> Articles by: ChristpinaEach year, the CVMA celebrates exceptional members of the veterinary community with distinguished awards. Do you know a veterinarian, RVT, or community advocate who goes above and beyond? Whether they are mentoring the next generation, volunteering locally, or leading organized veterinary medicine, their contributions deserve to be celebrated across California.
When practice owners think about risk management, they often think about insurance. In reality, some of the most effective ways to reduce workers’ compensation injuries and Employment Practices Liability (EPL) claims begin long before an incident occurs. They begin with hiring, onboarding, training, communication, and leadership.
The Donald G. Low/CVMA Clinical Veterinary Medicine Academy is a collaborative program offered by the CVMA and the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. The academy honors the late Donald G. Low, former director of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In 1997, the CVMA spearheaded a campaign to fund this unique program and continues to partner with UC Davis to recruit and select academy fellows.
Through the CVMA’s Upnotch platform, members, early-career veterinarians, RVTs, and practice managers get FREE, direct access to experienced colleagues ready to lend an ear and share real-world guidance. Connect for a quick, one-time conversation or set up a regular mentorship schedule—entirely on your terms.Upnotch is flexible by design. A connection might be a single career conversation, a handful of check-ins, or an ongoing mentorship relationship—whatever works for both people. You set the terms. And because Upnotch is available online and through its mobile app, your CVMA professional community is always within reach.
Growing up in a matriarchal family in Zimbabwe, I was assigned the role of the family shepherd from an early age. I took our animals to graze every day after school. I helped name our cattle, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, and pigeons. I trained our cattle to plow the crop fields and protected them from predators. I treated our animals for many ailments using plants, a skill I learned from my mother and grandmother, whose passion for our farm animals shaped my own
In its extensive search for a new Executive Director, the CVMA needed to look no further than one of its own long-time members. Dr. Jon Klingborg has worked as an associate, partner, owner, relief veterinarian, lead veterinarian, and chief of staff. He has practiced in rural and urban environments, worked in small, two-doctor and multi-location group practices, and been both a mixed-animal and smallanimal-exclusive practitioner. Dr. Klingborg has also been a dedicated champion of the CVMA since graduating veterinary school, holding every position in CVMA leadership. With his thorough knowledge of the CVMA and intimate understanding of the veterinary profession, Dr. Klingborg has hit the ground running.
Following radiation safety best practices benefits patients and veterinary professionals. Within the veterinary practice, the radiology area is policed by the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB), the Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Radiologic Health Branch (RHB). All entities enforce various sections of the California Health and Safety Code as well as Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. Inspections by each entity are either complaint-driven or conducted randomly. Inspections can occur without prior notice.
You never forget your first pandemic. Mine was in 1978, when feline panleukopenia mutated into canine parvovirus. Because this was a brand-new disease, there was zero immunity in the global canine population. Overnight, parvo swept around the world. At the time, I was in junior high school working as a weekend kennel attendant when disaster struck.
Patients with cardiac murmurs identified during the pre-anesthetic examination often prompt heightened concern because of the potential for underlying cardiovascular disease. While cardiovascular disease is common in the dogs and cats we care for, anesthesia requires the cardiovascular system to do something it may no longer do well: compensate. Many of the sedatives and anesthetics we use can alter heart rate, contractility, preload, or afterload. The art of anesthetizing the cardiac patient lies in minimizing these impacts and tailoring our plans to fit the patient’s unique requirements.
Feline brachycephaly is a multifactorial syndrome leading to various clinical syndromes. Endoscopy and advanced imaging are required to fully characterize brachycephalic syndrome in cats. Recognized brachycephalic anatomy in cats includes stenotic nares, aberrant nasopharyngeal turbinates, elongated soft palate, aberrant nasolacrimal ducts, and exophthalmos.
