Browse
Diagnosing diabetes in cats and dogs is pretty straightforward, but treatment and monitoring can be complex—especially with more options available than ever, including flash continuous glucose monitors.
Dr. Lawren Durocher-Babek, a specialist in small animal internal medicine at 9 Lives Hong Kong, presented “Rational Use of Flash Continuous Glucose Monitors in Small Animal Medicine” in July at AVMA Virtual Convention 2021.
FCGMs consist of a sensor that attaches to an animal for up to two weeks along with a reader or smartphone to collect data. The sensor has a filament that samples interstitial
At left is an aerial view of the Oro Valley Campus of the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. (Photo by David Sanders/University of Arizona) At right, Texas Tech University's Amarillo campus has traditional Spanish Renaissance architecture and serves as the School of Veterinary Medicine's academic headquarters. (Courtesy of Texas Tech)
Two of the newest U.S. veterinary colleges, located at the University of Arizona and Texas Tech University, have actually been a long time in the making. Formal conversations about a second veterinary school in Texas first started in the 1970s. The earliest reference to establishing a
The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest reminder that human interactions with the animal world are fraught with danger. It also revealed just how quickly a novel zoonosis can traverse the world, leaving illness, death, and disruption in its wake.
Now, likely sources of another pandemic are being scrutinized like never before. One such source, the global movement of animals, involves the international market for live animals and animal products as well as wildlife migration.
Dr. Robert Gerlach, Alaska state veterinarian, said the current outbreak of African swine fever in China illustrates the biosecurity
Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, a professor of internal medicine and
Dr. Hilary Lucero always had seasonal allergies, but now it seemed like her hay fever had gone haywire.
It was spring 2018, and Dr. Lucero, a small animal veterinarian in Arizona,
Over the past year, professional organizations including the AVMA and American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges have committed to making veterinary medicine a profession in which individuals from underrepresented minorities feel safe and valued—important goals that require hearing their pain and frustration.
When Black veterinarians are trying to decide whether a job opportunity at a practice is right for them, in addition to the usual matters of salary, hours, and benefits, they have to make a series of determinations solely on the basis of their race. Will clients at the new practice accept a
Dallas Animal Services provided care for pets of owners who were evacuated because of Hurricane Laura In August 2020. Here, a DAS officer returns a dog to its owners along with pet food and supplies outside a DAS vehicle. (Courtesy of Dallas Animal Services)
Kristen Hassen, like many people who work in animal shelters, knows pet owners don't relinquish their animals because they want to. Finding solutions to this issue while dealing with overpopulated shelters has been difficult. However, the increase in fostering associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed shelter
Illustration by Valentina Talijan
The COVID-19 pandemic caught many off guard, but in some ways, veterinarians were better prepared for the pandemic than most. Veterinarians keenly understand how viruses infect hosts and can mutate over time.
So Dr. Rob Conner, a practice owner in rural northern Arkansas, took matters into his own hands by partnering with others to form a company that makes N95 masks. He remains convinced that veterinarians should have been put in charge of the response to the coronavirus given the U.S. Department of Agriculture's efforts with animal
Illustration by Dr. Vishal Murthy
Dr. Christina V. Tran, a first-generation Filipino American, completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California-Davis, where there is a preveterinary club and a robust animal science program. There was an abundance of readily available resources to help navigate the veterinary school application process. However, some students who go to institutions with small or no preveterinary clubs and lack preveterinary advisers may have more trouble accessing resources and finding information.
“It may not dawn on them to ask for help or reach out,” Dr. Tran said. “You
As COVID-19 infections forced nearby veterinary clinics to cut services, patient volumes rose at the lone 24-hour animal hospital in Fargo, North Dakota.
Dr. Tanya Borud, co-owner of Red River Animal Emergency Hospital and Referral Center, said in late November case numbers were up 25%-30%—causing prolonged delays for examination and treatment of the most stable patients, whose numbers had already been up since the start of the pandemic. She attributes the rise in cases to a mix of absences at other veterinary practices and increased attention to pets as people worked
Powerful forces are influencing change in the veterinary landscape. Pet and livestock owners are demanding more from veterinarians; there's growing interest in making the profession more diverse, equitable, and inclusive; and technology continues to evolve, affecting medicine, goods, and services alike.
Matthew J. Salois, PhD, chief economist at the AVMA, pointed to e-commerce, automation, and telemedicine as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion as particularly important trends in the profession. He and other leaders in the veterinary industry spoke on these topics during the annual AVMA Economic Summit, held virtually Oct. 26–28,
