Idexx Reports Positive Q4 SalesFebruary 3, 2011 Idexx Laboratories Inc.’s companion animal division reported revenue of $229 million for its fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to revenue of $217.9 million in the year-ago period. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates reduced revenue growth by less than 1 percent, according to the Westbrook, Maine-based company. Organic growth of 6 percent was due primarily to increased sales volume sales prices in the laboratory and consulting services business and increased sales volumes of Idexx VetLab instruments and consumables, according to Idexx. The increase in instruments sales volume was driven primarily by sales of ProCyte Dx, the new hematology analyzer the company introduced in the third quarter of 2010, Idexx noted. “Market response to our ProCyte Dx hematology analyzer, launched in the third quarter, has been very positive,” said Jonathan Ayers, chairman and CEO of Idexx Laboratories. “The 449 units that we placed in the third and fourth quarters exceeded our expectations.” Year to date, the companion animal division reported revenue of $905.7 million, compared to revenue of $843.3 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Idexx Laboratories reported net income $36.4 million on revenue of $283.8 million for its fourth quarter, compared to …
SPONSORED CONTENTOne dose protects for 12 months.One ProHeart® 12 (moxidectin) injection puts compliance in your control. + Get started
MWI Veterinary Supply’s Q1 Sees 55% IncreaseFebruary 3, 2011 MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. reported net income of $10.8 million on revenue of $366.2 million for its first quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to net income of $7.8 million on revenue of $236.1 million in the year-ago period. Of the 55.1 percent increase in total revenue, 28.6 percent was due to organic growth in the United States and 26.5 percent was related to the company’s acquisition of Centaur Services Ltd. in February 2010. Internet sales to independent veterinary practices and producers in the United States grew by about 57 percent for the quarter compared to the year-ago period, according to MWI Veterinary Supply. Product sales from the Internet as a percentage of sales in the United States improved to 34 percent for the quarter, compared to 32 percent in the year-ago period, according to the company. MWI Veterinary Supply added its sixth veterinary pharmacy in Whitestown, Ind., in January. The company now has pharmacies in six of its 12 distribution centers. Revenue from MWI Veterinary Supply’s veterinary pharmacy programs increased more than 60 percent to $33 million for its first quarter, the company reported. MWI Veterinary Supply estimates that for the fiscal year …
New ‘Zoobiquity’ Initiative, Conference Cross DisciplinesFebruary 2, 2011 A new project, the Zoobiquity Research Initiative, was launched last week in an effort to help University of California Davis veterinary students and University of California Los Angeles medical students work together on projects that affect both animal and human health. Areas of topics will include obesity, geriatrics and environmental toxic exposure. The initiative was launched at the similarly named new conference, Zoobiquity, which was organized by the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens; and the One Health Center of the U.C. Global Health Institute. The conference was attended by more than 200 veterinarians and human physicians to better understand the global and species-spanning nature of illness. The conference was also designed to help forge ways that both veterinary and human medical fields can work together to further medicine, science and research. “The Zoobiquity conference and the initiative focus on the many similarities, both genetic and physiological, between species, which are vast and often underappreciated,” said Patricia Conrad, DVM, Ph.D., co-director of the U.C. Global Health Institute’s One Health Center and a professor of parasitology at the U.C. Davis School of …
MediVet-America Opens A Lab Service In KentuckyFebruary 1, 2011 MediVet-America, a developer of stem cell regenerative therapy in Nicholasville, Ky., reported today that it has opened MediVet Lab Services in Lexington. The aim is to provide technical support for in-clinic animal stem cell procedures, regional and national adipose stem cell processing, cryogenic banking services, autologous conditional serum processing and cell counting services for in-house stem cell treatments. MediVet Lab Services features a dedicated research and development department, a cell biologist and support staff. The company hopes to open additional laboratories throughout the United States, as well as provide an interactive website offering vet certification and a quality assurance/control program for cell counting and banking, according to Jeremy Delk, managing director of MediVet-America. MediVet Lab Services also makes banked doses more affordable since there is no processing/culture fee, Delk added. MediVet-America noted that it has signed agreements with more than 100 veterinarians since March 1, 2010, and distributes the technology in eight countries worldwide. <Home>
Recalls Issued For Dog Treats, Horse FeedJanuary 31, 2011Merrick Pet Care Inc. of Amarillo, Texas, is recalling its Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat due to potential Salmonella contamination. The decision is “in the abundance of caution,” the company said. No illnesses have been reported to date, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sent out a media alert today. Specifically, the Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat recall includes Item #27077, UPC #02280827077 and all lots up to and including 10364. The treats were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the United States. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures, according to the FDA. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain, according to the FDA. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. Pet owners are urged to contact their veterinarian if their pet has consumed the recalled product and have these symptoms. Salmonella can also be a risk to humans. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any …
Nebraska Mulls New Dog Breeder RegulationsJanuary 28, 2011 A Nebraska bill that seeks to establish new regulations for the state’s commercial dog breeders is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) claims the bill would adversely affect state breeders and is urging interested parties to make their voices heard by state lawmakers. Legislative Bill 427 defines a commercial dog breeder as any person: • who sells, exchanges, leases, or in any way transfers or offers to sell, exchange, lease, or transfer 31 or more dogs in a 12-month period beginning on April 1 of each year; • who owns or harbors four or more dogs, intended for breeding, in a 12-month period beginning on April 1 of each year; • whose dogs produce a total of four or more litters within a 12-month period beginning on April 1 of each year; or • who knowingly sells, exchanges, or leases dogs for later retail sale or brokered trading, regardless of the number of animals. Under this proposal, commercial dog breeders would be eligible to receive an “outstanding designation” from the state Department of Agriculture. To qualify, the breeder must pass all of the inspection components established …
Abaxis To Form Commercial Laboratory For VetsJanuary 27, 2011Abaxis Inc. has plans to enter the animal health commercial laboratory market with a new alliance with Kansas State University, K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and the National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization, the commercial arm of Kansas State University. The Union City, Calif.-based company made the announcement today. The alliance will prove a full service commercial laboratory for veterinarians across the United States, according to Abaxis. “We have been working on this project for one and a half years, and are excited that the strategic alliance has finally come together so we can get to work on executing the plans that have been in place for some time now,” said Clint Severson, Abaxis CEO and Chairman of the Board. The Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratory (AVRL) will be based in the Kansas City area. Abaxis reported secured employment agreements with senior executives and extensive experience in start-up, operation and commercialization of laboratory services. The company also said it has contracted with consultants with broad experience in animal health laboratory commercialization and has had extensive Abaxis Advisory Board participation in the planning phases of the laboratory. “While this venture will be a full service, highly competitive commercial laboratory, it will …
The Benefits Of Medical Massage FootnotesJanuary 24, 2011The Benefits of Medical Massage FootnotesThe Benefits of Medical Massage FootnotesThe Benefits of Medical Massage FootnotesThe Benefits of Medical Massage FootnotesThe Benefits of Medical Massage FootnotesBy Narda Robinson, DVM, DO1. Calvert RN. The History of Massage. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 2002, p. 27. 2. Mainous RO. Infant massage as a component of developmental care: past, present, and future. Holist Nurs Pract. 2002;17(1):1-7. 3. Diego MA and Field T. Moderate pressure massage elicits a parasympathetic nervous system response. International Journal of Neuroscience. 2009;119:630-638. 4. Touch Research Institute. Massage Therapy Research. Touchpoints. 2010;17(3):1. Accessed at http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/Touchpoints%20Summer%202010.pdf on 07-20-10. 5. Diego MA and Field T. Moderate pressure massage elicits a parasympathetic nervous system response. International Journal of Neuroscience. 2009;119:630-638. 6. Diego MA, Field T, and Hernandez-Reif M. Temperature increases in preterm infants during massage therapy. Infant Behav Dev. 2008;31(1):149-152. 7. Feldman R, Singer M, and Zagoory O. Touch attenuates infants' physiological reactivity to stress. Developmental Science. 2010;13(2):271-278. 8. Diego MA and Field T. Moderate pressure massage elicits a parasympathetic nervous system response. International Journal of Neuroscience. 2009;119:630-638. 9. Lutz W and Sulkowski WJ. Vagus nerve participates in regulation of the airways: inflammatory response and hyperreactivity induced by occupational …
Acupuncture, Massage Can Get Gut GoingJanuary 24, 2011About a third of human patients with digestive disorders “follow their gut” and seek help from complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches designed to restore normal motility and glandular function.1 People may feel queasy about the risks of side effects from laxatives, enemas and psychoactive medications, whether they themselves or their animal companions are suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) complaints.2 Even when certain patients still require medications, their systems’ response to pharmacotherapy may prove inadequate. Introducing acupuncture and massage as neuromodulatory techniques can speed recovery and reduce reliance on drugs. Effective neuromodulation requires an understanding of the neural pathways involved and the means by which the one can restore normal firing patterns in the nervous system. When they design a neuromodulatory treatment, medical acupuncturists and massage therapists target body regions that send signals through peripheral nerves, spinal reflex pathways and brainstem nuclei. 3 An additional consideration in digestive disorders includes focus on the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS comprises a network of nearly 100 million neurons embedded within the walls of the alimentary canal. This impressive population of nerves can operate independently of the brain and spinal cord so that, in the absence of central nervous system …
FDA Seeks Public Comment On NARMS Strategic PlanJanuary 24, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is soliciting public comment on its “National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (NARMS) Strategic Plan.” The agency made the document available today. Comments will be accepted until March 25. The document, described by the FDA as a “dynamic roadmap,” outlines the program’s strategic goals and objectives for 2011 through 2015 on the issue of sustained food safety through monitoring and research. Specifically, the goals are: • To develop, implement and optimize a shared database, with advanced data acquisition, analysis and reporting tools; • To make sampling more representative and more applicable to trend analysis; • To strengthen collaborative research projects; and • To support international activities that promote food safety, especially those that promote mitigation of the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants. The FDA noted that these goals build on progress made since NARMS’ inception in 1996. The program—established as a partnership between the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—is a national public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria. NARMS monitors antimicrobial susceptibility among enteric bacteria from food animals, …
