...and they hope what they learn in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. The story of a star studded veterinary conference

            The hope is that what they learn in Las Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. The throng of nearly 15,000 assorted veterinary professionals who attend the 79^th Annual Western Veterinary Conference, February 18 through 22 at Mandalay Bay Resort, will learn and bring home gobs of cutting edge knowledge to wherever they live.

            The all-stars of veterinary medicine will be presenting to colleagues on all sorts of topics, from high tech genetic disease detection to the latest in X-Rays, which are now going digital. “It’s good for pets, ultimately pocketbooks of pet owners, and there’s no X-Ray film to dispose of, and that’s good for the environment,” says Dr. Stephen Crane, executive director of the conference.

            Coincidentally, another group of all-stars – the NBA all stars – will be sharing the convention space at the Mandalay Bay. Next to them, the veterinarians may be dwarfed in size but not stature, as polls continue to rank the profession among the most respected in America (2006 Gallop Poll indicating Most Honest and Ethical Professionals, rated only nurses and druggists/pharmacists higher. Professional athletes did not appear on this list).

Randy Lockwood

           One of the reasons vets rank so high is their willingness to do the right thing, for animals and also for their communities. For example, vets are taking a more active role in reporting domestic violence to police and other local authorities. “Often abuse begins with animals; there’s a clear correlation between abuse to animals and spousal and/or child abuse,” says Randy Lockwood, senior vice president for anti-cruelty initiatives and training for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

            At the conference, Lockwood and a colleague will be teaching forensic medicine – what amounts to CSI Vet Vegas.

            Lockwood, who wrote the first textbook on the topic for veterinarians, hints that networks, may in fact, may be interested in a TV show. “You never can tell,” he says. “Certainly, there’s a role for veterinarians to report and testify and even participate in crime scene analysis. Veterinarians learn about doing necropsies (animal autopsies), but they’re not necessarily trained to correlate what they find to crimes, and then documenting those findings so they stand up in court.”

            Lockwood says “By discovering animal abuse, we are more than helping animals. We are breaking the cycle (of violence, perhaps with jail time). It’s a wake up call to others in the family,”

            Topics at the vet conference range greatly, and include an update on both vaccine protocols for cats and horses; the latest on the relationship between feline lower urinary tract disease and cats who miss their litter boxes; and when to offer pain killers to older dogs, which is a topic pet owners are increasingly concerned about.

Dr. Duncan Lascelles

            “People are scared of non steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID) pain killers (for dogs) because they believe they need to use them forever,” says Dr. Duncan Lascelles, associate professor of surgery and director of the Comparative Pain Research Laboratory at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh.

            “In fact, the drug often alleviates pain so now the pet can exercise, which feels good rather than painful, but also allows for weigh loss and or physical therapy,” he says. “Many times, we can wean the pet completely off the drug.”