APRIL 2022 | NEWS & UPDATES
Header image - dog with poles
In this issue ... SAVMA 2022, AARV/IVAPM Forum, nominations, Spotlight Practice, Technician Corner with Member Spotlight and Calendar, and more!
Dr. Theresa Pancotto
President's Message

Celebrating National Canine Fitness Month!
 
As practitioners of animal rehabilitation, fitness and improved mobility are daily celebrations for most of us and our patients. On a national level, April is National Canine Fitness Month! FitPAWS founded this movement in 2017 and has additional resources on its website. I encourage you to check it out! Its goal is to bring awareness to canine fitness and help fight obesity in our four-legged family members.

As a recreational endurance athlete myself, I recently learned of a neat opportunity for people and their fit canine friends: the US Canine Biathlon hosted by Eukanuba. While I would love to participate this year, my geriatric chihuahua mix with heart disease is not up for this challenge. The event takes place in my home state of Alabama and there is an option to go at it without a canine companion, so I may see you there yet with Asher cheering me on from the sidelines!

April is also Stress Awareness month. Remember to take some time to take care of yourself so that you can continue to do the wonderful job you do in taking care of others. Self-care can be as simple as a few quiet moments alone or a more lavish day trip to the spa. Love yourself and know that we all here at AARV love and support you too!
Dr. Theresa Pancotto signature
Theresa E. Pancotto, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), CCRP
March Articles (and some late February!)

Canine geriatric rehabilitation: Considerations and strategies for assessment, functional scoring, and follow up
Front Vet Sci 2022 Feb 25;9:842458.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.842458.eCollection 2022. 

Acupuncture improves heart rate variability, oxidative stress level, exercise tolerance, and quality of life in tracheal collapse dogs
Vet Sci 2022 Feb 18;9(2):88. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9020088.
 
Diagnosis and conservative management of primary lymphedema resulting from multiple aplastic lymphocenters in a dog
Top Companion Anim Med 2022 Mar 6;100651. doi: 10.1016/j.tcam.2022.100651. Online ahead of print.
It Was Great to See Our Student Members at SAVMA 2022!
AARV exhibit at SAVMA 2022
Dr. Molly Flaherty, AARV University Liaison, and Dr. Charlotte Talbert, representing ACVSMR, joined forces at the SAVMA 2022 Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota in March. Dr. Talbert provided lectures on introduction to veterinary rehabilitation and veterinary spinal manipulation therapy. We enjoyed manning the booth and meeting some of our student members and students from all over. It was inspirational to see how many students have an interest in learning more about veterinary rehabilitation!
Great to Be Back!

Thank you to all of you who attended the AARV lectures at the recent IVAPM Pain Management Forum. It was wonderful to see such a great turn-out with fantastic speakers and wonderful learning opportunities. A huge shout-out and many thanks to IVAPM for inviting us to be a part of this forum.

It was great to see and meet with many of our awesome sponsors in person again (Respond Systems, Zoetis, PulseVet, CRI, Companion, Exubrion). And a special thank you to Purina for sponsoring one of our presenting grant winners and Royal Canin who sponsored our student case report presentation and the John J. Sherman Award. We look forward to seeing you all at our future continuing education events.
AARV lecture
Lindsey Fry presents "Acupuncture and Rehabilitation in Practice" during the AARV lecture track.
Carolina Medina receiving John Sherman Award
Carolina Medina receives the John J. Sherman Award, sponsored by Royal Canin.
Nick Bielanski Student Case Report Winner
Nick Bielanski, the 2021 AARV/Royal Canin Student Case Report Winner, presents his case report.
Nominated graphic
Nominations Are Open for the AARV Board of Directors!

Do you know someone whom you feel would make an excellent contribution to leadership within the veterinary rehabilitation profession? AARV is now accepting nominations for Legislative Liaison and Membership Chair on its Board of Directors. Positions involve three-year terms beginning in 2022.
 
A brief description of each position follows.
 
To submit a nomination or learn more about the responsibilities of each position, please contact Dr. Theresa Pancotto, AARV president, at president@rehabvets.org.
 
AARV Legislative Liaison
Purpose: To keep current on legislative issues that may impact animal rehabilitation.
General Roles:
  • Serve as the liaison between AARV and the veterinary community including state boards regarding legislative issues related to animal rehabilitation.
  • Advocate for legislation identified as supportive of animal rehabilitation.
  • Attend and participate in monthly AARV Board of Director meetings as well as the annual meeting of the AARV.
 
AARV Membership Chair
Purpose: To increase overall membership of the AARV.
General Roles:
  • Organize vendor booths at veterinary conferences.
  • Reach out to new members using the internet or any kind of networking tools to determine rehab-trained veterinarians who are not members.
  • Identify existing or potential member benefits for the purpose of recruitment and retention.
  • Attend and participate in monthly AARV Board of Director meetings as well as the annual meeting of the AARV.
  • Manage the AARV membership database.
SPOTLIGHT PRACTICE

Climbing Rose Veterinary Services

"At Climbing Rose Veterinary Services, we want your pets to feel good at every age, which is why we bring chiropractic care, physical rehabilitation, and hospice care for your pets to your home."

Founded in 2017 by AARV member Kathy Fowler, DVM, CCRP, CAC, Climbing Rose focuses on pain management and patient comfort in an exclusively mobile practice. Dr. Fowler had previously spent 13 years in general small animal practice and felt that pain management, especially of geriatric, arthritic animals, often fell through the cracks.

Most of her current patients are elderly dogs with arthritis seen anywhere from twice a week to once every few months, with the majority getting a visit every 3-4 weeks. A typical visit includes a chiropractic adjustment, evaluation of current medications and home exercises, some light massage, and often an Adequan injection or a low-dose ketamine injection. “I tailor the specifics to each patient, do my best to keep them comfortable in their geriatric days, and offer compassionate, peaceful in-home euthanasia when the time comes.”
 
TECHNICIAN CORNER

The Path to a VTS! Where to Find Qualified CE, Earn Point Requirements and Important Dates to Remember for 2022
2022 goals on notepad
by Sarah Ostrin, CVT, VTS-Phys. Rehabilitation, CCRP, OCMC, CAPMC
AARV Technician Liaison

I remember the first time I opened my VTS application packet and thought to myself, "Holy crap, have I actually earned enough points or been to enough CE to even qualify? Let alone being able to keep track of it all and still raise two kids, treat my patients, work at a university, manage a house, clean up after 6 cats, 3 dogs, 5 reptiles and a partridge in a pear tree?" Did you slow down and sing the last part? Because I do. Every. Single. Time.
 
It’s hard — I will be the first one to step up and validate how true that is. I know having a VTS is special, and we are all proud of how hard we worked to get them, but I am humble enough to admit that I didn’t pass my first attempt and had to resubmit. It sucked. There isn’t a better phrase or way to put it. I put a lot into my first attempt but I didn’t do my best. I knew as soon as I hit submit, I wasn’t going to pass. That year had been nuts. A DVM and I had just opened a stand-alone rehab practice on our own with no business frame from the floor up in a 6x10-foot room. All excuses aside, as soon as I found out, I shed my tears and got to work. I knew my qualifications were solid; I just needed to put in the time and be the professional, the scientist, I knew I was. So, I did. We all took different journeys to get to our VTS and so will you.
Over the next several months, I will introduce you one by one to different members of the APRVT, and not just the members of our board, so you can see where we all come from. Hopefully our stories can help you find your path to the APRVT as well.

To start things off, I would like to introduce you to the president and CEO of APRVT, Wendy Davies, BS, CVT, VTS (Physical Rehabilitation), CCRVN. Click on the image at left or this link to learn more about her.
This month to help you on your journey, let's kick 2022 in gear. Here is a list of all the conferences and courses that can get you qualifying CE and points to use on your application! It was actually quite fun getting all this together. I found some cool information I’m going utilize myself so enjoy and happy learning!
 
“Remember to breathe, inhale courage but exhale compassion.”
 
Don’t forget to email any questions or suggestions you have to technician@rehabvets.org.
Learn More About APRVT 
 
The technicians of the APRVT would love to speak at your clinic or local conference! Contact us at vetrehabtechs@gmail.com to find someone in your area!

Please visit the APRVT website and social media sites to learn more about us and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter!

COVID-19 Resources for Members
AARV has compiled a list of resources to be helpful to members as they deal with the challenges of COVID-19. Please visit the COVID-19 Resources page on our website for complete details.
 
We also encourage members to check with their state and local VMAs as many are publishing and posting resources and guidance for veterinary professionals in their states. 
Join Our Speaker Registry!
The AARV wants you to be a speaker! We are developing a speaker registry and are requesting that interested members apply. This is an opportunity to engage in rehab education in your area of expertise! Consideration will be given to AARV members with accredited veterinary sports medicine/rehabilitation certification or ACVSMR diplomate or resident status. Venues may include, but are not restricted to, state, national and sports medicine/rehab specialty CE conferences, meetings and/or student club events. Speakers will be eligible for reimbursement for some travel expenses, which can be discussed upon application.
 
If you are interested in being a part of our speaker registry, please email president@rehabvets.org with the following information:

  1. Full name and credentials
  2. AARV membership
  3. Area(s) of expertise
  4. Home state and radius willing to travel
  5. Venues of interest (to include those suggested above)

Thanks so much for your willingness to share your knowledge!
Thank You to Our Mentors!
The AARV would like to thank all of the rehabilitation professionals who have volunteered to mentor and offer job shadowing/externships to veterinary and veterinary technician students who are interested in rehabilitation. To see a complete list of our current externship opportunities, visit our website, log into the Members Area, and go to the Student Job Shadowing/Externships page. 
 
If you would like to join our mentor list, please email Molly Flaherty, our University Liaison, at university@rehabvets.org
AARV Now Has 1,062 Articles of Interest in Its Database!
Dog at computer
AARV's searchable Articles of Interest Database has expanded to include 1,062 articles! The database now includes Articles of Interest for all of 2016 through March 2022 and is available to AARV members in the Members area of its website.
 
AARV will keep adding journal articles to the database each month to develop its usefulness as a research tool. We also will continue to include links to our past Articles of Interest from 2010 to the present in PDF format. All Articles of Interest have been selected by AARV founder Dr. Julia Tomlinson because of their relevance to the field of veterinary rehabilitation. 
 
To search the database, log in to the Members Area of the website and go to the Articles of Interest Database page. Enter a keyword, author's name, or other search term to begin your search. A list of matching article abstracts will be displayed. A link to the full version of the journal article will be provided if available.
 
Our thanks to Dr. Julia Tomlinson for selecting relevant journal articles each month and Dr. Kelli Martin for preparing the articles for the database.
Calendar
Check the AARV Calendar for Upcoming Events

Want to learn which courses are coming up at Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), Healing Oasis, Northeast Seminars/University of Tennessee, and CuraCore? Check the AARV Calendar of Events on our website, which contains upcoming rehabilitation classes and other continuing education events. You can also visit the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, Healing Oasis, Northeast Seminars/University of Tennessee, and CuraCore websites directly to learn more about their courses. 
 
Do you have an event to add to the AARV calendar? All calendar posts are now free for AARV members. Please send your calendar event to info@rehabvets.org and be sure to include the name of the event, speaker, topic, date, time, location and URL. Rehabilitation related events/classes only, please.
Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn!
Let's network! Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn by clicking on this link or the LinkedIn logo at right.
Interested in submitting a classified ad or becoming a sponsor?
CLASSIFIED AD

Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist, Commerce, Michigan
MedVet is seeking sports medicine/rehabilitation specialist to join our Commerce, MI hospital. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast paced environment and is dedicated to practicing the highest quality care.
MedVet is one of the largest employee owned and veterinarian led multispecialty and emergency practices in the country and offers the opportunity to become a shareholder. Dedication to our mission, strategy and core values of Teamwork, Leadership and Compassion are the priorities of our organization and allow us to deliver true collaborative care.
Visit www.medvet.com/employment or send a confidential CV to: Amanda.Purcell@MedVet.com.
CLASSIFIED AD

Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist, Indianapolis, Indiana
MedVet is seeking sports medicine/rehabilitation specialist to join our Indianapolis, IN hospital. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast paced environment and is dedicated to practicing the highest quality care.
MedVet is one of the largest employee owned and veterinarian led multispecialty and emergency practices in the country and offers the opportunity to become a shareholder. Dedication to our mission, strategy and core values of Teamwork, Leadership and Compassion are the priorities of our organization and allow us to deliver true collaborative care.
Visit www.medvet.com/employment or send a confidential CV to: Amanda.Purcell@MedVet.com.
CLASSIFIED AD

Animal Hospital for Sale, Davie, Florida
For Sale: Small Animal Hospital located on an acre of land in beautiful Davie, South Florida. Currently the practice is exclusive small animal, but has a large fenced in yard that is perfect for a rehab facility. With rehab medicine growing every day I would love for someone to buy and convert my hospital to a state of the art rehabilitation facility. There are 6 ACVS surgeons within a 10 mile radius. Please contact 954-288-9142 (C) or email me at drthannum@comcast.net. The name of the hospital is Extra Care Animal Hospital, in Davie Fl. This is a great opportunity for a new vet, or a seasoned Doctor.
CLASSIFIED AD

Acupuncture Veterinarians, Los Angeles, California
California Animal Rehabilitation (CARE) is adding to our growing team!
We provide the gold standard in comprehensive rehabilitation care. Our talented team includes rehabilitation veterinarians certified in both acupuncture and rehabilitation. We practice a combination of Eastern/Western medicine, in and out-patient rehabilitation. Acupuncture experience is needed; rehabilitation training is preferred. Email Amanda Loseth at Amanda.Loseth@nvacompassionfirst.com to learn more!
CLASSIFIED AD

Physical Rehabilitation Clinician, West Lafayette, Indiana
With our new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Hospital complex nearing completion, we are looking to add a Physical Rehabilitation Clinician to our team. This position requires a DVM, and is located in West Lafayette, IN. To apply, please visit: https://bit.ly/3xI6Kbr.
CLASSIFIED AD

Rehabilitation Veterinarian, Rochester Hills, Michigan
Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine is growing! Our well-equipped 4550 sq ft facility provides premier level rehabilitation care in beautiful southeastern Michigan. Ready to challenge yourself in an exclusively rehabilitation practice? We would love to add a rehabilitation veterinarian to our fantastic rehabilitation team, which includes 3 rehabilitation certified technicians. Acupuncture and VSMT (chiropractic) training considered a plus.
Learn more about us at www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com. For more information or to apply, contact Dr. Tari Kern at frontdesk@pawsitivestepsrehab.com or 248-564-0309. BTW, Rochester Hills made the Top 10 Places to Live in America in 2014 and has lots to offer all interests! For your convenience:
CLASSIFIED AD

Rehabilitation Veterinarian, Northwest Washington
Rehabilitation Veterinarian wanted to join rehab dedicated practice in NW Washington, FT/PT. Great clientele, fully equipped office, lots of independence, small town vibe with big city amenities. Buy-in potential. Call or email: 360-632-1985, wccr19@gmail.com.
Please take a moment to visit our sponsors!
We've learned that some email programs may cut off the end of our newsletter. If you don't see the AARV mailing address at the end of the newsletter, click on "View Entire Message" to see our complete newsletter including special offers from our sponsors.
TIER 1: EDUCATION & RESEARCH SPONSORS
Healing Oasis: 5% discount for AARV members on continuing education seminars 
To redeem Healing Oasis discount: Contact Healing Oasis for details
TIER 2: SPONSORS PROVIDING MEMBER DISCOUNTS
DogLeggs: Free shipping for AARV members
To redeem DogLeggs discount: Contact DogLeggs for details
Northeast Seminars/University of Tennessee: 10% off any course or program.
To redeem the discount: Use the discount code "AARV" at checkout.
GingerLead: 50% discount off MSRP for any size order
To redeem GingerLead discount: Contact GingerLead for details
My Pet's Brace: 10%-15% discount
To redeem My Pet's Brace discount: Contact My Pet's Brace for details
Hudson Aquatic Systems: Receive a FREE Therapist Bench, a $332 value, with any new AquaPaws unit purchase.
To redeem Hudson Aquatic Systems discount: Contact info@hudsonaquatic.com for more information and to redeem.
OrthoPets by Dassiet: 5% discount
To redeem OrthoPets discount: Contact OrthoPets for details
Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI): 10% off most continuing education rehabilitation courses
To redeem CRI discount: Register online for a continuing education rehabilitation course, and click on the "AARV Member Discount" button during Step 2 of Checkout to receive the discounted rate.
H2O For Fitness: Free custom paint job and one extra year of warranty for parts only.
To redeem H2O For Fitness offer, contact H2O at h2oforfitness.com and mention the AARV ad.
TIER 3: ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Partner with us! We offer three opportunities for you to choose from. Find out more by clicking here.
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