AVIM's Dr. Janet Peterson has organized our oncology services team.  Dr. Peterson, Jenifer (oncology nurse) and Keri (oncology RVT) are all involved jointly in the care of our cancer patients, and communications with you as the owner.  AVIM is able to provide an interactive resource for cancer management with our surgery colleagues.  Dr. Peterson is an experienced board certified specialist in veterinary oncology. She sees appointments only in our annapolis office.  However our doctors in our Towson office see and treat oncology cases on a regular basis and consult with Dr. Peterson frequently.   

 Dr. Peterson and her team are also involved in the admission of patients to various ongoing, multicenter cancer research studies for veterinary medicine.

Endoscopy services are now enhanced with the addition of a longer flexible fiberendoscope for use in large breed dogs.  This 130 cm length, 10 mm diameter endoscope allows us access to the duodenum of the giant breeds.  The average endoscope's length is 100 cm and may leave the small intestine unexamined in many cases with giant breed dogs.  We have also recently introduced a 1.7 mm flexible endoscope. This allows us access to the nasal passages and airways of smaller patients than ever before.  We also can now use this "scope" to do urethrocystoscopy in many dogs and some female cats.  The addition of these two new specialty endoscopes will complement our existing series of 7.9, 5.0 and 9.8 mm Olympus brand endoscopes.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is available to our patients via the Iams Pet Imaging Center.  This unit is located in Vienna, Virginia. Important points to consider about this center are:

• it is dedicated to veterinary patients (no human patients allowed!)
• there are veterinarians overseeing the anesthesia
• veterinary radiology specialists and anesthesia specialists are involved with patient care, protocols, and interpretation of results
• this MRI is state of the art.  There is only one other of its equal in the Eastern United States and that is with a human medical facitily at a university

News and Notes

• Dr. Dan J. Petrus is a board certified veterniary internist.  Dan joined our Greater Baltimore location in the summer of 2001.  We feel fortunate to have Dr. Petrus join us.  He comes to us via a residency at the Veterinary College at the University of Wisconsin, and most recently, a three year clinical and lectureship teaching position with the Royal Veterinary College in London. He has an ongoing interest in endocrinology and has experience with the use of Trilostane as pharmaceutical inhibitor of steroidogenesis.

• Dr. Debra Klaser proud new mother of a beautiful, healthy girl has returned to clinical service.  We all welcome her back.

• Dr. Mark E. Hitt continues as a contributing author in veterinary textbooks such as those edited by Tilley, Morgan, and Cote.  He lectures regionally and nationally on various topics in internal medicine.

• Dr. Frederic Jacob joins our staff.
  

  Dr. Frederic Jacob is a graduate of the University of Montreal.  After obtaining his veterinary medical degree in 1995, he pursued an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Washington State University. In 1996, he was accepted in a combined Residency/PhD program in Veterinary Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota.  In 2000, Dr. Jacob was certified as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (small animal). During his PhD, Dr. Jacob and colleagues published several significant studies that helped identifying key factors (such as diet, high blood pressure and increased protein in the urine) that played an important role in the progression of renal failure, survival time and quality of life in dogs with renal failure.  It is during his Residency/PhD program that Dr. Jacob developed a keen interest in studying hypertension, its clinical consequences and treatment options in dogs with chronic renal diseases. In 2002, this genuine interest led him to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship to investigate the interactive role of specific areas of the brain and the kidneys in the long-term control of blood pressure.

              His training in internal medicine and special interest in urological diseases of dogs and cats will be complementary to the dedicated staff of the Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine group in Towson.

   

Online electronic prescriptions are available:
As an AVIM client, you will be able to have access to online refills and review of your pet's prescriptions.  This will include the ability to compound medications to flavored liquids, capsules, and chewable forms that are more convenient for your individual pet.  This is managed via our new VetStoreRx web link.  These medications will be shipped for next day delivery via the pharmacy staff and quality services of VetCentric .

AVIM is able to have prescription diets shipped to your door, including Iams prescription diets, Innovative Diets (IVD), Purina prescription diets.  We prefer that you seek these diets with your regular veterinarian, but if they are not locally available, then we can provide next day delivery via online diet prescription services of our AVIM VetStoreRx and VetCentric.com.