December 28-January 3
Time to ring out the old and ring in the new and what better way to do that than by highlighting the newly redesigned EDIS website from the University of Florida. EDIS, the Extension Digital Information Source, is a huge database of information on production agriculture, natural resources & the environment, forestry, human & rural development, as well as veterinary medicine. Through the years, I have set numerous pointers to specific references on their website, but I think you'll want to experience the whole site, particularly with its attractive and easily navigated new design. The content is similarly superior and you should bookmark it for many returns. Have a great '99!.
December 21-27
Well...no secret that the holiday season is upon us and of course, it's a time for the children in all of us. Clarabell the Christmas Cow is a well-known and loved story published yearly since 1975 by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Written by the late Dan Henderson, it tells the story of Clarabell and what happens as she tries to fit in as one of Santa's reindeer. A video and TV production called Annabelle's Wish resulted from this story and the newpaper's website is sharing it with everyone this year. Best wishes to everyone for the upcoming holidays!
December 14-20
I cannot remember having picked a worm website before, but now is as good a time as any. As it turns out, our local Department of Genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine made a major scientific announcement last week. You can read about it on their website called the C. elegans Genome Project or see this press release. Along with the Sangre Centre in the UK, the two groups have accomplished the mountainous task of mapping the entire 97 million base genome of the tiny nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. This is the first time that anyone has mapped the DNA blueprint for a complete animal and will no doubt be the first of many similar announcements to come as the amazing revolution in genetics continues. You can see the worm on the cover of the Dec. 11th issue of Science Magazine, where the paper was published.
December 7-13
Veterinary Emergency Drug Calculator
Here's a nifty little javascript gadget from the Critical Care Unit at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The Veterinary Emergency Drug Calculator features canine and feline versions that provide a variety of emergency drug doses based on the animal's current weight. The result can be printed out and attached to the animal's record. Veterinarian Wayne E. Wingfield is the program's author and deserves the kudos for creating this useful and timesaving tool.
November 30-December 6
Veterinarian John Gay has put together some enormously useful and well-researched resource lists on his home page at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The first part of it that caught my eye was the list entitled WWWeb Epidemiology & Evidence-based Medicine Sources for Veterinarians. As he states, this list of links will appeal to veterinarians and students interested in pursuing topics relevant to statistics, epidemiology, and evidence-based medicine. But there's more...including an epi-glossary, guidelines for assessment of professional information, philosophy of science, animal restraint, herd production medicine....the list goes on and on, and so should you, for a visit. It's bound to keep you (and me :-) surfing for hours.
November 23-29
My 13 year old dachshund had an anxious look on his face the other day. Knowing it had been a while (ahem!)....I decided to give him a checkup. Uh-oh....he has a mild arrhythmia and the distinct sound of a mitral valve heart murmur....I guess I would be anxious, too. Truth is for his age and breed, this is not uncommon. The good news is that his electrocardiogram was normal and a radiograph did not reveal any significant heart enlargement. Coincidentally, serendipity led me this week to surf by the University of Guelph in Canada. I noted a new link (new to me anyway) which led me to a great resource called Veterinary Cardiology Online. This site should appeal to all veterinary practitioners and students as it has useful sections on ECG's, echocardiography, diagnostic algorithms, and even monthly challenges. The quality of the content is also complemented by the quality of the website design. Kudos to veterinarians Jeff Holmes and Mike O'Grady, who are in charge of this useful resource.
November 16-22
A new and improved veterinary web site is provided by AAVSB, the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. This association of governmental agencies regulates veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine, an important function that protects the public by ensuring that veterinarians are properly qualified and fit to practice. A couple of neat databases are now available at the site, including a registry of approved continuing education conferences and a directory of state licensure requirements. Other databases are available to members only, but the site is noteworthy as they also plan to implement a centralized depository for veterinarian's credentials. Equally important are links for consumers to contact either individual state boards or the AAVSB itself if they believe a veterinarian is not providing adequate care for their animal.
November 9-15
If you have even the slightest interest in neuroscience or the evolution of language, intelligence, and the brain, and have not read the many works by William H. Calvin yet, then click on through to his home page. I have found this site to be a bottomless resource of inspiration and reading entertainment. The site acts as a great launching point for topics related to humans and animals. I have no doubt you will also be favorably impressed.
November 2-8
I recently heard that webmaster Lori Wieder of AAALAC International is moving on to greener pastures....well, her web work will be missed as she has crafted a great one for this organization, whose function is the accreditation of laboratory animal care facilities around the world. The web site is always up to date, visually attractive and easy to navigate. Relevant news articles are available, as are a generous helping of links to organizations and topics in animal welfare and biomedical research. The professionalism of the AAALAC staff is easily reflected in this website and their mission would be of interest to both veterinarians and the general public.
October 26-November 1
Just in time for Halloween. At least that's what you might think at first, but veterinarians and veterinary students will more likely be interested in the educational training benefits provided by the orthopedic bone models from Pacific Research Laboratories known as Sawbones. Until you've been performing such surgeries a while, mending broken bones properly can be challenging. These models provide a way to practice procedures and illustrate to clients what is happening. Plenty of pictures and various dog, cow, and horse examples to choose from. No online purchases yet, but they do have an email address you can contact for further information.
October 19-25
Dutch veterinarian, Dr. Hans Kuiper, has spent several years putting together the latest version of his veterinary formulary database known as VetBase. This electronic resource has over 800 drugs and 13,000 dosages listed for 170 different animal species. Drugs and doses are well-referenced. Currently a demonstration version (limited to gerbils and mainly aimed at Windows 95/98 users) is available. Working with beta versions of the software, I found that it is up to date, easy to use and has come in handy on many occasions. Worth a look if you are interested in a comprehensive veterinary drug reference resource.
October 12-18
Side-splitting is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Baxter Black, cowboy poet and large animal veterinarian, now featured on his own web site. Most veterinarians have heard him or heard of him and a lot of other people have probably heard his poetry and stories featured on National Public Radio or have one of his books or tapes. If you somehow have managed to miss him, you should go out of your way to see Baxter in person. You can check out his itinerary at the website along with his weekly column, and a double-bonus this week, Baxter and brother Bob's serial comic strip, AgMan.
October 5-11
Have you ever needed to write or present a research paper? If so, check out Science.komm, a web site directory dedicated to supporting research communication. Webmaster Mark Brownlow has assembled a comprehensive selection of journal and scientific publisher links in 75 different life science and medical categories, including veterinary medicine. An excellent selection of other resource links will steer you to other research communication web sites including writing resources, online dictionaries, glossaries, newsgroups, discussion lists, news sites and medical and bioscience link directories. The site has a free newsletter, is fully searchable and also available in German.
September 28-October 4
Bioinfo Animal Pictures Archive
Are you looking for animal pictures?....look no further than the Bioinfo Animal Pictures Archive. Located in Korea, the maintainers of this database have gathered some 14,000 animal images, many from Usenet newsgroup binary posts. A keyword list and preview pix are really nice touches. Insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, they're all here. Certainly a useful resource you'll want to bookmark.
September 21-27
My veterinary colleagues over at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, AABP for short, are having their annual meeting this week in Spokane, Washington. (Hope the Internet seminar goes well, Jim :-) Veterinarians and others interested will find that AABP has all the high-tech amenities, including a very active mailing list, AABP-L, a job hot line, scholarship information, news and topical articles, and links to all things bovine.
September 14-20
VetPlus-L is a popular Internet mailing list, restricted to veterinary professionals. Veterinarians Jeff Parke and Allan Berger have hosted the list for several years and it currently has over 1400 members. If you're qualified and interested, you can fill out the application form and join in the discussion. One neat feature of the site is a separate page of client information sheets provided by various members, covering a variety of commonly encountered topics in clinical veterinary practice.
September 7-13
Okay....I'm stretching my definition of animal websites a bit here, but being a resident of this fair city, I can't help but be proud of the massive achievements this year of St. Louis Cardinals baseball slugger, Mark McGwire. I was lucky enough to see him hit home run #60, tying Babe Ruth's record, in person this past Saturday and have tickets for Tuesday's game with the Chicago Cubs and their great hitter, Sammy Sosa. Hopefully, they will both surpass Roger Maris's record of 61 home runs this season. Roger finished his career with the Cardinals, and being the lifetime, die-hard Cardinals fan that I am, consider myself very lucky to have both Mark's and Roger's autographs, obtained almost exactly 30 years apart. All eyes will be on the Gateway City this week....as beloved Cub and Cardinal broadcaster, Harry Caray would say, "Holy Cow!"
August 31-September 6
BLM Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption
This week marks the 2nd Annual U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption. Both the BLM and the US Forest Service are responsible for managing and protecting wild horses and burros on public lands. These herds of animals reach numbers which must be controlled to protect natural resources and maintain the habitat shared with other livestock and wildlife. Excess animals are put up for adoption through the Adopt-A-Horse-or-Burro Program. The BLM program has placed more than 150,000 wild horses and burros in private care through the years. This website will tell you all about the adoption process, requirements, qualifications, provides answers to frequently asked questions, and you can also visit the adoption gallery to view the animals. Seems like a worthy cause to allow adopters to provide care for what the US Congress has deemed a living symbol of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.
August 24-30
I happened upon the Bird Links to the World site the other day and dropped my jaw at the number of sites webmaster Denis Lepage has creatively assembled. Arranged by geographic region, species, images, sounds, newsgroups, software, and more, I believe this is as good a launchpad as exists for our variety of feathered friends. Be sure to also view Denis's Birds of Quebec site. Guaranteed hours to days of exploration ahead.
August 17-23
Whether as independent businesses or associated with veterinary clinics, pet stores or kennels, many pet owners are familiar with the art of pet grooming. If not, PetGroomer.com does an excellent job in presenting greater than 400 web pages of professional information on the grooming business, its standards, and humane pet care, in addition to pet groomer career assistance. Entertaining and educational, easy to navigate and thorough, the site also makes use of numerous midi sound files, so expect a multimedia experience if you download the Crescendo plug-in. Something here for everyone, I think.
August 10-16
Even if you don't speak french, you can see that Synapse is an attractive and well-organized web directory. Here you will find a fairly comprehensive Internet guide to French language veterinary and animal related resources as well as some medical and general reference resources. If you've never tried it, AltaVista's language translation service should be able to get you through these or any web pages in french, spanish, italian, portuguese, german, or english.
August 3-9
AgriSurf is like a mini-Yahoo for Agriculture. Many agricultural-related topics covering over 11,000 websites can be browsed here. AgriSurf is very easy to navigate and performs its job well. You can also get a tailor-made agsite feature newsletter delivered through e-mail each week. Like NetVet, links are handpicked, not generated by robots. Overall, a great launchpad to hone in on that agricultural topic you might be searching for.
July 27-August 2
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Sorry, I'm a bit late this week, but I was attending the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association which took place this year in Baltimore, Maryland. One very cool place to visit if you're in Baltimore is the National Aquarium. The Aquarium receives over 1.6 million visitors each year and houses more than 10,000 marine and freshwater animals in several gallery exhibits. The Aquarium's website colorfully displays many of these species and describes its many outreach and conservation programs for students and teachers. I know you will find this website entertaining, but by all means, a visit in person is worth your time.
July 20-26
"Wow!" just won't do this week's pick justice. Fish Link Central is one of the best sites you could ever hope to find covering aquaria fish. Hobbyists will find mailing lists, images, books, databases, software, club and meeting information, webcams, games for the kids, and of course, links galore. Volunteers are even available to answer questions you might have about a particular fish or problem. Webmaster Mark Barnett deserves kudos for a first rate, easy to navigate, and all-around useful website. I know you will enjoy this one.
July 13-19
OIE - Office International des Epizooties
Not only is France home to the winner of this year's World Cup, but it is also the host country for the Office International des Epizooties. The OIE is the world organization for animal health. It exists to provide information regarding the occurrence and course of animal diseases, coordinate surveillance and control of animal diseases, and harmonization of animal and animal product trade regulations. At their website, you will find a wealth of related animal health and disease information, databases, international standards and codes, and diagnostic laboratories. The site is produced in English, French and Spanish and is pretty straightforward as web sites go. Disease information is given for a wide range of conditions and countries. Veterinarians and others concerned with animal health should be familiar with its content and structure.
July 6-12
Many of you know that the National Library of Medicine's database, Medline is free. Now, thanks to the USDA's National Agricultural Library, everyone has free access to that agency's bibliographic database, AGRICOLA. Short for AGRICultural OnLine Access, this database provides access to publications and other agricultural resources that include: plant and animal science, entomology, agricultural products, food and nutrition, agricultural tradeg, rural information, animal welfare, and several other categories. Book information and journal articles may be searched either via the web or if you're so equipped, a telnet interface. This database used to be difficult and costly to access. However, it's really great for veterinarians and researchers since many veterinary and animal-related journals not available through Medline searches can be accessed here. Actually it's one of the nicest things our government has made available in recent memory. Good deal!
June 29-July 5
I can't think of a better spot to visit this holiday week than Holly Burn's website, The Dog Hause. In fact, it may take you the entire week because there is so much here to see. Holly is an especially talented artist and webmaster with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of animal related clipart graphics, many available for anyone to use. That isn't all, not by a longshot. You will also find a huge gathering of unique animal-related information, including quotes and proverbs, idioms, rules of thumb, fun facts, superstitions, animal humor, animal sounds, even useful spay and neuter information. All this put together in one of the most nicely designed and easy to navigate home pages you will ever find. I guarantee this one belongs in your bookmark file.
June 22-June 28
I don't get too many elephants for patients, thank goodness, but if I did need some information, one of the places I might take a look would be the Elephant Consultance website. As massive as its primary subject, there are plenty of elephant links as well as frequently asked questions, an elephant glossary, elephant training and breeding information, conservation groups, the mailing list, Elephant-L, and even a long story about Shiva, the site's virtual elephant. The site is nicely illustrated, easy to navigate, and useful for anyone wanting to know more about this interesting creature.
June 15-21
(OPRR) NIH Office for Protection from Research Risks
On first glance, you might wonder what the Office for Protection from Research Risks protects exactly. Good question. The answer is humans and animals involved in research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). OPRR's website is actually a gateway to a wealth of resources under the Office of Extramural Research banner which would be of interest to veterinarians and researchers, including grant and funding information, the huge CRISP database, numerous related forms, and several laboratory animal research policies and guidelines.
June 8-14
Time to get your X-ray specs on over to ACVR Online, web home for the American College of Veterinary Radiology. Recently renovated, the site is attractively framed for easy navigation and has many other nice Java-based touches that enhance its appearance. Webmaster and veterinarian, Dr. Tom Nyland has done a superb job of providing links to the association's membership directory, meetings, calendar, job listings, the Journal of Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, and that's just for starters. You can also find useful links to related sites, X-ray machine simulation software (Mac), residency information, and of course, some radiographic images, several in Shockwave format.
June 1-7
If you are an equine veterinarian or a horse owner, I have a feeling that you will want to know about the Equine Veterinary Network. More horse health information has been assembled here than any place I've ever seen. Veterinary forums, journals, imaging techniques, chat rooms, disease information, sports therapy, farrier science & horseshoeing, nutrition, exercise physiology, books, meetings, classified ads, organizations....all that and more assembled in an easy to navigate and nicely designed set of menus. Dr. William E. Jones, founder of Veterinary Data, publisher of the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, and Executive Director of the International Association of Equine Professionals, somehow finds time to be the webmaster of this great site. Tell your friends!
May 25-31
The Basking Spot is *the* place to go for if you are looking for information on amphibians and reptiles. Jen Swofford, webmaster of the site, deserves kudos for making this site, which was already pretty good, even better with its new and easy-to-navigate design. You can choose among several categories of very comprehensive links, including publications, events, personal pages, news, organizations, and care information or you can add your own. Best place on the Internet for anyone interested in herps and well worth your next click!
May 18-24
The Virtual Veterinary Center is one of several excellent online health guides maintained by webmaster Jim Martindale. Essentially, this is a single page of well chosen links related to veterinary medicine. There are cross-references from some of Jim's other guides which also contribute to the resource's value. It takes some time to download, but will no doubt lead you to additional resources you may find of interest.
May 11-17
Perhaps you heard about the recent removal of several plants and animals from "endangered species" status. The wing of US Government that oversees all of this country's endangered and threatened species is the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau within the Department of Interior. They are responsible for the conservation, protection and enhancement of American fish and wildlife and their habitats. This includes: migratory birds, endangered species, freshwater and anadromous fish, the National Wildlife Refuge System, among several other environmental concerns. The FWS website will lead you to tons of Internet resources on these topics and is a definite bookmark for all ages and interests.
May 4-10
This week is National Pet Week, a good time to think about your pet's health and perhaps a checkup with your local veterinarian. Coincidentally, Pfizer Animal Health has put together a pretty neat pet health resource at www.petnet.com, where you can find all sorts of useful information about dog and cat health. Your pet hosts, Pfido and Pfelix, will guide you through the site's various sections on companion animal health and lifestyles. There is also an extensive section on visiting the veterinarian that all pet owners should check out. Kids might want to enter the site's essay contest.
April 27-May 3
Maybe you heard about this already, but in case you haven't, Koko, a gorilla, will hold the Internet's first inter-species "chat" session on April 27. The chat will take place on America Online, but non-AOL users can also check in from the Envirolink website. Koko communicates with people using American Sign Language and has a working vocabulary of over 500 signs. She is supposed to understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English. The Gorilla Foundation promotes the protection, preservation and propagation of gorillas and Project Koko is one of its primary activities. The chat session is being conducted to demonstrate advances being made in communicating with non-human primates and heighten awareness to the gorilla's endangered habitat. More information about Koko and gorillas in general may be found at the Gorilla Foundation's colorful website.
April 20-26
Auburn University Pre-Veterinary Medical Association
The home page constructed by webmaster Grady Smith for the members of the Auburn University Pre-Veterinary Medical Association demonstrates a great deal of professionalism and pride in this 40+ year old organization. It is easily one of the best looking websites I have ever seen. In addition to the great design, a lot of useful content awaits visitors to the site, including information on animal welfare, an introduction to the club, calendar of events, membership information, news, and useful links to other veterinary and pre-veterinary sites. Most of the information is specific to Auburn, of course, but this home page performs its function so well that it deserves special mention. I think anyone who is interested in a veterinary career would enjoy a visit.
April 13-19
Neurolab is the main event onboard STS-90, the 25th launch of NASA's space shuttle Columbia. If all goes well, the launch, scheduled for April 16th, is notable in the NetVet's eyes for a couple of reasons. 1) Dr. Richard Linnehan, astronaut *and* veterinarian, will be onboard the shuttle and 2) toadfish (Opsanus tau) from right here at Washington University, will be part of the mission which studies the function of the vestibular system in microgravity. The NeurOn website is full of information and links on space and neuroscience and will appeal to young and old alike....Run, don't walk, there now!
April 6-April 12
Swine Online is an imaginative website that covers most aspects of raising pigs. The style and graphics throughout this home page are really well done. Articles are short, but informative, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll bone up on your pig knowledge. Kids and adults may want to compete in the virtual pig raising game on the site, called "My Pig Pen". TVisions Farm, along with help from Microsoft, uses the very latest web technologies, including dynamic HTML (DHTML), server personalization,database integration, interactive discussion groups, and push technology, all to present a pleasant and entertaining web experience.
March 30-April 5
Kimberley Ennis, RVT's home page, Veterinary Technician Land, brings to the web perhaps the most complete resource to date designed for current and prospective veterinary technicians. Links are well organized and maintained and cover just about everything, including meetings, businesses, job opportunities, mailing lists, organizations, salary information, state licensing, fun stuff, and more. Having watched the site grow over the past year, I find myself returning often. If you're a veterinarian or veterinary technician, or ever wanted to learn more about the profession, you will want to bookmark this page.
March 23-29
Hamster Page / Complete Hamster Site
Hamsters are great pocket pets....there are also several varieties of hamsters: Syrian, Russian, Chinese, to name a few. If you ever wanted to learn more about hamsters, their care, handling, genetics, or health, you need surf no further than the Complete Hamster Site. Webmaster Lorraine Hill, an avid hamster breeder and enthusiast, has provided just about everything, as the site's name implies. The website is easily navigated with frames, there are FAQ's, a discussion area, clubs and showing events, a gallery of pictures, and even recommended vets. :-) The only thing I could think of to "complete" the site would be links to other sites and that's what the Hamster Page does very well. Created by tela computer consulting + design company, the Hamster Page also has FAQ's and links to (useful, useless, and not really) hamster-related Internet resources....enough so that between these two websites, you will find all you ever wanted to know about these interesting (and prolific) animals.
March 16-22
Animal Behavior and Welfare Sites
As I surf through the ever-growing web of animal links, I often see a reference to a homepage known as Animal Behavior and Welfare Sites. Created and maintained by webmaster, Marina Haynes, a graduate student in animal behavior at the University of Maryland, this is a virtual one-stop shop of links to many, if not most, of the animal behavior and welfare links available on the Web. While there, you can also participate on Marina's Pet Temperament Survey, a study about the effects of domestication on behavior and appearance in animals. The site is easily navigated and will jumpstart you to many related resources.
March 9-15
Webmaster Michael Richards, DVM and the staff of Mathews Veterinary Services in rural Virginia, have put together a large collection of information on veterinarians, veterinary medicine, and canine and feline health and disease called Vetinfo. Here you'll find articles such as what it's like to be a veterinarian, alternative medicine, new products, books, choosing a pet, pet loss, zoonotic diseases....the list goes on and on. The site is searchable and optionally, you may want to subscribe to Dr. Mike's newsletter. The dog and cat encyclopedias really round out your visit. You will want to go back often as it will be hard to take in this massive resource in one sitting.
March 2-8
A different kind of veterinary website that may be of interest to some veterinarians. It's called Clientremind.com I know there are many standalone client reminder software packages, but what this site basically provides is a way to e-mail appointment reminders to clients via the web. Your mileage may vary, but it is unique, to my knowledge. At least it's fun to see how resourceful and innovative folks can be with the Internet and I enjoy seeing sites that cater to the profession. There are some samples available on the site if you want to give it a try.
February 23-March 1
AASP, the American Association of Swine Practitioners, has a membership of over 2,000 and promotes the knowledge, interests, and activities of swine veterinarians in practice, academics, and industry. Their homepage, authored by webmaster, Dave Brown, has undergone recent renovations and serves as an excellent resource for anyone interested in pigs and their health and production. AASP's journal (SHAP) is available online, as well as a generous set of links to pig sites far and wide. Additional information is provided on meetings, membership, and mailing lists. Veterinarians and vet students will want to set a bookmark to this site.
February 16-22
The BIODIDAC database of digital resources for teaching biology serves as a shining example of the Internet's use in educating students. Available in French and English, this resource is hosted at the University of Ottawa and contains over 3375 items in the image base. It is estimated that more than 143,700 students used the site last year. Images may be located by search or easy to navigate menus. Numerous pictures of animal species are available, as well as some plants and histologic sections. Teachers and students both will find this site well worth bookmarking for future reference.
February 9-15
Dr. Roen's Weekly Veterinary Column
Closing in on his first anniversary in cyberspace, Dr. Roen's Weekly Veterinary Column from the Clarkston Veterinary Clinic in Clarkston, Washington, provides numerous articles and useful items of information for pet owners everywhere. Animal behavior, parvovirus, nutrition articles, vet clinic etiquette, and more....a new focus each week giving folks unique insights into the veterinary profession from a practitioner's viewpoint. Each week's column has an accompanying picture and I think people of all ages will find it entertaining and educational.
February 2-8
For over 120 years, the American Humane Association (AHA) has sponsored programs to raise awareness and prevent cruelty and abuse of children and animals. The Animal Protection Division of AHA is sponsoring a contest to recognize those children "who have performed exceptional acts of kindness toward animals" during "Be Kind To Animals" Week May 3-9. The 1998 winner gets a trip to Hollywood! Rules and additional information about AHA are available at their Web site.
January 26-February 1
A recent question about Nissl bodies from a student sent me searching the web to help answer the question....leading me to eventually discover an enormously useful site created by Eric Chudler called Neuroscience For Kids. While the site is oriented to the human nervous system, many of these principles apply to veterinary medicine as well. At the site, you can explore richly detailed discussions of the brain, spinal cord, neurons, and special senses, conduct online experiments, view numerous book excerpts and articles, explore vast numbers of neuroscience links, and ask questions in the Neuroscientist Network. So don't let the title fool you. This site is useful for "students" of all ages and serves as a great introduction to the topic.
January 19-25
The World Equine Health Network (the veterinary component of its parent Cybersteed website) is a comprehensive resource serving equine veterinary practitioners. To fully appreciate the site, there is a subscription charge, however WEHN provides a number of free areas and enough flavor of their services to allow you to determine its value. Easily navigated and attractively designed, one of the main anchors of the website is the online journal, World Equine Veterinary Review. The journal is supplmented by the Equine Veterinary Update, which summarizes recent horse health research and provides Internet tips. Horse health and nutrition bulletin boards are located at the site, as well as a calendar of events and directory of equine veterinarians. The entire site is thoroughly searchable with pointers to relevant articles from the vast spectrum of offerings available. How nice it would be if every species had a health-related website done this well!
January 12-18
The National Academy Press publishes reports created by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. They also publish some 200 books per year on a wide variety of scientific and health-related topics, assembled by top "blue-ribbon" experts in their respective disciplines. At their website, you can read many of the books that have online "image" versions giving you a good idea of what the book is like. The site has a good search engine and there are many animal and veterinary - related texts that would be of interest to veterinarians and students.
January 5-11
There are lots of good reasons to check out the Discovery Channel's website, with it's excellent sections on science and technology. Under the site's Nature section, you'll find this week's pick, Wild Discovery Wired. This site focuses on different animal species, corresponding to that weeks's television show, Wild Discovery. Guest experts who work with those types of animals lead online discussions at the site....this week features rats, for instance, and a "guest expert" you might know :-).
December 29-January 4
Happy New Year! This week's link will take you to the website of the not-for-profit group known as the Delta Society. Their mission is to promote animals helping people improving their health, independence and quality of life. The Society's first president was a well-known veterinarian, Dr. Leo K. Bustad. At their website, you will learn more about animal-assisted therapy and dogs for people with disabilities. There are numerous other pages describing various services and programs, all of which I'm sure you will find informational and entertaining. The site is well constructed and easy to navigate.
Copyright ©1994-98,
Ken Boschert, DVM
All Rights Reserved