Abstract
ISFM/AAFP
New Publisher for JFMS
In 2012, the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS) shall be moving to a new publisher — SAGE Publications. This is the culmination of a year-long process of exploring possible alternative publishing partners.
The first issue in 2012 will boast a new cover design and a new look is being developed for the JFMS ‘Classic’ pages. Online access to JFMS will move from ScienceDirect to Sage Journals Online from 2012. In addition to print format, each individual issue of JFMS will be available in its entirety as a single pdf for download. All manuscript submissions will be transferring to SAGE Track (based on ScholarOne Manuscripts).
FIC Clinical Study: Call for Cases
A team at the Feline Centre at Bristol University, UK, is undertaking a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of a dietary supplement in the management of feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), alongside standard medical and behavioural therapy. It is looking to recruit cats in the UK with a history of two or more episodes of lower urinary tract disease over a 6-month period. These referred cases will benefit from a discounted investigation package initially (including a medical and behavioural evaluation), and then free follow-up advice for 1 year. CPD credits will be provided for each case referred.
For further information, or to dicuss potential cases, contact
Is an independent publisher with offices in the UK, North America and Asia, which combines the prestige of the university presses with the business acumen of the commercial publishers.
Publishes three other, noncompetitive veterinary titles: Veterinary Pathology, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation and Veterinary Medicine International
Has a portfolio of over 600 journals spanning the humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine.
CPD
Expert Level Feline Nursing Course
In 2009, the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB), in partnership with Nestlé Purina and the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE), launched two Feline Friendly Nursing Courses — one at Foundation and one at Advanced level (Open College Network [OCN] level 3). Now an Expert level course is available to nurses who have completed the Advanced level course.
The Expert level course is set at OCN level 4 and is classed as a Diploma (first year university level). Nurses who successfully complete the course will be eligible to join the ISFM Academy of Feline Nurses.
The courses have been put together by FAB and ISFM experts and are run in partnership with COAPE, which provides the administration for the scheme. Each course comprises six units that are administered online and requires written English. For further details go to www.isfm.net/nurses
Award
2011 Excellence in Feline Research Award
Dr Jody L Gookin (right), winner of the 2011 Excellence in Feline Research Award from Winn and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), receives her award from Winn President, Dr Vicki Thayer, at the annual convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association in July in St Louis, USA. The award consists of US $2500 and a crystal cat, the ‘Winnie’. Dr Gookin is nationally recognised for her contributions to the field of gastroenterology, particularly infectious causes of feline diarrhoea. She and her colleagues are credited with the identification of Tritrichomonas foetus as a cause of diarrhoea in domestic cats, and have worked for more than 12 years to establish its pathogenesis, develop diagnostic tools, discover the worldwide significance, and find an effective treatment for this common infection. Dr Gookin is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at North Carolina State University
FAB
NOAH Gives FAB its Support
Claire Bessant, Chief Executive of the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB), accepts a donation for the charity from Phil Sketchley, Chief Executive of the UK's National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), at FAB's headquarters in September. As NOAH's charity of the year 2010, £1 was donated to FAB for every copy of the 2010/11 edition of the ‘Compendium of Datasheets for Animal Medicines’ that was sold. £3200 was also donated following a raffle and donation at NOAH's 2010 annual dinner, giving a grand total of £4672
Upbeat in Boston
The first World Feline Veterinary Conference was held in Boston, Massachusetts, from September 8–11, 2011. The theme for the event was ‘Cardiovascular disease: the heart of feline medicine’. The AAFP and ISFM joined together to create this conference to bring together feline practitioners from across the globe. Efforts paid off — altogether there were 484 conference attendees representing 19 countries.
Boston's unique mix of old and new
AAFP and ISFM members had the opportunity to get together at the first World Feline Veterinary Conference. From left: Dr Donna Stephens Manley (2012 AAFP President), and Urte and Andreas Elvers from Germany, who are familiar faces at ISFM Congresses
Attendees relax before the meeting starts at the ‘Meet and Greet’ reception sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
Educational sessions focused on cardiology
Attendees were updated on the most current scientific developments and shared in the best practice recommendations covering several topics on feline cardiovascular disease. Clinical research experts addressed specialized topics, such as cardiac disease markers, nutritional support for cardiac patients, state-of-the-art management for feline heart disease and emergency cardiac presentations. Advanced and generalist tracks were available to meet the needs of every veterinary practitioner in each stage of their professional development. A paraprofessional track was also available for veterinary technicians and other hospital staff who consult with clients.
Complementing the 25 hours of continuing education were ample opportunities for attendees to network and socialize …
… including the ‘Crimson and clover’ evening at the Harvard Club, offering a sumptuous four course meal, gaming, and the opportunity to dance the night away!
New AAFP officers
Dr René Carlson (far left), American Veterinary Medical Association President, swearing in the 2012 AAFP officers. From right: Dr Arne Zislin (Treasurer), Dr Donna Stephens Manley (President) and Dr Roy Smith (President Elect)
ATTENDEE FEEDBACK
‘This was my first AAFP/WFVC — enjoyed it very much and received information that will be very useful for my practice’
‘AAFP always does great meetings: I appreciate the closer connections with ISFM’
‘Wonderful organization! I certainly will be back to future AAFP conferences!’
‘The AAFP conferences provide a way to fill a hole in my knowledge/education of feline medicine’
Going west: The 2012 AAFP conference will be held in Seattle, Washington, September 20–23
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
ISFM Congress 2012 in Budapest
For the first time, ISFM will be offering a poster session at its June 2012 congress in Budapest. Abstracts should be of relevance to feline clinical practice and may include:
Original research
Case series
Case reports
Abstracts should present novel information (or highly unusual case presentations) that has not been previously published, but ISFM is willing to accept submission of abstracts that have already been presented (in abstract form) at a previous conference.
All submitted abstracts will be reviewed, and those accepted will need to be presented in a poster format at the ISFM Congress. The presenter will be expected to be present alongside their poster during a specified break during the congress, so that delegates can ask any questions.
The intention is that abstracts accepted for the ISFM Congress will also be published in an issue of JFMS, and by submitting an abstract for consideration authors confirm that they are willing for it to be published in JFMS.
The presenter of an accepted abstract will receive a 50% discount on member rate registration for the congress.
Preparation, Submission and Presentation
Abstracts should be a concise summary of the final poster.
They must be formatted in Times New Roman, 11 point, and black font.
They must be submitted in Microsoft Word format, and prepared for A4 size paper with 6 cm margins top and bottom, and 4 cm margins left and right.
They must be single-spaced with each paragraph indented by four spaces.
They must be in English and free of errors.
Tables or graphs may be included if they fit in the allotted space but references must not be included.
Standard abbreviations may be used for common terms only.
The body of the abstract must be constructed as follows:
Title: This should be short and informative, and typed in upper case.
Author(s): These should be listed with full first name, middle initial and last name. The name of the presenting author should be underlined. No degrees or professional titles should be included.
Institution/address: This should be immediately below the author(s) and include both city and country. If there is no institute, just include the city and country. If there is more than one address, superscript numbers should be used for authors and institutes. Do not include post codes or zip codes.
Abstract body: The abstract text should be appropriately structured but subheadings should not be included. Generic names of drugs should be used.
To Submit an Abstract
Email the abstract in the described format to:
Please note: Strict compliance with these specifications is imperative — any abstract that does not comply will not be accepted for review. All authors must approve the abstract prior to submission.
Poster Presentations of Accepted Abstracts
Poster presentations will be displayed throughout the congress.
Posters should measure no larger than 1 m wide by 1.5 m tall and should be easily read from a distance of 1–2 m (generally use font sizes of 24 and above).
The poster design should be clear and concise, with the title, author(s) and institute(s) displayed clearly at the top.
The layout of the poster should including the following main headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and also a Summary/Abstract.
The use of colour illustrations and graphics is encouraged.
Sample abstract
Sample poster layout
