Purina Institute seeks to advance nutritional scienceSeptember 20, 2018Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. intends for its newly launched Purina Institute to be "the global voice of Purina's science representing its more than 500 scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts who are on a mission to advance nutritional science to help pets live longer, healthier lives," said the company in a statement. The institute seeks to elevate the topic of pet nutrition with veterinarians to drive conversations with pet owners about the role of nutrition in overall pet health. Current research shows that 83 percent of pet owners say they completely trust veterinarians to provide helpful information on pet food, but only 22 percent of veterinarians report initiating nutrition conversations with their clients. The Purina Institute will: Share Purina's nutritional discoveries (e.g., brain and digestive health, molecular nutrition), while leveraging expertise from Purina and Nestlé affiliates making discoveries in human nutrition Facilitate knowledge sharing and innovation by showcasing objective, fact-based information sourced from the wider scientific community on current trending topics across pet and human nutrition Collaborate with the global veterinary community and scientific thought leaders by hosting scientific events, roundtables, panel discussions, and webinars at the Institute's Conference and Education Facility in St. Louis Support …
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Performance Dog recalls all frozen raw pet foodSeptember 19, 2018Bravo Packing Inc. of Carneys Point, N.J., has issued a voluntary recall of all Performance Dog products, a frozen raw pet food, due to potential Salmonella contamination. The company's recall comes after a sample of Performance Dog, collected during an FDA inspection, tested positive for Salmonella. No human or animal illnesses have been reported to date. Performance Dog generally works with the distributor Tefco, located in Brooklyn, which fills orders to brick-and-mortar retail stores or to consumers directly. Performance Dog comes frozen in 2-lb. and 5-lb. plastic sleeves. The recalled product has manufacture date code 071418. The manufacture date codes are printed on the boxes that contain the plastic sleeves, but not on the individual plastic sleeves. Therefore, if the cardboard box has been discarded, there are no unique identification numbers on the individual sleeves that allow customers to determine that they possess the recalled products. If you purchased this product since July 14 and cannot determine whether it is affected by the recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that you exercise caution and throw the product away. Consumers with questions should contact Bravo Packing Inc. at 856-299-1044, Monday - Friday 6 a.m. -2 p.m., and Saturday 4 …
Understanding the anatomy of canine and feline salivary glandsSeptember 18, 2018Salivary glands play an important role at the entrance to the digestive system. We tend to take these structures for granted until something goes wrong. Too little saliva results in xerostomia, though this condition seems to be rare (or rarely diagnosed) in the species we treat.
Bayer, NeuroCycle partner to advance pet allergy treatmentsSeptember 18, 2018Bayer Animal Health and NeuroCycle Therapeutics Inc. have signed a global license agreement to advance allergy treatment options for companion animals. As part of the license agreement, Bayer will develop and commercialize novel compounds based on NeuroCycle's intellectual property. "[This] agreement underlines our strategy to combine the know-how from creative startup companies like NeuroCycle with opportunities derived from Bayer's research," said Douglas Hutchens, DVM, PhD, Bayer Animal Health's head of drug discovery, external innovation and chief veterinary officer. "It is a major milestone on our way to complementing our portfolio with novel treatment options against allergic diseases for the companion animal sector." The companies' goal is to maximize the humanitarian impact of their innovative technologies, according to Jed Hubbs, PhD, MS, CEO of NeuroCycle Therapeutics.
VCA Animal Hospitals partner with Get Your Pet to support pet adoptionSeptember 18, 2018VCA Animal Hospitals has partnered with pet adoption website getyourpet.com to help those across the U.S. who need to relinquish a pet connect directly with those looking to adopt. Get Your Pet lets guardians post a profile, photos, and a video for their pet on the site for free. Adopters can browse up-to-date pet profiles until they find a pet they want to meet, then safely message with the pet's guardian. If both sides agree, a legal adoption can take place. As part of the adoption process, a Get Your Pet veterinarian will examine the pet at no extra charge. Get Your Pet will save thousands of dogs and cats from entering animal shelters, where they are exposed to stress, illness and the possibility of being euthanized, " said Angela Marcus, Get Your Pet founder and animal welfare advocate. "We are thrilled to work with VCA to ensure each pet adopted through getyourpet.com is offered an immediate introduction to high-quality veterinary care for the life of the pet." VCA is now honoring Get Your Pet's Veterinary Voucher, providing a complimentary first exam for all adopted pets.
AAHA, Petplan launch association pet health insuranceSeptember 18, 2018The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), in partnership with Petplan, has launched the AAHA Pet Health Insurance Program, available to participating AAHA-accredited veterinary practices and their clients in the U.S. and Canada. With this offering, AAHA is "working to mitigate stress in the veterinary hospital by helping pet owners manage the cost of care for their pets, and by helping veterinarians practice their best medicine without budgetary constraints," said the association in a statement. "When it comes to providing the best care for patients, a pet owner's economic limitations can add stress to the equation," said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (Emeritus), AAHA CEO. "Pet health insurance is important because it offers pet owners and practice teams another way to manage the cost of veterinary care and help pets get the care they need. At the end of the day, this helps reduce strain in the veterinary practice while simultaneously increasing pets' access to care." Petplan provides a dedicated information hotline for all AAHA-accredited hospitals and clients so they can reach a Petplan service representative any time, day or night. "In launching this new collaboration, we're giving veterinary hospital teams the tools their clients need to understand the …
Study tackles nonprofit spay-neuter clinic controversySeptember 18, 2018Most pets seen in nonprofit spay-neuter clinics belong to low-income families and do not receive regular veterinary care, according to a study published Sept. 15 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. In the JAVMA article, "Characteristics of clients and animals served by high-volume, stationary, nonprofit spay-neuter clinics," researchers Sara C. White, DVM, MSc; Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP; and Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhD, revealed the results of a nationwide study designed to determine to what extent low-cost spay-neuter clients are diverting clients from private practice veterinarians. The study, which surveyed 3,768 owners of 2,154 dogs and 1,902 cats admitted to 22 nonprofit spay-neuter clinics across the United States in a nine-month period, showed nonprofit spay-neuter clinics predominantly serve low-income clients, animals lacking regular veterinary care, shelter animals, and community cats. "Nonprofit spay-neuter clinics offer their services to pets who would not be sterilized otherwise," said Dr. White, executive director of Spay ASAP Inc. "Without them, a vital component of reducing pet overpopulation, as well as of public health, would be lost." Income challenges, transportation issues, and no local veterinary services all can delay or prevent spaying and neutering pets, usually is combined with …
Cytopoint now approved to treat canine allergic dermatitisSeptember 17, 2018Zoetis announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted an expanded indication for Cytopoint, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy for the treatment of allergic dermatitis in dogs. Administered every four to eight weeks, one injection of Cytopoint works by targeting and neutralizing interleukin-31 (IL-31), a key protein involved in triggering itch in dogs, offering both convenience and sustained efficacy, according to Zoetis. "This approval gives veterinarians much-needed flexibility for personalized treatment of allergic and atopic dermatitis in dogs with two therapeutic approaches—the injectable Cytopoint and the oral tablet Apoquel," said Thomas P. Lewis II, DVM, DACVD, of Dermatology for Animals in Gilbert, Ariz. "Allergic dogs and their owners have a variety of needs, and these medications from Zoetis can bring fast and long-lasting relief to my canine allergy patients, as well as bring peace of mind to their owners." Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) is formulated to start relieving itch within four hours and provides veterinarians with the flexibility to start and stop itch control, according to Zoetis. Cytopoint begins to relieve itch within 24 hours and provides sustained itch relief for four to eight weeks, giving the skin time to heal, the company stated. They may …
American Heartworm Society releases 2018 Canine Heartworm GuidelinesSeptember 17, 2018 The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released 2018 Canine Heartworm Guidelines, which focus on reducing heartworm transmission, clarifying testing recommendations, and avoiding shortcuts in treatment. The 2018 guidelines reflect the following updates to the AHS' recommendations: Prevention Given the highly preventable nature of heartworms, prevention practices are the cornerstone of any practice's heartworm management program, said Chris Rehm, DVM, president of the AHS. "Unfortunately, the latest AHS survey found that incidence has been trending up rather than down, with the number of infected dogs per clinic rising by 21 percent in the U.S. and its territories between 2013 and 2016." Environmental and climatic changes, as well as the relocation of microfilaremic dogs and the expansion of microfilaremic wild canid territories are considered to be contributing factors to both incidence numbers and the spread of heartworms to areas once considered nonendemic, according to the AHS. "For these reasons, we continue to stress the importance of year-round administration of macrocyclic lactone preventives, along with practical steps to reduce mosquito exposure, such as eliminating standing water on the property and keeping pets indoors during peak mosquito times," said Dr. Rehm. "Year-round prevention is the single most important step …
Nonsurgical perspectives on CCL diseaseSeptember 14, 2018Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease is a multifactorial process: the consequence of slow loading injury, ligamentous inflammation, neuromuscular joint/thigh musculature imbalance, and cartilage and collagen fiber degeneration, all compounded by genetic/conformational/weight-altered factors and dynamics.
