Canine Cancer Lab TVAX Gets $2 MillionMarch 26, 2015Investors have put a lot of faith and money in TVAX Animal Health, a year-old company that is working on a T-cell-based cancer treatment for dogs. The Lenexa, Kan., subsidiary of TVAX Biomedical Inc. announced today that it closed on an additional $2 million in funding, adding to a stockpile that last summer totaled $12 million. “There are more than 3 million dogs treated for cancer each year, yet the available treatment options are limited,” CEO Tammie Wahaus said. “TVAX Animal Health strives to bring effective cancer treatment options to the U.S. veterinary market, and this round of financing will help us achieve this.” The cash infusion will fund a clinical trial of TVAX’s proprietary immunotherapy, which is designed to use a patient’s immune system to generate cancer-killing T-cells. The developer is focused on canine cancer but sees a potential market for the technology with cats and horses. The immunotherapy has the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authorization. Among TVAX’s early investors were the Mid-America Angels network and the Kansas Biosciences Authority, both of which contributed to the new round of funding along with other parties. “We look forward to working with the TVAX management team to assist in …
SPONSORED CONTENTYour Parasite Protection Recommendation, SimplifiedManaging parasite prevention doesn’t have to be complicated. Discover a single solution that protects against multiple threats. + Learn More
Heart Drug Effective in Canine MMVDMarch 25, 2015An international clinical trial involving the drug pimobendan showed such positive results in canine heart patients that the researchers ended their work early, Texas A&M University reported Tuesday. The full study, which is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, the maker of Vetmedin (pimobendan) chewable tablets, is expected to be published later. The research team, which included Texas A&M associate professor Sonya Gordon, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, conducted what the university called the largest clinical study ever involving dogs suffering from myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). A group of 360 canine patients was randomly split between those given pimobendan or a placebo in a double-blind study. Sixteen of the dogs were managed at Texas A&M, while the others were seen at 35 other trial centers in the United States and abroad. Pimobendan was found to delay the onset of clinical signs of congestive heart failure in dogs with increased heart size secondary to preclinical MMVD. “A midstudy analysis in mid-February 2015 indicated that pimobendan is clearly beneficial and did not raise any concern over the administration of pimobendan,” Texas A&M stated. “Based on these results the interim analysis committee recommended that the study be stopped and the lead investigators … …
3,000 Goldens Enrolled in Lifetime StudyMarch 24, 2015A suburban Chicago golden retriever will go down in history for her role in a ground-breaking study. Morris Animal Foundation announced today that young Chloe has enrolled as the 3,000th dog in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, a years-long research project that aims to better understand canine diseases. The Denver-based foundation called the longitudinal study the first of its kind in the veterinary world. “We are extraordinarily grateful not only to the thousands of owners who enrolled their dogs in this study but also to the many veterinarians who are on the front lines helping us gather data,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., the president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. “Of course, the real heroes are all the beautiful golden retrievers we will be following throughout their lives.” Chloe’s owner, Meredith Walters of Riverside, Ill., didn’t hesitate to offer up her pup, especially since her golden retriever Amber died from cancer and Cushing’s disease at age 13. “My hope is that this study will uncover data that will lead to information on why golden retrievers in particular are susceptible to cancer,” Walters said. “I knew that by enrolling Chloe I could honor Amber’s memory in a tangible …
What You Need to Know About Jaw LockingMarch 13, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Last month, we discussed differential diagnoses for cats that are unable to close their mouths. One possible cause for cats’ and dogs’ inability to close the mouth is open-mouth jaw locking, which is rare enough that you may not have learned of it in veterinary school. Photo © 2012, John R. Lewis, University of Pennsylvania Figure 1: Open-mouth jaw locking in a Persian cat. Note the mouth is locked open so wide that there is no contact between maxillary and mandibular teeth. The slight shift of the mandible to the right suggests locking is occurring on the right. Clinical Signs and Etiology In cases of open-mouth jaw locking (OMJL), cats and dogs present with the mouth wide open, and the lower jaw often has shifted to the side where the coronoid process (the tip of the ramus) is locking on the ventrolateral aspect of the zygomatic arch (Figure 1). On presentation, patients may be drooling, pawing at the face and vocalizing. The defining clinical trait that allows OMJL to be distinguished from other possible causes of inability to close the mouth on conscious examination is that …
Purina: ‘No Quality Issues With Beneful’February 26, 2015Pet food manufacturer Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. is defending its Beneful brand as safe in light of a lawsuit that claims the food killed or sickened an undetermined number of dogs. The lawsuit alleges that the illnesses and deaths were linked to contaminated grain and food-grade propylene glycol used in eight Beneful kibble recipes. The document, filed Feb. 5 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, requests class-action status, which if granted could turn thousands of dog owners nationwide into plaintiffs. St. Louis-based Purina issued a statement calling Beneful “a favorite of millions of pet owners and their dogs.” “First and foremost, there are no quality issues with Beneful,” the company stated. “Beneful is a high-quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs every day. In fact, in 2014, nearly 1.5 billion Beneful meals were served to millions of happy, healthy dogs who enjoy and thrive on this food.” The lawsuit was filed by Discovery Bay, Calif., dog owner Frank Lucido, who said his German shepherd and Labrador retriever became sick and his English bulldog died within weeks of starting a Beneful diet. Lucido’s attorney, Jeffrey B. Cereghino, claimed in the lawsuit that testing of Beneful by the Association for Truth …
AKC Updates Website, LogoFebruary 25, 2015Staying current with technology, the 130-year-old American Kennel Club has launched a redesigned website along with what the registrar of purebred dogs describes as a streamlined, modern logo. The New York-based AKC contracted with the design firm Makeable to plan and build the new website, which is optimized for mobile devices and features greater functionality on all breed pages, the organization reported. “We spent more than a year immersed in research and discovery to ensure we presented a redesigned platform that would not only serve the members of our sport, but also the millions of dog owners around the country,” said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. He called the website—www.AKC.org—“progressive and inclusive while also staying true to our heritage.” Besides maintaining an expansive log of purebred dogs, AKC advocates for canine health, oversees more than 5,000 clubs and affiliated organizations, and maintains rules and regulations governing competitions such as breed shows and agility events.
Putney Releases Injectable Carprofen for DogsFebruary 12, 2015Drug maker Putney Inc. this week began selling Carprofen Sterile Injectable Solution, a generic version of Rimadyl, the anti-inflammation medication that has earned longtime rights holder Zoetis Inc. hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. The development gives Putney all three dosage forms of generic Rimadyl: injectable, chewable tablets and caplets. The active ingredient, carprofen, is formulated to control osteoarthritis pain and inflammation in dogs and for postsurgical pain. “Putney is helping veterinarians make pet health care more affordable for their pet owner clients by bringing new FDA-approved veterinary generic medicines to the market,” CEO Jean Hoffman said. Putney launched Carprofen Chewable Tablets in December. At the time, the Portland, Maine, company estimated industry sales of chewable Rimadyl and its generic equivalents at $70 million a year. Another U.S. drug maker, Bayer Animal Health, offers generic Rimadyl in soft chewable tablets under the brand name Quellin. Zoetis’ 2014 earnings report, released Wednesday, highlighted the threat to sales of one of its flagship products. “Growth was offset by competition to our Rimadyl franchise and competitive pressure in vaccines and parasiticides,” Zoetis stated. Rimadyl was released in 1997 by Pfizer Inc., which years later spun off its Pfizer …
Voyce Dog Monitor Available for PurchaseJanuary 28, 2015Voyce, a computerized collar that monitors a dog’s vital signs, is ready for the marketplace more than a year after winning acclaim at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. The $299 device, which requires a prepaid subscription plan, will ship in small, medium and large sizes in March, according to the manufacturer, i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va. Orders also are being taken for extra-large collars, which should begin arriving on doorsteps in April. Voyce is being promoted to dog owners and to veterinarians, who can “partner with their clients,” i4C President Jeff Noce said. “By providing vets with objective data trends, previously difficult to obtain, there is now an opportunity for early detection and diagnosis, offering dogs, their pet parents and vets the ability to identify and implement treatment plans earlier and track treatment progress over time,” Noce said. Outfitted with WiFi technology, an accelerometer, sensors and a rechargeable battery, Voyce is designed to measure and transmit resting heart and respiratory rates, activity levels, rest patterns and calories burned. The data may be viewed on desktop and tablet computers and smartphones. Shared with veterinarians, the information helps “connect the dots between visits,” the company stated. The subscription plan …
Registration Opens in April for Free Eye ExamsJanuary 28, 2015Free eye screenings will be offered in May during the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ annual National Service Animal Eye Exam Event. The exams are open to certified and active working animals in the United States and Canada or those enrolled in a formal training program. Among the eligible occupations are guide, handicapped assistance, detection, military, search and rescue, and therapy. Registration for the eighth annual event, which is co-sponsored by Stokes Pharmacy of Mount Laurel, N.J., will run from April 1 to 30 at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Owners or handlers of eligible service animals will receive a registration number allowing them to schedule a May eye appointment with a participating veterinary ophthalmologist. More than 7,000 animals were served in 2014 and more than 30,000 over the program’s seven years. While dogs are most commonly examined under the program, other animals, such as horses and a donkey, were checked in 2014. ACVO reported that the exams have rooted out eye ailments in hundreds of animals. One guide dog, Swap, was diagnosed in 2012 with pigmentary uveitis, a condition that affects the vision of golden retrievers. “Had I not gone to the event and had Swap’s eyes checked, …
Rabies Booster Works in Some Exposed PetsJanuary 26, 2015Pets whose rabies vaccination has expired will likely survive exposure to the deadly virus if they are quickly given a booster, according to Kansas State University researchers. The discovery also means that pet owners potentially could choose short-term quarantine of such animals at home rather than euthanasia. Many states now require unvaccinated pets that are exposed to rabies to be quarantined for six months at an animal control facility, a costly proposition for owners faced with paying thousands of dollars in kennel bills. “This has the potential to save a lot of pets’ lives,” said Michael Moore, DVM, MPH, the project manager at the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “Our hope is that now animals with an out-of-date vaccination status that are exposed to rabies will be allowed to be handled the same as dogs and cats with up-to-date vaccinations. They will be given a booster and a 45-day observation at home.” The study, published Jan. 15 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was the first to present scientific data on animals with out-of-date rabies vaccinations, Kansas State reported. Most of the 74 dogs and 33 cats that Dr. Moore and his colleagues …
