BIVI To Award $75K For Pigeon Fever Research ProjectsApril 30, 2012 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. is seeking research proposals focusing on Pigeon Fever for its 2012 Equine Research Awards, the St. Joseph, Mo.-based company reported today. BIVI will select three proposals and award $25,000 to each to fund research on Pigeon Fever, the infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacteria. Proposals must address one or more of the following subjects: • Pathophysiology of C. pseudotuberculosis and development of an equine challenge model; • Virulence factors and strain differences among isolates of C. pseudotuberculosis isolated from internal and external infections and different geographic locations. • Increased incidence and spread to different geographic locations and association with climate change; • Comparison of host immunity between infections resulting in internal infection and recurrent infection in recovered horses. • Seasonality of infection with C. pseudotuberculosis and studies of insect vectors. The contest is open to researchers from the United States and Canada. The deadline for submission is Sept. 1, 2012. An equine research review board will select winning proposals based on their potential impact on the equine industry, originality, scientific quality and probability of success in completing the yearlong studies. The awards will be announced during the 2012 America Association of …
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Bond And Beyond Bonus Content: A Brief History Of The Veterinary Hospice MovementApril 30, 2012 EDITORS' NOTE: This is special bonus content for Alice Villalobos' May 2012 column, Keeping Hospice in Veterinary Hands. The veterinary literature advocating for pet hospice as a professional service has been evolving since the 1990s. Two main groups have organized the pet/animal/veterinary hospice movement. Historically, the first group is the Nikki Hospice Foundation, founded in 1996 by thanatologist Kathy Marrachino, Ph.D. Nikki organized the first and second veterinary hospice symposiums in 2008 with some veterinary faculty and in 2009 with almost no veterinary faculty. I was an invited speaker at the 2008 event and Dr. Dani McVety attended the 2009 event. Our thoughts are recorded below. As of Jan. 17, none of the veterinarians listed on the website as part of Nikki’s Board of Directors are still serving. An official statement of the University of California, Davis, Veterinary School says it has severed its relationship with the Nikki group and has nothing to do with the symposiums even though they will be on the Davis campus. This begs the question: Is there any veterinary oversight for organizing the third Veterinary Hospice Symposium scheduled for July? We …
Pet Obesity: A Huge ProblemApril 27, 2012 Two-thirds of clients say nothing about their overweight pet unless the veterinarian speaks first, experts say. Initiating the conversation is the first obstacle that veterinarians face when helping patients reduce weight. The U.S. has the fattest pets in the world, and the social and psychological pressure to ignore weight problems is huge. A February 2009 report from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention shows that more than 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats are overweight or obese. The figures represent an increase of 1 percentage point in dogs and 4 percentage points in cats compared with a 2007 study. “Pet obesity continues to emerge as a leading cause of preventable disease and death in dogs and cats,” says Ernie Ward, DVM, the association’s founder and chief-of-staff. “Pets are in real danger of not living as long as previous generations and developing serious and costly diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and other largely avoidable conditions. “We are afraid to offend our clients or make them feel uncomfortable about their own weight if we discuss their overweight pet, but staying quiet is risking the patients health.” One tactic is to use the body …
Purina Aims To Increase Pet And Owner ActivityApril 27, 2012Purina Aims to Increase Pet and Owner ActivityNestle Purina, Purina pet food, Purina veterinary, Purina Misty May, Misty May-Treanor, pet weight loss, pet weightAfter a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice, and the company is also hosting an essay contest for veterinarian staff trained as Purina Certified Weight Coaches.After a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice.newslinePurina Aims to Increase Pet and Owner ActivityPosted: April 27, 2012, 4:05 p.m. EDT After a survey found 64 percent of pet owners want to spend more active time with their pets, Nestlé Purina tapped Olympic gold medalist and pet enthusiast Misty May-Treanor to help steer pets to veterinarians for weight-loss advice, and the company is also hosting an essay contest for veterinarian staff trained as Purina Certified Weight Coaches, the company reported today. The contest, which runs through June 15, 2012, encourages Purina Certified …
VCA Revenues Continue Upward TrendApril 26, 2012VCA Revenues Continue Upward TrendVCA revenues, VCA Antech, VCA Antech revenue record, animal hospital revenue, veterinarySame-store revenue growth for animal hospitals operated by VCA Antech Inc. grew 3.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-ago period, the Los Angeles-based company reported today.Same-store revenue growth for animal hospitals operated by VCA Antech Inc. grew 3.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-ago period.newslineVCA Revenues Continue Upward TrendPosted: April 26, 2012, 6:00 p.m. EDT Same-store revenue growth for animal hospitals operated by VCA Antech Inc. grew 3.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-ago period, the Los Angeles-based company reported today. The company's overall revenue increased 15.3 percent to a first-quarter record of $409.5 million, and its net income grew by 21.3 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011. "This is the third consecutive quarter of improved organic revenue growth in both our Animal Hospital and Laboratory segments, said Bob Antin, chairman and CEO of VCA. "In addition, we experienced margin expansion in each of these segments. Given these positive results, we remain optimistic with respect to our outlook for 2012." Animal hospital revenue increased 17.1 percent in the first quarter, due to same-store growth, …
FDA Urges Caution In Choosing X-ray DevicesApril 25, 2012 It looks so good on the Internet auction website: For around $875, you can own a “green” hand-held portable wireless dental X-ray unit! Shipped from Hong Kong, “This is an innovative Chinese design named the ‘Green X-ray Machine,’” the ad reads. “Safety is guaranteed. While using a small amount of radiation there is no need for protection.” But in February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that the devices “may not be safe or effective and could potentially expose the user and the patient to unnecessary and potentially harmful X-rays.” The ad claims the machine is “FDA compliant.” Policing equipment shipped directly from another country via the Internet is a work in progress, said Daniel Van Gent, MP, MS, the X-ray program manager for the Washington State Department of Health. Because Washington state law requires newly purchased medical X-ray equipment to be inspected by his department before use, safety issues with the Green X-ray Machine ordered by a dentist were discovered and reported to the FDA. “There is absolutely no way to determine on eBay whether the unit is manufactured by an FDA-approved …
FDA Urges Vets To Confirm Safety Of Hand-Held X-Ray DevicesApril 25, 2012 Certain hand-held dental X-ray units sold online by manufacturers outside of the United States could pose a radiation risk, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The agency warned dental and veterinary professionals to not purchase or use hand-held dental X-ray devices without first verifying that the devices have been reviewed and tested to meet FDA standards. All units that have been cleared by the FDA bear a permanent certification label/tag, a warning label and an identification label/tag. The Washington State Department of Health alerted the FDA after tests on a device purchased online revealed that it did not comply with X-ray performance standards. As a result, the FDA is investigating and notifying state regulatory authorities, dental professional organizations and other health organizations about the safety risks. No adverse events have been reported. To ensure a device has been reviewed and tested by the FDA, the agency advised users to: • Verify the device bears certification, warning and ID labels. • Ask their vendor whether the device has been reviewed and cleared by the FDA. • Access the FDA Medical Device Approvals and Clearances searchable database to verify that the X-ray unit has …
Feline Heartworm’s A Different AnimalApril 25, 2012 A recent study at Auburn University has shown us a new side of feline heartworms. Dillon and Blagburn, with the financial backing of Pfizer Animal Health of New York, performed an amazing study1. They infected three groups of cats with heartworm larvae. The first group was untreated to see what would happen from natural exposure. The second group was given ivermectin at the time in the life cycle that would kill the immature adults but not the adults. This group showed the pathology that occurs when the 2-inch-long immature adults die; the pathology that occurred was only due to immature adults, not to 6-inch-long adult worms. The third group was infected while receiving selamectin. This group was to demonstrate the efficacy of this drug in preventing heartworm infections; its high efficacy was clearly demonstrated. The following is a synopsis of what we now know about heartworm disease in cats. Life Cycle When a mosquito bites a cat, third-stage larvae (L3) are deposited on the cat’s skin. Within minutes they enter the subcutaneous tissue through the bite wound. The L3 molt within a couple of days to fourth-stage larvae (L4). L4 migrate …
American Regent Recalls Epinephrine AmpoulesApril 25, 2012American Regent of Shirley, N.Y., voluntarily recalled one lot of Epinephrine Injection, USP, 1:1000, 1 mL AmpulesNDC, today due to discoloration and small, visible particles found in some ampoules in the lot. The only lot affected by the recall is #1395 with an expiration date of July 2012. Epinephrine is used for emergency therapy of cardiac arrest and anaphylactic show and is a hemostatic by virtue of its vasoconstrictive effects, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, Tenth Edition. Potential adverse events after intravenous administration of solutions containing particulates may include disruption of blood flow within small blood vessels in the lung, localized inflammation (swelling and redness) and granuloma formation. Muscle and adipose tissue damage may occur by the intramuscular or subcutaneous injection of solutions containing particulates. Adverse events with intra-spinal injection for this product containing particles are unknown, but may cause inflammation. Adverse events after topical ocular administration with epinephrine solutions containing particles are also unknown, but may result in ocular pain or irritation. Ampoules from the recalled lot should be immediately quarantined for return, according to American Regent, a subsidiary of Luitpold Pharmaceuticals Inc. The company will credit accounts for all returned product from the recalled lot.
Dermatology: Dealing With Itchy PatientsApril 25, 2012 Clinical practice guidelines from the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis have gotten a lot of interest from primary care veterinarians. These guidelines, created by veterinary dermatologists, offer recommendations to help primary care practitioners identify and treat chronic atopic dermatitis (AD). Last June, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association endorsed the amended guidelines, which have since been translated from English into 18 additional languages. Thierry Olivry, DrVet, Ph.D., Dipl. ECVD, Dipl. ACVD, led the international task force. He is with the Department of Clinical Sciences and the Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Dr. Olivry says the team concluded that treatment of canine atopic dermatitis must be individualized for each patient. “Treatment regimens depend on the canine patient, if acute flares or chronic skin lesions of AD are presented and whether signs are localized or generalized,” Olivry says. “Chronic canine AD is a challenge and known flare factors, including food, flea and environmental allergens, Staphylococcus bacteria and Malassezia yeast, should be investigated before moving forward with a treatment plan. “In addition, optimization of skin care, reduction of skin lesions …
