IVMA
Communiqué
"Serving veterinarians for the benefit of animal and human health"
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September 12
IVMA Sports & Field Day
September 19
IVMA Executive Board Meeting
September 20-21
IVMA Annual Meeting
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Riding RAGBRAI for Josh and the IVMA Foundation
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 Dr. Bill Williams and his "Team Animals" will ride RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) again this summer, July 22-28 to raise money and awareness for The Josh and Friends Project and the IVMA Foundation.
For the first time in a decade, this year's route spends an overnight stop in Ames on Tuesday, July 24.
Josh and Friends is a non-profit organization that uses the healing power of the human-animal bond to help sick children deal with their anxiety and fear of being in a hospital. Money raised is used to purchase "Josh kits" which include a stuffed plush Golden Retriever named Josh and a book titled, "I'll be OK", which are given to kids while they are hospitalized.
This year the Josh Challenge team has set a goal to raise $5,000 to help spread the joy of Josh kits to kids in hospitals around Iowa. As an added bonus, every dollar donated to the Josh Challenge earns a dollar for the IVMA Foundation's general fund. A team of private and corporate partners, including Merial, have volunteered to match funds raised so the Foundation can continue its work of providing student scholarships and other worthwhile projects. The ultimate goal is to raise $5,000 for both Josh and Friends and the IVMA Foundation.
Your help is needed! Donate today!
If you would like to help the Josh Project and the IVMA Foundation with a tax-deductible donation, please visit www.iowavma.org or call the IVMA office at 515-965-9237 to find out how you can be a part of putting more Josh kits to work helping to provide comfort to kids in Iowa. Donations will be accepted through August 15.
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Local Connection to Colorado Wildfire Seeking Donations
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A father and his sons watching the valley around La Veta, Colorado go up in flames (Photo: Tomi Price)
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The Spring Fire, a wildfire in Southern Colorado, has been burning since late June and has burned over 107,000 acres of land, including thousands of acres of grazing land. The wildfire is the third largest in Colorado's history. As of July 9, the fire was 77% contained and has destroyed 132 homes. Almost 1,000 firefighters are fighting the wildfire.
Ranchers in the area have relocated livestock due to mandatory evacuations and the loss of grazing land. Dr. John Moellers and his wife Carol, of Greene have friends in Huerfano County, Colorado, an area hard hit by the Spring Fire. "The ranchers in this area are in desperate need of hay," said Dr. Moeller. He and his wife are organizing an effort to help the ranchers in this area by collecting donations of hay and money to purchase hay. Organizers will hire a truck to haul the hay to the wildfire area.
How to Help
If you or any of your clients would like to help the people and animals affected by the Spring Fire, you can donate hay, cash or transportation to haul the hay to Southern Colorado. Contact the Greene Veterinary Clinic 641-823-5852 or email [email protected] if you would like to help. Your monetary donations can be sent to the Greene Veterinary Clinic, 615 N High St., Greene, IA 50636 or made directly to the
Rio Cucharas Veterinary Clinic, 22540 US Highway 160, Walsenburg, CO 81089. Please mark your donations - Spring Fire Disaster Relief - IVMA.
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Nominate for the Iowa Animal Hall of Fame
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Gracie, the 2016 Iowa Animal Hall of Fame winner in the Professional Category visited the IVMA office in June. She spent some time with IVMA office staff, Cyndy Bolsenga (left) and Tracy Grodnitzky (right). Gracie is specially trained as part of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Program.
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Do you have a patient that's a hero? Maybe it's a hard working K9, a service dog or an ordinary pet doing extraordinary things. Whether the animal is saving lives, lending sight or hearing to a human companion or just welcoming your client home with extra love, we want to hear about it!
We need your Iowa Animal Hall of Fame 2018 Nominations!
Now is your chance to give a special client and their pet this honor. Nomination forms can be found on the IVMA website at www.iowavma.org, or you can call the IVMA office at 800-369-9564 to have one sent to you. Only IVMA member veterinarians may nominate.
The deadline for nominations is August 1.
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Iowa Beef Center Feedlot Short Course
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For the second year, the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University is offering the
Iowa Beef Center Feedlot Short Course at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center
in A
mes on July 31-Aug 2.
The program will include classroom and hands-on instruction in a variety of topics, along with sessions at the Iowa State Beef Nutrition Farm and Couser Cattle Company in Nevada.
The $350 per person registration fee covers transportation to and from classroom facilities and local feedlots, handouts and meals. The registration deadline is midnight, July 24 or if the course limit of 30 is reached.
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| AMVA Offers Free Online CE with New Webinar Series |
 The AVMA has announced a new webinar series to offer online continuing education covering topics requested by members.
Lead & Learn classes, available both live and on demand, provide insight and CE for veterinarians on topics such as cannabis, practice efficiency, personal finances, and leadership skills. The common thread of this series is leadership-specifically, equipping veterinarians with the expertise needed to serve as leaders in their practices and communities.
The next live webinar will be Refresher on Adulting: Personal Finances on Thursday July 26 at noon.
Managing your personal finances can be stressful. But it's critical to both financial health and personal wellbeing - and there are simple tools to help you do it. Learn why it's important to get back on the budgeting bandwagon and what resources are available to help you.
To see all the upcoming Lead & Learn webinars, visit the AVMA website.
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| Stop Unnecessary Prescription Regulations |
As veterinarians, we hold unparalleled expertise in animal health and welfare. We don't need Congress telling us how to run our practices or creating unnecessary inconvenience and complication for clients - but that's exactly what some lawmakers are attempting.
This spring, Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY-27) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA-17) introduced H.R. 5472 and proposed a new federal law that would require veterinarians to provide written prescriptions for companion animals, even if not requested by a client, and even if the client wants the veterinarian to provide the prescribed medication. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have introduced similar legislation in the Senate, S. 2651.
Details of these regulations would be left to the Federal Trade Commission, leaving room for more onerous requirements. This legislation is simply unnecessary, because prescribing practices are regulated effectively by laws in 40 states, and the AVMA's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics require veterinarians to provide prescriptions upon a client's request. The AVMA Internet Pharmacies guide also urges veterinarians to write a prescription in lieu of dispensing a medication when requested by the client.
At best, this legislation is a poor use of congressional resources. At worst, it's a dangerous federal interference with veterinary practice. Go to the
AVMA website to fill out a form to ask Congress to reject these regulations.
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Make sure your CVIs are Fair-Ready
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Photo: Iowa State Fair |
Each year at the Iowa State Fair, personnel from the Animal Industry Bureau of the Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) review CVI's (Certificates of Veterinary Inspection) that veterinarians have issued for animals attending the Iowa State Fair. At times there are CVI's that cannot be accepted because of missing or incorrect information and the exhibitor has to hire the veterinarians working at the State Fair to issue a new CVI. This creates stress on everyone involved.
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Photo: Iowa State Fair
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Get your corn dog fix and lend a helping hand at Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fair. This agricultural education exhibit features live births of various species including cows, sows, goats and ewes. Fairgoers can also catch a glimpse of hatching chicks, ducks, ostriches and turkeys. Over 80,000 people visit this exhibit each year during the State Fair with up to 600 people an hour.
Your help is needed to mingle with the crowd and answer questions about animals, the live births, and veterinary medicine in general.
Free fair admission, a parking pass, scrub top and 2 free meals are provided to volunteers.
Who: Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Students
When: The Iowa State Fair is August 9-19. Volunteers have the choice of these 4-hour shifts:
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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 With the hot, wet summertime conditions, there is an increased chance for blue-green algae to develop in ponds and lakes.
Blue-green algae - also known as cyanobacteria - can bloom in fresh water where conditions make it possible for the organisms to grow and replicate rapidly. Conditions typically associated with blue-green algae development include warm weather, abundant sunlight and the presence of nutrients in the water, which often are the result of agricultural runoff.
In
this article from The Topeka Capital-Journal , Dr. Steve Ensley, a clinical veterinary toxicologist at Kansas State University in Manhattan, said health problems can arise when animals and people come into contact with various toxins produced by blue-green algae. The most prominent problem involves a toxin called microcystin, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Dr. Ensley said when animals are exposed to this toxin, they may experience vomiting or diarrhea. If the cyanobacteria exposure is severe, it can be lethal and cause liver failure in animals.
If you have had any confirmed cases involving blue-green algae in the last 3 years, please contact the IVMA office at 515-965-9237 or i[email protected].
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| IVMA Sports and Field Day |
Stay Connected
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The IVMA Communiqué is published bi-monthly by the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association.
1605 N. Ankeny Blvd Suite 110
Ankeny, IA 50023
515-965-9237 or Toll Free 800-369-9564
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