Vets get together to make it better

They educate lawmakers, the public and one another.

The Pasco Hernando Veterinary Medical Association was established in February so local vets could discuss cutting-edge practices and public-health issues, and to have their voices heard by government officials. The group is affiliated with the larger, more-established Florida Medical Veterinary Association.

Dade City veterinarian Jenifer Chatfield, who began her career in Texas, said the group also was formed because the area's vets often feel "like little islands all by ourselves."

"But we're always trying to keep up with new ideas," said Chatfield, the local group's president. "A lot of times vets do that through local associations. That's the way we did it in Texas, but I was frustrated here. There are infectious diseases. This past spring it was distemper and several cases of rabies. These are public-health issues. Communication and information are what keeps the community safe."

Most of the group's members are vets in east and central Pasco, but veterinarians from across Pasco and Hernando counties are welcome. The group meets at least once a month, and meeting topics can range from heartworm and deer ticks to keeping pets safe during hurricanes and other disasters. The organization also has initiated communication with the Pasco County Health Department.

In addition to providing information to colleagues and the public, the organization recently awarded its first scholarship: $250 to a student in Marchman Technical Education Center's veterinary-assisting program.

"We also do a tip of the month at our meetings," Chatfield said. "It could be anything from someone who knows where you can get your business cards done cheaply to how to administer certain treatments."

Meetings provide the opportunity for vets to earn continuing-education hours, which are required to keep their licenses current.

"It's best for us to join together and help one another," said Jo Ann Daniels, the group's vice president and operator of Central Pasco Veterinary Care on State Road 54 east of the Suncoast Parkway.

"We've gotten university experts to come in and teach us new things every month," she said. "We're working with different groups in their efforts to get grants that support spaying and neutering in Florida to help with pet overpopulation. We're trying to ensure the quality of animal welfare in the community."

Recently, that meant a trip Tallahassee, where members and representatives with the state group spoke to lawmakers about "veterinarians' perspective on proposed legislation," Chatfield said in an e-mail.

"There were more than 20 bills in this session alone that may have significantly impacted the practice of veterinary medicine in Florida," she said. "Subsequently, we have invited several local elected officials to our meetings to open communication."

Terry Spencer, secretary-treasurer of the local vets' group, said it's also helpful for local veterinarians to gather regularly because "there just aren't that many vets in the world, compared to other professions." Spencer is a shelter veterinarian with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and former veterinarian with Pasco County Animal Services.

The group has begun distributing educational material at veterinary clinics across the area and is working on a Web site. There are about 20 members, but the organization wants as many as it can get.

"When all the vets get together, you can talk to each other and find out about the unique cases they've seen," Daniels, the vice president, said.

One of the biggest concerns among local veterinarians, she said, is related to the struggling economy.

"People are hesitating to keep up with preventative pet care," she said. "We've seen disastrous cases of things that could be prevented, such as heartworm-positive dogs that could have been treated for less than $10 a month."