Elanco To Acquire Posilac Dairy BusinessApril 17, 2009Elanco of Greenfield, Ind., a division of Eli Lilly and Co., has signed an agreement to acquire worldwide rights to the dairy cow supplement Posilac, also known as recombinant bovine sometribove (rbST), from Monsanto Co. for $300 million, plus additional contingent consideration. Under the terms of the agreement, expected to close early October, Elanco will also acquire the product's U.S. sales force, technical service team and manufacturing facility in Augusta, Ga. The acquisition is a good fit because it builds on the company's portfolio of dairy products, Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco, said in a conference call Wednesday. With the global increase in demand of dairy products, the acquisition will also allow Elanco to provide dairy farmers more options and give consumers affordable choices, Simmons added. In addition, Elanco has experience with the product because it has been marketing it outside the United States for more than 10 years. Posilac has been the center of controversy since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1994. The concern surrounds the potential human and animal health risks connected to the animal hormone. When asked why Elanco would acquire what is …
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Menu Expands Recall To All Manufacture DatesApril 17, 2009 Menu Foods has expanded its recall of “cuts and gravy” style wet cat and dog food to include all products listed in its March 17 announcement regardless of the date they were manufactured, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this afternoon. The action was taken upon hearing that some the tainted products remained on shelves, FDA officials said. Previously Menu had recalled those items manufactured between Dec. 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. Earlier in the day, New York state officials and Cornell University researchers said they had found Aminopterin, a toxin used as a cancer treatment in this country and as a rodenticide in some foreign countries, in samples of the pet food Menu Foods used in its tasting tests that killed 9 cats. The samples were provided by Menu Foods after the deaths occurred, officials said. The FDA’s top veterinarian Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., called the substance “very toxic,” even in small doses. At this time the FDA does not know how the toxin made its way into the pet food, although it is still examining the possibility that a shipment of wheat gluten used by the Kansas and New Jersey plants of …
Veterinary Antibiotic Use Remains SteadyApril 17, 2009 Fireflies might prove a fatal snack to exotic reptiles, according to a health alert released by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). Veterinarians should alert pet owners and advise them to take steps to prevent both the intentional or accidental ingestion of these common insects, the center reported. Based on a handful of reports from reptile owners, symptoms of poisoning quickly follow a lizard's ingestion of fireflies. These symptoms include head shaking, oral gaping, unsuccessful attempts at regurgitation and a darkening in color. The symptoms usually appear within 30 minutes of ingestion, and death might follow within the hour. Death is thought to be a result of heart malfunction. "A single firefly would have a very high probability of resulting in death," says Dr. Steve Hansen, board-certified veterinary toxicologist and director of the APCC. The warning is being issued to amphibian and bird owners as well. In addition to the lizard cases, fatal poisonings in tree frogs have been documented. In another instance, a bird that ingested a firefly regurgitated it but did not die, says Hansen. The health alert …
Tackling A TabooApril 17, 2009 My mother always told me there were three subjects worth omitting from any polite conversation: politics, religion and money. My mother may be right on a great many subjects, but this is one I take exception with. On second thought, given my penchant for writing about these topics, perhaps she’s right … I’m not polite. In private veterinary circles it’s still not kosher to talk in terms of cash. But when we look at the big animal health picture, it’s up there on the big screen. In fact, as a profession, we love talking money. But we still haven’t gotten over the taboo of speaking about it in personal terms—hypocritically, I sometimes think. With the economy still in freefall and lots of jobs still on the chopping block, I thought it might be appropriate to expound on this topic, knowing that doing so in more micro terms might incite your interest, if not your wrath. Let’s be honest, humans are motivated by the love of money. Those who claim not to be are typically living comfortably, well beyond the paycheck-to-paycheck existence I’ve somehow fallen prey to, despite my stellar education (which most of you share with …
First Impressions Of Fourth-Year RotationsApril 17, 2009What's interesting about transitioning from a student to a doctor is the way in which the everyday scenery around you changes. Like how the small-animal hospital, once a familiar and comforting place where real veterinarians work at a leisurely pace, modulates into a meshwork of clinicians whose lives are filled with never-ending patient cases, emergencies, constant pages and sleep deprivation. This is not obvious during the first three years of veterinary school. Veterinarians here (aside from the dentistry folks) never really sleep, and coffee is a staple in the food pyramid. Then there are the ICU and ward nurses, whom you know only in hallway passing during previous years–they become the most familiar faces in the hospital. During fourth year, you discover that they are the souls of the hospital unit, existing on some sort of alien energy … never running out of patience for the animals they care for. Honestly – I have unending respect for my profession. Fourth-year is challenging, and an unexpected continuum of ups and downs. Sometimes you're prepared, and other times, you fail miserably. Simply stated, you take what you've studied over the past three years and apply it to real patients. As prepared as …
Vetoquinol USA Acquires Vet SolutionsApril 17, 2009 In a bid to bolster its product offerings, Vetoquinol USA of Buena, N.J., has acquired the assets of Vet Solutions L.P. of Fort Worth, Texas. “The acquisition combines the veterinary market expertise, diverse product lines and technical resources of two progressive, nimble companies that together will be in an even better position to support veterinarians and bring innovative products to the industry,” said Tom Robitaille, group director of Vetoquinol’s North American operations. Vetoquinol’s ethical product line includes anti-infectives, anti-inflammatories, cardiology products, nephrology products and nutraceuticals; Vet Solutions’ products include dermatologicals, nutritional supplements, cleansers, disinfectants, and oral hygiene and odor control products. The resultant larger company will be a more attractive partner for product developers for future joint ventures and strategic alliances, Robitaille said. “It’s been my experience that the bigger you become, the more opportunities come your way,” said Dan Schildgen, formerly Vet Solutions president and principal and now director of business and new product development for Vetoquinol. “Having access to the global reach and resources of Vetoquinol will allow us to accelerate and expand our product development efforts. We’re stronger and more efficient together. In the end, that will lead to more products and …
EPA Issues New Safety Measures For Rodent-Control ProductsApril 17, 2009 In an effort to reduce the risk of accidental poisonings in pets, wildlife and children, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued new safety measures for rodent-control products. EPA is requiring that ten rodenticides used in bait products marketed to consumers be enclosed in bait stations. They are brodifacoum, bromadiolone, bromethalin, chlorophacinone, cholecalciferol, difenacoum, difethialone, diphacinone, warfarin and zinc phosphide. It is also prohibiting the sale of loose bait, such as pellets, for use in homes. “The new restrictions will better protect our children, pets and wildlife from thousands of accidental exposures that occur every year,” said Jim Gulliford, EPA assistant administrator. “These practical and low cost measures provide protection while ensuring rodent control products will continue to be effective and affordable for all consumers.” EPA will require sales and distribution and packaging restrictions for products containing four (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum) of the rodenticides that pose the greatest risk to wildlife to prevent purchase on the consumer market. Rodenticides pose significant risks to wildlife including birds, such as hawks and owls, and mammals, such as raccoons, squirrels, skunks, deer, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions and bobcats. It can be a threat through …
California Bill Proposes New Pet Food Label RequirementsApril 17, 2009 During the first week of April, a California Senate committee will consider a proposal that would require pet food labels to include the product’s country of origin. Often at the forefront of legislation that other states follow, the California Senate Bill 1773 is the first of its kind, according to Marshall Meyers, executive vice president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC). “That’s the only one right now,” he said. PIJAC, however, deferred to the Pet Food Institute for further information. The Pet Food Institute was not immediately available for comment. The legislation was introduced in February by Senator Ellen Corbett from the East Bay’s San Leandro, but a hearing date was only set this week. The Committee on Health will hold a hearing on the proposal April 2 at 1:30 p.m. in room 4203 at the State Capitol in Sacramento The bill was also referred to the Senate Judiciary, which Corbett chairs. It has not set a hearing. The proposal also requires manufacturers to post the brand owner’s telephone number on the label. California’s Legislature will reconvene Monday, March 24, after a weeklong spring recess. <HOME>
Peer Review NewsApril 17, 2009VPI Names McConnell VP of Underwriting Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., of Brea, Calif., has named Carol McConnell, DVM, vice president of underwriting and chief veterinary medical officer. Dr. McConnell, who was previously director of veterinary education and services, will oversee all medical-related decisions at the company, including the implementation of VPI’s underwriting guidelines and rules. In related news, David Reinhard, DVM, has retired from his full-time position as VPI’s chief veterinary medical officer. Dr. Reinhard, who began his career at VPI in 1989 as a member of the company’s Veterinary Review Committee, will remain with the company part-time. Tina Merola, DVM Vets Recognized for Contributions to Vet, Human Public Health Leon Russell, DVM, a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and president of the World Veterinary Assn., and Primo Arambulo III, DVM, a consultant for international affairs and global initiative on veterinary education with the Assn. of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, recently received the 2007 Karl F. Meyer-James H. Steele Gold Head Cane Award for their contributions to veterinary and human public health. The award, sponsored by The Hartz Mountain Corp., of Secaucus, N.J., was presented during …
VNN Names New Advisory Board MembersApril 17, 2009 The Veterinary News Network has added new Advisory Board members: Bernadine Cruz, DVM, from Aliso Viejo, Calif., a national speaker and a veterinary consultant for several national television programs and a member of the American Veterinary Medical Assn.’s Council on Public Relations. Ralph Johnson, from Denver, executive director of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Assn., the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation. Zach Mills, DVM, from Duluth, Ga., vice president of U.S. Companion Animal Enterprise for Merial. Bonnie Rush, DVM, from Manhattan, Kan., professor and department head of Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Kevin Rochford, (no image available) from New York City, news director for CBS The Early Show. <HOME>
