 readers! In celebration of International Women’s Day, we want to say thank you to all the courageous women who have paved the way for other professionals in the past and for those who continue to uplift women and continue to pave the way in the present. Throughout March, we will be highlighting women in veterinary medicine through articles, Instagram takeovers, podcast episodes, and more.

Here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

 that was the first to show the gender imbalance in veterinary leadership roles in most veterinary schools across the globe and highlights economic factors linked to gender equality in these settings.

Mella Pet Care, a Chicago startup company, 

 the news that after their appearance on the ABC show 

on March 1, 2024, the company has received an investment offer from Mark Cuban.

, Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice) joins host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to discuss the difference between being empathic and sympathetic with clients as well as how understanding the clients relationship to their pet can help teams comfort them in a time of need.

A hyaluronate sodium therapy (NexHA Injectable Solution; Vetoquinol) for treating equine joint dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis officially received a 

 and has returned to the veterinary market.

, JB Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, discussed his excitement for the upcoming Fetch Charlotte conference next weekend and what he is looking forward to most, including hearing Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, give her keynote address.

PetPace, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of AI-driven wearable pet technology, 

 its new product PetPace 2,0, an AI powered dog collar that displays continuous and real time medical insights that can give insights to early detection, treatment, monitoring, and GPS tracking.

Articles

Wrap up: Study discovers shortage of women holding leadership positions, and other veterinary news

Specialty care

Welcome back, everyone. So, we're gonna delve into a specific case that Dr. Wolfe has. And now that we chatted about the use of our current diagnostics, would you mind sharing us a little bit of a case story?

Sure. So as far as a 10 year old, spayed, female Basenji, she was seen at doctor Clary’s clinic for evaluation of enlarged lymph nodes. And the veterinarian performed a fine needle aspirate, and within a couple of hours was able to receive those results via the Imagyst with a confirmation of lymphoma. And so they went ahead and set up an appointment with me the following week to consider consultation for chemotherapy. So in the week between when she was seen in when she came over, her lymph nodes had even enlarged more significantly. And so, Lisa and I had talked about doing some more extensive testing, but we had decided to go ahead and elect to make a decision based upon the Imagyst diagnosis of lymphoma. And so we talked through different protocols, we elected to do the most aggressive protocol CHOP, and we went ahead and began it that day and our first week of vincristine and our second Cytoxan and our third of vincristine went very smoothly. But our third week after she received doxorubicin, within a few days, she started to have pretty significant abdominal discomfort and drooling and severe diarrhea...so severe that she presented in towards the weekend, hypoglycemic hypoproteinemic decreased temperature very, very ill, and so admitted her for supportive care, but also began two-week process in which he was in the hospital. And we performed daily in house diagnostics on her and at one point we're having to work between if she had unknown liver disease, and maybe if her liver had failed, or if this diarrhea, it's acute diarrhea it was so severe, it was causing a protein losing enteropathy. So that helped provide us in house diagnosis. Diagnostic specifically, the bile acids have access to the liver panel and the bile acids made me feel confident that this was due to her severe GI disease. And so we got her well, but we weren't ready to stop with her. We were really ready to continue on with chemotherapy. And so we then utilize the consultation service, presented them all the exam findings, the Imagyst to what had gone on and via very quick lesson to our email response was able to decide that the best plan for her moving forward would be COP, and they provided me access to different protocols. We talked through those, elected on one, and she currently is on COP and has been on that for four months now. She's been in remission since about April.

Wow, that's fantastic. I just think it's wonderful that you're able to utilize the consultation services that were available.

Yeah, it was. it really helped me. Whereas, you know, I could have gone and looked in other resources there and done my own research, but they're also for me. We're a very busy practice. And oftentimes, when I'm doing those things, I'm doing them after hours. And that's interfering with time spent with my family and such. And so I was able to provide to them the consultation via email and receive a response back within a couple of hours, and not have to do that research myself. And they are current. Sometimes when I look in other places for care, I might find data from you know, 99 or 2005, or 2012 or 2020. And this data from them is 2023 data there. So it was I was able to receive it in a couple of hours. And it's probably more extensive than what my research myself could have been.

That's fantastic. Well, we're very looking forward to chatting with Zahara's mom Lisa and Zahara is going to be joining us on the next episode. To get a different perspective and a unique one, Dr. Penn, this is a fantastic example of how we can deliver precise results to our clients quickly for the greater good of our patients…consultations, specialist ordering tests, etc. And we can utilize the consultation services at any time?

Yeah, anytime. And it's all part of our virtual laboratory to really allow us to as veterinary professionals look deeper into our patients. So, we think about the virtual laboratory as encompassing our point of care diagnostics, including the VetScan Imagyst with the artificial intelligence as well as access to clinical pathologist we think about ZoetisDx, which allows us to trend those results in a value way kind of that trending information for that patient. It also encompasses our reference laboratories, let us reference labs, as well as those complimentary consultations to say, "Hey, I've got this information. Okay, that's one part of the puzzle. Now, I would like to build out an individualized treatment plan and next steps for this particular patient to be able to communicate to that pet owner, so it really is crisp." And I really think of the Zoetis virtual laboratory as that security blanket that allows any practitioner anywhere access to expert level results and specialists to really help drive that care up and provide that the best care that we can for that pet and for that pet owner.

That's fantastic. Wonderful. Thank you so much.

Videos

Learn about a real-life case of a 10-year-old Basenji with lymphoma who was diagnosed and treated with the help of the Zoetis Virtual Laboratory

A case study of Zoetis Virtual Laboratory and lymphoma treatment

Yeah, think about that. Think of all the learning that is happening from all these great cases. I also think of, you know, it's inspiring and educating new graduates too. And I understand I know, you're very big into mentorship as well. What is that experience like when you're having these students that are coming through your practice and teaching them and coaching them along the way?

They're blown away. They're like, wow, because at school, they're not taught that this is out there yet. You know, another thing I like about it is...I'm not doing this. I've got a staff member that's setting it all up. It's not like me doing it. I'm like, I need this. It's easy to do. It's convenient for them to do. And they just give me results, and saying I need a specialist to talk to you tomorrow; set me up a time. The office manager gets it done. I'm not on the phone. I'm not in email doing it. I'm seeing rooms. I grew up with a veterinarian. He practiced 50 years. He had a microscope in his brain; that was it. He would be blown away by the stuff we can do, you know, just blown away. It's all about providing better service for that pet, making those owners given the options of what...it's quick, it's fast, and it's so accurate. It's just been blowing me away. And like my young students, when they come in, they're like, this is cool, you know, because they feel like they're still in vet school, though they still have access to those people. They're very intelligent people, the Dr. Hanns of the world.

A turn that I've seen that Dr. Clary and I've seen in our 18 years, together now is that new graduates come out. And if you don't mentor them into areas of practice, then they won't enter those areas of practice. And so, they've come out and they don't have access to specialists. And so they're scared to elect to do surgeries, or work in endoscopy, or advanced internal medicine cases or chemotherapy. And so, this has helped us mentor them, but also let them know, they can do this, especially in our in our geographical region where this is what we have to offer. Clients usually aren't going to travel five and a half hours. And so, we serve as a core clinic, as a teaching facility for the Texas Tech, University School of Veterinary Medicine. And so we have new graduates, we also have fourth year veterinary students are will starting in May of 2025, in our practice, you know, 12 months out of the year. And so, the veterinary consultation service and the in-house diagnostics have helped us mentor them and provide them the confidence that they need to practice high quality veterinary medicine.

Beyond that, I mean, it's great that you guys have a situation where you can provide that mentorship, but there are a lot of practices out there where that's not available for new graduates. And so we do get a lot of calls or consultations through our service with new grads that are feeling overwhelmed in practice, because they don't have as much support as they need. So, we can provide that support if they don't have it in clinic. So, you know, I can teach you how to read cultures or interpret culture results and make best choices. I can walk you through the best approach to anemia. So I am providing a teaching experience sometimes to these new graduates and also a little difference with our consultation services there, you can consistently request the same consultant if you're scheduling a consult, and if you've previously consulted on a case that can be flagged and so we can provide follow up for the same case if the veterinarian chooses to send in another request. So that one for mentorship purposes, they can develop a relationship with a consultant that they feel comfortable with. So that can be a level of mentorship moving forward, but also that continuity of care if the veterinarian, the general practitioner needs further help later on in the process of working up a case or if there's a problem with treatment, what do you do instead? So, we can provide that continuity and with a better support system.

I love that like really putting the "yes you can" mentality all together.

Understand how the Zoetis Virtual Laboratory board-certified specialists help veterinarians teach students, mentor new graduates, and offer continuity of care

Virtual Laboratory for mentorship and in-clinic specialty care

Alison Koons, a pre-veterinary major from Jonesboro, Arkansas, is an undergraduate research student in the Animal Behavior and Cognition Lab at Lyon College. (

Animal care education is growing in Arkansas. Lyon College in Batesville unveiled a new minor course of study for undergraduate students this week, and recently announced a key appointment for its developing School of Veterinary Medicine. The new animal behavior minor will be offered starting fall 2024, while the veterinary school aims to enroll its inaugural class in fall 2025.

The animal behavior minor’s course of study would be beneficial to students pursuing careers in animal-related professions, including veterinary medicine, according to a news release. "One of the advantages of this minor is its emphasis on interdisciplinary study, providing students with extensive and comprehensive training in animal behavior. After completing our courses, students will have the skills needed to pursue careers as animal trainers, wildlife rehabilitators, zoo technicians and more," Britt Florkiewicz, PhD, a psychology professor who contributed to the development the new minor, said in the release.

Although there are multiple animal science programs in Arkansas, there are no animal behavior programs in the state and only a handful in the country, according to Lyon officials. Furthermore, animal science programs emphasize husbandry procedures such as nutrition, milk and meat productions, and breeding and management, rather than behavior. "At Lyon College, we aim to offer a distinct but complementary perspective on animal-related professions," Florkiewicz said, in the release.

 "Our new minor offers a comprehensive program where students can learn about various topics in animal behavior, cognition and ecology. Students will receive theoretical and practical training.”

According to Florkiewicz, courses required to earn credit for the animal behavior minor will include Principles of Biology I and II, and Animal Behavior I and II. Electives offered for the program will allow students to specialize in certain topics or species that focus on biology and psychology such as evolution, zoology, parasitology, and comparative physiology, for example.

The animal behavior minor will also offer valuable research opportunities for undergraduate students. "In courses such as Primate Perspectives on Behavior and the Brain, students conduct their own independent research projects," Florkiewicz said in the release.

 "Some students have even presented their work from this class at research conferences and submitted their final projects for publication in scientific, peer-reviewed journals. For those who wish to pursue graduate education, demonstrating research excellence will help them stand out as applicants."

Through the minor program, students have an opportunity to see how different fields complement each other, noted Maryline Jones, a biology professor who also was involved in developing the course of study, in the release. "For example, in Comparative Physiology, in which students design and conduct a research experiment during the course of the semester, combined knowledge from several courses like physiology, zoology, ecology, and animal behavior is necessary to be able to understand animal responses to environmental changes," Jones added.

Ashley Mounts, DVM, was named associate dean for clinical programs and outreach at Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine

In addition to announcing the animal behavior minor, Lyon College named Ashley Mounts, DVM, its’ first associate dean for clinical programs and outreach for the School of Veterinary Medicine, earlier this month. Mounts is a native of Arkansas who earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Bachelor of Science in zoology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and is working toward a Master of Veterinary Education degree through Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

"We are so pleased to welcome Dr Mounts to the professional team building the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine," said Melissa Taverner, PhD, MSc, Lyon College president, in a news release.

 "As associate dean for clinical programs and outreach, Dr Mounts will be in our communities, working with veterinarians in their practices to identify opportunities for clinical education, ensuring that students gain experiences that will make them practice-ready upon graduation. As a native Arkansan, Dr Mounts understands the profound impact that [this] veterinary program will have on students in our state, allowing them to train at home to serve at home if that is their goal."

The new School of Veterinary Medicine aims to provide an innovative model of workplace-based veterinary education that utilizes off-campus clinical sites rather than the traditional on-campus veterinary teaching hospital for all or a substantial part of the student’s clinical learning.

"Dr Mounts brings an exciting combination of energy and leadership skills to this position,” said 

Eleanor Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP, founding dean

 of the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine, in the release.

 “Her dedication to student success and to the Arkansas veterinary community combined with her focus on furthering the field of veterinary education will be a valuable asset to our development of the state’s first veterinary school.”

Mounts, a 15-year practitioner of small animal medicine, said she is “thrilled” to be part of Lyon College as it builds a veterinary program that creates opportunities for individuals in her home state. “I look forward to working with Dr Green to provide direction for the clinical curriculum and outreach to our Arkansas veterinarians and animal-owning communities,” she said in a release.

Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine is one of at least 6 new veterinary education programs poised to begin serving students in the US within the next few years. It is also 1 of 2 being developed in Arkansas, which currently does not have a veterinary school.

Since the start of 2024, at least 3 institutions of higher education have announced building new veterinary schools: 

Ana G. Méndez University-Gurabo (UAGM-Gurabo)

 in Indiana. They join previously announced veterinary doctorate programs coming to 

 in Logan, which sends DVM candidates to Washington State University in Pullman to complete the final 2 years of study, is expanding its program to allow students to attend USU for all 4 years of the program.

Leading the pack: Lyon College to offer new animal behavior minor. News release. Lyon College. March 7, 2024. [email]

Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine names associate dean for clinical programs and outreach. News release. February 5, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. 

https://www.lyon.edu/news/posts/lyon-college-school-of-veterinary-medicine-names-associate-dean-for-clinical-programs-and-outreach

Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine names founding dean. June 1, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/lyon-college-school-of-veterinary-medicine-names-founding-dean

Coppock K. University of Maryland Eastern Shore plans to admit first veterinary students in 2026. 

. February 26, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/university-of-maryland-eastern-shore-plans-to-admit-first-veterinary-students-in-2026

Lyon College will enroll the program's first students for fall 2024, while also naming a key leader to its developing school of veterinary medicine

Arkansas college will offer a new minor in animal behavior

Through a partnership with PetIQ and NextStar, comes a new online veterinary support line for parasite prevention. PetIQ, a pet medication and wellness company, and NextStar, a fast-acting 30-day topical protection that kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, chewing lice, flea eggs, larvae, and prevents the development of flea pupae, are aiming to educate pet owners about flea and tick prevention ahead of the seasonal increase in infestations.

PetIQ and NextStar also want to encourage veterinary professionals and pet owners to check their state’s flea and tick season.

 Most states start in March and go until December, however many of the southern and west coast states have flea and ticks year-round.

PetIQ and NextStar are offering a new telehealth support line for pet owners has been established. This service will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, powered by specialists to address parasite-related concerns, questions, and prevention/infestation education for NextStar customers (with proof of purchase).

The new parasite program is available in North America and is staffed with licensed veterinarians with an average of 20 years of hands-on small animal practice and experienced veterinary technicians.

“Every moment we share with our pets deserves protecting, especially against fleas and ticks, which can pose a dangerous threat to pets by carrying diseases or causing serious skin reactions,” said John Pearson, PetIQ’s executive vice president, services and manufactured products, in a release. “NextStar preserves those special moments with our pets with its fast-acting formula that can be applied monthly for year-round protecting, helping pet parents feel more at ease knowing that their pet is pest-free, healthy, and happy.”

There are more than 200 flea species that can impact dogs, potentially transmitting diseases and leading to tapeworm infections and anemia. Certain dogs, being highly sensitive to flea bites, may experience severe allergic reactions, resulting in itchy, red, scabby skin, and even hair loss.

 Additionally, specific tick species, such as those responsible for Lyme disease, can remain active during the fall and winter seasons, so it’s important to remind clients about routine parasite prevention.

NextStar has an informational video available on YouTube for pet parents seeking more guidance on flea and tick prevention. Veterinary technician, Traci McIntyre, helps answer some frequently asked questions. 

PetIQ Inc, kicks off flea and tick season with NextStar campaign introducing new education and veterinary support resources. News release. PetIQ. March 7, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/03/07/2842388/0/en/PetIQ-Inc-Kicks-Off-Flea-Tick-Season-With-NextStar-Campaign-Introducing-New-Pet-Parent-Education-and-Veterinary-Support-Resources.html 

Meyers H. What is your state’s flea-and-tick season? American Kennel Club. October 10, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/whats-your-states-flea-and-tick-season/

Partnership produces new veterinary support line for parasitology concerns

Telehealth education service on fleas and ticks

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM shares what she is looking forward to while at the upcoming Fetch conference 

The founder of The Social DVM is coming to Fetch Charlotte

In an interview with Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, founder of The Social DVM, she expressed her anticipation for the Fetch conference in Charlotte, North Carolina happening in just 1 week! To see Dr DeWilde speak about marketing, social media, and technology, make sure to 

 My name is Dr Caitlin DeWilde and I'm a veterinarian and owner of The Social DVM.

I have never been to Charlotte! So, I'm excited to come to Charlotte, North Carolina. I love Fetch events in general because they always have a lot of energy and they're a lot more fun and a great time to connect with our colleagues, but also get some good CE so I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.