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AnimalMatters
Foothill College Quarterly Edition
Spring 2018
InThisIssue:
• Supplements?AreTheytheRightChoiceforYourPet?
• FirstAnnualCaRVTASymposium
• BecomingaVeterinary“Nurse”:AQuotefromKenYagi
• FindingaJobattheJobFair!
• InspiringTechsEverywhere:AnInterviewwithNancyEhrlich
• TheBattleAgainstCanineInfluenza
• GreenSeaTurtle
FibropapillomatosisintheSpotlight
•
Supplements:AreTheyTheRightChoiceforYourPet?
By:SandyGregory,M.Ed,RVT,CCRA
Shouldyouprovideyourdogwithsupplements?Andifso,whichones,howmuch,howoften?Let’slookatthescientific
evidence…SupplementSuggestions:
1)Providingasupplementmeansthatyoubelievethatyourdogisnotgettingsufficientamountsofthatcomponentinitsdiet.Vitaminsandmineralsintheirnaturalformsoftenhavebetterbioavailabilityandretentionintissuesthantheirsyntheticcounterparts(1)sobesurethatatleastpartofyourdog’sdietconsistsoffresh(unprocessed)food.
2)Askyourself:Whatisthescientificevidencethatmydogshouldbegettingthissupplement?Seelistofrecommendedsupplementsandthescientificevidencebelow.
3)Manysupplementshaveamixtureofcomponentssothatthemanufacturercanclaimtheirsupplementasunique.Doyoureallyneedallofthoseadditives?
4)Stackthedeckinyourfavor–onlybuysupplementsfrommanufacturersthat:(a)providedataonallofthesupplement’snutrientsandmicronutrientsinthepackaging,and(b)areestablishedandhaveareputationtouphold.
5)Purchasesupplementsdesignedforandtestedindogs.Supplementsdesignedforhumansmightnothavethesamebioavailabilityasthosefordogsandsomemightevenhaveingredients,suchasxylitol,thatareunsafeorevenfatalfordogs.
Reduce,ReuseandRecycle!
NeverRecycleAnotherGlassJar!
They’reeasytowash(dishwasher-friendly),haveanairtightseal,freezewelland
don’tleachtoxicslikeBisphenol-A(BPA).
Substitute:Storeleftoversanddrygoods(insteadofbuyingcontainers)orpackyourlunchinglassjars.Note:Dependingonthedistanceofyourworkcommute,youmightchoose
stainlesssteellunchcontainersbecauseglassisheavy.
RecommendedSupplementsforActiveDogs
(andtheEvidence)
1)Joint-ProtectiveNutraceuticals–Adoseofabout20mg/lbofglucosamineperdayisrecommended.ProductsdesignedfordogsincludeDasuquinAdvanced,GlycoflexIIorIII.Naturalsourcesofglucosamineincludetrachea(1oz=~1400mg)andchickenfeet(onefoot=~400mg).
• TheEvidence:A2018meta-analysisofpublicationsonavarietyofdietarysupplementsforosteoarthritisinhumanssuggestedimprovementofpainandfunctionwithglucoasamine,chondroitin,MSMandavocadosoybeanunsaponifiables,althoughtheystatedthattherewasalsoaneedformorehigherqualityevidence.
2)Omega-3FattyAcids–Therecommendeddoseis15mg/lbofDHA.Makesurethesourceistestedforheavymetals.GoodsourcesincludeGrizzlySalmonOilaswellasNordicNaturals,butthereareothersaswell.
• TheEvidence:Two2016metastudiesconcludedthatthereisevidenceforthesystemicanti-inflammatoryeffectsofomega-3fattyacidsupplementation
3)Antioxidants–Antioxidantsaremosteffectiveiffedintheirnativeform.Blueberriesareveryhighinantioxidants,andaneasywaytoprovidethemisbypurchasingfreeze-driedblueberries.Giveabout10blueberriesforasmalldog,20foramediumdogand30foralargedogonceadayintheirfood.AvailableatAmazon.
• TheEvidence:Twostudiesshowthatdietscontainingantioxidantsimprovedcognitivefunctioninolddogs,sowhynotprovideantioxidantstoalldogsthatneedoptimumcognitivefunction?
TheVetcorder
TheVetcorderfromSentierisaECG/PulseOximeterdevice.This
smallpieceofequipmentwillallowthestudentstomonitorapatient’svitalswithoutevenhavingtobeintheroom!TheVetcorderconnectswirelesslytoanytablet,laptoporphone.Ittransmitstemperature,heartrateandoxygenrateofapatientunderanesthesiaor
recoveringfromsurgery.Thistoolcanevengohomewithclientstohelpthemmonitorhowtheirpetisdoing.Allvitalscanbesavedandloggedforlateruseandrecordkeeping.Oneofthesewonderfulthingshasbeendonatedtothe
program!Andstartinginthespringquarterwiththesenior’ssurgeryclass,theywillbeabletousethe
Vetcorder.
TheFirstAnnualCaRVTASymposiumBy:DaniFernandes
OnFebruary25thof2018,FoothillCollegeandtheVetTechProgramhostedthefirstannualCaRVTAsymposium.Manypeoplefromtheveterinaryfieldattended,aswellasseveralstudentsandteachersfromtheVetTechprogram.Atotalofeightspeakersgavelectures:StephanCital,NicoletteZarday,LeslieBoudreau,JeffBackus,AyllneMoon,KenichiroYagi,andtheprogramsveryownSandyGregory.ThewholeeventwassponsoredbyFoothillCollege,Mid-PeninsulaAnimalHospital,AdobeAnimalHospital,VCAAnimalHospitals,Sentier,HenrySchein,Abaxis,Purina,PetEmergency&SpecialtyofMarine,andCaRVTAitself.Withoutthetimeandeffortputinbythespeakersandthesponsors,thiseventcouldnothavetakenplace.
Severallecturestookplacerangingfromclientcommunicationtopainmanagementforouranimalfriends.Eachlecturewasincrediblyvaluable,openingtheeyesofallthepeoplewhoattended.Thetoxicitylecturetouchedonallthethingsthatcouldeasilyharmorkillapatient,fromchocolatetoxicitytomarijuanatoxicity.Theclienteducationlecturegaveplentyofhelpfultipsandpointersonhowaveterinarytechniciancanspeakwithaclientandhandlehardsituations.Anotherlecturefocusedonpassiverangeofmotion;givingatechniciannewskillsonhowtoworkwithpatientsrecoveringfromsurgeryandevengeriatricpatientswithintheclinicorinthehome.Thisinvaluableeventkickstartedthefirstofmanyjustlikethisone.Itbroughtpeoplewithintheveterinarycommunitytogether,creatingnewrelationships,inspiringspeeches,andnewfriendshipssuretolastalifetime.TheVeterinaryTechnicianprogramevengotanewpieceofequipmentdonatedtousbyRobertYoungfromSentier!Havingeventslikethesethathelpthestudentsandprofessorsnetworkwiththeveterinarycommunityalsocanleadtothingsthatcanhelptheprogramitself!
ImportantUpcomingDates:
• VeterinarySocietyofSurgical
OncologyMeeting:April9th-11th(UCDavis)
• VMCSchoolofVeterinaryPracticeManagement:April16th–20th,2018(SanDiego,CA)
• SASD:April29th,2018(FoothillCollege)
• PetReadyEvent:May19th,2018(FoothillCollege)
• EthosVeterinarySymposiumbyVetBloom:May20th,2018(SanDiego,CA)
• WildWestVeterinaryConference:Oct3rd–7th,2018(Reno,NV)
BecomingaVeterinaryNurse:AQuotefromKenYagiBy:KenYagiBS,RVT,VTS(ECC,SAIM)
MyjourneywiththeVeterinaryNurseInitiativestartedwhenIwasappointedthestaterepresentativecommitteechairandconductedanationalleadershipsummit.Whenaskedthequestion"doweneedtounitetheprofessionunderasinglecredentialunderthetitleofveterinarynurse?"theanswerwasaresounding"Yes!!".Fastforward3yearsofconversationswiththestates,moreleadershipsummits,discussionswithstakeholders,aseriesofsurveysandreportstotheNAVTAboard,itwasannouncedonMay15th,2017thattheVeterinaryNurseInitiativewillpursuethestandardizationofthecredential,includingcredentialingrequirements,definedscopeofpractice,CErequirements,andproperuseofasingletitleforourprofession,RegisteredVeterinaryNurse,onlybycredentialedindividuals.The2016NAVTAdemographicsurveyrevealedthat56%ofrespondentschangedjobswithin5-7years,andofthat,halfofthemhadactuallyleftveterinarymedicinealtogether.Andwearecertainlynothappyaboutthis.Reasonscitedwerelowwages,lackofrespect,burnout,compassionfatigue,alackofvalueofcredentialing,poorutilizationinpractice,lackofreciprocity,andlackofpublicrecognition.PartofthesechallengesarisefromthepatchworkofcredentialswehaveintheUnitedStateswherewehaveLicensed,Registered,andCertifiedVeterinaryTechnicians,andonestatwithLVMT,onestatewithoutcredentialingatall,andseveral
TechTip!
What’swrongwiththistag?Lookclosely….
ANSWER:Youcannotseeanyofthe
importantinformationforyourpet.
Youshouldcheckyourpet’stagseverycoupleofmonthsfor…
1. Legibility–engravingscanwearoffeasily
2. Updatedphonenumbers3. Changeofaddress
statesnothavingalicensuresysteminplace.Thepatchworkofcredentialsleadstoveterinarytechnicianshavingvariedtitles,withushavinginconsistentregulatedjobtasks,andinsomestates,wedon'texist,legally.TheVNIaimstobringasinglecredentialtotheUS,whichwilladdresstheseissues.AnotherpartoftheVNIistochangeourtitlefromveterinarytechniciantoveterinarynurse.Thekeyreasonforthischangeisbecausewhile"technician"istiedtobeingfocusedonthescienceandtechnologyusedintheworkweperform,theterm"veterinarynurse"willincludeourroleofprovidingpatientanddisease-focusedcareusingthescienceandtechnologytoactonourcriticalthinkingandjudgmenttobringapatienttohealing.Thefamiliarityofthetitlewillbringclearunderstandingandexpectationsofourroleintheveterinaryteambythepublicduetothefamiliarity."VeterinaryNurse"isalsothetermusedbythevastmajorityofthecountriesintheworldforourrole,addingtotheunderstanding.Throughoutthepastcoupleofyears,wehavebeenreachingoutthroughmediaoutlets,conferences,ournationaldistrictrepresentatives,andwebsessionsmuchlikethisonetodistributeinformationandgatheringfeedback.Atimelinewassettointroducenewlegislationinacoupleofstatesin2018tostarttheprocess.WearecurrentlyworkingwiththeveterinarytechnicianinthestateofOhiotosupportthegrassrootseffort.Thisfirstyearwillbealearningprocessforusinworkingwiththelegislaturefromanationallevel.
SupportOurProgram!
OurnextfundraiserwillbeatChipotleinMountainView.Just
comeandeatandChipotledonates50%oftheproceedstoour
program.DateandTimeTBA.Wewouldlovetoseeyouthere!
FindingaJobatTheJobFair!By:DaniFernandes
OnFebruary7th,2018,studentsandgraduatesalikeattendedtheVeterinaryTechnologyJobFair.Thiseventismeanttoconnectstudentsandgraduateswithemployers.Theveterinarycommunitycomestogetheratthejobfairtoinspirestudentsandcreatealittlefriendlycompetitionamongpracticesandotherveterinaryemployersinhiringoutcurrentandformerstudents.Withthehelpoftheprofessorsofthevettechprogram,andallthewonderfulvettechs,staffanddoctorsthatputonthisevent,studentsaregiventherareabilitytosurveyjustasmallportionoftheveterinaryfield.Theclinicsandbusinessesthatattendedwere:SanFranciscoSPCA,SunnyvaleVeterinaryClinic,OakridgeVeterinaryClinic,LosGatosDogandCatHospital,SanJoseAnimalCareCenter,NorthPeninsulaVeterinaryEmergencyClinic,AlpineAnimalHospital,SiliconValleyVeterinarySpecialists,VeterinaryVision,AnimalCovePetHospital,HumaneSocietySiliconValley,AdobeAnimalHospital,BanfieldPetHospital,PinnacleAnimalHospital,PMI,VCAHospitals,SageCenters,AragenBioScience,-PeninsulaVeterinaryHospitalandPetEmergencySpecilatyCenterofMarin.Eachgroupcamewithgoodies,flyersandevengamestohelpenticestudentstojointhemintheirfieldofwork.Eachtablewasmoreenthusiasticthanthelast,talkingaboutwhattheirclinics/businesseshadtooffertoyoungmindsworkingtowardstheirfutures.Manypeoplewanderthroughtheirliveswithnorealdirection,andnorealhelptofigureouttheirpath.Butwithinthisprogram,surroundedbyprofessorsandstudentsthatwillstopatnothingtosupporteachotherandhosteventslikethisisamajorfactorinwhatmotivatesourstudentstostriveforwhattheyreallywanttodowiththeirlives.Evenpeoplewhoweren’tpartofthevettechprogramstoppedbytopartakeinthisevent,gainingsomenewfoundknowledge,andhopefullyeveninspiringthemtotrytheirhandintheveterinaryfield.Thankstoeveryone’spassionandeffort,ourfreshmenstudentsgotawonderfultasteofthehappinesstheveterinaryworldcanbringtothem,aswellastheknowledgethatcaneasilyexpandtheirhorizonsbeyondasmallgeneralpractice(eventhoughthosearejustasamazing!).Aspecialshoutoutalsogoesouttotheseniorstudents.Eachonewasincrediblyproudandexcitedtopullaroundthefreshmenstudents,introducingthemtoclinicstheyworkat,like
ASpecial“ThankYou”ToNancy!
Nancyandherhusbandhavealsogreatly
contributedtotheFoothillVetTechprogram!Sincetheybothworkeddeeplywithinthedentalaspectoftheveterinaryfield,theyhavedonatedtowards,taughtandalmostperfectedthedentalclass!
orhaveattendedfortheirownneeds.Theyhelpedtomotivatethefreshmenandguidethemalongeachstation,hopingtogeteachstudentinterestedineachdifferentclinic.Byspeakingtoeachperson,theytriedtofigureoutwhattheywanted,andthenplacedthemintherightdirection.
InspiringTechsEverywhere:AnInterviewwithNancyEhrlich
By:DaniFernandes
NancyEhrichisanamazingwomanonanamazingjourneytohelpvettechsnotonlybetterthemselvesbutbeunderstoodproperlybythegeneralpublic.Shebeganintheearly1970s,aftermovingfromNewYorktotheBayArea,aftermeetingabeautifulveterinarianfromtheBerkleyHumaneSocietythathappenedtobeawoman.Atthetime,shewasasecretaryataDonutFactory,butaftermeetingher,shedecidedtheanimalpathwastherightpathforher.Shebegantakingmanyscienceclassestogaintheexperiencenecessarytofollowingtheveterinarypath.ShealsobeganvolunteeringinAlbanyatananimalhospitalonSundayswithaveterinarian.Theyendedupworkingalonemuchofthetime,gettingtoknoweachotherandspendlotsoftimetogether.Thatveterinarianendedupbecomingherhusband.Withhisloveandsupportandherendlessdetermination,sheappliedtovetschool.Sadly,becausethetimesweresodifferentbackthen,onlytenwomenwereallowedatatimetoentervetschool.Thecompetitionwastoogreat,andshedidn’tmakeitwhensheapplied.In1974,theCVMApassedabillcreatingthenewpositionofaRegisteredVeterinaryTechnician.Withthisbill,itcreatedthepropertitlefor
Joanna’sJokeCorner
Whatisacat’sfavoritemovie?
TheSoundsofMew-sic
Whathasfourlegs,atrunk,andsunglasses?
AMouseofVacation
WhatdoWhalesEat?
Fish&Ships!
WhatisthedifferencebetweenandelephantandaZippo?
TheZippoisalittlelighter!
WhatdoyouCallanAlligatorinaVest?
AnIn-vest-igator
thepeoplewithinthetechniciancategory.Nancywaiteduntilthesecondexam;sincethefirsttookplaceinL.A.,andthesecondtookplaceintheBayArea.ShepassedinFebruary1976.Withhernewlicensure,Nancyandherhusbandbuilttheirownveterinarypractice.Herhusbandgreatlyenjoyedthedentalaspectofveterinarymedicine,whileshelovedthelaboratoryaspectofit.Theirhospitalhadanamazingdentalsuit,andaverysophisticatedlabforNancytoworkin.Shelovedhernewhome,aplacewhereshecouldworkindependentlyratherthanhavingtobeanassistant.Also,togetherwithsomecoworkers,shestartedtheAlamedaVetTechAssociation,whichlaterbecametheBayAreaVetTechAssociation.Thisbeganhertravelintothepoliticalworldoftheveterinaryfield.Shebecameaboardmember,andafterlaterleavingtheboard,continuedtoattendmeetingsandhasbeenformorethan40years.There,usinghervoice,shehasbeenabletohelpshapewhatwenowknowandunderstandasveterinarytechnicians.Shelovestomentorandhelppeopleandbeinginvolvedonthemedicalboardandwithpolitics,she’sbeenabletodojustthat.Suchaswiththenewestpushwithinveterinarymedicine;changingthetitleveterinarytechnician,toveterinarynurse.Eventhoughatfirst,shedidn’tquietagreewiththetitle,shefoundherselfusingthetitlenursemoreoftenthennot.Thetitledoesn’tfullydojusticetothepositionwefill,butitisprettyclose,andwedeservetohaveatitlethepubliccaneasilyappreciateandunderstand.Alongwitheventsanddecisionslikethisone,sheispushingtocreateabetterwordforveterinarytechniciansandveterinarymedicineingeneral.Nancy’sbiggestrecommendationtovettechs,andpeopleintheprocessofbecomingoneistogetinvolvedinpolitics.Byattendingmeetings,creatingactivistgroupsandgettingdivingintothepoliticalworldofveterinarymedicine,wehelpcreatealoudervoiceforthepeopletohear.Sincetheveterinaryfieldisfastgrowingandalwayschanging,havingpeoplestandupforwhattheybelieveinandwanttochangewillcreateawholenewaspectwithintheveterinaryfield.Somanypeoplestayquietandhideinthebackground,butthatwon’thelpchangetheworldweliveinnow.Shesuggestsfindingaplacewhereyouarehappy,aclinicyouknowyouwillthrivein.Bethebesttechyoucanbe!Useyourskills,specialorgeneral,andgrowwiththem.Takethoseskillswithyoutothemeetingsthemedicalboardholdsandshowthemwhatmakesvettechssogreat.Showthemwhythereneedtobechangesmade,andhowtobettershapetheworldofveterinarymedicine.EventhoughitseemsNancyhadagolden
FieldtripFun!
SixFlagsDiscoveryKingdom
PaloAltoJunior
MuseumandZoo
CalAcademy
OfScience
situation,withahusbandthatcreatedtheperfectenvironmenttohoneherskills,shestillfacedmanyobstaclesandobstructionsthatcausedmajorbumpsintheroad.Everyonemuststartsomewhere,andthebestplacetobeginisinaclinicthatmakesyouhappy,surroundedbyanetworkofpeoplewhowillsupportyouthroughanyeventthatmaycomeacross.Don’tletanythingoranyoneholdyoubackandfollowyourdreamstonotonlybecomeandamazingperson,butasupervettech,andsomeonewhocanchangetheworldwithjusttheirvoice.Youropinionmatters,standupandfightforwhatyoubelievein!Andwhoknows,maybethenextarticlewillbewrittenaboutyouandyourachievements!
TheBattleAgainstCanineInfluenzaBy:KatieMurphy(2017FoothillGraduate)
Thepastfewmonthshavebeentoughforveterinaryprofessionals,asdogsaroundtheBayAreahavebeencatchingtheflu.Thehighlycontagiouscanineinfluenzaviruscancausecoughing,sneezing,nasaland/oroculardischarge,fever,lossofappetite,andlethargy.Thoughthesesymptomscanindicatethatadogisinfectedwiththeinfluenzavirus,alackofsymptomsdoesnotguaranteethatadoghasgoneunscathedbythisdisease,sinceclinicalsignsdon’tappearuntil2-8daysafterexposure.Infecteddogsmaybesheddingthevirusbeforetheyshowany
symptoms,andsomeinfecteddogsnevershowanysymptomsbutstillshedthevirus.Thevirusistransmittedthroughdirectcontactbetweendogs,throughaerosolsreleasedwhendogscough,bark,orsneezetheircontaminatedrespiratorysecretions
intotheair,throughthesharingofitemssuchasleashesorwaterbowls,andthroughcontactbetweendogsandhumans(i.e.whenhumanscomeintocontactwithinfecteddogsandthenspreadthediseasebyinteractingwithuninfecteddogs).Areaswheredogsarekeptinclosequarterswithoneanotherrepresentahigherriskforthespreadofinfection,placessuchasgroomingfacilities,shelters,andboardingfacilities. SheltersintheBayAreahavebeenhithardbytherecentinfluenzaoutbreak.AttheSanJoseAnimalCareCenter,acoughspreadlikewildfireamongtheresidentcanines,promptingthe
AnimalFunFacts
ATasmanianDevilcanopenitsjaws80degreesandhasabiteforce3.6
timesitsbodyweight!
EverykickoftheRedKangaroohasaforceof759lbs!
Thereare150,00muscleunitsinanAsianelephant’strunk.Itsnosehasthestrengthandflexibilitytostoreandsprayagallonofwater—or
uprootatree.
Ittakes15millisecondsforanAfricansecretarybirdtogiveadeadlykick,whichhelpsthese
predatorscontrolreptilepopulations.
medicalstafftoimplementnewprotocolstocontainthevirusandpreventanyfurtherspreadoftheinfection.Roomshavenowbeenbrokenintothefollowingcategories:clean-breakrooms,whereuninfecteddogsarekept;quarantinerooms,wheredogswhoarepossiblyinfectedarekept;andisolationrooms,wherethedogsshowingsymptomsconsistentwithcanineinfluenzaarekept.Inalloftherooms,employeesarerequiredtochangeglovesaftereachinteractionwithanewdog,andtheyarealsorequiredtoweargownsandshoecoversinthequarantineandisolationrooms.Maddie’sFundwasgenerousenoughtosponsortestingofallthedogsintheshelterfortheinfluenzavirus.ThemedicalstaffandsomewonderfulvolunteerstookonthedauntingtaskofcollectingsampleseachweekfromallthedogsuntilthePCRtestscamebacknegativetwiceforeachdog.Thankstotheeffortsofeveryoneinvolved,thenumberofcoughingdogsintheshelterhasbeendrasticallyreduced,andpresentlyalltheroomsintheshelterareconsideredclean-breakroomsexceptforoneisolationroom.Hopefully,thestrategiesimplementedbysheltermanagementtocontrolthespreadofthediseasecanbeputtousebyotherfacilities.AndtheresultsofthetestingsponsoredbyMaddie’sFundmayhelpshapeourunderstandingofthisvirus,sowecanfightitmoreeffectivelyinthefuture.
GreenSeaTurtleFibropapillomatosisintheSpotlight
By:TessaBuchin,RVT
Tessa graduated in 2016, and is a writer and editor of online veterinary and animal health content. She is working on a campaign to draw attention to GTFP and coastal
habitat conservation.
Thegreenseaturtlespecies(Cheloniamydas)issymbolicallysacred,andisoftenillustratedasasentineloftheseainstoriedoriginsoftheEarth.Althoughthespecieshasalifespanofnearlyacentury,itisboththreatenedand/orendangeredduetoanthropogenicimpacts.Beyondourunderstandingofmeasurabledangers,greenseaturtlealphaherpesvirus-associatedfibropapillomatosis(GTFP)isoneofthelargestthreatstotropicalandsubtropicalAtlanticandPacificpopulations.Thepathogenesisoftheconditionispoorlyunderstoodbyscientistsandveterinaryprofessionals.GTFPwasfirstnotedin1938inKeyWest,Florida,andmostlyaffectsnearshorehabitatsandjuvenilegreenturtlesata92%afflictionrateinsomepopulations.TheconditionhasturnedupinAustralia,Japan,Brazil,andisdocumentedintheCaribbean,theGulf,Texas,Hawaii,andFlorida.TheprevalenceofGTFPislowinpelagicturtles,whichsuggeststhatinvasivemicroalgae,poorhabitatquality,andeutrophicationmaybemultifactorialdrivers.Similarly,ectothermimmunefunctionisstronglyinfluencedbytemperature,sowarmingoceanandcoastalwatersareplausiblyimpactinggreenturtleimmunity;someresearchershypothesizethatparasitesserveasmechanicalvectorsofthevirus.
Contact/Inquiries
SandyGregory12345ElMonteRoadLosAltos,[email protected]
NewsletterEditing/Design:HannahGreenspan,DaniFernandesandRichardNguyen
Afflictedturtlespresentwithbenignhyperplasiaaroundthearmpits,genitals,neck,eyes,andtails,andtumorswhichimpedetheheart,lungs,andkidneys.Thesegrowthsaffectthespecies’abilitytosurvivebyimpairingsight,compromising
foragingabilities,impairingmobility,andtriggeringinternalorganfailure,leadingtohighmortalityrates,secondaryparasiticinfections,malnutrition,eventualstarvation,andchronicanemia.Diagnosisofaffectedinternalorgansisdoneusingradiography,CTimaging,andlaparoscopy.Currenttreatmentmethodsincludetraditionalsurgery(scalpel),electrocautery,cryosurgery,andtheuseofCO2lasers.Afairlynewexperimentaltreatment,electrochemotherapy,incorporatesdrugsandshort,high-voltageelectricalpulsestodrivenon-permeantchemotherapyagentsintocancercells.Sowhatcanwedo?Managingandevaluatingourcarbonfootprintisagoodplacetostart.Asforveterinaryprofessionals,weshoulddirectourattentiontowardssupportingresearchandrehabilitationeffortsinthefield.TessaBuchin,RVT,attendedaseminarbyDr.DougMaderon
GTFPatthe2015WesternVeterinaryConferencewhilestudying
inFoothill’sveterinarytechnologyprogram.Lookingforwaysto
PhotoCredit:PeterBennett&UrsulaKeuper-Bennett