There is an old saying that the more you know, the more you know that you don't know - and that's as true of veterinarians as it is of anyone else. I was hit full force with the significance of that saying last month, while lecturing at the North American Veterinary Conference. It's a great conference to attend, because it is the largest veterinary conference in the world - but it's a little intimidating to lecture at! Not heart-seizingly intimidating, because I've lectured there several times in the past, but this time I was scheduled for two days. I was hoping my voice would hold up, but even more than that, I was well aware that there were other very highly skilled lecturers at this conference - and I hoped to be able to hear them all! I most especially wanted to hear Dr. Susan Wynn and Dr. Barb Fogere speak.
Dr. Fogere is probably one of the most highly skilled Western herbal veterinary practitioners in the world, and she knows a great deal about my kind of herbal medicine, too - traditional Chinese herbal medicine. She's written extensively on herbal medicine - all the while maintaining a busy practice back home in Australia. Her take on TCM herbal medicine was compelling and highly informative, and I will be incorporating some of her ideas and dosing suggestions into prescriptions for my patients. For starters, if you have a pet who experiences flare-ups of any condition at the start of a specific time of year - such as spring or fall - there may be immune treatments that we can use to prevent this from happening , or at the very least, reduce the severity of your pet's symptoms, in the future.
And who in veterinary medicine hasn't heard of Dr. Susan Wynn? Currently the past President of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and a founding member of numerous holistic on-line groups for veterinarians, as well as of the largest herbal medicine organization for veterinarians, she's now turned her attention to veterinary nutrition. Dr. Wynn is currently completing a residency in veterinary nutrition and presented several remarkable talks on food allergies in dogs. Although it's not news that some inhalent allergens (like birch pollen) can cross-react and be related to some food allergies (like allergies to cantaloupe), Dr. Wynn's research skills have allowed her to pull together the largest listing of cross-reactive foods and pollens that I've seen anywhere. She has promised me that she will forward her research findings to me, and I think that many of you with food and inhalant allergy pets will find this information extremely interesting. Not just interesting, but it may allow us to work together to keep your canine or feline companion more comfortable during allergy season. Make sure to remind me about Dr. Wynn's research when I see you next in the hospital!
In the face of a lot of new information flooding into veterinary medicine and a little more "down time" this year due to a very light lecture schedule, I've decided to educate myself a bit more this year and next year. Thanks to a very, very substantial donation to our hospital (made by a client who prefers to remain anonymous), I will be able to attend several wonderful veterinary conferences and seminars in 2008 and 2009. Attending some of these conferences would have been beyond what was affordable for the hospital, and I gratefully acknowledge the support provided by this Knollwood client - I just wish you'd let me tell others who you are!
First, I'll be attending at least two hands-on osteopathic veterinary seminars directed by Patricia Kortekaas, a physical therapist trained in Europe and practicing in Eugene, Oregon. The amazingly effective indirect techniques she uses to benefit her patients - largely high level agility and performance dogs - are taught by no one else in the United States. I have already completed the introductory session - yes, I missed the worst of the snow in early February - and will be taking her craniosacral seminar in May.
This summer, I'll be privileged to attend the annual American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual meeting in June. The ACVIM meeting always features cutting edge research and knowledge in my field - the stuff that doesn't even trickle down to other meetings for one to three years. Then in July, I get to stay relatively close to home - a short drive to Wonder Lake - to hear Dr. Steve Marsden lecture on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis and treatment of lower jiao disorders. (Lower jiao includes all those lower abdominal "itis" diseases - such as cystitis, colitis, prostatitis, and vaginitis, plus abdominal cancers.) Many of you know that our Practice Manager, Dr. Mona Boudreaux, has an herbal practice in Wonder Lake, and that she often arranges to have speakers come to educate those of us who practice TCM. This will be the last of these local seminars, as Dr. Boudreaux will be moving to warmer climes by this time next year, if not sooner. We hope to be able to retain her services on an intermittent consulting basis.
In October, I'll attend the annual American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association meeting and hopefully will be able to take another Kortekaas seminar - I'm currently on the waiting list for that one! And of course, all year long, I attend the lectures offered by the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association.
Next year, I will begin auditing the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society's acupuncture course. A lot has changed since I was certified in veterinary acupuncture by IVAS in 1993, and I want to stay updated - that course will take place over four sessions in 2009-2010, in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mary Papacek will be continuing her advanced training in veterinary dentistry. She is already an extremely skilled surgeon who performs wonderful dental work, so this advanced training is really a feather in her cap! Dr. Papacek has already treated all of my dogs’ teeth and my kitty Emmett is waiting his turn, once dental month is over. Hopefully, all of you received notice of our dental month offer in the mail - if not, feel free to call the hospital to have Chani or Michelle give you the details - the offer only lasts until mid-March and available spaces are filling up rapidly.
DR. MITCHELL
