Uniform horse-racing rules gaining m omentum
10 jurisdictions have signed on to national reforms
Malinda Larkin
Odds are good that the horse-racing industry will implement its own uniform medication rules in the near future.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association sent a letter dated Sept. 30, 2013, to pari-mutuel regulators for the 38 U.S. horse-racing commissions urging them to adopt uniform national reforms involving medication regulation and enforcement, including laboratory testing. The letter was co-signed by more than 50 racetrack and industry organization leaders. The American Association of Equine Practitioners signaled its support on Dec. 6, 2013.
These reforms were developed by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the industry's scientific advisory organization, and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, the association of state racing regulators, which develops model rules it encourages its members to adopt. The RMTC recommended the reforms to the ARCI, which voted in April 2013 to incorporate them into its official model rules.
It's now up to the various regulatory bodies to adopt the reforms. The proposed adoption deadline was Jan. 1, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Eight states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast—the two regions that comprise the largest concentration of daily racing in North America—jointly agreed in March 2013 to implement the reforms at the start of 2014. The participating states are Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. As of early January, Texas and California also had signed on. The rules are currently under consideration or in various degrees of passage in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming.
“These reforms are in the best interests of the health and welfare of the horse and the safety of the rider, enhance the integrity of our sport, ensure a level playing field for our competitors, assist horsemen who race in multiple jurisdictions, and accomplish the uniform regulation of racing in the United States,” according to the NTRA letter.
Proposed reforms
Reform in the U.S. horse-racing industry has been a long-sought-after goal.
The issue was given more immediacy when in May 2013 the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013 (S. 973/H.R. 2012) was introduced in Congress. The bill would designate the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency as the national nongovernmental organization that would develop, maintain, and publish rules on medications used in racehorses. The bill also seeks to end all race-day medication use, including that of Lasix (generic name furosemide; see JAVMA, Jan. 1, 2014, page 16).
Racetrack veterinarians at Saratoga Race Course in New York. The state is one of eight that agreed in March 2013 to implement reforms involving medication regulation and enforcement, including laboratory testing, at the start of 2014.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
The proposed reforms, however, would keep the oversight within the industry and continue the practice of furosemide administration on race day. Specifically, the letter calls for the following:
The ARCI Controlled Therapeutic Medication Schedule. It lists 24 medications that have been recognized as necessary for the treatment of illness or injury in horses on a routine basis. The schedule was developed on the basis of years of research by the RMTC and in consultation with the AAEP, ARCI, and industry chemists and pharmacologists.
Multiple Medication Violations Penalty System. Under the new system, each drug or medication violation would be assessed points, and at certain point-total thresholds, the offending trainer would serve an additional suspension. A trainer's record in every jurisdiction would be tracked by a central database maintained by the ARCI and made available to each jurisdiction and state.
A total of seven states have committed to implementation of the MMV penalty system, and regulators in many other states have indicated a desire to adopt the system once the uniform medication rules are passed in their respective jurisdictions.
Restrictions on the use and administration of furosemide. These restrictions would require that furosemide continue to be the only medication authorized for administration on race day. They would also limit the timing of furosemide administration to no less than four hours before post time. Further, they would require that furosemide be administered only by third-party veterinarians or veterinary technicians who aren't working as private veterinarians or technicians on the racetrack.
Laboratory Accreditation and Minimum Standards. They would require that every participating state's drug testing laboratory be accredited by the RMTC according to the consortium's code of standards, which conform to international laboratory standards (known as ISO/IEC 17025 certification). Currently, 10 of 14 labs are ISO-accredited while eight of the 14 have applied for RMTC accreditation and are undergoing review, two have been fully accredited by the RMTC, and one has interim accreditation status.
A starting point
Momentum appears to be building in favor of the proposed reforms; not surprisingly, however, most concerns about the proposed reforms have to do with medication rules.
Notably, the administration of clenbuterol would not be permitted within 14 days of a race, and the intra-articular administration of a corticosteroid would not be allowed within seven days of a race.
Standardbred trainers and veterinarians expressed concern about the restricted drug administration times and also asked the RMTC to consider more liberal drug testing thresholds.
Clenbuterol is used to treat inflammatory airway disease, but it's also been shown to produce an anabolic steroid effect in horses. The 14-day withdrawal time would negate that effect to a degree, but Standardbred trainers and veterinarians are anxious that the timing would lessen their ability to treat IAD.
They're also worried about the withdrawal time for corticosteroids because Standardbreds compete more frequently than other breeds—as often as every week. So, for example, if a Standardbred raced on a Saturday to qualify for a race the next Saturday, and it had a joint issue, the trainer and veterinarian would be going outside the seven-day rule by giving the horse a joint injection on Sunday following the first Saturday race.
Finally, trainers and veterinarians argue that Standardbreds differ enough physiologically from other breeds to warrant different medication rules.
The RMTC convened a panel to look into the issue. It released two position papers in early December 2013 that said the current testing thresholds for corticosteroids and clenbuterol should remain. The panel also said, however, that the RMTC should work to add albuterol and guaifenesin to the list of controlled therapeutic medications as soon as possible, as they are suitable alternative treatments to clenbuterol.
Dr. Scott Hay, chair of the AAEP Racing Committee, said although the RMTC understood that the business model and racing schedule are different among breeds, it didn't see any difference physiologically, and anabolic effects of clenbuterol could still be a factor.
The AAEP Racing Committee and board of directors each voted Dec. 6, 2013, to endorse the NTRA's proposed reforms. At the same time, the AAEP wrote a letter to the RMTC that suggested 17 of its own recommendations that were based on an evaluation by its Uniformity Task Force.
The AAEP as well as the RMTC panel maintains that for corticosteroids, it wants to see any reference to “restricted administration times” replaced by “recommended withdrawal times” in the regulations.
Dr. Hay says this is not only because restricted administration times are nearly impossible to enforce but also because there isn't much science behind them. The existing testing threshold for corticosteroids should prevent intra-articular administrations close to the race while allowing other appropriate treatments with smaller doses.
Standardbred trainers and veterinarians have expressed concern about the drug withdrawal times and testing thresholds for corticosteroids and clenbuterol outlined in proposed national reforms. They have asked the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium to consider more liberal thresholds.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
The AAEP recommendations went so far as to suggest that “all jurisdictions implementing new rules on the use of long-acting corticosteroids need to provide low-cost or no-cost programs for veterinarians to submit samples for corticosteroid testing to gain feedback on their intra-articular or other corticosteroid use.”
In addition, the AAEP and the panel want an implementation period of three to 12 months for any jurisdiction implementing new rules on long-acting corticosteroids.
“During this implementation period, therapeutic overages should not be penalized. Feedback to both the trainer of any tested horse as well as its attending veterinarian with regard to therapeutic overages is imperative during this implementation period,” the AAEP letter said.
Dr. Hay explained, “We're getting a bunch of states that are changing rules, and (the RMTC) is telling us you can't go above this threshold, but we don't have that much information on what that means to how we're using the medications. … I don't think it's so important that we have a get-out-of-jail-free card, so to speak, but certainly we need to get some feedback to practitioners to know if what they're doing is proper or improper.”
Current status of U.S. horse-racing medication reforms (as of mid-January); Source: National Thoroughbred Racing Association
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
It takes time
Dr. Jeff Blea, incoming president of the AAEP, said his organization has been heavily involved with the Jockey Club, RMTC, ARCI, and other organizations to help finally make uniform rules a reality.
“We would prefer supporting industry stakeholders (rather than federal oversight). We think strides have been made in the last year where the industry has said, ‘We've got to fix this,’” Dr. Blea said. “I've seen different organizations come together and work things through, and we've been at the table, too, to make this right.”
The entire process still has a way to go. Stakeholders, including the AAEP, will take the proposal to the NTRA, which in turn, will take it to each of the 38 racing jurisdictions. Buy-in from every jurisdiction will be necessary.
“I think most states are looking to go this way and want to keep regulation of racing in-house and don't want to go federal. Certainly there's incentive for them to do so,” Dr. Hay said. “I'm not sure what the hesitation is from some states. … Change is hard. Regardless of what the (new) rules are, some places think they've already got a good rule and would rather stick with that than make a change.”
When, or if, all 38 jurisdictions agree, the proposed reforms would go back to the RMTC, Dr. Blea said, and then to the ARCI, which would put its final touches on the proposal, as it has the last word on what the document would look like.
There would likely be multiple implementation periods for many of the provisions.
“We've come a long way, but we're not there yet,” Dr. Hay said. “I think if we get bigger states involved, most everything else will fall in line. It just takes time. Some states are regulated by legislative acts that take time to work through, while in some states, it's easier. But there is some momentum, and we'll see how it pans out.”
Furosemide debate continues
The drug furosemide has been at the epicenter of the controversy over drugs used in horse racing, or more specifically, drugs that are administered on race day.
Furosemide has been used in racing at least since the 1960s, although it was unsanctioned at the time. The California Horse Racing Board was one of the first commissions to approve the drug in the early 1970s. Back then, it was used to treat high blood pressure—that is why it was prescribed for humans at the time—but its effect on reducing exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and its performance-enhancing effect also weren't lost on trainers, according to Dr. Rick M. Arthur, Racing Medication and Testing Consortium officer and equine medical director for the California racing board. He spoke about EIPH during the “Current Controversies in Equine Practice” session at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' 59th Annual Convention, held Dec. 7–11, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn.
“The reality is all horses bleed,” Dr. Arthur said, adding that there are a number of theories about the cause of EIPH. “I'm not going to get into the theory of why horses bleed, which is a fascinating physiological phenomenon. The bottom line is the horse's heart is beating so rapidly that the left side of the heart doesn't have time to fill, so blood builds up in the lung. Whatever the cause, increasing the blood pressure in the lung leads to breaking blood vessels in the lung.”
In 1980, Dr. John Pascoe coined the term “exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage” at the AAEP meeting that year. He defined the condition a year later in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. Since then, nearly 200 papers on PubMed have discussed EIPH.
In the early 1980s, people were still skeptical as to whether furosemide worked at all, but that was put to rest with the paper by Dr. Kenneth W. Hinchcliff “Efficacy of furosemide for prevention of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in Thoroughbred racehorses” (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2009;235:76–82), which showed furosemide is effective at reducing EIPH.
Dr. Arthur also noted, “The fact of the matter is horses run faster with Lasix, and it's one of the issues I'm surprised people don't realize. People forget that furosemide has a pretty profound effect on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.”
He pointed to the paper “Effect of furosemide on performance of Thoroughbreds racing in the U.S. and Canada” (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:670–675), which found that the typical horse in a 6-furlong race will run faster when on the medication than when not.
That study, Dr. Arthur said, inspired the RMTC to change its rules on furosemide. Before, the drug could be administered only when bleeding could be seen, but thereafter, the RMTC recommended eliminating that requirement. Nowadays, 98 percent of horses that race are given furosemide. The Jockey Club and some breeders advocate banning the administration of medications to prevent pulmonary hemorrhage because of their perceived performance-enhancing effects.
“The international racing industry doesn't use Lasix (to race), and their horses are every bit as healthy as ours. And I think that's where we're going to be,” Dr. Arthur said, referring to the U.S. He said that more-restrictive regulations on the use of drugs in racing will focus not just on furosemide but also on phenylbutazone and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. “I think that's what the public will be demanding, and I think we need to prepare for it,” he said.
Currently, the AAEP supports the use of furosemide on race day. That said, the AAEP petitioned the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2013 to develop a consensus statement on EIPH. It will focus on three questions: Is furosemide performance-enhancing? Are there alternatives? Is use of furosemide a welfare issue? The statement is expected to come out in 2015. The Breeders' Cup is funding the endeavor.
Dr. Arthur said other research efforts should focus on a fundamental question: Does the use of furosemide alter the long-term pathological changes associated with EIPH?
Advocates of horse-racing reform say additional substances will be considered for inclusion in the schedule of controlled medications, on the basis of AAEP and RMTC recommendations. Other reform plans may be modified, depending on future scientific research and development.
Dr. Rick M. Arthur
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
The Breeders' Cup is funding work by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine to develop a consensus statement on exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
It's all about the horse … and the client
Cowboy and raconteur Buck Brannaman was the keynote speaker at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' 2013 Annual Convention. (Photos courtesy of AAEP)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
AAEP initiatives focus on business practices, creating more horse owners
By Malinda Larkin
Horse veterinarians have a lot to be excited about in 2014, thanks to two new initiatives, one geared toward creating new horse owners and another toward helping practitioners keep their current clients satisfied.
These programs were announced during the opening session of the American Association of Equine Practitioners' Annual Convention, held Dec. 7–11, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. It was the fourth-largest meeting in the organization's history, attracting 6,592 attendees, including 3,296 veterinarians, students, and veterinary technicians. The AAEP currently has 7,600 veterinarian members and 1,550 student members.
Dr. Jeff Blea, incoming AAEP president, said, “Convention is more than education. It's about debating issues affecting the industry, supporting colleagues, and giving you tools that affect you in practice. As veterinarians, we need patients to practice, and we must have families involved in these activities. We are supporting a new campaign, called Time to Ride, to get more people involved in horse activities.”
Time to Ride (www.timetoride.com) is intended to promote riding and horses, specifically among mothers and their children. It was created by a coalition of horse organizations, including the American Horse Council, AAEP, American Quarter Horse Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, United States Equestrian Federation, and Zoetis.
The website helps the public find horse-riding lessons and camps, riding trails, rodeos, fairs, equestrian events, and shows. Locations of equine practitioners will be added soon.
“(Generation) Xers and (Generation) Yers don't want to just ride, they want to connect. Therapeutic programs with horses are growing by leaps and bounds, mostly led by young female entrepreneurs,” said Patti Colbert, a spokeswoman for Time to Ride. “We have to change our attitudes and tactics to blend with these new-age decision makers.”
Colbert said baby boomers have been sustaining the industry for 50 years, but a generational swing is happening. An estimated 8,000 boomers will turn 65 every day for the next decade and a half. It makes more sense to market to the non–horse-owning woman, she said.
Time to Ride events that took place in 2013 at the Austin Rodeo and Del Mar Racetrack Family Day proved successful. Time to Ride is also partnering with the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the Mom Bloggers Network for greater exposure.
Future of practice
The AAEP is focusing not only on attracting more clients for its members but also on helping create a long-term, successful relationship with horse owners.
“This year, the AVMA came out with a workforce study that said our practices have room to do more for horses and their owners. The AAEP has developed new tools to help you do just that,” said Dr. Ann E. Dwyer, outgoing AAEP president.
The program AAEP Touch: Tools to Connect to Your Clients and Their Horses (http://touch.aaep.org) was launched at the convention. It is based on results from a survey of 6,000 clients conducted by the AAEP in 2012 and on market research. Web-based tools and resources, such as “Top 10 Things Your Clients Told Us” and “The Examination: Creating Satisfied Clients,” give tips that focus on what various clients value in veterinary care.
“It's not what we as vets think our customers want. It's what our customers want,” said Dr. Monty McInturff, an AAEP member.
The client survey found, for example, that lameness evaluation skills are critical, and that 24/7 availability is a must.
Dr. Blea said he began hearing positive feedback on the program right after the launch.
“It's so specific—the research—that it really gives us actionable, easy, tangible ways for members to make a difference. That's why people are latching on to it. They can see how it can help them,” he said. “Everyone is watching how their practice is changing. They're waiting for the secret to get to the next step. This is what we've developed from owners' feedback. We need to listen to clients.”
Time to Ride is a new initiative by the horse industry created to promote riding and horses, specifically among mothers and their children. It started late last year.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
“All they want is peace”
Cowboy and raconteur Buck Brannaman was the keynote speaker at the convention.
Brannaman is an advocate for natural horsemanship, a philosophy of using an understanding of how horses think and communicate to train the horse to accept and work confidently with humans. He's the inspiration behind the book “The Horse Whisperer” and was the lead horse consultant for the film adaptation.
Brannaman, who hosts training clinics throughout the country, divulged some of his expertise for the crowd. He asked the audience to raise their hands if they'd ever been hurt by a horse; most had.
“What a lot of people don't appreciate is that being a horse veterinarian is a dangerous job. You're walking around places where I tell people to avoid—the head and the feet,” he said.
Brannaman explained how a horse's inclination is to constantly evaluate whether to yield to a person or animal, or vice versa.
“Put a horse in an imaginary rectangle and make it peaceful for him. All they want is peace. So, I say to them, ‘If you do this thing for me, I'll give you peace.’ … Teach the horse to yield, and prepare it so you can do your work safely,” Brannaman said. “You can inspire your clients to do these things, and it can make it safer for you, as a result.”
Keeping up to date
Once again, the AAEP convention provided information on noteworthy scientific discoveries and innovations from the past year during the Kester News Hour.
For example, a new upper-respiratory-tract condition was described in the paper “Dynamic ventrorostral displacement of the dorsal laryngeal mucosa in horses” (Veterinary Record 2013;172:501). Dr. Carol K. Clark said in discussing the topic that the mucosa progressively obscures the interarytenoid notch and dorsoaxial portion of the corniculate processes of the arytenoid cartilages during high-speed exercise in Thoroughbreds.
“It's a new condition to be vigilant for during dynamic endoscopy. The etiology is unclear, and the same with treatment,” she said.
Dr. Patrick M. McCue mentioned a paper that came out recently about using blue light therapy to advance the breeding season (Equine Vet J 2013 Aug 5 [epub ahead of print]). The use of low-intensity blue light from a light mask to a single eye is being looked at as an alternative to maintenance of mares indoors under lights.
All Equine Veterinary Journal and Equine Veterinary Education articles discussed in the Kester News Hour are being offered free online for a limited time at http://goo.gl/YHoVV5.
In addition, equine orthopedics expert Dr. Sue Dyson delivered the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture, Dec. 9. In her talk, “Equine Lameness: Clinical Judgment Meets Advanced Diagnostic Imaging,” she focused on three key areas: the recognition of lameness, new knowledge about the limitations of diagnostic analgesia, and the value of MRI in diagnosing foot-related lameness.
The AAEP is helping its members improve their relationships with horse owners through the new program AAEP Touch: Tools to Connect to Your Clients and Their Horses.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Dyson is head of equine clinical orthopedics in the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, England. She has an interest in lameness and poor performance in sport horses, having participated in eventing and show jumping both as a trainer and as a competitor. Her additional area of expertise is diagnostic imaging, including radiography, ultrasonography, scintigraphy, and MRI.
And finally, outgoing president Dr. Dwyer noted that changes to the AAEP's governance structure that began in 2010 are now complete. “We're a bit leaner on the leadership level and have widened the opportunities for members to join the herd,” she said.
The AAEP also unveiled a new website design in November.
Leader of the pack
Blea passionate about racetrack ethics, policy issues
By Malinda Larkin
At a time when the American Association of Equine Practitioners is involved in big changes in the horse-racing industry, the association has installed racetrack practitioner Dr. Jeff Blea as its 2014 president.
Dr. Blea, a partner in VonBluecher, Blea, Hunkin Inc. Equine Medicine and Surgery, in Sierra Madre, Calif., has considerable expertise in ethical and policy issues affecting racetrack veterinarians. He is also a strong advocate for improving the racing model for both the horse and the practitioner through adoption of uniform rules among racing jurisdictions (see page 386).
“This is probably the closest we've been to having (uniform rules) in racing. What we're hoping to accomplish is to improve the integrity of the sport and give somewhat of a jump-start to this effort so the public has confidence in it. Uniform rules will benefit the health and welfare of racehorse,” Dr. Blea told JAVMA News during the AAEP Annual Convention, held Dec. 7–11, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn.
Dr. Jeff Blea, incoming AAEP president, beside his veterinary truck (Photos courtesy of AAEP)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
A passion for the racetrack
Dr. Blea was exposed to horses at a young age. At 8, he moved with his family from Santa Fe, N.M., to New Orleans, where his father trained Thoroughbred racehorses.
“I used to go to the track on the weekend, my brother and I. We had the time of our lives. We'd walk hots, clean stalls, and everything. We thought it was the place to be when you're an 8-year-old. It didn't go well with our teachers, but we became quite proficient at math,” he said, smiling.
Dr. Blea learned how to ride and gallop, and when he was 16, got his jockey license. During his senior year of high school, he won his first race aboard Miss Ethel at the New Orleans Fair Grounds on Feb. 13, 1983. Five months later, however, a training accident at Jefferson Downs Racetrack, outside New Orleans, rendered his left arm and hand paralyzed and abruptly ended his riding career.
Dr. Blea continued to work around the racetrack and train horses, but an old trainer urged him to continue his schooling. So, he went to a community college in New Mexico, then enrolled at Colorado State University, where he obtained his bachelor's in 1989 and his DVM degree in 1993.
At veterinary college, he also met his wife, Annie, who was a classmate and “the smart one” of the two, he says.
After graduation, Dr. Blea was hired as an associate with Robert Story Equine in New Mexico, where he cared for racing Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at Sunland Park and Ruidoso Downs. The following year, Dr. Helmuth VonBluecher brought Dr. Blea into his Southern California racetrack practice, where he became a partner in 1998. The five-veterinarian practice serves Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Pomona racetracks. Dr. Blea concentrates his practice on musculoskeletal issues and lameness diagnostics.
An important focus
Dr. Blea has been involved with the AAEP since joining the organization's student chapter at CSU, later becoming its president. When he moved to California, he became friends with Dr. Rick M. Arthur, a former AAEP president, who encouraged him to get involved in an AAEP committee.
Since then, Dr. Blea has served on the Equine Welfare, Membership, Nominating, Professional Conduct and Ethics, Public Policy, Racing, and Student Relations committees. Currently, he chairs the On Call Task Force and is a member of the AAEP Finance and Audit Committee.
Dr. Blea likes the group impact of organized veterinary medicine. He said, “I like the fact that people would put their agendas aside and focus on a mission. You get people from all types of practices, backgrounds, and life experiences. I like the change you can effect from that perspective.”
As president-elect this past year, Dr. Blea was designated program chair of the conference. He, along with AAEP staff and the 46 members of the Education Programs Committee, put together a conference focused on practical and applicable scientific sessions as well as on the areas of communication, business skills, and ethics.
Regarding ethics, Dr. Blea said, “If we look at all self-serving, we don't need to be in this business. Top to bottom—ethics are talked about every day. We need to let the industry, profession, and society know that ethics means something to us, and that's why we offer this continuing education at meetings.”
New board members
The 2014 AAEP officers and new members of the board of directors took office Dec. 10. New members of the board are Drs. Mark Baus of Bridgewater, Conn., and Stuart Brown II of Lexington, Ky.
The 2014 AAEP officers: Drs. James P. Morehead, treasurer; Ann E. Dwyer, immediate past president; Jeff Blea, president; Kathleen Anderson, vice president; and G. Kent Carter, president-elect.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Study: Equine practices on the rebound
Associate veterinarians, owners still worry about financial security
By Malinda Larkin
Select results from a new economic study give a snapshot of the current practice environment for equine veterinarians.
Parts of the Merck–Henry Schein National Equine Economic Study, co-sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, were released Dec. 9, 2013, during the AAEP Annual Convention. The study covers 2007–2013, taking a look at “what happened from the end of the glory days to the Great Recession to now as we're coming out of it,” said Dr. Edward L. Blach, one of the study's two researchers.
(Source: Merck-Henry Schein National Equine Economic Study)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
By the numbers
The purpose was to conduct an in-depth economic study of the equine veterinary industry, assess current management practices used in equine practice, and make the results available to the entire horse industry. The study was created by combining the results of a survey that had 500 respondents with a data-mining project.
“We're getting to a place in the industry where companies are less interested in developing products for us if we don't have data. We need to let them know what's happening,” said Dr. Andrew R. Clark, the study's other researcher.
Drs. Blach and Clark found the economy had a negative impact on equine veterinary practices from 2008–2010. They also determined that there was a substantial rebound in gross revenues in 2011 and 2012, “although it doesn't appear we're back totally to where we were before collapse,” Dr. Blach said.
Not surprisingly, the survey showed practice owners earn the highest income among various types of equine veterinarians and that veterinary associates desire more income to pay off student loan debt. The mean compensation for owners was $160,206, and for associates, it was $68,289.
Financial security, stress, and debt—in that order—were the biggest concerns for associates, while the biggest concerns for owners were financial security, retirement, and stress, followed by whether they'd be able to sell their practice.
It appears the number of associate veterinarians drops off substantially right before age 40. Dr. Blach said this is in line with what is seen in the overall profession with regard to that position.
He also commented that one piece of data that surprised him was that approximately 69 percent of respondents identify themselves as solo practitioners. “I know in the late ′90s, about 40 percent of practices among AAEP membership were solo. And I know in the last few years, it was 52 percent or so,” he said, not speculating on why the study figure was so different.
Cause for concern
During the researchers' presentation, attendees talked about what they were seeing at their practices.
One attendee said that, in the past few years, “My gross revenue is a lot lower, but I'm making more money because I switched to services with a higher net return. That turns out to be good because I'm making money more on a per-hour basis than I was before the recession.”
Dr. Clark said when times were good, practitioners made a lot of decisions based on using the “shiny new thing” in their practice, but when times got worse, they began to think more critically.
“We were forced to unwind some of the decisions we made. We made the ultrasound machine last longer than before,” he said. “Management is our only tool that can impact our bottom line. I don't think your experience is uncommon. We're not going to go back to the way it was.”
The issue of client needs and communication came up as well.
“Even when things were great, this has always been a fragmented industry,” Dr. Clark said of horse owners, from sport horse owners to those who realistically can't afford their pleasure horse. “You have to approach them all differently.”
Dr. Scott Spaulding, a member of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee and owner of Badger Veterinary Hospital in Wisconsin, said the profession needs to be careful about dismissing people who don't seek veterinary care, assuming they won't pay well. “Some people don't know to get a pre-purchase examination. Maybe they're intimidated or just don't know better,” he said.
Dr. Clark agreed, saying, “There's a broad array of clients out there. You can generalize the market, but the key to success for an individual practitioner is understanding your clients and what they want and what's important to them. That's the definition of care.
“We can't be all things to all people. But survey your general demographics and what they want, and then meet it.”
He added, “Quit being so worried about external factors you can't control, and work on what you can.”
Merck continues suspension of cattle drug's sale
A drug company has not decided when to resume sales of a beta-adrenoceptor agonist that had been used to add muscle to cattle.
Merck Animal Health published in December 2013 an announcement indicating the company was still evaluating the effects of Zilmax (zilpaterol hydrochloride), sales of which were suspended starting last August in the U.S. and Canada following reports of a possible connection between use of the drug and lameness. The company statement indicates the drug will return to those markets, but Merck will require that those who administer it or provide consultation on its use must be certified annually by Merck that they have received training on safe product use and handling.
The announcement stated that Merck also will require that participants pass tests on mixing practices before and after receiving certification.
Merck also plans to perform field evaluations in the first quarter of 2014, including evaluation of the mobility of cattle after Zilmax administration and of practices and conditions that could compound any problems. The company has pledged to make its field evaluation findings available to the public.
Cattle fed Zilmax over 20 days can gain approximately 30 additional pounds, according to information from Merck. The drug had been sold over the counter since 2006.
AAHA develops guidelines for weight management
By Katie Burns
New guidelines could assist practitioners with the challenging endeavor of helping pets lose weight.
The American Animal Hospital Association released the 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats in the January/February issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.
“Obesity is unfortunately very common in our cats and dogs,” said Dr. Deborah E. Linder, chair of the guidelines task force and the veterinary nutritionist who oversees the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals at Tufts University.
“We're discovering more every day about how excess weight is harming our pets. From quality of life to serious medical conditions, obesity is damaging, and we have an obligation as veterinarians to help keep pets healthy and happy.
“The guidelines were developed to guide veterinarians in being the most successful in raising awareness and providing tips and suggestions for managing this complex disorder.”
A panel of experts developed the 11-page document, citing evidence for specific recommendations whenever possible and appropriate. Hill's Pet Nutrition and Zoetis sponsored the guidelines.
According to the abstract: “Communicating and implementing a weight management program for dogs and cats can be a challenging endeavor for veterinarians, but a rewarding one. An effective individualized weight loss program provides a consistent and healthy rate of weight loss to reduce risk of disease, prevent malnutrition, and improve quality of life. Weight loss is achieved with appropriate caloric restriction, diet selection, exercise, and strategies to help modify behavior of both the pet and client.”
The guidelines include sections on prevention, initial assessment, designing a weight-loss program, exercise/activity, and monitoring and maintenance. A one-page table covers issues impeding or preventing weight loss along with possible solutions.
“The guidelines are meant to serve as a toolkit for veterinarians who may be finding it difficult to troubleshoot certain situations,” Dr. Linder said. “It's always helpful to know you're not the only one who is having trouble and to get ideas from others who have worked through the same thing.”
The authors would like to see more research regarding the optimal exercise plans for cats and dogs. They also look forward to new model regulations this year from the Association of American Feed Control Officials that will lead to calories appearing on the labels of almost all cat and dog foods.
According to the guidelines: “The prevalence of overweight dogs and cats is excessively high, and the authors would like these guidelines to serve as a call to action for small animal practitioners everywhere to give these patients the attention they merit.”
The guidelines are available at www.aahanet.org/Library/Guidelines.aspx.
FDA offers resource on extralabel drug use
The Food and Drug Administration recently released “The Ins and Outs of Extra-Label Drug Use in Animals: A Resource for Veterinarians.”
The FDA article notes that federal law did not permit extralabel drug use in animals before Congress passed the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act in 1994. The AMDUCA provisions amended the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow veterinarians to prescribe human and animal drugs for extralabel uses in animals under certain conditions.
The article covers the following topics: the requirement for a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, general conditions for extralabel drug use, conditions for extralabel drug use in food animals, compounding, drugs prohibited from extralabel uses in animals, and how the FDA's recommendations for judicious use of antimicrobials in food animals affect extralabel drug use.
The resource is available at www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou by clicking on “For Veterinarians” on the left side of the page.
Universities partner to educate Alaska students
By Greg Cima
Some college students in Alaska will be able to complete two years of veterinary education in their home state starting in fall 2015.
Students who complete those two years will be able to complete their studies in Colorado, where they would receive DVM degrees.
Under an agreement signed Dec. 19, 2013, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks will accept 10 veterinary students into its new Department of Veterinary Medicine each year, and students who complete those years will be able to transfer to the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Todd O'Hara, interim associate dean for veterinary medicine and a toxicology professor at UAF, said his university worked to partner with CSU because the veterinary college has a good academic reputation, and the institutions share interests in biomedical research and efforts to simultaneously improve human, animal, and environmental health.
“We have a lot of natural resources and humans who are dependent on those natural resources,” Dr. O'Hara said. “And so, we have a natural one-health mission here, and Colorado State was very interested in that.”
Dr. O'Hara said the veterinary program in Fairbanks will emphasize work in public health and rural medicine for domestic animals, wildlife, and fish. The state's sled dogs also create a need for veterinarians able to provide sports medicine and husbandry services.
Alaska also has novel food security issues—such as those posed by Brucella organisms and lipophilic chemicals—that can affect residents who rely on wildlife for food, he said.
Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of Colorado's veterinary college, said the partnership will give his university new research opportunities and give its students experiences with more species and ecosystems. He noted that the veterinary college has been sending students to UAF for a summer research exchange program.
Dr. Stetter said that CSU had been planning to expand facilities and programs in the veterinary college in areas such as one health, sports and rehabilitative medicine, and nutrition.
“It certainly works out nicely that, as our hospital facilities and our different programs expand, we're able to kind of look at new opportunities for both the students here and in Alaska,” he said.
He also expects students transferring from Alaska may not be “of the same mold” as veterinary students of the past, as they will be exposed to a different curriculum that could let them work in new areas of ecosystem health, research, academia, or other subject areas beyond the traditional areas of veterinary medicine.
“We're very sensitive to the fact that, in the veterinary profession, there's a lot of concern about the number of veterinary schools, the number of veterinary students that are graduating, and how many veterinarians are needed in the workplace,” Dr. Stetter said. “And because of that sensitivity, we are spending a lot of time looking at much more diverse career opportunities for our students, so they're not just going into the traditional areas of veterinary medicine.”
Dr. Carla Willeto (left), an associate veterinarian at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, shows Lily Ngai, a veterinary student from Colorado State University, how to auscultate a reindeer from a UAF research herd. Ngai was at UAF through an exchange program. (Courtesy of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Under the agreement, the first two years of tuition for students in Alaska will be equal to that of students in Colorado, expected to be about $27,000 yearly, according to an announcement from Colorado State. When students transfer from Fairbanks to Fort Collins, they will pay nonresident tuition, expected to be about $54,000 yearly when the first class arrives in 2017.
Dr. O'Hara said Alaska's state government could develop opportunities to pay the difference between the in-state and out-of-state tuition for transfer students in exchange for commitments to return to Alaska after graduation.
“We hope to find a way to pay that difference somehow, but we don't have a mechanism to do that yet,” he said.
Gift to fund new Purdue equine center
A $2.7 million gift from Centaur Gaming will help Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine build the Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center in Shelbyville, Ind.
“The $10 million center will house the most technologically advanced medical equipment to support diagnosis and treatment of equine patients, provide educational opportunities for veterinary students, and also enhance and expand our equine sports medicine research capacity,” Dr. Willie M. Reed, dean of the veterinary college, said.
Plans for the center were announced Dec. 7, 2013. In addition to Centaur Gaming, Purdue will partner with Shelbyville and Shelby County to build the center.
The new center, which will be located just a few miles from the Indiana Grand Racing and Casino's track in Shelbyville, will be part of the Purdue Equine Sports Medicine program based on the West Lafayette, Ind., campus. It will offer advanced diagnostic imaging, shock-wave therapy, endoscopy, and specialized equine surgery in a one-story, 18,000-square-foot center.
“Thanks to the generosity of Centaur Gaming, this facility will provide state-of-the-art health care and emergency treatment for horses,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “It also will foster the education of tomorrow's equine specialists as well as scientific discovery focused on finding improved treatments for performance problems in equine athletes.”
Indianapolis-based Centaur Gaming, founded in 1993, owns and operates Indiana Grand Racing and Casino in Shelbyville, Ind.; Hoosier Park Racing and Casino in Anderson, Ind.; the Winner's Circle Pub, Grille & OTB in Indianapolis; and off-track betting facilities in Clarksville, Fort Wayne, and Merrillville, Ind.
Accolades
American Association of Equine Practitioners
The American Association of Equine Practitioners honored the 2013 recipients of several awards Dec. 10, 2013, at its 59th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
Dr. Frank Nickels (WSU ′69), professor of equine surgery at Michigan State University, received the Distinguished Educator (Academic) Award.
A highly regarded equine clinician and surgeon, Dr. Nickels also is noted for his role as an educator. His biannual Musculoskeletal Clerkship, a three-week rotation in which 12 students work up actual lameness cases, has not only prepared hundreds of MSU students for practice but also has served as a model for similar courses elsewhere.
At Washington State University, Dr. Nickels served as an instructor, assistant, and associate professor until 1981, when he moved to Michigan State. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr. Barrie D. Grant (WSU ′67) of Bonsall, Calif., was presented with the Distinguished Educator (Mentor) Award.
As a professor of equine surgery from 1974–1991 at Washington State University, Dr. Grant helped launch the careers of many who went on to leadership roles within the equine veterinary profession.
Also while at WSU, Dr. Grant began working with human orthopedic surgeon George Bagby, MD, and fellow veterinarian Dr. Pamela Wagner to develop the surgical treatment used in horses and people for wobbler syndrome. He has since trained many equine veterinarians in the techniques of cervical stabilization.
Dr. Grant joined San Luis Rey Equine Hospital in Bonsall, Calif., as an equine surgeon in 1991 and became co-owner in 1995. He left in 2008 to start an equine consulting practice. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr. Frank Nickels
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Barrie D. Grant
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Jr.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Harry M. Werner
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Amanda-Jo Joswig
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Jr. (AUB ′67) of Roaring Gap, N.C., a semiretired racetrack practitioner who served as AAEP president in 2000, was honored with the Distinguished Life Member Award.
During his presidency, the AAEP tackled the issue of medication in racing by developing and approving its “Position on Therapeutic Medications in Racehorses.”
Since joining the AAEP in 1969, Dr. Franklin has served two separate terms on the board of directors and has served on numerous committees, including as chair of the Racing Committee. Currently, Dr. Franklin serves on the AAEP President's Advisory Council.
Dr. Franklin began practicing in Florida in a racetrack practice with former AAEP President M.B. Teigland. He shared his expertise as an AAEP On Call veterinarian for televised races from Gulfstream Park and Hialeah. Now retired, Dr. Franklin maintains a close affiliation with his former practice group, Teigland, Franklin and Brokken, DVMs, P.A.
Dr. Harry M. Werner (UP ′74) of North Granby, Conn., received the Distinguished Service Award.
Throughout his 35-year membership, which included terms as president in 2009, treasurer from 1999–2002, and director from 1995–1999, Dr. Werner has advocated for the welfare of the horse and the ethical practice of veterinary medicine. He has chaired or served on numerous committees, councils, and task forces. Currently, he serves on the Welfare and Public Policy Advisory Council, on the AAEP President's Advisory Council, and as the AAEP's representative on the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee.
In addition, he is the AVMA liaison to the Unwanted Horse Coalition, helped initiate the International Forum for Working Equids, and regularly participates in Project Samana, which serves working equids in the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Werner's career began as an associate veterinarian with Milkey-Davis P.C. in Granby, Conn. In 1979, he established Werner Equine, a private internal medicine and emergency care clinic in North Granby, which he still owns.
Dr. Kendra Freeman (COL ′09), an equine surgery resident at Virginia Tech, and Dr. Amanda-Jo Joswig (FL ′11), a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, received the Equus Foundation Research Fellowships, which come with $5,000 grants to support each researcher's endeavors in equine research.
Dr. Freeman's research evaluates the effect of tendon-repair techniques on intrinsic tendon vasculature. The study compares the effects of tenorrhaphy with the three-loop pulley pattern versus the six-strand Savage suture pattern on the intrinsic vasculature of the superficial digital flexor tendon in horses. The project will provide valuable information to veterinarians who treat life-threatening tendon lacerations.
Dr. Joswig's research investigates the use of mesenchymal stem cells in equine corneal ulcers as well as the safety of allogeneic MSCs used subconjunctivally. The study aims to determine whether horses mount an immune reaction to allogeneic MSCs injected subconjunctivally and to characterize corneal epithelial healing times when MSCs are used therapeutically. The project has the potential to change the paradigm for treatment of equine corneal ulcers, provide a novel use of MSCs, and serve as a basis for applications in other species, including humans.
American Association of Food Safety Veterinarians
Dr. Christine Hoang
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 244, 4; 10.2460/javma.244.4.386
Dr. Christine Hoang was named the 2013 Food Safety Veterinarian of the Year by the American Association of Food Safety Veterinarians this past August in recognition of her dedication, service, and accomplishments in food safety nationally and globally.
Currently, Dr. Hoang is an assistant director of the AVMA Scientific Activities Division, where she provides technical and scientific expertise for policy development, advocacy, and regulatory and legislative initiatives. Her key areas of responsibility include issues involving public health and food safety as well as zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, she serves as staff support for the AVMA Food Safety Advisory Committee and the Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Hoang received both her DVM and MPH degrees from the University of Minnesota and is certified by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. While at the AVMA, she has served on the planning committee for the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, has served on the board of directors and several committees of the U.S. Animal Health Association, and has participated on behalf of the AVMA as part of the U.S. delegation to the Codex Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance.
New York State Gaming Commission
The New York State Gaming Commission has named Dr. Scott E. Palmer (UP 76) as the state's equine medical director.
Dr. Palmer will be responsible for equine health, safety, and welfare at New York racetracks and will advise the commission on equine medication policies as well as the safety and condition of racetrack facilities and surfaces. He will supervise on-track regulatory veterinarians as well as the New York State Equine Drug Testing Program laboratory. Plus, he will oversee equine testing procedures, ensure compliance with regulatory veterinary protocols, investigate incidents, and monitor the commission's necropsy program.
Dr. Palmer will also serve as an adjunct professor at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Since receiving his VMD degree, Dr. Palmer has worked as a staff clinician at the New Jersey Equine Clinic, serving as the hospital director since 1997.
Dr. Palmer chaired the New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety, which was formed in 2012 in the wake of 21 horse fatalities at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, within a four-month period. The equine medical director position was established this past year as a key recommendation of that task force.
Obituaries: AVMA member AVMA honor roll member Nonmember
Max A. Beck
Dr. Beck (MIN ′53), 89, Colton, S.D., died Sept. 16, 2013. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned a practice in Colton for 33 years. Following graduation, Dr. Beck joined Dell Rapids Veterinary Clinic in Dell Rapids, S.D. A year later, he became a partner in the practice. Dr. Beck moved to Colton in 1955, continuing to look after the practice's clients in that area of the county. He became sole owner of the practice in 1980.
Dr. Beck was a member of the South Dakota VMA, a charter member of the Colton Lions Club, and a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was also a member of the American Legion. Dr. Beck's five sons and two daughters, 13 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren survive him. One son, Dr. Brent E. Beck (KSU ′88), is a veterinarian in Cashton, Wis. Memorials may be made to South Dakota VMA Scholarship Fund, c/o Janice Kampmann, Secretary, Box 2175, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007; or College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Fund, University of Minnesota Foundation, P.O. Box 860266, Minneapolis, MN 55486.
Frank F. Densmore
Dr. Densmore (ISU ′51), 87, Dixon, Ill., died Nov. 22, 2013. He was a partner at Dixon Veterinary Clinic, where he practiced mixed animal medicine for 40 years prior to retirement. Dr. Densmore was a past president of the Dixon Noon Lions Club and a past member of the Dixon School Board. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II. Dr. Densmore is survived by his wife, Fay; two sons and two daughters; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Dixon Noon Lions Club, Dixon, IL 61021.
Allen I. Gleeman
Dr. Gleeman (MSU ′54), 88, Westfield, N.J., died Oct. 16, 2013. A small animal veterinarian, he practiced at Kenilworth Animal Hospital in Kenilworth, N.J., for nearly 60 years prior to retirement in 2013. Dr. Gleeman served in the Navy Armed Guard during World War II. His wife, Barbara; two sons; and two grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1119 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, www.njspca.org; or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.
John R. Good
Dr. Good (KSU ′53), 86, Ponca City, Okla., died Nov. 25, 2013. Following graduation, he joined his brother, Dr. Wayne Good (KSU ′44), now deceased, in mixed animal practice at Ponca Animal Hospital. Dr. John Good took sole ownership of the practice after 12 years. During his more than 50-year career, he also worked with the Ponca City Humane Society. Dr. Good is survived by his wife, Donna; a daughter; and four grandchildren. His daughter, Dr. Lisa D. Good (OKL ′83), practices at Ponca Animal Hospital. Dr. Good's granddaughter, Carrie L. Sanders, is a third-year veterinary student at Oklahoma State University.
Wolfgang J. Jochle
Dr. Jochle (MUN ′52), 86, Manahawkin, N.J., died Nov. 14, 2013. A graduate of the Ludwig Maximillan University in Munich and a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, he served as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry from 1976 until retirement in 2001. Prior to that, Dr. Jochle worked for Syntax International, first in Mexico and, later, in Palo Alto, Calif. Early in his career, Dr. Jochle held academic appointments at the University of Munich and University of Berlin, was a veterinary scientist in the research department of Schering A.G., and worked in Zurich. His wife, Maria, survives him. Memorials may be made to the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, 11145 N.W., Old Cornelius Pass Road, Portland, OR 97231.
John C. New
Dr. New (TEX ′71), 65, Knoxville, Tenn., died Oct. 15, 2013. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, he was a professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville College of Veterinary Medicine and past head of the university's Department of Comparative Medicine.
Following graduation, Dr. New served as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps for four years. He then joined the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary research associate, obtaining a Master of Public Health from the university in 1977. That same year, Dr. New became a member of the veterinary faculty at UT-Knoxville, where he served as an assistant and associate professor before being named full professor in 1999. During his tenure, he taught courses in public health, zoonotic diseases, food safety, and the human-animal bond; headed the Department of Comparative Medicine from 2004–2009; and helped establish a veterinary medicine concentration in the university's MPH-degree program.
Dr. New co-founded Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee, a group comprising representatives from the UT-Knoxville veterinary college, volunteers from the community, and private veterinary practitioners. He also co-founded Humane Education and Responsible Ownership, a consortium of organizations committed to promoting responsible and humane pet ownership, and Humans and Animals Learning Together, an organization dedicated to animal welfare that uses dog obedience training to provide therapeutic intervention for at-risk adolescents.
A past president of the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians, Dr. New served on the former AVMA Committee on the Human-Animal Bond from 1998–2007, co-chairing the committee during his service. He served as a board member and scientific advisory committee member of the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, researching pet ownership, dog and cat overpopulation, and pet relinquishment. Dr. New helped develop and enhance programs for pets and their owners that identified aspects of ownership and responsibility that can lead to abandonment. He was a member and an honorary diplomate of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society and a member of the American Association of Food Hygiene Veterinarians, Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, and what is now known as the Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Dr. New was also a member of the United States Animal Health Association, Conference of Public Health Veterinarians, and Tennessee VMA.
He received several honors, including the TVMA Faculty Award in 1983, UTK-CVM Reed Service Award in 1987, Association of Teachers of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Michael J. McCulloch M.D. Memorial Award in 1989, and Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award in 1990. The TVMA established the John New Human-Animal Bond Award in 2002, and, in 2004, Dr. New received the AVMA Animal Welfare Award.
He is survived by his wife, Jane; a son and a daughter; and three grandchildren.
Memorials toward Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee and Companion Animal Initiative in Tennessee may be made to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN 37901.
John S. Orsborn
Dr. Orsborn (COL ′44), 90, Davis, Calif., died July 23, 2013. Following graduation, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps until the end of World War II. Dr. Orsborn then joined his wife, Dr. Ruth A. Orsborn (COL ′44), in a rural mixed practice in Half Moon Bay, Calif. He subsequently returned to the Army Veterinary Corps, working in meat and dairy inspection. Dr. Orsborn later served several years at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah as assistant chief of the epidemiology and ecology division of the Army Chemical Corps. In 1957, he returned to his alma mater, Colorado State University, to direct a new diagnostic laboratory for the university.
Dr. Orsborn joined the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System in 1962. He was promoted to director of the San Gabriel laboratory in 1972 and was named bureau chief of the system in 1977. In 1987, Dr. Orsborn assisted in the transfer of the laboratory system to UC-Davis and in the construction of a new central laboratory. He retired in 1992.
Dr. Orsborn continued his military career as a reservist and received an Army Commendation Medal for his service. He retired as commanding officer of his reserve unit with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Dr. Orsborn's son, a daughter, and granddaughter survive him.
Paul A. Pinkert
Dr. Pinkert (ISU ′49), 91, Madison, Wis., died Nov. 25, 2013. From 1963 until retirement in 1987, he worked for the Department of Agriculture in Pipestone, Minn., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Madison. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pinkert practiced mixed animal medicine in Pipestone. He was a past president of the Interstate VMA and a past secretary of the Southwest Minnesota VMA. Dr. Pinkert served in the Army Air Force during World War II. His two sons and a daughter and three grandchildren survive him.
Roger M. Pray
Dr. Pray (IL 72), 66, Geneseo, Ill., died Sept. 22, 2013. He practiced mixed animal medicine in the Cambridge and Geneseo areas of Illinois until retirement in 2013. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pray worked for Cambridge Enterprises and Geneseo Veterinary Service. His wife, Linda; two sons and two daughters; and seven grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church, 114 E. Main St., Geneseo, IL 61254; Geneseo Fire Department, 209 S. Oakwood Ave., Geneseo, IL 61254; or Don Cherry Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5083, 223 S. State St., Geneseo, IL 61254.
