July 2024

Exotic pets run the gamut from mice all the way up to ball pythons with everything in between. If you live in a large urban area, chances are there is an exotics vet near you. But, in this month’s cover story, our expert writer talks about “exotic pet deserts” and how general practitioners can fill in the gap for care of exotics in such locations.

AAHA president Mark Thompson, DVM, CCRP, talks about the importance of end-of-life care in ensuring a dignified and compassionate departure for our beloved animal companions. The AAHA Community debates the pros and cons of using AI. This month’s Scoop headlines include: Retrievers have a gene mutation that may cause excess hunger; State of the workplace health report; WSU veterinarians receive awards for teaching and research, and more!

Nutrition specialist Martha G. Cline, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), Senior Manager for Veterinary Technical Communication at Nestlé Purina PetCare, answers the five questions.

Jade Petrie, RVT, Technician Supervisor at VCA Welborn Animal Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, is this month’s Employee of the Month.

A new case report in JAAHA describes how surgeons managed a painful tibial nerve neuroma that developed relatively quickly after the nerve was damaged during a previous medical procedure.

We could define an “Exotic Pet Care Desert” as an area where there are no veterinarians with skills or interest in exotic animal medicine and surgery. In such an area, how can a general practitioner provide compassionate care to an animal they are not familiar with? Let’s start with some basics.

Many practice owners start thinking about selling too late—whether they hope to sell to an individual or a corporation. That’s because finding a practitioner-buyer other than an associate can take several years, and consolidators typically require sellers to keep working for years. So what do you do?

Historically, veterinary medicine has primarily approached respiratory and gastrointestinal clinical signs as independent problems. However, given the shared anatomy of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, it is impossible to separate these disorders.

End-of-life care for pets has evolved by leaps and bounds in recent years. Modern-day practices offer many different services around this sensitive time, going beyond the traditional, limited options.

Innovative youth outreach and scholarship programs support students to diversify and strengthen the veterinary profession.

When a local zoo veterinarian called to request a tooth extraction for a North American black bear, Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP (Canine & Feline), and his team discovered the bear had a fractured right lower canine tooth, common in bears due to their powerful jaws and the demands of their natural foraging behaviors.

Esmeralda Cano, DVM, joined Central Line podcast to discuss the mission of Vetspacito, a platform aimed at breaking down language barriers in veterinary care.

This algorithm from the 2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats can help your team know when an extended nutritional evaluation is required. The full guidelines are available at aaha.org/nutrition.