Drug Maker Putney Celebrates Regulatory SuccessesJanuary 15, 2015Fresh off government approval of four generic animal drugs, manufacturer Putney Inc. this week reported receiving the go-ahead for a fifth: Enrofloxacin Antibacterial Injectable Solution. The generic version of Bayer Animal Health’s Baytril Antibacterial Injectable Solution is indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections in dogs. The Putney drug won the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, giving the company its fifth FDA endorsement in five months. Putney President and CEO Jean Hoffman credited the Portland, Maine, company’s research and development team for the recent approvals. “Only six generic pet medicines were approved by the FDA in 2014, and four of them were Putney products,” Hoffman said. The latest achievement made Putney the only manufacturer with an FDA-approved generic of enrofloxacin for pets in both flavored tablet and injectable dosage forms. The company’s Enrofloxacin Flavored Tablets are formulated for dog and cats. A rollout date for Enrofloxacin Injectable Solution was not announced. Three of the four Putney drugs approved in 2014—Dexmedetomidine HCl, Meloxicam Solution for Injection and Carprofen Chewable Tablets—are in veterinary pharmacies. The fourth, Carprofen Sterile Injectable Solution, is expected to be released soon, the company stated. Putney’s last approved drug of 2014, Carprofen Chewable Tablets, …
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Elanco Completes Takeover of Novartis Animal HealthJanuary 9, 2015Novartis Animal Health is no more. The division of Swiss-based Novartis AG officially merged with Elanco Animal Health as of Jan. 1 in a $5.4 billion sale to Elanco’s parent company, Eli Lilly and Co. One day later, Novartis’ U.S. line of Sentinel canine heartworm and flea preventives was spun off to competitor Virbac for $410 million to satisfy regulators’ concerns. The marriage of Novartis Animal Health and Elanco created the world’s second-largest veterinary pharmaceutical company after Zoetis Inc. “Elanco’s acquisition of Novartis Animal Health brings together two strong companies with a passion for serving the customer,” said Rob Aukerman, president of North American commercial operations for Elanco. “We will continue to offer the products our customers trust, while significantly investing in the development of new solutions to our customers’ greatest unmet needs.” Absent from the Elanco portfolio are Sentinel Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Spectrum, which Fort Worth, Texas-based Virbac will now sell. The line generated more than $90 million in U.S. sales in 2014. Virbac also took on an undisclosed number of Novartis employees—“predominantly commercial teams,” according to the company. “The addition of these strong brands to Virbac’s current portfolio of products, together with the doubling …
AVMA to Weigh Spay/Neuter Policy ChangeDecember 5, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association board of directors is recommending that practitioners who participate in spay/neuter clinics follow the standards of care outlined by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. The idea is among six new resolutions that the AVMA House of Delegates may vote on in January during the governing body’s regular winter session in Chicago. The spay/neuter proposal, Resolution 3, would clarify the current policy, which advises veterinarians working at spay/neuter clinics to abide by the AVMA’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics. The possible move to Association of Shelter Veterinarians medical care guidelines would keep veterinarians up to date with current standards of practice, the board of directors noted. “Because of a wide range of geographic and demographic needs, a variety of programs have been developed to increase delivery of spay/neuter services to targeted populations of animals,” the revised policy reads in part. “These include stationary and mobile clinics, MASH-style operations, shelter services, feral cat programs and services provided through private practitioners. “These services should conform to current standards of practice as described by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ veterinary medical care guidelines for spay/neuter programs.” Among other proposals scheduled for consideration in January are: Resolution 1: …
Abbott, Merck, Purina Team Up on Diabetes CampaignNovember 18, 2014Cats and dogs diagnosed with diabetes during a visit to a participating veterinary clinic in March 2015 will receive a gift bag designed to help their owners manage the disease. The giveaway is part of the new Diabetes Pet Care Alliance, a campaign created by Abbott Animal Health, Merck Animal Health and Nestlé Purina PetCare to raise awareness about diabetes in pets and encourage more screenings. The sponsors say the incidence of diabetes—1 in 250 cats and 1 in 500 dogs—is rising and that pets are underdiagnosed. Veterinary hospitals that enroll in the program at www.usa.petdiabetesmonth.com will receive materials designed to educate clients and local pet owners about the clinical signs of diabetes. The hospitals—up to 1,000 can participate—are encouraged to dedicate time to diabetes screenings in March. Pets newly diagnosed with the disease will go home with a free diabetes management kit containing: An AlphaTrak blood glucose monitoring system from Abbott Animal Health. A 10 mL vial of Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) from Merck Animal Health. A bag of Purina Veterinary Diets food—either DM Dietetic Management Feline Formula or DCO Dual Fiber Control Canine Formula. November is National Diabetes Month.
Why You Should Keep Pulpitis in Mind When Treating A Discolored ToothNovember 14, 2014Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Case Discussion Tasha, an 18- month-old female Labrador retriever, recently was presented to me for a discolored right maxillary canine tooth (Figure 1). The discoloration was intrinsic, imparting a gray color to the entire crown. The enamel of the crown was devoid of any defects, cracks or fractures. Differential Diagnoses A tooth may be discolored due to abnormal formation of enamel, such as enamel hypoplasia or hypomineralization. However, this tooth’s enamel was normal in thickness and texture. Exposure to the tetracycline family of antibiotics early in life can result in generalized discoloration of the teeth, but since only one tooth was discolored, a non-vital tooth secondary to pulpitis was most likely in Tasha’s case. What Causes Pulpitis? Pulpitis is inflammation of the pulp, which occurs most commonly due to blunt trauma to a tooth. This trauma may be caused by the patient bumping the tooth on something or biting down hard on something in a way that traumatizes the tooth without causing a fracture of the crown or root. The colors seen with pulpitis—pink, purple, gray, brown—are due to trauma to blood vessels within the tooth, which results in leakage …
How to Diagnose and Treat Uroabdomen CasesNovember 3, 2014Tucker, a 3-year-old border collie, was rushed to your hospital after getting hit by a car at 9 a.m. He is lucky, as he escaped without any fracture or major laceration. He only seems to have a few skin scrapes. You stabilize Tucker throughout the day, and he looks much better by that evening. He is kept overnight for IV fluids and pain medications. By the next morning, you are disappointed to see that Tucker’s condition has worsened overnight. Blood work and abdominal X-rays make you strongly suspect a bladder rupture. Ultrasound confirms it without a doubt. Fortunately, Dr. Jennifer Stafford, a double-boarded colleague in critical care and internal medicine at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Md., comes to the rescue with a full write-up on uroabdomen (JR Stafford, et al. “A clinical review of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of uroabdomen in the dog and cat.” J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2013, Vol 23, N 2, p. 216-229). As in Tucker’s case, most uroabdomen cases are caused by blunt trauma to the abdomen, such as getting hit by a car. The chances of this happening depend on the degree of bladder distention at the time of the trauma. Uroabdomen …
Purina Launches Made-to-Order Dog FoodOctober 31, 2014Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. has put a twist on homemade pet food by allowing dog owners to formulate a recipe online for shipment to their door. The St. Louis-based manufacturer this week entered one of the smallest segments of the $28 billion U.S. pet food market: customized diets. The American Pet Products Association’s most recent survey found that just 3 percent of dog owners purchased specialty food, such as raw or frozen diets, in 2012. The new line, Just Right by Purina, is neither raw nor frozen. Instead, pet owners go to JustRightPetfood.com, answer questions about the animal’s age, breed, weight and other characteristics, choose whether to include soy and grain, and pick a protein source: chicken, lamb or salmon. What emerges through a proprietary algorithm is a customized kibble diet, complete with the dog’s photo and a recipe name printed on the bag. “Every dog is unique and that’s why we believe the best solutions are personalized,” said Brian Lester, the brand’s director of marketing. “By combining a dog owner’s firsthand knowledge of their pet with Purina’s expertise, we can work together to help keep dogs happy and healthy throughout their lives.” Just Right by Purina …
Why Teeth Removal is Best When Your Patient Has Feline StomatitisOctober 24, 2014Originally published in the September 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Feline stomatitis is an exquisitely painful condition, and it can be a frustrating condition for pet owners and feline caregivers. When I see a stomatitis patient for the first time, I try to set pet owners’ expectations early: stomatitis is a disease that we sometimes control rather than cure. However, with aggressive treatment, cures can be achieved. Gingivitis or Stomatitis? Sometimes it is difficult to discern whether a cat has stomatitis or merely gingivitis. Clinical signs will often be a good indicator, even before you take a look in the mouth. Gingivitis is generally well tolerated by cats. However, cats with stomatitis will show signs of hyporexia progressing to anorexia, preference for canned vs. dry food, crying when yawning or eating, ptyalism and occasionally bloody oral discharge. When trying to distinguish gingivitis from stomatitis, the key is the mucogingival line. Routine gingivitis never extends beyond the gingiva, whereas stomatitis always extends beyond the mucogingival line into the alveolar and buccal mucosa. Inflammation extending beyond the gingiva to the alveolar mucosa is referred to as rostral stomatitis or alveolar mucositis. Cats with stomatitis also often show inflammation lateral to the …
Feline Stomatitis: Medical Therapy for Refractory CasesOctober 22, 2014Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News In a previous article, we discussed extractions as the gold standard treatment of feline stomatitis. Even after undergoing extractions, approximately 20 percent of patients will continue to experience clinically relevant signs of oral inflammation. We call these “refractory” cases. The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate oral discomfort to a degree where appetite is consistently good and patient body weight is maintained. Attack Plaque Recall that feline stomatitis is often an immune-mediated disease, due to an aberrant response of the immune system toward component(s) of dental plaque, likely bacterial antigens.1 If the patient still has teeth and the owner does not want them extracted, frequent professional dental cleanings (supra- and subgingival) will help to decrease plaque accumulation and inflammation. Daily tooth brushing would help decrease plaque accumulation, but brushing is difficult in stomatitis cats—an understatement!—due to oral pain. Application of plaque retardant substances during professional dental cleanings might be considered to slow the rate of plaque accumulation. Perioperative Medications for Oral Surgery Cases Multimodal pain medication regimens are necessary when embarking on surgical extractions. Premedication with an injectable opioid is a good place to start. Once the …
Legal Fight Escalates Between Purina, Blue BuffaloSeptember 22, 2014 Pet food giant Nestlé Purina filed additional legal claims last week against Blue Buffalo Co., accusing the competitor of overstating the quality of its LifeSource Bits, cat litter and Jolly Joints dog treats. Blue Buffalo called the allegations a “smear campaign” and challenged the qualifications of an independent scientific expert who examined other Blue Buffalo products. The legal brawl stems from a false-advertising lawsuit filed May 6 by Nestlé Purina Petcare Co., which asserted that a preliminary laboratory report had uncovered poultry byproduct meal and grain in some Blue Buffalo recipes. Blue Buffalo, which filed a countersuit May 14, declares in its advertising and legal responses that the company’s dog and cat foods are free of chicken and poultry byproduct meals, corn, wheat and soy. The Wilton, Conn., company defended its LifeSource Bits, cat litter and dog treats. “Nestlé Purina is attempting to muddy the waters … by adding a list of new unfounded allegations to continue its malicious attack,” said Blue Buffalo founder and chairman Bill Bishop. “With numerous quotes in its press release from its chief marketing officer, Nestlé Purina makes it clear that this entire lawsuit is simply a marketing campaign disguised …
