculture.
The proficiency award program recognizes students for exceptional accomplishments and excellence in a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. This program allows students to set goals and gain real-world experience in a chosen area of the agriculture industry.
Noel won his award in the area of Veterinary Science, sponsored by the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association. He has worked at the Drexel Veterinary Clinic for nearly three years. He started at the clinic by doing kennel chores and cleaning, but his responsibilities have grown to include working with cattle, handling horses, restraining animals, assisting with surgeries and preparing for blood tests. He also sharpened his ability to accurately check a cow for pregnancy. During his SAE, Noel learned more about animal diseases, proper animal handling, billing customers, and refilling prescriptions, which helped him decide that he wants to become a veterinarian.
Noel plans to attend Kansas State University and pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. He is the son of Frankie and Rita Noel. His advisors are Joe Atwood and Tom Schull.
The Kansas FFA Association is a part of the National FFA Organization, a national youth organization of 506,199 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,429 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ksffa.org for more information.
Food Animal Veterinarian Pilot Program Announced
May 24, 2010
The Food Animal Veterinarian Recruitment and Retention Program is now available for students to apply. The grant was designed to help with a shortage of food animal veterinarians in the United States.
Through this incentive program, five veterinarians who will be in practice by Sept. 10, 2010 and commit to four years of employment in food animal veterinary medicine will receive student loan debt forgiveness for four years (not to exceed $100,000).
This program is funded through the generous support of Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica, Elanco Animal Health, Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, Pfizer Animal Health, and Phibro Animal Health. For further details of the program and to apply please visit www.avmf.org/FAVRRP.
June 1, 2010 is the application deadline. Participants will be announced at the AVMA Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Program participants will receive four payments in June 2011, June 2012, June 2013, and June 2014.
From August through October, 2010 there will be an evaluation of the pilot program and consideration of expansion of the program for 2011. From November through January 2011 is the anticipated launch of the 2011 program.
For more information, contact Donna Johnson at drjohnson@avma.org.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Accepting Applications
May 24, 2010
The United States Dept. of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is accepting applications for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).
The VMLRP will pay up to $25,000 each year toward qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in a NIFA designated veterinarian shortage situation for a period of three years. Interested veterinarians must have a minimum of $15,000 in qualifying student loan debt to apply.
The application period closes June 30 and awards should be made by the end of this fiscal year, September 30, 2010.
There are several forms that need to be filled out. The applicant needs to provide all the loan information, write a narrative about their practice goals and other information, as well as provide three letters of reference.
Corrections Made to KVMA Liabiliy Information
February 24, 2010
Greg Dennis, KVMA legal counsel, and Gary Reser, KVMA executive vice president, have put together a document providing practical approaches for veterinarians seeking malpractice and workers compensation insurance coverage for student volunteers and externs.
However, there are two minor corrections to the information included in the last printed issue of The Kansas Veterinarian.
The first is that AVMA PLIT malpractice liability insurance coverage is available to third and fourth year.
The second is that insurers cannot deny workers compensation coverage to student volunteers in Kansas, but it can require an additional premium for special circumstances.
K-State Seeking Canine Patients for Pimobendan Study
January 22, 2010
We are currently seeking patients for inclusion in a new clinical trial on the acute effects of pimobendan in dogs. Chronic treatment with Pimobendan has been showed to have positive effects on both quality of life and survival in dogs with chronic degenerative mitral valve disease. However, there is some evidence that effects of this drug can occur rapidly.
The aim of our our study is to try to clarify the acute benefits of pimobendan.
For this study, we are searching for patients with a previous diagnosis of chronic degenerative mitral valve disease treated for at least one month with furosemide (a diuretic) and an ACE-inhibitor (enalapril, benazepril or ramipril). This study has been approved by Kansas State Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC),
In return, each participant receives two complete free cardiology evaluations including including echocardiograms and thoracic radiographs and a three month supply of pimobendan free of charge. If you are interested in enrolling your pet in this study please contact our service. We strongly recommend you discuss this with your veterinarian first.
Your support will be of great importance in helping veterinary cardiologists to gain better understanding of this important cardiac disease in dogs.
Contact Dr Michele Borgarelli, Mborgare@vet.k-state.edu, 785-532-5690.
Notice to all veterinary practitioners! Alert from the USDA
January 22, 2010
Due to the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, there may be an increased number of pets coming into the U.S. The following USDA-Veterinary Service (VS) policy should take effect immediately and remain in affect for the next 10 days for animals arriving at U.S. ports from either Haiti or the Dominican Republic.
The USDA-VS has waived the requirements for health certificates for dogs. Dogs will, however, require inspection and should be held by CBP and referred to USDA-VS for inspection of possible screwworm infestation. Dogs with open wounds should also be referred for additional exams and veterinary treatment as needed to prevent possible introduction of screwworms into the U.S.
Screwworms have been eradicated in the U. S. since 1982. The only 2 known cases in Texas in the recent past were caught and reported by private veterinary practitioners.
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