The President's Letter:
December 2011
Hello again February is right around the corner and the term of my presidency is coming to an end. I am looking forward to seeing most of you at the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association Winter Meeting. Dr. Scott Smith has set up a great slot of speakers for the meeting and Maggie said that exhibitor spots are filling up. The Arkansas Veterinary Technician Association is having their meeting at the same time and in the same venue so this is a great time for staff education as well.
Nationally we are still fighting against HR1406 Fairness to pet owner’s act this has not gone away yet. This bill would require Veterinarians write a prescription for every drug given or prescribed and also provide the owner with options for filling the medications. Of course all of this must be documented on the medical record. Please check it out the AVMA has recommended that we contact our congressman.
On the State level Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) has started the process in developing a Disaster Canine Search and Rescue (SAR) team, Arkansas Task Force 1. These teams are composed of specially trained dogs and their handlers. The team may respond to crime scenes, accidents, missing people and disasters. As part of this effort, the AR Task Force 1 team is looking for veterinarians throughout the state that may be interested in volunteering their services to help these dogs if they are injured or become ill during a search. There are some unique situations these dogs find themselves in that may need immediate veterinary care.
This has been a relatively active year for rabies, especially in the western part of the state. So far in 2011, the Arkansas Health Department has had 47 rabid skunks, 6 rabid bats and 1 rabid cat for a total of 54. Sebastian County alone had 26 rabid skunks, partly due to an epidemic there but also partly due to an increase in submission following publicity about the epidemic. We continue to struggle with citizens not having their pets vaccinated against rabies. Of the 82 dogs and cats that have been exposed to known rabid animals this year, only 25.6% have been current on their vaccinations. Of interest also are the two rabid bats found in Monroe Co. This is the first time we have documented a rabid animal there in more than 21 years. We recently had a rabid cat submitted from Pike Co. that became quite aggressive and viciously attacked the owner. Naturally this is an outside cat that had never been vaccinated against rabies.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer veterinarian for the Arkansas Taskforce 1 or would like information about Rabies cases please contact State Public Health Veterinarian, Susan Weinstein, DVM, MPH, (501) 280-4136 or Susan.Weinstein@Arkansas.gov
Sincerely,
Damian Stroderd, DVM
- President’s Letter: June 2011
Hello I hope that everything is doing well for you. As I am writing this I am fighting to keep my eyes open. My son and I just came in from a long weekend of camping with the Boy Scouts of Troop 5. Our weekend was filled with Dutch oven cooking, orienteering, archery, and merit badges. The Arkansas legislative session is closed again and the ArVMA has once again has been able to protect the way we practice veterinary medicine. Continue reading
- President’s Letter: April 2009
It has been an honor to serve on the Arkansas VMA Board of Trustees since 2004 and I look forward serving as president for the coming year. I’m a 1980 graduate of Oklahoma State and have practiced small animal medicine in Fort Smith since then. My wife, Beverly, and I have 2 daughters, Sarah and Belinda and three wonderful grandchildren, Katelyn, Madison and Parker. It has been a busy legislative session the past … Continue reading