What: The VIN Lounge

When:
Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Marriot World Center: Boston Room in the Hall of Cities (kitty-corner to the Grand Ballroom). View a map here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

End your session by:

• Using the Logout button (on WWW and Beta.vin.com).
• Open the VINdex (CTRL-E from anywhere on VIN) and choose Log Out (the top option)
• Closing all browser windows.
• Or, for Mac users, hitting Apple+Q to quit the application.

Logging out will keep you and your colleagues from accidentally impersonating each other.

If you work in a multi-doctor practice, make sure you're accessing and posting under your own name so you can enjoy your personalized settings and MyStuff.

Did you know that colleagues working in the same practice qualify for group membership rates? This helpful FAQ will explain how group memberships work.

If you still have questions contact membership services at vingram@vin.com, or call membership services at 1-800-700-4636 (toll free) or 1-530-756-4881 (locally) or 01 45 222 6154 in the UK.

VIN on Drugs
You'll find many helpful drug resources in the Online Books & Manuals section of the VIN Library:

• VIN Formulary for Exotic Animals
  By Ned Gentz, DVM, DACZM, & Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, DABT, DABVT - This formulary lists drugs, doses and indications for amphibians, reptiles, birds, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and camelids.
• Small Animal Drug Handbook, 2nd Ed.
  By Rhea Morgan, DVM, DACVIM, DACVO - This exclusive online second edition contains hundreds of drug dosages listed by specific usages for the dog and cat.
• Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook - 7th Ed.
  By Donald C. Plumb, Pharm D - Browse the full text of the Veterinary Drug Handbook.
• North American Companion Animal Formulary
  By Ned Kuehn, DVM, DACVIM - Online version of the NACAF includes >1900 references on the use of >950 drugs.
• BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 6th Ed.
  Compiled by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association in 2008.

Need more? Check the Drug Resources section of the Library also.

My Breeder Said...
It's not that outrageous, but I was told by a pet owner she was told that you should NEVER bathe an Old English Sheepdog pup before the age of six months. Thankfully, she had disregarded this advice and her pups were fluffy and smelled pretty.

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

• AVMA to debate homeopathy, jerky, foreign accreditation
  Public | VIN | Discussion
• Alaska veterinary education advocates cite unique needs
  Public | VIN | Discussion
• Variety, challenges characterize veterinary general practice
  Public | VIN | Discussion
• Printing 3-D models eases complicated veterinary surgeries
  Public | VIN | Discussion

Be a VIN newshound:
The VIN News Service (VNS) is here to give you a voice and report news that is important to you. Have an idea for a story? Have a story that needs covering? Email News@vin.com.

The VIN News Service articles (without access to the community discussions) are available to the general public. Share news.vin.com with nonVINners.

Follow VNS on Twitter! Send a Twitter request to receive VNS Tweets.

New and Revised Articles to Share With Your Clients!

Veterinary Partner

• Xylitol Toxicosis (revised)

Texas Farm Radio

• Preventing Founder

VetzInsight

• Oh Poop, it's Parasite Mayhem

Management of cardiac emergencies in small animals
This article reviews the latest recommendations for the treatment of heart failure and the management of arrhythmias, pericardial effusion, and aortic thromboembolism.

Updates in the management of the small animal patient with neurologic trauma
This article reviews the pathophysiology of the primary and secondary injury, as well as recommendations regarding clinical assessment, diagnostics, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapy, and prognosis.

Basics of mechanical ventilation for dogs and cats
Long-term mechanical ventilation requires some specialized equipment and knowledge; however, short-term ventilation can be accomplished without the use of an intensive care unit ventilator, and can provide oxygen supplementation and carbon dioxide removal in critical patients.

Non-Veterinarian Is Performing Ovariohysterectomies And Castrations For A Shelter In Utah
Can a non-veterinarian perform surgery and anesthesia (narcotics)? Can all my clients go home and do surgery on their own animals?

Great Dane With Abdominal Pain (Radiographs, Laparoscopic Images)
I would not have made the decision to proceed with exploratory surgery, based on those radiographs.

Apparent Congestive Heart Failure In A Cat With History Of Major Stress Episodes And Only Mild Cardiac Changes On Echocardiogram
What we think happens is the cat has underlying cardiomyopathy that is mild to moderate (not nearly bad enough to cause heart failure on its own). The cat then gets stressed and its heart rate goes screaming up somewhere over 300 bpm. When that happens, diastolic function acutely worsens...

Puppy With Juvenile Vaginitis And Deciduous Canine Tooth Fracture: Should Pup Be Spayed When The Tooth Is Removed?
How many would spay a four month old Rottweiler with a history of juvenile vaginitis, or should I stick to extracting the tooth now and spaying when she is older?

Tuesday, January 14 - 9:30 p.m. ET - Venting over a Venti
Need to vent? Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP, MA, and other colleagues are here to lend an ear.

Wednesday, January 15 - 9:30 p.m. ET - How to Use VIN Part 2
Learn how to get more out of your VIN Experience. Email HowTo@VIN.com for more information about this free, three-session course.

Thursday, January 16 - 8 p.m. ET - VIN Rounds
Join Bob Stein, DVM, for Understanding And Managing Chronic Pain: Neuropathic/Spinal Pain.
This is the fourth in a series of Rounds on chronic pain. Review previous sessions.

Sunday, January 19 - 9:30 p.m. ET - VIN Rounds
Join Jennifer Brazzell, DVM, DACVP, MRCVS, for Clinical Pathology CE: Do Veterinarians and Clinical Pathologists Agree on What's Important to Teach?
This session will feature audio. Take the readiness test before attending.

Full Rounds Schedule and Countdown Clock
Use the links above or click the Rounds button in the main navigation bar to join these discussions.

Need help remembering when Rounds sessions are happening? Here's a list of ways to be reminded about VIN Rounds sessions.

Want to See What You've Been Missing?
(@ = VINcast available; R = Replay available)

• Wonderful World of Foxes
• What Makes Us Work So Hard? (R) @
• What's New in Critical Care? VIN/VECCS (R)
• Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy: Severe & Multisystemic @
• Top 10 Feline Toxins VIN/AAFP (R)

Download VINCasts (@)
Browse Rounds Transcripts

Rounds are also searchable! In Search 3, use the filters on the left of your search results page.

Vet school interview advice
The young woman who has been shadowing me for several years has gotten interviews at Iowa State and University of Minnesota. Yay! She's asked for practice interview questions.

My interviews were in 1985... I remember being asked some ethics questions, some basic animal knowledge questions, some questions about my interests, expectations, etc. I didn't do any practice interviews and I don't remember being coached or counselled much by my instructors. Are things much different now? I would love to hear from recent grads or those still in school about what she might expect.

ASCVP Guidelines on VIN
The American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) has shared its Reference Interval Guidelines and General Quality Assurance Guidelines with the VIN Community.

The guidelines provide minimum standards for quality assurance and quality control for veterinary laboratory testing.

You'll find them in the Clinical Pathology & Hematology Specialty Centers and on the Guidelines page in the VIN Library.

Book Review of the Week
Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques; A Practical Guide, First Edition
Catch up on previous Book Reviews!

Website of the Week
Blue Tongued Skink Care Sheets

What's your Diagnosis?
Archives of the Challenging and Fun Cases
Ophthalmology Fun 168 - opened 12/20
Equine Fun Case 57 - opened 12/28
Zoonotic Brain-Teaser 149 - opened 1/6

Associate - New, Updated & Revised
Acquired Epilepsy - Canine

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 websites! Links to information about upcoming conferences include: NAVC, WVC, SAVMA, Voorjaarsdagen, and BSAVA.

How do I navigate within VIN?
The VIN Navigation bar is the road map to your favorite VIN destinations. In this video you'll learn how to use it to find your way to some of the most popular VIN features.

Find more video help in the Show-Me-How video library.

NOW OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT!
Click on the links below to see the details, register, and find more upcoming CE.

Otitis Externa for the Practitioner
January 26 - February 19, 2014

Otitis externa in small animals ranks as one of the most common problems we face as veterinary practitioners. This course is designed to address problems with ear disease in small animals and provide practical solutions.

Neonatal Wildlife Medicine
February 5 - March 15, 2014

The primary purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the principles of care for neonatal North American wildlife. The course will include details on the common syndromes and diseases with which orphaned or abducted wildlife patients present to a clinic, the approach to triage, emergency treatment and monitoring of the wildlife patient, the most notable infectious and non-infectious diseases of wildlife, and the public health and legal implications of treating wildlife.

Get detailed help on How to Enroll in a VIN CE Course.

To get the most from your CE course, plan to attend a practice session before your course begins. Practice sessions are scheduled for the same days and times each week for your convenience:

• Tues. afternoons 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
• Weds. evenings 10:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET
• Thurs. evenings 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET

For more information on CE opportunities for veterinary technicians, receptionists, or practice managers, visit the VSPN Course Catalog. VSPN offers courses tailored to veterinary support personnel, and certain VIN courses also are open to VSPN members.

Follow VIN CE and VSPN on Twitter! Click the "Send request" button to prompt the (VIN / VSPN) crews to accept you as a follower.

Visit the CE Main Page and check out the Course Catalog to see what's on the schedule.