Veterinary practice trends webinar highlights further industry consolidationAugust 17, 2018In just five years, 25 percent of veterinary practices, accounting for half of all veterinary visits, will be corporately owned, according to Brakke Consulting. During a webinar presented at the end of June, "Hot Topics in Veterinary Practice," Brakke senior consultant John Volk said myriad variables were contributing to the trend: looming mass veterinarian retirement, fewer vets wanting to own practices, low interest rates and high interest for investors, and more. The webinar also discussed the largest veterinary consolidators; Banfield Pet Hospital and VCA lead the way with nearly 2,000 practices; National Veterinary Associates counts more than 400 clinics, and VetCor has more than 200. Something corporate outfits can offer that consumers want is the convenience of pet health plans, which allow pet owners to pay in regular installments, increase clinic visits and revenue, improve patient care, attract new clients, and build a bond between the practice and the client. To counteract corporate sales, Volk said associates should work with a current owner, partner with others, and focus on one- and two-doctor practices. Other sectors of the profession mimic the consolidation trend. The top five animal drug manufacturers, Bayer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Elanco Animal Health, …
SPONSORED CONTENTProtect your patients from the start.Simparica Trio (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) is the first monthly preventative of its kind. Combining three ingredients for month-long protection. + Learn more
Zoetis completes $2 billion acquisition of AbaxisAugust 1, 2018Zoetis Inc. announced on July 31 the completion of its acquisition of Abaxis, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of diagnostic instruments for veterinary point-of-care services for approximately $2 billion. The acquisition, first announced on May 16, aims to enhance Zoetis' presence in veterinary diagnostics, a category of the animal health industry with approximately 10 percent compound annual growth over the last three years. "Abaxis, with its VetScan family of diagnostic instruments, brings Zoetis experienced colleagues and a proven, competitive platform for growth in diagnostics," said Juan Ramón Alaix, CEO of Zoetis. "By leveraging our global scale and direct customer relationships in approximately 45 countries, we can help Abaxis accelerate that growth in the U.S. and worldwide. Together, we can bring more veterinarian customers comprehensive solutions to predict, prevent, detect, and treat disease in animals." Zoetis executives will comment on the acquisition and provide updated financial guidance at the company's second quarter 2018 financial results webcast and conference call on Aug. 2 at 8:30 a.m. (ET). Investors and the public may access the live webcast by visiting the Zoetis website at http://investor.zoetis.com/events-presentations.
Zoetis launches mobile app version of VetVance websiteJuly 13, 2018Zoetis has launched a mobile version of its VetVance website. VetVance, a free educational resource, provides veterinarians, veterinary students, recent graduates, and veterinary technicians with online content relating to professional development, business skills, professional stewardship, financial literacy, and personal wellness. The new mobile app, available for use on iOS smartphones/tablets and Android smartphones, features many of the tools found on the VetVance website, including courses, course progress tracking, and registrant profiles. Registrants who use VetVance span multiple areas of interest, including small-, large-, and production-animal medicine, as well as academia, laboratory, industry, and other areas. They represent a range of professional veterinary experience and include nearly 8,000 students enrolled in, and more than 6,000 practicing veterinarian graduates from, a U.S. or Caribbean college of veterinary medicine. "Currently, VetVance has nearly 17,000 registrants globally," said Christine Jenkins, DVM, DACVIM, vice president and chief medical officer, Veterinary Medical Services and Outcomes Research at Zoetis. "This new mobile app will provide additional access for users, and more opportunities for Zoetis to reach an even broader audience with important messaging around topics of greatest interest to the veterinary professional, including personal wellness and financial literacy." The free …
Zoetis awards $200K in grants for heartworm researchJune 12, 2018Zoetis has awarded three teams of scientists with $200,000 in research grants to support projects that will help advance understanding of the fundamentals of heartworm and explore novel interventions to help prevent it. "Heartworm disease is a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, particularly in dogs and cats," said Debra Woods, Ph.D., research director and head of parasitology global therapeutics research at Zoetis. "New therapies are likely to be required as heartworm resistance to current therapies develops over time." Grant recipients are: Sean Forrester, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Guilherme G. Verocai, DVM, MSc, Ph.D., DACVM, director of the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Mostafa Zamanian, Ph.D., and Lyric Bartholomay, Ph.D., of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine "We were impressed with the caliber of the innovative research proposals we received and selected three that will augment our internal research and development and could lead to new scientific insights in parasitic disease, in particular, heartworm disease," said Dr. Woods. The research grants were awarded by a committee comprised of leaders from across divisions and disciplines, with external …
Zoetis to buy Abaxis for $1.9 billionMay 16, 2018In an effort to gain a greater foothold in the veterinary diagnostics category, Zoetis veterinary drug corporation will acquire Abaxis diagnostic equipment manufacturer in a $1.9 billion deal, which was announced Wednesday. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year. According to MarketsandMarkets research firm, the worldwide veterinary diagnostics market is expected grow from $2.3 billion in 2017 to $3.6 billion in 2022. Zoetis, whose diagnostics business accounts for less than 1 percent of its overall annual revenue of $5.3 billion for 2017, seeks to leverage that expanding category. In a statement, the company reported it expects the sector to "continue to grow faster than the animal health industry, with growth in the mid to high single digits, driven by international adoption of point-of-care diagnostic instruments due to rising medicalization rates, increasing standard of veterinary care, and the convenience of in-clinic testing." Abaxis, headquartered in Union City, Calif., reported revenue of $227 million in 2017. The company manufactures chemistry and hematology diagnostic instruments and consumable discs, kits, and cartridges for the animal health industry. It recently launched its VetScan FLEX4 Rapid Test to detect heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma …
American Humane Hero Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse Awards voting openMay 7, 2018Voting has opened for the fifth annual American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards sponsored by Zoetis. A panel of veterinary professionals and animal care experts reviewed more than 200 nominations and has selected 10 veterinarians and veterinary nurses as finalists. The winners will be flown to Los Angeles to be honored on Sept. 29 as part of the eighth annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and Zoetis. The Hero Dog Awards will air nationwide as a two-hour special on Hallmark Channel this fall. "Veterinarians and veterinary nurses are heroes to our animals, and to us," said Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., president and CEO of American Humane. "These dedicated professionals work behind the scenes and without fanfare to keep these family members happy and healthy. We and the nation thank them, one and all!" "Our finalists are outstanding examples of the veterinary community," said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP, executive director, Zoetis Petcare marketing. "The American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Veterinary Nurse Awards are Zoetis' way of giving back to those who keep our best friends healthy and strengthen the life-enhancing, even life-saving human-animal bond. Congratulations to …
Zoetis launches #MyVetIsCore sweepstakes April 24, 2018 The Zoetis #MyVetIsCore Sweepstakes invites horse owners to express their appreciation for their veterinarian. Until May 22, 2018, horse owners can visit MyVetIsCore.com to enter for a chance to win weekly prizes as well as a grand prize. Eligible participants can upload a photo of their horse and veterinarian, and share why their veterinarian is "core" to their horse's health and wellness. Once a photo is uploaded, horse owners may share the graphic via their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account. "We launched the #MyVetIsCore Sweepstakes as a platform of encouragement—to showcase the many ways veterinarians improve the health of horses and the lives of horse owners," said Adrienne McAleer, equine marketing innovation manager for the company. "Equine wellness requires a dedicated team, from efficacious products to the trusted bond between horse owners and their veterinarians, to help protect horses." "It's vital that horse owners work closely with their veterinarian to help protect their horse from grave disease risks," said Kevin Hankins, DVM, senior equine technical services veterinarian for Zoetis. "Providing this level of protection begins with annual vaccination against the five core diseases. More than diseases, they can be a death sentence, and this is a threat we do …
Zoetis scholarship award program passes $6M markMarch 23, 2018Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) announced the awarding of $630,000 in scholarship funds through the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Program for 2018. Now in its ninth year, the program awarded scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to 315 second- and third-year veterinary students representing 33 colleges of veterinary medicine. The program has awarded $6.1 million over the past nine years, helping to offset education expenses for more than 3,000 veterinary students. Lizann Guzman, a student enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., said the award made a significant impact on her educational experience. After not being accepted to the veterinary college in her home state, Guzman faced a difficult financial choice. "One of the hardest decisions of my life was moving out to California for vet school, knowing that I would be in so much more debt than if I waited a year to reapply in-state," said Guzman, who will graduate in 2019. "This scholarship greatly helped me out financially and gave me extra motivation to work hard in pursuing my dream." "Easing the economic pressure on students like …
Can The Pet Effect play a role in practice success?March 22, 2018Zoetis has released two new videos as part of The Pet Effect, an educational campaign to raise awareness of pets' positive health benefits for humans, and how, by extension, veterinary professionals are key contributors to public health. To help publicize The Pet Effect, Zoetis has partnered with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). "The Pet Effect aims to put veterinarians at the center of the conversation with pet owners and potential pet owners about how human and pet health are connected," said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP, executive director, Zoetis Petcare Marketing. "As a HABRI co-founder, Zoetis firmly supports human-animal bond research, and we hope these videos and new research results will help spread the word of the physical and emotional benefits of pet ownership." Who saved who? The Pet Effect campaign has assembled scientific evidence that demonstrates how pets improve heart health, alleviate depression, increase well-being, support child health and development, and contribute to healthy aging, as well as assist in treating a range of conditions from autism spectrum disorder to Alzheimer's disease to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The campaign videos, Comrade and Adopt a Human, portray two situations in which pets can positively affect …
Zoetis offers high-volume veterinary chemistry testingFebruary 13, 2018Zoetis has launched Carysta HVC (high volume chemistry), a standalone, chemistry diagnostic instrument designed to bring reference-lab quality testing to high-volume veterinary practices. Carysta HVC offers a menu of 37 routine and specialty parameters, available as singly selected tests or fully customizable panels, all on one system. The instrument, specifically designed for those veterinary practices conducting the highest volume of diagnostic tests, offers veterinarians greater operational flexibility than current instrument solutions, while improving quality, productivity, and reducing clinic costs of testing, according to the company. Carysta HVC is based on liquid reagent technology ideally suited for veterinary clinics, reference laboratories, and shelters that need greater throughput and test selection flexibility. The system runs multiple patient samples simultaneously with minimal sample volumes, enabling high-volume veterinary clinics to practice cost-effective medicine based on patient needs and allowing customized test selection based on veterinary requirements, and allows veterinarians the to add urgent samples with no work flow interruption. The product will be distributed through an exclusive partnership with DiaSys Diagnostic Systems USA LLC. Availability of Carysta HVC is expected in March. For more information, visit carysta.com.
