Veterinarians and shelter animals

We have read with interest recent articles about the relationship between private veterinary practices and animal shelters, including the recent JAVMA News story¹ on a study developed by the CATalyst Council in partnership with All-Points Research Inc. In that study, private practitioners perceived themselves as being more supportive of shelters than shelters were of private practices, and shelter representatives perceived themselves as being more supportive of private practices than private practices were of shelters. In addition, private practitioners frequently saw shelters as competitors.

We suggest that veterinarians should view animal shelters as valued community partners, rather than as competitors. The American Humane Association conducted a study² in 2012 that surveyed 1,500 people throughout the United States, including 1,000 individuals who had previously owned a pet. When asked about the source of a previous pet, respondents indicated that 22% of dogs and 18% of cats had come from a shelter. However, when asked where they would go for a future pet, 64% of previous dog owners and 56% of previous cat owners stated that they would acquire their next pet from a shelter or rescue agency.

Over the past decade or so, the number of purebred dogs registered annually with the American Kennel Club has decreased. More than half of all dogs in the United States are considered mixed breed dogs, and the percentage of the US cat population represented by purebred cats remains small (< 5%). Pet stores and breeders are becoming less common sources of pet acquisition, while the shelter and rescue channels are expanding. If most of our current or future clients decide to acquire their next pet from a shelter or rescue agency, then it seems wise and economically prudent to partner with these agencies in a positive, mutually beneficial manner.

In many communities, there is considerable unmet veterinary need coupled with and, to some degree, caused by a lack of awareness, lack of access, and lack of resources. The collaborative efforts of animal shelters and private veterinary practices can begin to close that gap in care, reinforce preventive care messages, and deepen the bond between pet owners and their pets. Innovative community-based programs to address family health (human and animal) are already being implemented in various places around the country and are showing great returns. These programs are a critical part of our profession's future. They can enhance a private practitioner's role in the community and serve as an introduction to new clients as well as help future pet owners make better choices about pet selection, pet care, and the role veterinarians can play.

Indeed, collaborative efforts can not only drive better outcomes for animals but also enhance the economic performance of veterinary practices. With shelters becoming the largest single source of pet acquisition, it just makes sense to work together on impressing pet adopters with the need for and value of veterinary care for the family's pets. Pets, pet owners, practices, shelters, and communities benefit when we all embrace the goal of healthy pets in forever homes.

Michael Cavanaugh, dvm, dabvp

Executive Director and CEO

American Animal

Hospital Association

Lakewood, Colo

Roger Haston, phd

Executive Director

Animal Assistance Foundation

Denver, Colo

David Haworth, dvm, phd

President and CEO

Morris Animal Foundation

Denver, Colo

Ralph Johnson

Executive Director

Colorado Veterinary Medical

Association

Denver, Colo

Patricia Olson, dvm, phd

Chief Veterinary Advisor

American Humane Association

Denver, Colo

Robert D. Rohde

President and CEO

Denver Dumb Friends League

Denver, Colo

Veterinary education and global food policy

I am writing in response to the recent commentary, “One health, food security, and veterinary medicine” by Kelly et al.¹ The authors describe the concept of global one health, question whether veterinary educators in the United States are adequately preparing students for careers in food security and global policy development, and ask why so few veterinarians are in staff positions at global health agencies.

Although I agree that global one health is an important concept, the reality is that veterinary students today are graduating with massive debts and facing tremendous economic uncertainty. Additionally, most appear to have a desire to become private practitioners, primarily in small animal practice. Therefore, I would ask not whether educators are preparing students for careers in global policy development, but whether they should. Individuals wishing to pursue careers in global policy usually pursue degrees in disciplines such as economics, political science, or international relations.

The current challenge for veterinary educators is to deliver a high-quality education in the fundamentals of medical practice at a fair price. To accomplish this, the colleges of veterinary medicine must protect the core curriculum and use resources efficiently, which may mean decreasing the availability of some electives, such as global food policy. Beyond this, I wonder how many positions are actually available for veterinarians interested in pursuing careers in global food policy. While it may be wise to expose all veterinary students to the possibilities of this nontraditional career path, it may be necessary to rely on having interested students pursue postveterinary training in an appropriate discipline.

As a long-time food animal practitioner, I found that it took years to develop not only the medical and surgical skills needed to be competent but also the understanding necessary to successfully work in a farm community. For US veterinarians to skillfully meet the needs of farmers in the developing world, they would have to possess both the medical skills and the cultural understandings necessary to help bring about sustainable change, and I do not believe that this type of training can be duplicated in a university setting. Additionally, the US food animal industry is currently experiencing severe financial challenges as a result of an excess of global production, not a deficit.

I hope there are individuals who will acquire the clinical skills and understanding needed to develop effective, sustainable global policy. However, I do not think every veterinary college should initiate a global one health curriculum without first decreasing the cost of veterinary medical education for students, most of whom will go on to become tomorrow's private practitioners.

Robert B. Cherenson, dvm

Lander Veterinary Clinic

Turlock, Calif

The author responds:

I am grateful to Dr. Cherenson for his observations on our commentary and for opening a dialogue on the concepts of one health and global food security, concepts that I believe should actively engage the veterinary profession. Climate change and food security are the biggest challenges facing the world in the next 40 years. In our commentary, we suggest that the veterinary profession can do more about the challenge of food security if it so chooses and outline our reasons for why it should do so, including enlightened self-interest. Food imports to the United States are growing, posing risks to the safety of our food supply and possible spread of infectious diseases. Escalating food prices are also increasing both food insecurity and the threat of conflicts that could undermine governments and disrupt global economies, including our own.

The difficulty with incorporating food security and one health into a veterinary curriculum is that the concepts do not lie within any one academic discipline, requiring instead collaboration across traditional boundaries of scholarly research and professional application. Academia has to educate the next generation of veterinary graduates to recognize the interdisciplinary nature of these challenges and integrate them with the ideas of one health and food security. We agree with Dr. Cherenson that additional postgraduate training is necessary to prepare graduates for international work. However, students will not go in this direction unless, early in their school career, they develop a framework for thinking about the breadth and complexities of the topic and the role of veterinary medicine. Planning the rest of their academic program can then proceed.

This type of initiative does not necessarily need to increase the cost of veterinary education. For the past three years, the University of Pennsylvania has taught a 16-week, 32-hour seminar course for first- and second-year veterinary students entitled “Global Food Security and One Health.” The course costs < $4,000/y, and is entirely supported by a generous alumnus. This year, 95 students are enrolled, reflecting their concerns about the future, whatever their goals, and the fact that students are acutely aware of the global challenges. Although only a fraction of these students will go on to international careers, all of the participants gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the challenges and the role veterinary medicine can and should play in global affairs. Seminars and extensive reading lists are provided by a wide range of colleagues from the university, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and beyond, all of whom recognize the importance of veterinary medicine to global health and are generous with their time.

In addition to tailoring their studies for a future in international affairs, students need experience in fieldwork in the developing world. Some externship are available but there are nowhere near enough. We believe our profession should lobby the World Bank, the US Agency for International Development, and philanthropic and government agencies for scholarships to make such experiences available and, in the long run, fulfill the profession's abundant potential in global affairs.

Alan M. Kelly, bvsc, phd

Dean Emeritus

University of Pennsylvania

New Bolton Center

School of Veterinary Medicine

Kennett Square, Pa

Dural ossification (ossifying pachymeningitis)

I read with interest the recent JAVMA article on spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoiesis in a dog.¹ However, I am concerned that the authors may have misinterpreted the extramedullary hematopoiesis and concurrent dural ossification as distinct processes, when in fact they are one and the same. According to the author's description, two reddish-brown masses associated with the lumbar dura and histologically composed of normal bone, adipose tissue, and hematopoietic elements were identified in this dog. Dural ossification (also known as ossifying pachymeningitis, although this an unfortunate misnomer because the condition is decidedly not inflammatory) is a common abnormality of the dura, especially in the lumbar region, in older dogs.^2,3 It appears histologically as normal bone with bone marrow and adipose tissue, even in the earliest stages of development. These are not separate processes, and the term dural ossification encompasses all of these histologic findings. There is at least one report⁴ of spinal cord degeneration associated with dural ossification, but dural ossification is not typically thought to cause clinical signs, and most of these lesions are incidental. However, as the case report¹ superbly illustrates, the lesion can be associated with neurologic deficits. Owing to the similarities between this report and previous reports on dural ossification in the veterinary literature, I believe it should have been titled and referenced accordingly.

Andrew D. Miller, dvm, dacvp

Harvard Medical School

Division of Comparative Pathology

New England Primate

Research Center

Southborough, Mass