What's your take on Feline Aortic Thromboembolism (FATE)?
Take this week's survey and tell us. Plus - you'll get instant feedback about how your fellow VINners have responded. Click the link on VIN's Front Page to take the survey.

The Thrill of Victory! The Agony of Defeat!

Ah, yes, we well remember test days in vet school. ;-) Want to relive those days? Check out this week's VIN Query and see how you do! Click the link on VIN's Front Page test yourself.

Multiple animal intoxications associated with Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) ingestions
Neurological signs characterized by marked progressive weakness and convulsions culminating in death were observed in 3 goats over a 24-h period. Affected animals were in a group of 5 goats confined to a fenced paddock: a domestic goose within the paddock was also found dead.

Stomach impaction in ostriches (Struthio camelus): blood chemistry, hematology, and treatment
Under stress factors, ostriches tend to eat foreign material; therefore, adequate housing, nutrition, and care are crucial in prevention of stomach impaction.

Heritability and epidemiology of canine hip-dysplasia score and its components in Labrador retrievers in the United Kingdom
Regression modelling showed a significant, positive dependence of the hip score of the offspring upon the hip scores of its sire, dam, and grandparents. Genetic heritability (using data from 13,382 Labrador retrievers comprising 718 litters) was highly significant: 0.34 from the two parents, 0.41 from sire alone and 0.30 from dam alone. Offspring hip score could be reduced substantially by using only parents with zero hip score.

Diet and lifestyle variables as risk factors for chronic renal failure in pet cats
Ad libitum feeding and increased ash intake were associated with increased odds of CRF; increased dietary fiber, magnesium, protein, and sodium were associated with decreased odds of CRF.

Severe Effusion, Intracavitary Carboplatin
Based on human pharmacokinetic data, most carbo is absorbed by the peritoneum in 2-3 days; however, when the production of fluid is outstripping its abilities to reabsorb, I certainly wonder if that number stays accurate.

Metaphyseal Lesions
I have seen several large dog breeds that develop a slipped capital epiphysis from just exuberant activity. I'm wondering about your case being one of these that then went on to develop ischemic necrosis of the femoral neck. A Labrador Retriever is an excellent candidate for this scenario. From a radiographic stand point, I think the femoral necks are lytic and there is metaphyseal sclerosis.

Treat Asymptomatic Lyme Dogs?
Up to 82% of healthy dogs in endemic areas may be seropositive for Lyme.

Canine Tattoo Procedure Painless?
We do all our tattoos with general anesthesia. We tattoo the AVID number. We put the initials AVID and the number in the inner thigh in dogs and just the initials AVID in the ear of cats.

Sunday Rounds
Sunday, December 1, 10 pm ET -
Join Katharine Lunn, BVMS, MS, PhD, DACVIM, for UFOs (Unidentified Fever Origins): How To Identify Them!
PSST! If you fall asleep during Rounds, because you are full of holiday left-overs, you can read the transcript later to catch up. ;-)
Rounds Room

New Grad Rounds
Thursday, December 5
Join Dr. Adrian Kreeger and others for Family vs Career, Real World vs Student. Time for a little philosophy!
Rounds Room

What's Your Diagnosis?
Chicken Rancher With Cough

Speak Out:
Treetop Flyer

Recent Rounds:
Profit and Loss Statements

Survey of The Week -- Results:
Nasal Mites
Euthanasia Procedures

From the Boards:
* Contaminated Drugs
* Honey For Wounds
* Cotton Ball UA
* Ectopic Ureter

Strategies For Success -- we're doing it again!
What is practice success?

• Is it depositing wads of money every week?
• Is it working for grateful clients?
• Is it working with happy employees?

VIN's Strategies For Success courses will help you refine your definition of success while teaching you how to make your practice match that definition!

What could be better?
Here's what!
Sign up for all five courses (click on the banner in the CE registration form), and you'll save $75!

Positioning Your Practice Where It Needs To Be (10 CE Hours)
Using a case-based approach, participants will learn who their practice stakeholders are, examine external trends affecting their practice, explore strengths and weaknesses of their practice, create a new practice strategy, and devise an action plan to implement the strategy

Leading Your Practice To A New Level (10 CE Hours)
This course covers learning the essential skills of effective practice leaders, knowing which leadership pattern to employ, and bringing about constructive change.

Control The Dollars Flowing Through Your Practice (10 CE Hours)
This course covers the fundamentals of practice financial management

Client Attraction And Retention (10 CE Hours)
This course will cover identifying, differentiating, and interacting with clients; personalizing client service; creating client value; using traditional media to reach clients; involving the entire staff in practice marketing; using information technology to communicate with clients; and developing a marketing plan.

Maximizing Practice Performance Through Staff (10 CE hours)
This course will cover recruiting, hiring, motivating, and retaining employees; developing an employee policy manual; and creating conflict resolution procedures.