Do You Want To Retire Someday?May 1, 2010BY PHIL ZELTZMAN, DVM, DIPL. ACVS 05/11/2010 - Despite Odd Requests, the Client Is Always Right 04/26/2010 - Is Palliative Surgery Ethical? 04/12/2010 - Reflections of a Modern Dinosaur Today, I would like to take a step away from medicine and surgery and focus on a topic that affects many veterinary professionals, whatever their positions. I recently read, yet again, some somber statistics about the financial health of Americans. • 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 in retirement savings, excluding pension and housing equity.. • 27 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in retirement savings.. • 54 percent have not planned at all for retirement. • Few employees participate, or participate much, in employer-sponsored retirement plans. Some don't contribute enough to get the "match," which is basically free money offered by their generous employer.. • In 2007, the Congressional Research Service published a report about 401(k) plans. It states that "If the median retirement account balance of $100,000 among households headed by persons 55 to 64 years old in 2007 were converted to an annuity, it would provide a monthly income of $700 per month to (someone) retiring at age 65 in 2009." That's $8,400 annually. Ouch! Meanwhile, without going into …
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Petco And Blue Buffalo Join Forces To Battle Pet CancerApril 30, 2010 Petco and the Blue Buffalo Pet Food Co., have teamed up to raise awareness and funds to help fight pet cancer. Throughout May - Pet Cancer Awareness Month - consumers can make donations to the cause by rounding up their in-store Petco purchases to the next dollar or by making a donation in an amount of their choice. Blue Buffalo, based in Wilton, Conn., has pledged to donate up to $1 for every bag of purchased Blue dog or cat food. All donations will go to the Morris Animal Foundation to fund pet cancer research. The Morris Animal Foundation is a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to funding humane animal health research that protects, treats and cures companion animals, horses and wildlife. Petco and Blue Buffalo aim to raise $1 million for the cause. “Petco believes in prevention and early detection of pet cancer, and that’s why we partnered with the Blue Buffalo Pet Food Co. for Pet Cancer Awareness Month,” Petco’s veterinarian Dr. Thomas Edling said. “Taking a month to focus on this cause will help pet owners learn the warning signs of pet cancer and make them aware of the resources available to help.” Pet …
Veterinary Pet Insurance Reveals Top 15 Feline Medical ConditionsApril 29, 2010 Veterinary Pet Insurance Reveals Top 15 Feline Medical Conditions Veterinary Pet Insurance Reveals Top 15 Feline Medical Conditions newsline Lower urinary tract disease is the top medical condition affecting cats, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, which recently analyzed its database of almost 62,000 insured cats to find the most common feline health problems. The condition costs cat owners an average of $260 per claim. The top 15 medical conditions affecting both indoor and outdoor cats are as follows: Lower urinary tract disease Chronic renal failure Skin allergies and infections Hyperthyroidism Diabetes Tooth infection requiring extraction Upper respiratory infections Ear infection Eye infection Constipation Asthma Soft tissue injuries/sprains Laceration and bite wounds Benign skin growths Gastritis/vomiting/diarrhea Combined, these conditions are responsible for 60 percent of feline medical claims received by VPI each year. The most expensive feline condition on the list is tooth infections requiring extractions, which can cost an average of $360 per claim. VPI is based in Brea, Calif. <HOME> Lower urinary tract disease is the top medical condition affecting cats, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, which recently analyzed its database of almost 62,000 insured cats to find …
Greenies Contest Focusing On Pet Dental Health LaunchesApril 27, 2010 On April 26, the Greenies Brand kicked off its second annual “Show Us Your Pet’s Healthy Smile” contest, which aims to educate pet owners on preventive measures they should take to promote their pet’s oral health. Such measures include twice yearly oral assessment and treatment as necessary by the veterinarian and daily oral care at home. The contest runs through June 18. “It’s important that pet owners understand how significant a healthy mouth is for the overall health of their pet,” said Jan Bellows, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, Dipl. AVDC. “Many veterinary dental specialists believe that a clean, healthy mouth can actually prolong a pet’s life.” To participate in the contest, pet owners can upload a picture of their pet showing off their teeth to www.greenies.com and then encourage their friends and family to vote. Veterinarians can promote the contest to their clients with free “Show Us Your Pets Healthy Smile” materials. To receive the veterinary promotional package, call 641-228-4045, ext. 11. Prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists and to their veterinary hospitals. The first place winner will receive a year’s supply of free Canine Greenies Dental Chews, …
New Revenue Source Just Under The SurfaceApril 27, 2010 Veterinarians interested in adding a modality to boost practice revenue may want to consider aquatic medicine. Aquatics is the fastest-growing discipline in veterinary medicine, says David Scarfe, DVM, Ph.D., assistant director of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Scientific Activities Division. Despite the growth, veterinarians hesitate to add fish to their patient list because they’re uncomfortable treating an animal that lives underwater, experts say. They may have questions about anatomy, drugs and how to perform surgery. “To begin treating fish, all veterinarians need is a working knowledge of water quality and how aquariums work,” says Michael Stafford, DVM, of Fair Grove Veterinary Service in Fair Grove, Mo. “They need a continuing education course or a university class on basic fish health, a water testing kit, a few basic drugs and a client. Procedures are very similar to small-animal medicine.” A client base is an obvious necessity. Communicating to potential clients that you have the expertise can be done by joining a local garden group and through online listings and the practice’s website. Proper communication with the client is important, says Helen Roberts, DVM, of Aquatic Veterinary Services of Western New York in Orchard Park, N.Y. …
ImproMed Launches Buyback Protection PlanApril 27, 2010 ImproMed Inc. of Oshkosh, Wis., has created a buyback protection plan, which gives its customers the chance to obtain a guaranteed rebate for ImproMed to buy back workstations or servers purchased from the company. “Customers will now be able to use the ImproMed Buyback Protection Plan rebate toward the purchase of an upgrade unit in the future,” said Scott Koch, ImproMed’s director of hardware production. “In an ever-changing technology market, this four-tiered plan provides the customer with the ability to advance to the latest hardware when they’re ready, at a reduced cost.” Customers with the plan are entitled to a future credit up to 25 percent of the original purchase price, no matter the timeframe after the initial purchase. For details, call 800-925-7171 or email sales@impromed.com. <HOME>
VCA Antech’s Same-Store Revenue Dips 1.6%April 26, 2010 VCA Antech Inc.’s animal hospital division recently reported revenue of $246.7 million for its first quarter ended March 31, an increase of 3.5 percent from the year-ago period of $238.4 million. Same-store revenue declined by 1.6 percent. The Los Angeles-based company acquired four animal hospitals during the quarter with combined annual revenue of $9 million. VCA Antech’s laboratory division reported $78.2 million for the quarter, up 0.4 percent from $77.9 million in the year-ago period. VCA Antech’s Sound-Eklin saw a 79.8 percent increase in revenue in the first quarter, from $8.8 million to $15.8 million. Overall, VCA Antech reported net income of $32.9 million on revenue of $330.7 million for its first quarter, compared to net income of $32.9 million on revenue of $315.9 million in the year-ago period. “We experienced relative improvement in our revenue growth rate in comparison to the previous four quarters,” said Bob Antin, chairman and chief executive officer of VCA Antech. “We continued to recover from the effects of the economic recession; however, we were confronted with record snowfall throughout the East Coast during February which impacted both our animal hospital and laboratory business segments. As the economy …
Why Heartworm Preventive Sales Should Not Go Over The CounterApril 26, 2010 The current monthly oral and topical heartworm preventives, as well as ProHeart6, the injectable six-month formulation for dogs, are all members of the same pharmaceutical class: the macrocyclic lactones. These are compounds or chemical derivatives of compounds produced by various soil-dwelling species of actinomycete bacteria within the genus Streptomyces. Ever since the introduction to small animal veterinary medicine of the first member of the class, ivermectin (as Heartgard), these compounds have become the mainstay of heartworm prevention in the United States and around the world. These are amazing compounds with efficacy at remarkably low doses against internal and external parasites. With the exception of the well-known blood-brain barrier problem in certain collie breeds, this drug class poses almost no significant safety concerns. These compounds have moved heartworm prevention from the world of the daily into the monthly (or semi-annual with ProHeart6) and, either on their own or in formulations with other products, also provide concurrent protection against internal parasite infections. All in all, from the point of view of the dog and cat, health care now is similar to that of people after World War II when penicillin and related antibiotics jumped onto the scene and …
Webster Veterinary Severs Relationship With Bayer Animal HealthApril 23, 2010 Webster Veterinary, a national distributor of veterinary products and pharmaceuticals, reported April 23 that it has discontinued its relationship with Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan., and will no longer represent Bayer’s companion animal health product line. The move is in response to Bayer Animal Health’s recent decision to sell its Advantage and K9 Advantix products directly to pet specialty retailers and pet specialty Internet sites. Previously, the flea and tick products were only available through licensed veterinarians. “Webster believes that veterinary professionals provide the highest level of care to our pets and are the best source for providing products, services, instruction and education to support this care,” said George Henriques, president of Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies of St. Paul, Minn. “We remain committed to supporting our industry and our veterinary professionals in every possible way. While we regret the need to discontinue our relationship with a business partner, we believe it is the right decision for Webster Veterinary and our industry.” Bob Walker, director of Communications and Public Policy for Bayer Animal Health, said that Webster Veterinary was very upfront about their decision to discontinue the partnership. “And we respect their decision,” …
