The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is leading an industry-wide initiative to support animals affected by wildfires in Southern California. Throughout the NAVC’s Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida—January 25-29, 2025—the organization is running a fundraising drive with donations benefiting the nonprofit Pasadena Humane Wildlife Relief Fund, which operates in the Greater Los Angeles area.

“So many animals…have been impacted by the catastrophic fires in Southern California and are in immediate need of homes and medical care. The veterinary community understands how urgent these needs are and is looking for ways to contribute and help now,” Gene O’Neill, CEO of NAVC, said in a news release.

Tips to help prepare clients and the veterinary team for a disaster situation

There are multiple opportunities for VMX attendees to contribute to the campaign. “We have collection boxes for cash [and] for checks. We have QR codes that they can scan and use to give donations online, and we also have, through our NAVC shop, [an item] that they can purchase, [and the profit] goes to donation,” O’Neill added in a 

The donation bins are placed in the VMX Registration Booths in the South and North concourses of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, and donors will be provided with a ‘One Love’ sticker at the Shop NAVC booth as a ‘thank you’ for contributing to the initiative.

According to NAVC, 100% of money donated by attendees will support the receiving charity. “Everything we collect goes to the Pasadena Humane Wildlife Relief Fund,” O’Neill emphasized. NAVC has also pledged to match up to $25,000 of raised money for the relief fund.

“Everyone knows the catastrophic damage that's been done by the by the wildfires. It's unfathomable how much damage has been done,” O’Neill said in the interview. The fundraising drive is “a way for NAVC to connect with the community, not only from a pet level, but also from just a humane level. It's just so catastrophic to see what has happened.”

O’Neil noted that the NAVC previously supported wildlife relief efforts in a similar way. “Back in 2020, with the bushfires in Australia, we collected donations throughout VMX, and sent that off to an agency in Australia to help,” he added.

Study analyzes severity of injuries in koalas affected by Australian bushfire

The fundraising campaign for Pasadena Humane Wildlife Relief Fund—part of the Pasadena Humane organization that offers programs and services to animals and the humans who care for them—was announced Saturday at VMX. With nearly 30,000 veterinary professionals attending the event and representing 82 countries, NAVC is leveraging the world’s largest veterinary conference to make a difference.

“Together, we can multiply our impact on the lies of these animals, their families and the tireless veterinary staff working to save the animals,” O’Neill said in the release.

North American Veterinary Community launches global veterinary industry fundraising drive to aid animals impacted by Southern California wildfires. News release. North American Veterinary Community. January 22, 2025. Accessed January 26, 2025. 

https://navc.com/navc-launches-fundraising-drive-to-aid-animals-affected-by-ca-wildfires/

Articles

VMX attendees have an opportunity to participate in a global effort to raise funds life-saving nonprofit organization

A drive to help wildlife affected by California fires

Canine whipworm infection occurs after a dog has eaten an egg left in the soil or other contaminated environments. Although some infected canines may not show signs, diarrhea or soft stool with blood or mucus, as well as lethargy, weight loss, and dehydration, may be seen in other infected dogs.

Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, the Krull-Ewing professor of parasitology at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, identified parasites that commonly infect canines and expressed a need for comprehensive control strategies to address them, during an educational session at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo, hosted by the North American Veterinary Community, in Orlando, Florida. The session included discussion on the prevalence, diagnosing, and concerns related to canine whipworm.

“They can survive freezing. They can survive in the dirt for years, though they last 6-7 years or longer, still remain effective,” said Little.

In 2024, 0.4% of more than 13.7 million dogs—or 1 in [250]—tested positive for whipworm in the United States. A Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) map shows incidence of infection is higher in the US southeast with Kentucky and West Virginia having the highest prevalence.

According to Little, older literature has shown that whipworm larvae require warmer temperatures and high humidity environmental conditions to develop. “It sort of explains, a little bit, some of the whipworm patterns that we've seen over the years.”

Citing a study she coauthored in 2020, Little said 300 dog parks across the US were used to collect fecal samples that were tested for whipworm. Like the CAPC map, prevalence was shown to be higher in dog parks in the southeastern US with 2% to 3% of tested canines reported positive for infection.

“Whipworms are tricky to diagnose compared to hookworms and roundworms. They're way easier to diagnose than tape worms," said Little.

Little said that whipworms in dogs can cause blood loss, fluid loss, and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Because they’re internal, they are seen by humans as eggs and in wood form.

“[Whipworm] eggs are one of the veterinary students’ favorite eggs to identify, because they're so clear and standard and readily recognized. We can find them in practice, but we also overlook a lot of them, and it depends on how you're doing fecal flotation and what solution is being used that influences sensitivity of detection,” said Little.

Passive fecal flotation is “very insensitive,” Little said. She recommends active centrifugal fecal flotation, ideally with a higher-gravity solution, such as a sugar solution.

“Now we have antigen tests as well, and that's why we're learning more that lower prevalence in the western US is real. The lower prevalence in pet dogs is real because they're also coming up antigen negative,” said Little.

PCR testing is also available for canine whipworms. However, Little said, the sensitivity of these tests compared to other diagnostic methods is unknown.

Whipworms are hardy, and persist in the environment once contamination has occurred.

 “[Once] you get whipworms in your backyard, you got whipworms, and so that's the reason we focus so hard on trying to make sure dogs don't have whipworms, because of that persistent contamination,” Little said.

Whipworm eggs must be in an environment for 9-12 days after an infected dog passes them to become larvae and infective to another dog. After being consumed by a dog, whipworm larvae can take up to 90 days to mature to egg-producing adulthood.

Lifestyle plays a role in a dog’s risk of whipworm infection. “Did they go to the dog park? Were they a shelter dog, a rescue dog, a street dog, rehomed, she asked. “With whipworms, we're moving toward the recommendation on risk assessment, where we look at age. Younger dogs are more likely to be infected with parasites, in general.”

Canine whipworm can cause gastrointestinal damage, according to Little, but infection is preventable and treatable, and there is little resistance to drug therapies.

 Monthly parasite preventives are recommended as well as immediate removal of canine feces to prevent environmental contamination. Pet owners should also use caution when visiting dog parks and other locations where canines frequent.

Additionally, this parasite is not considered zoonotic. “There's not as much concern about having constant, recurrent infection,” said Little.

However, vigilance is key to preventing canine whipworm infection and recurrence. “Once they're in the backyard, you can get rid of them. You just have to keep up the antigenic pressure. It's going to be a lot of work,” she said.

Cohen A. Whipworms in dogs. Cornell Richard P Riney Canine Health Center. August 2024. Accessed January 26, 2025. 

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/whipworms-dogs

Little SE. The early vet catches the worms. Presented at: Veterinary Meeting & Expo; Orlando, FL. January 25-29, 2025.

Parasite prevalence maps. Companion Animal Parasite Council. Accessed January 26, 2025. 

https://capcvet.org/maps/#/2024/all-year/whipworm/dog/united-states

Stafford K, Kollasch TM, Duncan KT, et al. Detection of gastrointestinal parasitism at recreational canine sites in the USA: the DOGPARCS study. 

. 2020;13:275. doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04147-6

Canine whipworm infections are tricky to diagnose but preventable with proper parasite control and environmental management

What to know about canine whipworm infection

Lindsay Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Parasitology), shares the common vector-borne diseases that are impacting feline health

Interview with Dr Lindsay Starkey

Lindsay Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology), sat down with dvm360 ahead of her lectures at Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) to provide an inside look at some of the most common vector-borne diseases infections feline patients are faced with. Throughout the interview, Starkey shared the common infections and diseases fleas, mosquitos, and ticks can transmit as well as what regions are likely to see them, although they are not completely limited by region.

Lindsay Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology)

: So glad we're talking about cats. I feel like they get the back burner sometimes, but there are definitely some really important vector-borne infections and diseases to consider when you're thinking about cats. And so you can kind of break it down. You've got flea-associated things, mosquito-associated things, tick-associated things. 

So for the fleas, bartonellosis is high on the list, mycoplasma. There's even some Rickettsial species, transmitted by fleas and then tapeworm, which not so important for feline health, but very important for the human-animal bond. And then when we think about mosquito-borne, heartworm really is the mosquito-borne infection to be thinking about when you consider feline health. And for tick-borne stuff, I think there's a lot of emerging evidence about ticks and tick-borne diseases and cats. So geographically speaking, if you're in the Northeast or the Upper Midwest, Anaplasmosis is probably something you might see, hopefully not frequently, but it just depends on where you are and the cats you're dealing with. 

Videos

During an interview with dvm360, Lindsay Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology) shares multiple vector-borne diseases and infections that can be presenting in feline patients

Understanding vector-borne threats to feline health

Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia), breaks down the differences between ventilators used in ICU care and those used for administering anesthesia.

Understanding mechanical ventilator types in veterinary care

Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia), director of training and staff development at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey, and a founder of the Anesthesia Nerds organization, describes the differences between mechanical ventilators used in the intensive care unit (ICU) for long-term patient treatment and those used for administering anesthesia, in an interview with 

. This discussion was part of a conversation about the VMX workshop on mechanical ventilation being presented by McNerney, Tami Lind, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC), and Darci Palmer, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), on Saturday, January 25, 2025, for an audience of veterinary professionals who are new to mechanical ventilators or who are considering a ventilator purchase in the future.

The following is a transcript of the video:

: An ICU ventilator is made for long term ventilation. A lot of times, with an ICU ventilator, they are pulling in oxygen right from an oxygen source and they're blending it in with room air, which is heavy in things like nitrous. However, an anesthetic ventilator, most of the time in veterinary medicine, is going to run on 100% oxygen. So, we're not usually blending in medical air or any or room air with that oxygen. It's straight up 100% oxygen. Also, in a patient who is on a long term ventilator or an ICU ventilator, they usually have some kind of humidifying agent, because oxygen is very drying to the tissues in the respiratory tract. And then they also have some kind of like humidification in there as well, whereas the cold, dry oxygen that's coming through an anesthetic ventilator is not put through those same treatments. So, yes, a little bit different. You wouldn't really want to have a patient long term on an anesthetic ventilator.

In a dvm360 interview, Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia), discusses differnces between mechanical ventilators used for long-term ICU care and those used for administering anesthesia. 

Understanding mechanical ventilator types

Good leadership in veterinary medicine plays an important role in guiding practices and organizations towards achieving positive outcomes and maintaining a healthy and supportive work environment. Leaders are not only responsible for team management, but also for upholding high standards of patient care, ensuring the well-being of both pets and their owners. By managing resources and addressing challenges within the profession, these individuals can contribute to the overall health of their practices and organizations, as well as the well-being of animal patients.

Several veterinary businesses and organizations recently announced new promotions and appointments. The following individuals are among those taking on new roles:

Alastair Child, MA, chief sustainability officer, Mars, Incorporated

Alastair Child, MA, chief sustainability officer, Mars, Incorporated. (Photo courtesy of Mars, Incorporated)

Mars recently announced the appointment of Alastair Child, MA as its new chief sustainability officer. Child is currently the company’s vice president of global sustainability and will assume his new position on February 3, 2025.

In his new role, Alastair will be in charge of shaping Mars’ sustainability strategy, driving the company’s Net Zero goals as part of Mars’ broader Sustainable in a Generation Plan, according to Mars.

 He will oversee the execution of the company’s Net Zero Roadmap, which includes cutting emissions in half across the full value chain by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2050. As part of his new position, Child will oversee a team of 30 sustainability leaders and experts responsible for climate, coral restoration, community initiatives, packaging, and data analytics tasks.

“It's an honor to take on this role. With average global temperatures exceeding 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels for the first time in 2024, it is imperative that we continue to perform on our promises and in doing so prove that sustainability is good for business,” said Child in a Mars release.

 “I look forward to collaborating with our partners, Associates and stakeholders to ensure we continue to grow responsibly."

Meredith Daly, VMD, chief quality officer, Veterinary Emergency Group

Meredith Daly, VMD, has been appointed Veterinary Emergency Group’s (VEG) new chief quality officer, marking the position’s debut in veterinary medicine. In her new role, Daly manages a team of leaders and regional medical directors that focus on medical strategy, medical leadership development, clinical excellence, quality and patient safety, and medical initiative implementation in 90 VEG facilities throughout the country.

Daly has more than 20 years of clinical experience, is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, and has been published in various academic journals and textbooks. Prior to her new role, she was VEG’s vice president of medical operations and quality.

“Becoming veterinary medicine's first chief quality officer provides me with a platform to share quality and patient safety best practices and key learnings from across our profession,” said Daly in a news release.

 “Speaking up about medical errors and sharing our patient safety success stories is fundamental to preventing future harm for our patients and our colleagues.”

Bob Riebe, chief operating and sales officer, BSM Partners

Bob Riebe, chief operating and sales officer, BSM Partners (Photo courtesy of BSM Partners)

BSM Partners, a pet care research, consulting, and product innovation company, has welcomed Bob Riebe as its chief operating and sales officer. As part of his new role, Riebe will spearhead and scale the BSM Partners’ growth and global business operations.

Riebe has 30 years of commercial experience with a history in sales, marketing, and supply chain roles. He was the Worldwide Director of Global Business Planning at Colgate-Palmolive, where he oversaw sales and operations planning, commercial analytics, and integrated business planning. In his last role, Riebe was an independent consultant within the CPG and beverage sectors.

“Bob is an accomplished business strategist and manager, and a perfect fit for the firm as we continue to expand our global footprint," Nate Thomas, co-founder and partner of BSM Partners, said in a company release.

Andrew Ciccolini, DVM, MA, medical director of companion animal spectrum of care services, Colorado State University

Andrew Ciccolini, DVM, MA, medical director of companion animal spectrum of care services, Colorado State University. (Photo courtesy of Colorado State University)

Joining the team at Colorado State University (CSU) is Andrew Ciccolini, DVM, MA, who was recently hired as the medical director for the university’s upcoming student-focused veterinary Primary Care Center for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Currently under construction, the new center is expected to be completed in 2026.

With the aspiration to become a veterinarian from a young age, Ciccolini earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University and joined the military as a member of the US Army Veterinary Corps after graduating. There, he looked after military working dogs and assisted in running veterinary clinics on military bases. According to a CSU report, Ciccolini worked in leadership roles and on public health and food security across the globe, including in Afghanistan, Africa, Eastern Europe, and South Korea, as well as in Washington state and Colorado during his time in the military.

In a report, CSU asked Ciccolini what excites him about working in his new position. “I really enjoy mentoring other veterinary professionals and helping them become the best versions of themselves,” he said in the report.4 “I’m really looking forward to that aspect of this, developing a program that will really help students be more prepared for private practice or just being a veterinarian in general. That’s really appealing to me. Teaching more spectrum of care is one of the main goals of this clinic, helping educate veterinarians on alternative options when finances are a challenge so that pets can receive quality care.”

Issiah Owens, director of animal health products, D.A.W Systems, Inc.

D.A.W. Systems, a veterinary prescription technology company recently appointed Issiah Owens as director of Animal Health Products. In his new position, Owens will lead the strategic growth and development of D.AW. Systems’ veterinary product portfolio. Owens’ previous roles include member of the executive leadership team at PetMeds Pharmacy and director of pharmacy operations. He also led efforts to optimize prescription workflows using innovative technologies.

"We are thrilled to welcome Issiah Owens to the D.A.W. Systems leadership team. His proven track record of innovation, strategic vision, and operational excellence will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our veterinary solutions and strengthen our partnerships within the veterinary and pharmacy communities.” Adam Forman, chief operating officer of D.A.W. Systems, said in a news release.

“D.A.W. Systems…has a legacy of transforming the human healthcare space with cutting-edge electronic prescribing solutions,” said Owens in the release.

“As someone deeply committed to advancing care for animals, I am honored and energized to lead this new division and bring that same game-changing impact to the animal health industry. Veterinary practices are spending far too much time approving faxed prescription requests and D.A.W. Systems aims to solve that issue by creating a unified platform for practices to approve all outside prescription requests."

Mars appoints Alastair Child as chief sustainability officer. News release. Mars, Incorporated. January 16, 2025. Accessed January 23, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mars-appoints-alastair-child-as-chief-sustainability-officer-302352670.html

Veterinary Emergency Group names Dr. Meredith Daly as first-ever chief quality officer. News release. Veterinary Emergency Group. January 13, 2025.

BSM Partners announces Bob Riebe as chief operating and sales officer. News release. BSM Partners. January 16, 2025. Accessed January 23, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bsm-partners-announces-bob-riebe-as-chief-operating-and-sales-officer-302352633.html

Outcalt C. CSU hires medical director for new veterinary Primary Care Center. Colorado State University. January 9, 2025. Accessed January 25, 2025. 

https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/csu-hires-medical-director-veterinary-primary-care-center/

D.A.W. Systems strengthens leadership to advance unified prescription approval portal & network for veterinarians. News release. D.A.W. Systems, Inc. January 9, 2025.

Check out the latest news in the veterinary industry with these 5 recent position promotions

Paws and profits: New leadership 

Kevin Costner, the Academy Award-winning actor, director, and producer, took center stage to deliver his keynote address and kickoff VMX 2025 in Orlando, Florida. Costner drew parallels between his life’s journey and the calling that drives the work of veterinary professionals with an inspiring speech about finding and embracing your purpose.

Costner began by reflecting on his career and the struggle to discover his path. He shared how his upbringing in a blue-collar family shaped his work ethic and worldview but left him searching for something deeper. “I was probably going to be a manual labor guy. I'm not that smart,” he said. “But I would play piano. I was raised in a church, [and] I sang in the choirs. I wrote poetry and I didn't tell anybody about that. I just did it. I don't know why.”

He continued: “At one point, I started getting a little desperate. I still hadn't [found my calling], but all I had to do was look back at the breadcrumbs of my life, and I started to understand that I was a storyteller, a daydreamer.”

This realization didn’t come easily. Costner spoke candidly about the challenges of aligning his passions with his professional life. Even after making it as an actor and becoming famous, he was determined to not less promises of money or success get in the way of his love for making art he felt strongly about. “I've used my own money to chase my own dreams,” he said. “Because once I found my heart, I wasn't going to let anybody take it away from me, no matter how much money was on the line.”

In “finding his heart,” Costner drew parallels to the veterinary profession, in which so many are driven to as a calling. In his eyes, it’s that passion and purpose that define a person.

“You come out of school, and they call you a vet,” he said. “[When] you’re an actor, you’re a bum on the corner until you start to make money. But I wasn't concerned about money as much as I was concerned about my journey. And when I knew and I admitted to myself that…I was going to be a storyteller, my life changed.”

Costner also acknowledged that following that passion is not an easy path. With it comes moments of doubt and immense pressure, especially when dealing with emotional situations involving animals and their owners. In a parallel between actors and veterinary professionals, he acknowledged that it’s even harder to stay strong when you’re under a microscope and people are counting on you, but persevering is worth it and what ultimately defines who are you: “People are watching you…For me, I have taken big bites out of life, and life has taken some really big bites out of me…Who cares about the easy moments? How are you in the toughest?”

On showing strength in the most difficult situations, one of the more poignant moments of Costner’s keynote came when he shared his personal experience of saying goodbye to a beloved pet. “There comes a moment when we know it’s the beginning of the end” he said. “I’ve had to put my dog down. There was one of 

, and I didn’t even know your name. You were sitting on the ground, on a blanket right beside me, watching me, even crying. [You were] a stranger that became important…That’s what you do. You’ve helped me, and I just thought you should know about it.”

Costner’s take-home message was that discovering and embracing your purpose requires self-reflection, hard work, and resilience. For veterinary professionals, their profound impact on the lives of others lies not just in their technical skills but in their compassion and ability to guide others through emotional moments, making their purpose a cornerstone of their professional and personal legacy.

Costner K. VMX Kickoff with Kevin Costner, Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Presented at: VMX 2025; January 25-29, 2025; Orlando, Florida

At VMX 2025, Kevin Costner shared heartfelt stories about animals, purpose, and perseverance in an inspiring opening-day keynote address