The April 1, 2011, Issue of JAVMA News is
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After more than a decade, has pet guardianship changed anything?
2 schools receive AVMA COE approval
Proposal to schedule propofol draws reactions
Canada’s practical educator
From the racetrack to retirementIn their post-racing careers, retired racehorses can range from unridden companion animals to athletic sport horses. The American Association of Equine Practitioners has developed guidelines to help veterinarians and adoption groups successfully transition these animals to new homes and new careers. One of the documents recommends that veterinarians be familiar with the demands and health requirements of each career. more Research, recognition, and relationships
Additional Headlines:Online directory to help public find AVMA member clinics and servicesVolunteers sought for AVMF committeesFate of tax-reporting repeal uncertainMass bird deaths in Arkansas explainedUSDA proposes catfish inspectionExotic Newcastle kills birds near CaliforniaObituariesAnnouncements:Officials with the Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture are seeking applications for service on a nomination panel for the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program. NIFA plans to select panelists who are food supply veterinarians or food animal health experts from federal agencies, state agencies, and AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges. The agency will provide $225 daily honorariums for eligible panelists. Those interested in applying must fill out a questionnaire at www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/animals/in_focus/an_health_if_vmlrp_panelists.html. The deadline for applications is March 23. |
The pet guardian campaign was promoted as a way to improve animal lives by getting people to treat animals humanely. Critics warned of possible ramifications associated with using a word loaded with legal meaning, however. More than 10 years after Boulder, Colo., added “guardian” to the section of its municipal code on animal ownership, it appears the campaign’s most obvious success is stirring up controversy. 
Two landmark decisions came out of the AVMA Council on Education meeting March 6-8 at AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill.
Veterinarians disagree on whether designating the anesthetic propofol as a controlled substance would be an undue burden on the profession. In late 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration solicited comments on its proposal to list propofol as a schedule IV drug under the Controlled Substances Act because of the potential for abuse. Most individual veterinarians who submitted comments wrote in opposition to the proposal, while organizations representing veterinary interests expressed a variety of viewpoints. 
Dr. Andrew Smith founded Canada’s first veterinary school in the 1860s as a private, two-year program. The program would eventually evolve into the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. By 1908, when Dr. Smith turned over the school to the provincial government, it had produced more than 3,000 graduates. 
The North American Veterinary Conference Jan. 15-19 in Orlando, Fla., had plenty to offer attendees aside from more than 1,300 hours of continuing education. The Morris Animal Foundation announced at the conference the launch of a major study of cancer in Golden Retrievers. Results were released from another study, “Comparative efficacy of four commercially available heartworm preventive products against the MP3 laboratory strain of Dirofilaria immitis.” And, this year’s conference featured enhanced collaboration with veterinary technicians and physicians.