The Mountains Are Calling...

These stunning photos were submitted by Cambrey Knapp from Tufts!

Travel Size Nostalgia

High Altitude

Mama and Mini-Me

Thoughts on Cargill

An experience submission from Amy Zhang - Cornell University

Having read Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle in middle school and listened to Temple Grandin’s talk in the fall, I knew the theoretical aspects of how the meat that I consume is processed after the animal leaves the farm and before it shows up neatly packaged at a supermarket. Going to Cargill as a part of Ruminant Anatomy allowed me to witness some of the practical steps that are taken to slaughter and break down a cow. Walking into the processing facility, I was expecting it to smell like death and maybe decay just based on the smell of the Cornell anatomical pathology show and tell room, but was pleasantly surprised that the kill floor didn’t smell, not even the blood pit smelled like blood. From a food safety perspective, this makes a lot of sense, since these animals are stunned and processed on the same day and then undergo various rounds of refrigeration, so there really isn’t any time for the tissue to decay. I was impressed with the efficiency of the processing line, the lack of vocalizations in the holding pens and on the kill floor, and the fact that they truly do use every part of the animal, but not impressed that 15 minutes was the average amount of time that could lapse between stunning and exsanguination and that this interval could be as long as 30 minutes. I think I was most shocked to see the legs of the cows still kicking after the animals had been stun, even though I knew from neuroanatomy and ruminant anatomy that brain death had already occurred and that these “kicks” were just the last firings of the pelvic limb neurons.

During the Q&A, our tour guide mentioned that there was a backroom where fetal calves found during the slaughter process are exsanguinated. I had asked him what the fetal calf blood was used for, but he didn't know. I looked into this and it turns out that the fetal calf blood is made into fetal bovine serum (FBS) which I had previously used for cell culture during my time working in the pharmaceutical industry. This revelation made me realize that despite knowing what it takes to produce the food that I consume, I still experience some degree of disconnect between the animal products that I use and how they come into being.

Overall, I found the Cargill trip to be very enlightening and informative. As a potential future public health veterinarian, I enjoyed the opportunity to see the USDA inspectors examining the viscera and testing the bacteria load of the carcasses. I don’t think this is the career path for me, but I have gained a true appreciation for all the work that they do to ensure the safety of our food supply. I also appreciated the opportunity to see Temple Grandin’s facility designs in action and was glad to see that her parameters for measuring and minimizing cattle stress were being followed.

Mixed Reality

Check out these cool submissions from Tiffany Liem from UC Davis that blur the line between video games and reality featuring her adorable tortoise Jeremy!

Mario and KoopaJeremy and Prickly

Lego Jeremy

How are dogs and iPhones alike?

 A: They both have collar IDs!

Q: What is the name for a veterinarian who specializes in one species?

A: An M.D.!

Thanks to Lauren Engeman from Mizzou for these funny submissions!

The American Association of Feline Practitioners Releases New Educational Webinar on Feline Hypertension

Webinar is designed to help veterinary professionals diagnose and treat feline hypertension

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ (June 13, 2019) – The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released a new educational webinar for veterinary professionals entitled Feline Hypertension: Essentials in Diagnosis and Management – catvets.com/webinars. The webinar and supplementary resources provide valuable continuing education (CE) to veterinary professionals on the causes and consequences of feline hypertension, as well as easy-to-access and apply best practices and protocols. During this webinar, which is RACE approved by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), Kelly A. St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline), and AAFP’s President-elect, reviews key topics in feline hypertension. Included in the presentation are the cause and effect of secondary hypertension, candidates for monitoring and screening, scientific equipment needed, best practices in measuring blood pressure, and standards of care. Additionally, the webinar discusses diagnosis, evaluation, case studies, therapeutic goals and treatment, as well as the benefits of a Cat Friendly Practice®.

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, the feline hypertension webinar is unique with its accompanying digital resources, including a downloadable one-page tip sheet, The 10 Ps: Feline Blood Pressure Management and Treatment, which is designed to help veterinary teams understand the basics of treating hypertension in cats. Also included is social media post content that can be used by veterinary practices and an educational client website page. Blood pressure assessment is an integral part of a senior cat’s healthcare; however, many veterinary teams struggle with this procedure. The time required to take blood pressure in a cat may not be practical in the appointment setting, the cat may not be cooperative, and the team may not be comfortable with the equipment. Once obtained, understanding collected readings can be challenging. The information and tools offered in this webinar aid veterinary professionals’ understanding by providing invaluable education on the treatment and management of hypertension in cats.

The feline hypertension webinar can be found in the AAFP’s new eLearning Center, a webinar portal that includes a variety of feline-focused CE throughout the year. As an added value to membership, webinars are complimentary for AAFP members.

The education obtained through the webinar portal can be applied toward the CE requirements for the Cat Friendly Practice® Program – a program that reduces stress during the veterinary visit and equips veterinary teams with the support and resources needed to deliver elevated and quality care that incorporates the cat's perspective throughout the entire experience.

Veterinary professionals can learn more about the webinar and accompanying supplemental materials athttps://catvets.com/education/online/webinars/feline-hypertension.

Cat caregivers can learn more about hypertension at catfriendly.com/hypertension.

To learn more about the AAFP and membership benefits, visit catvets.com/join.

 
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Acknowledgments
The AAFP thanks Boehringer Ingelheim for their sponsorship of this webinar, and for their commitment to help the veterinary community improve the lives of cats.

Speaker Bio
Kelly St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Dr. St. Denis is currently a full-time clinician at the Charing Cross Cat Clinic in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and a Master of Science in Immunology. In 1999, she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Ontario Veterinary College.

In 2013, Dr. St. Denis became certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in the specialty of feline practice. She is an online consultant for the feline medicine boards on the Veterinary Information Network and the 2019 President-elect for the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Dr. St. Denis is proudly one of the 6 Canadian feline specialist members of Cat Healthy Canada.