AAVN Newsletter April 2020
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From the President's Desk
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this email finds you all safe and well in these challenging times. Since sheltering in place and moving my clinical practice exclusively to teleconsulting from my home
I have found joy in:
- Connecting virtually with family, friends and colleagues
- Making time to get outside each day with my dog, Dave
- Being joined by my new co-workers, Jake (pictured here) and his brother Charles
We would love to hear what is working for you! Please send along to
aavnexecutive@gmail.com
and I’ll compile a list for the next issue of the e-newsletter.
The Executive Committee is also excited to bring our annual Symposium and Members Business Meeting to you this year virtually and I hope to “see” many of you online June 10th and 11
th
. Please look out for more details, as we finalize the schedule and launch our registration.
As always, thank you for your membership!
Martha G. Cline, DVM, DACVN
AAVN Executive Board – President (2017 – 2021)
p.s. Please share YOUR news with the membership via the e-newsletter.
We want to hear about your activities, publications and interests. Send along information to E-Newsletter Editor Dr. Sarah Abood or to
aavnexecutive@gmail.com
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Save the Dates!
AAVN 2020 Symposium Is Going Virtual
The AAVN Symposium, previously scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th in Baltimore, MD will now take place online on Wednesday, June 10th and Thursday, June 11th.
More details about registration and schedule coming soon!
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When Kids Become Your Work-at-Home Colleagues
AAVN member Dr. Christine Willis has a job that allows her to work from home, and over the past several weeks she and her family have had to make some adjustments to different routines since the kids—Josie and Wyatt--are not going to school right now. Her observations about their altered routine were put into the context of an office setting (props to the internet for this clever idea!).
Monday March 30th:
I thought I could send new colleagues on a project together with no supervision. But based on performance, it has been decided that supervision outside of building is necessary. Both colleagues arrived back unexpectedly to report injury. Upon further evaluation it appeared they were tied together around the waist with opposite ends of a long dog leash. It was reported that colleague #2 was climbing on 5-foot retaining wall (this was not part of assignment) and fell, causing a concrete road rash down the back of head and one arm. HR will be glad to know a trip to the hospital was avoided, but now they cannot be trusted to work independently together.
Thursday, April 2nd:
The last 2 days have been pleasant as the other CEO has been present and involved in direct supervision of these two newest employees. His approach to management is much different than mine -- get all daily work done first thing in the morning (take no prisoners - regardless of whether there is crying, pouting, tantrums, etc.). By lunch it appears all tasks are completed but the employees seem stressed.
Colleague #1: Clothes are becoming more common, which is a good thing, although we need to re-review the dress code - nowhere does it say that bathing suits are appropriate. Colleagues are less eager to hang out beside me and would rather hone their debate skills on the 2nd floor. Since we've moved from telling time to different tasks, the general work environment is improved.
Colleague #2: Clothes are also being worn more consistently although there is never a missed opportunity to moon his other colleagues. HR has been informed on multiple occasions. This colleague seems to have a good work ethic but only when colleague #1 gets more work assigned. Therefore, his supervisor has needed to find novel worksheets involving numbers and letters to increase his workload (otherwise he becomes quite upset).
The supervisor has actually considered whether or not to purchase a video system/video games to help with noise control, constant interrupting, improving thumb control in an attempt to become a more productive employee, etc. Idea was quickly forgotten when supervisor realized the new colleagues had made their own computers and phones out of cardboard and paper.
Friday April 3rd
Colleague #1: It seems there is no understanding of our business model and several new ideas are being discussed: party planning, catching the Easter Bunny (we are currently on page 5 of a book of bunny trapping ideas), and making treats using non-edible items (aka homemade Play-Doh), which the 4-legged clean-up crew eagerly takes care of…but that results in diarrhea and vomiting…so not the best clean-up crew…I should probably hire from outside the company.
Colleague #2: He has been surprisingly productive. Yesterday he had a Zoom conference meeting with several other collaborators. It was exciting to see such good manners from such a rogue team as each raised their hands before speaking on the conference call. The meeting discussion was somewhat unusual (pledging allegiance to a flag, morning song, ABC song, weather predictions, etc.) but all seemed involved and meeting progressed well. It seemed that his team as a whole had difficulty sitting still. So far today I’ve seen little of this colleague and there is a lot of noise from the 2
nd
floor offices – my suspicions are that my new colleagues are taking the day off and starting their weekend early.
Wed. April 8
th
:
Colleague 1: She slept in this morning and remained in pajamas until midday (I likely will not report to HR as I too may have been in something similar to pajamas). There was little desire to work and the explanation of bar vs picture graphs caused quite the outburst (other colleagues promptly left the room). The next 2 days will be mental health days with no assignments (aka Easter break). Hopefully next week she will return to work recharged.
Colleague 2: He also remained in his skivvies most of the morning until his scheduled check-in with external colleagues. Everyone on the conference call seemed in good spirits and continued with good manners when trying to talk to project manager (PreK teacher). There appeared to be quite a bit of singing – suspect this is new way to improve attention and appeared to be working well. Also suspect other individuals within a 10-mile radius heard the “Pledge of Allegiance” being belted from the conference room. He, too, will have 2 mental health days with no assignments – with hopes of being recharged by Monday morning.
Both colleagues seemed excited about opportunities for new projects:
-Trapping the elusive Easter Bunny
-Finding hidden eggs and eating lots of candy
-Coloring dozens of hardboiled eggs and then eating them later (after the candy is gone)
Happy Spring Everybody!
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Student Blog Contest Winner
The Facts & Fiction of Pet Food: Raw Diets
Caitlin Holly, University of Florida
As the human-animal bond continues to blossom, our pets are more and more a part of our families, and people are putting significant effort into optimizing care for their animal companions. While this is great news, it has created a marketing niche for misinformation to be spread and used to sway people toward certain products. While there is no question that proponents of raw feeding are trying to do best by their furry friends, there is a myriad of myths in the media regarding the purported benefits and lack of risks to raw feeding. This post will clarify some common reasons people opt for raw and provide clear facts on the issue, equipping everyone to make informed decisions.
"Wolves eat raw!"
While it's true that wild canines naturally consume raw meat, there are a plethora of reasons why this is not an ideal standard for our domestic canines. First and foremost, dogs are not wolves. When comparing DNA, there are at least 36 regions that are significantly different in dogs. Of these, ten play key roles in digestion. The authors of one particular
study
concluded dogs are genetically pre-disposed to better digest starches than wolves.
It’s important to remember, behavior and diet in the wild is very much driven by what is available for immediate survival, not necessarily by what is most conducive to long-term health. While wolves in the wild typically live 6 - 8 years, dogs and captive wolves have an average lifespan of 10 - 13 years!
Even if one were to hold that the domestic dog's diet should mirror that of their wild counterparts, most raw diets are not as fresh as a carcass eaten after a kill. Muscle tissues harbor little, if any
intrinsic
bacteria. That is, most bacteria are introduced to meat during and after slaughter. Processing not only allows for the introduction of novel bacteria to raw meat, it also provides the time for those organisms to multiply. While this poses an issue for the surface of whole cuts, it is an even greater concern for ground meat, all of which is exposed to external contamination.
"Raw doesn't pose a health concern. I handle it appropriately and my dog's digestive system is protected from bacteria in raw meat."
Generally speaking, humans are more susceptible to food-borne illness than most other animal species. However, that does not mean that dogs are immune. As discussed above, dogs differ substantially from wolves and even still, meat that goes through production is exposed to pathogens that would not be present in freshly killed prey in the wild. In nature, a canine would not be subject to the food-borne pathogens present in raw meat products. Of prominent concern are
Salmonella
,
E. coli
,
Listeria
, and
Campylobacter
. Not only can dogs become ill from exposure to these organisms, these diseases are zoonotic as well, meaning they can be passed on to people.
Raw diets
are known to harbor these bacteria, and dogs
fed
raw diets shed them in their saliva and feces. Even when handling raw products safely, both dogs and their owners are at a greater risk of bacterial infection where raw food is involved. The best solution to this problem is to cook any fresh diets offered to pets.
"Cooking food removes important nutrients. Raw diets are far better for balanced nutrition."
Cooking food has a variable effect on digestibility and nutrients. While cooking (particularly processing) meat does tend to reduce the digestibility of proteins, the effect is moderate at best and clinical implications have not been thoroughly investigated.
One study
found that while a raw diet offered greater digestibility than a kibble diet, cooking the diet prior to feeding did not impact the digestibility. For plant-based ingredients, cooking can significantly
increase
the digestibility of the
food
. That said, most raw diets are not balanced to provide long-term nutrition. A
2011 study
in Germany found that of 95 raw diets, 60% were nutritionally deficient. A
2013 evaluation
found that over 180 assessed diets, representing over 80% of the sample, were nutritionally deficient.
"My pet's health is so much better on raw!"
It is common for people to report subjective health improvements noticed after switching to raw foods. Improved coat appearance, particularly shine and texture, is important to owners when self-reporting perceived animal health. However, this can be attributed to the
higher fat content
of raw diets when compared to traditional pet foods. Despite these perceptions, there is no published literature on health benefits of feeding raw over cooked or kibble diets. In some cases, the perception of health improvement may be the result of a
placebo by proxy
, and in others, it may reflect an actual improvement in health due to a diet change. However, the same improvements could likely be replicated with a cooked diet that would provide the same nutrients with less risk of creating health concerns.
Formulating an at-home diet
People pursue a raw diet wanting to do the best by their pet; this is not disputed. Unfortunately, raw is likely not the best option for many of our furry companions, despite a wealth of misinformation circulating in the media. While many kibble diets exist that are sufficient for maintaining health and well-being, a fresh, nutritionally-balanced,
cooked
diet is still ideal whenever people have both the finances and time to pursue providing it. That said, it's important if you wish to cook your pet a diet at home, that you consult with a board certified
veterinary nutritionist
to develop a diet that is complete and balanced to meet your pet's needs.
Additional Resources
JAVMA
: https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/full/10.2460/javma.242.11.1500
JAVMA
: https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/full/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549
https://Canadian
Veterinary Journal
: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003575/
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Global Animal Nutrition Summit is now Virtual
Global Animal Nutrition Summit, Abstract Deadline Extended to April 30th
Are you planning on publishing an article or making a nutrition presentation some time in 2020?
We'd love to announce it for you! Please send to the Executive Directors at
aavnexecutive@gmail.com
or the E-newsletter editor
aboodsarah@gmail.com
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Place your ad here!
The AAVN offers both display and classified advertising in the monthly e-newsletter. To learn more about space limitations and fees, please contact
aavnexecutive@gmail.com
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Have a Job to Post?
Job notices received from an AAVN member will then be posted in the following places as a service to our membership:
1) AAVN Listserv
3) The following AAVN monthly newsletter
Members are also welcome to send relevant events, surveys intended for scientific research, training programs or courses to
aavnexecutive@gmail.com
for notice through our listserv and/or newsletter.
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