Dr. Sugar will discuss how to help clients (families with children) deal with the loss of a family pet. Specifically, how to talk to children about death, and what children understand about death and grief based on their age level. She will discuss concerns about "how involved children should be surrounding end of life issues" and offer suggestions on how to talk to children about what is going to happen to their pet after euthanasia. Many parents ask advice from their veterinarian on how to help their children cope with the pet's death and when they should consider getting a new pet for their children - this will be discussed. Support activities and memorial ideas for children will also be detailed with suggestions on how you can support grieving families in your practice.

All members are invited to attend our LIVE AAFP rounds discussions. If you still need a VIN username and password for complimentary access, please email Dr. Sherri Williams ( wileydvm@aol.com ) with the words "AAFP Rounds" in the subject heading.

The rounds transcript for "AAFP Vaccination Guidelines Revisited" by Dr. Jim Richards is available in the library: http://www.vin.com/Members/CE/C164/Library/CE_LC070225a.htm with Q&A possible here:
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2075*48180

2007 AAFP Winter Conference

We had some fantastic speakers in Miami and learned new information about feline therapeutics: bacterial resistance, drug interactions, dosage adjustments based on the patient, drug toxicities, new products on the horizon, and legal advice for risk management.
Thank you Dr. Lauren Trepanier, Dr. Trisha Dowling, Dr. Albert Ahn, and Dr. Kent McClure for a fantastic conference!

A special thank you to Pfizer for sponsoring a Feline Heartworm Disease Roundtable discussion with Drs. Ray Dillon, Patti Snyder, Tom Nelson and Jim Richards.

A few of the meeting pearls are being polished and should be available in the next newsletter.

You can also find your own pearls in the conference proceedings. Online orders for the CD version of the conference proceedings can be placed here (printed copies are also available in very limited quantities)
http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=89266

Congratulations to the winners of the Student Chapter Committee Fundraiser Raffle in Miami!

IPOD winner: Dr. Margaret Siems, The Cat Hospital of Media
IPOD Nano winner: Ms. Loral Chenault, Auburn University Student
Portable DVD player: Ms. Maria Ciaravella, Auburn University Student

Thank you to everyone purchasing a raffle ticket. We raised $1410.00!

Photos from the Miami conference will be posted to the Continuing Education page on the AAFP Online website shortly. Meanwhile, did you see the Toronto photos?http://www.aafponline.org/2006Fall/photos.htm

The Nominations Task Force of the Leadership Development Committee is seeking nominations for board positions available in 2007. Four Director positions and the position of President-Elect are open for election. These terms will begin on January 1, 2008. Directors serve a two-year term; the President-Elect serves one year and then becomes President the following year. This is your opportunity to help mold the future of the AAFP!

The minimum requirement for a board member is at least three years' membership in the AAFP. Involvement in committees, attendance at AAFP meetings, and ability to work as a team player will also be considered by the Nominations Task Force when submitting its recommended slate of nominees to the Board for consideration.

Interested individuals should contact the AAFP office for a copy of the Biographical/Qualifications form, which must be completed and returned to the AAFP office no later than April 1, 2007. Please contact info@aafponline.org or
1-800-874-0498 for further information.

AAFP RESEARCH GRANT
 

The AAFP will present a $30,000 research award in 2007 for meaningful research in Feline Vaccine-Associated Sarcoma. The grant is generously funded through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Please visit the AAFP Online website for further instructions and the grant application:  http://www.aafponline.org/resources/grants.htm

All applications and 10 copies of the proposal must be received in the AAFP office by May 15, 2007. Grant selection will be completed by July 1, 2007.

FELINE CASE DISCUSSION

Kitty Toes!
Everyone search your photo files and join the new student message board case discussion on the topic of swollen cat toes. What do you think? What do you say? What do you do?
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2074*47953

AAFP Members, please contact Dr. Deb Givin (catdoc@prexar.com) to submit your own interesting cases. Case discussions not only provide continuing education to our student members, but also allow practicing veterinarians to share their experiences.

AAFP STUDENT NEWS

Become eligible to win an all expense paid trip to the 2007 AAFP Fall Conference in Austin!
Please submit a detailed description of a project (fundraiser or activity) that your chapter has completed during the 2006-2007 school year. The deadline to submit the entry will be April 15, 2007. You may increase your chance of winning by submitting more than 1 project description.  Please submit your entry to your regional director with "AAFP student chapter committee award" in the subject heading.

Last year's entries can be reviewed here:
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2074*47953
Please use your VIN username and password to access.

Also, please send an updated leader and student member contact list to your regional director before the school year ends.

And don't forget to check out the student chapter message board folder and ongoing case discussion currently awaiting input.

FELINE CLINICAL TRIALS

NCSU intra-abdominal lymphoma study
The North Carolina State University Animal Cancer Program is currently recruiting cats with high-grade lymphoma of the abdominal cavity to study the effects of abdominal cavity radiation therapy following induction chemotherapy. The study is a multicentric study, conducted at NCSU-CVM by Laurel Williams, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) and other satellite clinics. For more information, please contact the North Carolina Animal Cancer Program at 919-513-6690 or e-mail clinical research technician julie_osborne@ncsu.edu

Additional clinical trials are listed on the AAFP message board here:
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2369*48271

WINN ANNOUNCES 2007 GRANT RECIPIENTS!
8 studies funded for a total of $127,544
Details are available on the message board here:
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2020*49165

JOURNAL ABSTRACTS OF INTEREST

Feline Host Range of Canine parvovirus: Recent Emergence of New Antigenic Types in Cats. Emerg Infect Dis. 2002 Apr;8(4):341-6.
Ikeda Y, Nakamura K, Miyazawa T, Takahashi E, Tohya Y, Mochizuki M.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol8no4/01-0228.htm

AAFP IN THE NEWS

The "Know Heartworms" Campaign is pushing forward to educate even more veterinarians and cat owners about the risk of feline heartworm disease. Those attending the AAFP Winter conference in Miami were privvy to some incidence studies, and learned the prevalence was higher than expected (i.e. my state of Illinois was about 15%). Help the AAFP spread the word about the Know Heartworms campaign!
http://www.KnowHeartworms.org

The Cat Wellness Website has been relaunched and looks better than ever!
Please link your practice website to this wonderful public resource:
http://www.catwellness.org/

Kudos to the AAFP Guidelines Committee and Panelists!

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the AAFP join forces to develop "Basic Guidelines of Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials":
http://www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/About_Guidelines_Antimicrobials07.html

The American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior (http://www.avsabonline.org/index.php) promoted the AAFP Behavior Guidelines in their December newsletter.

AAFP member Dr. Diana Lafer of "Cats Limited Vet Hospital" in W Hartford, CT was recently quoted in an article about feline obesity, "Fat-cat epidemic looms".

FELINE NEWS

Winn Foundation Announces DNA Identification of Feline Blood Types

Breeders will now be able to identify the major blood groups of the cat with a simple
buccal swab test, as well as identification of cats that carry the recessive type B. More information is available on the message here:
http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2020*49169

Advice from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center On Recent FDA Recalls of Cat Food and Peanut Butter

NEW YORK-This week, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two recalls pertaining to products contaminated with the bacteria Salmonella. The first involves a recall on Peter Pan and Great Value brands of peanut butter with the manufacturer code "2111" on the jar lid. The second pertains to Wild Kitty Raw All Natural, Frozen Cat Food- Chicken with Clam Recipe. Contaminated packages include both the 3.5 ounce and 1 lb. sizes. Thus far, there have been no reports of illness pertaining to either product in pets.

As many pets-especially dogs-enjoy an occasional peanut butter treat, the ASPCA cautions pet parents against feeding recalled peanut butter to pets. Affected jars should be thrown out, and extra caution should be taken to ensure that pets do not access trash receptacles containing the discarded peanut butter. Similar steps should be followed for the contaminated cat food.

"Most healthy adult dogs and cats are less susceptible to Salmonella infection than humans", says Dr. Eric Dunayer, Senior Toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "However, it is still possible for problems to occur, so we recommend discarding any product involved in this recall."   For more information about the recalls, please visit: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01563.html and http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01562.html.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Releases List of Top 10 Hazards Encountered by Pets in 2006.
More details are provided on the AAFP message board here: http://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&B=CE&Id=169*2020*49168

Curbing Feline Overpopulation
A Morris Animal Foundation press release mentions a sterilization vaccine study done by Dr. Julie Levy.
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/curbing_feline_overpopulation

Oregon Fat Cat now a Celebrity (cute story)
http://www.vetlocator.com/newsarticles/cat_celeb.php

WEBSITES OF INTEREST

Psst... our speakers in Miami, Dr. Trisha Dowling and Dr. Lauren Trepanier, highly recommend you bookmark this website for future reference.

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) http://www.usp.org
is the official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the United States

Veterinary Drug Pharmacokinetic and Drug Monographs: http://www.usp.org/audiences/veterinary/

Cat Wellness Website Updated http://www.catwellness.org/

WINN Launches New Website http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/

The American Heartworm Society 2007 Feline Heartworm Guidelines: http://www.heartwormsociety.org/AHS%20Guidelines-Feline2007.htm

2 new tools have been added to the NCVEI  (http://www.ncvei.org/) benchmarking program:
Does Great Nutrition = Great Business? Do your clients know how to cushion a fall?

AAFP WEBSITE ACCESS

"Member Login" information for the AAFP Online website (www.aafponline.org) requires a username (your Last name) and a password (your AAFP member ID #). If you have any questions about the Member log-in, please email info@aafponline.org or call (800) 874-0498.

Access to the AAFP Rounds website requires a VIN username and password (www.vin.com/AAFPRounds). Complimentary registration for a VIN username and password is available to our AAFP membership upon request.

Are you making the most of your complimentary AAFP Rounds membership benefit?
A new HOW TO VIN VIDEO is available to help you learn how to use and post to the message boards.

Have you reviewed the AAFP membership directory?
Click on the "Find an AAFP doctor" button to review what the public can see. Member's should also log-in to review email addresses and additional referral information available to your colleagues. Please notify the AAFP office of any changes to your contact information for referrals, journal and newsletter delivery. Or, you can "Update Your Information" within the Member section of the AAFP Online website (http://www.aafponline.org/members/log_in.htm).

Help us continue your membership benefits by making sure we can stay in touch with you!