Virginia Tech Researcher to Develop Porcine VaccineFebruary 23, 2016A researcher at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has received at a two-year, $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a new vaccine against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. The virus, first discovered in North America in 2013, has resulted in at least 10 million pig deaths, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). “The process starts in the laboratory here using molecular techniques to make genetic changes to the virus and test it in small-scale tissue cultures in the laboratory,” said Adam Rogers, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology. “If we find a mutation or mutations that will make the virus non-pathogenic, then we will move onto an animal test. We are starting with the emergent American strain of the virus so that we will end up designing a vaccine specifically targeted to control the disease here.” Rogers’ mentor X.J. Meng, University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology, said that even though the researchers were using the emergent U.S. virus strain, a new vaccine based on the U.S. strain …
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MWI Buys U.K. Veterinary CooperativeFebruary 18, 2016Veterinary products distributor MWI Animal Health fortified its presence in the United Kingdom on Tuesday with the takeover of a 460-member buying cooperative. The terms of the transaction were not released. St. Francis Group works with veterinary practices across the U.K. and Northern Ireland and was founded in 1991 by veterinarian John Hodgkin, BVMS, MRCVS. The company, the largest of its kind in the U.K., negotiates vendor and manufacturer discounts on behalf of members. MWI was known as MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. until its sale in early 2015 to international drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen. “We believe that adding the resources of AmerisourceBergen to [St. Francis’] existing expertise and tools will further strengthen the impact they’re able to create for their members,” said MWI’s executive vice president and president, James F. Cleary Jr. MWI, which is based in Boise, Idaho, and does more than $3 billion in annual sales, last summer acquired Vetswest Ltd., a veterinary service provider to member U.K. practices.
Aratana Seeks Approval of Osteoarthritis TherapyFebruary 18, 2016Aratana Therapeutics Inc. is asking for U.S. and European approvals of a treatment for osteoarthritis pain and inflammation in dogs. Prompt action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine could lead to Galliprant (grapiprant tablets) being made available to veterinarians this fall, according to the Leawood, Kan., company. An administrative New Animal Drug Application—the company’s first—was filed in late January. Aratana reported Wednesday that a marketing authorization application for Galliprant was submitted to the European Medicines Agency. If the agency and the European Commission approve the application, the therapeutic could be released overseas as early as 2017. The company described Galliprant as a “first-in-class piprant” that binds to the EP4 prostaglandin receptor antagonist on the PGE2 pathway to block pain and inflammation. “If approved, Galliprant will offer veterinarians a new option to treat dogs with osteoarthritis pain," said chief development officer Ernst Heinen, DVM, Ph.D. Five-year-old Aratana also announced that Tactress, a monoclonal antibody formulated for use in dogs with T-cell lymphoma, earned full licensure from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics. Another product, Blontress, which is used to treat canine B-cell lymphoma, has a full USDA license as well. Aratana …
Study: Many Shelter Dogs Mislabeled as ‘Pit Bull’February 18, 2016Many shelter dogs are often mistakenly labeled as a pit bull, according to a new study by the University of Florida. The study, which was recently published in The Veterinary Journal, identified the inaccuracies through DNA testing. “Animal shelter staff and veterinarians are frequently expected to guess the breed of dogs based on appearance alone,” said Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., a professor of shelter medicine at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and lead author of the study. “Unlike many other things people can’t quite define but ‘know when they see it,’ identification of dogs as pit bulls can trigger an array of negative consequences, from the loss of housing, to being seized by animal control, to the taking of the dog’s life. In the high-stakes world of animal shelters, a dog’s life might depend on a potential adopter’s momentary glimpse and assumptions about its suitability as a pet. If the shelter staff has labeled the dog as a pit bull, its chances for adoption automatically go down in many shelters.” The past few decades have brought an increase in ownership restrictions on breeds including pit bulls and …
Practice Specialist iVET360 Adds Service OptionsFebruary 18, 2016iVET360, which provides management services to more than 75 veterinary clinics nationwide, has split its offerings into three levels in a move to sign up more independently owned hospitals. The Portland, Ore., company assists with staff development, marketing and analytics. Until now, iVET360’s typical customer—a hospital averaging $3 million in annual revenue—purchased the all-inclusive Platinum service level. The new Silver and Gold levels are designed for clinics that “weren’t able to commit to the Platinum package,” said founder and CEO Matt Murray. Silver services focus on marketing aspects such as branding, the Internet, call tracking and client communications. The Gold package includes the Silver offerings and adds analytical software to help with operational needs and pet owner compliance. Not all of iVET360’s products come with a price tag. A free monthly webinar on marketing, staff training and operational analytics attracted a record 90 hospitals in February. The company reported that iVET360 customers saw revenue rise by an average of 17 percent in 2015 and the number of new clients increase by 24 percent. The management team includes three Oregon practitioners acting as advisers: Kim Freeman, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM; Laird Goodman, DVM, CVA; and Gregg Takashima, DVM.
Veterinarian Comforts Dog by Eating Breakfast with Her in Her CageFebruary 17, 2016Andy Mathis, DVM, runs Granite Hills Animal Care in Elberton, Ga. Just like other veterinarians, he treats many animals. While most of his (and your) patients are likely pets, the occasional stray comes in. For Mathis, that stray came in the form of a female pit bull. Dubbed Graycie, the dog was “emaciated, starved (20 pounds), dehydrated, hypothermic (temperature of 95), anemic… with a vaginal prolapse,” the Granite Hills Facebook page states. Mathis first considered euthanizing Graycie, but wanted to give her a chance, with the encouragement of friends and Facebook fans. He took her to the veterinary teaching hospital at the University of Georgia. Their treatment resulted in improvement of her temperature, rehydration and the temporary reduction of her prolapse. A urinary catheter was also put in place. Graycie returned to Mathis’s care a couple days later. From February 1 through 8, she ate on her own, gained some weight and her blood levels improved. Her urinary catheter was removed on February 8 and the following Thursday Mathis spayed her. Mathis wrote in the Facebook post that Graycie hasn’t been eating comfortably, so he’s taken to eating his breakfast with her in …
New Flea Medication Made for Cats, DogsFebruary 16, 2016CAP IM Supply Inc., a young company in the pet medications market, today released ParaDefense, a veterinary-exclusive flea preventive for cats and dogs. ParaDefense (imidacloprid/pyriproxyfen) is sold by distributor Henry Schein Animal Health and is marketed as a lower cost option for price-sensitive clients. The monthly topical drug also is seen as a way to entice pet owners to shop for anti-flea medications at a veterinary clinic—and visit more often—rather than purchase elsewhere. The Atlanta company cited a 2015 study that found two-thirds of pet owners bought flea and tick drugs from non-veterinary sources. ParaDefense contains the insecticide imidacloprid and the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen. A four-month supply comes in two sizes for cats and four for dogs. The medication is formulated to kill all flea life stages, work on dogs within 12 hours of application and remain effective after bathing, according to the manufacturer. ParaDefense is the first product from CAP IM Supply, which was established in 2014.
Free Service Animal Eye Exams Back for Ninth YearFebruary 16, 2016Online registration will begin April 1 for an American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists charity event that has provided service animals with 45,000 free eye screenings since 2008. The ninth annual National Service Animal Eye Exam Event will take place throughout May, but advance registration is required at www.ACVOeyeexam.org to allow time for appointments to be made with participating board-certified ophthalmologists. The event is co-sponsored by ACVO and Stokes Pharmacy of Laurel, N.J. Eligible service animals include those working in these fields: guide, handicapped assistance, detection, military, search and rescue, and therapy. An example is a young Labrador retriever named Rue, who is trained to act as a diabetic alert dog for Michigan teenager Katie Krampitz. “Rue maintains eye contact with Katie, responding to nonverbal as well as verbal instructions,” ACVO reported. “When Katie’s blood sugar level is out of range, Rue will locate her testing kit and bring it to her. If her blood sugar level gets too low, Rue can retrieve a juice box for Katie and is also being trained to call 911 should Katie be unresponsive.” Rue’s eyesight was tested during the 2015 event. She passed. “Katie and Rue’s story is just one of more than …
MSU Gains 2 New Vet ScholarshipsFebruary 16, 2016The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine has gained two new scholarships with the help of a husband-and-wife team in Zachary, La. Both are MSU graduates. The Dr. Elizabeth B. Ezelle and Mr. Robert L. Ezelle Endowed and Annual Scholarships will be available to full-time students enrolled in CVM’s doctor of veterinary medicine program. Those selected must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (based on a 4.0 scale), according to the university. A 2011 CVM graduate, Elizabeth Ezelle came to MSU after receiving an undergraduate degree from Millsaps College in 2006. She currently practices at Plains Veterinary Hospital in Zachary. Robert Ezelle is a 2005 Millsaps graduate who enrolled at MSU for a second bachelor’s degree. He completed mechanical engineering studies in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering in 2010 and now is a fired equipment engineer for ExxonMobil Global Services Corp. The couple used the ExxonMobil Foundation’s matching gift program to establish the scholarships.
Illinois Vet College Enhances Anatomy Class with Painted SkullsFebruary 12, 2016The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine has found that using painted skulls as a teaching tool can help students better learn anatomy. Ashley Lynch, one of the instructional laboratory specialists, came up with the idea of painting the skulls in 2014 after one student wrote, “I hate anatomy,” on the zygomatic arch of a canine skull. “The skull anatomy section is intense,” said Lynch, who assists 130 first-year veterinary students in the anatomy course. “They have about 80 pages on skull anatomy to memorize in four weeks. Identifying the parts on actual skulls solely by reviewing the two-dimensional images is very difficult.” Despite various attempts, they were unable to remove the graffiti, the university reported. “The only solution we could come up with was to cover over the writing with white paint,” Lynch said. “Then I got an idea. I used leftover model paint to make the individual bones of the skull different colors.” When the students saw the painted skull, they all wanted to use it because it was so helpful for distinguishing the bones, according to the university. Seeing the painted skull’s success, Lynch decided …
