Winter 2012

m i c h i g a n v e t e r i n a r y m e d i c a l a s s o c i a t i o n

v o l u m e v i i n u m b e r 4 w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

in this issue . . . 4 Board of Directors Update

5 Power of Ten Leadership Academy

7 Renew Your License

10 Vector-Borne Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Outbreak

special insertMVMA Member Bene ts

16 New Practice Resource Tools

16 Ten Reasons Not to Miss the Michigan Veterinary Conference

17 Brush Up on Your Backyard Chicken Skills

18 What Has Happened on Your Facebook Page?

19 People, Pets & Vets 2012: A Great Time for All

25 Do You Understand the New Standards in Client Care?

26 correction: Warning! Entering Tick Territory

continued on page 2.

MVMAS 2013 PRESIDENT, RALPH J. HUFF, DVM SHARES HIS THOUGHTS

Who Moved Our Cheese?

One of the most rewarding parts of my professional life has been my association with MSUs Practice Based Ambulatory Program veterinary students and the things that they have taught me. Especially interesting to me is how their professional expectations di er so much from my own. Most of this generational diversity occurs as changing technology of an ever-changing world shapes di erent generations. For example: Are you reading this on paper or an LCD screen? PC or Mac? Do you Facebook or phone book? Did you grow up in Archie Bunkers family or Modern Family? Do you live to work or work to live? Did you pay $4,000 for your last year of tuition or $40,000?

Beyond the technology, the most important change has been the cost of our education in relation to income potential. Thirty years ago, a young veterinarian could graduate with a reasonable debt load equal to or less than your rst years salary. Today, a new graduate typically has student debt of several times that rst years salary. Salaries have struggled to keep pace with ination. Education costs (and debt) have greatly exceeded ination. If this trend continues, in a few years it will take all of a new graduates income to pay o this mountain of debt.

2144 Commons Pkwy., Okemos, MI 48864-3986tel (517) 347-4710 fax (517) 347-4666

email [email protected] www.facebook.com/ilovemyvet

twitter www.michvma.org

Published quarterly in March, June,September, and December.

Deadlines are the rst of the preceding month.

editorsKarlene B. Belyea, MBA

Sheri Fandel

2012 mvma officers & directorsofficers

Dr. Susan Sayles, PresidentDr. Ralph Hu , President-Elect

Dr. Therese Burns, 1st Vice PresidentDr. Julie Cappel, 2nd Vice President

Dr. Frank Carmona, Immediate Past PresidentDr. Nancy Frank, AVMA Delegate

Dr. Kathleen Smiler, AVMA Alternate DelegateKarlene B. Belyea, MBA, Chief Executive O cer

directors representing districtsDr. Matthew Taylor, (1) Southern

Dr. David Butts, (2 & 3) Michiana & SouthwesternDr. Melissa Owings, (4) Jackson

Dr. Lauren Gnagey, (5 & 9) Washtenaw & LivingstonDr. Shirene Cece-Clements, (6) Wayne

Dr. Tari Kern, (7) MacombDr. Andrea Switch, (8) OaklandDr. Jamie Snow, (10) Mid-State

Dr. Rebecca Kursch, (11) WesternDr. Kurt Dunckel, (12) Saginaw

Dr. Kevin Stachowiak, (13) ThumbDr. Jacob Langendorfer, (14) Northeastern

Dr. Bruce Cozzens, (15) Northern

directors representing associationsDr. Mike Thome, MI Equine Practitioners

Dr. Steven Bailey, Southeastern Michigan VMA

at-large directorsDr. Jeremy Boge, Food Animal

Dr. Charles DeCamp, MSU CVMDr. Lori Penman, Lab Animal Medicine

layout/designCharlie Sharp/Sharp Des!gns, Lansing, MI

printing & mailingBRD Printing, Lansing, MI

The Michigan Veterinary Medical Association represents the veterinary profession in Michigan, advances the knowledge and standards of its membership, and promotes the science, practice, and value of veterinary medicine for the bene t of animal and human health.

Professional excellence.Compassionate care.

MVMAs Facebook page has over 1,600 fans. We are also on Twitterand you can join the more than 1,400 followers receiving our tweets. And be sure to view us on YouTubeweve had 15,00+ views at www.youtube.com/michiganvma. Dont miss out on breaking news and

important information posted daily on both www.facebook.com/ilovemyvet and www.twitter.com/michiganvma.

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Will veterinary medicine be a good return on investment for middle class students when those free market realities come to fruition? Or will student bodies be made up of the rich, living on a trust fund, and the poor that may qualify for an ever-smaller pool of nancial aid? Neither of those groups may be concerned with the return on an educational dollar spent, nor will those who rely on a government loan forgiveness program. But the middle class who will have to borrow the cost of educa-tion will care, and may consider another career where the return on investment is greater.

How our profession handles the chal-lenges of producing the next generation of practitioners is of utmost importance. As in the book Who Moved My Cheese?, our cheese has been moved. Our education investment has greatly expanded and government sources to o set costs have been reduced. Client visits are down and Dr. Google and the Internet ate some of our traditional sources of cheese. Some mice would say that with the right lobbyist and the right voting choices, we could get our cheese back like it was before. I believe that we need to vigorously defend our exclusive veterinary medicine franchise through our Legislative Advisory Committee, our Political Action Committee, our lobbyist, and our public relations rm. However, we also need new varieties of veterinarians that are more valuable in the marketplace, cost less to produce, and still satisy todays diverse market demands.

Perhaps it is time to consider educa-tional tracking and limited licensure to streamline education and reduce costs.

Alternatively, education could be expanded in the students area of interest at the same cost by eliminating other areas of practice instruction that are frequently never used. For example: Colleges might consider graduating the same prociency companion animalonly veterinarian in 3 years (less cost), or graduate an expanded prociency production-medicine specialist, food ani-malonly veterinarian in four years (same cost but worth more in that practice area). Mixed-animal practitioners are a shrinking minority. It may be time to streamline the veterinary education product line to meet demand, cut cost, and improve the new graduates ability to practice better medicine more protably in their area of interest. We will soon have to change to meet the economic realities of the free market. How we change is up to us as a group to come to-gether as one voice to leverage our inuence on the future.

My focus as your president in 2013 will be to promote free-market solutions to strengthen our association and enhance our members ability to provide the best possible care and be more productive and protable. When the MVMA makes an investment in our continuing education programs, or public relations, or web design, or lobbying, or whatever comes next, it is for your bottom line. The results may not be tangible but they should be palpable in the marketplace. That is my goal. It is truly an exciting time to be your MVMA president. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts at the next MVMA meeting, or on paper, Facebook, Twitter, or the next big thing.

Ralph J Hu , DVM, MVMA 2013 President

. Cheese, from front cover

the michigan veterinarian winter 2012 3

U.P. Miracle of Life: Another Great Year!

The 19th annual Miracle of Life Exhibit at the Upper Peninsula State Fair was once again a resounding success story. The MOL exhibit is the most well attended exhibit at the fair. This year it was housed in the Miracle of Life Education Pavilion which was dedicated on Monday August 13 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new building houses four other exhibits including Michigan Farm Bureau which is one of our sponsors. Other sponsors include Greenstone Farm Credit Services, MVMA

and the Thompson Veterinary Clinic.The exhibit was sta ed by loyal local vet-

erinarians Drs. Sue Laskaska, Krissy Palo, Marlene Mackie, M. Katherine White, Emily Niemi, Ben Bartlett, Jim Boydston, Laura Havelka, Tracy Nyberg, Barry Wehner and Ron Schwab as well as LVTs Beth McLaren and Wanda LeMaster.

The exhibit was cared for by second-year CVM students Richard Blair, Anne Traynor, Lindsay Cronin, and Allan Mergener along with third-year CVM students Sarah Schro-

eder, Laura Benoit, Kendra Creighton, and Kallie Ashcraft who all worked long hours and gained lots of hands-on experience.

There were over 100 chicks hatched in the exhibit as well as 21 piglets delivered from two sows. We had eight ewes give birth to 16 lambs, and 11 cows deliver 14 calvesall to capacity crowds!

We look forward to next year in our new building and, as always, please contact Drs. Gail Hoholik and Renee Coyer if you would like to volunteer.

4 the michigan veterinarian winter 2012

The MVMA Board of Directors met on September 27, 2012. Highlights of this meeting are included below. PROGRESS ON STRATEGIC PLAN

A new strategic plan was developed using facilitators Harrison Coerver and Dave Fellers (see sidebar at right).

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The Power of Ten Leadership Academy held a legislative training session on September 12. The session focused on the legislative process, legislation a ecting veterinarians and animals, and how to build relationships with legislators. It included visits with each participants individual legislators and a tour of the Capitol. MVMA will be looking for new participants for the 2013 Academy (see sidebar, opposite page).

MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION

MVMAs lobbyist met with the Governors Senior Policy Advisory and he indicated that once the new ORR recommendations are implemented, they would be more willing to talk about mandatory continuing education with us. They would like us to put together an issues brief, information on requirements from bordering states and information on reciprocity. Zoonotic disease implications need to be emphasized.

ANIMAL WELFARE

The Animal Welfare Committee recom-mended changes to two MVMA position statements. The Board approved the revised statements as follows:

position statement on animal fightingThe Michigan Veterinary Medical As-sociation condemns animal ghting as

dened by Michigan law. MVMA supports strict enforcement of existing law at the felony level. The MVMA encourages veterinarians to recognize the signs of animal ghting and to assist with en-forcement and education. When signs of animal ghting exist, MVMA encourages veterinarians to contact the appropriate authorities.

position statement on animal abuse and animal neglectAnimal abuse ranges from minor neglect to willful and malicious intent to harm. Animal abuse is often an indicator of other forms of violence and studies have shown that there is a correlation between animal and human abuse. While neglect-

ful acts may be unintentional and related to ignorance or lack of education, inten-tional forms of animal abuse cannot be tolerated. Since veterinarians have a responsi-bility to both animals and the public, and may be the rst contact with an abused animal, they should take an active role in detecting, recognizing, preventing, and reporting animal abuse.The veterinary profession should educate its members to recognize, docu-ment and report animal abuse, develop forensic models, discuss legislation con-cerning reporting by veterinarians, and collaborate with other animal and human

board of directors update

MVMAs 20132015 Strategic Plan

On September 2627, 2012, MVMAs Board of Directors participated in a strategic plan-ning process with representatives from Harrison Coerver and Associates. Prior to this session, MVMA had surveyed veterinarian members, student afliates and the Board of Directors. The top issues raised by these groups were mandatory continuing education for veterinarians, governance, practice economics and MVMAs CE programs currently o ered. After careful review and analysis of all data, the Board voted to focus on the fol-lowing objectives. The top three will be worked on initially but the Board and sta hope to move down the list and make headway on all of these issues.

n Achieve mandatory CE for licensure by 2014 n Strengthen the value and competitive position of MVMA CE programming n Capitalize on technology to add value to membership n Strengthen the legislative presence of MVMA n Enhance the image of the veterinarian as the authority on animal health and welfare n Evaluate the feasibility a membership model that incorporates CE and tracks it as a

member benet n Streamline and consolidate programs and services to those with the highest use and

benet n Design a board and committee structure that is streamlined and integrated

continued on page 6.


Power of Ten Leadership Academy

Have you graduated in the last eight years? If so, consider participating in MVMAs Power of Ten Leadership Academy! Are you looking for a way to discover your full potential now that youre a practicing veterinarian?

Designed to cultivate leadership skills and provide important real-world learning experiences, the Power of Ten Leadership Academy will provide ten recent graduates (graduated from a college of veterinary medicine with a DVM degree in the years 20052012) with four leadership development sessions over a year-long period.

MVMA will provide topic experts, food, and overnight expenses (if necessary) at no charge for participants to attend sessions that not only convey the key learning points about lead-ership, but also deepen the understanding of class members on a number of related topics. Likely topics/sessions will include:

n Team building and sta leadershipn Media Training: e ective communications and public speakingn Generational di erencesn Personality assessments: understanding yourself and others

to develop e ective strategies to deal with di erent or difcult people/colleagues

n Best practices in human resources and practice managementn Legislation a ecting veterinary medicinen Work/life balance and personal wellness

first: Get your practice owner to commit to supporting your involvement in this initiative since it means you will likely miss four days of work for these important sessions.

second: Contact MVMA at [email protected] or (517) 347-4710 for an application form.

MVMA thanks Elanco Animal Health for their partnership on this important initiative!

front row:Amy Morris, Lisa Farnum, Karlene Belyea, Dr. Tari Kern, Dr. Jenna Corbett, Dr. Jean Hudson, Dr. Angela Lusty, Kara Henrys, Dr. Dana Tatman-Lilly.back row:Dr. Ryan Carpenter, Dr. Marcia Backstrom, Dr. Jackie Ponstein, Dr. Kristin Knirk, Dr. Krista Cook, Dr. Charlotte Lucas, Dr. Frank Carmona (team leader).missing from the photo:Dr. Kristin Spink-Hauger.


welfare groups and professionals within communities to eliminate animal abuse.

INVESTMENT TASK FORCE

A revised version of the MVMA Investment Policy Statement was approved by the Board.

NOTICE OF MVMA ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the MVMA will be held in conjunction with the Michigan Veterinary Conference on Friday, January 25, 2013, from 12:302:00 pm in Hall C of the Lansing Center. The agenda is as follows:

1. Call to Order2. Introductions & Welcomes3. MVMA Awards4. MVMA Board of Directors Recognition5. Presidents Report

Additional information will be shared via a slide show which will include the Michigan Animal Health Foundation, Presidents Honor Roll, MVMAs Mission & Strategic Priorities, and other important MVMA activities.

SALES AND USE TAX FOR VETERINARIANS

According to MVMAs lobbyist, the Michigan Department of Treasury has com-menced a signicant increase in Sales and Use Tax audits on many businesses includ-ing veterinary practices. Several MVMA members have been subjected to audits that have resulted in signicant tax liability, penalties, and interest to DVM practices.

While Treasury has not published any amendments or retractions, it has come to the MVMAs attention that Revenue Admin-istrative Bulletin 1990-24, Sales and Use Tax Guidelines for Veterinarians, is no lon-ger considered as controlling and should not be relied upon for tax compliance.

Since Treasury has not provided a re-placement standard or guidance, MVMA has no replacement alternative to o er members at this time. Therefore, MVMA is urging

practitioners to contact their CPAs and tax attorneys to assure proper tax compliance with respect to Michigan Sales and Use Tax.

There has been a case cited by auditing treasury personnel that applies: Catalina vs. Treasury 470 Mich 13 (Michigan Su-preme Court Case, 2004). This case dealt with single combined transactions and included a six-part Incidental to Service test for the provision of services and transfer of tangible personal property. The six-part test includes:

n What the buyer sought in the transactionn What the service provider is in the busi-

ness of doingn Were the goods provided as a retail enter-

prise with a prot-making motive?n Are the tangible goods available without

the service?n What extent the service contributed to the

value of the physical item transferredn Other factors relevant to the transaction

MVMA is working with other associations

board of directors update


and business groups in an attempt to bring clarity and closure to Treasurys actions. MVMA encourages practices to talk to their CPAs and attorneys about the most recent ruling and appeal, review current practices and use the six-part Catalina case test.

ATTORNEY GENERAL CONFIRMS WHO CAN

GIVE RABIES VACCINATIONS

MVMAs Legislative Advisory Committee was recently presented with the question of whether a licensed veterinary technician

should be allowed to give rabies vaccines in a shelter situation. To clarify the law, MVMAs Lobbyist worked with Senator Jim Marleau to obtain a current opinion letter from the Attorney Generals ofce. The letter states that a veterinary technician may ad-minister rabies vaccines required under the Dog Law, provided the individual is licensed as a veterinary technician in Michigan, is acting under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, and the veterinarian signs the rabies vaccine certicate. (see letter, above).

RENEW YOUR LICENSE!RENEWALS MUST NOW BE DONE ONLINE

Each year, MVMA receives a couple of calls from panicked members who forgot to renew their veterinary licenses. Remember that you must renew every two years and the expiration date is always December 31. Licenses must now be renewed by going online to the e-License website at www.michigan.gov/elicense. A renewal notice is mailed to your address of record approximately 60 days prior to the expiration date and includes information about how to renew your license online. The online renewal website is available 24/7 and payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard, or electronic check. If an individual holds a professional license and a controlled sub-stance license, both licenses can be renewed online but there is a separate online renewal process for each license.

To avoid paying a late fee, you must renew your license online on or before the date it expires. You can still renew online if you are within the 60-day grace period after your license expires, but you will be required to pay the renewal fee plus a $20 late fee. If your license is not renewed within 60 days after your expiration date, your license will lapse. When your license lapses, you can no longer practice your profession nor can you identify yourself as a licensed or registered individual.Practicing without a valid license is a felony under the Public Health Code and can result in legal proceedings as well as disciplinary actions. Regardless of whether or not you receive a renewal notice, it is your responsibility under Section 333.16201(1) of the Public Health Code to renew your license or regis-tration prior to the expiration date.

If you experience problems with the online renewal process, please contact the Bureau of Health Professions at (517) 335-0918 or email us at [email protected].


it sounds like something from a horror movie: tiny biting ies spread a virus that infects and kills almost 10,500 over the course of less than three months. Those infected begin showing signs (weakness, loss of appetite, rapid pulse and respiration,

excessive salivation, and fever) about seven days after exposure and then, just eight to 36 hours after developing symptoms, pass into a shock-like state, lie down and die. But this isnt the fantasy of ction; its the story of what happened to wild white-tailed deer in Michi-gans Lower Peninsula from late July through mid-October, 2012.

The virus is termed epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and it is spread by an insect vector, midges (sometimes called no-see-ums). In Michigan, deer die-o s attributed to EHD have occurred periodically since 1955 in multiple counties. From 1955 through 2011, the estimated total mortality of deer attributed to EHD is 2,150. But this season was di erent. Very di erent. In the past, the maximum number of counties a ected during an outbreak was six. This season, an estimated 10,430 deer (the current number available at the writing of this article) across 39 counties have been reported dead as possible EHD cases, with laboratory conrmed cases in 29 counties.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began re-porting on the outbreak in late July when EHD was conrmed as the cause of death in deer found in two counties in southern MichiganIonia and Branch. Tom Cooley, biologist and pathologist at the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab, suspected EHD in these cases and the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH) conrmed the presence of the virus. But it soon became clear that what began as a typical, localized EHD outbreak was quickly turning into the biggest outbreak recorded in the state.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON EHD

n EHD a ects wild and domestic ruminants. In addition to white-tailed deer, susceptible species which show clinical disease include cattle, mule deer, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

n There is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans through contact with, or eating venison from, an infected animal.

n The EHD virus does not spread from animal to animal and must be transmitted via the insect vector, Culicoides; a midge can transmit the disease after it has bitten an infected animal.

n Infected deer often use bodies of water (streams, lakes, rivers, etc.) to cool themselves down for relief from the fever and as a result, dead deer are often found in or near water.

CLINICAL SIGNS & DIAGNOSIS

While infection with EHD virus may occur in white-tailed deer, cattle and other ungulates (both wild and domestic), white-tailed deer are

Vector-BorneEpizootic

Hemorrhagic Disease

Outbreakworst in states history

Courtney Chapin


the species most severely a ected by overt disease. For white-tailed deer, infection can cause a high rate of mortality whereas infected cattle seldom show signs of disease, and mortality is typically low (Savini et al).

Many practitioners, and even a lay audience, are more familiar with another hemorrhagic disease, bluetongue virus (BT). In fact, EHD and BT are indistinguishable from one another based on clinical signs alone. In addition, clinical signs may be similar to other cattle diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea/mucosal disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, vesicular stomatitis, malignant catarrhal fever, and bovine ephemeral fever (Savini et al). Therefore, laboratory testing is necessary to make a denitive diagnosis.

As the name implies, the lesions of EHD in white-tailed deer are characterized by extensive hemorrhages that range from pinpoint to massive. These can be found throughout the bodyno organs appear to be exempt. The tissues most suitable for testing, and most regu-larly a ected, are lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. The tissues most commonly used for laboratory diagnosis of EHD are lung and spleen.

A. Su use hemorrhages on serosal surface of the rumen.B. Blood stained stomach contents (rumen and reticulum). C. Subcutaneous serosanguineous edema.D. Serosanguineous uid between the pericardial sac and the heart.E. Hemothorax.

A. B.

C. D.

E.

.


At DCPAH, the testing for EHD has been ongoing since the end of July and was a daily occurrence from the end of August through the end of September, when some days involved processing tissues from 1015 deer. Immunodiagnostics/Parasitology sec-tion chief Dr. Steve Bolin says, Were doing a nested PCR which is a very sensitive assay ... Its broad spectrum, so it should pick up all the serotypes of EHDV. It is susceptible to PCR inhibitors; we certainly ran into that problem almost immediately this year with false negative results. We had to go back and reassess how we were handling our samples. Essentially, we found that we had to dilute our samples 50- to 100-fold to get away from inhibitors.

Managing this volume was not a problem, however, because, as Bolin says, We try to structure our work ow and use processes that allow us to take on new tests with relatively large numbers of samples without disrupting our day to day activities. Even in the absence of a new disease, we will routinely experience surges of normal testing that will essentially do the same thing to us, that could potentially disrupt our normal ow of testing if we didnt have processes in place. We have plenty of people cross-trained and use teamwork ... We did create a deer team. That became a necessity relatively early in the outbreak.

DCPAH wasnt the only one who had to respond to the increase in workload because of the outbreak. Because of the scope of this years outbreak, the DNR didnt stop at conrming cases at the county level but rather went down to the township level. Cooley says that change meant instead of doing one [deer], now youre doing 36. So you can imagine the amount of time it takes for people to handle phone calls, go out and get animals, get them up to us to process them and all of that. It is signicant ... Weve had people who have been pretty much devoted to doing this over the last three months.

WHAT DO VETERINARIANS NEED TO KNOW?

Incidence of the disease should stop follow-ing hard frost which kills the midge vector, but if clients inquire about wild deer found dead or exhibiting symptoms consistent with

EHD, they should be encouraged to contact their local DNR eld ofce (list available at michigan.gov/wildlife, under Contact Infor-mation). Clients inquiring about animals at a privately owned cervid facility should con-tact DCPAH at (517) 353-1683 for instructions on how to submit samples for testing.

If a pet (most likely a dog) comes into contact with a deer carcass and the owner is concerned or inquires, a conservative rec-ommendation is to encourage them to keep an eye on the pet and watch for any changes that would warrant a trip to the veterinar-ian. Little is known about the susceptibility of dogs. In a serological survey conducted

in an area having a high prevalence of EHD in white-tailed deer no EHDV positive dogs were detected (Savini et al).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Savini, G.; Afonso, A.; Mellor, P.; Aradaib, I.; Yadin, H.;

Sanaa, M.; Wilson, W.; Monaco, F.; and Domingo,

M.; 2011. Epizootic heamorragic disease. Research

in Veterinary Science 91, 117.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Epizootic

Hemorrhagic Disease. Michigan Wildlife Disease

Manual, michigan.gov/dnr.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources. EHD

Outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in

Deer, michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.


Remember the MICHIGAN ANIMAL HEALTH FOUNDATION

. . . for our sake!


PARTNERS FOR HEALTHY PETS

New Practice Resource Tools

Remember that advice your dad gave you about xing things? First, he said, you need the right tools. Well, now the right business tools are available from Partners for Healthy Pets to help steer your business toward even greater success.

Unveiled at this years AVMA Convention, the Practice Resource Toolbox, located on the Partnership website (www.partners-forhealthypets.org), o ers the veterinary healthcare team a wide variety of useful tools to help guide the way toward success-ful implementation of a comprehensive, preventive pet healthcare program. With overwhelming evidence that preventive healthcare is the wave of the future in human and animal health, these tools are designed to educate sta on how to com-municate with clients and how to follow through on getting pet owners to turn to their veterinary clinic to help ensure the longest, healthiest life for their companion animals.

Included in the toolbox is a survey en-

titled The Opportunity, which a ords both sta and clients the opportunity to reveal the e ectiveness of communication during a veterinary visit. The results have so far been a real eye opener for early participants in the beta testing of the survey. Veterinarians who thought they were doing a superior job of communicating with their clients through spoken word and even written communications found that clients were not listening, not understanding and even misinterpreting what was being said. Those early participants were able to tweak their communications and, as a result, saw an almost immediate di erence in both appre-ciation for the importance of preventive care and compliance with veterinary directives.

The AAHA/AVMA Canine & Feline Preventive Healthcare Guidelines were an early addition to the website and are now complemented by continuing education modules that focus on the medical elements and implementation of the Guidelines. In

addition to the modules on the website, another module has been designed by the VetMed Team, the same CE content provider that practices have turned to for years for healthcare sta ofce-training materials.

A step-by-step process to establishing a monthly payment program for clients as well as team training materials that under-score the important role each healthcare team member plays in promoting preventive healthcare to clients already exist on the site. In the coming months, more tools will be added to the toolbox to enhance the suc-cess of the healthcare team. Whats more, there will be learning tools for every learn-ing stylefrom video to webinars to written materials. Whatever the learning style, each team member will have the right tools at their ngertips to help ensure healthier pets and successful businesses.

Janice L. Trumpeter, DVM

ASVMAE Immediate Past President

Reasons nsNot To MissMthe Michigan chVVVVeterinary naConference!e

January 2527, 2012 | Lansing, Michigan

1 MVC CE programs are top notch and comprehensive for all veterinary professionals.

2 You can network with college classmates, friends, and colleagues.

3 Over 100 exhibitors will welcome you.

4 CE tracks include companion animal, food animal, equine, emerging animal health

and disease topics, practice management, staff development, veterinary technology,

and nontraditional medicine.

5 Wet labs provide veterinarians and veterinary technicians with hands-on learning.

6 There are plenty of fun events.

7 Attending CE in Michigan helps our economy and saves you money.

8 Lunches and refreshments are included with your registration fee at no additional

cost to you.

9 The MVC is centrally located with easy access.

0 There are special low lodging rates.


Public Act 93 of 1981, the Michigan Right to Farm Act (RTF) was passed to protect farms and farmers as urban and suburban dwellers moved out to the country and realized they didnt like the odors, noise, and nuisance of farm activities. The RTF Act has success-fully stood the test of time, however, it has historically applied to farming operations in rural areas, or farms that have been grandfathered in as the rural areas became suburban.

Under RTF, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and agriculture partners develop policy regarding Generally Accepted Agri-culture Management Practices (GAAMPs). In accordance with these policies, a herd or ock of animals above a concentration of 50 units (dams and o spring) have to follow the Siting (location) GAAMPs in order to be exempt from nuisance complaints under the RTF Act. Farms with fewer animals still have the right to farm, but they are not required to conform to GAAMPS in order to receive protection.

On January 11, 2012, the Michigan Com-mission of Agriculture and Rural Develop-ment revised the GAAMPs preface language to exclude municipalities with a population

of 100,000 or more when a zoning ordinance has been enacted to allow for agriculture.

With this language, the City of Detroit Planning Commission reconvened an Urban Agriculture Working Group to develop city ordinances on urban gardening and farm-ing. For six months, MDARD sta assisted in the development of the language by bring-ing program experts on poultry and animal health, pesticide use, composting, and soil testing for toxins.

In the meantime other municipalities in the state have developed their own ordinances that allow for a small number of chickens for either egg or meat production for personal consumption.

As a private practice veterinarian you may nd your next client holding a fancy

Polish Crested or a Mille Fleur, and their emotional attachment to this animal may be just a strong as to a dog or cat. Encourage clients to establish a relationship with a food animal veterinarian, or as an urban veterinarian, you may decide to include poultry in your practice. Either way, brush up on your skills, or have a referral number at hand before someone walks in the door with a surprise wrapped in a towel.

Visit www.backyardchickens.com to get a sense of the interest in backyard birding. MDARD has a nice set of reference guides to poultry disease of public health and eco-nomic importance, and the Merck Veterinary Manual is always a good go-to standard for disease and animal health information. If you are a member of the Michigan Emer-gency Veterinary Network these reference guides are available on-line. If you are not a member we will be glad to send copies to you. Contact Jeanne Davis at [email protected], or call (517) 373-8118.

State Veterinarian Steven L. Halstead, DVM, MS

Brush up on your

backyard chicken

skills

STATE VETERINARIANS BULLETIN


Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo

The Macomb Community College Veteri-nary Technician Program participated in the Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo again this year. Every September thousands of people gather at the zoo for a chance to help raise money for the Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex. Participants are involved in events such as the 5k and 10k run, as well as a walk within the zoo. This is a great chance to help raise money for the animals.

In addition to helping raise funds for the zoo, Macomb Community College has had an ongoing friendly competition with the other vet tech programs in Michigan. Whichever school brings in the best scores goes home with the Run Wild trophy. MCC was the 2010 winner and were happy to announce that the Run Wild trophy returned home with them and is on display in the teaching hospital at the Vet Tech Program at Macomb.

What has happened on your Facebook page?

If you are like many administrators of business pages on Facebook, you have probably seen a decrease in the reach that you are receiving from your regular postings. At the same time, Facebook has put renewed e orts into recommending that pages use their Facebook ads or Promoted Posts functionality. Coincidence? Probably not, according to most experts at social media sites like Social Media Today, Market-ing Land, and Quora.

As mentioned in past discussions, Face-book uses an algorithm (EdgeRank) in order to rate whether or not your pages post will be seen by any single Facebook user who likes your Page. The algorithm looks at the type of post (text vs. video, photo, etc.) as well as past engagement with the user and a specic time decay. At the end of September, Facebook modied the algorithm to throttle back the amount of organic posts showing up in users NewsFeeds. Now, most pages report that only about 15 percent of their

fans actually see their posts.Should you worry about this or should

you be using the paid advertising pro-vided by Facebook? The answer, like most things in social media, is complex. First, you should be monitoring your posts through Facebook Insights. This will often tell you what types of posts work as well as what time you should be posting. By regularly posting good, relevant content, its not unusual to reach more than 50 or even 60 percent of your fan base. Many of our posts at the Veterinary News Network page often exceed 50 percent of our total likes.

Next, understand that the bigger your page is, a lower percentage of fans are reached by your posts. Thats just a built-in mechanism to stop huge brands (Coke, Nike, etc.) from clogging up everyones NewsFeed.

Using Facebook Ads or even the Pro-moted Posts feature may sound intriguing, but you will need to weigh the costs (actu-ally pretty low) with the return (also pretty

low). In an experiment that is still ongoing, we used Facebook ads to promote another one of our pages and saw about 23,000 impressions over a two-week period of time. Sounds great, but we only received 29 clicks on the ad and only four of those people took action (i.e., liked our page or looked at photos, etc).

Finally, remember that although Face-book is the largest social media network, others do exist and it is worth your time to go and claim your presence on those sites (Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, etc). You dont have to immediately start posting at all sites, but consider this a step in building a more solid foundation, with multiple supports for your media outreach. That way, if Facebook stops working for you, you will have other options to reach people interested in your expertise.

The Veterinary News Network can provide assistance in helping you navigate social media, as well as understand the value of traditional media and helping you protect your online reputation. VNN has partnered with MVMA and we encourage your practice to join us. Learn more at http://www.MyVNN.com.

Team Macomb, 2012 Run Wild trophy winners.


PEOPLE, PETS & VETS 2012

A Great Time forAll

Theninth annual MVMA People, Pets & Vets programwas held on Saturday, November 3, 2012, at Macomb Commu-nity College in Clinton Township, Michigan. Over 50 booths, coveringa widevariety of veterinary and veterinary-related top-ics, were on hand for animal lovers of all agesto enjoy.Display subjects included ophthalmology, cardiology,obesity, surgery, anesthesia, rehabilitation therapy, blood banking, radiology,behavior modication, veterinary career opportunities and many more.

The MVMA Healthy Pet Surgical Suitehas become a favorite feature at this event, showcasing the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Several surgeries were per-formed at PP&V for animals awaiting adop-tion through the local sheltercomplete with narration and camera footage up-close in the surgery suite for the attendees.

Students from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine also partici-

pated in the event at the Pet Loss Support Hotline table and also the ever-popular pathology booth.

The MVMA/MSU Science, Animals, Medicine & You exhibit was also present with microscopes and neat things for the kids to see.TheTeddy Bear Clinic was quite busy and treated lots of outpatient cases providing physical exams, bandaging,and suturing when needed for the stu ed animals brought by kids attending the big event!

Numerous live animal booths provided up-close and personal encounters with many species includingllamas,a miniature Jersey cow, miniature donkeys, birds, Gala-pagos tortoises, lizards, hedgehogs,guinea pigs, rabbits,several dogs and cats, and a large variety of beautiful pigeons.Kids and parents alikelearned aboutanimals with careers throughrepresentation from PAWS With A Cause.

The program was quitewell-received,

hosting over 800 people thisfalland we look forward to ongoing success in the com-ing years.

Booth sponsors and attendees all seemed to really enjoy the day!The team e ort and atmosphere provided by theveterinarians and sta ,MCCs veterinary technology program, animal care groups and educators, and the canineservice groups continues to be a wonderful example of what makes our profession so rewarding and worthwhile!

The success of the program truly is a result of their combined e orts and I thank them all for their time and energy. Look for us again next fall on Saturday, November 2, 2013! We always welcome new, energetic volunteers!If you are interested in partici-pating next fall, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Tari Kern, DVM, CVMA, CCRP

MVMA People, Pets & Vets Coordinator

[email protected]


membersin the news

MSU ALUMNI AND STUDENTS RECEIVE AWARDS

AT THE AABP ANNUAL CONFERENCE

MSU CVM was well represented at the 45th Annual Conference of the American Associa-tion of Bovine Practitioners held in Montreal September 2022.Five faculty, over 20 DVM and graduate students, and numerous MSU CVM Alumnimade the trip.

Of specic note were the following award winners and representatives:

n Dr. Art Currey, AABP Merk Animal Health Mentor of the Award

n Dr. Keith Sterner, AABP Pzer Distin-guished Service Award

n Dr.Roger Ellis, AABP Award of Excellencen Henry Reinart, MSU CVM Class of 2014,

AABP Amstuz Scholarshipn Henry Reinart and Levi Smith, MSU CVM

Class of 2014, AABP Student Recognition Award

n LeeAnne Kroll, MSU CVM Class of 2013,

and Tim Eagan, MSU CVM Class of 2014, MSU CVM Student Delegates

DR. MICHAEL CHADDOCK NAMED ASSISTANT

DEAN AT TEXAS A&M

One Health refers to the inextricable link between animal, human, and eco-system health. One striking example of its signicance is the increasing occurrence

world-wide of emerging infectious diseases, nearly 75 percent of which are zoonotica ecting both animals and humans.

Recognizing the importance of these issues, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine appointed Dr. Michael Chaddock as the rst ever Assistant Dean of One Health & Strategic Initiatives. Dr. Chaddock

will be the anchor of the One Health Plus initiative within and beyond the college, responsible for designing and implementing education, research, and outreach programs that advance the goals of this important program. As a part of his new role at the CVM, Dr. Chaddock will not only be develop-ing programs to heighten awareness of One Health Plus programs outside the college, but also will be integrating these important concepts into the classroom.

DR. JUSTIN SCHLANSER WELCOMED INTO

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

MVMA member Dr. Justin Schlanser was one of thirty-ve new diplomates welcomed into the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine following successful completion of the certifying examination. Congratulations, Dr. Schlanser!


In Memoriam

n Norris H. Signs, DVM, died on February 8, 2012, at the age of 89. He graduated from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and was a life mem-ber of MVMA. He practiced in Grand Rapids for more than 30 years in both large- and small-animal medicine. He retired to become a full-time farmer in 1990 and was living in Saranac.

n Charles R. Martin, DVM, died on June 14, 2012, at the age of 82. He graduated from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and was a life member of MVMA. He owned and practice small-animal medicine at Glenpark Animal Hospital in Muskegon for 36 years before retiring in Montague.

n David L. Erlewein, DVM, died on July 20, 2012, at the age of 69. He graduated from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and had been a member of MVMA since 1967. He practiced small-animal medicine at Grand Traverse Veterinary Hospital in Traverse City.

n Richard D. Barnes, DVM, died on October 12, 2012, at the age of 83. He graduated from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and was a life member of MVMA. He practiced for 42 years at Dearborn Veterinary Hospital and was the leader of the Dearborn Outer Drive Kiwanis Club.

n Richard Short, DVM, died on November 3, 2012, at the age of 65.He joined MVMA in 1990 and graduated from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1971.He and his wife Rhoda Short, DVM, started Bad Axe Animal Medical Clinic and practiced side-by-side for over 40 years.

The MVMA extends its sympathy to the friends and families of departed members. In memory of deceased members, the MVMA contributes $50 to the Michigan Animal Health Foundation. Friends of deceased members may send memorial contributions to the Foundation. When contributions reach $500, the members name is entered on a memorial plaque displayed in the MVMA ofce. The MVMA sta thanks those thoughtful members who take time to notify the ofce and send obituaries of our recently deceased members.

VET PAC thanks our members who supported MVMAs legislative e orts in 2012!

pac backer ($200+)Dr. Therese Burns

Dr. Julie Cappel

Dr. David Carron

Dr. Ralph Hu

Dr. Ron Isaacson

Dr. Lucy Shields Henney

Dr. Jim Lloyd

Dr. John Richardson

Dr. Kevin Stachowiak

Dr. Hank Vaupel

sustaining member ($100199)Dr. Tari Kern

Dr. Anthony Kooney

Dr. Jan Krehbiel

Dr. Melissa Owings

Dr. Stephen Steep

contributing member ($5099)Dr. Cathy Anderson

Dr. David Butts

Dr. Frank Carmona

Dr. Ryan Carpenter

Dr. Jean Hudson

Dr. Jamie Snow

member ($2549)Dr. Shirene Cece-Clements

Dr. Cindy Hoorn

Dr. Lori Penman

MVMAS NEW SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Kevin Stachowiak, DVMMVMA is pleased to announce that Dr. Kevin Stachowiak will be joining the Executive Committee as MVMAs Second Vice President. Dr. Stachowiak owns Caseville Small Animal Clinic and practices small animal medicine with a strong interest in laser surgery. He graduated from MSU CVM in 2000 and has been a member of MVMA since he graduated. He grew up in Essexville and then worked at a large practice in Lake Charles, Louisiana, before moving back to Michigan and tak-ing a position in Caseville.

Dr. Stachowiak is a proponent of organized veterinary medicine. He has represented the Thumb Veterinary Medical Association on MVMAs Board of Directors since 2009. He continues to serve as Secretary of the Thumb VMA and is a member of the AVMA and the Saginaw Valley VMA. He also served for two years as Vice President and two years as President of the Saginaw Valley VMA. He believes strongly in working in coordination with other veterinarians to foster a growing relationship of cooperation instead of viewing them as competition.

Cutting-edge medicine is another passion of Dr. Sta-chowiak and he prides himself on keeping up-to-date with the latest technological advances in veterinary medicine. He also has a consulting service and trains veterinarians to use medical equipment

Dr. Stachowiak recently married Lindsay Graham. They live in Caseville where he enjoys traveling to warmer cli-mates, scuba diving, and deer hunting when he cant escape to a warm sunny beach.


classi ed ads veterinarians wanted

Full-time experienced veterinarian wanted for a well-established SA AAHA-certied practice. State-of-the-art equipment and excellent support sta . Competent medi-cal, surgical, and communication skills a must. No after-hour emergencies. Benets package. Send rsum to Dr. Donald Schollenberger c/o Rossoni Animal Hospital, 23737 Van Born Rd., Taylor, MI 48180; tel 313/291-6400; email [email protected].

Established practice seeking a part-/full-time compas-sionate veterinarian for recently renovated practice with full complement of equipment. In western Wayne County, excellent support sta , exible schedule, no after-hours emergencies. Send rsum to [email protected].

Part-time associate veterinarian wanted for our 2-doctor SA practice. Our newly remodeled and expanded facility has a great support sta and is very well equipped. No emergencies. Excellent salary and benets. Contact Drs. Kevin Smyth or Michele Arkens at 734/425-6140, or send rsum to Morrison Animal Hospital, 33607 Ford Rd., Gar-den City, MI 48135.

Small-animal clinic looking for full-/part-time associ-ate. Located in an afuent area in SE Michigan (Grosse Pointe). Very knowledgeable, dependable sta who anticipates your needs. Ultrasound and in-house blood machines available. Please email rsum to [email protected].

Emergency veterinarian, full- or part-time. Guaranteed minimum wage with production. FT benet package in-cludes health/dental/vision plan, 401(k) plan, licenses, generous CE. Select PT benets. Well-established 24-hour emergency service, new location. Prefer emergency experience. Candidate must have Michigan licenses and be eligible for DEA license. Afliated Emergency Service. Contact Je rey Dizik (MF) 313/389-2222, or Rita Hamp-ton at 313/389-1700. Fax rsums to 313/389-1717 or [email protected].

Seeking a part-time compassionate SA veterinarian. No emergencies or weekend hours. One year experienced preferred. Candidate must be comfortable communicat-ing with clients. Send rsum to 1710 W. Caro Rd., Caro, MI 48723 or email to [email protected].

Baker College of Port Huron is seeking a full-time Vet-erinary Technology Medical Director. Must have a cur-rent DVM license and DEA registration with a minimum of 3 years clinical/surgical experience. College teaching experience preferred. Submit cover letter and rsum to Human Resource Department, Baker College of Port Hu-ron, 3403 Lapeer Rd., Port Huron, MI 48060; fax 810/985-7066; email [email protected].

Small-animal AAHA-accredited hospital in Genesee County seeking a dependable, energetic part-/full-time veterinarian to join our team. Our well-established, newly remodeled hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies including digital radiography, in-house laboratories, ultrasonic dental equipment, endoscopy, and gas anesthesia. Excellent benets and competitive salary. Please submit rsum to [email protected].

Part-time associate veterinarian needed for SA practice in Cheboygan, MI. Contact Dr. Rob Nelson at 231/290-0208 or email [email protected].

Looking for motivated, personable, high-energy veterinar-ian for a full-time associate position in western MI. Excel-lent surgical, medical, and people skills are essential. We are a full-service hospital with ultrasound, radiology, cold laser, dentistry, in-house laboratory, and surgery. We have an excellent sta and a very nice facility. The posi-tion o ers the opportunity for ownership. Please send a rsum to Dr. Barbara Bytwerk, Haven Animal Hospital, 1045 Fulton, Grand Haven, MI 49417, or email [email protected].

Experienced small-animal veterinarian needed to join our practice of excellence in beautiful northern Oakland County. We are the trusted community leader in compan-ion animal medical and surgical care. We accomplish this through comprehensive veterinary care encompass-ing disease prevention, early detection of illness and advanced treatment capabilities. We work closely with nearby emergency and specialty centers. See our website donaldsonvet.com. Reply to Dr. D at [email protected] or on his cell at 248/701-4003.

Animal ER Center, co-located with Animal Neurology & MRI Center and Animal Rehab Center in Commerce, MI, is seeking emergency clinicians to join our team. We are 3 centers, one place, bringing together advanced medi-cine, patient health and well-being, and compassionate care. We believe in a collaborative approach to patient care. Our doctors work closely with referring veterinarians and other specialists in the area, all to the benet of our patients. Candidates must be compassionate, have great surgical and medical skills, and have the ability to com-municate well with clients and the referring community. Our center has a reputation for excellence in case man-agement and communication with our referring veterinar-ians and clients. It is our people that make the di erence. Our doctors, technicians, receptionists, and administra-tors work together to provide world-class veterinary care in a positive working environment. Commerce is a beau-tiful area where sporting events, cultural, educational, and outdoor recreational opportunities are plentiful. This is a great place to raise young families. Benets include health/dental/life insurance, 401(k), competitive wages, pet care discounts, exible spending, CE, and vacation. For more information on our center, we invite you to visit

classi ed adsrelief vets & bene ts

us at www.animalercenter.com or contact Angie Heighton at [email protected], 248/960-7200.

Full- or part-time position available in northern MI. Ex-panding from 23 veterinarians. The practice is mixed with the large-animal being mainly equine with a small amount of cattle and small-animal ruminants. We have an in-house lab, ultrasound, portable x-ray, etc. We do provide our own emergency service after-hours, shared equally. Experience is preferred but would consider a new graduate. Please call 231/529-6227 or send rsum to Ma-ple River Animal Clinic, 5843 US 31, Alanson, MI 49706.

Emergency vet needed for SA emergency/referral hospi-tal in Kalamazoo, MI. Full- or part-time position. Progres-sive, modern, well-equipped hospital with outstanding support sta . Board Certied surgeon on sta . Rsum: Ronald Moiles, DVM, 6039 S. Westnedge Ave., Portage, MI 49002; tel 269/760-4056; fax 269/323-3636; email [email protected].

AAHA-accredited small-animal hospital since 1975 locat-ed in central MI has an immediate opening for a full- or part-time associate veterinarian experienced in general surgery. Fully equipped and sta ed with two LVTs, prac-tice manager, and lay sta . IDEXX lab equipment, ultra-sound, class 4 laser therapy. No emergency or weekend hours. Salary commensurate with skill and experience. Please email rsum to [email protected] or fax 989/790-3742.

Very busy small-animal hospital seeking full-time vet-erinarian with at least 3 years experience. Must be en-ergetic, client-oriented, and a team player. We are very well established and seek an associate with a surgical background. Please send rsum to Strong Veterinary Hospital Inc., 29212 Five Mile Rd., Livonia, MI 48154, Attn: Eva George, Manager.

Baneld doctors deliver the highest quality of care by practicing evidence-based medicine and providing ex-ceptional client education. Our hospitals in Saginaw, Southeld, and Chestereld are currently hiring doctors who possess solid leadership skills and have the desire to positively impact the veterinary profession. We o er the opportunity to practice quality medicine with the right tools, knowledgeable teams, and nation-wide support. Apply online at www.baneld.com/careers.

Well-established private practice in southwest MI seek-ing a compassionate and dedicated full-time associate veterinarian to join our excellent team. We are a progres-sive small-animal practice o ering laser surgery, endos-copy, digital radiography, ultrasound, and in-house lab equipment. Experience preferred. Please email rsum to [email protected].

Oakwood Animal Hospital is seeking an associate DVM to join our practice located in Kalamazoo, MI. Position avail-able on a full-time or part-time basis. Oakwood Animal Hospital is a well-established, full-service, small-animal veterinary hospital providing comprehensive medical, surgical, and dental care. Please email rsums to [email protected].

Seeking a full-/part-time skilled, compassionate associ-ate veterinarian to join our health care team at Eastpointe Animal Hospital in Eastpointe and Canton Animal Hospital in Canton, MI. Leadership, interpersonal, and communica-tion skills, excellent customer service and general practice capabilities are required. Looking for a self-starter who is dependable, energetic, and willing to learn, teach, and ex-cel. Competitive salary and benets. Send rsums to Dr. Ajaib Dhaliwal at [email protected].

Third doctor needed for our team practicing quality com-panion-animal medicine, dentistry, and surgery. Value


lvts wanted

Lake Lansing Road Animal Clinic is seeking part- or full-time licensed veterinary technicians. We are a small-ani-mal hospital with digital dental x-ray, laser surgical unit, ultrasound, and a full in-house laboratory. Competitive wage and benets. If interested please contact [email protected] with rsum.

Licensed veterinary technician needed at small-animal and exotics clinic in Jackson, MI. Columbia Animal Clinic is seeking a dedicated, enthusiastic professional to join our team as a LVT. Competitive wages and gen-erous benets package! Email rsum to [email protected].

Seeking licensed veterinary technician for small-animal practice in Jackson, MI. Full-time (3040 hours), experi-ence preferred but will consider all applications. Team en-vironment, positive attitude required. Please send cover letter and rsum to [email protected].

Part-time vet tech position. Some nights and weekends. Vacation, holiday pay and 401(k). Sterner Veterinary Clin-ic, 821 N. Je erson St., Ionia, MI 48846; [email protected]; tel 616/527-3320l; fax 616/527-0277.

Eastown Veterinary Clinic is seeking full-time licensed veterinary technicians to work in a progressive and highly equipped SA clinic. On-site radiography, ultrasound, and in-house lab equipment and nearby referral hospitals al-low the highest quality in patient care. Benets include health insurance and uniform allowance. Interested can-didates should contact Andrea Koenigshof at [email protected]. Visit us at www.eastownvet.com.

Wanted Veterinary Technician for SA practice in Trenton, MI. Part-time position, 2025 hours, experience preferred but will consider all applications. Please contact or send rsum to [email protected].

Technicians and assistants wanted: We are an AAHA-certied emergency hospital located in Burton, MI. The hospital o ers exible schedules, benets, and excellent wages. We provide a fun and exciting work atmosphere. Please send rsums to Melissa at [email protected].

Veterinary Technician/Assistant wanted Surgery experi-ence, compassionate with a desire to make a di erence in animal overpopulation, self-motivated, hard worker, upbeat and encouraging, clinic trained or LVT with a mini-mum of 2 years surgical experience. Contact All About Animals, Warren; tel 586/879-1745; fax 586/933-2565. FT/PT available.

Earn extra income. Seeking LVTs to provide overnight care on an on-call basis for stable, hospitalized patients requiring observation/treatments from approximately 5 pm to 8 am (exible) the following morning. Please con-

tact Advanced Veterinary Care Group for more details at 734/713-1300.

practices & equipment for sale

New listing in Western MI! Established single-doctor, SA hospital located in a charming 1,396 SF brick facility on over 4 acres. Practice and RE is $330,000! For additional info, please visit www.simmonsinc.com or call 888/746-3717 (Listing MI062A)

New listing in West Central MI! Established and well main-tained, primarily SA hospital in 2,640 SF facility. Purchase price for practice is $200K and $225K for RE. For info, visit www.simmonsinc.com or call 888/746-3717 (Listing MI062B)

Veterinary Specialist: Perfect location for specialty clini-cian. 1200 SF building for rent on US 12, 3 miles south of Ann Arbor; near expressways. Call 734/660-4503.

New listing: Davison, east of Flint. Nice hospital on 6 acres. Grossing $400K. Practice and real estate only $450K. Call Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

Small-animal practice with nice live-in house attached, south of Lansing/East Lansing. Includes real estate. Will gross almost $800K this year. Earn almost $200K/year after debt service. Reduce your cost of living. Live in the house next to your own practice! Call Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

Are you ready to sell your veterinary practice? FREE phone consultation and valuation of practice. Call today! Contact Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

SA practice, Grand Rapids area. Includes real estate. Gross-ing over $1.1M. Earn over $200K/year after debt service. Call Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

New listing: Small-animal practice in Brown City area. In-cludes beautiful newer clinic. Asking only $425K. A great place to live and raise a family in. Call today! Contact Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

The economy is improving! Dont wait! Now is the time to buy, own, and operate your own veterinary practice. I have several nice ones listed for sale. Call or write me today. Contact Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

Turnkey 85% SA practice with real estate in recreational area of NE Indiana for sale. Very well equipped and up-dated. Facilities for both SA and LA. Loyal sta , great cli-entele. Practice has reputation for high-quality medicine and has remained protable despite the economy. Excel-lent growth opportunity in all species. Emergency facili-ties nearby. Priced to sell. $480K+ gross with $150K after debt income. Email [email protected].

placed on client education and service. Enjoy a friendly small town atmosphere close to Lake Michigan. Email [email protected] or phone 231/924-4940.

We are seeking a full- or part-time veterinarian to join our small-animal practice located in Davison, MI. If you are interested please contact Dr. McFall at 810/869-3721 or send rsum to [email protected].

Seeking full-/part-time associate veterinarian to join our team in a well-established multi-doctor small-animal practice located in Southeld, MI. Experience with ex-otic/pocket pets a plus. Friendly support sta and a great benets package. Email rsums to [email protected].

Seeking a full-/part-time DVM for a small-animal practice in the thumb of Michigan. We are a team-oriented prac-tice with a good support sta . We o er a wide range of surgical procedures, from routine to orthopedics. Onsite laboratory and radiology. New or recent grads considered. Send rsum to [email protected].

Associate veterinarian wanted for small-animal practice in Genesee County. We are a team-oriented practice. Good hours, good support sta . Competitive salary and benets. Email rsum to [email protected].

Seeking surgeon to perform canine/feline spay/neu-ters one day per week for Taylor, MI high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter clinic (Humane Alliance model: humanealliance.org). Fast-paced, friendly environment with sta committed to ending animal homelessness and needless euthanasia. Competitive salary. Please send rsum/cover letter to [email protected].

The Michigan Gaming Control Board is seeking applicants for part-time veterinarian positions to work at horse racing tracks in the Detroit and Mt. Pleasant areas beginning in spring 2013. Contact Al Ernst, Horse Racing Section Man-ager, at 313/456-4130 or [email protected].

An amazing sta awaits your arrival if you are the right candidate for Newaygo Veterinary Services. Join our fam-ily of 2 doctors, 3 LVTs, and 8 support sta members as we provide quality medicine with a small-town personal style. Recent upgrades include digital radiology and IDEXX blood chemistry equipment. Emphasis is on pre-ventative care; soft-tissue surgery abilities are desired, with opportunities for expanding orthopedic surgery ex-perience. Newaygo Veterinary Services is located in the city of Newaygo, the gateway to the Manistee National Forest and only 30 minutes from a major Grand Rapids shopping artery. Please call today to schedule a visit and discuss this satisfying opportunity. 231/652-1681 or email [email protected].

Growing small-animal practice in Macomb Township seeking full-/part-time veterinarian. Emphasis on building bonds with clients. Super supportive sta , well-equipped. Please email rsum to [email protected].

Secure future and above-average pay for the right asso-ciate in beautiful Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Two-veterinarian, predominantly SA practice seeks another full-time associ-ate. We are a busy, full-service clinic and our goal is to provide high-quality care for our patients, compassion for our clients, and a great working environment with an exceptional team. Excellent benets and competitive sal-ary. E-mail rsum to [email protected].

Established practice seeking a part-/full-time compas-sionate veterinarian for recently renovated practice with full complement of equipment. In western Wayne County, excellent support sta , exible schedule, no after-hours emergencies. Send rsum to Dr. Carl Welti at [email protected] or contact us at 734/753-4424.


Bay County: Solo SA/grooming practice w/RE for sale. Call Dr. Mark Bash 989/892-8517 or [email protected].

SA practice for sale in north Oakland County. Protable, gross receipts $500K+, located on high-trafc road in busy shopping mall for almost 20 years. Owner will help with transition. Email inquiries to [email protected].

Well-established, well-sta ed SA practice in a very attrac-tive 2,678 sq.ft. building in a nice northeast suburb of Detroit. Earn over $180K per year after debt service while working for yourself. Sale includes real estate and excel-lent newer equipment. Contact Dr. Zydeck at 248/891-3934 or email [email protected].

relief veterinariansNorman Bayne, DVM, MS, 248/506-1104. MSU 81. SA relief work in southeast MI area. Will travel. Friendly, excellent cli-ent communications skills. [email protected].

Cheryl Beatty, DVM, 517/290-7633. MSU 89. Experienced SA relief or part-time within 1 hour drive of Lansing. Easy-going, good client communication and record keeping. [email protected].

Kirsten Begin, DVM, 616/446-3154.MSU 09.SA relief in Grand Rapids and surrounding areas. Will travel.Friend-ly,excellent client communication. References. Completed rotating and surgical internships. [email protected].

Sharisse Berk, DVM, 248/851-0739. MSU 95. Available for SA relief or part-time work in southeast MI.

Rhonda Bierl, DVM, 248/467-1987. MSU 00. SA/emer-gency relief within 1 hour of Pontiac. General medicine, soft-tissue surgery, ultrasound experience. [email protected].

Archie Black, DVM, 248/417-2667. MSU 83. SA relief, en-tire state. Practice owner for 20 years. Excellent communi-cator. [email protected].

Laurie Brush, DVM,616/498-1316.MSU 98. Experienced, SA relief in Grand Rapids and surrounding areas. Excel-lent client communication, record keeping. lauriebrush @hotmail.com.

Tama Cathers, DVM, 269/203-6800. (NCSU 96) Experi-enced SA relief work/short term/PT wi 30 miles Plainwell/Kalamazoo. Positive attitude, friendly, tting into your practice. [email protected].

Aimee Cochell, DVM, 616/558-4905. Ross 01. Available for SA relief in Grand Rapids area. Willing to travel. Good client communication skills. References. [email protected].

Kenneth Corino, DVM, 248/217-5235. MSU 94. SA relief work.SE MI, medicine and [email protected].

Nichole Corner, DVM, 616/634-9777. MSU 99. SA relief work in Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo area. Excellent client communication skills. References [email protected].

Jennifer M. Dec, DVM, 248/224-1990. MSU 04. Small-animal general practice and emergency relief. Sur-gery, ultrasound, and excellent communication skills,

[email protected].

Susan Drapek, DVM, CVA, 517/663-0428. MSU 90. Avail-able within two hours of Lansing. Relief experience since 1997. Small-animal medicine, surgery, and acupuncture. [email protected].

Marj Field, DVM, 734/658-4774. MSU 90. SA/exotic/emergency relief work in southeastern MI. Excellent client service, comfortable surgeon, high ACT and able to mul-titask. Extended travel can be negotiated. [email protected].

Edward Greene, DVM, 517/812-1540. MSU 59. SA relief. Competent medical/surgical skills. Cheerful interactions with your clients and sta . Your practice procedures ad-hered to. [email protected].

Lisa Harris, DVM, 616/261-4743. MSU 89. Available for relief in Grand Rapids/Lakeshore area. Experienced SA medicine and surgery, avian, exotics. Friendly, good com-municator. [email protected].

Sean D. Hughes, DVM, 517/552-0993; 734/674-7061. MSU 76. SE Michigan SA relief since 1999. Part-time. Pre-fer SE; will travel for right circumstances. [email protected].

Jill Haver-Crissman, DVM, 989/631-2790 or 989/297-8594. Ontario 80. SA relief or part-time. Medicine, soft tissue surgery, ultrasound. Works well with others. Not available Wednesdays. [email protected].

Cindy Kalicki, DVM, 313/291-2466. MSU 94. Eight years full-time, two years relief in SA general medicine/soft tis-sue surgery. SE MI, part-time or relief.

Tari Kern, DVM, 248/906-5987. MSU 99. Available for relief work in Okaland, Macomb, and northern Wayne counties. SA general medicine and surgery. [email protected].

Selena Lucas, DVM, 734/330-5048. KSU 90. Friendly, exible SA relief or part-time in SE MI. Surgery, medicine, acupuncture, excellent client communication. Referenc-es. 20 years experience. [email protected].

Rita (Kopenski) Mazzuchi, DVM, 248/408-3079. MSU 95. SA relief work. Metro Detroit/SE/SC Michigan. General medicine, laser, and soft tissue surgery, ultrasound expe-rience. [email protected]

Richard M. Mieczkowski, DVM 734/735-2279. MSU 71. Relief, experience, competent, dependable, small-animal, references, north Oakland County and vicinity. [email protected].

Denise Jorgensen Montagna, DVM, 231/557-1536. CSU 90. SA relief or part-time in western MI. Excellent cli-ent relations. References available. [email protected].

Peggy Newman, DVM, 616/570-1101. MSU 75. 32-year mid-Michigan practice owner. SA medicine and surgery. Seeking relief work in mid- and west MI. [email protected].

Kris Parnell, DVM, 517/881-2845. MSU 91. Available for SA relief or part-time. Will travel 1 hour of Lansing area. References upon [email protected].

Christine Parker, DVM, 616/866-1965. MSU 88. Available for SA relief or short-term. Experienced and dependable. References available. Will travel. [email protected].

Patricia Partridge, DVM,231/938-9338. MSU 70.SA re-lief, PTor FT. Former practice owner. Based in Traverse City and BigRapids, willing to travel. [email protected].

Mary C. Peacock, DVM, 517/582-0744.MSU 02. Available for SA relief part-time. Based in Lansing. Willing to travel. Excellent client communication, experienced, friendly, compassionate. [email protected].

Je rey F. Powers, DVM, 231/881-4408.MSU 80. Available to provide SA/MX relief work in MI, practice owner for 29 years. [email protected].

Mark Pytel, DVM, 586/677-0186. MSU 86. SA relief or part-time work. Southeast MI, medicine and surgery. [email protected].

Jason C. Rivas, DVM, 517/896-2698. MSU 03. SA/exotic relief/part-time work. Metro Detroit/southeast MI 7 days a week. All MI travel considered. References. [email protected].

Ann-Marie Sekerak, DVM, 505/563/0944.ILL 05. SA relief or PT, within 1 hour of Ann Arbor. Positive attitude, excel-lent patient care and client communication. sekerakDVM @gmail.com.

Teri Sexton, DVM, 517/231-1256 days or 517/371-2930. MSU 92. SA relief/PT work in Greater Lansing area,Mon-days & Tuesdays. [email protected].

Jennifer Sherrill, DVM, 231/215-0924.UICVM 01. SA relief PT. 9 years experience. General medicine/surgery. Excel-lent client care. West MI/Grand Rapids. Willing to travel. References. [email protected].

Alan Sibinic, DVM, 734/481-1901, 231/547-6212. MSU 75. Relief or part-time anywhere in MI. Flexible, wide-variety practice experience. 5+ years relief work.References. SA/EQ/FA.

Margaret Sudekum, DVM, 616/676-2720 MSU 89. Avail-able for part-time SA relief work in Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas. Good client communication skills. [email protected].

Alan Supp, DVM, 616/732-1263 days; 616/874-4171 eve-nings. MSU 90. Companion animal practitioner available Saturdays only, as-needed basis in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Connie R. Sveller, DVM, 517/388-3434. MSU 85.SA relief work within 1 hour of East Lansing. Experienced/reliable/former practice owner (16 years). [email protected].

Andrea Switch, DVM, 248/302-2255. MSU 84.Available for part-time or relief work. SA general medicine/soft tis-sue surgery in SE [email protected].

Kirsten Ura-Barton, DVM, 774/230-6878. MSU 97. Avail-able for SA relief in SE Michigan within 1 hour of Pontiac. Experienced in both general and emergency practice with excellent communication skills. Rsum available upon request. [email protected].

Jacqueline Walsh, DVM, 248/680-2461. MSU 89. Avail-able for SA relief work in the greater Detroit area.

Amy Wildrose, DVM, 517/420-5891. MSU 00. Experi-enced, procient, dependable, and convivial. Available for SA relief or part-time. Based in Lansing. Willing to travel. [email protected].

Georgia A. Wilson, DVM, 248/830-5325.19 years expe-rience, SA, pet exotics and emergencies, licensed. Avail-able immediately for Oakland County and southeast MI. [email protected].

Jennifer Zablotny, DVM, 517/896-9146. MSU 97. Expe-rienced SA relief for southeast and mid-MI. References available. [email protected].


An American Veterinary Medical As-sociation (AVMA) and BN Research1study shows that pet owners are more compliant, more loyal, and more accepting of fees when they have a good relation-ship with you. The study says that a good relationship is one build on feelings of trust and understanding. Separate information published by Gallup Press2 conrms the important role that feelings play in human interactions. In other words, feelings often count more than facts in determining how clients act. The new data suggest that how clients feel about you may have as much to do with your success in practice as your technical skills.

It has only been in the last 18 years that the emerging eld of neuro-marketinga hybrid of neuroscience, economics, and psychologyhas begun to unlock the secrets of how emotions work as a function of biol-ogy. Scientists now have the technological ability to see how the brain responds to feelings and correlate that with observable behavior. This has provided new insights on how the brain is wired that help to explain why people make irrational decisions and do things that make no logical sense. The new ndings show that the basic connection between feelings and actions is so primary and so deeply wired that it easily overrides more rational thoughts.

Feelingsstrong emotionsdrive human interactions, sometimes in spite of our better judgments and often without our knowl-edge. Witness for instance, the common folk wisdom advice that says: Count to ten be-fore you lose your temper! It turns out to be scientically sound: Counting to ten gives the weaker, slower, rational thought process a chance to catch up with the swifter, more powerful emotions. In other words, it gives our logical thoughts a chance to counterbal-

ance what our emotions want us to do, like yell or punch someone when we are angry.

While we like to think that we are rational human beings, it appears that we are rst and foremost emotional creatures and so are our clients. Emotions exert such a strong inuence on clients perceptions that you must attend to them if you want to build strong, trusting relationships with your clients. At minimum, you need to show clients that you truly care about their pets and that your recommendations are in their pets best interests, even if they are sometimes expensive. Clients must also understand what your recommendations are and why they are important to their pets before they can feel comfortable saying yes.

To create a positive authentic connection with clients, your actions as well as your words need to work together: Eye contact and a warm smile when you greet clients is a good start, whether at the front desk or in the exam room. Even more important, is to demonstrate personalized care and consideration for their pets. This means that you exceed the minimum standard of knowing the pets name, gender, and the reason for the visit. It means taking a mo-ment to interact with the pets before asking people to sign in at the front desk, take a history, or begin your examination. Showing genuine interest in pets communicates to clients, in a way that words cannot, that you truly care about their pets. This builds their condence and trust and helps bond them to you and the practice.

Clients take their emotional clues from your actions. What you do counts much more than what you say! Pay attention to

your body language and tone of voice. Make sure that your actions and words combine to send a positive message. If words and body language do not match, the body language message will trump the words. This is why it is important to smile and have eye contact. Absent that, Good morning falls at and you will not connect with clients.

What clients want is someone that cares as much about their pets as they dothat is at the core of your relationship with them. Make sure that the things you say and do are personalized to the pet. Example: We want to help this little guy feel better. When we put a dog, like Max, on arthritic medication,

it is important to recheck them and run blood work every six months to make sure they continue to do well. This lets the client know that you want the same outcome they do and that you are thinking about Max and what is

best for him, rather than sounding like you are giving standardized, o -the-shelf advice.

Healthy communication is not so much about words as it is about interactions and making authentic connections with clients. To do this, you need to be fully present and you need to understand how your clients are feeling.

The new goal today is to respond not just with words but with empathyit shifts customer engagement upward on the scale of emotional attachment and helps you achieve a higher standard of client care that will help you build more loyal and reward-ing relationships with clients.

Karyn Gavzer, MBA, CVPM, is a national speaker, writer and consultant to veterinarians on strategic planning, compliance, communication and new ideas to go and grow! Karyn was named 2012 Practice Management Speaker of the Year at the NAVC. Learn more about Karyn at www.Karyngavzer.com.

1. Pet Owner Price Sensitivity and Attitude Study, AVMA 2007, Schaumburg, IL, BNResearch, Portland, OR.

2. Human Sigma Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter, 2007, Gallup Press, New York, NY, ISBN: 978-1-59562-016-3.

Do You Understand the New Standards in Client Care?

You need to show clients that you truly care about their pets and that your recommendations are in their pets best interests.


michigan veterinary conference

January 2527, 2013Lansing Center & Radisson Hotel, Lansing, MI

mvma small animal seminars

Toxicology (Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant)December 5, 2012

Nutrition (Dr. Lisa Weeth)March 13, 2013

Seminars 10:00 am5:30 pm at the East Lansing Marriott. Contact

MVMA at (517) 347-4710 or register online at www.michvma.org.

mvma board of directors

December 12, 2012MSU CVM, East Lansing

mvma committees

Animal Welfare (Dr. Maurice Barber, Chair)March 14, 2013 @ noon

Membership (Dr. Sarah Abood, Chair)February 28, 2013 @ 3:30 pmMay 23, 2013 @ 3:30 pm

Public Health (Dr. Joe Kline, Chair)December 19, 2012 @ 1:30 pm

All meetings held in the MVMA ofce unless noted.

semvma small animal seminars

Internal Medicine (Dr. Mike Willard)December 12, 2012

Orthopedics (Dr. Karl Kraus)February 6, 2013

Radiology (Dr. Donald Thrall)March 27, 2014

western michigan vma

Veterinarian CE Seminars3rd Tuesday of each month, JanuaryMay & SeptemberNovember @ 7:00 pm / Grand Rapids

Contact Je Johnson, DVM, (616) 837-8151, or jdandcj2008@

dishmail.net.

semvma technician seminars

Internal Medicine: Chronic Vomiting & Diarrhea (Dr. Mike Willard)December 12, 2012

Approach to the Blood Smear (Dr. Charlotte Hollinger)February 6, 2013

Customer Service (Roxann Paddock, Lauren Crespo, and Marjanna McClain)March 27, 2013

southern vma

Canine/Equine Regenerative Techniques: Stem Cell Therapy (Dr. Anne Hale)February 13, 2013

Canine/Feline/Equine Behavior (Dr. Elizabeth Feltes)March 13, 2013

Canine Oral Bronchi-Shield Vaccine & Prascend (Boehringer-Ingelheim representatives)April 10, 2013

Topic TBDMay 8, 2013

due to the number of requests for ce announcements, the michigan veterinarian limits listings to ce programs in michigan.

committeesmeetings& events

2010 field survey results

Blacklegged ticks detected

Blacklegged ticks not detected

lyme disease risk

Known risk

Potential risk

No documented risk

CORRECTIONIn the fall issue of The Michigan Veterinarian, MVMA ran an article called Warning! Entering Tick Territory. On page 16, there was a Lyme Disease Tick map which reprinted incorrectly due to a software formatting problem. The corrected map is shown at right.

michigan veterinary medical association 2144 Commons Parkway, Okemos, MI 48864-3986 Presort StandardU.S. PostagePAIDLansing, MIPermit #713Professional excellence.

Compassionate care.

Winter 2012

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