Illustration by Dr. Vishal Murthy
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 82, 3; 10.2460/ajvr.82.3.164
Potential veterinary students face layered admission challenges
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 would think it would be easier with the internet, but sifting through (lots of information) is difficult.”
Many potential veterinary students face obstacles unrelated to their academic abilities when applying to veterinary school. The challenges can range from the cost of application fees to undergraduate advisers who aren't knowledgeable about the requirements needed to attend veterinary school to varying admission requirements at each institution to difficulty in gaining enough veterinary experience hours. Issues also stretch back further than at the time of applying for admission. That said, a number of groups and individuals are looking at the process to see what improvements can be made.
Dr. Tran, immediate past president of the Multicultural VMA and an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, said there are many barriers for people of color who want to enter veterinary school, which can cause issues with developing a diverse pipeline for the profession.
“I know that specifically with MCVMA, one of the things we have been doing to address this is focusing our efforts on K-12 outreach,” she said.
For example, MCVMA has a partnership with Nepris, a platform that connects educators to a range of professionals, to reach K-12 students and talk about veterinary medicine as a career.
Over half of nearly 1,000 high school and college students indicated they had considered becoming a veterinarian; however, 32% of those students changed their mind before graduating college, according to research released in September 2020 from Banfield Pet Hospital and Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine. Also, over half of the Black high school students who responded said the reason they no longer wanted to become a veterinarian was that someone persuaded them to choose a different career path. The research is available at jav.ma/factors.
Leaders are working to bridge the gap between wanting to become a veterinarian and going to veterinary school by mentoring and educating K-12 students.
Dr. Brittany S. Moore-Henderson, director of admissions and a clinical instructor at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said she knows the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges provides a lot of information, but it may be difficult for students to access it if they don't know where to look.
“It is so much a student has to go through to find out all the information they need,” she said. “As college students, starting off as a freshman, if you don't have resources or an adviser that can help direct you, it makes it difficult to navigate this career path.”
Many undergraduate programs lack specific animal health or veterinary advisers.
Dr. Bernard M. Fischer is an associate professor of pediatric research at Duke University Medical Center and a preveterinary adviser who has worked with students who have gone on to veterinary school all over the country. Dr. Fischer is also the AAVMC liaison to the National Association of Advisors of Health Professions. He is currently working on an adviser toolkit for premedicine advisers to adapt their resources to preveterinary students.
Condensed from Feb. 15, 2021, JAVMA News
Creating brighter futures for cats with chronic kidney disease
Cats with chronic kidney disease can now live longer, better lives than ever before.
“It's been a very exciting time over the last decade or so in that we've really enhanced our abilities to diagnose and detect chronic kidney disease,” said Dr. Shelly L. Vaden, a professor of internal medicine at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “We've also made many improvements in medical management.”
Dr. Vaden was speaking during the New Therapeutic Approaches to Chronic Care Symposium at the AVMA Virtual Convention 2020 this past August. Another convention presentation focused on RenalTech, a new tool from Antech Diagnostics that uses artificial intelligence to predict which cats will develop chronic kidney disease in the next two years.
Dr. Vaden said about 2%-20% of all cats and 30% of cats over the age of 10 have chronic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease is usually diagnosed via imaging or by finding persistent azotemia or an increase in serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration. The next step is staging according to the system from the International Renal Interest Society.
“When I look at the management of chronic kidney disease, I look at it as a mosaic,” Dr. Vaden said. “Rather than one-size-fits-all, I try to identify which problems are present and then address those. And some of these problems are interrelated.”
She said the aspects of chronic kidney disease in cats include nutrition, proteinuria, hypertension, anemia, metabolic acidosis, renal secondary mineral disorders, hypokalemia, and gastrointestinal signs.
Condensed from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
AVMA influences final rule on traveling with service animals
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced in December its final rule that amends regulations under the Air Carrier Access Act on traveling by air with service animals.
The final rule defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The regulation no longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal.
A number of airlines have already started to ban ESAs, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines, which will now allow only trained service dogs in the cabin outside of kennels. Pet owners who want to travel with other animals will need to pay a fee, and the animal will have to travel in the cargo hold or fit in a kennel under a seat in the cabin.
U.S. airlines were previously required to accommodate emotional support animals but, under the new regulations, will no longer be required to do so. In its comments to the DOT, the AVMA indicated that, because ESAs do not share the same training and deliberate acclimation to various environments and situations as service dogs do, they may present a risk to other passengers, other animals, and even themselves in airline cabins, according to an AVMA press release.
The AVMA was heavily involved in the development of the rule. In 2018, the AVMA held a roundtable with airlines, DOT officials, and other stakeholders.
Condensed from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
COVID relief package fixes tax on Paycheck Protection Program
President Donald Trump narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown by signing a massive government funding and coronavirus relief package on Dec. 27, 2020. The package includes many of the AVMA's top legislative priorities.
The omnibus spending legislation contains appropriations for the 2021 federal fiscal year totaling $1.4 trillion, along with $900 billion in COVID-19 pandemic aid.
The relief package contains a fix for the Internal Revenue Service tax treatment of expenses paid with Paycheck Protection Program loans and streamlines PPP loan forgiveness for loans of up to $150,000. It appropriates up to $20 million for animal health infrastructure's role in the COVID-19 response and contains AVMA-led language that will provide Congress with information detailing existing collaborative efforts between the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to prevent and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks in animals and humans.
The year-end appropriations bill included the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which will create uniform performance and safety standards for Thoroughbred horse racing.
The tax fix reverses the IRS ruling that denied deductions on expenses covered by forgiven PPP loans and means that veterinary practices will not have to pay up to 40%, depending on location, of the amount of a PPP loan in taxes.
The provision that simplifies loan forgiveness will establish a one-page, easy-to-complete form to apply for forgiveness of loans up to $150,000. Most veterinary practices will qualify for this simplified process because over 80% of the PPP loans obtained by veterinary practices meet this threshold.
Condensed from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
COVID-19 adds challenges to veterinary technology education
Education programs in veterinary technology across the U.S. are all very different, said Kathy Koar, director of veterinary nursing at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. So adapting to a pandemic requires a different game plan for each program.
COVID-19–related social distancing and safety measures have forced veterinary technology programs to reevaluate the way students are educated. There are already over 10 distance learning programs accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities, but most programs are in person and have had to adapt their curricula quickly to a virtual learning format.
For example, Harcum College, a two-year private college associated with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, had to make changes to its clinical rotations because of its partnership with Penn Vet.
“We are their veterinary nurse arm,” Koar said. “The university doesn't have a vet tech program, they have us. So our students—every one of them—spend two semesters at Penn Vet doing clinical rotations. When COVID happened, the university sent students home. That piece was a sit and wait.”
Kathy Koar, the director of veterinary nursing at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, said adapting to a pandemic requires adjustments from the students and faculty. (Photo by Kathy Koar)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 82, 3; 10.2460/ajvr.82.3.164
Koar said clinical rotations are currently functioning normally now, but all lectures are virtual. Laboratories are live and in person with personal protective equipment, reduced class sizes, and social distancing.
Koar said Harcum College, specifically the information technology department and curriculum committees, were vital in helping the veterinary nursing faculty and staff navigate the transition to online training. She said the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators also offered a huge amount of support.
Condensed from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
APHIS funds animal disease programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Dec. 1 announced the awarding of $14.4 million to fund 76 projects being undertaken by states, universities, and other organizations to bolster programs protecting animal health.
The 2018 farm bill appropriated millions of dollars for programs to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the United States and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions.
It is the second year APHIS has provided funding from the $867 billion farm bill. In 2019, the agency awarded $10.2 million that funded 44 projects.
APHIS awarded $9.3 million through the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program.
The 46 NADPRP-funded projects address critical livestock biosecurity and large-scale depopulation and carcass disposal concerns in all major livestock industries across all regions of the United States. These projects will be led by animal health authorities in 16 states, at 14 land-grant universities, and with two organizations.
APHIS awarded $5.1 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network to 30 projects led by network laboratories in 21 states.
The projects will help NAHLN enhance early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
Full lists of awarded NADPRP and NAHLN projects are available at jav.ma/Nadpr and jav.ma/nahln.
Condensed from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
Veterinary leaders discuss how to combat racism, be an ally
Two sessions during the 2021 AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, held Jan. 7-9, focused on tools for being an active ally to those who are racially or ethnically underrepresented in veterinary medicine and on the issues experienced by people in that group.
Lisa Greenhill, EdD, senior director for institutional research and diversity at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and Latonia Craig, EdD, assistant dean for inclusive excellence at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, talked to attendees about what allyship looks like during the session “Allyship for Transformational Leaders” on Jan. 8.
“Why is it important to think about allyship in terms of leadership? It is about how you activate and inspire your team,” Dr. Greenhill said. “We say there is no ‘I’ in team, but actually, there are a lot of identities that are a part of the team. That is what makes a team strong. That diversity is really beneficial to the overall team.”
Dr. Allen Cannedy, director for diversity and multicultural affairs at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, asked why racism exists in veterinary medicine during the session “Combating Racism in Veterinary Medicine” on Jan. 9.
He said: “For some, it is one of those mythical things that doesn't exist in their minds, and for those of us who see it and experience it, it is real. … As leaders, hopefully, you all believe it is real and it is affecting our profession, just as it does our society and our world.”
Condensed from Feb. 15, 2021, JAVMA News
New forensic programs investigate deaths of unclaimed dogs and cats
As the field of veterinary forensics continues to develop, a forensic pathologist at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has created two programs, A Dog Has No Name and A Cat Has No Name, to investigate the deaths of unclaimed dogs and cats. At the same time, the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association has released standards for postmortem examinations.
Dr. Adam Stern, a forensic pathologist at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, created two new programs to investigate the deaths of unclaimed animals in the Florida area. (Courtesy of Dr. Stern)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 82, 3; 10.2460/ajvr.82.3.164
Dr. Adam Stern, a forensic pathologist at the UF veterinary college, created the new programs to investigate the deaths of unclaimed animals in the Florida area. Since the programs’ start in 2019, more than 150 dogs and cats have been examined, including some from across the U.S.
“We're doing a long-term mortality study, looking at these animals and figuring out what is going on with them,” Dr. Stern said. “They're not all being hit by cars, and we are finding some interesting stuff. We are documenting it, including some suspicious deaths that we report to law enforcement.”
The guidelines on postmortem examinations, released in December 2020, include clinical best practices for identifying, documenting, and preserving evidence in crimes when animals are involved and there is suspected abuse.
“As board-certified pathologists and leaders in the field of veterinary forensic pathology, it is our duty to develop a set of standards to provide a framework to ensure that forensic postmortem examinations are performed to a minimum standard,” Dr. Stern said.
Condensed from Feb. 15, 2021, JAVMA News
Protein in soil bacteria could help fight worms
A protein made by common soil bacteria may help treat a widespread parasitic problem in ruminants, according to a recent study.
A related study also indicates the substance is highly toxic to a hookworm that parasitizes humans. But any commercial products—in veterinary or human medicine—likely remain years away.
An article published in November in the International Journal of Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance describes promising results for a Haemonchus contortus treatment in sheep that uses crystal proteins contained in the cell walls of killed Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria. Inside a ruminant's digestive system, H contortus ingests dead bacteria containing the crystal proteins, which bind with the nematode's intestinal cells and kill the nematode.
This photo shows inactivated bacterial cells with cytosolic crystal, which recent study results suggest can be used to kill Haemonchus contortus nematodes in sheep. (Courtesy of Raffi V. Aroian, PhD/UMass Medical School)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 82, 3; 10.2460/ajvr.82.3.164
Joseph F. Urban Jr., PhD, supervisory microbiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, was among collaborators on the studies involving H contortus and the human-parasitizing hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum. He described the results as the most encouraging he has seen since development of ivermectin.
Dr. Urban noted that similar crystal lysate powders have been used as insecticides in farming for decades, and home gardeners dust their tomatoes with such products. Some transgenic food crops are modified to produce crystal proteins, he said.
The study involving H contortus in ruminants was a collaboration among researchers from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the University of Massachusetts, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of California-San Diego, Worcester State University, Utah State University, and the University of Rhode Island.
Condensed from Feb. 15, 2021, JAVMA News
American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia
The American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia welcomed 15 new diplomates following its board certification examination that was held remotely Oct. 1-3, 2020. The new diplomates are as follows:
Lisa Ann Bourazak, Highland Park, Illinois
Angie Lagos Carvajal, Calgary, Alberta
Urshulaa Dholakia, New Hyde Park, New York
Ben Gingold, New York City
Alison Jaeger, Davis, California
Emma Kate Johnson, Roseville Chase, Australia
Geneviève Caterina Luca, San Jose, California
Matthew Milloway, Chicago
Melissa Murdock, Philadelphia
Tania Perez Jimenez, Pullman, Washington
Frédérik Rousseau-Blass, Sainte-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Danielle Eliese Strahl-Heldreth, Champaign, Illinois
Christopher Thibault, Lansing, Michigan
Eduardo Uquillas, Elderslie, Australia Kelley Varner, Columbia, Missouri
Excerpted from Feb. 1, 2021, JAVMA News
