Proceedings Available On-Line
Proceedings from the WSAVA/FECAVA/HVMS 2004 World Congress are now available on-line via the WSAVA website. Contents include Congress abstracts as well as proceedings from more than 220 lectures covering 23 different disciplines by almost 100 speakers from over 20 countries.
Disciplines covered include anesthesiology, behaviour, cardiology, clinical immunology, clinical nutrition, clinical pathology, clinical pharmacology/toxicology, critical care, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, endocrinology, exotic animal medicine, gastroenterology, infectious/parasitic disease, nephrology/urology, neurology/neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, reproduction, respiratory medicine, and soft-tissue surgery. Proceedings are also available for the animal welfare forum as well as the practice management track and 5 separate State of the Art Lectures (SOTAL) providing cutting-edge information on current topics from world-renowned veterinary scientists.
And it’s all just a mouse-click away from the comfort of your own chair!
WSAVA Activities and Committee Reports
Continuing Education Committee
Dr. Roger Clarke provides the following report of his/the WSAVA CE Committee’s Asian CE Program for 2005.
In August 2005, Dr. Clarke will be lecturing to the university students and practitioners on a program titled “A surgical trail from head to tail” jointly sponsored by the Sri Lankan Veterinary Association, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, and the Bundoora Veterinary Hospital Association. In recognition of the tsunami disaster that occurred earlier this year, Dr. Clarke and his practice will be donating their time free of charge.
Following this, Dr. Clarke will proceed to Chennai (Madras) India to present a similar 2-day seminar to the Chennai small animals veterinarians and this program will be hosted by the WSAVA with assistance from the Pet Practitioners Association of Mumbai and the Small Animal Veterinarians of Chennai. This location was selected in an effort to spread the WSAVA CE program to parts of the Indian subcontinent other than Mumbai and to encourage the small animal associations of India to form a federation for future WSAVA CE programs. Veterinarians from all over India will be invited.
In September, Dr. Clarke has been invited to Taipei to speak to the Taipei Veterinary Association on behalf of the WSAVA CE program. This will be a 3-day program in association with animal health week with the similar theme of “A surgical trail from head to tail.”
In October, Dr. Clarke will travel to China again with Professor Peter Irwin of Murdoch University to present a program on internal medicine in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This may also include a stop in Hong Kong, but this has yet to be confirmed.
WSAVA Member Association Updates
A survey of 1,238 pet owners in the United States and Canada conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reveals that pet owners are pampering their pets now more than ever. Moreover, female pet owners seem to have a bigger soft spot for pets, since they are more likely than males to break household rules with a pet when their significant other is not around.
The results indicate that pets are getting preferential treatment as they become more important as members of the household. Of the survey respondents:
• When asked, “Who listens to you best?,” 45 percent choose their pet, while 30 percent choose their spouse or significant other.
• 82 percent think of their pet more than once while they are away from him or her during the day.
• 53 percent are spending more on their pets now than they did three years ago.
• If they were deserted on an island and could choose only one companion, 50 percent would pick a dog or cat rather than a human.
• 93 percent are likely to risk their own life for their pet, while 64 percent of owners would expect their pet to come to their rescue if they were in distress.
• When traveling without their pet, 61 percent leave their pet in the care of friends or family.
• 55 percent have an emergency preparedness plan that includes their pet in case of natural disasters such as fire, flood or earthquake.
• 94 percent think their pet has human-like personality traits, such as being emotional or sensitive, outgoing, inquisitive or stubborn.
• 94 percent take their pet for regular veterinary checkups to ensure their pet’s quality of life.
"Pet owners are going to great lengths to keep their pets happy and healthy," says Dr. Daniel S. Aja, president-elect of the American Animal Hospital Association. "From daily exercise and regular veterinary checkups to making arrangements for pets in case of emergency, this survey shows that pet owners are extremely dedicated to their beloved pets."
WSAVA/FIAVAC/AMMVEPE 2005 Congress Update
Aside from the scientific program that features over 110 speakers providing CE in 9 simultaneous rooms on 26 different disciplines resulting in a total of 252 lectures to choose from at this year’s World Congress in Mexico City from May 11-14, a number of other unique events and social activities have been planned for your enjoyment. As well as the Animal Welfare Forum and State-of-the-Art Lectures, as overviewed in the March 2005 and January 2005 WSAVA News respectively, consider the following:
• A day-long symposium titled The Origin of the Dog In America and the 21st Century taking place on Saturday, May 14 with individual seminar topics including 100,000 years of history: the origin of the dog, native dog types in North America prior to the arrival of the European dog, the Andinan dog and its relationship with man, and the pre-Columbian dog in Mexico.
• Mexican Fiesta night – Thursday, May 12
Make new friends and renew old acquaintances while enjoying a traditional Mexican fiesta complete with Mexican food, drink, and folklore
• Gala Evening Dinner – Friday, May 13
The evening’s dinner will provide the finest examples of traditional Mexican cuisine and wine and will be held in the ancient temple and hospital of San Hipolito, which in 1964 was pronounced as a Colonial Monument by the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia. The dinner will be followed by a dance accompanied by a full orchestra (admission is not covered in the congress registration).
Don’t miss out on this excellent CE and social opportunity. Visit the 2005 WSAVA Mexico City World Congress website for more information and to register.
Erratum
In the January 2005 WSAVA News Bulletin, sent out in hard copy through member associations, under the section titled Association Highlight – The International Veterinary Student’s Association (IVSA) the editor mistakenly identified Jasna Matjasic, IVSA president as attending the veterinary school in Thessalonica, Greece when in reality, she is studying at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubjana, Slovenia. My apologies.
