Virginia Tech Vet Students Put Pets on Weight-Loss ChallengeJune 25, 2015Cricket, a black-and-white shorthaired cat, is the biggest loser, at least when it comes to a recent weight loss challenge that took place at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. The Purina-sponsored challenge takes place every year when a group of students put their overweight pets on a diet. It is inspired by the TV show the “Biggest Loser.” This year, nine cats and one dog participated in the Purina Overweight Management Challenge. Cricket, who is owned by fourth-year veterinary student Liddy Hepner of Hydes, Md., came out on top losing about 2 kg or just over 4 pounds. “It was about 30 percent of his body weight,” said challenge organizer Courtney Walski of Chesapeake, Va. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech Stewart Morgan, DVM, Ph.D., clinical nutrition resident in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, performs a body condition scoring exam on Cricket, who won the “Biggest Loser”-inspired weight loss challenge. Purina provided ProPlan OM, a therapeutic diet specifically formulated for overweight dogs and cats, for all the participants. “We believe veterinary students learn nutrition best using a hands-on approach,” said Lauren Pagliughi, DVM, Purina college manager. “The …
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No Charges Against Texas Veterinarian Who Killed Cat with Bow and ArrowJune 24, 2015A grand jury’s decision to let a Brenham, Texas, veterinarian off the hook after killing a cat with a bow and arrow and boasting about it on Facebook sparked social media outrage and broad mainstream media coverage on Wednesday. An Austin County grand jury "no billed" Kristen Lindsey, DVM, for the alleged April incident in which she shot a cat named Tiger in the head, according to the Austin County District Attorney's Office. While she said in a Facebook post that the cat was feral, news outlets have reported that the cat, Tiger, belonged to a neighbor. Facebook The cat that Dr. Kristen Lindsey was accused of killing is believed to be a neighbor’s pet named Tiger. The Sheriff's Office said it had received an unsworn hearsay report that the veterinarian was acting to protect her pets from a "potentially rabid stray cat." Despite conducting an investigation, deputies were unable to determine where or when the incident took place, and without that they lacked probable cause to obtain a search warrant for any Austin County properties pertaining …
Purina Launches Natural Therapeutic FoodJune 24, 2015Nestle Purina PetCare of St. Louis is launching its first veterinary-channel natural therapeutic food, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Naturals with added vitamins and minerals. The new products will be available July 1 in canine and feline formulations and in dry and canned varieties. “Research tells us that the natural trend in pet food is growing in all segments,” said Grace Long, DVM, director of technical marketing for the company’s therapeutic diets. “Many owners want to feed their pets as they do their family members. Veterinarians are sometimes frustrated with the challenges of recommending a therapeutic diet for a pet with a health condition, only to be refused by an owner who questions the diet’s ingredient list. With EN Naturals, we have the best of both worlds—ingredients that satisfy owners and therapeutic nutrition that meets the needs of the patient.” According to the company, the diets were formulated to provide the same benefits as the traditional EN diet: High total digestibility (dry matter) for optimal nutrient absorption Coconut oil as a source of medium-chain triglycerides in the canine formulas to provide a readily digestible and utilized energy source Moderate fat for growth and maintenance Low fiber for ease of digestion Bovine …
Henry Schein Inc., Acquires 85 Percent of Jorgen Kruuse A/SJune 24, 2015Henry Schein Inc. a provider of health care products and services to office-based animal health, dental and medical practitioners, has announced that it will acquire 85 percent of Jorgen Kruuse A/S, a leading distributor of veterinary supplies in the Nordic countries and an international provider of veterinary products and services. Kruuse’s 2014 sales were about $90 million. The acquisition will extend Henry Schein's geographic presence to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The deal was announced June 23. The remaining 15 percent of Kruuse will be retained by the Kruuse family. Henry Schein, based in Melville, N.Y., expects the transaction to close in the third quarter, and for the acquisition to be neutral to its earnings per share from the date of closing through the end of 2015 and accretive thereafter. Additional financial details were not disclosed. Founded in 1896 and headquartered in Langeskov, Denmark, Kruuse offers a large portfolio of proprietary products and branded consumable merchandise, as well as pet accessories, capital equipment and pet food to veterinary clinics and retail pet stores in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Kruuse has an operational presence in Poland, the United Kingdom and China, and serves customers in more than 100 countries through a network …
Veterinarians Treat Rescued DolphinJune 24, 2015Last Sunday, a beached dolphin was discovered at Clearwater Beach in Florida. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium retrieved the rough-toothed creature, which is known to live near the northern Gulf of Mexico and Hawaii. The dolphin was subsequently taken to SeaWorld Orlando where a team of veterinarians have been treating it, The St. Petersburg Tribune reports. The dolphin has been quarantined while veterinarians administer antibiotics and fluids. The 7-foot, 200 pound male is very weak and is being closely monitored 24/7. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); This Father's Day morning, SeaWorld Orlando was called to care for a rough-toothed dolphin found beached on the... Posted by SeaWorld on Sunday, June 21, 2015
Penn Vet Study Reveals a More Accurate Method for Blood Glucose TestingJune 23, 2015When it comes to testing blood glucose levels, glucose meters have the advantage of being fast and requiring only a small drop of blood; however, they are not as accurate as some other methods of measuring blood glucose. But don’t count them out yet: In a new study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have found a way of obtaining more accurate measurements from glucose meters by using blood plasma or serum rather than whole blood, as reported by the university. “Correlation between glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a point-of-care glucometer and serum glucose concentration measured by an automated biochemical analyzer for canine and feline blood samples” was reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in June. The findings have already resulted in changes in practice at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital and may inspire an investigation into whether the same should hold true for human patients who rely on glucose meters to monitor their blood glucose levels. University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Rebecka Hess …
Longtime OSU Vet Professor to RetireJune 23, 2015Michael Lorenz, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (small animal), has spent the past 46 years educating veterinarians. On July 1, Dr. Lorenz will step into retirement. Lorenz most recently served as Oklahoma State University Regents Service Professor of small animal internal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at OSU’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. He began his career in veterinary medicine at OSU earning both his undergraduate degree and in 1969, his DVM degree. Lorenz completed his internship and residency at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and served on their faculty before going to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia where he taught from 1972 to 1988. In 1988, he transferred to Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he served as dean from 1988 to 1994. Lorenz returned to OSU in 1997 where served as the associate dean of academic affairs until 2001 when he became the interim dean. In 2004, he was named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine—the first alumnus to fill that position. After serving as the interim dean and dean for 10 years, Lorenz stepped down in 2011 to focus on clinical work and teaching as …
Mississippi State Rescues Abuse Victims’ PetsJune 19, 2015One by one, Mississippi State University veterinarians and their students are doing all they can to look after the pets of women who seek refuge in a local domestic violence shelter. The effort is part of the college’s Safe Haven for Pets program, which since 2009 has taken in 38 animals and kept each of them secure, fed and healthy for an average of 32 days. Safe Haven for Pets, the recent recipient of a $1,000 grant from the American Kennel Club Humane Fund, was started by clinical professor Sharon Fooshee Grace, MS, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, Dipl. ACVIM. While women find safekeeping at the Care Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter in Meridian, Miss., their pets get a temporary home with the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “There is a definite connection between domestic violence and animal cruelty and other forms of violence,” said Dr. Fooshee Grace, who launched a similar program when she was in private practice in Tennessee. “In a house with domestic violence, animals are often the first victims as the violence escalates. Concern for pets also can keep human victims in the house too long. “Having a safe place for their pets may help victims escape …
Putney Releases Another FDA-Approved GenericJune 19, 2015Generic drug maker Putney Inc. has launched Tiletamine-Zolazepam injectable, a version of Telazol and the company’s sixth new veterinary product in the past seven months. Tiletamine-Zolazepam (tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl) injectable is formulated to restrain cats and dogs and to act as anesthesia during minor surgery. The medication, which has U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, is equivalent to the Zoetis Inc. drug Telazol (tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl). Putney, based in Portland, Maine, is selling Tiletamine-Zolazepam directly to veterinarians and through smaller distributors. Agreements between some larger drug manufacturers and distributors “continue to block veterinarians and U.S. consumers from accessing cost-saving generic drugs,” Putney President and CEO Jean Hoffman said. “Blocking agreements are the only reason that Putney does not have its full line of products at every established veterinary distributor serving companion animal veterinarians in the United States,” she said. “Distributors are not opposed to carrying our products,” she added. “In fact, distributors would like to carry our veterinary generics, and in cases where they have not been contractually prohibited from carrying our products, distributors report strong sales of Putney’s generic drugs.” A Federal Trade Commission report issued in May noted a relatively small number …
Kids Learn About Veterinary Medicine From Purdue VetsJune 19, 2015Someone once told me that the best advice they received was to start early on their career path. He suggested knowing what you want to do before starting high school and then working your way toward that career from that point on. Others, however, such as those at Purdue University, start kids on their career paths even earlier than that. In fact, they start them on it in kindergarten. Every week at the Hanna Community Center in Lafayette, Indiana, children from kindergarten through fourth grade meet to learn about veterinary medicine from professionals in the field as well as veterinary professors and students through a program called Fat Dogs and Coughing Horses, according to JConline. The program began in 2009. Back then it was a classroom-designed curriculum in which Purdue professor Sandra San Miguel, DVM, would visit the classrooms to speak with the children about veterinary medicine. However, teachers had difficulty finding the time to incorporate the lesson and San Miguel’s visit into their existing curriculum, leading Dr. San Miguel to start an after-school program. She, along with her team, teaches the kids about anatomy, raising monarch butterflies, asthmatic horses and more. To San Miguel, it was …
