Exotic animal corporate practice.

I have attempted to give insight into many of the aspects of a corporate veterinary job in the retail pet industry. Understand that these are my experiences, and corporate jobs are as diverse as the number of corporations in this field. My experiences have been positive because I have been fortunate enough to become an integral part of a company with an outstanding company ethic regarding animal care and business as a whole. This is a dream position for a veterinarian who wishes to make a far-reaching difference for animals. At PETCO I am the Animal Advocate and I do have the responsibility to look at every situation through the eyes of the animals. I take this responsibility very seriously and understand that every decision I make has a lasting impact on not only the animals we sell but also the associates who daily give their heart and soul as they care for the animals in our stores. This is the way I have chosen to make a difference in the world: by using my veterinary education as well as my life experiences in ways that are very different from the James Herriot of old-different from the advanced veterinary practices in this new millennium but steadfastly following the same principles we promised to uphold when we took the veterinary oath... Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering,the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.     

Beef alliances: motivations, extent, and future prospects.

With their growth, it is important to consider how alliances will impact the beef industry in the future. Alliances have the potential to make sweeping changes to cattle production, live and feeder cattle marketing, food safety protocols, use of government grades and standards, ownership structure, supply chain management, wholesale and retail product marketing, risk management, and many other industry activities. In an effort to address these issues, this article addresses the following questions: What is an alliance? What has motivated their proliferation? What have we learned from alliances? What aspects of alliances affect their likelihood of success or failure? What is the future of alliances? Are they a fad or a long-term evolving industry structural change?     

在工蜂产卵超过23天的中蜂群中介绍蜂王

在中蜂的饲养管理中,蜂群失王且工蜂产卵后,一般处理方法都是并入它群;实验是在不得已的情况下,将3群失王且工蜂产卵超过23 d的中蜂群合并的同时,介绍蜂王获得成功.     

Developing scientist leaders for tumultuous times

Leadership is a quality that can be learned. It is a behavior that one practices, and, after lots of practice, it becomes a habit. This is a lesson I learned from my father, who was a career pilot in the US Air Force and instilled this into me and my siblings from a very early age. It is also something I have learned in observing others. I have frequently asked why some people from certain disciplinary backgrounds seem to have an advantage in the leadership area. Think of the backgrounds of our Presidents, for example; so many of them have been attorneys. Members of Congress, as well, also frequently come from that disciplinary background. Key decision makers in government frequently come from economics backgrounds. I have also asked why this is the case. Frequently, the answer seems to be that these disciplines define themselves as being those that create leaders, not that they limit their members' aspirations. Why are so few veterinarians in leadership positions? It seems quite a paradox that they are not. The assets of an education in veterinary medicine are many. The education provides a very broad background in systems biology, medicine, and public health. There are many career paths for veterinarians. Most choose private practice, but, beyond that, career paths exist in industry, particularly the biomedical industry; in trade associations; in government and industry research; and in public health and regulatory positions. There are also many opportunities in academia, certainly in colleges of veterinary medicine but, beyond that, also in human medicine and in the biology disciplines. International opportunities also exist in governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization at the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and in advocacy and lobbying. Veterinarians are also making news these days. The emerging zoonotic diseases that have seized headlines in papers around the world give prominence to veterinarians and the skills they bring to bear in fighting current outbreaks and preventing future outbreaks of these diseases, such as SARS, Ebola, West Nile virus, and even HIV/AIDS.     

Acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Several combination therapies have been described throughout this article: in all likelihood, it is combination therapy that will allow improved survival of ARDS patients. As medicine moves into the future, clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of therapies for ARDS will be performed. In human critical care medicine, a large forward step was taken when ALI and ARDS were clearly defined. Unfortunately. as good as the definition is, ALI and ARDS occur secondary to many different underlying pathologic processes,perhaps obscuring the benefits of certain therapies for ARDS based on the underlying condition, for example, trauma versus sepsis. Selection of patients entering any ARDS trial is crucial: not only must those patients meet the strict definition of ARDS but the underlying disease process should be clearly identified. Identification of patients suffering from different disease processes before the onset of ARDS will allow for stratification of outcomes according to the intervention and the underlying pathology--comparing apples to apples and not to oranges. We are in a unique position in veterinary medicine. Although frequently financially limited by our clients, we have the opportunity to achieve several goals. First, we need to clearly define what constitutes ALI and ARDS in veterinary medicine. Do we want to rely on the human definitions? Probably not; however, as a group, we need to determine what we will accept as definitions. For example, we may not be able perform right heart catheterizations on all our patients to meet the wedge pressure requirement of human beings of less than 18 mm Hg. Do we agree that a PAOP of less than 18 mmHg is appropriate for animals, and is it appropriate for all animals? Will we accept another measure, for example, pulmonary artery diameter increases with echocardiographic evidence of acceptable left heart function? What is acceptable left heart function? As veterinarians, what do we consider to be hypoxemia? Is it the same in all species that we work with? What do we define as acute onset? Most human ARDS cases occur while patients are in hospital being treated for other problems, whereas many of our patients present already in respiratory distress. If we are unable to ventilate patients for economic or practical reasons, what do we use as the equivalent of the Pao2/Flo, ratio'? Reliance on the pathologist is not reasonable, because many disease processes can look similar to ARDS under the microscope. If anything, ALI and ARDS are clinical diagnoses. It is time for veterinarians to reach a consensus on the definition for ALI and ARDS in our patients.Only when we have a consensus of definition can rational prospective clinical trials of therapies be designed.     

Preparing a small business for sale

Have you made the decision to sell your veterinary practice and enter a new stage of lifé If so, the next big question is how do you maximise the sale price and minimise your capital gains tax. of such points and potentially bring them up to the standard of the rest of your business. For example is your store or practice in need of a refit? Do you need to update equipment, train staff or review stock choices?     

Molecular evidence of shared hookworm Ancylostoma tubaeforme haplotypes between the critically endangered Iberian lynx and sympatric domestic cats

Hookworms of the genus Ancylostoma are the most pathogenic parasites of young cats, and A. tubaeforme may cause morbidity or mortality in young individuals of the most endangered felid species in the world, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Since the transmission of monoxenous parasites is related to host density and remaining lynx populations are currently very small, the presence of reservoir hosts may be necessary for the maintenance of the hookworm life-cycle, the domestic cat being the most likely reservoir of A. tubaeforme. In order to confirm this hypothesis, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (Cox I) sequences of three A. tubaeforme specimens from a road-killed Iberian lynx from Do?ana were compared with 14 specimens retrieved from five sympatric free-roaming cats from the same area, and with six specimens from three free-roaming cats from the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. Gene fragments (300 bp) from 23 A. tubaeforme individuals representing 16 different haplotypes were obtained. A statistical parsimony haplotype network analysis showed that the three specimens infecting an Iberian lynx corresponded to two different haplotypes, one of which was identical to a specimen in a cat found only 10 km from the lynx. Specimens from the Iberian lynx and those from cats in Do?ana were only 1.03% genetically divergent, whereas specimens from Mallorca cats and those from Do?ana cats and the lynx diverged by 1.33% and 1.36%, respectively. The existence of shared haplotypes of hookworms between lynx and cat reinforces the hypothesis that the abundant sympatric domestic cat population is acting as a reservoir for A. tubaeforme infection in the endangered Iberian lynx.     

Evaluation of the precision of intradermal injection of control substances for intradermal testing in clinically normal horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the precision of intradermal testing (IDT) in horses. ANIMALS: 12 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURE: IDT was performed on the neck of each horse by use of 2 positive control substances (histamine and phytohemagglutinin [PHA]) and a negative control substance. An equal volume (0.1 mL) for each injection was prepared to yield a total of 20 syringes ([4 concentrations of each positive control substance plus 1 negative control substance] times 2 positive control substances times 2 duplicative tests) for each side of the neck. Both sides of the neck were used for IDT; therefore, 40 syringes were prepared for each horse. Hair was clipped on both sides of the neck, and ID injections were performed. Diameter of the skin wheals was recorded 0.5, 4, and 24 hours after ID injection. RESULTS: Intra- and interhorse skin reactions to ID injection of histamine and PHA resulted in wheals of uniform size at 0.5 and 4 hours, respectively. Significant intra- and interhorse variation was detected in wheals caused by PHA at 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: ID injection of histamine and PHA caused repeatable and precise results at 0.5 and 4 hours, respectively. Concentrations of 0.005 mg of histamine/mL and 0.1 mg of PHA/mL are recommended for use as positive control substances for IDT in horses. This information suggests that consistent wheal size is evident for ID injection of control substances, and variation in wheals in response to ID injection of test antigens results from a horse's immune response to specific antigens.     

The future of rural veterinary practice

Extract

It is my privilege, as President of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, to pass comment on the field of veterinary endeavour today at this, the 48th Annual Conference. I do not feel competent to draw conclusions from past trends, or to make wise comments on decisions that have been made which directly affect or impinge on our profession. What I would like to attempt to do is to evaluate the future of rural veterinary practice in this country as we see it today.     

Acaricidal activity of kupetaba, a ground mixture of natural products, against Rhipicephalus appendiculatus

Eight substances were screened for the purpose of selecting a natural product as an acaricide for use within an integrated tick management system. One substance proved to be effective as an acaricide against all stages of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and was named 'kupetaba'. It is a ground mixture of dried tobacco leaves (family Solanaceae) and a mineral called 'Magadi soda' which is mined around Lake Magadi in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. Investigation showed that kupetaba is commonly sold in local markets in East, West and Central Africa, where it is used for many purposes. The substance prevented the completion of all feeding phases of the tick, suppressed the oviposition capacity of the engorged ticks and drastically reduced the hatchability of the eggs. Larvae and nymphs were killed within 24 h of the application of the substance on calves' ears, while large numbers of adult ticks were also killed within 2-3 days of application during in vitro experiments. The suitability of the natural product as a local acaricide which resource-poor farmers in Africa can use to replace commercial acaricides within an integrated tick management system is discussed.     

Web-based technology: its effects on small group "problem-based learning" interactions in a professional veterinary medical program

The objective of this investigation was to ascertain whether and how the introduction of a new technology (WebCT) influenced faculty teaching styles while facilitating small group problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in a professional veterinary medical (PVM) program. The following questions guided the study: (1) How does the use of technology affect faculty teaching behaviors? (2) Do the facilitators' interactions with WebCT technology change over the course of one semester? (3) What is the perceived impact of WebCT on facilitators' role in PBL? The study employed a combination of qualitative (case study) and semi-quantitative (survey) methods to explore these issues. Nine clinical sciences faculty members, leading a total of six PBL groups, were observed over the course of an academic semester for a total of 20 instructional sessions. The qualitative data gathered by observing faculty as they facilitated PBL sessions yielded three major themes: (1) How do PBL facilitators adapt to the addition of WebCT technology? (2) Does this technology affect teaching? and (3) How do PBL facilitators interact with their students and each other over the course of a semester? No direct evidence was found to suggest that use of WebCT affected teaching behaviors (e.g., student-centered vs. teacher-centered instruction). However, all facilitators showed a moderate increase in comfort with the technology during the semester, and one participant showed remarkable gains in technology skills. The teaching theme provided insight into how facilitators foster learning in a PBL setting as compared to a traditional lecture. A high degree of variability in teaching styles was observed, but individuals' styles tended to remain stable over the course of the semester. Nevertheless, all facilitators interacted similarly with students, in a more caring and approachable manner, when compared to the classroom or clinic atmospheres.     

Clinical chemistry. In-clinic analysis, quality control, reference values, and system selection

The clinician never has had a better selection of user friendly analytical systems for in-clinic use. Selection of a system should be made only after several questions have been answered, including: What is the technical knowledge and experience of the persons who will use the system? Who will initiate and supervise a quality assurance program? Which analysis and what volume of samples are anticipated now and in the future? The estimated cost per test should include the total cost of instrumentation and maintenance, calibrators, controls, reagents, and technical and supervisory time. Have the methods been validated for the animal species involved and are adequate reference values available? Read the package inserts completely for each analyte. Do not rely on the advice of salespeople for guidance in answering many of these questions, but do question them carefully about statements made, especially regarding warranties and technical service. For those clinicians willing to accept the responsibilities associated with in-clinic testing, an increased awareness of laboratory medicine and a resulting increased interest and ability to provide quality medical care can be expected.     

The importance of animal cognition in agricultural animal production systems: an overview.

To describe and then fulfill agricultural animals' needs, we must learn more about their fundamental psychological and behavioral processes. How does this animal feel? Is that animal suffering? Will we ever be able to know these things? Scientists specializing in animal cognition say that there are numerous problems but that they can be overcome. Recognition by scientists of the notion of animal awareness has been increasing in recent years, because of the work of Griffin and others. Feeling, thinking, remembering, and imagining are cognitive processes that are factors in the economic and humane production of agricultural animals. It has been observed that the animal welfare debate depends on two controversial questions: Do animals have subjective feelings? If they do, can we find indicators that reveal them? Here, indirect behavioral analysis approaches must be taken. Moreover, the linear additivity of several stressor effects on a variety of animal traits suggests that some single phenomenon is acting as a "clearinghouse" for many or all of the stresses acting on an animal at any given time, and this phenomenon might be psychological stress. Specific situations animals may encounter in agricultural production settings are discussed with respect to the animals' subjective feelings.     

A perspective on anabolics

Extract

The word anabolic is an adjective and used as such it describes the property of a substance to promote in living cells the process of building complex substances from simple ones. Thus anabolic steroids are those which favour synthetic metabolism. The best known of these is testosterone, an androgen. Other anabolic steroids may be distinctly oestrogenic and some anabolic chemicals are not steroid hormones at all. Most anabolic substances are complex in theiractivity and, depending upon their primary nature, have the potential to produce undesirable physiological and/or behavioural side effects.     

东亚飞蝗抗菌活性物质的萃取及抗菌效应研究

试验研究东亚飞蝗成虫抗菌活性物质的萃取参数与抑菌效应。采用针刺蘸大肠杆菌菌悬液方法,以抗菌活性为指标,用杯碟法测定临床多重耐药菌的抑菌活性,确定最佳诱导时间,初步研究抗菌谱。结果表明,东亚飞蝗抗菌活性物质粗提液对革兰氏阳性菌(如金黄色葡萄球菌、枯草芽孢杆菌)或革兰氏阴性菌(如大肠杆菌、水稻白叶枯病原菌)均有一定的抑制作用。其抗菌谱为:金黄色葡萄球>水稻白叶枯病原菌>枯草芽孢杆菌>大肠杆菌,其中以对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌效果最明显。抗菌活性物质浓度为11.782mg/mL,蝗虫抗菌活性物质收率为8.623%。经纯化后的抗菌活性物质增强对革兰氏阳性菌或革兰氏阴性菌的抑制作用。采用针刺蘸大肠杆菌方式可成功诱导东亚飞蝗抗菌物质的表达,尤其以针刺蘸大肠杆菌诱导后饲养24h得到的抗菌活性物质抑菌活性最强。结果表明东亚飞蝗虫体内含有抗菌活性物质可被诱导表达,其抗菌作用机理有进一步研究。     

Presidential Address,New Zealand Veterinary Association Annual Conference,Waitangi, May 1982 FIRE

It appears that it is expected of the incumbent President of the New Zealand Veterinary Association to impart in the address to this Conference words of wisdom that have been garnered over the years; words that should encourage, challenge and maybe chastise; and I hope to do this within an optimum concentration period for this type of talk. I have selected my subject very carefully though it contains but a single word, since I believe that it can encompass the whole range of veterinary endeavour in my time.     

Species differences in pharmacodynamics: Some examples

Appreciation of species variation in response to drugs is essential for the most effective application of available drugs in each species. Such variation may be due to differences in responding systems in different species. These may be: anatomical or histological differences; differences in receptor type and distribution; or differences in the nature and distribution of intermediary substances. This paper discusses examples of species differences in response related to pharmacodynamics, concentrating on 4 groups of substances: namely substances (1) involved in anaphylactic reactions, (2) acting on the sympathetic nervous system, (3) affecting the central nervous system, and (4) with effects on the reproductive system.

1. In anaphylactic reactions the release, distribution and effects of mediators, including histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, kinins, slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), eosinophil chemotactic factor, neutrophil chemotactic factor, platelet activating factor and prostaglandins, vary. The distribution of H₁ and H₂-histamine receptors for example varies even between different species of ruminants. Successful inhibition of anaphylactic or allergic reactions necessitates the correct choice of antagonist for the affected species, e.g. antihistamines may be expected to be effective in guinea pigs and dogs but prostaglandin antagonists would be more useful in cattle.
2. Sympathomimetics and α and β adrenergic receptor blocking drugs have different metabolic effects and effects on sweating in different species, e.g. horses, ruminants and rats.
3. Substances, including analgesics and anaesthetics, which affect the central nervous system, may produce depression in some species but excitation in others (e.g. morphine, ketamine) due to differences in distribution of neurotransmitters. Some drug susceptibilities are genetically controlled.
4. The effects of substances on the reproductive systems of different species can be more readily predicted as differences in the regulation of oestrus are appreciated.

Species variation in responses to immunostimulants and antibiotics are also referred to. Theoretically the responses of different species to a given drug might be predicted from a full understanding of the pharmacology of the drug and of comparative physiology, biochemistry and anatomy. In practice this is frequently not possible.     

Investigation of the pruritogenic effects of histamine, serotonin, tryptase, substance P and interleukin-2 in healthy dogs

There are numerous studies of the pruritus-producing effects of histamine, serotonin, tryptase, substance P and interleukin-2 in humans and mice, but very little reported in dogs even though a common reason dogs are presented to veterinarians is pruritus. The aim of this study was to determine whether substances known to cause pruritus in humans also cause pruritus in dogs. Twenty-five clinically healthy research beagle dogs were included in the study. All dogs first received an intradermal injection of 0.05 mL saline as a control substance and were video-recorded for 20 min before and after the injection. Twenty-four hours later the dogs were randomly divided into five groups of five dogs each and randomly assigned to receive histamine, serotonin, tryptase, substance P or interleukin-2 injected intradermally each at the volume of 0.05 mL. On subsequent days, increasing concentrations of each substance were used. Before (baseline) and after the injection of each concentration of the substances, the dogs were video-recorded for 20 min. The frequency and character of pruritus episodes (scratching, licking, chewing, rubbing or rolling) were noted and these data were used for statistical analysis. The number of pruritus episodes was compared among baseline, saline and the different concentrations of each substance. The results showed that dogs did not have a significant increase in pruritic behaviour above baseline or saline after injection of any of the investigated substances (generalized linear model; P  = 0.23).     

Animal health surveillance applications: The interaction of science and management

Animal health surveillance is an ever-evolving activity, since health- and risk-related policy and management decisions need to be backed by the best available scientific evidence and methodology. International organizations, trade partners, politicians, media and the public expect fast, understandable, up-to-date presentation and valid interpretation of animal disease data to support and document proper animal health management - in crises as well as in routine control applications. The delivery and application of surveillance information need to be further developed and optimized, and epidemiologists, risk managers, administrators and policy makers need to work together in order to secure progress. Promising new developments in areas such as risk-based surveillance, spatial presentation and analysis, and genomic epidemiology will be mentioned. Limitations and areas in need of further progress will be underlined, such as the general lack of a wide and open exchange of international animal disease surveillance data. During my more than 30 year career as a professor of Veterinary Epidemiology I had the good fortune of working in challenging environments with different eminent colleagues in different countries on a variety of animal health surveillance issues. My career change from professor to Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) - "from science to application" - was caused by my desire to see for myself if and how well epidemiology would actually work to solve real-life problems as I had been telling my students for years that it would. Fortunately it worked for me! The job of a CVO is not that different from that of a professor of Veterinary Epidemiology; the underlying professional principles are the same. Every day I had to work from science, and base decisions and discussions on documented evidence - although sometimes the evidence was incomplete or data were simply lacking. A basic understanding of surveillance methodology is very useful for a CVO, since it provides a sound working platform not only for dealing with immediate questions when new or emerging disease situations arise, but also for more long-term activities, such as policy development, contingency planning and trade negotiations. Animal health issues, which emerged during my eight years as a CVO in Denmark from 1999 to 2007, will be used as examples, including BSE, FMD, HPAI and Trichinella testing. Emphasis will be placed on how science-based surveillance methodology and tools were developed, applied and documented.     

Veterinary education

Extract

It is with considerable hesitance that I have selected for the topic of my presidential address, a subject which has been so near to the hearts of previous presidents. For the last three months, after 12 years' fallow in the diagnostic, research, practice, and survey fields, the problems of veterinary education have become my constant companions. It is no longer possible to argue in a detached way with friends on how a veterinary surgeon should be trained—it has become essential for me to recognize clearly the main services which our profession could and should give, and, with the help of my colleagues in the Department of Medicine, to ensure that, in the subjects of anatomy, surgery, and medicine, the training given fits the students in the best possible manner for the tasks ahead.