VESPA To Hold Mix-and-Mingle At IVECCSApril 17, 2009 The Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Practice Assn. will be hosting a mix-and-mingle event on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 6 p.m.–7 p.m., at the 13th International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium, which takes place Sept. 26-30 in New Orleans. VESPA welcomes anyone involved in emergency or specialty practice, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, receptionists, managers and owners. The event is being sponsored by Webster Veterinary Supply, of Sterling, Mass. See program materials for meeting location or visit IVECCS for conference information. <HOME>
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Barbaro Memorial Fund Backs Laminitis ResearchApril 17, 2009 The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s subsidiary, NTRA Charities, recently handed out $90,801 in support of laminitis research. The money was distributed from the NTRA Charities Barbaro Memorial Fund, established in memory of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, who succumbed to laminitis in 2007. One new and two continuing research projects will be funded. The new study, “Effect of Digital Hypothermia on Inflammatory Injury in Laminitis,” by James Belknap, DVM, Ph.D., of Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, is a two-year project funded for $82,109. The continuing projects, which will collectively receive $8,692, are “Targeting 5-HT in Equine Laminitis,” by Douglas Allen, DVM, at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and “Treatment of Equine Laminitis with Doxycycline,” by Susan Eades, DVM, Ph.D., at the Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Both continuing studies, which originally were funded with $100,000 from the Barbaro fund to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation in 2007, are on schedule to complete research papers for peer-reviewed scientific journals. <HOME>
New American Humane Division Focuses On Human-Animal BondApril 17, 2009The American Humane Assn. has created a new division with the hopes of enhancing people's understanding about the important connection between people and animals. The Human-Animal Division, which bridges the organization's existing Animal Protection Division and its Children's Division, will focus on programs surrounding issues such as animal-assisted therapy, pets and women's shelters and humane education. Initiatives include enhancing health care services and education by providing direct services of trained animal-assisted therapy teams; developing new humane education curricula for use in elementary and college classrooms, as well as for professionals and parents; and incorporating the organization's growing public education about The Link (the correlation between animal abuse, family violence and other forms of community violence) and American Humane's new Pets and Women's Shelters (PAWS) Program, which helps domestic violence shelters accommodate their residents' pets onsite. American Humane also plans to convene a national summit on the human-animal bond. It will look into forming an animal-assisted therapy coalition involving various other independent programs. <HOME>
Doggles Explores Canine Corrective LensesApril 17, 2009 Doggles, a manufacturer of protective eyewear for dogs, is trying on a new product line-ILS Doggles with corrective lenses. "We are passionate about providing protective eyewear for dogs, but we wanted to take it a step further," said Roni Di Lullo, Doggles president. "And knowing how many dogs suffer from bad vision, this seemed like the obvious next step." Michael Brinkmann, DVM, Dipl. ACVO, a veterinary ophthalmologist in Las Vegas, Nev., said that the company has worked with him to produce the corrective Doggles, which he is currently testing out on a handful of his patients. In particular, he said, the lenses can be used to correct the farsightedness that occurs in dogs that have undergone cataract surgery but could not have lens implants. "I give them an 'A' just for doing it," he said, adding that the company developed and supplied him with the test glasses free of charge. Dr. Brinkmann said that he is still collecting feedback from clients testing out the glasses and that it was too early for him to definitively say whether the Doggles were being well received. He was, however, optimistic. "I think the Doggles approach is …
Health Spending To Fuel Pet Industry GrowthApril 17, 2009 Health-related pet spending on higher-grade pet foods and preventative veterinary care will continue to propel the U.S. pet market despite the economic slow-down, according to “U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2009-2010: Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Economic Times.” The report is by Packaged Facts, a division of Market Research Group of New York. Non-discretionary pet spending, notably non-food pet supplies and non-veterinary pet services, will be the hardest hit by the current recession, according to the report. The report forecasts the market will grow 6 percent this year to about $53 billion, from $51 billion in 2008. The market’s growth will accelerate with the anticipated economic recovery in 2010 and 2011, growing an estimated 7.5 percent in 2010 to about $57 billion, Packaged Facts reported. Overall, Packaged Facts projects that the U.S. pet market will grow at a 7.1-percent compound annual rate from 2008 to 2013, up from 6.4 percent in the previous five-year period (2004-2008). Growth through 2013 will be driven by steady growth in the veterinary category, which surpassed pet food to become the industry’s largest component in 2008. “Packaged Facts views pet humanization as a dynamic, multifaceted shift that virtually guarantees …
Appeals Court Upholds West Hollywood’s Ban On Cat DeclawingApril 17, 2009 The California Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of upholding West Hollywood’s ban on cat declawing. In a 2-1 vote, the Court of Appeals determined that cities can legally prohibit cat declawing without violating state law. The West Hollywood ordinance, which was passed in 2003, makes it a crime to perform declawing within city limits, except for therapeutic purposes, such as removal of infected or injured tissue. The ordinance declares that the procedure causes “unnecessary pain, anguish and permanent disability.” The California Veterinary Medical Assn. filed suit against West Hollywood in 2005, stating that the city had no authority to regulate the medical practices of veterinarians. Shortly after, the ordinance was overturned, which CVMA said confirmed its “assertion that local ordinances may not infringe on licensed professionals’ state-granted rights to practice within the scope of their licenses." However, this recent ruling by the Court of Appeals determines that the city’s ordinance is not preempted by state law, thus making the ban legal and enforceable. It finds that a city may regulate actions that it considers inhumane, as long as it does not prohibit veterinary procedures that state law expressly allows. The declawing of wild …
Cancer Surgery Never As Good As First TimeApril 17, 2009 Music critics claim that Sade’s song “Never as Good as the First Time” applies to personal relationships. We beg to differ. She was clearly referring to cancer surgery. The best time to obtain clean margins during surgical excision of a malignant tumor is the first time. The most aggressive, i.e. mitotically active, cells are not located in the main, visible or palpable mass, but within its “legs” or tentacles. This is why it is so important to obtain clean margins the first time around. Dirty margins will require radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a more aggressive excision to prevent a recurrence. Re-excision is always more complicated because it is difficult, if not impossible, to know how invasive we should be. The original tumor may have seeded cells in multiple tissue planes during the first attempt. Mast cell tumor on the hock of a 6-year-old boxer. One easy way to think of the cancerous mass during the first excision is to consider it as grossly infected (read: covered in pus). Therefore, it shouldn’t come in contact with healthy tissues. Gloves, instruments and drapes should be changed before closing the surgical site. It also is …
When Herbs And Surgery Don’t MixApril 17, 2009 Failing to ask clients about any herbs their pet has received before surgery could lead to bleeding disasters during surgery. Specifically, botanicals that interfere with clotting could transform an otherwise routine surgery into a frustrating and lengthy exercise.1 False Sense of Security While the true clinical impact remains clouded by lack of controlled research in both veterinary and human patients,2 this paucity of safety information may be creating a self-perpetuating cycle of false-negative information.3 The unregulated and untested nature of veterinary plant-based products amplifies uncertainties over product strength, potential misidentification, adulteration and species-specific or idiosyncratic variations in drug metabolism or effects.4 In particular, products with a multiplicity of ingredients, such as Chinese herbal formulations, especially when administered chronically, exhibit a disproportionately greater percentage and severity of side effects, compared to single-herb supplements.5,6,7 Harmful drug-herb interactions involving mixtures of herbs heighten the hurdles of identifying the source of the interaction. Mechanisms by which herbs may influence bleeding include direct pharmacologic actions and indirect interactions.8 Indirect (namely, herb-drug) interactions involve either pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic influences. Antiplatelet Effects From top to botton, garic, ginger, ginko and ginseng. Veterinary …
Pet Food Company Creates Vet Support ProgramsApril 17, 2009 Natura Pet Products has created the new position of director of Veterinary Support Programs, a move that the company said will continue its efforts in making information on holistic solutions and healthy diets readily available to veterinarians. As the new director, Antonette Ginochio, who previously served as territory sales manager for Natura, will develop and manage marketing support programs within the veterinary community nationwide and in Canada, manage and expand the Natura Veterinary Intern Program and represent Natura Pet Products at veterinary conferences and events. The intern program, which began three years ago, provides pet nutritional education for veterinary students at University of California, Davis, University of Florida, Colorado State University, North Carolina State University, Cornell, Washington State University, Texas A&M, Ohio State University, Atlantic Veterinary College (PEI-Canada), Iowa State University and Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. <HOME>
Imulan Expands Vet Oncology ProgramsApril 17, 2009 Imulan BioTherapeutics LLC has formed a company called Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics, located at the Imulan headquarters within the Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator in St. Joseph, Mo. The goal is to advance the company’s comparative veterinary oncology programs and commercialize several new immune activating technologies for treatment of cancer in dogs, cats and horses. Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics will focus on the power of the immune system to fight cancer, according to the recently launched website. “Mother Nature designed the most powerful tool against cancer in the form of the immune system,” said Craig Woods, DVM, chief executive officer of Imulan and Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics. “Many forms of cancer trick the immune system by producing factors that create a chemical camouflage and thus evade immune detection. Imulan is currently working on cutting-edge ways of making cancer visible to immune cells, giving the patient the upper hand.” Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics will provide veterinarians with access to technology platforms by creating a treatment network. A new laboratory to advance the company’s tumor biology and comparative oncology science programs is in the works.
