In this edition you will find:
One Health Initiative
Making Veterinary Visits Better
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
One Health Initiative
Have you ever heard of the One Health Initiative? Most people have not. It is based on the concept that the health and environmental concerns of the human and animal population are inextricably linked and have more in common than they have different. The goal is to get all aspects of human and veterinary health care (diagnostics, research, medicine, surgery, nutrition…) to work together and benefit humans, animals and the environment we share.
This concept has certainly been around for a very long time. Hippocrates' "On Airs, Waters, and Places" (estimated 400 BCE) may be the earliest recognition of the concept.
Veterinarians are generally very accepting of the One Health concepts. We are trained in the anatomy, function and medicine of many very different animals. In general, we think of a human as another animal with its own set of health considerations. Variations on a theme.
At the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association meeting this fall, a special lecturer was a human cardiologist. She spoke about her discovery and sense of wonder of the One Health Concept when she was asked to do echocardiograms on some animals at the local zoo. She was surprised that one of the patients had the same heart disease as humans get. She has been working with the zoo ever since.
She is also introducing her human medicine counterparts to the concepts. When she organizes the hospital Grand Rounds, she has a veterinarian present a similar case for comparison.
All of medicine benefits from working together on problems.
To learn more, check out the following websites.
10 Things You Can Do to Make Veterinary Visits Better for Everybody
1. Accustom your pet to its carrier and to traveling in the car;
2. If your veterinarian doesn't already have your pet's medical record on file, bring it with you or have your previous veterinary team send or fax the records – or, at a minimum, bring your own notes on your pet's health and medical history. Don't send your pet with a person who doesn't have the information the vet will need to help your pet – or if you have to do this, thoroughly document your pet's current condition on paper and make sure you're available by phone to answer questions that may come up;
3. Arrive on time or a few minutes early for your appointment;
4. Unless your children can sit quietly without distracting you or interfering with your veterinary team's ability to examine or treat your pet or talk to you about your pet, consider leaving your children with a babysitter while you take your pet to the veterinarian;
5. Turn your cell phone off while you are in the exam room;
6. Know what medications your pet is receiving (including supplements), as well as how much, how often and how long it is given, and/or bring them with you;
7. Share your observations and concerns with your veterinarian – after all, you know your pet better than anyone else does;
8. Ask questions. Ask until you understand;
9. Ask for handouts, brochures, or even reputable online sources of information about your pet's condition;
10. Follow your veterinarian's recommendations. They're given for one very important reason – to keep your pet healthy.
- Copied from: https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/default.aspx