Alzheimer's drug used in cognitive dysfunction syndrome clinical trialSeptember 5, 2018Ropesalazine, a drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease (AD), has shown efficacy in a pilot clinical trial conducted for dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), according to the drug's manufacturer, South Korea-based GNT Pharma. There currently is no cure for CDS, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of senior dogs characterized by altered interaction with family, disorientation, sleep/wake cycle changes, increased house soiling, and activity change. It is accompanied by nerve cell death, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles similar to AD, leading GNT Pharma scientists to design the pilot study to investigate whether Ropesalazine would alleviate signs of CDS, as well. "The companion dogs failed to recognize their owners before the treatment," said Jae Bong Moon, DVM, head of Irion Animal Hospital in Seoul, who led the study. "It was so amazing to see the dogs that wagged their tails for their owners and cuddled up to them within eight weeks of Ropesalazine treatment. [It] appeared to cure CDS." The study was conducted on six companion dogs age 10 or older who revealed severe cognitive dysfunction according to canine cognitive dysfunction and canine dementia rating scales. Within eight weeks following daily oral administration of Ropesalazine, all six dogs returned …
Education Center - SponsoredWhy Some Dogs Keep Seizing: Understanding and Managing Refractory Epilepsyby • PRN PharmacalThe severe impact of drug-resistant epilepsy highlights the importance of aiming for complete seizure control in all dogs experiencing seizures. It's crucial to enhance our understanding of the reasons behind drug resistance and how they relate to various causes, progression of the disease, and affected breeds.
Pet King Brands donates $240K in ear infection products to dogs in need August 30, 2018Pet King Brands Inc. has donated 12,000 bottles of Zymox Plus Advanced Otic-HC Enzymatic Ear Care Solution to assist animals suffering from ear infections and increase adoptions of rescued dogs. Ear infections, among the top health issues seen among dogs in animal shelters, rescues, humane societies, and animal sanctuaries across the U.S., can cause a myriad of symptoms, including pain, discharge, irritability, and even hearing loss if left untreated. "We receive stories all the time regarding the impact Zymox has had on pet ear health. We are also aware that shelters are overcrowded and under-funded with a large pet population suffering from painful ear infections," said Pamela K. Bosco, Pet King president. "We realized we could help on a large scale. We want pets to become more adoptable, sooner. Plus, Zymox is very easy to use, which reduces the demands on the shelter staff." Pet King Brands said it will continue helping to promote pet adoptions, reduce the number of homeless pets, and support pets in shelters through additional future donations.
Torigen Pharma wins 2018 KC Animal Health Corridor Innovation AwardAugust 30, 2018Torigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Farmington, Conn., company that provides personalized cancer immunotherapies to the veterinary market, has won the Innovation Award at the KC Animal Health Corridor Investment Forum in Kansas City, Mo. Torigen presented its autologous immunotherapeutic cancer vaccine, VVax-001, for dogs during the forum. The company was honored with the award and a check for $10,000. Torigen was among 12 emerging animal health companies from three countries who competed for investments in a "Shark Tank" format with more than 400 venture capital funds, investment firms, and potential partners at the 10th annual KC Animal Health Investment Forum on Aug. 21. Each company was given 10 minutes to present their ideas followed by a five-minute Q&A. Presenting companies were seeking anywhere from $500,000 to $20 million in funding and had revenue projections of $20 million within five to seven years. A national committee of agricultural and animal health experts selected the finalists. The Investment Forum in Kansas City is one of the world's only opportunities for early-and mid-stage animal health entrepreneurs to present their business plans and provide an inside look at the newest technology and innovations to potential investors. "The Global Animal Health Investment Forum is the …
OSU enrolling dogs with mammary cancer for clinical trialAugust 29, 2018Oregon State University's Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital is now enrolling dogs with mammary cancer in a new clinical trial. Dog owners considering standard tumor removal surgery may be able to choose a new surgical procedure involving an intravenous injection of a cancer cell-illuminating nanoparticle compound that highlights exactly which tissue needs to be removed. After the mammary tumor is removed, the surrounding tissue is irradiated with an infrared laser that causes the nanoparticle compound to heat up, killing any remaining cancer cells. The compound, developed by researchers in the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, has been found to effectively cure cancer in mice. The new procedure eventually may be most beneficial for treating tumors in challenging anatomic areas, such as the brain and spine, according to Milan Milovancev, DVM, DACVS-SA, an OSU associate professor of small animal surgery participating in the study. The Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine is a member of a national consortium of veterinary oncology centers, managed by the National Institutes of Health, with a focus on translational veterinary medicine. Owners who believe their pets may be good trial candidates can ask their veterinarian …
New research for canine, human Type 1 diabetes holds promiseAugust 24, 2018Reversing Type 1 diabetes in dogs and humans without the use of daily insulin injections or pumps may become a reality, thanks to a collaboration between Purdue University and the Indiana University School of Medicine. In a preclinical study, researchers developed a mixture of collagen and pancreatic cells and engineered a delivery method that successfully reversed Type 1 diabetes within 24 hours and maintained insulin independence for 90 days. A clinical study in dogs with naturally occurring Type 1 diabetes in collaboration with Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine is next. "We plan to account for differences from mouse to human by helping dogs first," said Clarissa Hernandez Stephens, first author on the work and a graduate researcher at Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. "This way, the dogs can inform us on how well the treatment might work in humans." Because diabetes in dogs and humans occurs the same, both potentially could benefit from the same cure: A new set of pancreatic cells to replace islets (clusters of cells) that aren't releasing insulin to monitor blood glucose levels. Islet transplantation isn't new, and it poses challenges: It requires multiple donors, it's invasive, and large numbers of transplanted …
NIH awards UF veterinarian five-year grant to study canine diabetesAugust 24, 2018Allison O'Kell, DVM, a small animal internal medicine specialist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, has received a Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health in support of her studies relating to canine diabetes. The five-year grant, known as a K08, will support Dr. O'Kell's career and research project. "The overall goal of my research is to study the causes of diabetes in the dog," O'Kell said. "We hope that the work will benefit dogs with this disease, but also to help us better understand whether studying the disease in dogs may be a novel way to understand the disease in humans." The disease has been increasing in prevalence over time in both dogs and humans, emphasizing the importance of research to determine the underlying causes of the disease as well as methods for prevention and treatment, she added. O'Kell's primary mentor is Mark Atkinson, PhD, the American Diabetes Association Eminent Scholar for Diabetes Research and Jeffrey Keene Family Professor in the UF College of Medicine. Atkinson also directs the UF Diabetes Institute and has been investigating human Type 1 diabetes for …
Blue Buffalo Co. launches canine obesity, joint health dietAugust 23, 2018Blue Buffalo Co. has launched BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet W+M Weight Management + Mobility Support for dogs. According to the company, the therapeutic diet contains L-carnitine, which has been shown to facilitate weight loss and help maintain lean body mass in dogs; betaine, which supports dogs' ability to metabolize fat; moderate levels of dietary fiber from powdered cellulose, pea fiber, dried tomato pomace, and chicory root, which promote satiety and weight loss; turmeric, vitamin C, and vitamin E to limit oxidative stress, which has been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. It also contains EPA, DHA, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate, as well as deboned salmon, fish oil, canola oil, flaxseed, and shrimp meal.
FDA approves NexGard expanded label claimsAugust 22, 2018Merial, part of Boehringer Ingelheim, received approval from the U.S Food and Drug Administration to expand the label claims for NexGard (afoxolaner). The flea and tick control product is now approved to prevent Borrelia burgdorferi infections as a direct result of it killing Ixodes scapularis vector ticks, commonly called black-legged, or deer, ticks. NexGard is the first and only flea and tick product to receive FDA approval for preventing infections that cause Lyme disease by killing the vector ticks, the company stated. The approval comes just as veterinarians and pet owners in many parts of the country are being warned about the potential of an increased number of Lyme disease cases in 2018. The FDA approval is based on two well-controlled laboratory studies that showed that NexGard effectively prevented the transmission of B. burgdorfei infections after dogs were infested with wild-caught I. scapularis ticks 28 days after treatment with NexGard, said the manufacturer. "Both studies measured the transmission of B. burgdorferi to dogs after exposure to infected ticks," said Zach Mills, DVM, head of US Pet Veterinary Professional Services. "All dogs treated with NexGard tested negative for B. burgdorferi infection, demonstrating that transmission was prevented as a direct result …
STAAR 2019 canine rehab, wellness conference registration openAugust 21, 2018The Symposium on Therapeutic Advances in Animal Rehabilitation (STAAR) has announced that registration is open for the April 24-28 event held in Florham Park, N.J. This lab-focused working conference is ideal for veterinarians, surgeons, veterinary technicians, physical and occupational therapists, and specialists treating functional impairments and working to prevent injury and maximize performance in canines, the organizers stated. "STAAR's unique method of education incorporates lecture with interactive practical labs designed to imprint and reinforce skills that can be implemented immediately into practice," said the conference hosts in a statement. "Instructors include many of the pioneers in the field of animal rehabilitation, as well as internationally recognized educators in canine physical therapy and sports medicine." Attendees can explore new concepts, advanced techniques, and the latest treatments in rehabilitative medicine and physical therapy while practicing skills on their target audience. Dogs are plentiful—usually one dog per three to four attendees—which allows ample practical opportunity and experience. Also, STAAR allows attendees to register only for the course(s) and the workshop(s) they want, rather than registering for an entire conference. Some of the workshop labs being offered at STAAR 2019: Myofascial manual therapies for the axial skeleton and extremities; Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, …
Rocky Mountain spotted fever epidemic at US border, study saysAugust 21, 2018A study published by the School of Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Autonoma de Baja California and the University of California, Davis says ticks are causing a deadly Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) epidemic in Mexico, and health officials are concerned it could spread to the U.S. Dr. Luis Tinoco-Gracia, a research professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Autonoma de Baja California and director of the Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Sciences, in Mexicali, Mexico, and colleagues from the University of California, Davis published the report in the September 2018 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health journal. The RMSF epidemic began in 2008 in Mexicali, adjacent to the U.S. border in Baja California. In 2014, a fatal human case was reported in Imperial County, Calif. In 2015, the Mexican Ministry of Health declared an epidemiologic emergency, which as of 2018 has affected approximately 4,000 people. Since that time, four people who have been carrying the disease and crossed the border to the U.S. have died. Overall, since 2000, the incidence of RMSF in the U.S. has increased markedly, the study authors said. "Overall, since 2000, in …
