Enjoy refreshments and lively discussion about VIN and current topics with fellow VINners. Meet Paul and other VIN staff. Get a sneak preview of stuff that's 'coming soon' to VIN. Learn how you can get more out of VIN and tell us how we can make VIN better for you. We look forward to seeing you there!

NEWS THAT'S FIT TO CLICK and discuss
News reported for YOU...

• Blockbuster Pfizer-Wyeth deal stirs veterinary medicine
  - VNS Report | Discussion
• Veterinary Behaviorists Question Dominance Theory in Dogs
  - VNS Report | Discussion
• USDA investigates abuse of veterinary licenses at Ames labs
  - VNS Report | Discussion

Be a VIN Newshound:
VNS is here to give YOU a voice and report news that is important to YOU. Got an idea for a story? Have a story that needs covering? Post it on the boards or email News@vin.com .

Share News with nonVINners -- The VIN News Service (without access to the community discussions) is now publicly available at news.vin.com. Check it out and share it.

What Do You Think?
There are a plethora of surveys lined up already for 2009, so get your mouse-clicking fingers warmed up!
Feline Demodicosis
Dr. Kathy Tater (VIN Dermatology Consultant) is interested in your thoughts about feline demodicosis. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete and will run until February 21. The results will be provided to the VIN community by February 28.
Pet Insurance Partnerships
In July 2008, AVMA Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (GHLIT), which markets health and life insurance to veterinarians, announced a partnership with Pets Best and Aetna Insurance companies.

Get caught up on the story with the links below and then tell us what you think by taking this quick survey (it should take less than 1 minute to complete). Your answers will be confidential, as always.

• GHLIT-pet insurance partnership raises red flags
• GHLIT tackles latest PR flap concerning Pets Best deal
• Consulting firm releases user guide that avows pet insurance merits

Great CE Near and Far
Stateside
The UCDavis Veterinary Business Management Association will host a one day seminar on 'The Business of Veterninary Medicine' with veterinary business and financial consultant Fritz Wood on February 21. Register online today!

The 5th Annual Veterinary Neurology Symposium will be held March 7-8, 2009 at the University of California-Davis. The symposium will feature the latest diagnostic techniques, comprehensive information about common disorders, case discussions and strategies for the application of leading neurological methods to the clinical environment.

Check out previous proceedings.

Across the Pond
BSAVA Congress 2009 takes place April 2-5 in Birmingham, England.

The BSAVA has earned an international reputation amongst veterinary professionals for its first class scientific program, vibrant social events and comprehensive commercial exhibition.

This is the world's largest exclusively small animal Congress. Visit www.bsava.com or email congress@bsava.com for more information.

Make sure to check out the BSAVA Congress 2008 proceedings.

The VIN Student Center Gives You The Edge
(even if you are no longer officially a student :)
Zoonotic diseases present an increasing risk to public health and are the greatest link between human and animal medicine.

Learn more about how animal diseases can affect humans and search articles from governmental & university resources in the Public Health and Epidemiology section of the VIN Student Center.

Special thanks to Iowa State University and the University of Wisonsin-Madison for their contributions.

Thanks to the continuous efforts of the VIN community, the Student Center has grown into a resource to serve all VINners.

E-mail to Feedback@vin.com if you'd like to contribute to the Student Center and don't forget to share your VIN experience on your school message boards.

New in VeterinaryPartner:

• Home Health Check
• Liver Tumors and Cancers
• Ear Infections revised
• Acepromazine (PromAce) revised

Texas Farm Radio

• Adoption of an Orphan Foal

The efficacy of commercially available veterinary diets recommended for dogs with atopic dermatitis
Fifty dogs with atopic dermatitis were included in this multicentred, double-blinded, randomized study to compare clinical response to an 8-week period of feeding one of three commercial veterinary foods marketed for dogs with atopic dermatitis (diets A-C) or a widely distributed supermarket food (diet D).

The first laboratory-confirmed rabid pig in Maryland, 2003
Although cases of confirmed rabies infection have been infrequently reported in pet or agricultural during the past 10 years in the United States, exposure to rabies-positive animals remains a public health concern particularly for veterinarians, pet owners and other animal caretakers.

Let's think positively
I'm really excited about advances and positive changes we are making in our clinic this year so far! I would love to hear what others are doing, too! I get tired of reading all of the depressing posts about the economy and being slow. We are slow too, but we are doing a few things this year that are energizing!

Solo practice
I'm solo as well, and happy to be. I certainly see the benefit to having a large central facility for referrals, and I try to make use of the referral practices around here (we're 45 minutes + to Toronto where there are multiple referral practices) but I am happy to provide the more intimate care that my patients and clients seek out.

Cat with abdominal pain and weight loss: loss of detail on radiographs
This is a very ugly abdomen indeed. I'd be thinking peritonitis or, possibly, carcinomatosis. I suspect some effusion is causing the poor contrast, but I don't know if there is enough to aspirate since there seems to be some trapping in the omentum giving us that mottled appearance on the lateral .

How To Use VIN: Part 2
Wednesday, February 11, 9:30 p.m. ET
(Thursday, February 12, 2:30 a.m. GMT)
Learn how to use VIN like a pro!
Email Nate@VIN.com for more information about this free, three-session course.

Sunday Rounds
Sunday, February 15, 10 p.m. ET
(Monday, February 16, 3 a.m. GMT)
Join Chris Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM, Tony Johnson, DVM, DACVECC and Adam Reiss, DVM, DACVECC for Chest Tubes: You've Got To Put Them In To Get Stuff Out.

This Week's Rounds Schedule
Use the Rounds link to join these discussions.

Want to See What You've Been Missing?
Click the Rounds button on VIN's main navigation bar and read the transcripts of the last few Rounds, click the complete list of Rounds to get to the list of the last 300 Rounds transcripts or click on Rounds and Discussions in the VIN Library.

Rounds are also searchable via the Search button. Just remember to choose Rounds (under the Clinical Resources tab) as the "Source" in your search parameters.

For All You Multi-Taskers:
Download VINCasts to your MP3 player and listen to previous Rounds sessions while you run errands, exercise or steal a few minutes of me-time.

Recent Rounds
@ = VINCast available for this session

Member Benefit:
Educate Your Clients
Help your clients to be better informed pet owners with the Client Education Resources listed in the VIN Library. Find even more no-cost, advertising-free, independent online information that you can trust at VeterinaryPartner.com.

Get More From VIN
Search Tip:
Increase the likelihood of your search returning the results you want by using PHRASES rather than SINGLE WORDS when you search:
- Enter HEARTWORM ANTIGEN TESTS, not just HEARTWORM, if that's what you really want to search.
- General terms like KIDNEY can sometimes be useful, but a more specific descriptor such as RENAL FAILURE or KIDNEY FAILURE is often more helpful.
For more help and tips on searching, see Steps To A More Effective Search.

Funny Bones:
Make Your Own Air Horn!!!!
"So today (after I sent that to my Dad) I called my Mom to warn her... she said, 'Oh! I was wondering what he was so excited about and why he was running around with a latex glove and an empty pill bottle.Thanks for the warning.'"

What's Your Diagnosis?
Archives of the Challenging and Fun Cases
* Public Health Case 3

Associate - Updated and New:
Essential benign hematuria in cats and dogs
Explore the rest of Associate!

Book Review of the Week
Equine Exercise Physiology: The Science of Exercise in the Athletic Horse
Purchase it in the VIN Bookstore!

Website of the Week
Johne's Information Central and more...

eVetsites Tip of the Week
How to Add Your Location to Google Maps

Upcoming Conferences
Looking to attend or contribute a paper to a veterinary conference? Check out the On The Road With VIN folder, or the Press Releases folder, to see what conferences are coming up and to visit their Web sites! Links to information about upcoming conferences include: WVC, EAAV and SAVMA.

This course is now open for enrollment. Click on the links below to see the details, register and find more upcoming CE.

Practical Avian Medicine Module 5
February 24 - March 17, 2009

The Practical Avian Medicine series is presented by the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) and Veterinary Information Network (VIN) with the goal to provide veterinarians with solid basic avian medical knowledge that is applicable to everyday practice. Module 5 will cover diagnosis and management of renal disease, GI disease, hepatic and pancreatic disease and neoplasia.

Veterinary Dental Techniques Module 1
March 9 - April 20, 2009

This course in Veterinary Dental Techniques is designed to allow discussions of current techniques used in veterinary dentistry. Veterinarians practicing all levels of veterinary dentistry are invited to participate, from the veterinarian just interested in getting more information in veterinary dentistry to the Board Certified Veterinary Dentist.

Pharmaceutical Regulatory Review Course
March 30 - April 13, 2009

Participants will be able to evaluate their current practices and, if needed, implement improvements that reduce the risk of theft, diversion or prosecution for failure to maintain an adequate system of security and accountability for controlled substances

OSHA & Practice Safety
April 20 - July 13, 2009

This course is designed for the Practice Owner, Manager or Administrator who desires to understand OSHA's Standards as well as practical ways to implement them in a veterinary practice. We attempt to avoid debating the merits of any particular requirement and focus on how to achieve compliance!

For information on other CE courses check out the Course Catalog on the CE Main Page.

Please visit How-To's Of Online CE for details about how to register and participate in online CE courses.

If you're looking for information on CE opportunities for veterinary technicians, receptionists or practice managers, please visit the VSPN CE page. VSPN offers courses tailored to veterinary support personnel, and certain VIN courses also are open to VPSN members.