Nestlé in talks to buy Champion PetfoodsJuly 2, 2018Nestlé, the Swiss food and beverage conglomerate, is in talks to buy a majority stake in Champion Petfoods for $2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based Champion, maker of Orijen and Acana superpremium dog and cat food and treats, is owned by Toronto-based Bedford Capital and others. Its products are sold through pet specialty shops and retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada, veterinary clinics in Canada, and distributors in the U.S. and internationally. Nestlé owns Castor & Pollux, Merrick, Beneful, Friskies, and Purina pet food brands, among others. Nestlé is currently under pressure from investors—activist investor Dan Loeb, in particular—to fix its overall corporate strategy. In a statement today, Nestlé said it's on track to meet its 2020 goals for margin improvement, operating profit, and structural cost savings. Champion, too, is currently under fire. Consumers from California, Minnesota, and Florida filed a class-action lawsuit early this year for "false advertising" and "feed law" violations, among other charges. The suit states that its dry dog food contains BPA, which typically is not associated with dry pet foods.
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Easyvet announces first walk-in veterinary clinic franchiseJune 29, 2018With the launch of the nation's first walk-in veterinary franchise, easyvet aims to offer "veterinary medicine built to meet the needs of owners and veterinarians, lowering the costs of quality care for pets while allowing more vets the freedom to start their own practice," the company stated. Easyvet stated that its clinics will help establish balance between accessible pet care with an improved work-life balance for the veterinarian franchise owners. "This model allows veterinarians the ability to manage their clinic with predictable hours," the company stated. "Without having to be on-call for emergencies or surgical procedures, they can offer dependable hours for clients that best fit the community they serve." The clinics offer comprehensive exams, core vaccines, parasite screening and prevention, microchipping, chronic pain management, geriatric care, allergy screening, behavioral and lifestyle counseling, and more. The franchise will be opening two new clinics; one in Georgia and a second in Arizona. Christian Cumberbatch, DVM, has opened a franchise in Alpharetta, Ga.; two more locations are planned. "Having worked as an associate and emergency veterinarian, and having previously owned multiple clinics, I was looking for a change in my career that allowed me to still manage and …
WSAVA announces 2018 Global One Health Award recipientsJune 29, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has announced that a veterinarian and a physician are the joint winners of its 2018 Global One Health Award. Edward B. Breitschwerdt, DVM, from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Christopher W. Woods, MD, from Duke University, Durham, N.C., were nominated for the award in recognition of their work on atypical manifestations of bartonellosis in people and veterinary healthcare providers in particular. The WSAVA Global One Health Award is presented by the WSAVA's One Health Committee (OHC) to an individual or organization which has promoted an aspect of One Health relevant to companion animals. Drs. Breitschwerdt and Woods will receive their award and jointly present the One Health Award lecture during this year's WSAVA World Congress, Sept. 25-28 in Singapore. Multiple Bartonella spp. can infect people and their pets, with cat scratch disease being the most recognized manifestation. However, Bartonella spp. are considered "stealth" pathogens and can be difficult to diagnose. Breitschwerdt and Woods have developed more sensitive Bartonella tests for use with humans and other species and have applied these tests to people, in the process discovering new chronic disease associations, including headaches, …
Fuzzy Pet Health launches veterinary telemedicine planJune 29, 2018A new telemedicine veterinary care plan is now available across the U.S. from Fuzzy Pet Health, a subscription-based pet healthcare company in San Francisco. Fuzzy Connect enables owners to communicate with veterinarians in real-time directly via an app on their Apple or Android device. The service provides users with immediate access to medical advice, as well as tips for behavioral problems, diet, and supplements. In some states, members will also be able to order prescriptions through the app and schedule in-home veterinary appointments. Fuzzy hopes the new app will redefine the relationship owners currently have with their veterinarians. "Our team has been providing veterinary care over telemedicine in the Bay Area for a while now and we've seen an incredible shift in how our members engage," said Robert Trimble, DVM, Fuzzy's head of veterinary services. "The average pet parent goes to the vet only 1.6 times a year, while our members get in touch with us roughly once a month."
ACVO screens 7,600 service animals during free eye exam eventJune 29, 2018More than 7,600 service and working animals received free eye exam screenings between May 1 and 31 as part of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists' (ACVO) 11th annual ACVO/StokesRx National Service Animal Eye Exam Event. The screenings were voluntarily conducted by 305 board-certified ophthalmologists across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and Spain and administered to guide, disability assistance, detection, military, search and rescue, and registered therapy animals. "Every year, we continue to see this event expand to additional clinics around the world and reach more service animals," said Stacee Daniel, executive director of ACVO. "It is an honor to work with such passionate and dedicated ophthalmologists and to be able to assist these hard-working service animals and their handlers for the past decade. The costs for both the service animals and their care can be very high, so to be able to obtain such an important screening examination at no cost can make a huge difference for many of the program's recipients." Access to regular screenings is invaluable for service animals, as the examinations can detect the early warning signs of conditions that may lead to sight impairment. Mark Carnes, of Colorado, has regularly participated in the event …
Pathway Vet Alliance brings Heska equipment in houseJune 28, 2018Pathway Vet Alliance, a national veterinary management company based in Austin, Texas, with 150 locations across the U.S., announced it will bring Heska Corp. point-of-care blood diagnostics, digital imaging, allergy testing, and more into its operational services. The multi-year strategic partnership is expected to improve the workflow efficiency of Pathway's nationwide network of veterinary hospitals through enhanced technology and medicine, according to a company statement. Heska's products and services will be part of Pathway's new medical technology rollouts taking place throughout the country. "We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience of the pet owners and pets who visit our clinics and this partnership with Heska is a great example of that," said Stephen Hadley, DVM, CEO at Pathway Vet Alliance. "Together, we expect to incorporate a range of new products and services into our veterinary hospitals, which will minimize wait times and add to our streamlined practice management system." "Heska is proud to be selected by Pathway for point-of-care diagnostics throughout its growing network of hospitals, and we expect Heska, Pathway teams, and, most importantly, pets, to benefit from our partnership," said Kevin Wilson, CEO at Heska. In 2017, Pathway added nearly 100 …
VIN Foundation announces Solutions for the Profession Competition winnersJune 28, 2018The VIN Foundation, a nonprofit that provides tools and resources to support veterinary students and veterinarians throughout their careers, has announced the results of its second annual Solutions for the Profession Competition. This year's competition asked veterinary students to share in essay form what information would have been helpful to know before applying to veterinary school. It also asked applicants to suggest ways veterinary schools could better communicate the realities and challenges veterinary students face. Veterinary student debt and mental health were among the most common problems addressed. "This essay competition provided an opportunity for veterinary students to suggest ways pre-veterinary and veterinary students can be better prepared, which will help future colleagues, and therefore the veterinary profession as a whole," said Richard Headly, DVM, VIN Foundation board chairman. More than 100 entries were submitted from around the world. Three winners were awarded cash prizes to help with educational expenses. The winners of this year's essay competition are: Paige Livingston won first place for her essay on ways to improve student debt education. Livingston is entering her fourth year as a student at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Cheyenne Cannarozzo …
Western Veterinary Conference welcomes new board president, membersJune 28, 2018Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) has announced three additions to the organization: 2018 incoming board president Darwin R. Yoder, MS, DVM, and new board members Travis McDermott, DVM, and Suzanne Russo, DVM, MS. Dr. Yoder, a Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences graduate, has held various positions, including working in private practice, as a veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health, as a full-tenured professor, and as a director in the veterinary technology program at Sul Ross State University. Now retired, Yoder acts as a veterinary medicine consultant to the range sheep industry in the western U.S. Dr. McDermott, a Texas A&M grad whose interests include dermatology, dentistry, internal medicine, surgery, and endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures. He served on the Nevada Veterinary Medical Association board of directors and the AVMA Political Action Committee prior to his election to the WVC board. Dr. Russo, who holds a DVM from The Ohio State University and a master of science in human resources management from Golden Gate University, has served in small animal private clinical practices for 13 years in Northern California and Connecticut and held multiple roles at Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis), thereafter. From 2016-2017, she was the vice president …
Patterson Veterinary, Cure Partners, launch NaVetor cloud-based PMSJune 28, 2018Patterson Veterinary and Cure Partners have formed a new business, Technology Partner Innovations LLC, which is launching a cloud-based practice management software, NaVetor. "NaVetor was designed to be beautifully easy," said Ali Hashmat, CEO of Cure Partners. "The software was created uniquely for veterinary practices to follow veterinary professionals' work day and workflow." NaVetor's features include: Quick-view dashboard – Important information consolidated into a single view Appointment calendar – Customizable display to quickly schedule or reschedule appointments Whiteboard – Snapshot view of everything happening in the veterinary practice Electronic medical records – Create and maintain paperless medical records for each patient Billing and financial management – Streamline administrative processes and easily manage the business side of practice Inventory – Manage inventory electronically to take the guesswork out of ordering and reordering Reporting – Manage the business and identify growth areas Conversion and training – Onboarding and support Visit navetor.com for more information.
AVMA launches online guide to support veterinary well-beingJune 28, 2018 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is keeping veterinary health and well-being top of mind for veterinarians across the profession with its new guide, 100 Healthy Tips to Support a Culture of Wellbeing. The guide, available at the AVMA website, offers strategies and practical steps veterinary professionals can take at work and at home to support healthful living and create a positive work environment. It addresses each of the nine unique dimensions that contribute to well-being: creative, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. The guide also combines strategies for improvement both at the individual level and in the workplace. Sample tips from the guide: Creative well-being Workplace: Organize an employee poetry reading during lunch or after hours in a local coffeehouse. Individual: Seek out inspiration. Visit museums, attend live concerts, attend a book reading, or take in a sunset. Emotional well-being Workplace: Institute "feelings" rounds into your daily check-ins or weekly staff meetings. Encourage—but do not require—everyone to participate to the level they are comfortable. Individual: Actively seek out laughter. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Environmental well-being Workplace: Create a work environment that …
