The Road To IndiaNovember 3, 2011 When British veterinarian Jack Reece, B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., first arrived in Jaipur, India, in the late 1990s for what was to be a brief volunteer stay, he couldn’t help but notice the dogs. They were everywhere—sleeping on piles of building materials or sand, rooting through rubbish, lying by the side of the road or in the medians of city streets. “It’s not something that we are used to seeing in the West,” Dr. Reece says. “But these are not abandoned pets; they are not dumped animals. These are dogs that are born, live, mate and die, all on the streets.” Jaipur still has street dogs today, but their population is smaller, healthier and more stable—thanks in large part to Reece and the Indian charity he has worked for during most of the past 12 years, Help in Suffering. The HIS spaying and vaccination program has shrunk the number of street dogs, improved their quality of life and sharply reduced the number of dog bites and rabies cases in humans. And as the program’s manager, Reece, 49, has established himself and HIS as authorities on the humane management of street animal populations in developing countries, despite limited resources …
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Legal Exposure Might Not Be Worth The SavingsNovember 3, 2011 Some veterinarians believe they are helping clients reduce costs by ordering compounded drugs instead of medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But there’s a reason compounded drugs are cheaper than FDA-approved medications, pharmaceutical companies say. Compounding pharmacies’ quality-control procedures are rarely as stringent or comprehensive as the good manufacturing practices required by the FDA for approved products. Therefore, the safety and efficacy of compounded drugs are not guaranteed. In a case of therapeutic failure of a compounded product when an FDA-approved medication is available, the amount the veterinarian saves the client might turn a competitive advantage into a serious disadvantage. That prescription could leave the veterinarian exposed to legal liabilities because the FDA does not test or approve compounded drugs. Liability Dangers “Many times veterinarians don’t understand that they are the first in line in liability in the event that a compounded product goes bad,” says Denise E. Farris, Esq., owner of Farris Law Firm LLC in Kansas City, Mo. “If there is an adverse reaction, he or she is liable to the client for veterinary malpractice. The liability coverage may not cover that activity because most policies do not cover …
What’s Beyond For Baby Boomers And The HAB?November 3, 2011 As a baby boomer, I officially enter my senior years when I turn 65 on Nov. 5. My husband, Ira Lifland, who is two months younger than I, follows in January. We are glad to be eligible for Medicare and thankful to be able to save a lot of money on our health insurance premiums, which were more than $30,000 last year. Even though we are healthy, our premiums have been upped annually, paralleling the profits of our carrier. Going on Medicare will be a raise for us. Our strategy is to forgo Social Security payments until we turn 70 so we receive more in the long run if we survive past 80. Ira always envied me for loving what I do. This profession is wonderful, and I enjoy working our concierge referral practices. Animal Oncology Consultation Service and Pawspice is one. Carreen Lynch, RVT, is my Pawspice partner. Pawspice offers palliative care and gentler standard care for cancer patients. It transitions into hospice as the patient’s quality of life declines or if death is expected soon. Carreen has worked with me for most of the past 25 or so years. She has read my …
FDA Approves Drug To Treat Signs Of Equine Cushing’s DiseaseNovember 2, 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market a drug for treatment of the clinical signs associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as equine Cushing’s disease. Prascend, Boehringer’s registered trademark for the drug pergolide mesylate, is the first and only FDA-approved product for the management of PPID in horses, the company said. The drug is administered in tablet form and decreases the risk of complications of PPID, including those that have the potential to be life-threatening. Equine Cushing’s disease affects an estimated one in seven horses over the age of 15, and horses as young as seven years of age have been diagnosed with the disease, according to Boehringer. Chronic laminitis is significantly more common in horses suspected of having PPID. The most common clinical signs of advanced-stage PPID that occur in horses are hirsutism or an abnormal amount of hair growth, abnormal sweating, weight loss, muscle wasting, abnormal fat distribution, lethargy, laminitis, polydipsia, polyuria, chronic infections, and recurrent infections. “Unfortunately, PPID is not a curable disease,” said John Tuttle, DVM, Boehringer equine technical services veterinarian. “However, Prascend does offer a safe and efficacious treatment option to …
FDA Seeks More Input On Food Facility Preventative Control GuidelinesNovember 1, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reopened the public comment period for seeking guidance on establishing preventative controls for registered human food, animal food and animal feed facilities. In May 2011, the FDA sought comments on best practices for hazard analysis and preventative controls for facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption. The agency said it reopened the comment period “in response to a request for an extension to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments.” Information obtained from the comments will assist the FDA in the development of guidance on preventative controls for food facilities. The FDA is specifically seeking comments in the following general categories with respect to human food, animal food or animal feed, including pet food: • Conducting a hazard analysis to determine the hazards associated with specific human food, animal food, and animal feed and processes (e.g., the procedures used to determine potential hazards and to assess whether they are reasonably likely to occur); • Implementing process controls (e.g., processes employed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to acceptable levels the occurrence of any hazards that are reasonably likely to occur); • Validating one …
Judge Rules Against FDA In Bid To Close Franck’sOctober 31, 2011 Memories of the 2-year-old tragedy still echo through the U.S. veterinary, pharmacy and equestrian communities. For Paul Franck, the details certainly remain fresh. “I was taken aback initially,” Franck recalls of April 20, 2009, when he heard the news that 21 Venezuelan polo horses had died after receiving injections just before the U.S. Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida. “I was hoping it wasn’t our pharmacy, that we weren’t involved with the prescription.” Franck added that his compounding lab is “at a good point now.” Which means circumstances have changed quite a bit from those of April 2009. Nightmare Scenario A high-profile tragedy such as the polo horse deaths is a nightmare for any organization that fills prescriptions. But a company such as Franck’s has to be ready to deal with misfills, Franck said, because no matter how diligent your operation, they are going to happen. “In our industry, there are misfills on a weekly basis,” he said. “It’s how you divulge them—how you move forward and deal with the situation—that matters.” After the horses died, Franck’s immediately hired an outside source to investige. Results revealed that the prescription was incorrectly filled …
AVMA Says Vets Make Ideal Zombie Apocalypse Traveling CompanionsOctober 31, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Association today released a statement to continue its mission of advancing the veterinary profession, even in the event of a zombie apocalypse. The AVMA listed the top five reasons why a veterinarian would be a useful team member in a zombie-dominated world, including: 1. Veterinarians have a better chance at surviving: In the event of a zombie apocalypse, survivors are at a premium, and losing members of your group will make you much more vulnerable. The biggest risk is getting bitten by a zombie. Well, who’s better at avoiding bites than a veterinarian? 2. They can provide medical care: Pre-apocalypse, see your physician. Post-apocalypse, if a physician isn’t available, you couldn’t do much better than having a veterinarian treat your (non-zombie-bite) wounds and illnesses. Veterinarians spend at least four years post-grad training to care for all species, so while the general anatomy might be slightly different, they’re probably not going to be overwhelmed by the prospect of working on human patients. 3. They can take care of the animals: With electrical grids down and gasoline no longer in production, you’re going to be relying on animals much more: Dogs for protection, horses …
Maximize Technicians’ Potential As Client CommunicatorsOctober 28, 2011 When technicians excel in the medical and communication components of their jobs, they can maximize revenue and encourage a more efficient practice. Consultants say, however, that many veterinarians aren’t delegating enough responsibility to technicians. Training is the biggest hurdle that keeps practitioners from using technicians fully, experts say, noting that members of a practice’s team should share responsibility for client communications. Technicians are often viewed by clients as easier to approach, perhaps less intimidating. “Years ago, veterinarians hired animal lovers and people haters and tried to make them technicians,” says Jim Guenther, DVM, MBA, MHA, CVPM, a consultant at Strategic Veterinary Consulting in Asheville, N.C. “Now with formal training for medical certification and client communication, technicians need to possess both skills to be effective. Technicians can be a practice’s biggest asset or handicap in regard to client loyalty and compliance.” Technicians need formal and in-house education before gaining access to clients, Dr. Guenther says. They also need to know veterinary expectations and restrictions regarding client interaction. Hire for Skills Efficiency in the practice starts with hiring, says Shannon Pignott, CVPM, ACC, owner and business director at 1-10 Pet Emergency and president of VetThink Inc., …
Revenue At VCA Antech's Existing Hospitals Edges Up In Q3October 27, 2011Revenue at VCA Antech's Existing Hospitals Edges Up in Q3Revenue at VCA Antech's Existing Hospitals Edges Up in Q3, Antech Q3 2011Same-store revenue at VCA Antech's animal hospitals grew by 1.0 percent for the third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, compared to the year-ago period.Same-store revenue at VCA Antech's animal hospitals grew by 1.0 percent for the third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, compared to the year-ago period.newslineRevenue at VCA Antech's Existing Hospitals Edges Up in Q3Posted: Oct. 27, 2011, 7:00 p.m. EDT Strong financial performances at VCA Antech Inc.'s network of hospitals led to increased third quarter earnings and revenues for the Los Angeles company. VCA Antech reported today a 9.5 percent increase in revenues and a 10.6 percent increase in gross profit at its hospitals. Gross margin for the hospitals increased to 17.0 percent from 16.8 percent in the year-ago period, and operating margin increased to 15.1 percent from 14.8 percent in the third quarter of 2010. Total revenue for the hospitals increased to $303.2 million, due in large part to VCA Antech's acquisition of four independent hospitals and BrightHeart Veterinary Centers and its nine animal hospitals. "Although we continue to face a challenging business environment, …
Head Halter, Medication For Fear AggressionOctober 27, 2011Using odd ratio statistics, one of our master’s degree students at Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy found that dogs exhibiting fear aggression are 580 times more likely than a control group with owner-directed aggression to have been raised in what we call a suboptimal environment during the sensitive period of development (3-12 weeks of age). She defined a suboptimal environment as one in which the puppy is raised with little contact with people, perhaps isolated in a basement, whelping room, garage or outdoor compound. It is not hard to see that puppies raised without the benefit of ongoing benign interactions with a variety of people (and dogs other than littermates) might become somewhat insular in their thinking and therefore shy of novel encounters. This shyness can be compounded into frank fearfulness by negative experiences, such as being shouted at or handled roughly. Because men and children are more prone to behaviors that might intimidate a pup, they are the ones who typically become the subjects of a fear aggressive dog’s attention. The time course for development of fear aggression in dogs almost exactly mirrors that of the development of a similar type of dysfunctional aggression in humans (when …
