PetSmart announces launch of online pharmacySeptember 28, 2017PetSmart announced the launch of PetSmart Pharmacy, a new online-only pharmacy that offers ordering and autofill of prescription and over the counter medications, and veterinary diet prescription pet food, combined with home delivery. According to Packaged Facts, the pet medication market would be a more than $10 billion industry by 2018. The market researcher's 2016 National Pet Owner survey found that 46 percent of pet owners buy pet products online, up from 41 percent in 2015. During the online ordering process at PetSmart.com, pet owners enter information about their pet and veterinarian. From there, fully licensed and pharmacy-certified PetSmart pharmacists coordinate with the veterinarian. Once validated, prescriptions are filled and the products are shipped directly to pet owners' homes. An auto-ship feature is available. PetSmart Pharmacy offers options to treat pet allergies, anxiety, arthritis, heartworm, seizure and diabetes, as well as rare ailments. Brand-name and generic prescription and OTC medications include Bravecto, Trifexis, Carprofen, Sentinel, and Vetmedin. PetSmart Pharmacy will not offer pet opiates as part of its product offering. Veterinary diet formulas, wet and dry, as well as treats, from Hill's, Royal Canine, and ProPlan will be available, as …
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AMC launches Usdan Institute for Animal HealthSeptember 20, 2017 The Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, which sees more than 50,000 patient visitors a year and has more than 100 years of veterinary medical experience, announced the launch of the Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education to help educate owners on all aspects of their pet's health. AMC has appointed Jaclyn Skidmore, MSc, an infectious disease epidemiologist, as the institute's director. "The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will focus on three areas of education: animal health, public health as it relates to animals, and the human-animal bond," said Kathryn Coyne, Animal Medical Center's CEO. "We hope pet owners everywhere will utilize the institute to find resources for their pet's health needs, and we invite all New York City area pet owners to join us at our Usdan event series." The Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education will present a series of educational events that will be open to the public. On Sept. 28, Mark Macina, DVM, head of AMC's dermatology service, will discuss seasonal pet allergies and advances in treatment. Every Tuesday the Institute will issue a "Usdan Tuesday Tip" on timely animal health information across AMC social platforms with the hashtag #UsdanTuesdayTip. …
Time Inc. latest corporation to reap pet, veterinary industry rewardsSeptember 12, 2017The lure of the lucrative pet products industry is hard to resist—even for a content king like Time Inc., which is launching PetHero, a paid membership program that leverages a network of veterinarians that belong to Pet Assure pet owners' club. Time Inc. claims it engages with more than 100 million pet owners and pet lovers through its pet-related content platforms. With the pet products and services industry surpassing $66 billion in 2016 and expected to exceed $70 billion by 2020, according to the American Pet Products Association, it comes as little surprise that the media giant is looking to take greater advantage of what this sector offers. How the PetHero program works PetHero membership plans begin at $20 per month for one-pet households and $25 for multipet households. After purchasing a plan, PetHero members receive a 25 percent discount on in-house veterinary services from more than 5,600 participating veterinary practices, a 15 percent discount on all products purchased through PetCareRx.com, seasonal gift boxes with pet toys and treats, and expert veterinary advice. The discounts on health care costs apply to all pets regardless …
Protégé Biomedical partners with VEDCO veterinary distributingSeptember 6, 2017Protégé Biomedical, the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based manufacturer of ClotIt and ClotIt VETTM products, has entered into a veterinary distribution partnership with VEDCO Inc., which offers multiple lines of products for veterinary clinicians through a network of 51 distributor locations nationwide. Through the partnership, ClotIt VETTM products now are available for veterinarians to order through their preferred distributor, with fulfillment through VEDCO, and their distribution partner companies. "We have a great line of every day and life-saving hemostatic products, and this partnership opens a lot of new doors for us," said Ron Shay, vice president of sales for Protégé Biomedical. "Our partnership will allow convenience for veterinarians worldwide to order ClotIt VETTM products directly through their preferred distributors."
AVMA passes proposals on end-of-life care, SAVMA, allied groupsSeptember 5, 2017 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) House of Delegates (HOD) approved a policy on end-of-life care for companion animals and approved bylaws amendments regarding the Student AVMA and allied veterinary organizations. The AVMA board of directors had submitted a revised version of the existing "Policy on Veterinary Hospice Care" to the HOD; delegates renamed the policy as "Veterinary End-of-Life Care" and made corresponding changes in the text of the policy. On recommendation of the AVMA steering committee on human-animal interactions, the policy now states that the AVMA endorses the 2016 guidelines on end-of-life care from the American Animal Hospital Association and the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. The revised policy outlines the concept of veterinary end-of-life care as "the provision of palliative care (including medications) for the remainder of a pet's life followed by humane euthanasia if an acceptable quality of life can no longer be maintained." The policy specifies that advice on veterinary care should be provided only by veterinary professionals, and that veterinarians should be empowered as animal advocates in end-of-life care facilities for animals. The HOD approved a bylaws amendment paving the way for transfer of the student chapters …
AAHA releases 2017 Canine Vaccination GuidelinesSeptember 5, 2017The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released its newly revised Canine Vaccination Guidelines. Experts and veterinary practitioners believe vaccination protocols should be individualized based on the patient's risk factors, life stage, and lifestyle, according to the Lakewood, Colo.-based organization. Published in the September/October edition of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association—and for the first time as an online educational resource for the veterinary medical profession—these revised guidelines offer important updates to the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines that will help practicing veterinarians meet patient and client needs in a complex infectious disease environment, according to AAHA. The new guidelines include the Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator, an interactive tool to support a veterinary team's vaccination recommendations based on risk factors and lifestyle, quick-reference tables for client-owned and shelter-housed dogs, antibody testing algorithms, recommendations for overdue patients, rabies law and exemption resources, vaccine storage and handling information, immunotherapeutic product summaries, and an expansion of the Frequently Asked Questions section. The guidelines also provide expert insight on several controversial issues, including frequency, dosing, scheduling, and duration of immunity for core and noncore vaccines; titer result interpretation; and adverse reaction identification and reporting, AAHA stated. The …
AVMA seeks board of directors candidatesSeptember 5, 2017The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is seeking candidates for its board of directors from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah. Nominations are open for candidates for election to the board representing District 7 and District 9, whose current directors' terms will expire in 2018. District 7, currently represented by Dr. John Howe, includes Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. District 9, currently represented by the board chairman, Dr. Michael Whitehair, includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah. District directors serve six-year terms. Terms for the new directors sought for Districts 7 and 9 will begin during July 2018 and end in 2024. Candidacy requirements Candidates must live in the district they seek to represent and must have been active members of the AVMA for at least five consecutive years immediately prior to the election. Interested parties can either be nominated by the principal veterinary organization of a state within their district, or they can file nominating petitions signed by 50 AVMA voting members residing within the district. The AVMA's Elections web page offers a guide to the process …
Likarda receives $4M to expand companion animal diabetes researchSeptember 4, 2017Likarda, a regenerative medicine company for companion animals, has received $4 million in Series A funding from Werth Family Investment Associates to back the company's proprietary Kanslet insulin-producing cell clusters, which can be infused into animals with diabetes, allowing veterinarians to offer a minimally invasive and cost-effective answer to pet owners, according to the company. Microencapsulated islets (the insulin-producing cells of the body) are transplanted via injection into the belly of a diabetic dog, removing the need for twice-daily insulin injections, the company stated. The additional funding allows Likarda to scale the project to thousands of animals, and the clinical research program is expected to launch by the end of 2017. "Partnership with Werth Family Investment Associates brings both funds to advance our product line and extensive experience in successful pharmaceutical licensing of new products for both human and animal health," said Lisa Stehno-Bittel, Ph.D., Likarda president and co-founder. "[It's] exciting and transformational for both animal health in the region and the global prospect of cell-based therapies for diabetic pets."
AAVMC opens nomination period for awardsSeptember 4, 2017The Association ofAmerican Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) announced it has opened the nomination period for four individual awards. AAVMC Excellence in Research Award AAVMC Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, Presented by Zoetis AAVMC Senator John Melcher, DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award AAVMC Billy E. Hooper Award for Distinguished Service For more information, visit the awards page. Award criteria and submission information is available on the individual award pages. Additionally, the nomination period for the AAVMC Public Policy Faculty Fellows Program is now open. For program information, click here. The nomination deadline for all awards listed above and the Faculty Fellows program is Friday, Oct. 13.
Pet, vet industries provide emergency relief after Hurricane HarveyAugust 31, 2017In response to Hurricane Harvey, PetSmart Charities has dedicated at least $1 million in emergency relief funding to help animal welfare agencies working to rescue, relocate, feed, and care for pets left homeless due to flooding.
