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How ACVIM Specialists Give Back
Dr. Paul D. Pion
Cat owners can thank Dr. Paul D. Pion and his colleagues for discovering the cause, cure, and prevention of feline dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) - a fatal heart disease largely caused by a deficiency of the amino acid taurine in commercial cat foods. This discovery, first reported in the journal Science in 1987, has largely eliminated feline DCM as a disease in the pet cat population.
In the words of Dr. Melissa Wallace, an ACVIM Board-certified specialist in small animal internal medicine: "This breakthrough has likely done more for cats, cat owners, and cat-loving veterinarians than anything since the invention of the vaccine for feline panleukopenia."
In 1991, Dr. Pion again led veterinary care forward when he co-founded Veterinary Information Network (VIN), a veterinary-focused online community. VIN provides easy access to the most comprehensive, up-to-date database of veterinary information anywhere, along with online continuing education courses for colleagues worldwide.
VIN brings together more than 16,000 veterinarians,10,000+ veterinary students, and hundreds of Board-certified specialists (many of whom share their expertise in various official and unofficial capacities). Several of these specialists monitor, shape, and lead the professional interactions on VIN, influencing veterinary medical care across the globe.
Dr. Pion's combined vision, passion, and enthusiasm, along with his wide experience in practice and academia, make him a wonderful asset to the ACVIM Foundation. He is an ACVIM Foundation Charter Member and serves on our Board of Directors, and, via VIN, is a Corporate Sponsor. Through the VIN Foundation, Dr. Pion is a partner in fund-raising for hurricane relief efforts. Working together, the ACVIM and VIN Foundations raised over $200,000 for animal and veterinary relief after Hurricane Katrina.
"Veterinary Information Network supports the ACVIM Foundation because we share similar values: we support the creation and distribution of knowledge to veterinary specialists and generalists which, in turn, facilitates exceptional care for pets everywhere." Paul D. Pion
Paul D. Pion, DVM, DiplACVIM (Cardiology) is the president and co-founder of Veterinary Information Network (VIN), a veterinary online community providing easy access to the most comprehensive, up-to-date database of veterinary information anywhere. VIN also hosts Veterinary Support Personnel Network (VSPN), an online community for veterinary hospital support staff, and VeterinaryPartner.com, a noncommercial, unsponsored information resource for pet owners. In addition to his contributions to veterinary scholarship, Dr. Pion is the co-author of Cats for Dummies (first published in 1997 and now in its second edition).
Eliminating Feline Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM): A Closer Look
"Surely, the discovery of taurine deficiency as the major cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in cats represents a landmark study of reversible, nutritionally based cardiomyopathy." Robert L. Hamlin, DVM, PhD, DiplACVIM (Cardiology, Small Animal Internal Medicine)*
Prior to 1987, feline DCM was a common, uniformly fatal heart disease that was considered incurable. The average time from diagnosis to death of these beloved cats was less than a month.
But Drs. Paul Pion, Mark Kittleson, Quinton Rogers, and colleagues strongly suspected the cause of this fatal disease was a deficiency of the amino acid taurine in commercial cat food: most cat foods simply didn't contain enough of this essential nutrient-additive.
First reported in the journal Science in 1987, this clinical research finding has largely eliminated DCM as a disease among pet cats. Remarking on the study's origins and lessons for future investigators, Dr. Pion observes: "It began while working with a single patient and his very dedicated owner. Though that patient died, the ideas we developed during treatment, combined with what we knew about the cat's nutrition and taurine, motivated us to pursue this line of research.
This is a perfect example of how a clinical observation enabled a group of clinical researchers with adequate focus and research funding, plus a bit of luck, to quickly change veterinary practice.
It's the reason I'm so passionate about the ACVIM Foundation. With the right environment, mentorship, motivation, and funding, many of our upcoming young colleagues have the potential to make the same types of discoveries."
* From "Milestones in Veterinary Cardiology - Past, Present, and Future. Perspective of a Relic," 26th Annual Waltham Diets/OSU Symposium in Small Animal Cardiology 2002
