Look for IVMA Survey this Week

Watch your email for a survey from the IVMA later this week. The survey will be asking practicing veterinary professionals about Iowa’s requirements for veterinary technicians to pass a VTSE on jurisprudence to become an RVT and if a similar state jurisprudence exam should be a requirement for veterinarians to be licensed in Iowa.

If you have any quesitons about the survey, please reach out to the IVMA office.

EHM Cases Reported 

An outbreak of EHM originated at the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Finals and Elite Barrel Race event Nov. 5-9 in Waco, Texas. According to the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), officially confirmed EHM cases have been reported to date in the following states: Texas (7); Oklahoma (3); Louisiana (3); Colorado (1); New Mexico (1). Additionally, one EHV-1 case with no neurologic signs has been confirmed in Oklahoma.

The EDCC and AAEP have several resources on the subject:

EDCC

• EHM Outbreak Summary
• EHV Fact Sheets for Horse Owners
• Biosecurity Protocols
• EDCC Social Media Q&A Post
• All Disease Alerts

AAEP

• Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1 & EHV-4) Disease Guidelines
• EHM & EHV-1 Frequently Asked Questions
• Infectious Neurologic Disease Field Diagnostic Guidelines
• Equine Herpesvirus (Rhinopneumonitis) Vaccination Guidelines
• AAEP Social Media Biosecurity Infographic Post (share with your clients!)
• AAEP Social Media “What is EHV?” Infographic Post (another share for your clients)

Nominations are Now Open for the 2026 CVM Alumni Awards

The ISU College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking nominations for its annual alumni awards which will be presented in fall of 2026. We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize deserving colleagues. The deadline for nominations is March 9, 2026.

Nominations are being invited in the following award categories:

 Stange Award

William P. Switzer Award

Lorraine J. Hoffman Graduate Alumni Award

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Please click here for award description and nomination form. 

https://vetmed.iastate.edu/alumni-giving/alumni/alumni-awards/

Questions? Please contact: Tracy Raef at traef@iastate.edu

Free Webinar - Regulatory Considerations of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Veterinary Medicine

The Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) are offering a free webinar as part of its Build a Healthier Veterinary Practice series.

Regulatory Considerations of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Veterinary Medicine

December 18, 1:30 pm CST

By: Beth Venit, VMD, MPH, DACVPM

A misconception about artificial intelligence (AI) devices is that because the software or devices are not regulated by the federal government, the use of them is not regulated. Failing to recognize this put licensees at risk for disciplinary action by regulatory boards. This presentation will summarize common and current laws that govern the practice of veterinary medicine and how these laws apply to use of Artificial Intelligence. It will also address new concerns that veterinarians need to be aware of as they start using AI, such as automation bias, hallucinations, and black boxes. This presentation will be based on the white paper that AAVSB released earlier this year: Regulatory Considerations for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Veterinary Medicine.



Register here

Previous webinars in the series can be viewed here at no cost to IVMA members.

AVMA Volunteer Opportunities

The AVMA would like to invite you to explore the Committee and Council positions available currently and in 2026. Please visit the Volunteer Opportunities section of the AVMA website to learn more. The list of vacancies includes incumbents whose terms end in July 2026 and are identified by an asterisk (*) next to their names. Please note that those individuals eligible for reappointment must still be nominated to be considered.

For those positions with the Nominations Due date listed as “Ongoing”, nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis until all positions are filled. The candidate's nomination form and resume must be received at least 30 days prior to the Board of Directors (BOD) meeting at which the appointment is to be considered.

For positions expiring in July 2026, the deadline to submit nominations for Committee positions is March 1, 2026, and the deadline to submit nominations for Council positions is May 1, 2026.

REMINDER:

• All Committee nominations must include the Nomination Form and a resume (2 pages maximum).
• For Councils, a nomination is considered complete only when each of the following has been received: Nomination Form, Campaign Guide document, photo and 2-minute video. Complete nominations received by the May 1 deadline will be included in the Campaign Guide that is disseminated to the House of Delegates members prior to the HOD meeting. Nominations received after the May 1 deadline will require a nomination from the floor during the HOD meeting and must be received no later than 10 days before the HOD Session at which they will occur.

Please submit all nominations via email to OfficeEVP@avma.org.   

Clinical CE to Help Your Meet

 Licensing Requirements

Did you know that AVMA Axon® offers a wide range of clinical CE? Axon’s catalog of on-demand CE webinars covers everything from feline dentistry to cattle respiratory disease—all free or discounted for AVMA members. Here are three of the most popular courses:

• Brachycephalic dogs: Respiratory function grading
• Honeybees and veterinarians
• Small ruminant medicine for general practitioners

View all AVMA clinical CE here.

Survey Invitation - Use of Blood Products in Farm Animals

Are you a large or mixed animal vet in the US? Do you perform blood or plasma transfusions at your practice? If so, please participate in this survey.

Researchers at North Carolina State University are conducting a nationwide study surveying the use of blood products in farm animal species, including cattle, small ruminants, camelids, and pigs. This study aims to describe the protocols and techniques used for collecting, storing, and administering these blood products in both private practice and academic settings. The summarized findings of this study will be made publicly available and help identify future areas of research.

This survey consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions and takes ≤15 minutes to complete. Please note that all responses are anonymous, and no personal identifiers are collected, except for the state you practice in.

Please feel free to forward this and the link (https://forms.gle/5vMG5bbyyz6trEgRA) to any mixed or large animal colleagues within the US that may be interested!

This study has been approved by the NC State Institutional Review Board. For questions about the survey or the research study, please contact Cileah Kretsch-York (cmkretsc@ncsu.edu) or Lisa Gamsjäger (lgamsja@ncsu.edu). Please reference study number 28458.