Volunteer Opportunities with the AVMA

Are you or a colleague interested in volunteering for an AVMA committee? If so, there are a number of opportunities still available for appointment this summer! The full list of committee positions available for appointment in August 2016 is available here at the AVMA website and includes positions on the following entities:

• Animal Welfare Committee 
• Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee 
• Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee 
• Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates 
• Food Safety Advisory Committee 
• Legislative Advisory Committee 
• Political Action Committee Board

The deadline for receipt of nominations for these committee positions is June 19, 2016. All nominations should be submitted via email to OfficeEVP@avma.org, via fax to 847-925-0944, or via mail to AVMA Office of the Executive Vice President, 1931 N. Meacham Rd, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL, 60173. All nominations should include the nomination form and a 1-2 page resume.

If you or a colleague are not sure if you are ready to get involved with the AVMA, please take the opportunity to view the following AVMA video, where AVMA members describe the benefits of volunteering with the association, such as influencing key issues affecting veterinary medicine today, meeting new colleagues, and forging valuable and lasting relationships.

Please feel free to email OfficeEVP@avma.org or call 1-800-248-2862, ext. 6605 with any questions you may have. Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to receiving your nominations!

Gift Ideas for Pet Owners

With wedding season upon us and with Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8) just around the corner, The New York Times has published a list of gift ideas suitable for pet owners.

Prices range from a modest $39 for the SnoozePal cat hammock (shown at left) to as much as $695 for a hand-carved weather vane depicting nearly any breed of dog. The Times includes phone numbers and websites for you if you want to buy one of these thoughtful gifts. Read the full story.

Economics of Education: Summit Attendees Gather to Identify Ways to Alleviate Student Debt

Student debt is an increasingly critical issue for the entire veterinary profession, and how to reduce that debt and improve the overall economic picture for young veterinarians was the focus of a summit held at Michigan State University last week. Summit attendees put forth a number of recommendations, including streamlining curricula, increasing scholarship opportunities, boosting starting salaries, lobbying federal lawmakers for legislation to lower interest rates on student loans and creating a national plan for reducing the debt-to-income ratio.

The summit, organized jointly by the AVMA, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, brought together approximately 180 individuals from across the veterinary spectrum. The collective goal over the three-day summit was to agree on specific strategies to address the many facets of this complex challenge, with the goal of reducing the debt-to-income ratio. The debt-to-income ratio is an indicator of the financial health of the veterinarian entering the profession, and it currently stands at about 2:1, representing a level of educational debt approximately twice the level of starting income.

For more information on the summit and the next steps that will be taken to help reduce student debt, please read the press release posted in the AVMA online Press Room.

ADVOCACY Link on New NVMA Website Will Be Visible to Members Only

Another in our series of occasional posts previewing the new NVMA website:

The ADVOCACY navigation link on the new Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association website will be visible only to members of the NVMA who have signed in to their accounts on the site.

This section will be the nerve center for legislative and regulatory matters. Included will be a link to the Legislation Committee's Community/Group page, an archive of reports from the NVMA's lobbyist and a "Take Action" center through which we will facilitate NVMA members' communication with elected officials.

The portion of the ADVOCACY section devoted to regulatory matters will include space for the periodic updates received by the State Veterinarian. The site will link to the AVMA's regulatory issues pages. A means to segment issues specific to the various districts of the NVMA across the state also will be provided.

The new NVMA website is tentatively scheduled for launch in late May.

Veterinary Clinic Owners See Extension of Small Business Tax Breaks

Important tax legislation was recently passed by Congress and signed by President Obama to help small business owners, including those who own veterinary practices. Read more about the extension of small business tax breaks.

Oppose Mandatory Prescription Writing

Tell Congress to oppose mandatory prescription writing for veterinarians!	Take Action!
We need your help now! A congressional hearing has been scheduled for The Fairness to Pet Owners Act (H.R. 3174), which was reintroduced in July 2015. The bill, championed by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), would require veterinarians to provide clients with written prescriptions for their pets regardless of whether the clients wish to fill the prescription at the clinic on site. Proponents of the bill claim veterinarians withhold prescriptions to increase profits. A May 2015 Federal Trade Commission report makes clear that the claim is unsubstantiated. Nothing prevents clients from asking for prescriptions. The AVMA's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics states that veterinarians shall honor a client's request for a prescription in lieu of dispensing. A majority of states already have similar laws or policies. AVMA contends that this bill is unnecessary and will result in veterinarians spending excess time on unnecessary paperwork, likely at the expense of patient care. Despite significant opposition to this bill, some in Congress have expressed an interest in moving it through the legislative process. Should H.R. 3174 pass out of committee, it would be very difficult to keep the bill from moving forward and potentially getting a vote by the full House of Representatives. This is where your help is needed! Please take a few minutes to send a message to register your strong opposition and urge your congressional representative to oppose this legislation. Take action today! Read about this bill here.

State Veterinarian Says Biosecurity a Priority With Three Cases of EHM Confirmed at Fonner Park in Grand Island

LINCOLN – Three cases of the Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) have been confirmed at Fonner Park in Grand Island resulting in State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes calling for horse owners to use best biosecurity practices.  Samples were collected and sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, where the disease was confirmed.  One of the affected horses was euthanized on site while the other two have been isolated on the premises.
 
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture in cooperation with Fonner Park management has quarantined the horses located at Fonner Park.  Horses located in the Red Barn (where the affected horses were stabled) will not be allowed to race at present time.  Racing will continue at Fonner Park with the horses located in the other barns on the premises.
 
EHM is the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). Cases of the diseases have been confirmed at several locations around the country, many of them at horse race tracks or events where horses are co-mingled.
 
“It is of utmost importance that horse owners and facility managers take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of this disease,” said Dr. Hughes. “Vigilance is especially important in situations where horses can come into contact with each other. There can be a high susceptibility to the disease where we have horses co-mingling from different regions or states.”
 
The disease is spread through direct or indirect contact with infected horses, so Dr. Hughes encourages operators of horse shows and exhibitions to review their biosecurity plans and minimize the opportunity for horses to have direct or indirect contact with each other. Indirect contact includes the use of shared water and feed sources, as well as the use of shared equipment. In addition, Dr. Hughes said he recommends horse owners planning to travel to shows and exhibitions contact the venue prior to transporting their horses to inquire about entrance requirements for the event.
 
Biosecurity measures horse owners should take at their own operations include requiring individuals to wash their hands before and after contact with each horse, disinfecting boots and changing clothes that come into contact with horses other than their own.
 
“If possible, horse owners should avoid contact with other people’s horses, and isolate horses returning from shows or exhibitions for 3 to 4 weeks,” said Dr. Hughes. “Owners who will be co-mingling their horses also should consider contacting their veterinarian to discuss their horses’ current vaccination status and weigh the benefits of vaccination.”
 
EHM symptoms include: fever, decreased coordination, nasal discharge, urine dribbling, loss of tail tone, hind limb weakness, leaning against a wall or fence to maintain balance, lethargy and the inability to rise. While there is no cure, the symptoms of the disease may be treatable. Additional information can be viewed by clicking here.