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WSAVA Monthly NEWs - December, 2005

WSAVA Names in the News

Dr. David Wadsworth, WSAVA Vice President, has been given the honour of being one of three Keynote Speakers at the Maximizing Companion Animal Products – exploring growth, profitability, and future prospects Congress to take place on January 24 & 25, 2006 at the Millenium Opera in Paris, France. Dr. Wadsworth will speak about the relationship between veterinary surgeons and the companies who produce the essential pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of veterinary patients. He will look to the future and discuss the part WSAVA can play in helping veterinary surgeons in emerging nations to have knowledge of new products and techniques. For more information visit: http://www.animalpharmevents.com/companion/

Dr. Terry Lake, WSAVA Executive Board Member and Treasurer, is the newly elected mayor of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. While there were three candidates in the running for the position of mayor, Dr. Lake won the election with a very convincing margin of greater than 2:1 against either of his rivals. Dr. Lake has been an active member of Kamloops City Council for a number of years holding various committee and liaison positions prior to his election to the position of Mayor. Located on the banks of the North and South Thompson Rivers in British Columbia’s interior, Kamloops is a city of close to 100,000 inhabitants that is within minutes of a variety of outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, and horseback riding. For more information on Kamloops visit: http://www.city.kamloops.bc.ca/index.html

WSAVA Member Association Updates

HSUS/AAHA Katrina Pet Wellness Program coming to an end
DENVER-The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are pleased to announce that the HSUS/AAHA Katrina Pet Wellness Program has helped over 640 pets displaced by Hurricane Katrina receive basic veterinary care. The program, offered by the AAHA Helping Pets Fund through AAHA-accredited practices, ended November 30, 2005.
Over 80 AAHA-accredited practices have participated in the program, helping displaced pets access physical exams, vaccinations, heartworm medications, and short-term supplies of chronic medications. In an effort to help as many pets as possible, AAHA had asked accredited practices to consider reducing their fees for these special cases. Close to $6,000 in veterinary services has already been discounted by AAHA-accredited members.
The AAHA Helping Pets Fund continues to help pets displaced by Hurricane Katrina through a new fund made possible by the HSUS, ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), and the Humane Society of Greater Miami and Adopt-A-Pet. The Hurricane Heartworm Treatment Program allows heartworm-positive shelter animals to receive financial assistance for heartworm diagnosis and treatment through AAHA-accredited practices. For more information, visit www.aahahelpingpets.org.
The HSUS/AAHA Katrina Pet Wellness Program was made possible by a grant of more than $50,000 from the HSUS.

NEWS From Around the World

Animal Welfare in the News
ROME – The municipal government of Rome has enacted new animal welfare legislation drafted by the city of Rome’s Office for Animal Rights. The 59-point statute provides specific legislation dictating specific guidelines for the care of all pets, including dogs, cats, birds, lizards, and fish and went into effect at the beginning of November, 2005. Probably the most controversial law, and one quickly picked up by the news media, relates to the care of captive fish and prohibits the keeping of gold fish (or any other fish) in fish bowls, mandating instead a suitable, full-sized aquarium, citing fish bowls as failing to provide a healthy or suitable environment within which to live. Additional measures include:
• A $625 fine to dog owners for failing to walk their canines daily
• Outlawing the use of choke and electrical collars
• Forbidding declawing, tail docking, and ear cropping for cosmetic reasons
While being applauded by some as being an historic step for animal rights, many others wonder as to how the various components of this legislation will be enforced. To address this issue, city officials have announced specialized training for street officers so as they can both better understand the ordinances and recognize animal abuse. Additionally, a campaign to create awareness will be undertaken to help ensure compliance among pet owners.

UNITED STATES – Puppy Mill Legislation debated (from Associated Press)
A senate subcommittee is gathering testimony on legislation that would give the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the power to regulate breeders and dealers who sell dogs and puppies directly to consumers. The Animal Welfare Act, passed in 1967, set standards for the treatment of animals by breeders, exhibitors, transporters, and researchers; however, it had exempted “retail pet stores,” and large breeding operations are considered retailers by the USDA if they sell directly to consumers. The bill’s sponsor says that this bill would give the USDA authority over those who sell more than 25 dogs per year. People who raise up to seven liters a year on their own premises would be exempted.
In related news from the American Veterinary Medical Association, AVMA president, Dr. Henry Childers, recently testified before the subcommittee in favour of this Animal Welfare Act amendment stating “The high-volume breeders and importers that this statute will affect have profits as their only goal. Neither morals nor ethics guide the misery they breed…They have been exempt from the law. (The AVMA) believes this must be corrected. Congress has the power to do that.” The act, titled PAWS (S. 1139) would also cover importers and Internet sellers and provide the authority for government access records of persons acquiring dogs for resale.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs – November, 2005

Proceedings Available On-Line

Proceedings from the WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 World Congress are now available on-line via the WSAVA website (link on the right-hand column of the Homepage). Contents include Congress abstracts as well as proceedings from more than 250 lectures covering 26 different disciplines by 110 speakers. Disciplines covered include anesthesiology, behaviour, cardiology, clinical immunology, clinical nutrition, clinical pathology, clinical pharmacology/toxicology, critical care, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, endocrinology, exotic animal medicine, gastroenterology, infectious/parasitic disease, nephrology/urology, neurology/neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, reproduction, respiratory medicine, and soft-tissue surgery. Proceedings are also available for the animal welfare forum as well as the practice management track and 4 separate State of the Art Lectures (SOTAL) providing cutting-edge information on current topics from world-renowned veterinary scientists.
And it’s all just a mouse-click away from the comfort of your own chair!

WSAVA Member Association Updates

South African Veterinary Association (SAVA)
PROJECT TO COLLECT SURPLUS VETERINARY BOOKS, CD’S, & JOURNALS
An update and request for assistance from Dr. Lawson Cairns, NVCG liaison on NATAL branch SAVA and WSAVA representative
After the congress in Cape Town, Dr. Cairns came up with the brainchild that the SAVA and WSAVA could assist countries within Africa by collecting and redistributing old journals, books, and CD ROMS currently not being used, with the idea coming from a news story wherein a group of disadvantaged students learned to make money out of the stock exchange by use of old Financial Mails and similar journals. Dr. Cairns has been asked by WSAVA to assist with the organisation of CE in Africa and it is his hope that provision of educational material of this nature would be a reasonable first step. He has put together a list of potential contacts for numerous countries and will use this list to distribute the educational items collected.
The Onderstepoort students have run a similar project for some years, taking books and other educational materials to African countries north of South Africa and the librarian who helps organise this has agreed to help store any books or journals collected pending the students’ next trip.
For the Kwazulu-Natal area Lakato has very kindly agreed to assist by collecting any material donated by local veterinarians and storing this until enough material is gathered to warrant courier shipment to Onderstepoort for the librarian to store.
This project is being launched via the Natal branch of SAVA but is an extension of the WSAVA’s desire to get companion animal care raised to a higher level in Africa. Dr. Cairns extends his thanks to Lakato for being so willingly prepared to assist with this project.
For further information, feel free to contact Dr. Cairns at regency@global.co.za

NEWS From Around the World

Canine Influenza in North America
Over the last 1.5 years, a Type A influenza virus (orthomyxovirus subtype H3N8), which is closely related to the equine influenza virus, has been afflicting dogs in North America. First identified in racing greyhounds in Florida, it has subsequently been diagnosed in dogs from other racetracks as well as pet dogs in 22 states within the USA. Because this virus is a new and emerging pathogen, there is no natural or “herd” immunity and all dogs, regardless of age or breed, are susceptible. While the morbidity can be as high as 80%, mortality is generally low - between 5% and 8%. For most dogs, the symptoms are mild and self-limiting but in a small percentage of dogs, respiratory tract involvement can progress to pneumonia, often complicated by secondary bacterial infections, and accompanied by pyrexia. As with any viral infection, treatment is largely supportive with more severe cases benefiting from hospital care including intravenous fluids and broad-spectrum, bacteriocidal antibiotics. While there is currently no vaccine available, influenza viruses are easily killed by many common disinfectants and combined with isolation protocols are an effective means of containing infections. More information can be found at the AAHA website through the following link:
http://www.aahanet.org/index_adds/canine_flu_background.html

WSAVA/FECAVA/CSAVA 2006 Congress Update

Call for Abstracts
Participants are invited to submit original scientific abstracts for poster presentations at the 31st WSAVA World Congress as a Microsoft Word document in English by e-mail to wsava@guarant.cz. Abstracts and posters relating to research into any aspect of clinical small animal medicine and surgery, including exotics, will be considered. Unique case reports of exceptional interest, but not reviews, will also be considered.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - October, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

WSAVA Continuing Education Committee Report – India, Summer 2005

The fourth WSAVA CE meeting in India was held in Chennai (Madras) and the speaker was Dr. Roger Clarke, who gave a series of lectures on soft-tissue and orthopaedic surgery to over 200 delegates at the Park Sheraton Hotel. The delegates came from several states of India and the meeting was jointly hosted by the Pet Practitioners Association of Mumbai (PPAM), a member association of the WSAVA, and the Small Animal Practitioners Association of Chennai (SAPAC). This is the first time a WSAVA CE meeting has been held on the east coast of India and was part of an initiative to try to increase the dissemination of WSAVA CE in the Indian sub-continent.
This WSAVA meeting was held in close association with the annual meeting of SAPAC and a 2-day training workshop held by the Madras Veterinary College, founded 1903 and the second oldest veterinary school in India. The Madras Veterinary School is well equipped to provide training workshops in ophthalmology, intensive care, and diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopy, and many of the staff later attended the WSAVA meeting.
Drs. L. K. Sharma and Umesh Kakare of PPAM organized the WSAVA meeting in conjunction with the SAPAC and Dr. Sharma went to great efforts to make sure the meeting ran very smoothly.
While in Chennai, Dr. Clarke had the great pleasure to visit the Blue Cross of India premises at 72 Valachery Road, Guindy, Chennai 600 032, and saw the good work they were doing to help the stray animal population of Chennai. The dogs were sterilized, ear marked, and vaccinated against Rabies and then returned to their place of origin. The incidence of Rabies bites to humans is markedly reduced as a result of such programs. The home also cares for birds, reptiles, cows, donkeys, and abandoned laboratory rats and mice.

Focus on WSAVA Standardization Projects and Dr. Claudio Brovida Standards Projects Coordinator – a Brief History

During the WSAVA Assembly Meeting in Mexico City, Mexico on May 10, 2005, Dr. Claudio Brovida was instilled as WSAVA Standards Projects Coordinator, a natural fit as Dr. Brovida has been active both in various aspects of companion animal internal medicine and the two standards projects (hepatic and gastrointestinal pathology and disease classification) that WSAVA has coordinated to date. Dr. Bovida is a graduate of the University of Turin Veterinary School and has since furthered his interest in veterinary internal medicine, particularly nephrology/urology and respiratory medicine, through various international training endeavors including time spent at the Universities of Minnesota, Davis, Utrecht, and Bristol as well as the Animal Medical Center in New York City. He has lectured extensively at regional, national, and international veterinary congresses with close to 70 scientific publications to his credit. His international affiliation within the academic veterinary community together with his active role in various veterinary medical associations, including being past president of the Italian Small Animal Veterinary Association (AIVPA), the European Society of Veterinary Nephrology (ESVNU), and the WSAVA, made him the perfect candidate to facilitate the WSAVA international standardization projects.
During Dr. Brovida’s term as WSAVA president-elect under then president Dr. Hans Klaus Dreier with vice president Dr. Gabriel Varga, a strategic planning session looking at the long-term goals of the WSAVA was held. At that time (and continuing today), the WSAVA CE initiatives were enjoying tremendous success in more broadly disseminating companion animal CE, particularly in poorly serviced regions such as Eastern Europe, South Central America, and South Eastern Asia. Through these efforts, an effective cooperative relationship had been established between the WSAVA and the academic veterinary community; however, aside from CE, there were no other formal efforts or projects to strengthen this global working relationship and this became a WSAVA goal for future development. Dr. Dreier, as part of his presidential address at the WSAVA World Congress in Amsterdam 2000, announced this plan to establish projects that would further strengthen bonds between the academic and international companion animal veterinary medical association communities. Later that same year, a meeting was held between Dr. Jan Rothuizen of Utrecht and Dr. Brovida, wherein Dr. Rothuizen enthusiastically supported this WSAVA goal and suggested the topic of the first WSAVA Standardization Project – hepatology. This resulted in the creation of the WSAVA Liver Standardization Research Group (with Dr. Rothuizen as group coordinator), designed to derive consensus on the classification of hepatic diseases via histopathology. This project was generously sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and will culminate in the publication of their findings in a textbook format via Elsevier with an anticipated availability date of late 2005/early 2006. The success of the liver standardization group prompted the creation of the Gastrointestinal Standardization Group which began its activities at the ACVIM Forum in Minneapolis in 2004. Its goal is similar to the Liver Standardization Group and that is to provide consensus on the histopathological definition and classification of diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, again with the generous funding support of Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Updates on both of the Liver and GI Standardization Groups can be found on the WSAVA website. Subsequently, discussions began at the WSAVA World Congress in Rhodes 2004 about the establishment of a third standardization group to focus on the histopathology of renal disease, principally glomerular diseases. With the generous support of Novartis, a preliminary meeting involving 12 members of the academic community and WSAVA was held in Utrecht in January 2005 with further discussions ongoing. Hopefully the near future will see the formalization of this project and the announcement of both the formation of a project group and sponsoring company.
These standardization projects have become a key focal point of WSAVA efforts. Designed to develop consensus in key areas of emerging scientific knowledge, they will be of enormous benefit to both the academic and general practitioner veterinary communities.

WSAVA Member Association Updates

Pet Practitioners Association of Mumbai (PPAM)

Prior to the WSAVA CE meeting reported on above, there was an historic meeting between Indian Veterinary Association representatives from Mumbai, Chennai, Goa, and Bangalore, who unanimously agreed to the formation of a National Federation of Indian of Small Animal Veterinary Associations. The federation is to be known by the acronym, FISAVA. Dr. Roger Clarke attended as WSAVA observer. This project has been under consideration for almost 2 years and is now a reality. A steering committee Chaired by Dr. Jay Prakash, Chennai (SAPAC), with Dr. Umesh Kakare, Mumbai (PPAM) as Secretary and Dr. Santosh Desai (SAVAG) as managing committee member was formed to draft a constitution and it was proposed that all registered small animal veterinary associations in India would be invited to join the Federation. The FISAVA may eventually become the organization to be affiliated with WSAVA, however this still has to be decided.

News From Around the World

Spanish Small Animal Veterinary Association (AVEPA)

AVEPA (Associacion de Veterinarios Espanoles Especialistas en Pequenos Animales) has announced the establishment of a Master’s Degree in Management and Administration of Veterinary Centers in collaboration with the IVEE (Spanish Institute of Veterinary Economic Studies) and UAB (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona). The course is equivalent to a full-fledged MBA program, covering all of the essential areas of any modern business including strategy and operations, human resource management, accounting/finance, and marketing. The program, given in Spanish, will consist of 324 lecture hours spread over 2 years and can be taken in either Barcelona or Madrid, Spain. Applicants with degrees in business administration or economics wishing to pursue a career in the field of managing veterinary businesses will be considered, although preference will be given to veterinarians who own or manage clinics, which is the intended audience of this program.
For further information, visit the ACEPA website at www.avepa.org.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - September, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

WSAVA website statistics
Recently, WSAVA has been able to access traffic flow information about the WSAVA website with the following statistics of possible interest to readers:

2004 summary figures
• There were 841,655 hits averaging 70,140 per month and 2,300 per day.
• Traffic flow increased by 36% over the course of the year
• There were over 40,000 unique visitors to the website with many visiting on more than one occasion and spending an average of >10 minutes on the site equating to multiple page views
• Approximately 50% of visits originated from the United States with the remainder being predominantly from Europe and Asia
• Google was the most common referral search engine
• The 5 most popular pages/sections viewed were (in order of traffic flow): Homepage, congresses, Monthly News (primarily the news in Spanish – thanks Oscar Resburgo for your ongoing translation skills!), tail docking position statement, and the member association pages.
• For those with an interest in trivia – the most active day was December 8 and the least active day was April 12, 2004

August 2005 figures
• The number of hits will exceed 100,000 during the month of August averaging over 3,000 per day and boasting 6,000 unique visitors during the month.
• This represents a >50% increase in traffic flow over last year’s monthly average with nearly double the amount of unique visitors accessing the website on a monthly basis.
• The 5 most popular pages/sections viewed in order of traffic flow: Homepage, Monthly News, tail docking position statement, congresses, and the microchip committee pages.
All in all, these numbers indicate a clear increase of interest in the WSAVA and its various initiatives and member associations.

Ketamine Update: and the survey says….
As reported in the March and October, 2004 WSAVA Monthly News, the WSAVA provided support to our Russian veterinary colleagues in their efforts to retain the ability to use ketamine HCl as a companion animal anesthetic agent. Fearful of a growing drug culture and the potential for ketamine to be sought out and abused by these individuals, the Russian government enacted legislation to ban the availability of ketamine for veterinary use. As reported in the March 2004 News, this had a profound impact on animal welfare as ketamine was the only anesthetic agent available to Russian veterinarians for humanely performing elective procedures such as sterilization. A letter supporting calls for reconsideration was forwarded to the Russian government by then president Dr. Gabriel Varga, which, together with other lobbying efforts, saw the legislation repealed as reported in the October, 2004 issue of the WSAVA News. To support these WSAVA efforts, a survey of ketamine-specific use was sent to various member associations. Responses were received from 21 countries representing all continents (Europe 9, Asia 4, South America 3, North America 2, Africa 2, and Oceania 1). None reported restrictions in ketamine availability with 5 countries (Argentina, Australia, Estonia, Malaysia, and Taiwan) reporting legislation governing its use, including the need for record keeping and secure (locked) storage facilities (similar to narcotics). Switzerland expects similar legislation shortly whereas in Turkey, veterinarians need to use a special prescription to get access to the human version of ketamine.

WSAVA Member Association Updates

As reported by our President-Elect Dr. Brian Romberg, the South African Veterinary Council have stipulated that as of June 2007, tail docking will be considered as an unethical procedure and any veterinarian carrying out the procedure on an otherwise healthy dog after this implementation date, could be charged with unprofessional, improper, or disgraceful conduct. During the transition period to the June 2007 implementation date, the Council will actively engage with those breed societies still requiring tail docking as part of their breed standard to inform them of this decision and allow them time to alter their standards so as to better reflect what is happening internationally. The same protocol was used to implement an ear cropping ban and it worked very well in South Africa.

NEWS From Around the World

Animal Aid for Africa (Triple A), held their first pan-African Congress in Johannesburg at the end of July, bringing together veterinarians from 11 different countries and all walks of professional life, under the banner: One profession … one agenda … one Africa. The Congress covered two topics – ‘Production Animals and the Common Diseases which Affect Them’ and ‘Zoonoses’, with a line-up of world-class speakers presenting informal, interactive talks, designed to offer delegates immediate solutions to common problems. With translators on hand, the question and answer sections allowed for further elucidation on topics under review.
The traditional CE was followed by the Vet Africa Forum, where key role players in the future of veterinarians in Africa were invited to join the final session and present their organisations. Represented were the World Veterinary Association (Dr Anthony Erasmus); the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (Drs Brian Romberg and Lawson Cairns); the Commonwealth Veterinary Association (Prof Gareth Bath); the European Union (Prof Tito Fernandes); the South African Veterinary Association (Dr Gerhard Steenkamp); and Triple A. They joined a square table, chosen to emphasize unity and listened whilst a representative from each country presented their needs and aspirations. Greetings from WSAVA president Dr. Larry Dee were forwarded to the delegates by way of a letter of welcome prominently located in the congress agenda book and recognizing the WSAVA as a financial sponsor. Drs Romberg and Cairns also met with representatives from the veterinary school in Mozambique to discuss ways that WSAVA could support companion animal CE.
Triple A co-founders Jayne Janetzky and Dr. Larry van Niekerk commited to continuing their work of sharing practical knowledge, in-country, at grass roots level, and opening up supply channels for the availability of necessary drugs and medication. The task is however a huge one and, in inviting all major players here today, Triple A hopes to unify resources in order to more effectively and quickly assist. To this end they proposed the formation of Vet Africa Forum, which will bring all with a vested interest together in a spirit of mutual co-operation and combined goals. This proposal was quickly seconded and delegates were asked to return to their countries and/or organizations and nominate a person to serve on Vet Africa Forum.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - August, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

Its official! The WSAVA News is now available in Chinese thanks to the translation skills of Jason Shi and the generous support of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association. For those interested, visit the WSAVA Homepage and follow the link on the left hand margin titled WSAVA News in Chinese.

NEWS From Around the World

Microchipping updates from North America
USA – As initially reported in the June 2005 WSAVA News, the motion to proactively support an open microchip standard within the USA, as formulated by the Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) and supported by various other US state VMAs, received the support of the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates. Meant to reinvigorate efforts to overcome the current technological incompatibilities between existing microchip products within the US marketplace, it mirrors similar US governmental initiatives, arising from the Senate House Appropriations Committee, charging the Animal Plant Health Inspectorate Service (APHIS) to develop an implementation plan for microchip technology in companion animals based on the International Standards Organization (ISO) microchip standards. Both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association (a WSAVA member) have position statements in favor of the ISO standards, as do various other US-based user groups, including humane/shelter associations. The US government has also adopted an animal identification scheme for agricultural animals that is based on the ISO standards.

In a related story, an out-of-court settlement was reached in one of the many ongoing litigation cases between the various microchip technology distributors/manufacturers in the US. As reported in the July 23, 2005 New York Times, AVID USA (a manufacturer and distributors of microchip technology in the USA that is principally based on proprietary encrypted 125 kHz technology) and Banfield (a veterinary hospital chain with over 450 veterinary hospitals that recently began distributing open ISO standard microchip technology in the USA) agreed to jointly fund an independent study of available microchip technology, to include a review of truly universal readers, at an estimated cost of between $20,000 – 50,000 with an intended 90 day completion date. Both AVID and Banfield have sent letters to the Coalition for Reuniting Pets With Their Families (a US-based user group comprised of national veterinary medical and helter/humane associations) requesting their involvement in overseeing the project.

Canada – Formally adopted by the individual members of the Canadian National Companion Animal Coalition (comprised of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the Canadian Kennel Club, and the Canadian Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council), August 1, 2005 marks the implementation date of ISO-only microchip technology in Canada. This initiative is supported by a NCAC review process whereby interested microchip vendors can have their technology and database service evaluated for compliance to the NCAC position and, if successful, receive NCAC support as a viable microchip technology provider in Canada. To date, 3 microchip vendors have successfully completed the review process.

WSAVA/FECAVA/CSAVA 2006 Congress Update

What does the number 100 have in common with the date of October 11-14, 2006? This is when over 100 world-renowned speakers come together in “hundred-spired” Prague, Czech Republic as part of the CE program for the 31st WSAVA/12th FECAVA/14th Czech Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress. Don’t miss this superb CE opportunity in Prague, the cultural & geographical heart of Europe. So mark your calendars and stay tuned for further information or visit the Prague 2006 Congress website for ongoing details and updates.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - July, 2005

In Memorium – Mr. Ken G. D. Evans, MRCVS

Ken Evans, a well-known and respected veterinary surgeon and long-standing friend of both the British and International veterinary profession, passed away peacefully at age 91 on May 27, 2005. His veterinary career began at the Royal Veterinary College in London, where he graduated in 1936, and it was during this time that he met fellow-student and future wife Olive (nee: Ricks). Following graduation, they established a thriving veterinary practice in the London suburb of Hampstead where Ken became a well-recognized figure in the community, often spotted making house calls immaculately dressed and in his signature bowler hat. The exceptional service provided to their clientele was recognized by the RCVS in 1976 when both Ken and Olive were jointly awarded the Francis Hogg Prize “for the most serviceable work towards the advancement of small animal practice.” Ken was also an ardent believer in and advocate for organized veterinary medicine as exemplified by his involvement with both the BSAVA and WSAVA as a founding member, president (1964), and life-time member of the former and a 6-year treasurer of the latter during his involvement in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also a pioneer in disseminating veterinary advice through the media with his role as a veterinarian on a local TV series in the early 1960s. Many of the expressions of sympathy and remembrances have repeatedly cited his gentlemanly nature, exceptional social etiquette, kind nature, good humour, and, above all, his instrumental role as mentor for so many young aspiring veterinarians.
He is survived by his daughter Carole, and son-in-law Peter, 3 grand-daughters and 5 great-grand-children, as well as his sister Mrs. Wendy Reynolds.

For additional sentiments, visit the Notice Board page.

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

WSAVA adopts policy on Dangerous Dogs
1. The WSAVA supports the development of dangerous dog legislation, provided it refers to an individual dog’s measurable actions.
2. The WSAVA does not support the targeting of specific breeds under dangerous dog legislation.

Background: There are community concerns about the keeping of certain breeds of dog. People keep dogs for many reasons including guarding of property or persons, and historically fighting. Canine behaviour may be influenced by several factors including genetic predisposition, early socialization and learning, current environment, as well as owner attitudes and training. Certain breeds or lines within breeds have been bred for particular behavioural characteristics; some of these include aggressive behaviour. However, all behaviours are not necessarily uniform within breeds and may or may not be present within individuals. De-sexing, obedience training and/or behaviour modification including psychopharmacotherapy may assist in modifying aggressive behaviour. Veterinarians, breed societies, breeders, welfare agencies, pet shops and owners, should accept their responsibilities in educating the public to enable them to select a suitable dog, provide it with the appropriate environment, and not to breed from or distribute animals with undesirable behaviour traits.
Legislative recommendations: Effective legislation is required to address the problems posed by individual dangerous dogs. Special regulations regarding the registration/identification of the offending animal with local authorities is needed.

Regulations may include the following:
1. Whilst at home, the dog should be kept indoors or in a secure dog-proof enclosure.
2. The owner should be required to display warning signs at the premises, including a sign that children can understand.
3. When the dog is taken off the owner’s premises, it must be muzzled, leashed, and under the effective control of the owner at all times.
4. If a declared dangerous dog becomes a stray, it must be humanely destroyed.
5. If a dog is transported, then it should be within a child-proof enclosure.
6. A declared dangerous dog must have permanent (microchip) identification and wear a collar that is easily recognizable and which identifies the dog as dangerous.
7. Resale of dangerous dogs should be regulated, policed, and permits issued.

WSAVA Member Association Updates

American Animal Hospital Association
On March 1, 2005, AAHA posted its AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats online for member and consumer access. The guidelines promote the early detection of disease in senior pets by recommending more extensive laboratory testing beginning in middle age to establish baseline values and twice yearly examinations and testing once a pet reaches his or her senior years. The guidelines outline common clinical conditions as well as aspects of screening, diagnosis, treatment, anesthesia, pain management and surgery that are particular to senior pets, and provide a framework to help practice teams evaluate an aging pet's quality of life and assist clients with the end of life decision-making process.

Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association
With the generous support of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association and the translation skills of Jason Shi, Associate Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Clinical Science Department, China Agricultural University, WSAVA will be expanding its offering of the monthly news in English, Spanish, and Italian to include Chinese. This welcome enhancement to the dissemination of information to WSAVA members should be available via the WSAVA website shortly. Stay tuned!

NEWS From Around the World

Microchip controversy in the USA results in government intervention – news from AAHA NEWStat

Microchips Introduced to Congress as Part of Bill
A June 2005 report issued by the House Appropriations Committee includes a provision that would require all companion animals to have 134.2 kHz microchips, an International Standards Organization (ISO) frequency chip. The committee has "directed Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to develop the appropriate regulations to implement the universal 134.2 kHz ISO system and report to Congress within 90 days of the date of enactment of this Act."
While the bill did pass, its implementation is pending the direction of APHIS and final passage through the US Senate. This governmental directive mirrors earlier decisions by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to structure their National Animal Identification System, directed towards food-producing animals, on the International Standards Organization Radiofrequency Identification (RFID or microchip) open technology standard.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - June, 2005

WSAVA/FIAVAC /AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Highlights

Between May 11 – 14, 2005, approximately 2,800 delegates representing 71 countries came together with 80 exhibitors to enjoy the exceptional continuing education (CE) and social events of the 30th WSAVA/2nd Iberoamerican FIAVAC /26th AMMVEPE 2005 Congress in Mexico City, Mexico. The CE program featured 110 speakers lecturing on 26 different disciplines for a total of 252 lectures to choose from, with simultaneous Spanish and English translation. This exceptional CE, which included ophthalmology and critical care pre-congress symposia, 3 State-of-the-Art-Lectures, and workshops on radiosurgery and endoscopy, was complimented by several lively social events. Beginning with the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, May 11 attended by dignitaries from the host veterinary associations and the Mexican government, the Congress delegates saw nightly social functions which included a Mexican Night that provided attendees with the sights, sounds, and foods of a true Mexican fiesta, a Gala Dinner at the renowned Ancient Temple and Hospital of San Hipolito, and culminated in the Closing Ceremonies which featured the acclaimed Czech violinist Mr. Jaroslav Sveceny as a prelude to next year’s Congress in Prague, Czech Republic. A special thank you to Congress major sponsor Waltham/Royal Canin for their generous support.

WSAVA Assembly Meeting

WSAVA president Dr. Larry Dee provided assembly members updates from a very active WSAVA leadership, including the Executive Board and various committees. Highlights included:
• The addition of a new Executive Board position to be held by Dr. Luis Tello from Chile. Luis has held a number of positions within the WSAVA leadership including the Chilean representative to WSAVA and co-coordinator (with Dr. Larry Dee) of WSAVA-sponsored CE in South America. Luis brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm that will be invaluable in assisting both the CE and public relations efforts of the WSAVA Executive Board. Luis joins Executive Board members Dr. Larry Dee (President; USA), Anne Sorensen (Honorary Secretary; Denmark), Dr. Gabriel Varga (Immediate Past President; Slovak Republic), Dr. Brian Romberg (President Elect; South Africa), Dr. David Wadsworth (Vice President; UK), and Dr. Terry Lake (Treasurer; Canada).
• The development of a part-time WSAVA staff position. With the expansion of WSAVA-sponsored CE and standardization projects, and the growing number of member associations as well as various other WSAVA initiatives, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the day-to-day administrative tasks crucial to association function through volunteer efforts alone. This part-time position will be devoted to facilitating correspondence between the WSAVA and its member associations, maintaining the WSAVA database, and implementing/assisting with the organizational tasks of various WSAVA initiatives.
• Expansion of the WSAVA Standardization Projects to include Renal Standardization. This anticipated 5-year project will focus on glomerular diseases and is currently in the budgeting/sponsorship development phase. It compliments the recently completed Liver Standardization Project, with results to be published in book format by well-known publishing house Elsevier later this year, and the GI Standardization Project which is at its half-way mark. Dr. Claudio Brovida, a Past President of WSAVA, has accepted the role of ongoing Standardization Projects coordinator.
The assembly members voted in favour of accepting 3 new member associations – 2 as full members including the Shanghai Small Animal Veterinary Association (SSAVA) from China and the Asociacion de Medicos Veterinarios de Practica en Pequenos Animales (AMVEPPA) from Peru, as well as the International Veterinary Students Association (IVSA) as an affiliated member. As well, Sao Paulo Brazil was chosen as the site for the 2009 WSAVA Congress.
Additionally, Dr. Terry Lake, WSAVA Honorary Treasurer, reported on the WSAVA 2004 financial statements, the approved budget for 2005, and provided a budget proposal for 2006, all of which supported both the financial health and robust activity of the WSAVA. The budget for 2006 was unanimously approved and included the funding for the proposed part-time WSAVA staff member.

2005 WSAVA Award Winners

WSAVA WALTHAM International Award for Scientific Achievement
This award is based on outstanding contributions by a veterinarian who has had a significant impact on the advancement of knowledge concerning the cause, detection, cure and/or control of disorders of companion animals.
Dr. Edward B. Breitschwerdt is world-renowned for his work in internal medicine, in particular in the field of vector-borne diseases. His research has focused on the characterization of spontaneous infectious diseases, identifying their vectors, and isolating and specifically characterizing the causative organisms using gene sequencing. His work has promoted the understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases, thereby facilitating the establishment of a definitive diagnosis and enabling disease-specific therapy and prevention.

WSAVA WALTHAM International Award for Service to the Profession
The Award is given to a person who has given exemplary service in fostering and enhancing the exchange of scientific and cultural ideas throughout the veterinary small animal world.
Dr. Hans Otto Schmidtke has had a long and illustrious career of service in veterinary medicine since his graduation from the veterinary school in Hanover in 1951, where he served as the Director of the Small Animal Hospital until 1985 and as co-editor of the Berliner und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenshcrift from 1985 until 2004. Aside from his academic career, he has been very active in various national and international veterinary associations including the German Veterinary Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the WSAVA, serving as President from 1984-1986 and President of the WSAVA Congress in Hamburg in 1984. He also served as a board member for the FKDVG (Fachgruppe Kleintierkrankheiten der Deutsche Veterinarmedizinischen Gesellschaft) and becoming its president from 1969-1970 and again from 1979-1980.

WSAVA Iams Saki Patsaama Award
This award is presented to a clinical researcher for excellence in the field of canine and feline orthopedic medicine and surgery.
Dr. Herman A. W. Hazewinkel is an active member and diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition. His research interests have focused on the influence of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D metabolism on skeletal development of Great Danes leading to a better understanding of nutritional influences on growth and skeletal development in dogs in general.

WSAVA Hills Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award
This award recognizes the outstanding work of veterinarians in promoting companion animal healthcare and the family pet/veterinary bond through a special sensitivity to both clients and patients using leading edge clinical nutrition and advanced medical and surgery techniques.
Dr. Rebecca Kirby was fundamentally involved in the creation of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, serving on its Board of Regents for many years, and instrumental in the Emergency Service at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania achieving a world-renowned reputation for excellence. Dr. Kirby has been a guiding light in the development and growth of the specialty of emergency medicine – both with regards to principles of triage and therapeutics and attending to the emotions inherent to the human-animal bond that are evoked during the stress of emergency situations.

Future Congresses
Prague, Czech Republic – October 11-14, 2006
Prague will be the host city for the 31st WSAVA/12th FECAVA/14th Czech Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress. Prague, which is the capital city of the Czech Republic, is a beautiful city, rich in heritage and situated on both banks of the Vltava River. Prague is also called the “Golden City” or “City of Hundred Towers” because of its unique architecture and importance as a European crossroad of trade and culture for many centuries. Preparations by Congress President Dr. Jiri Beranek and the Congress Organizing Committee are well underway with both CE opportunities and social events, which will include a Czech Beer Party Night in the famous Prague restaurant Restaurant U Fleku in addition to the traditional Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Gala Dinner. Visit the Prague Congress website for more details.

Sydney Convention Centre, Sydney, Australia – August 19-23, 2007

Dublin, Ireland – August, 2008

Sao Paulo, Brazil – 2009 (Specific date to be determined).

NEWS From Around the World

Microchipping in the News Again
A motion by the Florida Veterinary Medical Association has received additional state VMA support and is calling for the American Veterinary Medical Association to “take an active role in defining, recommending, endorsing, and implementing, a national microchip standard (for companion animals, birds, and equids) in the United States” that would be based on “open technology microchipping systems.” The FVMA and supporting VMAs cite on-going problems with product incompatibility, the inability of microchip manufacturers to resolve this through consensus, successful transition period programs for the implementation of ISO-standard microchip technology in Canada and Europe based on non-encrypted 125 kHz microchip technology, and the fact that the AVMA already has a position statement in favor of the ISO standards as reasons for this initiative. This motion will be debated at the AVMA’s House of Delegates meeting scheduled to take place during the AVMA Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota from July 16-20, 2005.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - May, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

AAHA Standards of Accreditation to be Available for WSAVA Member Association Review

The American Animal Hospital Association Standards of Accreditation are recognized around the world as the benchmark for quality care in veterinary medicine. Approximately 3,000 veterinary practices in the U.S. and Canada are accredited by AAHA and adhere to the AAHA Standards. For practices in other countries, these standards provide a framework for reaching new levels of excellence.
WSAVA members will be able to view the AAHA Standards by following a link available on the WSAVA Home Page. There are more than 900 AAHA Standards, which cover quality patient care, client service, and staff empowerment and recognition.
To view the standards, a user name and password will be required and this is available through your WSAVA member association (to see if your local/national association is a WSAVA member, visit the member association pages of the WSAVA website).
So, contact your WSAVA Member Association and tap into this exciting and wonderful resource kindly made available by AAHA as a WSAVA Member Association to small animal veterinarians around the globe who are striving for practice excellence.

WSAVA Website Revised

Following a complete review and assessment of both the WSAVA needs and format/content of the WSAVA website, the website has been significantly revised to ensure that all information on the WSAVA website is current and/or relevant and is easily accessible. In addition to providing information about WSAVA, its member associations, and committees, several other website enhancements have been added including:
• Notice Board – designed to provide a section where WSAVA members and other veterinary organizations can post important information to share with the WSAVA and global veterinary community
• Commentary Page – designed to provide WSAVA members a method of sharing their opinions and comments with their colleagues from around the world
• Easy access to committees and projects from the WSAVA Home Page
• President’s message
• Past WSAVA News Bulletins
• Revised site map to ensure easy and rapid access to all website content
And don’t forget that the WSAVA site continues to provide current information on upcoming congresses, quick access to past congress proceedings (which features a search function for rapid information provision), and the monthly news, which is also translated into both Italian and Spanish. All from the comfort of your desk and available through the click of your mouse!
Please remember, both the WSAVA Monthly News and information contained on the WSAVA website is only as good as the information received! So, mail, phone, fax, or e-mail me your contributions at:
Walt Ingwersen, DVM, DVSc, Diplomate ACVIM
306 Byron Street North,
Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1N 4N3
Phone: 905-430-2889
Fax: 905-430-4979
E-mail: wjjc.ingwersen@sympatico.ca

The WSAVA would like to recognize and thank both Bayer Animal Health and Hill’s Pet Nutrition as WSAVA website sponsors. It is through their past and ongoing generous support that the WSAVA website is available as a vital resource for both WSAVA members and the global companion animal veterinary community.

WSAVA Member Association Updates

In preparation for the assembly meeting of WSAVA Member Associations to take place in Mexico City on May 10 in conjunction with the WSAVA Congress, member associations provide annual reports detailing their association’s initiatives and accomplishments over the previous. Please visit the member association section of the WSAVA website for further details including recent reports from the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Korean Animal Hospital Association.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - April, 2005

Proceedings Available On-Line

Proceedings from the WSAVA/FECAVA/HVMS 2004 World Congress are now available on-line via the WSAVA website. Contents include Congress abstracts as well as proceedings from more than 220 lectures covering 23 different disciplines by almost 100 speakers from over 20 countries. Disciplines covered include anesthesiology, behaviour, cardiology, clinical immunology, clinical nutrition, clinical pathology, clinical pharmacology/toxicology, critical care, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, endocrinology, exotic animal medicine, gastroenterology, infectious/parasitic disease, nephrology/urology, neurology/neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, reproduction, respiratory medicine, and soft-tissue surgery. Proceedings are also available for the animal welfare forum as well as the practice management track and 5 separate State of the Art Lectures (SOTAL) providing cutting-edge information on current topics from world-renowned veterinary scientists.

And it’s all just a mouse-click away from the comfort of your own chair!

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

Continuing Education Committee
Dr. Roger Clarke provides the following report of his/the WSAVA CE Committee’s Asian CE Program for 2005.
In August 2005, Dr. Clarke will be lecturing to the university students and practitioners on a program titled “A surgical trail from head to tail” jointly sponsored by the Sri Lankan Veterinary Association, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, and the Bundoora Veterinary Hospital Association. In recognition of the tsunami disaster that occurred earlier this year, Dr. Clarke and his practice will be donating their time free of charge.
Following this, Dr. Clarke will proceed to Chennai (Madras) India to present a similar 2-day seminar to the Chennai small animals veterinarians and this program will be hosted by the WSAVA with assistance from the Pet Practitioners Association of Mumbai and the Small Animal Veterinarians of Chennai. This location was selected in an effort to spread the WSAVA CE program to parts of the Indian subcontinent other than Mumbai and to encourage the small animal associations of India to form a federation for future WSAVA CE programs. Veterinarians from all over India will be invited.
In September, Dr. Clarke has been invited to Taipei to speak to the Taipei Veterinary Association on behalf of the WSAVA CE program. This will be a 3-day program in association with animal health week with the similar theme of “A surgical trail from head to tail.”
In October, Dr. Clarke will travel to China again with Professor Peter Irwin of Murdoch University to present a program on internal medicine in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This may also include a stop in Hong Kong, but this has yet to be confirmed.

WSAVA Member Association Updates

A survey of 1,238 pet owners in the United States and Canada conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reveals that pet owners are pampering their pets now more than ever. Moreover, female pet owners seem to have a bigger soft spot for pets, since they are more likely than males to break household rules with a pet when their significant other is not around.
The results indicate that pets are getting preferential treatment as they become more important as members of the household. Of the survey respondents:
• When asked, “Who listens to you best?,” 45 percent choose their pet, while 30 percent choose their spouse or significant other.
• 82 percent think of their pet more than once while they are away from him or her during the day.
• 53 percent are spending more on their pets now than they did three years ago.
• If they were deserted on an island and could choose only one companion, 50 percent would pick a dog or cat rather than a human.
• 93 percent are likely to risk their own life for their pet, while 64 percent of owners would expect their pet to come to their rescue if they were in distress.
• When traveling without their pet, 61 percent leave their pet in the care of friends or family.
• 55 percent have an emergency preparedness plan that includes their pet in case of natural disasters such as fire, flood or earthquake.
• 94 percent think their pet has human-like personality traits, such as being emotional or sensitive, outgoing, inquisitive or stubborn.
• 94 percent take their pet for regular veterinary checkups to ensure their pet’s quality of life.
"Pet owners are going to great lengths to keep their pets happy and healthy," says Dr. Daniel S. Aja, president-elect of the American Animal Hospital Association. "From daily exercise and regular veterinary checkups to making arrangements for pets in case of emergency, this survey shows that pet owners are extremely dedicated to their beloved pets."

WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Update

Aside from the scientific program that features over 110 speakers providing CE in 9 simultaneous rooms on 26 different disciplines resulting in a total of 252 lectures to choose from at this year’s World Congress in Mexico City from May 11-14, a number of other unique events and social activities have been planned for your enjoyment. As well as the Animal Welfare Forum and State-of-the-Art Lectures, as overviewed in the March 2005 and January 2005 WSAVA News respectively, consider the following:
• A day-long symposium titled The Origin of the Dog In America and the 21st Century taking place on Saturday, May 14 with individual seminar topics including 100,000 years of history: the origin of the dog, native dog types in North America prior to the arrival of the European dog, the Andinan dog and its relationship with man, and the pre-Columbian dog in Mexico.
• Mexican Fiesta night – Thursday, May 12
Make new friends and renew old acquaintances while enjoying a traditional Mexican fiesta complete with Mexican food, drink, and folklore
• Gala Evening Dinner – Friday, May 13
The evening’s dinner will provide the finest examples of traditional Mexican cuisine and wine and will be held in the ancient temple and hospital of San Hipolito, which in 1964 was pronounced as a Colonial Monument by the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia. The dinner will be followed by a dance accompanied by a full orchestra (admission is not covered in the congress registration).

Don't miss out on this excellent CE and social opportunity. Visit the 2005 WSAVA Mexico City World Congress website for more information and to register.

Erratum

In the January 2005 WSAVA News Bulletin, sent out in hard copy through member associations, under the section titled Association Highlight – The International Veterinary Student’s Association (IVSA) the editor mistakenly identified Jasna Matjasic, IVSA president as attending the veterinary school in Thessalonica, Greece when in reality, she is studying at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubjana, Slovenia. My apologies.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - March, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports

WSAVA Microchip Committee – an ISO success story!
In February, a dog that had been found wandering unattended was presented to the Toronto (Canada) Animal Control services. It was obvious that the dog had an owner, as it was older yet appeared well cared for, having a number of physical handicaps that would have prevented its survival as a stray. The dog was immediately scanned for a microchip under Toronto Animal Control services unique microchip recovery program that ensures all stray animals are scanned for a microchip at first contact and if a microchip is present and the owner identified, the animal is driven home without ever entering the shelter facility. The City of Toronto supports this program by encouraging microchip implantation through the establishment of a differential license fee structure, resulting in a free lifetime license for the city of Toronto if the pet is both sterilized and microchipped. This particular dog was scanned and found to have an ISO standard microchip implanted; however, the unique ID number was not registered with any of the Canadian databases. This prompted an e-mail request for assistance to the WSAVA which was then forwarded on to the WSAVA Microchip Committee. The 15-digit unique ID number contained on any ISO standard microchip has been constructed so that the first 3 digits identify either the microchip manufacturer or the country of origin – as a result, Committee members were able to quickly established both the specific manufacturer of this dog’s microchip and the country where it had been implanted, which in this case was Portugal. Through subsequent contact with both the manufacturer’s distributor and supporting database in Portugal, the owner of the dog was quickly identified and based on information contained on the database, he was traced to an address in Toronto. Needless to say, the reunion was joyous occasion for both owner and pet, with the owner having given up all hope of seeing his dog again not recognizing that the means of pet identification he had purchased in Portugal would extend its reach across the ocean to Canada. This story underscores the value that adopting the ISO standards for microchip technology has brought to this industry. Through the use of a single, common microchip technology, compatibility between the various microchips and readers is ensured, regardless of manufacturer and where one lives in the world, replacing the historical multiple different forms of the technology many of which were incompatible (see related microchip story under News From Around the World). In addition to ensuring technological compatibility between products, the unique format of an ISO microchip (15 digits with the first 3 identifying either the country of implantation or microchip manufacturer) provides valuable assistance in pet recovery, particularly when the animal was microchipped in a different country (as was the case with this dog), or should the pet owner information not be traceable to a specific database. In the latter scenario, the first 3 digits allow the dog to be identified by way of the manufacturer and through their distribution network to end implanter. Had this dog not been implanted with an ISO-standard microchip, it’s unlikely that a successful pet recovery would have occurred.

NEWS From Around the World

USA - Microchip Manufacturer Files Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Against Avid Identification Systems and Digital Angel
The “microchip wars” continue in the USA with new legal undertakings. The following is an excerpt from a recent press release – to view the full text, visit http://news.findlaw.com/prnewswire/20050110/10jan2005160727.html
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Banfield, The Pet Hospital applauds the federal civil antitrust lawsuit filed late last month against Avid Identification Systems, Inc. of Norco, Calif., and Digital Angel Corp. of St. Paul, Minn., which alleges the two are participating in a monopolistic “conspiracy” in the marketing, sale and distribution of microchips and scanners used to identify lost Pets.
“Avid’s business practices are placing at risk the lives of animals whose owners have purchased RFID (radio frequency identification) chips for the very purpose of protecting their pets” according to the lawsuit filed by Crystal Import Corp. of Birmingham, Alabama. The microchip manufacturer filed the lawsuit Dec. 29 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division.
The lawsuit charges that Avid has used encryption technology and conspired with Digital Angel to keep 134.2 kHz microchip technology - which is used through most of the rest of the world and endorsed by the Internal Standards Organization - out of the United States to the detriment of pets and pet owners. The lawsuit alleges scanners used by animal shelters and veterinarians cannot read the encrypted 125 kHz Avid microchips unless supplied with encryption algorithm (a mathematical code) from Avid. The lawsuit states that Avid has provided the code to Digital Angel, but has refused to provide it to Crystal Tag and other companies that sell ISO-compliant chips.
“There is no technological necessity, cost benefit, manufacturing advantage or public benefit from Avid’s use of this encryption technology. Avid’s encryption of its chips is intended solely to exclude competitors and prospective competitors,” the lawsuit states.
“Avid’s statements to the industry, the marketplace and the press that the ISO-compliant 134.2 kHz microchips are unsafe or hazardous for pets are untrue, misleading and confusing to customers. Indeed, both Avid and Digital Angel sell and market ISO-compliant chips and readers in Canada and throughout Europe,” according to the filing.
“Avid has willfully and wrongfully maintained its monopoly power through anti-competitive and exclusionary behavior,” according to the lawsuit. “Avid has intentionally encrypted its chips for the sole purpose of preserving and increasing its monopoly power, creating impenetrable barriers to entry by other competitors in the relevant market and to otherwise protect and preserve its monopoly power.”

WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Update

Highlight on the Animal Welfare Forum: Kill or Cure – Humane Control of Stray Animals in Large Cities
This year’s forum addresses an animal control problem common to every large city, regardless of country, and an issue that directly or indirectly touches every companion animal veterinarian.
Moderated by Dr. Roger Clarke, forum speakers and topics include:
• Dr. Bernard Rollins: “Catechism and dogmatisms” - the complex physiology that controls humnan ownership of animals
• Professor Nestor Calderon: Bioethical aspects of humane stray dog and cat management in large urban centres
• Professor Leopoldo Estol: Approach and strategies to stray animal control in Buenos Aires
• Dr. Edward Donelan: To kill or control – humane animal control in a remote indigenous Australian community
• Dr. Neil Trent: Humane Society International – Humane animal control inititatives in the developing world
• Dr. Ray Butcher: ‘Spay, neuter and release programmes’ to ‘kill or not to kill’ – practical implications and population surveys – the first step
Many of the speakers will feature their personal experiences as poignant examples of the struggle between ethics and practicality in addressing this issue with often minimal resources and trying field conditions. So plan to attend this year’s Animal Welfare Forum scheduled as an all-day session on Saturday, May 14, 2005.
Visit the 2005 WSAVA Mexico City World Congress website for more information and to register.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - February, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports - a focus on WSAVA CE

Just 11 short years ago, members of the WSAVA Executive Board had an idea that the best way to provide excellence in small animal medicine for the central and eastern European regions was to share the technological advances and know-how of practitioners from around the world, regardless of socio-political situation. The whole project was set up after the first Central European national associations joining the WSAVA in Rome 1992. The then President of WSAVA, Dr Andrew Edney, carried out a great deal of early investigative work, progressing from common ideas with Dr. Jacques Drape. Then, in 1992 at the WSAVA World Congress in Rome, the path towards achieving the goal was laid under the guidance of Honorary Secretary Dr. Steve Ettinger. At that time the Czech and Slovak Small Animal Veterinary Association (CSSAVA) was joining the WSAVA under the representation of Dr. Gabriel Varga, the current WSAVA Immediate Past President, along with the Hungarian SAVA, represented by Melinda Magdus with the countries of that part of Europe were very keen to enhance their knowledge.

For participants, there were (and some of them still are) limited resources to travel to CE meetings. Locally, it was not yet possible to organize and finance workshops and the WSAVA lacked contacts in these regions. Consequently, the decision was made to cut costs by bringing the speakers to the people rather than the people to the speakers. Following the WSAVA Board meeting in Prague in January 1993 (the first meeting to be held in a post-communist country), the first WSAVA Continuing Education (CE) conference was held October 1993. The veterinarians from three central European countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia) were educated in the subjects of practice management and dermatology by Drs. Gabor Vajda and Didier Carlotti.

What is CE? Its goal is “to advance the quality and availability of small animal veterinary medicine and surgery” by providing education to practitioners who feel they need to refresh or refine their skills. Small animal practice is in all countries, but it is a growing field especially in emerging ones, and there is a big difference between the philosophies of large and small animal medicine. For many clients, their pet is an important member of the family. This new emphasis has given rise to a growing demand for more personal veterinary care extending into newer disciplines such as oncology, gerontology, and emergency/trauma care. Continuing education provides veterinarians who have specialised in large animal medicine, or who have not been exposed to these newer aspects of companion animal medicine, the chance to learn and apply these skills in their practices. More specialised conferences are held in countries where CE has been running for a longer period.

From its first success in a small region of Central Europe, WSAVA CE has continued to expand into many regions of the world and now includes over 26 countries in Asia, Europe, and Central and Latin America, with over 4,200 delegates attending the events in on a yearly basis.

However, WSAVA CE has no intention of resting on its laurels. Throughout 2004/2005, a whirlwind tour of over 30 conferences over three continents has been planned. A “modest” goal was set to achieve – to overcome a record in 2002 – when more than 25,000 invitations were sent out to veterinarians and meetings were attended by over 4,600 participants.

This global project cannot do without a kind contribution of the local WSAVA representatives acting as our local organizers nor without the regional coordinators – Drs. Clarke, Brauner, and Tello.

It is with a great pleasure that the WSAVA welcomes new countries, willing to join this project. The initial talks with the National representations of China, Iran, Tunis, Morocco, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, and Venezuela have started and the suitable topics have been discussed with several international lecturers.

Our great thanks goes to our sponsoring companies, for their long term partnership and generous support over this whole 11 years period – Bayer, Hill’s, Intervet, Waltham.

For those of you interested in taking an active participation within WSAVA CE meetings in your country, please contact your local representative to the WSAVA (this information is available from the WSAVA member association pages).

WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Update

Invitation from Dr. Raul Carrancá Rivera, Organizing Committee President
Dear Colleagues,
Warm greetings from Mexico. The Mexican Small Animal Veterinary Association (AMMVEPE) is pleased to invite you to join the 30th Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the 2nd Congress of the Federation of Ibero American Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FIAVAC) May 11-14th, 2005 in Mexico City.

Mexico City hosted the 6th WSAVA Congress in 1971 and 34 years later, after much hard work by our organizing committee, we have the honour of hosting this important event once again. We are excited that FIAVAC, created at the 2002 WSAVA Congress in Granada, Spain in order to promote veterinary science along common language and educational goals, elected to hold its congress in conjunction with the WSAVA in Mexico.

We are proud to offer an extensive scientific programme over four full days featuring nine simultaneous streams with 252 lectures, along with pre-congress symposia. Most lectures will be presented in English with simultaneous Spanish translation while those presented in Spanish will have simultaneous English translation.

The commercial exhibit will offer a large display of veterinary products, services and equipment. A shuttle service will take delegates from the reasonably priced selected hotels to the first class Banamex Conference Centre. Check the Congress website for information on the Banamex Centre as well as the trade exhibit and congress tours.

Mexico, and in particular, Mexico City offer wonderful tourism opportunities before or after your educational experience. We are looking forward to welcoming you with our traditional hospitality to share experiences with colleagues from around the world at this magnificent meeting.

IMPORTANT NOTE: VISA REQUIREMENTS to enter Mexico (Tourist or Business)
Citizens and/or residents of some countries require a VISA to enter Mexico as tourists or business visitors. A tourist card will be issued free of charge by the local Mexican Consulate or aboard the airline used to enter Mexico against proof of citizenship or residence. A VISA takes from 30 to 60 days to issue and your Congress Registration is a MUST to secure your VISA.
PLEASE CONTACT US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ASSIST In SECURING THIS VISA: info@congress-mexico.com.mx .

News from Around the World

WSPA is looking for a veterinary surgeon on short-term contract to work on disaster relief projects in Sri Lanka, Thailand and India (see below). If anyone can help, or knows of anyone who might be interested, please contact Elly at WSPA (EllyHiby@wspa.org.uk).
Essential qualities
- Qualified veterinary surgeon
- Experience of small animal neutering techniques and mass rabies vaccination protocols
- Experience of working overseas in developing countries
- Experience of working in veterinary mobile clinics
- Good team working and management skills
- Available immediately for overseas travel
Desirable qualities
- Language abilities
Time scale
To start IMMEDIATELY on a full-time, 2-3 month contract.
Role
- Help with the management and setting up of WSPA led projects in Sri Lanka, Thailand and India, including mobile veterinary clinics.
- Will work both as part of a team, and in a management role, with local animal welfare and veterinary organizations in these Indian Ocean countries.

WSAVA Monthly NEWs - January, 2005

WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports
Continuing Education
In a recent letter to WSAVA past-president Dr. Gabriel Varga, Dra. Adela Encinosa Linero, President, Scientific Veterinary Council of Cuba, extended "our eternal thankfulness" to the WSAVA for their support in organizing the second seminar of the Continuing Education Project. The November 19-20, 2004 seminar featured Ellen Bjerkas DVM, PhD, Diplomate ECVO and was attended by more than 300 Cuban veterinarians representing four of the 15 Cuban provinces, including 15 students of the Havana Veterinary Faculty. Plans are already underway for a third seminar to be held in 2005 with the intent to incorporate veterinarians from the majority of Cuba's 15 provinces.

NEWS From Around the World

Canada
The National Companion Animal Coalition (NCAC), comprised of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), the Canadian Kennel Club, and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, with participation from Agriculture & Agri-food Canada, announced that effective December 1, 2004, NCAC has adopted a new standard for electronic identification of companion animals based on the ISO standards (11784 and 11785). This follows earlier announcements by both the CVMA and the CFHS of their support for ISO microchip technology and replaces the previous Canadian User-Based Standard that was based on the old FECAVA standard. As part of the NCAC announcement, August 1, 2005, becomes the date when only microchips adhering to the ISO standards will be recognized by the NCAC as suitable for companion animal identification in Canada, including registration within supportive databases. While the NCAC has no regulatory authority to mandate adherence to their stated position, they will support those manufacturers/distributors that comply through a voluntary review process that evaluates available microchip technology with respect to three categories - the microchip, the reader, and the supportive database. Those companies in compliance will be recognized by the NCAC as providing product/service compatible with their stated position and hence, in keeping with their long-term vision of ensuring that Canadian microchip technology is compatible, regardless of manufacturer, and supported with appropriate backward/forward compatible readers and a robust database that is available for pet recovery regardless of any eventuality.

Middle East
As recently reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Conference was held in Kuwait City on September 21-23, 2004, bringing together 54 representatives of organized veterinary medicine from the United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait that included the AVMA, the Association of American Veterinary Colleges, the US Department of Agriculture, the US military, as well as high-ranking representatives of Kuwaiti, Afghan, and Iraqi veterinary schools, governments, and veterinary and agricultural organizations. The goal of the meeting was to establish a network for ongoing dialogue and to discuss ways that the United States veterinary profession can aid in redevelopment of veterinary medicine in Iraq and Afghanistan. The focus was on developing viable, collaborative solutions to repair/rebuild the veterinary infrastructure in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is in a state of disrepair.

United Sates
The Animal Poison Control Centre of the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently provided a poison alert cautioning animal owners that xylitol, a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gums, candies, and other products such as baking goods, can result in significant signs of toxicosis that may prove to be life-threatening for animals, particularly dogs. In dogs, clinical hypoglycemia due to the rapid release of insulin secondary to xylitol ingestion can result in neurological signs consisting of weakness, ataxia, mental depression, seizures, and coma. Pet owners of animals exhibiting these signs and having confirmed hypoglycemia should be questioned as to potential ingestion of xylitol containing products. For more information, visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Update
As part of the 252 lectures from 110 different speakers that form the foundation for the upcoming Mexico City World Congress, there will be four State-Of-The-Art lectures, designated with the acronym 'SOTAL' in the congress program. As their name implies, these lectures are designed to provide the attendee with the most recent information on current topics of clinical interest from world-renowned leaders in the specific disciplines involved. This year's lecturers and topics are:
• Dr. Johann Lang/Suiza - New developments in GI imaging - Wednesday, May 11 from 18:30-19:30
• Dr. J. Dubey Berger - Canine neosporosis - Thursday, May 12 from 11:30-12:20
• Dr. Chand Khanna - New developments with molecular markers in canine cancer - Thursday, May 12 from 15:30-16:20
• Dr. Cecile Clercx - Pathogenesis and treatment of canine bronchopneumonia - Friday, May 13 from 15:30-16:20
SOTALs are only one part of a continuing education event that promises to not only educate, but provide a wonderful venue to renew old acquaintances and make new ones as well. So, visit the Mexico City Congress website and register online today.

Request for Assistance
From Nigeria comes this request for assistance: should individual veterinarians, or veterinary associations, schools, or libraries be updating their reference volumes, please consider sending any veterinary textbooks that are being replaced to the University of Nigeria as their educationally disadvantaged community would be delighted to receive the materials. Please address any correspondence in this regard to:
Dr. Aminu Shittu
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Usmanu Danfodiyo University
P.M.B. 2254
Sokoto-Nigeria
e-mail: ameen_vet@yahoo.com