ACVPM Exam: Four Months to go – Pulse Check

                Despite life, work, and intense studying, you have taken time to purchase flowers for that all-important holiday that occurs near the ides of February. We are talking of course, about Lupercalia, the ancient Sabine celebration which the Romans later renamed as Februa. During this time, we purify evil I-can’t-possibly-pass-this-test self-doubts and rejuvenate our health […]

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Harry Potter, Snow White, and Chicken Breasts

“What do you feed your dog?” you perfunctorily inquire, while completing your examination.             “Cooked chicken and rice,” the pet owner boasts. “Is that on top of the kibble?” “No. Just chicken and rice. I buy premium, cooked chickens at Costco. I make sure it is lean, white meat, no skin, no bones, no fat. […]

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Mosquito Menace On the Move

In some parts of the country, fall has arrived.  Unfortunately, in South Texas, we never really make the transition to fall colors, pumpkin spice, or crisp sunrises.  What we settle for instead, is cooling weather and decreasing hordes of blood thirsty mosquitoes.  These aerial vampires not only cause intense irritation and itching from bites, they […]

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Another Shrimp FAD?

In our last podcast, we introduced our listeners to the basics of farmed Pacific white shrimp.  But, with any commercial livestock operation comes increased risk of disease.  The first disease we discussed was infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV).  First reported this year, IHHNV was not the first shrimp FAD to occur in the […]

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The Other Side of an FAD

When we discuss foreign animal diseases, we usually think of mammals, with the occasional bird outbreak.  But, in the field of veterinary medicine, we treat all species.  Texas has extremely varied geographic terrain, allowing many different species to call this home. Farmed Pacific white shrimp offers a sustainable source of fresh shrimp to many areas […]

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P-Value, the False Idol (revisited)

The most powerful woman in the world blinded her own son to uphold her beliefs Gorgeous, brilliant, and powerful, the Empress Irene perched upon her throne and contemplated her Eastern Roman Empire. She sought to reunite it with the West through marriage with none other than Charlemagne. Luckily for the great Carolingian king, pleuritis killed […]

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Vacation Gifts No One Wants to Receive

Vacation season draws to a close.  School will soon start back.  Many people enjoyed a relaxing getaway, and perhaps stayed in a nice hotel.  In the recent outbreak of pneumonia in Atlanta, Georgia, we are reminded that occasionally people come home from vacation with more than a tan and some great memories. This particular type […]

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There’s Nothing Humorous or Humoral About Poison Ivy

Great stories require great villains, which implies three-dimensional, well-developed characters.  Often, they generate more interest and fascination than the hero, hence, the prevalence of antiheroes in modern movies and tv. From DC comics, Poison Ivy instills ambivalence. As Batman’s nemesis, we begin hating her, but may discover ourselves admiring her. Her passion revolves around the […]

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