Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association

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Welcome to KCVMA.com

by Kathleen Claussen, DVM

July/August 2009

Welcome to the official website for the Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association! Our members include veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the greater KC area. We provide continuing education opportunities to help advance the knowledge and skill of our members, and promote the dissemination of information on subjects pertaining to veterinary medical activities, including social events that promote a fraternal spirit within our profession. The Board of the KCVMA develops and advocates specific legislative positions to inform members about important issues that affect our field. We respect and promote compliance of laws relative to the practice of veterinary medicine in both Missouri and Kansas. We hope you find our website useful and informative. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

Dear KCVMA Members and Honored Guests,

Wow! Where has the time gone? I can’t believe the year is half over. As we approach the “dog days of summer,” have you ever wondered where the term came from? According to some quick online research (www.wikipedia.com), the phrase dates back to the Greeks and the Ancient Romans. They used the term for the hottest days of summer when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose about the time of the sunrise. Who would have thought?

Speaking of hot topics, Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (VSEC) is hosting the First Annual “Heatstroke” Seminar for Technicians. They hope to make this an annual fixture just like the “Frostbite” Seminar.

The meeting will take place July 12th at St. Joseph Health Center’s Community Center for Health and Education at I-435 and Stateline, Kansas City, Missouri. Veterinary technicians need to register by calling Jenny Beers at VSEC (913-642-9563) due to limited seating.

We invite you to celebrate the dog days of summer with other KCVMA members with a hot dog at the Royals game! The KCVMA Summer Social will be held Saturday, September 26th at 6:10 pm. Come check out the Royals as they take on the Minnesota Twins at the newly updated Kauffman Stadium! KCVMA will provide two view box level tickets (section 431) to paid members until the purchased tickets run out. Parking ($9) is on your own. See the insert for further details, or contact Wanda at wgrindstaff@kcvma.com.

Telling the Tail

by Jen Nigro

A veterinarian is with a pet and its family every step of the way: from those first vaccinations, through injury and illness and annual exams, to their final moments on earth. While it’s nice to focus on the happy times in a pet’s journey through life, the truth of the matter is, a veterinarian is often a part of one of the saddest moments—a pet’s death.

There are several services in the Kansas City area specializing in pet cremation and burial. Pet Cremation Services is a part of FC Industries, which sells cremation systems all over the country...