Weekly companion animal news: April 13, 2020

Vermont seeks COVID-19 medical help from all professionals, including veterinarians

Anxious to find any medical help they can during the state’s COVID-19 response, Vermont officials are open to having veterinarians help care for people. The state was in the process of setting up “medical surge facilities” with extra hospital beds to relieve pressure on existing hospitals when the COVID-19 peak arrives, expected to be later this month. They need people to staff these beds, so they’re asking for help from a Medical Reserve Corps of retirees, students and others with some sort of medical experience, including veterinarians, the Associated Press reports. They posted a volunteer sign-up online. “We are good at dealing with stress,” said Dr. Erin Forbes, a veterinarian and spokesperson for the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association. “I think it’s very intriguing and I think that if people are going to die and we can save their lives, I think most people probably wouldn’t care” that they’re being treated by a veterinarian. Ohio officials have issued a similar call.

Veterinary practices warn of PPE shortages

Many veterinary hospitals are running low on personal protective equipment and are having trouble reordering supplies, a new survey shows. Ralph Johnson, CEO of Veterinary Medical Association Executives, told members in an April 2 email that 22% of the more than 1,500 hospitals surveyed expected to run out of surgical masks in seven days or less. Four out of every five clinics had no N95 respirators on hand. The survey, conducted March 24 and 25, found that ordering masks and gloves was especially difficult. “Seventy-one percent of veterinary practices that have placed reorders for PPE supplies are unable to obtain a date certain for delivery,” Johnson wrote. Read the full story in fellow NAVC publication Today’s Veterinary Business.

COVID-19, telemedicine and veterinary nurses

Telemedicine has become a valuable resource during the coronavirus response, and credentialed veterinary technicians have an important role to play, writes Kara Burns, editor in chief of Today’s Veterinary Nurse (also published by NAVC). “Veterinary nurses play a large role in follow up with clients,” Burns says. “The veterinary nurse gets information from the client, assesses the pet on video, and reports this information to the veterinarian as well as documenting it in the medical record.” Nutrition concerns, behavioral issues, and long-term care monitoring are among the other ways veterinary nurses help serve patients and clients. Their role is even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Burns writes. A new trend report from telemedicine provider Ask.Vet explains the value of virtual care now.

VetCT offers free telemedicine access to veterinary specialists

VetCT, a global telemedicine provider, is offering free access to its network of veterinary specialists during the coronavirus pandemic, Today’s Veterinary Practice (also published by NAVC) reports. The service allows veterinarians access to VetCT’s 24-hour online hospital, which has a network of 50 specialists. Doctors through the platform can consult with board certified internists, surgeons, criticalists, ophthalmologists and neurologists. “We hope that vets will find this simplified access helpful in providing improved patient care to their patients that cannot access specialty care immediately, or in cases where their normal specialty support may not be currently available,” said VetCT USA Vice President Dr. Matthew Winter. “It is not intended to supplant existing relationships or to replace physical referral.”

Elanco partners with telemedicine platform

Elanco Animal Health announced a collaboration with telemedicine provider VetNow. Through the collaboration, veterinarians in North America can access the first two months of service from VetNow free. The platform allows doctors to offer remote care for patients. Clinics can offer clients unlimited follow-ups, prescriptions, and urgent care through video or chat. Veterinarians can also use the service to connect with specialists in fields such as critical care, oncology, neurology and cardiology. The platform is designed for both small and large animal veterinarians.

Chewy sees increased demand with coronavirus

Chewy is seeing a surge in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, Forbes reports. The company is hiring between 6,000 and 10,000 employees at its fulfillment centers to handle increased demand in orders, both from existing customers and new customers, according to CEO Sumit Singh. But even with that increased business, Singh noted the company still has to pay higher labor costs and higher health and safety costs, including added sanitation measures.

New canine study investigates cancers and exposure to environmental chemicals

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin are studying how exposure to common environmental chemicals, like those found in tobacco smoke and yard products—and individual genetic responses to them—put dogs at risk for common cancers. Information learned through the study will help form strategies to prevent cancer in dogs, according to Morris Animal Foundation, which funded the research. Certain genetic traits in humans make some people more susceptible than others to developing cancer from exposure to toxic chemicals. “We want to know if the same thing is true for dogs and how they react differently on a genetic level,” said Dr. Lauren Trepanier, the principal investigator in the study.

Dallas Animal Services takes adoption online

Since Dallas Animal Services closed to the public in late March, its leadership has had to adjust in order to keep getting rescue animals into care. “We got really real because we knew if we didn’t get the animal population down within the shelter that we’d be faced with some horrible space decisions, especially for medium and big-sized dogs,” said Ed Jamison, the shelter’s director. All of the shelter’s business has moved online: Staff share videos of adoptable pets on social media, and potential fosters and owners can schedule in-depth phone appointments, then pick their pet up curbside, The Dallas Morning News reports.

NAVC names new CEO

NAVC, publisher of Veterinary Advantage, announced its board of directors has named Gene O’Neill CEO, effective immediately. O’Neill has served as interim CEO since October 1, 2019. He joined NAVC in 2013 as chief financial officer and was promoted to deputy CEO and CFO in 2018. “Gene has provided exceptional leadership and direction for NAVC as interim CEO over the past six months and helped us achieve unprecedented double-digit growth and product diversification in his role as deputy CEO and CFO,” said NAVC board president Paige Allen. “Gene has seamlessly steered our organization and staff through uncharted times this year and led our team to host the most successful VMX in NAVC’s history earlier this year.”