February 2022 Conventional Report

CVMA and CACVT work together to advance the registration of veterinary technicians 

2021 was a BIG year for Colorado’s veterinary professionals with the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). DORA completed both a sunset review of the Veterinary Practice Act and the State Board of Veterinary Medicine, and a sunrise review requested by the Colorado Association of Veterinary Technicians. 

Both CACVT and CVMA are pleased that DORA’s sunset review recommends that the Veterinary Practice Act be renewed for 11 years and that the DORA  sunrise review report found that “consumers and patients rely heavily on the actions of veterinary technicians” and that a regulatory program for veterinary technicians should be created. 

Colorado’s 2022 legislative session opened January 12, and both the sunset and sunrise reports will be discussed at the House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Water in late January. As a result of much work since 2020, CACVT and CVMA are well prepared to engage in the legislative process. 

Two primary goals guide our joint work on developing regulation of veterinary technicians: 

• Colorado’s veterinary workforce has too few veterinary technicians, and therefore, regulation must provide pathways for all of Colorado’s veterinary technicians to become registered. 
• Demand for veterinary services is increasing, so regulation must create a career path that improves retention and attracts more professionals in the future 

While specific language for the legislation is still being drafted, the goals have translated to three key regulatory priorities: 

• Title protection: Use of the title “veterinary technician” will convey to the public that veterinary technicians are educated, trained, and qualified. In clinic settings, it will encourage better utilization of the varied knowledge, skills, and competencies on veterinary teams. 
• Minimum competency: Will establish baseline career entry requirements for future veterinary technicians and a common understanding of clinical care competence that can be expected. 
• Increased accountability: Inclusion of veterinary technicians in the Veterinary Practice Act will increase their understanding of the laws and regulations that must be followed in veterinary practice, which will in turn increase accountability of veterinary teams. 

Change can be confusing, so we want to be clear: CACVT and CVMA’s joint goal is to retain everyone now working as veterinary technicians in Colorado and to provide inclusive opportunities for regulation. This means that veterinary technicians will have choices to follow a path that best meets their goals and the needs of the industry. 

Together, CACVT and CVMA believe that public transparency expanded access to veterinary personnel, and encouraged optimal utilization of veterinary staff are crucial for Colorado’s veterinary profession. 

Curious about the benefits of technician regulation? Click here to read more from the AVMA, AAVSB, AAVMC, and NAVTA. 

Both organizations will continue to engage in conversation about this topic and will share more updates as concrete information becomes available. 

Have feedback to share with either organization?  

We’d love to hear from you! Submit a comment via our Google form. 

Colorado Veterinary Practice Act bill moves forward; key issues include technician regulation and expansion of rabies vaccine administration 

The Colorado Veterinary Practice Act is one step closer to being continued until 2033 following a report made to the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Water Committee at the state capitol. 

CVMA President Ashley Ackley, DVM, Practice Act Task Force Chair Michelle Larsen, DVM, CVMA lobbyist Leo Boyle, and CVMA CEO Diane Matt represented CVMA during the committee hearing on Monday, January 31. Representative Karen McCormick, DVM, chair of the committee and CVMA member, led the introduction of the draft bill during the committee process. 

The draft bill with amendments was moved forward unanimously by the committee, with all present committee members signing on to be cosponsors of the bill. The bill next will be introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives before February 11. Following introduction, the bill will return to the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Water Committee for second reading, where public testimony will be heard. 

Key changes to the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act 

The committee voted unanimously to accept the DORA-proposed bill to continue the practice act for 11 years. Additionally, the committee voted to adopt several amendments proposed by CVMA: 

1. Adopt Amendment #1 to create regulation for veterinary technicians (this amendment was proposed jointly by CVMA and CACVT)
2. Adopt Amendment #2 that:

• Allows administration of rabies vaccine under supervision of a licensed veterinarian 
• Amends public health statute 25-4-607 to allow veterinarians to delegate under indirect supervision the administration of rabies vaccinations in a public health emergency situation 
• Allows veterinarians to receive up to 16 hours of credit toward relicensing for continuing education on topics such as client communication, management, leadership, wellbeing, and developing a highly functional veterinary workforce 
• Requires two hours of jurisprudence continuing education per license renewal period 
• Defines indirect supervision 
• Resolves conflicting language among 12-315-105 (b) and (k) and 12-315-116 regarding duties delegated to veterinary students under direct supervision 

3. Adopt Amendment #3 that:

• Defines a veterinary professional as a licensed veterinarian or a registered veterinary technician 
• Revises the Veterinary Peer Health Assistance Program section to include veterinary technicians and reorganizes it to improve understanding 
• Creates a Veterinary Professional Assistance Program which would offer short-term counseling, work-life balance, and educational services to veterinary professionals 

CVMA was pleased that all CVMA-introduced amendments were all accepted into the draft bill language by the committee. 

Technician regulation 

In particular, CVMA and CACVT were jointly encouraged by the committee’s willingness to adopt regulation of technicians. CVMA and CACVT have been working together to introduce technician regulation since 2020; a joint goal shared by both organizations has been to retain everyone currently working as a veterinary technician in Colorado and to provide inclusive opportunities for regulation. Both organizations were pleased to see legislators take steps toward regulating technicians in Colorado during the bill’s initial hearing. 

“Together, we believe that public transparency, expanded access to veterinary personal, and optimal utilization of veterinary staff are crucial for Colorado’s veterinary profession,” said CVMA CEO Diane Matt. 

Veterinary professional associate 

During the meeting, Dumb Friends League President and CEO Apryl Steele, DVM (also a CVMA member) testified in support of a proposed CSU degree program for a Master’s of Veterinary Clinical Care (MVCC) as a solution to the high demand for veterinary services in Colorado. Graduates would be considered “veterinary professional associates” and would represent a mid-level practitioner in between veterinary technicians and veterinarians. The role of a VPA would be similar to a physician’s assistant in the human medical profession. A VPA would work under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who would have the authority to delegate diagnosis, initiation of treatment, prescribing, and performing surgery to a competent VPA. 

Presently, the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act allows only a veterinarian to diagnose, initiate treatment, prescribe, or perform surgery in Colorado. 

CVMA has not introduced an amendment in support of this concept.

Updates and Positions from the 2022 Legislative Session  

As the 2022 Legislative Session and Legislative Action Days commence, we’re providing resources for our members to understand how bills progress through the legislative process, along with resources on how to get involved in key issues concerning veterinary medicine.  

The Florida State Senate and House convened to begin the 2022 Legislative Session January 11, which ends March 14, and thus our FVMA legislative team is back in the Capitol to fight on behalf of members and the veterinary medical profession. Members can find our resources for getting in touch with legislators during LAD 2022 by clicking here.  

Among the bills discussed in the session’s second week (January 17-21) were a number relating to our industry and to animals, including:  

HB 723/SB 448 – Veterinary Telemedicine  

• The bill allows the VCPR to be established via telehealth as long as the veterinarian is following the professional standards of care.  
• The bill would not allow controlled substances to be prescribed via Telehealth unless the veterinarian has already performed an in-person exam, with an exemption for hospice care.  
• The Board has jurisdiction over veterinarians practicing telehealth in the state, regardless of where their offices are located.  
• Allows animal control employees to administer rabies vaccines to impounded animals under the indirect supervision of a veterinarian.  

SB 448 is temporarily postponed by the Regulated Industries Committee, and HB 723 is on the agenda for the Commerce Committee.  

HB 25 / SB 226  – Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs  

The bill establishes a program to pay for the veterinary care of retired service dogs. As of this writing, HB 25 has been voted favorable with CS by the Criminal Justice &Public Safety Subcommittee with 14 yeas and no nays. SB 226 is in the Appropriations Committee.  

HB 121 – Aggravated Animal Cruelty  

The bill expands the crime of aggravated animal cruelty to include:  

• The unlawful killing of an animal in the custody of a family member.  
• Intentionally causing great bodily harm or death of an animal while in the commission of specified crimes.  

As of this writing, the bill has been referred to the Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, and Judiciary Committee.  

SB 256 – Animal Cruelty  

The bill expands the grounds for a criminal penalty for depriving an animal of shelter or sustenance by removing the requirement that such shelter or sustenance be withheld unnecessarily. As of this writing, the bill has been referred to the Judiciary, Agriculture, and Rules committees.  

SB 172 – Courtroom Animal Advocates  

The bill would allow the court to appoint an advocate for an animal in a case regarding the welfare, care, or custody of an animal. The advocate shall monitor the case, have access to relevant files, and present information and recommendations to the court. As of this writing, the bill has been referred to the Judiciary, Agriculture, and Rules committees.  

HB 253 – Retail Sale of Domestic Dogs and Cats  

The bill creates a noncriminal violation for selling a domestic dog or cat in a pet store. The bill creates an exception to the prohibition for individuals who breed and sell animals directly to the public. As of this writing, this bill has been referred to the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee, and Commerce Committee.  

SB 416 / HB 833 – Animal Cremation  

The bill requires a provider of animal cremation to provide a written description of their services and prohibits false or misleading descriptions of services. As of the time of this writing, the Senate bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee. The House bill has been referred to the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee, and Commerce Committee.  

SB 420 – Animal Abuse   

The bill increases the penalties for animal abuse, sexual crimes involving animals, and fighting and baiting animals from misdemeanors to felonies. As of the time of this writing, the bill has been referred to the Judiciary, Criminal Justice, and Rules committees.  

HB 435 – Animal Abuse   

The bill establishes a third-degree felony for allowing a minor to attend the fighting or baiting of animals. The bill also changes the definition of sexual contact with an animal to be more detailed and broad. The bill is now in the Justice Appropriations Subcommittee.  

SB 614 / HB 721 – Authorization of Restrictions Concerning Dangerous Dogs  

The bill would allow a Housing Authority created under the Public Housing law to adopt an ordinance to restrict the ownership of domestic animals who have attacked or bitten persons. As of the time of this writing, the Senate bill is on the agenda for the Community Affairs Committee. SB 614 is on the agenda for the Community Affairs Committee. HB 721 is in the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee.  

SB 994 / HB 849  – Pet Protection  

The bill requires pet stores to obtain a newly created license from DBPR to operate as retail pet stores. Retail pet stores would not be allowed to offer for sale or giveaway any household pet unless it was acquired from one of the following:  

• A qualified breeder  
• A breeder exempt from licensure by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture  
• An animal rescue  
• An animal shelter  
• A pet broker  

The retail pet store cannot sell or give away a pet younger than 8 weeks, one who has not been implanted with a microchip, or who does not have a valid veterinary certification.  

The Senate bill is now in the Community Affairs Committee. The House bill has been referred to the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, State Administration & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and Commerce Committee.  

HB 1061 / SB 1750 – Sale of Dogs and Cats  

The bill states that consumers who finance the purchase of a pet are entitled to terminate the financial arrangement with no penalty to the consumer if the pet is found to have been unfit for sale by a veterinarian. The House bill has been referred to the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee, and Commerce Committee. The Senate bill has been referred to the Commerce and Tourism, Regulated Industries, and Rules committees.  

HB 1075 / SB 1508 – Tethering of Domestic Dogs and Cats   

The bill makes it illegal to tether an unattended domestic cat or dog. The House bill has been referred to the Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee and the Judiciary Committee. The Senate bill has been referred to the Community Affairs, Agriculture, and Rules committees.  

HB 1279 / SB 1718 – Cosmetic Animal Testing   

The bill bans cosmetic testing on animals, with certain exceptions. The House bill has been referred to the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, Professions & Public Health Subcommittee, and Commerce Committee. The Senate bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice, and Appropriations Committee. The Senate bill is on the agenda for the Commerce and Tourism Committee.  

HB 1341 / SB 1806 – Animal Abusers  

The bill creates a statewide Animal Abuser Registry. This bill will place restrictions on a convicted animal abuser to own, adopt, live with or work with animals. The House bill has been referred to the Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, and Judiciary Committee. The Senate bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice, and Appropriations Committee.  

SB 1548 – Occupational Licensing  

The bill would prohibit a board from inquiring into the criminal history of an applicant until after the board determines whether the applicant is qualified for a license. The conviction of a crime may not be the grounds for the denial of a license. The bill has been referred to the Regulated Industries, Criminal Justice, and Rules committees.  

SB 1838 / HB 1463 – Student Financial Aid  

The bill states that for purposes of receiving state financial aid awards, a student may not be denied classification as a resident based on his or her immigration status. The bill establishes the Professional Student Loan Repayment Program within the Department of Education, which would be open to veterinarians. The House bill has been referred to the Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee, Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Education & Employment Committee. The Senate bill has been referred to the Education Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and Appropriations Committee. 

The Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA) seeks to amend Chapter 471, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to better define the practice and parameters of veterinary medicine and veterinary telemedicine to protect consumers and their pets from inadequate, improper, or unlicensed veterinary care.  Further, because there is a shortage of licensed veterinarians in Hawaii, HVMA is proposing to provide for the temporary permitting of out-of-state veterinarians and providing for international veterinary school graduates to qualify for licensure examination in Hawaii. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions brought about consumer demand for telehealth in the field of veterinary medicine. Telemedicine has allowed consumers more access to veterinary services for their pets, particularly in areas where access to veterinary care is limited.  However, HVMA is aware that the use of telemedicine may also be abused without an established veterinary-client-patient relationship.  Without actual physical examination of a pet, veterinary services rendered through telemedicine alone can be inadequate and below the standard of veterinary care. The addition of telehealth definitions and the telemedicine section will help to clarify the practice of veterinary telemedicine and assist the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine in ensuring consumers in Hawaii receive proper and licensed veterinary telemedicine services. 

Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the shortage of veterinarians available to provide specialty and routine veterinary care for Hawaii’s people and their pets. At times, veterinary emergency hospitals were unable to operate 24/7, and surgeon schedules were completely booked for months due to the inability to fill these staffing shortages by temporary permit. In one specific case, there was a veterinary surgeon within the state that could have assisted during this period, but due to her international veterinary school degree, was unable to sit for Hawaii’s state licensing exam due to a technicality in the administrative rules. These amendments are critically important to prevent such veterinary care shortages in the future and ensure that all qualified veterinarians are allowed to sit for the Hawaii state licensing exam. 

This bill has currently been introduced to the House (HB 1598) by Representatives Johanson, Hashem, and Nishimoto; and into the Senate (SB 2798) by Senators Lee, Gabbard, Keith-Agaran, Misalucha, Acasio, Ihara, and San Buenaventura . Please take the time to thank them for their support, and write your local representative to ask for theirs! 

Dancer Welcomes State’s First Veterinary Medicine School At Rowan University  

Assemblyman Ron Dancer, a long-time champion of measures that provide New Jersey farmers better access to veterinary medicine services, recently introduced a resolution supporting the newly-announced Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine.  

The school, New Jersey’s first school of veterinary medicine, plans to welcome its inaugural class of 60 students in fall 2025 and will offer the state’s first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. There are currently only 33 institutions of higher education in the nation, and just five on the East Coast, that offer programs in veterinary sciences.  

Rowan University’s announcement is a welcome one, said Dancer, in an agricultural-rich state that is hurting from a lack of veterinarians, particularly those who specialize in large animals like cows and horses.  

“Rowan’s veterinary medicine school is an investment in our state’s agricultural future and a big win for farmers and people who desire a more affordable pathway to a degree,” Dancer (R-Ocean) said. “New Jersey, the Garden State, has more horses per square mile than any other state in the nation, but we have a shortage of veterinarians. That is largely because students have had to leave to pursue degrees, pay out-of-state tuition costs, and then often don’t return. If they do, they are more likely to choose lucrative small animal practices, even if they have an interest in large animals, just to pay off their schooling.”  

Dancer also sponsors a bill (A323) that addresses the state’s shortage of large animal veterinarians by creating a school loan repayment program to incentivize graduates to practice in New Jersey for at least five years in a designated underserved area.  

“Coupled with the new veterinary school, my bill will make it more financially viable for those interested in treating large animals to choose that area of practice,” Dancer added.  

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and technologists will grow 16% between 2019 and 2029. As recently as May 2021, there were 18 positions open for every veterinarian seeking a job, six for every technician and assistant, and 12 for related positions.   

In addition to the DVM degree, Rowan University is developing a graduate program in veterinary biomedical science, an accelerated DVM / MBA, bachelor’s degrees in veterinary studies and veterinary technology, as well as certificates and training pathways for veterinary technicians and assistants.  

Dancer’s resolution states that “many graduates of the School of Veterinary Medicine will choose to work and establish practices in New Jersey, providing much-needed animal health care and contributing to the economic development of New Jersey’s communities.”  

“Rowan’s veterinary school is a game-changer in terms of meeting the state’s demands for animal medicine and skilled professionals and boosting New Jersey’s food and agriculture industry,” Dancer said. “My resolution is a legislative gesture of support for their efforts and recognizes the importance of advancing veterinary medicine in New Jersey.”   

New Rabies Law Puts Requirements on Veterinarians  

NJ Department of Health will “develop and provide on its website forms for use in providing the notification” required by the new law. There is nothing veterinarians need to do until such forms are available.  

On January 18, 2022, Governor Murphy signed into law a bill that prohibits any rabies testing from being performed on a dead domestic companion animal until the health official requiring the rabies testing, or the veterinarian preparing and submitting the specimen for rabies testing, has complied with the requirements set forth in the law. Such requirements include providing the owner of the animal with both written and verbal notice of the following:   

1. The necessity of the rabies testing;  
2. The rabies testing protocol to be followed;  
3. The protocol to be followed with regard to the handling of the animal’s body;  
4. The protocol to be followed with regard to the disposal of the animal’s body or its return to the owner; and  
5. The protocol for decapitation of the animal.  

The law also requires the health official or veterinarian to obtain written acknowledgment from the owner that the necessary notification of protocols and procedures was received prior to conducting any rabies testing on the animal in question.   

NJVMA will continue to monitor the DOH’s progress in developing and providing the required forms and will seek to be involved in the development of those forms. There is nothing veterinarians need to do until such forms are available. NJVMA will notify all members when the forms are available.  

University of Cambridge Survey – Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour 

Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour, also known as TVT, CTVT, or Sticker’s sarcoma is a clonally transmissible cancer, which is spread by the transmission of living cancer cells between individual dogs. This questionnaire is part of a study being conducted at the University of Cambridge by Prof Elizabeth Murchison, Dr. Andrea Strakova, and Dr. Tracy Wang together with Debbie (Bauer) Koenig, RVT with the goal of mapping the distribution of CTVT around the world. We are very grateful for your time taken to complete this survey, which contains 10 questions and will take you about 5-10 minutes to complete.  

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8RH3XMB

“Scope of Practice” Alert – Authority of the PA Board of Veterinary Medicine Upheld 

As part of our mission to ensure the vitality of the veterinary profession and enhance animal health and welfare, PVMA continues to take appropriate action against those who practice veterinary medicine without a license. Our profession recently saw a significant win in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, releasing the final adjudication of Maria McElwee v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, State Board of Veterinary Medicine. The decision reinforces what PVMA has always believed – the Board of Veterinary Medicine has jurisdiction over and can enforce its regulations and rules against licensees of other professional Boards. This legal precedent bolsters the work we do on behalf of our members to identify and report the illegal practice of veterinary medicine. 

This decision is the first successful outcome we have had since using the Professional Licensing Bureau’s online complaint system and we will continue to use this as a tool to report such instances on behalf of our Members. Let us know if you are aware of non-veterinarians practicing veterinary medicine by completing our online form. You may also file a complaint directly with the Bureau using their online complaint form. Just let us know if you do this so we can monitor progress of these complaints. 

PVMA’s work to protect our profession and our clients is only possible with the support of our Members. Thank you for your membership! 

On January 18, 2022, The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania released the final adjudication of Maria McElwee v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, State Board of Veterinary Medicine, argued on November 15, 2021. The majority opinion, authored by Senior Judge Leadbetter, upholds the Pennsylvania Department of State’s findings, concluding that McElwee was engaged in the unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine. McElwee was directed to cease and desist and ordered to pay civil fines, including the cost of investigation. 

McElwee appealed to the Commonwealth Court for review of the final order and adjudication. The Court was asked to consider several legal issues. In considering the petition for review, the Court made the following determinations: 

• The Veterinary Board (Board) has jurisdiction over practitioners of animal chiropractic and animal chiropractic is subject to current regulatory authority. 
• The Board has the authority to enforce rules of professional conduct against licensees of other boards. 
• The Board did not violate McElwee’s due process protections. 

McElwee, a licensed chiropractor in Pennsylvania who has taken additional courses in animal chiropractic, is not a veterinarian. Therefore, she may not diagnose or treat animals. Furthermore, the Chiropractic Practice Act defines chiropractic as a branch of the healing arts that include misaligned or displaced vertebrae of the human spine. In short, McElwee was rightly found to be practicing veterinary medicine without a license. 

The PA General Assembly included clear statutory language in the Veterinary Practice Act, 49 of the Pennsylvania Code, that specifically provides for regulation of animal chiropractic. In doing so, the Practice Act and the Rules of Veterinary Professional Conduct allow a veterinarian to consult with and seek the assistance of a chiropractor for enhanced treatment of an animal patient only when under the direct supervision of the veterinarian. “Direct veterinary supervision” is defined in the regulations. The veterinarian must give oral or written instructions to the chiropractor and the veterinarian is to be on the premises, easily and quickly available to assist the chiropractor. McElwee, who exclusively treats animals through her practice, Critter Chiropractic, was found to be in violation of the legal requirements of direct veterinary supervision. The Court noted that these laws and regulations provide McElwee the only permissible opportunity to practice on animals in the first place. 

The Commonwealth Court, which has jurisdiction over administrative and civil public law, is one of Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts. McElwee may petition for appeal of this decision to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 

Test can detect deadly genetic mutation in cats 

A new test developed by Washington State University researchers can detect a rare genetic mutation in cats that can cause potentially deadly reactions to some common medications, including those used to control parasites and in routine surgical procedures, like spays and neuters. 

The only way to tell if a cat has the mutation, which is found in about 4% of all cats, is through a genetic test, which is available to pet owners and veterinarians for $60 on WSU’s Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory’s website.  

“If a cat experiences an adverse drug event that could have been prevented, the veterinary bill will be a lot more than the cost of this test,” said Dr. Katrina Mealey, Regents professor in WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Mealey and her team in the Program in Individualized Medicine (PrIMe) at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine have been working to develop the test and identify drugs that may be toxic to affected cats since 2014 when they discovered the mutation, which occurs in the MDR1 (multidrug resistance 1) gene, also known as the ABCB1 gene. The gene plays an important role in limiting drug distribution to the brain and in enhancing the excretion of many drugs. 

Mealey is also responsible for the initial discovery of the MDR1 mutation in dogs in 2001 and for leading the development at WSU of the first commercial tests for canines. 

After discovering the mutation in cats, Mealey and her team set out to determine the frequency of the mutation by analyzing the DNA samples of more than 1,000 cats stored in the college’s DNA bank. 

In dogs, Mealey had previously determined the mutation is most frequent in herding breeds, but no such correlation has been identified in cats.  

“The mutation is probably about as common in cats as it is dogs, except that in dogs we know it is more breed-specific,” Mealey said. “So, if you have a collie, we know the animal has a 75% chance of having the mutation. In cats, though, it seems to be widely distributed and not breed specific.” 

Mealey said she recommends the test for all cats.  

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a breed association in cats like we do with dogs to be able to say if your cat is this breed, you should get it tested,” she said. 

Medications known to cause adverse reactions in cats with the MDR1 mutation include products containing eprinomectin, emodepside, ivermectin, loperamide, selamectin, milbemycin, moxidectin, acepromazine, apomorphine, butorphanol, vincristine, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel. Cats with the mutation may have severe adverse reactions – like tremors, disorientation, blindness, lack of muscle control, and death – to the drugs. 

Once a dog or cat has been genotyped by WSU, its owner will have online, personal access to a board-certified pharmacologist who can answer questions about the safety of medications. 

Mealey and her team are continuing research to learn which cat breeds are most affected and to identify additional medications that may cause adverse reactions. 

Find more WSU news online at https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/ 

Healthy Veterinary Practices: Considering Diversity in Your Practice 

Join Dr. Lisa Greenhill Thursday, Feb. 17 at 11:30 am PT, on the next edition of the Veterinary Practice Growth speaker series. Increasingly, the value of diversity within the veterinary medical profession is being recognized – and veterinary professionals are seeking actionable ways to advance diversity in veterinary practice. Dr. Lisa Greenhill, a demonstrated leader in helping organizations and institutions use diversity initiatives to drive excellence in workforce planning and organizational performance, will share her perspectives about  

Considering Diversity in Your Practice and address key topics including: 

• The case for diversity, equity, and inclusion in veterinary medicine 
• DEI goal setting 
• Easy implementation ideas 

After this session, attendees will be able to: 

• Describe the ways in which diversity, equity, and inclusion advances veterinary medicine. 
• Summarize the case for diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice settings. 
• Describe how practitioners can develop goals with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Identify three ways in which diversity, equity, and inclusion can be easily implemented in practice settings. 

Lisa M. Greenhill, MPA, EdD currently serves as the Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).  Dr. Greenhill directs the Association’s internal study of academic veterinary medicine through collaborative research, analysis, and publication efforts.  She also manages the DVM: DiVersity Matters initiative, which promotes increased representation of underrepresented persons in academic veterinary medicine, inclusive academic environments, and the inclusion of diversity-related professional competencies in the DVM curriculum. She holds a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in public policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and a Doctorate in Education from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. 

Click here to register.