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Veterinary education has traditionally focused on clinical skills. Success as a practicing veterinarian, however, also depends on good communication skills, emotional intelligence, and other "soft" skills that can lead to greater employee and employer satisfaction and increased practice revenue. The University of Minnesota has approached this curricular need by convening a task force and creating a series of courses aimed at improving leadership skills, teamwork, and verbal and written communication; managing conflict; and understanding ethics and personal finance. This article describes the evolution and structure of these soft-skill classes and the challenges in securing faculty and student buy-in essential for success.

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Elective gonadectomy of dogs and cats is one of the most common veterinary procedures in the United States. Increasingly, dog owners and members of the veterinary profession throughout the world have questioned the optimal age for performance of these procedures and whether these procedure should even be performed as elective surgeries.

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Semen was collected from eight dogs after SC administration of 0.1mg/kg PGF2alpha or 0.6 mL 0.9% NaCl solution 15 min prior to collection in the presence or absence of an estrous teaser bitch (switchback design; all dogs given all four treatments in random sequence). There were more spermatozoa (P=0.02) in ejaculates collected after administration of PGF2alpha in the presence of an estrous teaser bitch ((852+/-736)x10(6), mean+/-S.D.) than in ejaculates collected in saline-treated dogs in the absence of a teaser bitch ((371+/-620)x10(6)). However, the number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate of dogs given PGF2alpha in the absence of a teaser bitch and in dogs given saline in the presence of a teaser bitch ((556+/-494 and 600+/-622)x10(6), respectively) were not significantly different from each other or from the other two groups. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa did not vary by treatment (P=0.51). In conclusion, treatment with PGF2alpha and presence of a teaser bitch had an additive effect on the number of spermatozoa. This, coupled with relatively minor side-effects, suggests this is a useful technique to increase number of spermatozoa in a single canine ejaculate.

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A survey of the veterinary colleges in North America and the Caribbean was undertaken to determine the extent of availability of theriogenology training. Didactic training in at least one species was required at all schools that responded to the survey. Laboratory experience in at least one species was required by 75.0% and clinical theriogenology experience in at least one species by 72.7%. The mean number of board-certified or board-eligible theriogenology faculty did not vary between 1995 and 2005, but there was a decrease in the number of such faculty at 57.2% of the schools that responded to the survey.

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Seminal fluid was collected by manual ejaculation from 95 dogs. Quantitative aerobic bacterial, qualitative anaerobic bacterial and mycoplasma cultures were performed on the seminal fluid, and their association with presence of inflammatory cells present in the pellet formed after centrifugation of the fluid was investigated. There was a clinically meaningful aerobic bacterial growth in 28.4%, anaerobic bacterial growth in 13.7%, and mycoplasma growth in 57.9% of the seminal fluid samples. Presence of inflammatory cytology was statistically associated with clinically meaningful aerobic bacterial growth. However, of the 78 dogs (82.1%) with clinically meaningful growth of at least one aerobic, anaerobic or mycoplasma organism, 43 (55.1%) had non-inflammatory seminal fluid cytology.

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To test the hypothesis that male dogs treated with smooth muscle contracting drugs have an increase in the total number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate but no change in all other ejaculate characteristics, such as progressive motility of spermatozoa or percentage morphologically normal spermatozoa, dogs were treated with oxytocin or prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) and compared to saline treatments. Semen was collected from each of the 3 dogs once every 3 to 4 d for a total of 6 collections per dog. Ten minutes before each collection, 1 of 3 injections (oxytocin 10 IU [0.5 mL], IM; PGF2alpha 2.5 mg [0.5 mL], IM; or saline 0.5 mL, IM) was administered. Compared to the saline controls, neither treatment had any significant effect on any measured variable when collected in this manner with an estrus bitch present. Therefore, the use of these drugs does not appear to be a viable treatment to increase the number of spermatozoa.

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Early spay-neuter is ovariohysterectomy or castration of puppies or kittens 6 to 14 weeks of age. Pediatric animals may have an enhanced response to relatively low doses of anesthetic agents. Animals should be fasted no more than 3 to 4 hours before surgery to prevent hypoglycemia, and hypothermia should be avoided. Heart and respiratory rates must be monitored carefully throughout anesthesia. Pediatric gonadectomy surgeries are quick with minimal bleeding. Anesthetic recovery is rapid. No significant short-term or long-term effects have been reported. Prepuberal gonadectomy is most useful for humane organizations and conscientious breeders wishing to preclude reproduction of pet dogs and cats while placing animals at a young enough age to optimize socialization and training.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of finasteride on programmed cell death (apoptosis) of prostatic cells during prostatic involution in dogs with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). ANIMALS: 9 dogs with BPH. PROCEDURE: Dogs were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Treatment dogs (n = 5) were administered finasteride (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) for 16 weeks, whereas the 4 control dogs were administered an inert compound. Prostatic cells from the prostatic fluid portion of the ejaculate of treatment and control dogs were obtained before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after initiation of treatment. Cells were concentrated by use of centrifugation. Prostatic cells were examined for indications of apoptosis by use of a terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuracil triphosphate nick-end labeling technique. After receiving the inert compound for 16 weeks, the 4 control dogs were administered finasteride for 16 weeks, and evaluations were repeated. RESULTS: Percentage of apoptotic prostatic cells in ejaculated prostatic fluid of treatment dogs increased significantly (from 9% before treatment to 33, 31, 26, and 27% after 1, 2, 3, and 8 weeks of treatment, respectively). There was no significant change in percentage of apoptotic prostatic cells in the ejaculated prostatic fluid of control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Finasteride-induced prostatic involution appears to be via apoptosis in dogs with BPH. Finasteride treatment of dogs with BPH causes prostatic involution by apoptosis rather than necrosis.

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