VSIPP To Hold Annual Conference In FebruaryDecember 14, 2011 Mike Staver and Shawn McVey are scheduled to deliver keynote speeches at the Veterinary Specialists in Private Practice’s annual conference Feb. 2-4, 2012, in Austin, Texas. Staver will open the event with a speech titled “Change Management” focusing on the skills necessary to lead staff through change. McVey will close the event with a speech titled “Veterinarian Heal Thyself: Lessons In Leadership” addressing the key emotional intelligence challenges in veterinary medicine and specific strategies to overcome the most common concerns. The conference will also feature two panel discussions. Pfizer Inc. of New York and Calpro Research of Rocklin, Calif., will host a panel discussion on their collaborative Referring Veterinarian Strategic Communication Initiative, aimed at strengthening communication between specialists and referring veterinarians. The second discussion will focus on corporate practices and will include a panel consisting of Reuben Merideth of Eye Care for Animals, Brian Cassell of Moon Collaborative, Doug Drew of VCA Antech and Neil Shaw of Bluepearl Veterinary Partners. The conference will also include a presentation titled “State of the GP’s and the Specialists Industry” focusing on challenges facing the industry and actions that can be taken. VSIPP will also offer two pre-conference specialty …
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Pets’ Appetite For Oddities Leads To Millions In Treatment CostsDecember 14, 2011 Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. policyholders spent nearly $5.2 million treating pets that ate foreign objects from January through November this year, VPI reported today. The Brea, Calif.-based pet insurance company received more than 6,500 foreign object ingestion claims during the 11-month period. Surgery to remove foreign objects from the stomach of a pet cost an average of $1,472, and surgery to remove foreign objects from the intestine cost an average of $1,910. Notable items ate by VPI-insured dogs and cats through November include: • About 100 rocks; • A box of razor blades; • A foot-long metal hanger; • A cholla cactus; • 130 fish oil capsules; • Chopsticks; • 14 hair bands; • A cinnamon scented pine cone; • 15 vanilla votive candles; • Clothing and rat poison; • Two baby bottle nipples; • Deer antlers; • Two plastic baggies and a bottle cap; • Dental floss; • Three sewing needles; • An entire tube of dog toothpaste; • Five pounds of trash and a scrub brush; • Artificial finger nails; • 62 vitamin D soft gels; • A glass ornament; • 5-inch skewer; • A golf ball skin; • A battery; • Glue; • A …
Aflatoxin Prompts Third Dog Food Recall In One WeekDecember 12, 2011EDITORS' NOTE: Advanced Animal Nutrition has corrected the lot numbers for its recalled Dog Power dog food. The recall applies to lot numbers 4K1004 through 4K1322. Advanced Animal Nutrition recalled several lots of its dry Dog Power Dog Food due to aflatoxin levels above the acceptable limit. The company is the third to recall food due to aflatoxin in the past week, following recalls from Procter & Gamble and Cargill. The affected products were manufactured between Jan. 4, 2011, and Nov. 18, 2011, and include: • Dog Power Adult Maintenance Formula 21-12 Dog Food, 50 lb. bags; • Dog Power Hunters Formula 27-14 Dog Food, 50 lb. bags; • Dog Power Hi-Pro Performance Formula 26-18 Dog Food, 50 lb. bags. The recall applies to the above products with Packaging Date Codes [lot numbers] K0004 through K1322. The affected products were distributed in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. Retailers have been instructed to remove the affected brands and products from their shelves. The company said consumers should return affected products, whether opened or unopened, to their place of purchase for a full refund. They can also call 1-866-648-7646 …
Merial Launches Vet Jet Video Following FDA AdvisoryDecember 9, 2011 Merial released a video today showcasing the proper use of its Vet Jet transdermal vaccination system in response to a September advisory of a possible fracture risk associated with the use of the device on kittens. The Vet Jet is the exclusive delivery system for Merial’s Purevax Recombinant Feline Leukemia Vaccine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the advisory following three adverse event reports involving the use of the product. In two of those cases, the respective users may have failed to properly lock the device’s nozzle into place before using it, causing the nozzle to dislodge and fracture the each kitten’s femur. The nearly 13-minute long video features instructions on the proper steps involved with using the Vet Jet. More than 90 seconds of the video are dedicated to instructions on properly locking the nozzle into place, including the following warning: “A nozzle that is not seated and locked securely may detach itself with significant force upon injection, which could cause injury to the cat or clinic staff.” The video also includes instructions on assembling the system, operating the plunger and identifying the proper …
Deramaxx Approved For Post-Op Dental Pain In DogsDecember 9, 2011 Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc.’s Deramaxx (deracoxib) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with dental surgery in dogs, the company reported today. Deramaxx was previously approved for the control and inflammation associated with canine osteoarthritis, and a clinical field study of 62 dogs showed the product to also be effective for canine dental surgery pain and inflammation. Dogs in the study received either a placebo or 1-to-2 mg of Deramaxx per kg of body weight at least one hour prior to surgery, and again for two more days. Among dogs that received Deramaxx, 14.8 percent required additional pain medication compared with 66.7 percent of dogs that received the placebo. The study used a modification of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale to assess and measure pain prior to surgery and again at regular intervals following dental extractions. Side effects that are normally mild, but possibly serious, involving the digestive system, kidneys or liver may occur with the use of Deramaxx, the company said. The product should not be used with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. <Home>
Aflatoxin Detection Prompts Limited Puppy Food RecallDecember 6, 2011The Procter and Gamble Co. voluntarily recalled a single-production lot of Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food due to aflatoxin levels detected above the acceptable limit, the Cincinnati-based company reported today. The product has been retrieved from store shelves, and no illnesses have been reported in association with the lot to date, according to the company. The recall includes Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food with Use By or Expiration Dates of Feb. 5 or 6, 2013 and the following attributes: Version Code Date(s) UPC Code 7.0 lb. bag 12784177I6 1901402305 8.0 lb. bag 12794177D2, 12794177D3 1901410208 17.5 lb. bag 2794177K1, 12794177K2 1901401848 The affected product lot was distributed to retailers in the Eastern U.S., including the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgie, Lousiana, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virgina. Consumers who purchased the product should stop using it and contact Iams for a replacement voucher, the company said. Aflatoxins are produced by toxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on peanuts, soybeans, corn, and other cereals either in the field or during storage when moisture content and temperatures are …
Online Network Aims To Connect Lost Pets With OwnersDecember 5, 2011 Bayer Healthcare LLC launched a virtual community of veterinary clinics, pet owners and animal shelters designed to share information about lost pets to help reunite them with their owners. The “Lost Pet Alert Network” allows pet owners and pet healthcare providers to register free of charge for an interactive online application that enables pet owners to announce to the community that a pet has been lost. Registrants can develop personalized lost pet posters that can be proactively distributed through local shelters and clinics. Registrants can also send alerts via Facebook, Twitter and directly to other pet owners who have opted into the system. Healthcare providers such as clinics and shelters can enroll here, while pet owners can register here. Shawnee, Kan.-based Bayer will work with Adopt-a-Pet.com to proactively spread the word on the “Lost Pet Alert Network” to the more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups in the Adopt-a-Pet.com network. Bayer has also distributed to participating veterinary clinics a Linked for Life kit, featuring materials that educate and inform pet owners to consider a small and safe implantable microchip, such as Bayer’s resQ. …
Elanco In-feed BRD Therapy Drug Approved By FDADecember 1, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Elanco’s new in-feed antimicrobial, Pulmotil (tilmicosin), for treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease in groups of cattle in the early stages of a BRD outbreak, the company reported today. The FDA approved Pulmotil for the control of BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni in groups of beef and non-lactating dairy cattle, where active BRD has been diagnosed in at least 10 percent of the animals in the group. It can be fed to cattle within the first 45 days after arrival. Elanco said the in-feed therapy, which lasts 14 days, reduces stress associated with cattle handling. The FDA requires a veterinarian to issue a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for the use of Pulmotil. Elanco said it will help facilitate the VFD process through training and ongoing support. Before making the product widely available, Elanco said it will conduct additional commercial trials and work with veterinarians and their clients to develop protocols that support the VFD process and maximize Pulmotil’s value in a variety of commercial settings. Elanco, based in Greenfield, Ind., is a division of Eli Lilly and Co. <Home>
Cats With Kidney Disease Sought For Clinical TrialsDecember 1, 2011 Colorado State University veterinarians are looking for cats with chronic kidney disease to participate in several clinical trials aimed at finding treatments. The trials are currently underway at the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo. Felines with chronic kidney disease may benefit from the studies, and several studies offer financial assistance if extra visits to the hospital are required or if the owner is asked to do extra tasks at home. The trials include: • An appetite stimulant clinical trial for mirtazapine Mirtazapine is a new appetite stimulant with anti-nausea properties that appears to help improve the quality of life of cats with kidney disease. Cats in the study will receive either a dose of mirtazapine or a placebo every other day for three weeks and then cross over to the other group for an additional three weeks. A vet visit is necessary at the beginning, middle and end of the study, and all visits and laboratory work are paid for by the study. It is not necessary to come to Colorado State University for the study, as the subject’s veterinarian will receive a stipend to cover the study costs. The owner will need to …
New Humane Organization Launches With ‘Give Local’ CampaignNovember 30, 2011 A new nonprofit called the Humane Society for Shelter Pets ran a full-page ad in USA Today, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune today urging readers to donate to local animal shelters instead of the Humane Society of the United States. Along with its goal to encourage Americans to donate to local animal shelters, the HSSP also hosts a database of local shelters on its website and plans to create a network of veterinarians and sheltering professionals and provide them with tools to promote the HSSP’s “give local” message to their clients. The organization is funded by individuals, corporations and foundations that are supporters of the pet industry, according to HSSP co-director Jeff Douglas. The advertisement taken out by the HSSP today includes a quote from Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, which says “We never said we funded animal shelters.” The advertisement also says, “Please help shelter pets by donating locally, not to HSUS.” Pacelle wrote a blog post today on the HSUS website deriding the HSSP and claiming the organization is the …
