OSU college of veterinary medicine awarded for HEEDMay 17, 2018The College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University (OSU) recently earned national recognition for the quality and effectiveness of its inclusion initiatives, receiving a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from the magazine INSIGHT Into Diversity. The university's Colleges of Medicine and Nursing also received HEED Awards in the health professions, along with 21 additional schools across North America. Holly Mendelson, the magazine's co-publisher, visited OSU to present the awards and cited the university's genuine commitment to inclusion and diversity practices through programming beyond mere "lip service." "We really wanted to be able to shine the light on the people doing that work, and show how you're shaping the future of this country," she said of the awards program. Mendelson commended OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine for a variety of programs designed to support diverse students and professionals, including the summer residential Buckeye Vet Prep Academy, a Buckeye Vet for a Day program for high school students, and the Buckeye Pre-Vet Exploration program for college undergraduates. Additionally, to further develop inclusive values among the community at large, the college diversity committee partnered with the Office of Student Life's Multicultural Center …
SPONSORED CONTENTHelping manage the hidden signs of stressOur therapeutic nutrition targets underlying stress in cats with GI or urinary issues — helping provide relief to pets and their humans. + Learn More
Merck updates Prestige equine influenza vaccine lineMay 17, 2018Merck Animal Health announced it has added new influenza-containing vaccines for horses to its Prestige line of vaccines. "For the past 10 years, we've been monitoring influenza, along with other common infectious upper respiratory diseases, through the Merck Animal Health Biosurveillance Program—a partnership with the University of California, Davis," said D. Craig Barnett, DVM, director of equine veterinary professional services for Merck. "It was through this program that we identified and isolated a new highly infectious and relevant equine influenza strain from the 2013 Ocala, Fla., influenza outbreak that impacted a large number of horses from all over the world. This strain is now part of our updated line of influenza-containing killed virus vaccines and represents a current, clinically significant strain responsible for a large influenza outbreak in well-vaccinated horses." The vaccines include Florida '13 of the clade 1 family and Richmond '07 of the clade 2 family, meeting current World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) guidelines for clade 1 and clade 2 strains. The clade 1 family of equine influenza primarily circulates in the U.S., while clade 2 predominantly circulates in Europe. "While we have not had any …
Zoetis to buy Abaxis for $1.9 billionMay 16, 2018In an effort to gain a greater foothold in the veterinary diagnostics category, Zoetis veterinary drug corporation will acquire Abaxis diagnostic equipment manufacturer in a $1.9 billion deal, which was announced Wednesday. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year. According to MarketsandMarkets research firm, the worldwide veterinary diagnostics market is expected grow from $2.3 billion in 2017 to $3.6 billion in 2022. Zoetis, whose diagnostics business accounts for less than 1 percent of its overall annual revenue of $5.3 billion for 2017, seeks to leverage that expanding category. In a statement, the company reported it expects the sector to "continue to grow faster than the animal health industry, with growth in the mid to high single digits, driven by international adoption of point-of-care diagnostic instruments due to rising medicalization rates, increasing standard of veterinary care, and the convenience of in-clinic testing." Abaxis, headquartered in Union City, Calif., reported revenue of $227 million in 2017. The company manufactures chemistry and hematology diagnostic instruments and consumable discs, kits, and cartridges for the animal health industry. It recently launched its VetScan FLEX4 Rapid Test to detect heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma …
UF credentialed program hones veterinary students' business acumenMay 16, 2018The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is offering a program designed to help its students develop business-related skills from contract negotiations to debt management as practice owners. "Ours is the only college of veterinary medicine in the country that offers an academically credentialed business management certificate program," said Martha Mallicote, DVM, the program's director and a clinical assistant professor at the college. The UF Veterinary Business Management Certificate program, which began in 2013, is an offshoot of a business management course begun by Dana Zimmel, DVM, associate dean for clinical services and chief medical officer for the UF Veterinary Hospitals. The program features 10 hours of elective coursework, or six courses, including a clerkship, in which students provide the owner with a financial, fee, and compliance analysis, along with feedback on inventory management and a strategic marketing assessment. Students must complete a report summarizing their findings and suggest improvements. As of 2018, 109 students had earned a certificate and 38 veterinary practices had been evaluated through the program's practice management clerkship. "Student evaluations are very positive," Dr. Mallicote said. "We also get good feedback about them finding employment, as well as …
United Airlines introduces new PetSafe rules for transporting animalsMay 14, 2018In response to numerous animal-safety related instances in recent months, United Airlines has announced new PetSafe rules for transporting animals in cargo. Effective June 18, more than 25 breeds of brachycephalic cats and dogs will be banned from cargo holds on United aircrafts, including chow chows, bulldogs, mastiffs, pugs, and boxers, as well as Burmese, Himalayan, and Persian cats. Additionally, due to concerns of animal safety during hot weather, United Airlines will no longer accept reservations to ship any animals to or from airports in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, and Tucson between May 1 and Sept. 30 each year. The amended rules also limit the number of connecting cities a shipped pet may be routed through and limits the height of crates to 30 inches. "As we continue our review process to ensure that we are always doing what's right, we are committed to making significant improvements in our program and adhering to the best practices of animal comfort, well-being, and travel on behalf of our customers and their pets," said Jan Krems, vice president of cargo for United Airlines. United's review of its pet handling processes and policies follows several safety-related incidents that took place in its …
Zomedica, Seraph partner on human diagnostic tech for veterinary clinicsMay 14, 2018 Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp., a veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical company, has partnered with Seraph Biosciences Inc., a human biomedical device company, to develop and market point-of-care pathogen diagnostic technology for urine and fecal sampling. Leveraging Raman spectroscopy principles, the ZM-020 will feature minimal sample preparation time and deliver fast, in-clinic results and enhanced workflow, according to Zomedica. The instrument will provide real-time, reagentless, and fully automated identification of pathogens and disease indicators, building upon a laser-based spectroscopy technique to identify biological and biochemical signatures in complex biological samples. Marketing and sales are expected to begin in 2019, with an initial focus on canines and expanding into feline applications post-launch. "We believe that ZM-020 will enable us to make a significant improvement to the diagnostic workflow of the veterinary clinic," said Stephanie Morley, DVM, chief operating officer and vice president of product development for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Zomedica. "If we are successful in our development efforts, we believe that the ability to screen for a wide variety of pathogens with a single diagnostic instrument, beginning with urine and fecal samples, will be a game changer for the modern veterinary clinical team."
Survey: Majority of pet owners unprepared for upcoming disasterMay 11, 2018Banfield Pet Hospital revealed in a recent survey that 91 percent of pet owners are unprepared for the next natural disaster. In advance of hurricane season and in honor of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day on May 12, the Banfield Foundation has kicked off a disaster preparedness campaign to help pet owners prepare for the unexpected. From May 10 through September 30, for every donation of $45 or more made at BanfieldFoundation.org/kit, the Banfield Foundation will thank donors with a pre-assembled pet disaster preparedness kit—and donate a kit to vulnerable pet owners in select high-risk states, up to 1,000 kits. The kits feature a waterproof bag that includes a blanket, treats, stress-relief products, water and food calculation charts, tips and checklists to help keep pets cared for in the event of a natural disaster, and more. All donations will support the Banfield Foundation's Disaster Relief Grant program, which aids nonprofit animal organizations and local communities impacted by natural disasters. Texas A&M joins the cause In 2017, the Banfield Foundation provided a disaster relief grant to Texas A&M University's Veterinary Emergency Team (TAMUVET)—the nation's largest and most-deployed veterinary emergency response unit—to …
Portland, Ore., veterinarian wins My Vet's the BestMay 11, 2018Joshua Elliot, DVM, a board certified Small Animal Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists in Portland, Ore., is the grand-prize winner of Pets Best Insurance Services' 2017 My Vet's the Best contest. The win came after Elliot was selected as a finalist by pet owners on Pets Best's Facebook page and an internal review of a panel of veterinary professionals. As part of his prize, Elliot received $1,000 from Pets Best to help and treat animals in need in his community. He has used a portion of his winnings to help a homeless family's dog fight cancer and intends to use the remaining money to give back in a similar circumstance, he said. "It really meant a lot to me to be nominated," he said. "It's always nice to get positive feedback and be appreciated. I love being able to help furry family members and it's always nice to hear back when things go well." Pets Best has recognized outstanding veterinarians through its My Vet's the Best Contest since 2010. "This is our seventh year hosting the nationwide contest honoring and recognizing the exceptional service of veterinarians," said Chris Middleton, president of the Boise, Idaho-based company. "Dr. …
KSU veterinarian, interns help bald eagle soar after lead poisoningMay 8, 2018Thanks to action by staff of the Milford Nature Center and veterinary intervention at Kansas State University (KSU), a bald eagle suffering from lead contamination is flying once again. The eagle, brought to the Veterinary Health Center at KSU, was depressed, emaciated, not eating, and unable to fly, leaving it with a poor prognosis for regaining its health, according to James Carpenter, DVM, DACZM, professor of wildlife and zoological medicine. After the bird was admitted to the Veterinary Health Center, a physical examination and testing found it was suffering from lead poisoning. It was also determined that the eagle was a male around 4.5 years old. Birds acquire lead poisoning most commonly by consuming dead animals that were shot by lead bullets or from other sources of lead contamination, said Dr. Carpenter, adding that lead toxicity is a common ailment in eagles. Before joining KSU in 1989, Carpenter headed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Propagation Program at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland for 15 years. During this time, this program reintroduced 83 captive-produced eagles into the wild in 13 states. "While I was at Patuxent, a severely debilitated eagle was brought to us and we …
Petland retail franchise hires consulting veterinarianMay 8, 2018Petland, which offers retail pet franchises across the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and El Salvador, has hired Thomas Edling, DVM, MSpVM, MPH, as the Chillicothe, Ohio-based company's consulting veterinarian. "Petland cares about the health of our pets before they arrive at our stores, while they are in our care and after they go home," said Joe Watson, Petland pesident and CEO. "We are excited to have the leadership of Dr. Edling in assisting Petland to exceed the needs of our pets and our customers." Edling, who received his degree in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University, previously served as vice president of veterinary medicine for Petco and was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In addition, he completed the American Board of Veterinary Practitioner's residency program for companion and wild avian medicine and surgery at North Carolina State University, where he also received his master's degree in specialized veterinary medicine in 2001. In 2011, he completed the master of public health program at Johns Hopkins University. Edling will work closely with the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the Centers for Disease …
