Sleepypod Dog Harness Wins Top Safety RatingJuly 16, 2015One of the top dogs in the pet harness industry is trumpeting a safety achievement for big dogs: a certified five-star crash test rating for the new Clickit Sport XL. The extra-large Clickit Sport, made by Sleepypod of Pasadena, Calif., is the only travel harness of its size to receive the Center for Pet Safety’s highest score, the company announced Wednesday. The Center for Pet Safety, based in Reston, Va., tests harnesses and other pet products submitted by manufacturers. The Clickit Sport XL is designed for dogs with a chest circumference of 34.5 to 40 inches, or up to about 90 pounds. The Center for Pet Safety used a 90-pound dummy canine model and a crash sled to measure Clickit Sport XL’s durability and protection. “Our research has returned findings that [extra-large] dogs can cause significant strain on the vehicle seat belt system,” said Lindsey Wolko, founder of the nonprofit organization. “Meeting the 90-pound crash protection level is a significant achievement.” Sleepypod holds a five-star rating for the Clickit Sport in all four sizes: small, medium, large and extra-large. Winning certification of the three smaller harnesses was easier, said Michael Leung, Sleepypod’s co-founder and lead product designer. The …
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Why You Should Consider Nonsurgical Care for CCL DiseaseJune 8, 2015Originally published by June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News As someone who offers her thoughts on veterinary topics in print and online quite often, Narda G. Robinson, DO, DVM, MS, FAAMA, hears a great deal from pet owners and fellow practitioners about cranial cruciate ligament disease, a common aliment that can greatly impact a pet’s mobility and lifestyle. Just don’t try and tell her surgery is the “gold standard” for treating CCL disease. Nor should surgery always be presented as the best treatment, said Dr. Robinson, director at the CSU Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “My first question is: ‘What constitutes a ‘gold standard?’” Robinson said. “Is this based on opinion or scientific evidence? I’d prefer to see whatever is a ‘gold standard’ supported by evidence of benefit, safety and the least invasive approach possible rather than often-held opinions.” She noted that there are many instances of pelvic limb lameness that don’t require surgery, yet there isn’t enough evidence to say how a comprehensive rehabilitation program compares to various surgical outcomes for cruciate injury. “Based on what I’ve seen and heard from folks around the country, and even from other countries, …
Do Dogs and Cats Get Cavities?June 8, 2015Originally published in the June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Dental caries (the medical term for cavities caused by tooth decay) are common in people but rare in our veterinary patients. Dental caries were first described in domesticated dogs in 1962.1 The NIH reports that 92 percent of adult humans between the age of 20 and 64 have cavities of their permanent teeth. The prevalence of caries in dogs is low, having been documented at 5 percent in a study of 435 dogs.2 Caries in cats are very rare (almost nonexistent). Etiology What’s the difference between caries and the more commonly seen veterinary problem of tooth resorption? The etiology of caries is due to a combination of having the right bacteria in the mouth (usually a bug called Streptococcus mutans) and having carbohydrate substrates for S. mutans to form acids that eat away at the surface of a tooth. Often times, even that is not enough to cause cavities. Often there is a genetic predilection of a developmental abnormality of a tooth to allow the enamel to be penetrated by these acids. The most common type of caries lesions is referred to as “pit-and-fissure” caries, which most commonly occurs …
Blue Buffalo Faults Supplier for Wide Use of Byproduct MealMay 12, 2015Blue Buffalo Co., one of the world’s largest pet food makers, admitted in a courtroom May 6 that a substantial portion of its products at one time contained poultry byproduct meal, and the company blamed the situation on a supplier’s “mislabeling scheme.” The acknowledgment came as the Wilton, Conn., manufacturer asked a U.S. District Court judge in St. Louis to interrupt proceedings in a lawsuit filed by competitor Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. The judge granted a three-month delay to give Blue Buffalo time to sue Wilbur-Ellis Co. and draw the San Francisco animal feed supplier further into the case. Blue Buffalo and Purina have engaged in a long-running war of words and legal fight over allegations that some Blue Buffalo food was made with poultry byproduct meal contrary to the company’s labeling and advertising. A countersuit filed by Blue Buffalo accuses Purina, the world’s No. 2 pet food manufacturer, of defamation, unfair competition and false advertising. Both companies verbally attacked each other in the days after the court hearing. “Despite this admission, Blue Buffalo still has not informed consumers of the presence of poultry byproduct meal in Blue Buffalo pet food, refuses to accept responsibility for the product it …
Why Compliance Tops Flea and Tick Control MustsMay 11, 2015Originally published in the April 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News The most effective flea- and tick-control products are the ones that pet owners will actually use according to the label recommendations. So believes Michael Murray, DVM, technical marketing director for U.S. Pet Parasiticides at Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. “While that may seem simple and obvious on the surface, many important factors influence the outcome,” said Dr. Murray said. By probing into a pet’s routine with a few questions, veterinarians can ferret out those factors and help ensure compliance – leading to what is likely to be a better outcome for patients, Murray said. “First, what is the pet owner’s perception of the value, not the cost, of using flea and tick control for their pet?” he said. “This differs among pet owners, and finding out how clients spend time with their pets can provide important insights into how a parasite infestation would affect the relationship between the owner and their pet.” One question he suggested be posed to clients is whether a pet sleeps with a family member and how a flea or tick infestation would affect that interaction. He also suggested that veterinarians should find out if …
Careless Dog Owners Could Be in Mess of TroubleMay 4, 2015Dogs can run, but they can’t hide from PooPrints. BioPet Vet Lab, which specializes in canine genetic testing, is partnering with the appropriately named London borough of Barking and Dagenham to track down dog owners who fail to remove their pets’ public deposits. Starting in September 2016, people who don’t pick up after their dogs could be fined 80 pounds, or about $125. The registration of dogs’ DNA could become mandatory five months earlier if a pilot program proves successful. That’s where BioPet and its U.K. licensee, Streetkleen Bio, come in. Canine cheek swabs will be taken and sent to BioPet’s Knoxville, Tenn., laboratory for identification and registration of the dogs. When Barking and Dagenham party poopers come across a pile of dog doo, a sample will be shipped to BioPet in an attempt to identify the canine offender. “Wardens will patrol the borough’s 27 parks and open spaces and test any rogue mess,” the BBC news agency reportedly bluntly. Borough leaders decided to enforce a Public Space Protection Order, a quality-of-life measure that allows governments across the United Kingdom to crack down on anti-social behavior in public areas such as parks, cemeteries and beaches. The effort in Barking and …
Why the Basics Still Apply to Canine Skin AllergiesMay 4, 2015Originally published in the April 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Prevention, diagnosis and good management are still the most important elements of treating a dog with allergic skin disease, experts say, despite the presence of a potentially game-changing medication. “Apoquel has helped a lot of dogs, but you still need to implement good parasite control, including flea prevention, and you still need to ID the potentially underlying adverse reactions,” said Jeanne B. Budgin, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, president of the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology. “In my opinion, Apoquel is not a replacement for diagnostics directed at identifying the cause of allergic skin disease,” Dr. Budgin said. Apoquel soared in popularity upon its release in January 2014. Many practitioners experienced a shortage of the drug when manufacturer Zoetis of Florham Park, N.J., ran low on supplies and faced production issues. Shortage Dr. Budgin, who works at Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, N.Y., said she hasn’t experienced the shortage. She said she’s been able to keep patients that were started on Apoquel on the treatment. For others, the shortage has been an issue. One such affected practitioner is Christine Zewe, DVM, a resident in dermatology at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine …
Why Ticks Are Looming Large for Dogs and CatsApril 29, 2015Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Ticks have been steadily spreading across the United States in recent years, their incidence growing rapidly right along with the white-tail deer population. It’s still a bit early to say for sure, but it doesn’t look like that spread will be slowing this year. A parasite forecast published each spring by the Companion Animal Parasite Council gives veterinarians and pet owners a good idea of what they can expect in the way of tick, intestinal parasite and heartworm prevalence. “We expect to see—unless intervention is increased—continued spread of the tick-transmitted diseases and some continued small climb in heartworms,” said Dwight Bowman, MS, Ph.D., a Cornell University veterinary parasitology professor and CAPC board member. Tick-transmitted agents that test (Lyme, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia) are increasing in the percentage of animals positive within an area—and the current ranges are expanding too, he said. It’s always hard to tell what a year will hold in terms of parasites. Extreme cold and dry weather have a significant negative effect on flea and tick populations, and while much of the northern half of the U.S. has experienced cold and snowy weather, it has not been …
Henry Schein Unleashes Puppy Gift BoxesApril 17, 2015Veterinary products distributor Henry Schein Animal Health will ship something different to practitioners. The Dublin, Ohio, wholesaler announced a long-term partnership Thursday with Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit group that pairs nearly 300 trained assistance dogs a year with disabled people. Boxes filled with grooming items, treats and other pet products will be sent to veterinary clinics for delivery to clients who raise puppies on behalf of Canine Companions for Independence. The Puppy Raiser Care Package, which also includes product coupons, is intended to reduce the costs that volunteers incur before the animals become full-fledged working dogs. Veterinarians will receive a plaque acknowledging their participation in the program, which is scheduled to start later this year. “The puppy raiser devotes so much time, energy and personal financial resources for the benefit of people needing assistance, so we think it is only fitting to support that generosity with this gift,” said Stanley M. Bergman, chairman and CEO of parent company Henry Schein Inc. “The veterinarian, as the health care partner of the puppy raiser, also contributes to the betterment of society by providing the care needed to ensure the puppy grows into a working assistance dog.” About 1,400 volunteer puppy …
U.K. Vet Techs Ready for 2016 Microchip LawApril 16, 2015English veterinary technicians are sufficiently trained to implant microchips in dogs and will not require additional skills when microchips are mandated in 2016, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons reported today. Technicians in Wales and Scotland are likely to receive a similar waiver, the organization stated, but dog breeders across the United Kingdom who lack proper training will have to complete a course if they want to implant microchips themselves. Mandatory microchipping was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2012 in an effort to return more stray dogs to their owners. The governments of England, Wales and Scotland passed similar legislation that set a microchip deadline of April 6, 2016, for all dogs at least 8 weeks old. Owners of dogs without a microchip could be fined. The British Veterinary Association is publicizing the requirement and prepared information posters that practice owners may place in their clinics. “We need to work hard to make owners aware of the new law throughout this year, with animals microchipped as far in advance of the deadline as possible,” said BVA President John Blackwell, BVSc, MRCVS. The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) excused veterinarians from microchip training but considered requiring …
