New bill would allow California veterinarians to recommend cannabisApril 22, 2019A new bill introduced to the California legislation could repeal an original ban on veterinarians recommending cannabis to their clients. The bill, SB 627, would allow licensed veterinarians to discuss the use of and recommend medicinal cannabis or related products on an animal patient for any condition for which these products provide relief. The bill would also prohibit a veterinarian who makes a recommendation under these provisions from being punished, or denied any right or privilege, for recommending these products. Currently, The Veterinary Medicine Practice Act authorizes the board to revoke or suspend the license of a person to practice veterinary medicine, or to assess a fine, for discussing medicinal cannabis with a client while the veterinarian is employed by or has an agreement with a Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) licensee and is distributing advertising for cannabis in California. Further, the bill would permit pet owners to purchase medicinal cannabis or medicinal cannabis products on a veterinarian's recommendation.
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New website pinpoints whether cats are picky eaters or sickApril 16, 2019A new website launched by KindredBio will inform owners about their cat's eating and drinking habits and as a result will lead to more visits to the veterinary clinic. PickyOrSick.com will help owners identify a problematic change in their cat's eating and drinking behavior and will direct them to a veterinarian should there a problem. "The best resource will always be the veterinarian. Yet, the society we live in today is technologically capable of providing answers at the stroke of a keyboard," says Christina Fernandez, DVM, DACVECC, MRCVS, KindredBio senior manager, veterinary affairs. "What's not often mentioned online is cats do not tolerate even short periods of inadequate nutrition. It can be critical to seek veterinary care immediately if an adult cat refuses food for even just a day." The science-based resource directs owners to make an appointment with their local veterinarian. The website features: • a five-question quiz to encourage owners to seek veterinary advice concerning changes in their cat's eating and drinking habits; • suggestions for determining whether their cat's behavior is a sign of illness or just picky eating; • a downloadable log to help monitor their cat's behavior, which can be shared …
Cats are taking over Times Square this springApril 12, 2019Cats will take the spotlight in Times Square this spring as part of a campaign to promote the love of cats. The International Cat Association (TICA), Winn Feline Foundation, and Dr. Elsey's Cat Products have joined together to create a feline billboard campaign that will be front and center in one of the world's busiest pedestrian areas. The initiative runs until June 30. TICA has celebrated the welfare of cats since its start in 1979. Currently, it is made up of more than 8,000 cat lovers in 104 countries. The Winn Feline Foundation has been supporting and funding feline research since 1968. More than $6 million has been given to researchers working toward a better understanding of diseases, treatments, and cures for feline health conditions. Dr. Elsey's creates various cat products. The company will be in New York from April 22 to May 15 to host the first Power of Purrsuasion pop-up event at Meow Parlour.
Mars Petcare introduces new division focusing on collaborationApril 9, 2019Mars Petcare has announced the launch of Kinship, a collaboration platform for start-ups, veterinarians, and industry collaborators that provides them access to data, science, and industry expertise. "We're excited about our new global division, Kinship, becoming a unique collaboration platform for entrepreneurs and innovators to create new products and services delivering on our purpose: a better world for pets," says Mars Petcare president, Poul Weihrauch. "There are extraordinary opportunities in data, science, and connected technology. Match them with the expansive reach, resources, and core capabilities of a global industry leader like Mars, and together we can create a powerful force for transforming pet care." The initiative will focus on three main areas: • Health care: Kinship will look for new ways to provide pet owners with care options that are more accessible, effective, and personalized to fit the needs of their pets. • Nutrition: By working together with its partners, Kinship will find new ways to support pet health through nutrition. • Science: Kinship will work with experts to uncover ways to help change pet care through science by applying new discoveries from microbiome biology to machine learning. "Our ambition for Kinship is to bring together the brightest minds …
Education and awareness are key to preventing dog bitesApril 9, 2019Parents learning canine behavioral cues and teaching them to their children to avoid injuries is one of the ways to prevent dog bites. That's according to Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA), which released several recommendations for parents and veterinarians to help keep children safe. The advice comes during National Dog Bite Prevention week, which runs from April 7 to 13. Parents should also be aware of a dog lifting its lip, panting or yawning inappropriately, cowering, holding its breath, flattening its ears to its head, growling, or snapping. "Many dogs will give a warning or several warnings they are uncomfortable, and a person needs to back off," says Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP, a past TVMA president who is a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. "People often miss these signs and think a dog bite occurred out of the blue." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 4.7 million dog bites are reported every year. Seventeen percent of them require medical care—half of the victims are children. According to TVMA, it is important to teach children not to approach unknown dogs, but it also warns many dog bites occur when interacting …
Texas affordable pet care bill on hold for nowApril 8, 2019Pet owners relying on low-cost veterinary clinics are breathing a temporary sigh of relief now that lawmakers are taking another look at a bill designed to limit pet care access to only the most indigent clients. House Bill 3806 would outlaw nonprofits from providing any veterinary services besides spaying, neutering, and vaccines to anyone other than the poorest pet owners. Further, pet owners who don't qualify based on their income would have to go to private veterinarians to receive treatments such as heartworm prevention, flea control, or lifesaving procedures. Last week, Texas's house agriculture and livestock committee heard public commentary on the bill's potential impact on pets' health. "It is not a good bill. It targets people who would have a hard time paying for normal shots, testing, and some other services for pet owners," Emily's Legacy Rescue employee, Kimber Hopkins, told News Channel 6. "It may even affect rescues receiving low-cost vetting, causing adoption fees to increase and more animals being surrendered to the city shelters."
University of Minnesota seeks participants for skin disease studyApril 5, 2019University of Minnesota (UMN) College of Veterinary Medicine is looking for candidates to enroll in an allergic skin disease study. The clinical trial will assess the safety and efficacy of a topical gel for dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD), which is a skin condition that causes severe itching and is hard to manage. According to the researchers, many of the current treatments produce unwanted side effects or they do not fully treat the symptoms. The study will last 14 days and will require the participants to visit UMN on day zero, seven, and 14. The dogs' owners will be required to use a topical gel on areas of their pets' skin and keep a medication diary throughout the duration. During the visits, Sheila Torres, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVD, will examine and assess the participants. Blood samples will be taken every visit and urine samples on day zero and 14. There is no cost, and at the end of the study dog owners will be eligible for to a $200 debit card. To participate dogs must: • have a short hair coat; • have red and inflamed skin, especially on their belly and/or paws; • have a …
Omega-3 supplements and hypothyroidism linked to decline of T-zone lymphomaApril 4, 2019A study at Colorado State University (CSU) has found dogs who receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements or have hypothyroidism may be less likely to develop T-zone lymphoma (TZL). The findings come from Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers who looked at associations of the environment and health history of TZL among golden retrievers. T-zone lymphoma is a type of cancer, which progresses slowly and is usually found in older dogs. It is predominantly found in golden retrievers; however, Anne Avery, DVM, PhD, associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and pathology at CSU, believes the underlying causes of the tumor are shared across breeds. "Although controlled prospective studies would be necessary to firmly establish protection by omega-3 fatty acids, our observations raise the possibility of a simple intervention, which may help reduce the frequency of this disease," Dr. Avery says. "We were also a little surprised to discover defective genes leading to another, seemingly unrelated disorder— hypothyroidism—are more common in dogs who do not develop T-zone lymphoma." More than 350 golden retrievers were used in the study, which looked at health history questionnaires and blood or biological samples. The dogs were divided into two groups. One of the groups …
CVMA and California veterinarians clash over blood banksApril 4, 2019A showdown is brewing between the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and a group of veterinarians over whether closed-colony blood banks should continue to operate. Known as the California Pet Blood Bank Modernization Act, AB 366 bill is aimed at changing the existing law requiring animal blood banks collect blood exclusively from so-called "closed colonies." Critics say donor animals are confined to cages and kennels for months or years. Instead, the bill looks to allow blood banks to collect animal blood in a community-based, voluntary setting, similar to programs in place in other states. The bill is getting support from 72 veterinarians, including practitioners and medical directors at some of California's largest veterinary hospitals, and faculty and clinicians at the University of California, Davis. "The current situation in California is egregiously unbalanced," they say in a letter to California's assembly agriculture committee. "Hundreds of dogs—including many who have already endured months or years of suffering in the greyhound racing industry—are kept confined for months or years in situations that range from inadequate to appalling. Lack of sufficient oversight and inspection, coupled with a lack of transparency, has resulted in years of suffering by dogs in California's closed colonies. There …
What does 503B compounding mean for the future of veterinary medicine?April 3, 2019Modern compounding—often referred to as 503A—is a niche business, providing patient-specific formulations to satisfy individual needs. Because commercially available drugs are marketed almost exclusively for humans, compounding has become an essential resource for veterinary medicine. Veterinarians often depend on 503A pharmacies to provide preparations at lower concentrations and in more palatable dosage forms to optimize treatment for their patients. However, without proper management and regulations, 503A compounding can potentially be detrimental. Presently, 503A pharmacies are not required to adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) objectives put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure pharmaceuticals achieve a specified standard of safety. The quality of products produced in a 503A facility depend on the pharmacy's voluntary conformance with cGMP, which can be substantially cost-prohibitive, requiring anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000-plus of investment for a single formulation. Testing on raw materials and finished products may be performed to an extent depending on the facility, but the data are often incomplete, testing only one or two factors while omitting others that would affect the product's overall quality. The variability of cGMP compliance from pharmacy to pharmacy paves the way for omissions in procedures that can lead to patient harm. …
