Vets Sold $191 Million in Supplements in 2014March 24, 2015U.S. veterinarians took in more than one-third of the estimated half-billion dollars that pet owners spent in 2014 on nutritional supplements for their cats, dogs, birds, small animals and reptiles. The market research group Packaged Facts, in its new report “Pet Supplements in the U.S., 5th Edition,” forecasts a domestic market of $697 million in 2019, a rise of 29 percent from $541 million last year. The increase, however, will be constrained because of growing sales of functional treats and “the tendency for veterinarians to prescribe medications with clinical evidence supporting their efficacy,” Packaged Facts noted. For which conditions are pet owners most likely to buy supplements? Joint health tops the list, followed by heart health, skin and coat, and digestive or hairball issues. Joint health was the most popular category among dog owners, while cat owners often looked for probiotics or senior formulas. About 45 percent of supplements were sold in pet specialty stores in 2014 and 35 percent—or $191 million—in the veterinary channel. The remainder was purchased online, at health and natural food stores, and at mass market retailers such as Walmart and Target. Supplement manufacturer Nutramax Laboratories of Lancaster, S.C., struck a …
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AAHA Awards First Zoo Hospital AccreditationMarch 24, 2015None of the nearly 3,500 veterinary practices accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association is at a zoo. Until now. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo in Florida became the first of its kind today when AAHA announced that the 63-acre park’s veterinary hospital earned AAHA accreditation. The honor means that the 16-month-old hospital met 900 standards ranging from how the medical staff tends to sick animals to how the veterinarians and veterinary technicians perform in areas such as pain management, surgery and dental care. “We’re proud to have the hospital at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo join the ranks of our accredited practices and become the first AAHA-accredited zoo in the United States and Canada,” said AAHA’s CEO, Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP. “This is a big step forward for veterinary medicine. Regardless of whether your patient has hooves, wings, shells or scales, the AAHA Standards of Accreditation raise the level of care that patient receives.” The news came on the same day that another achievement was announced: the zoo’s five-year reaccreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Lowry Park Zoo’s lead veterinarian, Ray Ball, DVM, said he had AAHA accreditation in his sights “for a long time.” “These animals …
St. George’s University Forms Joint Partnership with RutgersMarch 24, 2015As part of a new joint partnership, select students from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in animal science may gain direct entrance into St. George’s School of Veterinary Medicine. To qualify, Rutgers students must earn a grade point average of 3.4 or better on their pre-veterinary courses, and a minimum score of 305 on the Graduate Record Examination. Those accepted will complete three years of study at St. George’s University and one clinical year at one of the university’s 29 affiliated universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland, upon which time they will earn their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. “The Animal Sciences program at Rutgers University has a long history of successfully preparing our students for admission to schools of veterinary medicine,” said Larry Katz, Ph.D., senior associate director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension and professor of animal sciences. “This new relationship with St. George’s University provides a unique opportunity to offer qualified candidates the exciting opportunity to study veterinary medicine in a stimulating setting alongside students with diverse international backgrounds.” Students interested in entering the program must submit their application by May 15 for the …
Hundreds of Vet Students Receive $2,000March 23, 2015Zoetis Inc., a leading manufacturer of animal drugs and vaccines, today awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to second- and third-year veterinary students. The sixth annual Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Program granted $2,000 each to 487 students representing 28 U.S. schools and three in the Caribbean. The students were selected based on criteria such as financial need, academic achievement, leadership and diversity. “By investing in the next generation of veterinarians, we can address some of our existing industry challenges, including the issues of student debt and the need for greater diversity in the veterinary profession,” said Christine Jenkins, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief veterinary medical officer with Zoetis’ U.S. group. Nearly 1,200 students applied for the scholarships, which for many recipients will help reduce post-graduation loan debt averaging more than $160,000. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges partnered with Zoetis on the program. “The scholarship assistance from Zoetis and the AAVMC has allowed me to purchase invaluable study guides that will help me as I enter my clinical coursework,” said Kaitlin Stewart, a third-year student at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Zoetis and AAVMC offered a statistical breakdown of the winners: 23 …
Johns Hopkins Tests Veterinary FieldMarch 23, 2015Johns Hopkins University, long known for its expertise in human health care and research, has established a small foothold in veterinary medicine. The Baltimore institution’s School of Medicine opened the Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy about 18 months ago, offering advanced imaging services on a referral basis. Under the direction of Dara Kraitchman, VMD, MS, Ph.D., and Rebecca Krimins, DVM, MS, employees at the center see about 10 animal patients a week—everything from dogs and cats to ferrets and birds. The available technologies include X-ray fluoroscopy and angiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET scan). MRI can be used to guide needles during biopsies of suspected tumors, the university reported, and imaging plays a role in minimally invasive procedures such as cryoablation and stenting. “Imaging often allows us to perform procedures like this without open surgery,” Dr. Kraitchman said. Johns Hopkins is pursuing veterinary research, too. A test of whether imaging can detect impending heart failure in dogs is in an early stage, and a trial of a long-acting pain medication is planned. The university isn’t trying to put local veterinarians out of business, said Kraitchman, a professor of radiology and radiological science. Images taken …
K.C. Corridor Snags Another Animal Health TenantMarch 20, 2015An Australian company is making itself at home in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor before building its new global headquarters. Integrated Animal Health Inc., which has a few products on the market and more under development, in mid-March signed an agreement with Northwest Missouri State University and the institution’s Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Hubbard Center, a business incubator in Maryville, Mo., will work with Integrated Animal Health on the testing and developing of products designed to improve the health of cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and fish. Formed in December 2013, Integrated Animal Health makes horse fertility feeds and equine performance supplements. The company is designing feed additives to help control mastitis, reduce antibiotic use in dairy cattle, and improve weight gain in dairy calves and feedlot cattle. Also in the pipeline are an Oxycodone pain-relief patch for racehorses suffering from leg soreness, other feed additives, parasiticides, and a gender-selection technology for the breeding of hogs and dairy cattle. “Providing adequate protein to the world is one of the key challenges facing people and governments around the world,” said Blake Hawley, DVM, who will oversee the company’s U.S. operations after serving as chief commercial officer …
Florida Vet’s Big Idea Is a Small OneMarch 20, 2015Miami veterinarian Barry Goldberg, DVM, may be onto something if his start-up business follows the successful course of CVS Pharmacy’s Minute Clinic chain. Dr. Goldberg in late January opened a kiosk-style veterinary clinic inside a Pet Supplies Plus store in Pinellas Park, Fla. The EZ Vet station employs a veterinarian and veterinary technician who diagnose and treat minor ailments and offer non-emergency services such as vaccinations and check-ups. More than 300 pets have seen at the Pinellas Park clinic. Opening 12 miles away in Clearwater, Fla., on March 23 is Goldberg’s second miniature clinic, also inside Pet Supplies Plus. “I believe that this will increase access to affordable and quality health care for thousands of pets in the local community,” Goldberg said. The entrepreneur and inventor is looking to expand outside Florida, chief operating officer Kimberly Kulhanjian said, but Goldberg has a long way to go to match human medicine’s Minute Clinic, which in 15 years has set up in more than 900 locations nationwide. Goldberg rents space from Pet Supplies Plus for his 50-square-foot kiosks, which are equipped with basic tools of the trade, such as an exam table, video otoscope and petMAP blood pressure gauge. Missing are …
Abaxis Sheds Veterinary Reference LabMarch 19, 2015Abaxis Inc., a manufacturer of in-clinic blood analysis machines, has agreed to sell its veterinary reference laboratory to Antech Diagnostics Inc. for $21 million. The acquisition was announced today and is expected to close by the end of March. Antech, a division of the VCA Inc. animal hospital chain, is a leader in veterinary reference laboratory services along with Idexx Laboratories Inc. Los Angeles-based VCA reported laboratory revenue of $360 million in 2014 compared with $9.8 million at Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratories (AVRL). Antech operates more than 50 diagnostic reference laboratories, offering more than 300 tests to 16,000 veterinary hospitals across the United States and Canada. AVRL’s work is done in Olathe, Kan. Abaxis, based in Union City, Calif., viewed the sale as a chance to go back to the company’s roots. “AVRL was an exciting venture for Abaxis, and we are pleased that we had the opportunity to enter the reference lab market,” said President and CEO Clint Severson. “This transaction will allow us to return our focus to our state-of-the-art point-of-care analyzers and with our Antech relationship, now enhanced by distribution, to offer a complete laboratory solution to customers.” Abaxis hinted at layoffs at AVRL. The company estimated pre-tax …
UC Davis Investigates Silicate Associated Osteoporosis in EquinesMarch 19, 2015Equine researchers at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine are investigating silicate associated osteoporosis (SAO), a disease that involves both the lung and bone organ systems. The goal of the research is to find optimal management of the affected horses and prevention strategies. The disease, according to the veterinary school, occurs in horses in specific geographic regions of California where soils contain high concentrations of certain toxic forms of the mineral crystal, silica dioxide. When inhaled, the crystals cause chronic lung disease, much like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or silicosis in humans. Drought conditions in the state exacerbate the problem as vegetation dries out and more dust is exposed, the school further noted. Affected horses are described as having profound osteoporosis which gradually weakens the skeleton. This causes progressive unspecific and shifting lameness, with subsequent bone deformities and sudden fractures. The lung issues cause flared nostrils and shortness of breath in some horses, and a reduced tolerance for exercise, according to the vet school. Currently, there is no known cure. Most afflicted horses are euthanized for humane reasons, the school noted. Veterinarians can help with the research by contacting UC Davis about horses whose disease warrants …
Online Pet Product Sales EscalateMarch 18, 2015Internet sales of pet products hit $1.8 billion in 2014 and will continue growing by 10 to 15 percent a year at the expense of veterinarians and brick-and-mortar retailers that lack an online presence, according to a Packaged Facts report. Online sales comprise only 4 percent of what the Rockville, Md., market research firm estimates is a $44 billion U.S. market for pet food, medications, toys and other goods. But the Internet’s share of annual pet product sales is certain to rise as more owners tap in, Packaged Facts stated. In fact, 30 percent of pet owners surveyed last year agreed with the statement, “I am buying pet products online more than I used to,” an increase from 18 percent in 2012. Offering private-label products is one way veterinarians and other retailers could improve sales, Packaged Facts stated in the report “Pet Product Retailing in the U.S.” Forty-two percent of pet product buyers think store brands are often as good as national brand-name products, the firm noted. Stocking natural or organic pet food is another possible way to capture revenue at veterinary practices. Packaged Facts called the issue of pet food recalls and safety “high in the public consciousness.” “Pet owners …
