Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - VIN THIS WEEK - Economic Impact Survey
  Tuesday, May 12, 2009What do you want to know TODAY?  
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Economic Impact Survey: Take Two
A few months ago, the VIN Community conducted a brief survey of the economic impact of the downturn in the economy. Check out the survey results and share your thoughts in the VIN message board discussion.

Since then, a new president has taken up residence in the White House, the Economic Stimulus package has been implemented (or is getting started).

Has your perspective changed? Has your practice suffered or prospered? Please take this short survey and let us know. As usual, all information will be kept confidential.

If you participated in another survey and haven't seen the results, check the Surveys and Clinical Research area in the Library.

VIN News Service Needs Your Feedback

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

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.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another
Thousands of new and updated message board discussions, journal abstracts and other information resources are added to the VIN Database and Library each month.

Above and beyond what the VIN Content Team creates and indexes, many VINners create and contribute up-to-date summaries on timely topics.

Save time. Search the VIN Database, and check the Medical FAQs and the VIN Library (see MyToolbox) -- before you post.

New Proceedings:

New Medical FAQ:

New Clinical Trial:

  • SAVE ME (Survival And Vitality after Exposure to Melamine)

Emergency Medicine Specialty Center to the Rescue!
Thanks to the efforts of the VIN community and the Consultants and Associate Editors from the emergency medicine folder, the Emergency Medicine Specialty Center is ready to start helping you save lives and keep you company during those long graveyard shifts. Now the most relevant information is gathered in one place. Get quick access to the blood administration guidelines, help with managing poison emergencies and more.

The Emergency Medicine Specialty Center can be found in the Specialty and Species area of the VIN Library and on the About Page of the Emergency Medicine folder in the VIN message boards. Keep your eyes peeled for more new information centers coming soon!


New in VeterinaryPartner:

Texas Farm Radio

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The latest scoop on litter
Cats prefer clumping litters and litters with activated carbon. If a fragranced litter is used, data suggests cats prefer a cedar scent to other scents.

Physiological and behavioural alterations in disbudded goat kids with and without local anaesthesia
Disbudding by thermal cauterisation induces an acute cortisol elevation and increases the expression of behaviours that indicate stress and pain. Infiltrating 2% lidocaine around each horn bud did not inhibit these responses.

The current status of antibiotic use in equine reproduction
Intrauterine (i.u.) therapy has been preferred over systemic treatment because bacteria reside within the uterine lumen and antibiotic concentrations tend to be higher in endometrial tissues after i.u. treatment than after systemic treatment.




Standardized terminology
An initial "sample" of approximately 350 terms is being released without a license agreement, so VSW engineers will be able to start adapting search engines and interfaces within their current medical records systems.

Target-like skin lesions
This most recent patient was the most severely affected. He had a history of rolling in plants the day before and coughing while doing it. (Client unsure exactly but the plants were wild near the woods and had been recently cut by a mower).

Breeder legislation being considered in Washington and Indiana
It even prohibits "physical altering" of cats and dogs, removing body parts, etc., but it doesn't exempt veterinarians! As I read it, we would be breaking the law every time we neuter a dog.

Chinese herbal formulas being sold in pet stores; importance of client education for complementary and alternative therapies
As veterinarians, we need to educate our clients about what is involved in properly treating with alternative medicine and the benefits of referral to properly-trained veterinarians. If we don't, the clients will go shopping online or in pet shops for the miracle cure.

 

Virtual Coffeehouse
Tuesday, May 12, 9:30 p.m. EDT
(Wednesday, May 13, 1:30 a.m. GMT/UTC)
Stop by and chat with your fellow VIN addicts!

How To Use VIN: Part 2
Wednesday, May 13, 9:30 pm EDT
(Thursday, May 14, 1:30 am GMT/UTC)
Learn how to use VIN's Knowledgebase.
Email Nate@VIN.com for more information about this free, three-session course.

AAFP Rounds
Sunday, May 17, 8 p.m. EDT
(Monday, May 18, Midnight GMT/UTC)
Join Jessica Quimby, DVM for Feline Vomiting.
To attend this session, go to the AAFP Rounds area and click on Classroom.

Sunday Rounds
Sunday, May 17, 10 p.m. EDT
(Monday, May 18, 2 a.m. GMT/UTC)
Join Michael Porrello, CPA, CVA, for Maintaining Practice Value in a Turbulent Economy.

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:
Plan to hire a new grad!
Many of the best graduating seniors are regular VIN users. Post your position in Vetquest Classifieds. Please use the Positions Offered -- New Graduates category as this is where we encourage the 2009 Graduates to search for open positions and post their resumes. This is a FREE service provided by VIN and VETQUEST.

Get More From VIN
Got Staff?
The Veterinary Support Personnel Network was created specifically for your technicians, practice managers and other staff members to have access to their own message boards, chats and CE. Have your staff go to www.vspn.org to register! It's free!

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.

Need Help?
Having trouble logging in to VIN? Questions about your membership? Can't find that reference you need for a tough case? Help is a click, email or phone call away! (Hint: you can find this page anytime by clicking HELP on the main VIN Navigation Bar.)

Funny Bones:
Client poem
There was an old man and old cat
Who didn't know where they were at.
They went to the vet
Who said "She's not dead yet."
The very best news they could get!

What's Your Diagnosis?
Archives of the Challenging and Fun Cases
* Zoonosis Case 16

Associate - Updated and New:
Fever of unknown origin in cats and dogs
Explore the rest of Associate!

Book Review of the Week
Rabbit Medicine and Surgery for Veterinary Nurses
Purchase it in the VIN Bookstore!

Website of the Week
Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Laboratory and more...

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: AVA, ACVIM, EVECCS, SEVC, PVC, and ESFM



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

Click to change the image (CEImage) Quality Management for the Veterinary Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Part I
June 7 - September 6, 2009

Participants will be introduced to theories of management and concepts vital to quality planning. Examples of ISO-based and GLP standards will be included. Laboratory design, Westgard Rules, QC Validation and Sigma Metrics will be covered.

Quality Management for the Veterinary Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Part II
October 4 - December 20, 2009

Participants will study personnel specifications, job descriptions, training records and employee appraisals, learn about audits in the veterinary clinical pathology laboratory and determination of reference intervals. Improvement Opportunities, external Quality Assurance performance and a Quality Plan for the laboratory are the final topics in Part II.

*NOTE: Part I is a prerequisite for Part II.

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.


VIN This Week Archives
VIN This Week (VINTW) is an online newsletter to help VINners make more efficient use of the Veterinary Information Network.

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