Elanco Launches Osurnia for Canine Ear InfectionsAugust 5, 2015Osurnia, a new treatment for inflamed or infected canine ears, also may help with owner compliance because of its makeup and dosing schedule, according to manufacturer Elanco Animal Health. Osurnia (florfenicol/terbinafine/betamethasone acetate) comes in gel-filled, single-dose tubes that are administered seven days apart to treat canine otitis externa. A dog owner is instructed to squeeze the gel into the ear canal through a flexible, soft tip, and then gently massage the ear to spread the medication. The two-dose regimen should appeal to owners, Elanco stated today in announcing the launch of the drug. “Pet owner compliance is one of the biggest challenges veterinarians face when treating otitis externa in dogs,” said Wayne Rosenkrantz, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, of Animal Dermatology Clinic in Tustin, Calif. “With Osurnia, the innovation of an effective treatment administered in just two doses is much more convenient for pet owners and will increase the likelihood that they will complete the entire treatment program.” Osurnia was developed by Novartis Animal Health, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug before Elanco acquired the company earlier this year. Osurnia is indicated for the treatment of otitis externa associated with susceptible strains of the …
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Zoetis Reveals Anti-Itch Therapy for DogsAugust 4, 2015Zoetis Inc. plans to arm veterinary dermatologists with a new weapon this fall: an antibody therapy designed to turn off the itch switch in dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis. The Florham Park, N.J., drug and vaccine maker reported Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a conditional license for Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic. Delivered monthly by injection, the antibody neutralizes interleukin-31, a protein that instructs a dog’s brain to begin scratching, Zoetis stated. The therapy joins another Zoetis product, the daily drug Apoquel, as a way to control canine itching regardless of the underlying problem. While Apoquel is indicated for cases of allergic or atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 1 year old, the new therapy may be used with any dog afflicted with atopic dermatitis. “By helping to relieve itching and the clinical signs associated with atopic dermatitis in affected dogs, it will also help restore quality of life for both atopic dogs and the people who love them,” said Arizona veterinary dermatologist Thomas Lewis II, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, who participated in clinical studies of the antibody therapy. Apoquel has been in short supply since the pill was launched in January 2014, and Zoetis is not …
Voyce Pro Offers Remote Monitoring of Dogs’ HealthJuly 28, 2015The manufacturer of the Voyce health monitor has launched a service that allows veterinarians to track a canine patient’s well-being away from the clinic. Voyce Pro, from i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va., is a veterinary-exclusive program that practitioners may use to look after dogs recovering from surgery or being treated for heart, joint or respiratory disease or conditions such as obesity and anxiety. Voyce President Jeff Noce called the service, which was unveiled in July at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, “an entirely new level of personalized care for veterinary patients.” “Based on the success and feedback we had with our consumer model, Voyce, we have created the wellness monitoring program exclusively for veterinarians,” Noce said. Worn around a dog’s neck, the battery-powered monitor measures resting heart and respiratory rates, activity, calories burned and distance traveled. Sent over a Wifi connection to an Internet-enabled computer or smartphone, the readings may help a veterinarian identify and react to trends. “In conjunction with exam findings and diagnostics, the program provides a more comprehensive view of a patient’s ongoing health status,” said Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM, the company’s director of veterinary medicine. “Voyce Pro helps identify and manage acute and chronic health …
Idexx Launches 10-Minute Test for LeptoJuly 21, 2015Idexx Laboratories Inc. today introduced an in-clinic test that can diagnose canine leptospirosis, a potentially fatal bacterial infection, within 10 minutes. The rapid diagnosis is a big improvement over the most common testing method, Idexx reported. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is performed at university and commercial laboratories and may take up to a week to deliver results. “The SNAP Lepto Test represents an important step forward in helping veterinarians quickly and affordably detect antibodies to dangerous Leptospira infections in dogs,” said Jonathan W. Ayers, president and CEO of the Westbrook, Maine, company. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that usually strikes dogs, cattle, horses, pigs and wildlife. The disease is frequently spread through contact with infected urine. “It most commonly affects young adult large-breed dogs that swim and run alongside wildlife hosts,” Idexx noted. “Over the past 10 years, the disease has also been found in small dogs living in urban environments, likely due to encounters with rodents and wildlife hosts who have wandered into the city.” Richard Goldstein, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief medical officer at Animal Medical Center in New York City, called the new test “a key to both determining the true prevalence of leptospirosis …
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 …
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 …
