Survey Claims Uk Vets Over Inflate Med PricesNovember 30, 2010 Veterinarians in the United Kingdom are charging twice as much as online veterinary pharmacies for the same medicines, according to Vet-Medic Pharmacy, a U.K. online veterinary pharmacy, which recently revealed results from its cost comparison survey. The survey, which was conducted by an independent research company, compared prices of pet medicines in supermarkets, pharmacies, pet superstores, veterinary practices, online pharmacies and veterinary medicine suppliers across the United Kingdom. The survey focused on the most commonly purchased pet health products and leading brands, including Frontline flea control treatments for both dogs and cats; Drontal worming tablets for both dogs and cats; and Optimmune eye treatment. The survey revealed that vet prices were more than double those of the same product purchased online. For example, a six-pack of Frontline for cats is available online for about US $26, while the same product is sold in veterinary practices for about US $61, according to Vet-Medic. The claim that veterinary practices are over-inflating the price of medicines is an unfair accusation, said Harvey Locke, BVSc, president of the British Veterinary Association. “Veterinary practices will mark up the cost of the medicines they supply in order to cover the costs …
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George Kukor, DVM, And Lonnie King, DVM, Receive Service Above Self AwardsNovember 30, 2010 George Kukor, DVM, and Lonnie King, DVM, each received Service Above Self Awards during the 16th annual Lake Erie Walleye Fishing & Golf Seminar in Port Clinton, Ohio. This year is the first time two award winners were named. Dr. Kukor, a retired veterinarian, was honored for his 40 years of service to the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. King, dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, received the award for his “unfaltering dedication, leadership and selfless initiative within the community.”
Charleston Veterinary Referral Center Set To Open In MarchNovember 30, 2010 Charleston Veterinary Referral Center of Charleston, S.C., is set to open in March. The 16,000-square-foot facility will include an intensive-care unit with 24/7 emergency and critical care; a referral service, with specialties in surgery, internal medicine, neurology, cardiology, critical care, as well as interventional radiologic and cardiac procedures; and an imaging center that will include MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and color flow Doppler, digital radiology and fluoroscopy.
Domenico Bianco, DVM, Ph.D., And Renee Fenty, DVM, Join Veterinary Specialists Of The ValleyNovember 30, 2010 Domenico Bianco, DVM, Ph.D., and Renee Fenty, DVM, have joined Veterinary Specialists of the Valley in Woodland Hills, Calif. Dr. Bianco previously worked at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital of Tinton Falls, N.J. Dr. Fenty was previously at Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties, which is affiliated with Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
CARES Names Edwin Darrin, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, Head Of NeurologyNovember 30, 2010 The Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) of Langhorne, Pa., has named Edwin Darrin, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, as head of neurology. Dr. Darrin offers services such as MRI, pain management, spinal surgery, brain surgery and electrodiagnostic testing. He comes to CARES from Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Tammy Beckham, DVM, Ph.D. Named Director Of FAZD CenterNovember 30, 2010 Tammy Beckham, DVM, Ph.D., has been named the new director of the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD Center) at Texas A&M University. Dr. Beckham, who has served as the FAZD Center’s interim director since March, will continue to serve as director at Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
Abaxis Inc. Welcomes Andrew Rosenfeld, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, To Advisory BoardNovember 30, 2010 Abaxis Inc. of Union City, Calif., has welcomed Andrew Rosenfeld, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, to its advisory board. Dr. Rosenfeld has practiced small-animal critical care and emergency medicine for 18 years, and served as hospital director for Paradise Valley Emergency Animal clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., for three years.
Differential Diagnosis Of HypoglycemiaNovember 30, 2010 One way to help organize your thoughts on the differential diagnosis of hypoglycemia is to consider tumors vs. non-neoplastic reasons for the chemical imbalance. Here is a non-exhaustive list. Non-neoplastic causes of hypoglycemia include: • Liver insufficiency (shunt) • Liver failure (cirrhosis) • Sepsis • Addison’s • Idiopathic (neonatal, juvenile, hunting dog) • Starvation • Lab error • Iatrogenic (insulin OD) Tumors causing hypoglycemia include: • Insulinoma • Hepatocellular carcinoma • Leiomyoma • Leiomyosarcoma • Hemangiosarcoma Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a mobile, board-certified surgeon near Allentown, Pa. His website is DrPhilZeltzman.com. Home>
The Flip SideNovember 30, 2010 Pets living primarily outdoors need more calories during winter months to maintain a healthy weight, nutritionists say. This fact may be unknown to the owner and overlooked by the veterinarian considering many pets now enjoy indoor life. Statistics Overweight and obese stats (according to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention: • An estimated 15 percent of U.S. dogs and cats are obese. That’s 26 million obese pets. • An estimated 45 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight or obese. • 35 million U.S. dogs are estimated to be overweight or obese; 6.7 million are obese. • An estimated 58 percent of U.S. cats are overweight or obese. “If kept in a cooler environment, pets’ energy expenditure actually increases with the increased calories that are burned to keep them warm,” says Sally Perea, DVM, Dipl. ACVN, a senior nutritionist with Natura Pet Products Inc. “Some pets kept outdoors may even put on extra weight as a way to increase their fat layer to stay warm. With this said, most pets are going to be kept in an indoor environment, so they should not have these additional energy needs.” Veterinarians should ask clients …
Mare Ovulation Drug Gets FDA ApprovalNovember 30, 2010 Thorn BioScience, a subsidiary of CreoSalus Inc., has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its SucroMate Equine, indicated to regulate ovulation in mares. The injection increases the likelihood of conception during breeding for both natural bred and artificially inseminated horses, according to the Louisville, Ky.-based company. It is the first FDA approved drug of its kind developed and manufactured in Kentucky, the company noted. SucroMate will be manufactured in CreoSalus’ Class 5 aseptic clean room under the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Process. “Over a decade of research and development has been devoted to develop a platform technology that delivers peptides on a sustained release,” said company co-founder Barry Simon, DVM. “SucroMate Equine is the first application of the technology. SucroMate Equine delivers a stable, sterile and consistent dosage of deslorelin for mare ovulation.” The new product also means that horsemen will not have to rely on compounded products that may not meet specifications or work properly, Dr. Simon added. A national distribution agreement has been signed with Canadian-based Bioniche Life Sciences, which has an animal health division specializing in animal reproduction. SucroMate Equine is expected to be available for veterinarians through distributors …
