IVMA Office Hours During Winter Conference

The IVMA Office will have limited hours the week of Winter Conference:

Monday, Feb 6- Open regular hours 8:00 am-4:30 pm

Tuesday, Feb 7- close at 11:00 am

Wednesday, Feb 8 - Closed

Thursday, Feb 9 - Closed

Friday, Feb 10 - Open regular hours 8:00 am-4:30 pm

PC Orders

During the week of Winter Conference, the last day to order preconditioning supplies will be Monday, Feb 6. All orders received after Monday will be sent out on Friday, February 10.

Rural Iowa Veterinary Loan Repayment Program

Applications Open Feb 1

The Rural Iowa Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program is a program established to address critical veterinarian shortages in rural Iowa communities. Students who are in their final year of a doctor of veterinary medicine degree, and who secure a full-time veterinarian job in rural Iowa during the 2023-24 year (generally, July 2023 – June 2024) can qualify for up to $60,000 in federal student loan repayment benefits paid out over a four-year service obligation.

The application will be released on February 1, 2023. More details can be found at https://iowacollegeaid.gov/VeterinarianLoanRepaymentProgram.  

Please inform students in your doctor of veterinary medicine program who might be interested.

Serve on the AVMA's Council on Education (COE)

The AVMA Council on Education is recognized as the accrediting body for schools that offer the professional DVM degree, or its equivalent in the US and Canada; the COE also accredits other foreign programs. The Council encourages and assists colleges of veterinary medicine in meeting the requirements for accreditation, thus maintaining and advancing veterinary education, the basis for our profession.

Under the AVMA bylaws, the COE Selection Committee is charged with appointing the non-academic members of the Council (the academic members are selected by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges). The committee will be filling the following position in the spring 2023:

• Private Clinical Practice (An individual whose veterinary endeavor is exclusively private clinical practice)

The IVMA would like you to consider serving the profession by applying for one of these positions. You will have the opportunity to work with a committed group of practitioners, academicians and public members to help ensure the quality of the education students receive at AVMA-COE accredited schools.

Please take the time to review the responsibilities of the Council here. Interested candidates should complete this application and submit the application electronically by March 15, 2023.

Save the Date for Legislative Day

Each year, the IVMA sponsors IVMA Legislative Day to advocate for legislation that is important to Iowa veterinarians. This event allows IVMA members from around the state to visit the Capitol to talk directly with Iowa legislators.

We need YOU to help make a strong showing of veterinarians. During this event you will represent the veterinary profession, deepen your understanding of the policymaking process and help shape future legislation.

This year's Legislative Day will take place on Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00 am with a breakfast for legislators at the Iowa Capitol. A virtual Pre-Legislative Day Orientation for attendees will take place on Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 pm. A link to this meeting will be sent to all Legislative Day registrants.

Register for Legislative Day online at www.iowavma.org or call the IVMA office at 800-369-9564. There is no cost to attend.

Iowa Veterinarians asked to Participate in Heartworm Survey

The American Heartworm Society (AHS) is urging veterinarians to participate in the 2022 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey.

The AHS maps, dating back to 2001, are generated every three years and are widely used by veterinarians, animal shelters, animal rescue organizations and media to educate the pet-owning public about the threat of heartworm disease. The maps, which are built using data submitted by thousands of veterinary practices and animal shelters, also provide vital insights for veterinary professionals about trends in heartworm incidence and the spread of heartworms into new areas of the country.

The deadline to submit survey data on heartwormsociety.org/2022survey is March 15, 2023. The new 2022 AHS map will be made available in April as part of Heartworm Awareness Month.

USDA Seeks Comments on Required Electronic Eartags

for Interstate Cattle Moves

USDA published a proposed rule which would amend U.S. animal disease traceability regulations to require eartags in cattle and bison that are both visually and electronically readable — electronic identification (EID) tags.

Interested stakeholders may view the proposed rule here.

Members of the public may submit comments. All comments must be received by March 22, 2023. APHIS will review all comments and address them in a final rule.

Read more on the USDA website.

Confirmed Case of HPAI In Buena Vista County

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County.

Sick birds or unusual deaths among birds should be immediately reported to state or federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at iowaagriculture.gov/biosecurity. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

Read more.