News from VNoC & VIoC                                        
June 2015

Serving veterinarians and companion pets in Maryland, Delaware, DC and beyond

Managing Compassion Fatigue
By Cheryl Lewis-Arnold, CVPM, VNoC & VIoC Practice Administrator

Due to the nature of the work, veterinary medicine ranks as one of the top professions in which compassion fatigue is a factor. With compassion fatigue, we reach a point where we care too much, or care too little. Only empathetic, caring people suffer from compassion fatigue -- and they are the very people who are so critical to our profession. It, no doubt, contributes to why, according to a recent study by the AVMA, 1 in 6 veterinarians has considered suicide.

Practice owners and managers should look for the following signs in employees/associates and themselves:
* dread of working with certain co-workers.
decreased feelings of work competence.
diminished sense of purpose.
diminished enjoyment of career.
dread of working with certain clients or situations. MORE>>

Photo by Red Leash Pet Photography
Cervical Arthroplasty: Artificial Disc Replacement for Disc-Associated Wobbler Syndrome
By Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)

For more than 15 years, I've had a special interest in the definitive treatment of cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM or Wobbler Syndrome). The two most commonly recognized forms of the disease include the static form (young Great Danes and Mastiffs) and dynamic CSM (middle-aged Dobermans, Rottweilers and retrievers).

Over the past several years, I have been involved in development of a new surgical treatment that treats dynamic CSM in a much more physiological manner: cervical arthroplasty using an artificial disc developed by Dr. Filippo Adamo in California. I am the first veterinary neurosurgeon in the mid-Atlantic area to perform the procedure. MORE>>

Houligan the Pug
and 
the Canine Vaccine Trial

In the April issue of this newsletter, we announced that VNoC is participating in two brain research projects that, long-term, could have implications for humans. 

One is a canine vaccine trial at the University of Minnesota, that is studying malignant gliomas and meningiomas and has shown extended survival with both tumor types. This is the story of one of VNoC's patients, an 8 1/2 year old Pug named Houligan, who is participating in this trial, as told by his owner, Amy S.

We got Houligan when he was 8 weeks old. He's the first dog I've ever had, though my husband has had dogs before, and he's become a member of our family.

In January, Houligan began to have seizures. We went to the emergency veterinarian who prescribed phenobarbital. It seemed to work at first, but 3 or 4 weeks later, he had more seizures. That's when we came to see Dr. McDonnell, who recommended an MRI. The results showed a tumor. Dr. McDonnell explained that it could be a 'good' tumor in a bad spot--but in the end, it turned out to be a bad tumor in a bad spot in the brain. I really appreciated how Dr. McDonnell was able to simplify what was a complex problem and diagnosis - especially at a time that was quite emotional, learning what was wrong with Houligan.  MORE>>


From the VIoC Case Files: Cerebellar Mass Effect
By  Kevin C. Stevens, ARRT, RT (R)(MR)

In this case study, VIoC's Chief of Imaging, Kevin C. Stevens, discusses the MRI findings of a 10- year-old German Shepherd who became acutely painful and down in all four limbs. The patient was evaluated by a neurologist and found to be tetraparetic from a neurological disruption of the brain or upper cervical spine. MORE>>
 

Local Events & CE Opportunities

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
TBA

All AACVMA meetings are held at Yellowfin Steak and Fish House, 2840 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD. 6:30pm Happy Hour. 7pm meeting.  
 
Sept. 3: Neurology - John H. Rossmeisl, Jr., DVM, MS, DACVIM,  Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

All meetings are held at The Elks Lodge, 8421 Arlington Blvd. (Rte. 50), Fairfax, VA. Each seminar provides a maximum of 6 hours of continuing education credits: 3 hours in the morning session and 3 hours in the afternoon session.
 
Nov. 10: Winter Conference
Dover Downs, Dover, Delaware.

Sept. 17: Autoimmune Disease - Andrew Mackin, BSc, BVMS, MVS, DVSc, FANZCVSc, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine), Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine

 

All GBVMA meetings are held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore North - Pikesville located just inside the Baltimore Beltway (695) at exit 20 S., Resiterstown Rd., on the right-hand side. Each seminar provides a maximum of 6 hours of continuing education credits: 3 hours in the morning session and 3 hours in the afternoon session.

 

MARYLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 

The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Hosted by DC Veterinary Medical Association, Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine.