Dr. Joel Murphy receiving the FVMA GOLD Star Award from Dr. Don Howell, FVMA District 4 Representative, and Dr. Julie Mosher, PCVMA President.
And
Dr. Murphy and his new Yeti Cooler he won in the FVMA PAC Fund raffle held at the June PCVMA meeting. Over $1,000.00 was raised toward matching PAC funds from the FVMA.
Thanks to VEG for donating the Yeti Cooler!
PINELLAS COUNTY VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
January 1, 2025 Volume 36 # 1
NO JANUARY MEETING
FEBRUARY 17th MEETING
Denis Marcellin-Little, MS, DVM, DACVS, CCAT, CCRP
(Registration and RSVP in February meeting announcment)
President’s Message
Hello Pinellas Colleagues,
Happy New Year PCVMA! 2025 is going to be a great year for our organization. Let’s pause and reflect on some of the great accomplishments we had in 2024. We hosted a fundraiser for staff affected by the hurricane and were able to monetarily help 3 technicians in our area. We also had a great time at the Bowser and Catsino Ball where we gave out numerous scholarships to local students. Our pet counselor and pet professors have been busier than ever, helping clients and students across the county! We hosted a noteworthy fundraiser for the FVMA PAC. We learned some new things at Bascom’s and strengthened relationships. I’ve had a great year with you, PCVMA, and I can’t wait to see what our future holds.
Julie, Mosher, DVM
Dr.mosher@edgevet.com
PCVMA OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 2024
President: Dr. Julie, Mosher, DVM (Edge Animal Hospital)
President-Elect: Dr. Kevin Kelly (Veterinary Emergency Group) (2024-25)
Past-President: Dr. Joel Murphy (Animal and Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor)
Secretary: Dr. Sandra Truli Springer – (Truli Holistic Veterinary Services)
Treasurer: Dr. Don Howell (Midway Animal Hospital)
PCVMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Todd Bliss – (All Pets Hospital) (2024-25)
Dr. Brooke Certa – (Coastal Animal Clinic) (2024-25)
Dr. Kim Donovan – (Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital) (2024-25)
Dr. Ernie Godfrey – (Pinellas Animal Hospital) (Life Member)
Dr. Jacqui Olson – (Animal Hospital of Dunedin) (2024-25)
PCVMA NEWSLETTER & PINELLAS ANIMAL FOUNDATION
Dr. Don Morgan – Donmorgansr@aol.com
PCVMA News Letter:
Dr. Don Morgan – Donmorgansr@aol.com
PCVMA DUES – 2025
WOULD EVERYONE TAKE A MINUTE TO REVIEW ANY CLASSIFIED ADS YOU MAY HAVE POSTED IN THIS NEWS LETTER. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WANT THEM REMOVED, OTHERWISE YOU MAY CONTINUE TO GET LOTS OF UNNECESSARY PHONE CALLS OR E-MAILS. ANY CORRECTIONS ARE ALSO WELCOME.
PCVMA 2024 MEETINGS AND EVENTS SCHEDULED
December – Happy Holidays
Scheduled for 2025:
January no meeting – VMX/NAVC – Orlando
February 17, 2025 – Adequan – Bascom’s Chop House
March 10, 2025 – ANTECH – Veterinarians – Bascom’s Chop House
March 11, 2025 – ANTECH – Technicians – Holiday Inn Harbourside, IRB
April 10-13, 2025 – FVMA AC Bonnet Creek – Disney
May 19, 2025 – Zoetis RX Team – Bascom’s Chop House
June 16, 2025 – Zoetis DX Team
July 14, 2025 – Purina – Bascom’s Chop House
August 18, 2025 – Elanco – Bascom’s Chop House
September 22, 2025 – FETCH – Bascon’s Chop House
October 25, 2025 – Bowser & Catsino Ball – Belleair Country Club
November – Open
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has received notification of a phishing email
asking licensees to sign a document via DocuSign. This email was not sent by DBPR or any official State of Florida
entity. If you have received it, please do not click any links in the communication.
Some important notes and tips are included below to help you avoid phishing scams:
- DBPR does not send documents to licensees, including via DocuSign.
- Check the sender! DBPR emails will always come from the domain “@myfloridalicense.com”. DBPR will not send you emails from a personal account (e.g., Yahoo, Gmail, etc.).
- DBPR will not ask for personal or financial information via email.
If you are suspicious of an email you’ve received from a sender claiming to be DBPR, you may contact DBPR’s Customer Contact Center to verify if the email is official correspondence from the Department.
PAF News
Three non-DVM office team members applied for hurricane assistance from the Foundation.
$1,500.00 from the Bowser and Catsino Ball was allocated and $500.00 was presented to each
recipient at their offices by Dr. Morgan. May their Holiday Days be a little brighter..
Donald H. Morgan, DVM
President
Pinellas Animal Foundation, Inc
10825 Seminole Blvd A-3
Seminole, FL 33778
Don Morgan, DVM
President – PAF
The Humane Society of Pinellas (HSP) is dedicated to reducing the rate of euthanasia in Pinellas County. Neonatal kittens are a particularly vulnerable population with more than 2,000 euthanized in Pinellas last year due to lack of resources. HSP is seeking the public’s partnership to drastically reduce this number through our Kitten Crusaders Program. Together, with the help of veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, shelter/rescue partners, and citizen foster homes, we can provide loving care to kittens in need. There are many ways to be a part of the solution! Please contact Amanda Audia, HSP’s Director of Operations at AmandaA@HumanePinellas.org to join the Crusade to save these precious animals and make a positive impact in our community!
Dr. Brenton Gallas
Medical Director
Humane Society of Pinellas
Pinellas County Animal Services News
Bird Flu and Its Impact on Pets: What Pet Owners Need to Know
Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection primarily affecting birds, but has increasingly been detected in mammals, including pets such as cats and dogs. The H5N1 strain is of particular concern due to its ability to infect a wide range of species, with recent outbreaks linked to raw pet food and contact with infected wildlife.
Risks to Pets
Cats are highly susceptible with symptoms like lethargy, fever, eye/nose discharge, and neurological issues such as tremors or seizures. Mortality rates can reach 67% in severe cases.
Dogs are less vulnerable but still at risk if exposed to infected birds or raw meat.
Transmission Pathways
Pets can contract the virus by eating contaminated raw meat or unpasteurized dairy products, and through contact with infected birds or their droppings.
Prevention Tips
- Avoid feeding pets raw or undercooked meat.
- Keep pets indoors or away from wild birds and livestock.
- Monitor for symptoms and seek veterinary care immediately if signs of illness appear.
While the current risk to humans remains low, vigilance is essential to protect pets from this evolving threat.
Jennifer Renner, B.Sc., CPM (she/her)
Interim Director – Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Manager
Animal Services – Pinellas County Government
12450 Ulmerton Rd – Largo, FL 33774
jrenner@pinellas.gov office 727-582-2636
SPCA Tampa Bay
Happy New Year from all of us at SPCA Tampa Bay! We hope that your year end festivities were amazing. We are currently celebrating some great successes here with a year over year increase in out dog and cat adoptions. In fact, we are currently partnering with Hills on an adoption promotion right now. Check out our website for additional information.
Cyndi Mitchell, DVM
Executive VP of Programs & Chief Veterinary Officer
Phone – 727-220-1770 Web – spcatampabay.org
Join SPCA Tampa Bay on Thursday January 23, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for our annual Pet Walk Kick Off and Yappy Hour at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille (8790 Bay Pines Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33709)!
Along with some great food, yummy drinks, and beautiful ambiance, there will be fantastic door prizes including Dolphin cruises, passes to Sunken Gardens, Great Explorations, and the Imagine Museum.
Pet Walk Captains will receive everything you need to rally your team and put the FUN in Fundraising with prizes YOU can award to get your team mates excited about competing for Top Dog.
Bonus: One team captain will win a Whiskers at Work to liven up their own company Pet Walk Kick Off!
Please visit https://spcatampabay.org/pet-walk-event/ to RSVP. We hope to see you there!
Cynthia Mitchell, DVM
Chief Veterinary Officer
SPCA TAMPA BAY
727-220-1770
SPC SCHOOL OF VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY
DECEMBER “24” GRADUATING CLASS
CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Tricia Gorham MA, CVT
Instructor in Charge
College of Veterinary Technology
St. Petersburg College | Veterinary Technology Center
727-302-6733 | Gorham.tricia@spcollege.edu
A LIST OF CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIANS AVAILABLE FOR RELIEF WORK
If the status of your classified ad has changed or you wish to include an ad in the PCVMA newsletter, please contact Dr. Don Morgan at Donmorgansr@aol.com or 727-397-7387 (PAF/PCVMA Office) or 727-410-7856 (Cell) for the next newsletter.
Also, if you change your e-mail address or practice location, please notify my in
order to continue to receive meeting notices and the news letter.
I am an Independent Relief Technician (CVT) that is licensed, bonded, and insured. I have over 28 years of experience with small animal, avian, and exotics. My main goal and purpose is to help clinics fill the gaps in staffing until they can find a permanent team member, or just allow clinics the ability to give their existing, deserving staff time off. Or to use that vacation time /PTO that expires at end of year (use it or loose it ) or for the daily call outs that happen 3 minutes before clinic opens.
Specialty Practice Listings and Referral
If the status of your classified ad has changed or you wish to include an ad in the PCVMA newsletter, please contact Dr. Don Morgan at Donmorgansr@aol.com or 727-397-7387 (PAF/PCVMA Office) or 727-410-7856 (Cell) for the next newsletter.
Also, if you change your e-mail address or practice location, please notify my in
order to continue to receive meeting notices and the newsletter.
Lester Mandelker, DVM, Fellow AAVPT
Offering veterinary services regarding pharmacology and therapeutics for complex cases that need assistance and more detail drug information and want to learn mechanism of action.
All referred cases will be seen on referral basis only and referred back to referring doctor. Expect a dialog and communication about such cases with a detailed discussion.
Call for info 727-585-2007 email Lestervet2@aol.com.
We are pleased to announce the opening of Veterinary Vision of Florida. Peter Mohoric, VMD, DACVO, who has been practicing as a veterinary ophthalmologist in the Tampa Bay area for 10 years, will now be available full time in multiple locations around the greater Tampa Bay Region. This is a full service ophthalmology practice, with cataract surgery now available.
Please contact, (813) 778-4953 – info@vetvisionfl.com – www.vetvisionfl.com
Locations:
Tampa – 1329 W. Fletcher Ave (Urgent Paws) – Monday and Tuesday
Lutz – 19727 State Rd 54 (Bliss Family Veterinarian) – Wednesday
New Port Richey – 7741 Congress St (Animal Hospital of Regency Park) – Thursday and Friday
I am available to perform specialty surgical procedures at your clinic. I bring the specialty OR to your clinic and strive to have minimal impact on your practice flow. I provide all disposables, power equipment, monitoring, instruments, implants, discharge instructions, and an anesthesia nurse. For more critical procedures I have a close relationship with Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital and can arrange surgery at that facility or transfer for overnight postoperative care if needed.
I have completed a one-year general rotating internship, a one-year surgical internship, and a three-year ACVS registered surgical residency and have been performing specialty surgery in the area for 10 years.
I am available to discuss cases and can also do consultations at your facility.
For more information, please email DrSawyer@SawyerSurgicalSolutions.com
Hospitals Seeking Relief Help
We are looking for Veterinary coverage for 1 full month.
We are a 2 doctor practice looking to cover time off for one of our Veterinarians. The relief is needed in the fall months of August, September, and October. It can be any time as long as the 4 weeks are consecutive. It would be a 4 day work week and every other Saturday.
Our hours for appointments are 9-5 week days and Saturdays are 8-3. We are fully staffed with well seasoned Technicians / CVT and assistants. We are located in Tarpon Springs on US HWY 19N.
If you can help, please email our practice manager Dorinda Odell at Dorindatah@gmail.com or call 727-934-0884 for more information.
Veterinarians Seeking Ownership and Practices for Sale
If the status of your classified ad has changed or you wish to include an ad in the PCVMA newsletter, please contact Dr. Don Morgan at Donmorgansr@aol.com or 727-397-7387 (PAF/PCVMA Office) or 727-410-7856 (Cell) for the next newsletter.
Also, if you change your e-mail address or practice location, please notify my in
order to continue to receive meeting notices and the news letter.
Buy-in or for sale
1631 West Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770
Great Clientele – Practice 50 years old.
Work only mornings but great opportunity for expansion.
Contact: Dr Lester Mandelker
Phone: 727-585-2007
To Whom it may Concern,
Seeking Externship
If the status of your classified ad has changed or you wish to include an ad in the PCVMA newsletter, please contact Dr. Don Morgan at Donmorgansr@aol.com or 727-397-7387 (PAF/PCVMA Office) or 727-410-7856 (Cell) for the next newsletter.
Also, if you change your e-mail address or practice location, please notify my in
order to continue to receive meeting notices and the news letter.
My name is Melissa Feldman; I am a rising 4th-year veterinary student at the University of Florida graduating in May 2017, seeking an externship at a private practice in St. Petersburg for 1-2 weeks in August. I have a Masters in Public Health, serve on the SAVMA Executive Board, am a published first author in Veterinary Quarterly, and have already completed eight months of clinical rotations during which I have completed over 30 spays and neuters. I can be reached at 305-926-8941 or melvet10@gmail.com.