TVMA News   

Walmart has Veterinary Medicine in the Crosshairs 

Walmart is going after veterinary clinics nationally. They have launched an aggressive campaign aimed at their customers, urging them to take action and call on Congress to require mandatory prescription writing by passing H.R. 1406, the Fairness to Pet Owners Act. WalMart just sent out this message in support of the bill which would impose new stipulations on veterinary prescriptions. It would require a veterinarian to 1) write a prescription whether or not he/she will dispense the product; 2) provide a written disclosure notifying clients that they may fill prescriptions at the veterinary clinic or at an off-site pharmacy; and 3) verify a prescription electronically or by other means consistent with applicable State law.   The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health. Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn is a member of the subcommittee. We urge you to contact Rep. Blackburn.

Click here for her contact information. For more details, talking points and a link to contact your legislator, click here. If you have more questions, you may contact Ashley Morgan, Assistant Director for AVMA Governmental Division at amorgan@avma.org  or 202-289-3210

2012 Music City Veterinary Conference - March 9-11. Some of the speakers and topics are listed below:

 Rebecca Kirby, DVM - Emergency and Critical Care 

 Dave Van Metre, DVM - Food Animal Medicine
 Greg Ogilvie, DVM - Oncology
 Gary Norsworthy, DVM - Feline Medicine
 Johnathon (Bert) Dodd, DVM - Dentistry
 Dave Hustead, DVM - Vaccine Protocol
 Todd Huspeni, DVM - Parasitology
 Sherman Canapp, DVM - Orthopedic Surgery
 Sharon Center, DVM - Liver Diseases
 Nancy Loes, DVM - Nutritional Supplements
 Teresa DeFrancesco, DVM - Cardiology

 Wendy Myers, President of Comm Solutions for Veterinarians
 Ben Nabors, DVM - Equine
 Heath King, DVM - Equine
 Cathleen Mochal King, DVM - Equine

 Jennifer Allen DVM - Technician
 Kelly Baltzell MA - Social Media & Marketing
 Greg Brown MS - Suture Science & Selection
 Cheryl Cross DVM - Alternative Medicine
 Michael Dryden DVM
 Kurt Grimm DVM - Pain Management
 Rebecca Kirby DVM - Emergency & Critical Care 

FDA Warns Against Purchasing Pet Drugs Online
 "Discount pet drugs-no prescription required" may appeal to pet owners surfing the Web, but FDA experts say it can be risky to buy drugs online from sites that tout this message and others like it. Read More... 

Starting Salaries and Job Offers Down in 2011 for New Veterinary School Graduates

In its annual survey of graduating veterinary students, the AVMA has found that recent graduates from veterinary schools are getting fewer job offers and earning less in their first year of practice. In cooperation with the 28 U.S. veterinary schools and colleges, the AVMA conducts an annual survey of all fourth-year veterinary students in the United States. At the time of this year's survey, 74.3 percent of the students said they had received at least one job offer or offer for advanced education, which is down from 2010, when 78.9 percent had received offers and 2009 when 79.5 percent had received offers. Read More...

UT Veterinarians see promise in stem-cell therapy. Last month, news outlets reported Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had flown to Europe to have stem cells injected in his injured neck.The treatment - in which Manning would have given a blood or tissue sample, and his own stem cells would have been grown in a culture, isolated and injected back into his neck with the hope they'd decrease inflammation or even regenerate tissue faster - is not yet approved in the United States. The Federal Drug Administration puts biologic products under its purview, and it says there's not yet enough evidence the procedure is either safe or effective. But some professional athletes - including Manning and fellow veteran NFL player Terrell Owens - have gone out of the country to get it.  Read More...

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Every hour, a fixed camera captures an image of the work being done on our Large Animal Hospital expansion and renovation. Click here to see the latest image.

State Veterinarian's Office News

State News 

The State Veterinarian's office is proud to announce that Tennessee accredited veterinarians can now submit large animal Certificates of Veterinary Inspection on-line. Veterinarians interested in this service should contact Tina Rogers at 615-837-5120 to sign up for their user name and password. 

Federal Legislation Monitored by AVMA

Pfizer Animal Health and AVMF Invite Veterinary Students to Apply for the 2012 Scholarship Program which will be awarding up to $750,000

For the third consecutive year, Pfizer Animal Health and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation invite second- and third-year students of veterinary medicine to apply for the Pfizer Animal Health/AVMF Scholarship. In an effort to help address rising school debt, up to 300 scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded to assist students in all areas of veterinary medicine. To apply for the Pfizer Animal Health/AVMF Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, students can visit  www.vetstudentconnect.com or www.avmf.org/pfizer until November 30, 2011.

Foundation Earns Four Stars

Kudos to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation for reaching new heights. As a matter of fact, you can't get any higher. Charity Navigator, the leading charity evaluator in the country, recently awarded the AVMF four stars for the foundation's sound fiscal management, and commitment to accountability and transparency. 

The coveted four-star rating is Charity Navigator's highest, and achieving such status isn't easy. Charity Navigator evaluates more than 5,500 charities. More than 230 of them are in the Animal Rights, Welfare and Services category, which includes groups such as the AVMF, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Morris Animal Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States. The AVMF is one of only 53 charities that received a four-star rating in that group.

Blue-Green Algae Blooms

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) can occur when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, forming visible patches that may harm the health of the environment, plants, or animals. Read more from the CDC... 

• December 6-9 - UTCVM December Conference
• December 8 - UTCVM Equine Power Dentistry Course
• 2011 - World Veterinary Year - 250th Year Anniversary of Veterinary Medicine
• March 9-11, 2012 - Music City Veterinary Conference