Veterinarians research mane growth in Oklahoma zoo lionessFebruary 26, 2018Bridget, an 18-year-old lioness at the Oklahoma City Zoo, has left veterinarians most curious about the mane she grew from March to November last year. Male lions develop their manes at about 1 year of age as a result of increased testosterone production. While female lions growing manes is rare, it's not unheard of, according to zoo officials. Mike Briggs, DVM, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan veterinary advisor, spotted a female lion in Africa with a mane similar in appearance to Bridget's. In 2011, a 13-year-old lioness at the National Zoo in South Africa began developing a mane. An issue with her ovaries resulted in excess testosterone production and once that was resolved, the mane receded. A group of five lionesses in the wilderness of Botswana were observed with manes in 2014. Because these lions came from the same pride and developed the manes at a young age, researchers believe a genetic component in this population resulted in this characteristic. Veterinary staff and caretakers drew blood from Bridget's tail and are currently awaiting results. A potential condition causing the mane growth could be a benign tumor located …
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Pet food, treat recalls issued for Northwest Naturals, TruPetFebruary 26, 2018Northwest Naturals of Portland, Ore., and TruPet LLC of Milford, Ohio, are issuing voluntarily recalls for dog food and treat products due to Listeria and Salmonella contamination. Northwest Naturals is recalling its 5-pound frozen food chubs labeled Chicken and Salmon Recipe; TruPet is recalling Treat Me Crunchy Beef Delight, 2.5-ounce dog treats. Earlier this month, several pet food companies recalled some of their products after the FDA received complaints of potential Salmonella poisoning. Those products are Darwin's Natural and ZooLogics pet foods made by Arrow Reliance Inc. of Tukwila, Wash.; Beefy Munchies from Smokehouse Pet Products Inc. of Sun Valley, Calif.; 7-inch bully sticks from Redbarn Pet Products of Long Beach, Calif.; and ground turkey pet food from Raws for Paws of Minneapolis, Minn. Also this month, J.M. Smucker Co.'s Big Heart Pet Foods withdrew shipments of Gravy Train, Kibbles n' Bits, Ol' Roy and Skippy brands after products tested contained trace amounts of pentobarbital.
General Mills enters pet food sector with Blue Buffalo acquisitionFebruary 23, 2018Minneapolis-based food conglomerate General Mills is buying Wilton, Conn.-based Blue Buffalo Co., maker of Blue Buffalo pet food, for roughly $8 billion in cash in a deal expected to be completed by May. The acquisition marks General Mills' return to the pet food business. The company produced pet food and sold it through pet stores in the 1930s and marketed food for dogs, cats, and birds in the 1950s. The deal accelerates the General Mills' plan to enhance its growth prospects by diversifying its business through acquisitions and divestitures of brands, said CEO Jeff Harmening. "The acquisition brings back the growth in the U.S. and growth on a consistent basis," he said. Blue Buffalo had annual sales of $1.3 billion in its last fiscal year, Harmening said. The overall pet food market generates $10 billion annually, according to Neilsen. William Bishop Sr. and family founded the company in 2012, and it went public in 2015. General Mills will maintain the company's Connecticut headquarters, and Bishop will remain CEO. The sale has been approved by both company boards, as well as Invus Public Equities, the Bishop family and Blue Buffalo's largest shareholder.
ISU professor receives AAVMC 2018 Melcher awardFebruary 22, 2018 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named James A. Roth, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, the Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor in Iowa State University's (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine, as the recipient of the 2018 Senator John Melcher DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award. Dr. Roth directs the Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics, developed an internationally recognized Veterinary Biologics Training Program that trains employees and government officials on the United States Department of Agriculture's regulatory process, and helped establish the Center for Food Security and Public Health at ISU with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also developed an online course on emerging and exotic diseases for veterinary students that is part of the USDA's initial accreditation process for new veterinarians. Since 2011, more than 30,000 people have taken the course. He is currently working on developing global online training about animal disease outbreaks. Roth also is the recipient of the USDA APHIS Administrator's Award for contributions in Animal Health. The award will be presented officially during the AAVMC's 2018 Annual Conference and Assembly, March 2-4, in Washington, D.C.
Cornell Animal Health Hackathon reveals vet student ingenuityFebruary 21, 2018In Ithaca, N.Y., nearly 200 students competed this January to discover the next big breakthrough concept in animal health and earn $5,000 in cash and prizes at the second annual Cornell Animal Health Hackathon. The competition, co-hosted by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Entrepreneurship at Cornell, invited students from any college or major to develop innovative solutions for the animal health sector. Students from Cornell, Binghamton University, Georgia Tech, New York University, and Tufts University competed. "The Animal Health Hackathon is intended to be an immersion learning experience for students to build business and entrepreneurship skills," said Lorin D. Warnick, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell. "The veterinary profession continues to diversify to fill vital roles in society and offering comprehensive business and entrepreneurship opportunities for students is a core strategic priority for the college." During the event, student teams collaborated with veterinarian and entrepreneurial mentors from around the U.S. After 50 original ideas were pitched and groups formed, 10 teams presented their concepts. "The energy and the passion in that room were palpable," said keynote speaker and Cornell alumnus Ted Sprinkle, CEO of Pet Partners LLC. "Normally, at …
WSAVA launches new website to broaden global veterinary communityFebruary 21, 2018 The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has launched a new website. Optimized for viewing on all internet-connected devices, the site includes recordings of lectures at previous World Congresses, an interactive map to enable members to find out quickly about the association's activity or continuing education by region, improved site navigation and search functions, and updated information on the full range of the organization's activities. Later this year, the website will feature Global Village, a forum for WSAVA member veterinarians to participate in discussion boards, view CE lectures, access quizzes, vote on WSAVA business, and connect with fellow WSAVA members from around the world. Reflecting the diversity of the WSAVA's membership, the new site will feature more content in Spanish, Russian, and simplified Chinese. "You only have to attend WSAVA World Congress to see the bond among our members and the extent to which they are keen to build relationships with each other, learn more about veterinary practice in other parts of the world and share experience and opportunity globally," said Siraya Chunekamrai, DVM, Ph.D., WSAVA vice president. "Our new website offers them a wealth of resources and information on the WSAVA, on our various committees …
Inaugural Feather in Her Cap awards go to 4 industry leadersFebruary 20, 2018Four women in the animal health industry have been recognized with inaugural Feather In Her Cap awards, recognizing their achievements and contributions and for mentoring and developing future women leaders. The award, established in 2017 as part of the nonprofit Feather In Her Cap Association Inc., honors women who have made outstanding contributions in animal health through scientific, industrial, or commercial excellence and by demonstrating commitment to mentoring women in the animal health industry. The four awardees, who each received a gold feather brooch and a feathered hat, are: Kimberly Allen, president of commercial operations for Henry Schein Animal Health, has served in various leadership positions within in the veterinary distribution industry for 36 years. She was the first woman to serve on and the first to chair the American Veterinary Distributors Association Board, serving several terms as president. Catherine Knupp, DVM, MS, executive vice president and president of research and development for Zoetis. She is a champion of the Zoetis Midwest Women's Mentoring Network, serving as a speaker at educational events and as a mentor. Marie-Paul Lachaud, DVM, head of European program management at Aratana Therapeutics Inc. The founder of the first animal health clinical research organization in …
NC State establishes first veterinary Clinical Ethics CommitteeFebruary 20, 2018Clinicians and researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke University have developed a first-of-its-kind veterinary medical ethics committee to aid care providers in navigating complex situations and difficult questions about care goals and quality of life. "Even though everyone involved in an animal's case is trying to act in the animal's best interest, determining the best course moving forward can lead to conflicts and that can be distressing for the people involved," said Jeannine Moga, a veterinary social worker at NC State. "I wanted to find an ethics-based way to help our hospital staff address differences and form consensus in these cases." Moga contacted Philip Rosoff, MD, MA, for guidance and advice on how to proceed. Rosoff, pediatric oncologist and director of the clinical ethics program at Duke University Hospital, is corresponding author of a new paper describing the committee's formation. "The establishment and growth of veterinary specialty hospitals for very sick animals is a relatively recent phenomenon," Dr. Rosoff said. "It's not surprising that veterinary hospitals also now see the need for ethics committees to mediate and adjudicate disputes about care." Together, Rosoff, Moga, and Bruce Keene, DVM, MSc, DACVIM, Jane Lewis Seaks Distinguished Professor of Companion …
MU study discovers therapeutic riding programs help PTSD veteransFebruary 20, 2018A University of Missouri study has determined that veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder experienced a significant decrease in PTSD scores just weeks after therapeutic horseback riding (THR). Results show that therapeutic horseback riding may be a clinically effective intervention for alleviating PTSD symptoms in military veterans. "Estimates are that more than 23 million military veterans experience PTSD symptoms each year," said Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FNAP, professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and the Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing in the Sinclair School of Nursing. "While counseling and behavior therapies often are prescribed, sometimes clinicians will encourage complementary therapies, such as therapeutic horseback riding. We wanted to test whether THR could be a useful complementary therapy in the treatment of PTSD." The interaction between horses and riders has been demonstrated to increase riders' confidence, self-esteem, sensory sensitivity, and social motivation while decreasing stress. For the study, 29 military veterans were assessed for eligibility from a nearby Veterans Administration hospital. Those diagnosed with PTSD or PTSD with traumatic brain injury were invited to participate in a therapeutic horseback riding program once a week for six weeks. PTSD symptoms then were measured both at three …
Veterinary foundations announce pharmacology research grant recipientsFebruary 19, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) and the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF) have selected two researchers as recipients of the organizations' pharmacology research grants. Derek Foster, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, assistant professor of ruminant health and production in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, is the recipient of the AVMF/VPRF Veterinary Pharmacology Research Grant of nearly $30,000. Dr. Foster is conducting research on the continuous sampling of the bovine udder by ultrafiltration to assess the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intramammary ceftiofur. Duncan X. Lascelles, BSc, BVSC, Ph.D., MRCVS, CertVA, DSAS(ST), DECVS, DACVS, professor of small animal surgery and pain management and director of the comparative pain research and education program at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, received the organizations' nearly $15,000 Veterinary Pharmacokinetic Research Grant. Dr. Lascelles' research focuses on the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin in cats by three routes of administration. Funding for the AVMF and VPRF research grants supports research into new or currently approved medications for combating diseases and conditions of companion and food animals as well as projects that ensure the safety of food products from treated livestock. Clinicians …
