A $35 million gift to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will be used to support One Health initiatives by addressing challenges connecting wildlife health, domestic animal health, human health and livelihoods, and Earth’s life-supporting environment. The gift is the largest to date for the CVM and has prompted the university to bestow the benefactor’s name on the its’ wildlife health center that was launched in 2020.

The now-Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health aims to promote and facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration to address global wildlife conservation challenges, according to a university news release. The funds received from philanthropist K. Lisa Yang—an alumnus, a Cornell Board of Trustees member and a lifetime member of the Cornell University Council—will aid the center in its’ mission to move science into policy and action, provide training for aspiring wildlife health leaders, and offer student learning opportunities.

“Supporting and endowing the Center for Wildlife Health helps send a message that wildlife and human life, conserving our natural environment, and abiding by more mindful economic practices are critical if we are to leave a viable planet for our children,” said Yang, in the release.“Cornell’s unique strengths, focused on universal goals, will enable the institution to truly leave an outsized footprint in ‘doing the greatest good,’” she said.

The center aims to unify applied researchers, practitioners and others from across the university who are involved in wildlife health and conservation. The center includes more than 25 wildlife health professionals from a wide range of disciplines, with an emphasis on impact and fostering wider partnerships in the US and around the world. Partnerships between Cornell professionals and local communities have aimed to reduce human-wildlife conflict and to leverage conservation to improve economic opportunities and help alleviate poverty.

Ongoing work at the center has included research in southern African countries to reconcile conflicts between livestock and wildlife, tracking canine distemper virus in wild tigers and other big cats in Asia, and addressing health threats to wildlife in New York state. “Our fundamental goal is to help humanity make more holistic, better-informed decisions, in terms of land- and ocean-use planning, public health policy and environmental conservation,” said Steven Osofsky, DVM, the Jay Hyman professor of wildlife health and health policy, CVM, said, in the release. “We will utilize the opportunities this incredible gift provides to work on tilting the scales back toward the type of environmental stewardship we ourselves need to survive as a species.”

The funding will support faculty, staff and students in several ways, including through the new Cornell K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Fellows Program, which will create 14 new opportunities for veterinarians, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. It will also create a Catalyzing Conservation Fund, an internal grants program that will provide seed money for critical wildlife health programs led by CVM faculty and staff and provide 5 years of support to the Cornell Wildlife Health Center Student Support Fund, which allows veterinary students with wildlife health interests to participate in off-campus experiences and on-campus research.

“Lisa’s wonderful gift reflects the kind of thoughtful philanthropy that has already done so much to strengthen our work toward sustainability,” said Martha E. Pollack, president of Cornell University, in the release.“This investment in wildlife health and conservation will pay dividends that will compound over time, building the awareness and expertise that are critical for our shared future on this planet.”

Yang, who also received an MBA from Columbia University, retired in 2001 after a career in investment banking at the First Boston Corporation and Lehman Brothers. She was the lead donor to establish the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell’s ILR School and cofounder of the Hock E. Tan and K. Lisa Yang Center for Autism Research at Harvard University. She is also cofounder of 6 interlinked centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology operating as the Yang Tan Collective, with major investments in autism research; neuroscience; molecular, genetic and circuits therapeutics; integrative computational modeling; bionics; and global engineering and research.

At Cornell University, Yang holds memberships in the ILR School Dean’s Advisory Council, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Administrative Board, and the advisory council of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, which she endowed with a $24 million gift in 2021.

$35M gift to advance science-based solutions for wildlife health. News release. Cornell University. January 30, 2024.

Articles

The gift from philanthropist K. Lisa Yang, MBA, aims to advance science-based solutions for animal care and global One Health

Cornell University receives a $35M endowment for wildlife health center

Improve Veterinary Education and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) announced they will be joining forces to provide an exclusive continuing education opportunity for feline practitioners. The partnership will give AAFP members a 20% discount on the Feline Practice Postgraduate Certificate Program.

"Improve Veterinary Education is dedicated to providing cutting-edge education to veterinarians, and this new partnership with the AAFP exemplifies our commitment to excellence," said Charlotte French, business development manager at Improve Veterinary Education, in an organizational release.

 "Our aim is to equip veterinarians with the knowledge and skills to be able to elevate the care they provide to their feline patients."

According to the release, the program contains 16 varied modules that offers a total of 192 RACE-approved CE hours and is led by Samantha Taylor, BVetMed (Hons), CertSAM, DipECVIM-CA, MRCVS. Participants will be able to dive into key feline subjects that are guided by recognized experts in their perspective field called Module Tutors over 24 months.

Personalized guidance provided by the Module Tutors where they also share their expert insights.

The content is 100% online, including presentations, exercises, written notes, and quizzed to tailor the learning experience.

Discussions on forums to help facility case-sharing, conversations, and debates among Module Tutors and peers.

"At Improve Veterinary Education, we understand the challenges veterinary professionals face in their pursuit of continuous learning. Our postgraduate programs provide valuable knowledge but also offer a flexible and supportive environment conducive to effective learning," added French.

Participants in the program will have access to these resources 24/7 to help balance their studies and their work responsibilities. The program will also provide the resources professionals need to take what they have learned and implement into the real-world veterinary clinic.

Improve Veterinary Education partners with the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) to offer exclusive benefits to feline practitioners. News release. Improve Veterinary Education. February 1, 2024. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://improveinternational.com/us/improve-veterinary-education-partners-with-the-aafp/#:~:text=This%20collaboration%20brings%20an%20exclusive,192%20RACE%2Dapproved%20CE%20hours.

Improve Veterinary Education and American Association of Feline Practitioners will offer members a discount to access 192 continuing education credits 

New partnership offers exclusive deals to feline practitioners 

The Belgian draft horse is a culturally significant breed in Belgian agriculture. It is currently threatened by high levels of inbreeding that are impacting the breed’s health.

Belgian draft horses are vulnerable to chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL), an incurable condition with approximately 86% of Belgian draft horses affected. Other draft breeds are also at high risk for the condition. In a disease review published in the journal 

, the authors describe 2 possible hypotheses for CPL pathogenesis and report recent advances in the management of the condition, including a newly developed scoring system for clinical severity.

CPL is characterized by increasing swelling on the distal portion of the legs, scaled dermal fibrosis, and the development of skin folds and lesions. The physical state of the skin folds significantly increases the risk of secondary bacterial and parasitic infections, further burdening the animal. CPL causes significant morbidity and often requires premature euthanasia due to its severity.

The condition’s etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. The authors review 2 main hypotheses that have been reported to describe how CPL begins, but both include lymphatic involvement, fibrosis, inflammation, and unnatural elastin dynamics. The order of events drives the differences between the 2 hypotheses. Does lymphedema cause inflammation and fibrosis or does chronic inflammation and fibrosis result in disruption of the lymphatic system? Or do each of these factors reinforce each other, creating a cyclic perpetuation of complications? Additionally, genetic involvement could cause elastin failure or autoimmune related inflammation.

The first hypothesis suggests that the lymphatic system fails to drain due to inadequate elastin support and function specifically in dermal tissue. Elastin is necessary to support lymphatic vessel connections. This idea is supported by significantly lower measured levels of dermal elastin in susceptible horses compared to those from non-susceptible breeds and the presence of anti-elastin autoantibodies in affected horses. Lymph build-up would then lead to fibrosis, skin folding, and nodule formation.

The second hypothesis proposes that chronic inflammation results in tissue edema and lesion formation. Fibrosis and hyperkeratosis would result from inflammation and in turn cause lymphatic blockage. Although the inflammation could be secondary to infection, vasculitis, or chemical irritant, the hypothesis also includes that autoimmune responses may be to blame. This hypothesis is supported by genetic association of overregulated autoimmune regions with CPL-associated regions.

The authors also report data on the factors associated with the occurrence and severity of CPL. Increased age, stallions, secondary infections, housing environment, use of the animal, diet, and distal limb conformation all have been associated with increased occurrence and severity of CPL. To improve owner and veterinary communication of this serious condition, the authors developed an updated grading system that incorporates a pictorial representation of impacted tissue presence and distribution.

Clara Bechtold is a 2024 PharmD candidate, studying veterinary pharmacy, at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Brys M, Claerebout E, Chiers K. Chronic progressive lymphedema in Belgian draft horses: understanding and managing a challenging disease. 

. 2023;10(5):347. doi:10.3390/vetsci10050347

Increased age, stallions, secondary infections, housing environment, use of the animal, diet, and distal limb conformation all have been associated with increased occurrence and severity of the condition.

Chronic progressive lymphedema in Belgian draft horses

In a small town in Western Pennsylvania, thousands gathered to wait for the famous Punxsutawney Phil to make his yearly prediction for the upcoming months: whether there will be an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter. Phil emerged from his custom-built burrow and let the world know he is predicting an early spring.

The tradition is believed to stem from Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and then distributed. Those participating in the holiday eventually declared that if there were clear skies on Candlemas, it meant they would experience a longer winter.

 This tradition was brought by the Roman legions during the conquest of the northern country but added that if the sun made an appearance on this holiday, a hedgehog would cast a shadow and predict 6 more weeks of bad weather, or a second winter. The tradition was later brought to the United States when German immigrants moved to Pennsylvania.

Once the German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, they discovered groundhogs in multiple locations in the state. They then decided the groundhog resembled the hedgehog and decided it would decide whether the sun would appear on February 2nd.

In the present day, Phil is cared for by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle (Inner Circle), which was created in the 1880s and made up of 15 members. Each member is tasked with protecting and preserving his legend as well as caring for and feeding him. The Inner Circle, dressed in tuxedos and top hats, begins the events on Groundhog Day at 7:20 AM EST and then brings Phil out of his burrow to make his prediction to the world.

Phil has been predicting the end of winter forecast since 1886, where he correctly predicted 6 more weeks of winter for some regions but came up short regarding others. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, within the last 10 years, Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction has been right 30% of the time.

“No shadow appeared this morning and Punxsutawney Phil indicated that all signs point to an early spring,” said Rick Siger, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, in an organizational release.

 “We’re excited to share this news with the tens of thousands who make the trek to Gobbler’s Knob each year and to the millions more who await Phil’s prediction from around the globe. The Groundhog Day festivities are an excellent example of the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to boosting the tourism industry, which creates good jobs, strengthens businesses, and attracts more people to call our Commonwealth home.”

This year, over 30,000 spectators attended the celebration and to see Phil call for an early spring, the 21st time he has not seen his shadow in the history of the tradition.

Celebrating Groundhog Day 2024. Visit PA. Accessed February 2, 2024. 

https://www.visitpa.com/article/celebrating-groundhog-day-2024

History of Groundhog Day. Visit PA. Accessed February 2, 2024. 

https://www.visitpa.com/article/history-groundhog-day

Inner circle. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Accessed February 2, 2024. 

Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early Spring in 2024. Visit PA. February 2, 2024. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.visitpa.com/press-release/punxsutawney-phil-predicts-early-spring-2024

The famous groundhog declared whether there would be 6 more weeks of winter or an earlier spring during the annual Groundhog Day celebrations

Punxsutawney Phil officially makes his 2024 prediction 

, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, sat down with Carl Clary, DVM; Shelli Wolfe, DVM, MBA; Lisa Hann, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM); and Cory Penn, DVM, to discuss how incorporating certain technologies can improve the efficiency of veterinary diagnostics and patient care.

“Many families are adopting pets…and with that comes an increased case load,” Penn said. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinary industry had to reassess many of its systems and standards to accommodate the higher number of patients coming into the clinic. Fortunately, in the age of rapidly improving technology and new uses for artificial intelligence (AI), it is now easier than ever to diagnose and assist patients through customized approaches.

The Zoetis Vetscan Imagyst® is an in-clinic, multi-use platform that uses deep learning AI and digital microscopy solutions to help diagnose patients within hours or even minutes. Although a practitioner may have a diagnosis in mind, having the technology to back up their opinion can be beneficial. “Vetscan Imagyst is a game changer for my confidence in the way I practice,” Clary said. “We have a lot better client adherence with those results because they can see it. We’re such a visual society; if you can’t see it, then you may not believe it.”

Having a visual reference helps convey the diagnosis itself to the client, as well as the importance of treatment. “Vetscan Imagyst has an iPad that you can take into the room and show the client in the examination room proof of hookworms, whipworms, or giardia. Rather than just watching and waiting, they’ll go ahead and begin to treat,” Wolfe said.

Technology like Vetscan Imagyst also benefits the practitioner directly. “The footprint of diagnostic technology has gotten smaller,” Wolfe said. “Space is precious in a veterinary clinic. These machines are now very small and don’t take up much room in the lab.” In-house diagnostic technology also enables faster results. A treatment plan can be formed earlier, which saves time and headache for both the practitioner and the client, and the patient’s health can improve more rapidly.

Although many cases are cut-and-dry, AI can produce diagnostic results that require further understanding or action. Veterinarians can use technology platforms like the Zoetis Virtual Laboratory to contact a large network of board-certified specialists. “Zoetis has a consultation service that is easily accessible on a platform where veterinarians can request consultations by email or video call,” Hann said. “We still need that additional step for certain cases where specialists on the consultation service can work with general practitioners to come up with a plan.”

“We want to follow those life guidelines set forth by the American Animal Hospital Association, and that gives us a baseline for each individual pet moving forward,” Penn said. “When we do a diagnostic workup, ideally on these recommended timelines, whether that’s yearly or every six months…we can know what is normal for that pet.” Consulting reference ranges helps inform veterinarians on whether the results are within a standard range or require additional assistance from a specialist.

Zoetis Diagnostics further brings individualized care into the clinic by providing a written report after each specialist consultation. This can help the veterinarian analyze the results and relay the information to the client accordingly while also informing the pet parent that a specialist was involved. “I don’t know [whether pet owners are] aware that there are specialists available in veterinary medicine or what that provides beyond the general practitioner,” Hann said. “We’re all working together for that pet to get the best care possible.”

Spectrum of care is a buzz phrase that has been highlighted in the veterinary industry, and tailored approaches to diagnostics and treatment assist the practitioner in delivering the best care to each patient. By incorporating technology and AI that saves time, stress, and financial waste for both the practitioner and pet parent, the veterinary world can take on its increased number of unique cases.

New technologies like Vetscan Imagyst® and Virtual Laboratory by  Zoetis can help practitioners diagnose and treat patients rapidly

AI-powered diagnostics providing individualized patient care

Good morning dvm360 readers and happy Groundhog Day! Did you know that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, predicting we will have an early spring! Did you know that the first time Groundhog Day was mentioned in the local Punxsutawney newspaper was 1886, making this a Pennsylvania, and United States, tradition for over 130 years.

Besides an early spring making headlines, here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com

 that Boo, an 11-year-old Whippet, was the first dog to receive a dog of its developmental drug that is working to extend the healthy lifespan of senior dogs of most sizes. LOY-002 received support from the FDA in November 2023 approving the Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness on Loyal’s application for conditional drug approval.

 its selection of 10 new grants dedicated to improving equine health, particularly the well-being of domesticated horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules.

 of The Vet Blast Podcast, Shadi Ireifej, DVM, DACVS, joins our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to give general practitioners 5 hacks on how to have precision without the fuss and pus.

 the news that it plans to launch an accelerated and hybrid Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program beginning in 2026 with the college’s first cohort. The program will welcome 80 students in its first class with hopes of expanding to 100 by its third year.

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York has officially 

 to its brand new state-of-the-art Denise and Michael Kellen Institute for Surgical Care, a part of AMC’s $125 million expansion that will be resulting in tripling its capacity.

 of the Veterinary Scene Down Under, Phil Tucak, BSc, BVMS, interviews Ben Schuster, BVSc, on his love for video gamers and how games link to veterinary medicine and animals, plus a new course on the science of emotional intelligence for human and animal medical professionals.

Legend & lore. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.groundhog.org/legend-and-lore