Colorado Institute Awards Funding To VetDCJune 22, 2011 The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, selected Veterinary Emerging Technologies Development Corp. (VetDC) to receive funding and management assistance. VetDC develops and commercializes technologies to address unmet medical needs in companion animals. In the first quarter of 2011, VetDC acquired all North American veterinary rights to VDC-1101 (GS-9219), an anti-proliferative agent that targets lymphoid cells and works by inhibiting DNA synthesis, leading to the induction of apoptosis or programmed cell death. The VDC-1101 acquisition from Gilead Sciences allowed for development and commercialization of the agent for use in animal cancer. “We are excited to partner with VetDC and their experienced management team,” says Richard C. Duke, founder and chief scientific officer of CID4. “Our capital and management resources will assist with late-stage clinical trials and the potential commercialization of what may be an important new therapeutic option for animals suffering from lymphoma.” Steven Roy, president and CEO of VetDC says CID4 funding will help advance the company’s lead cancer program and increase employment. <Home>
SPONSORED CONTENTHow can you help new pet owners keep their new dogs protected?See why new dog owners and their pets can benefit from simple triple protection in one monthly chew. + See the Difference
Western Veterinary Conference Selling On-Demand PresentationsJune 22, 2011 Veterinarians can access select sessions presented at the Western Veterinary Conference online. WVC's Presentations On-Demand is available by annual subscription starting at $199 for a year-long subscription at the WVC online store. High-resolution, streaming videos from WVC 2011 and WVC 2010 can be viewed using PCs, Macs, 3G smart phones or tablets. Conference notes, which also include a CD, are available starting at $15. A WVC-Encore DVD-ROM set, which includes the notes CD, audio and a PowerPoint presentation is also available. Prices for the DVD-ROM set start at $49. The WVC-Encore Apple iPod Classic includes audio and a PowerPoint from the conference starting at $249. Visit WVCStore.com for more information. <Home>
ACVO Gives Free Exams To Service AnimalsJune 21, 2011The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists today announced a 25 percent increase in service animal exams from last year at the ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event. More than 200 volunteer board certified veterinary ophthalmologists throughout the U.S. and Canada examined 4,000 service animals during the annual event, which took place May 23. Guide dogs, assistance dogs, detection dogs, search and rescue dogs and other service animals including horses and a service donkey received free vision exams. As part of the program, a team of ACVO doctors hosted a service dog screening event at Lackland Air Force B ase in San Antonio at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Center. Approximately 150 Transportation Security Agency dogs and military working dogs were screened. “We are beyond pleased by the number of service animals that received a free eye exam during this year’s event,” says Stacee Daniel, executive director of the ACVO. “Our volunteer veterinary ophthalmologists saw a record 4,000 animals which will help them stay in good eye health and continue to do their job of helping others.” The ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event goals are to benefit individuals who rely on service dogs, strengthen referral relationships …
Seven Antibiotics Classes Possibly Limited For Ag Use If Act Becomes LawJune 20, 2011 U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced S. 1211, known as the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2011 (PAMTA), on June 15. The bill amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to withdraw seven classes of antibiotics critical for treating infections in humans from use on industrial farms unless animals or herds are sick with disease. “The emergence of drug-resistant superbugs is a human health problem that affects us all,” says Laura Rogers, project director of Pew Human Health and Industrial Farming. “We commend Sen. Feinstein, Sen. Collins, Sen. Reed and Sen. Boxer for their bipartisan collaboration to ensure that our antibiotics will work for us when we need them most.” The American Medical Association and other health organizations warn that overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food animal production presents a serious threat to human health because it creates strains of drug-resistant bacteria. A task force led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could render diseases like pneumonia, meningitis and tuberculosis untreatable. …
Idexx Laboratories Brings LNA Technology To Veterinary DiagnosticsJune 20, 2011 Exiqon today announced that it granted a non-exclusive license to Idexx Laboratories, Inc., to use Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) technology in products for veterinary diagnostics. LNA provides unique characteristics to molecular assays and offers many possibilities for developing competitive products. Exiqon will receive upfront, milestones and royalty payments on global sales of the products covered by this agreement. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. “We are pleased to see Idexx Laboratories has chosen to apply Exiqon's proprietary technology in the field of veterinary diagnostics,” says Lars Kongsbak, CEO and president of Exiqon. “We are excited that the LNA technology is now being applied in veterinary diagnostic products which emphasizes the broad applicability of the LNA technology.” <Home>
Million Heart Challenge Website Supports Canine Cardiology ResearchJune 20, 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) announced it will donate $15,000 to the American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine to support canine cardiology research after 1 million guests visit the Million Heart Challenge website. BIVI will also finance a vacation to a pet owner and veterinary professional participating in the challenge. “Diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF) affect millions of dogs worldwide,” says Lara Sheeley, senior brand manager for BIVI. “These diseases dramatically reduce the quality of life for dogs and ultimately lead to their deaths. The Million Heart Challenge is our way of helping to educate pet owners about CHF and supporting promising new research while having some fun along the way.” About 10 percent of the 75 million U.S. dogs have heart disease. About 75 percent of older dogs and predisposed breeds have heart disease. “Canine heart disease is a critical challenge to dog owners, veterinarians and manufacturers,” Sheeley says. “The Million Heart Challenge is a way to work together toward our common goal of prolonging the lives of the dogs we love.” To participate, visit the Million Heart Challenge website. Click on the show your heart button …
Weiner Dog's Scuffle Puts Him In Running For HamboneJune 17, 2011 Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) announces the most unusual insurance claim submitted in May involving a 10-pound dachshund and a seagull. The claim was chosen by company employees and will be submitted for the 2011 VPI Hambone Award. newsline The most unusual insurance claim in May involved a 10-pound dachshund named Harley and a seagull, Veterinary Pet Insurance announced. The claim was chosen by company employees and will be submitted for the 2011 VPI Hambone Award. Each month, VPI employees nominate the most interesting claim submitted. In September VPI will ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year. The Hambone Award is named for a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was found with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia. The most unusual insurance claim in May involved a 10-pound dachshund named Harley and a seagull, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance. May's unusual insurance claim winner, Robin Baer of Ventura, Calif. says despite living near the beach, she never expected a seagull to pose a …
Banfield Survey Shows Pet Owners Fear Bed Bugs More Than FleasJune 17, 2011 A nationwide survey of pet owners conducted by Banfield Pet Hospital showed that three out of four pet owners say they are aware of the dangers of fleas, but only 11 percent feel it is worse to have fleas in the bed than bed bugs. According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s The Other Bug in the Bed survey, conducted by Directive Analytics, 67 percent of pet owners allow their pet to sleep in their bed, but only 16 percent are more worried about fleas than bed bugs. Fleas can transmit diseases to humans, unlike bed bugs, which pose no serious health risk, according to Banfield. “While Banfield Pet Hospital is certainly not discounting the issue of bed bugs, the survey brought to light the need to educate pet owners about the dangers of fleas and proper year-round flea prevention,” says Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital. “With nearly seven out of 10 pet owners sharing the bed with their pets, it is important that both the public and pet owners understand fleas not only bite, but also spread disease to humans and pets.” A recent study released by the …
New Lyme Disease Test Speeds DiagnosisJune 17, 2011 A new multiplex test for Lyme disease in horses and dogs developed by researchers at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell, speeds diagnosis and pinpoints time of infection, the researchers say. The Lyme disease infection becomes progressively harder to fight as the bacteria hides in the joints, nervous tissues and organs of the host. The disease causes arthritis or lameness in dogs. The bacteria burrow into the nervous system, the spine or the brain in horses, causing pain, paralysis or behavioral changes. By the time clinical signs appear, the bacteria are usually not in circulation anymore. Detection features of the new test allow for more effective treatment plans. “Now we can distinguish between infection and vaccination and also between early and chronic infection stages,” says Bettina Wagner, DVM, associate professor of Equine Health at Cornell’s veterinary college and lead test developer. “You were able to say whether an animal was infected [with older tests], but not when it was infected or how far the infection had developed.” The multiplex procedure requires smaller samples and can detect three different antibodies produced in response to the bacteria associated with Lyme disease using a single test on the …
MSU Veterinary Camp Offers Hands-On Learning For KidsJune 17, 2011 Tori Hall, a student at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, planned a veterinary camp for school-age children with her first-year classmates. Hall’s goal was to develop a program that would give participants a crash course in the first two years of veterinary school. The veterinary camp took place at the CVM with two three-day sessions in June for 13 to 15-year-olds. “We wanted participants to really get a feel for what vet school is all about,” Hall says. “We knew kids would leave the camp with either a deeper interest in veterinary medicine or the realization that perhaps vet school isn’t for them. Either way, kids attending the camp got hands-on experiences led by actual veterinary school professors. We have been thrilled with the interest and want to expand it next year so that we can include more kids.” Campers were engaged in activities from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day of the camp, spending time in anatomy, critical care and microbiology laboratories. Campers had the opportunity to learn two common sutures used in veterinary surgeries and then practice those stitches on plush toys. Other sessions introduced the teens to equine …
