Probiotic subject of two new clinical trials in domestic dogsSeptember 14, 2018ExeGi Pharma announced two new clinical partnerships with the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tennessee to study the company's Visbiome Vet probiotic in domestic dogs. Both studies will evaluate the probiotic's effectiveness in managing canine gastrointestinal disorders. Visbiome Vet is an eight-strain probiotic compound with a high concentration of beneficial bacteria (112.5 billion bacteria per dose); the product has been the subject of four controlled clinical trials thus far. The University of Georgia will research effects of the product on diarrhea levels in dogs postsurgery. The placebo-controlled study will evaluate the incidence and severity of diarrhea, as well as changes to the canine microbiome. The second study, conducted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, will evaluate reduction of severe diarrhea in canine acute gastroenteritis after consumption of Visbiome Vet. This placebo-controlled study will compare the safety and efficacy of Visbiome Vet to dietary changes with a specifically formulated medical diet, or antibiotics (metronidazole). "Gastrointestinal disorders are a common cause for pet owners to seek the medical care of a veterinarian," said Al Jergens, DVM, PhD. "Modulating the gut microbiome with high potency probiotics may prove to be a …
SPONSORED CONTENTThis new food helps puppies with digestive issuesHill's Prescription Diet i/d Kitten helps ease digestive upsets with food specialized for kittens, including our ActivBiome+ Digestion formula. + Learn More
The skinny on pet supplementsAugust 23, 2018While certain supplements can have a place in joint disease management, some veterinarians are concerned about how they might be perceived by pet owners.
Confronting the obesity epidemicAugust 22, 2018Pet obesity is on the rise, although really, that probably isn’t a surprise to most veterinarians since the number of conference sessions, scientific studies, and therapeutic diets addressing this issue are increasing exponentially.
Meeting the CKD nutrition challengeAugust 20, 2018Chronic kidney disease is seen in 28 to 31 percent of geriatric cats and 7 percent of dogs. While there’s no cure, many studies show dietary management with a therapeutic renal diet containing high-quality protein and reduced phosphorus can help to slow progression and give pets with CKD better quality of life by decreasing the body’s production of waste products and maintaining normal blood pressure.
Increase in DCM in dogs may be linked to dietJuly 19, 2018Instances of canine dilated cardiomyopathy may be correlated to specific ingredients in pet foods, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
As U.S. pet obesity balloons, vets, owners talk diet, nutritionApril 20, 2018The dog and cat pet obesity epidemic in the U.S. continues to grow, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). In the organization's 2017 annual clinical survey, 56 percent of dogs and 60 percent of cats were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. In 2016, APOP found 54 percent of dogs and 59 percent of cats were overweight or obese. In the survey, pet owners and veterinary professionals were questioned about diet and nutrition, sources of pet food advice, the benefits of corn, dry versus canned, whether pet food has improved, the best sources of pet dietary recommendations, and more. Among the findings: 58 percent of pet owners and 54 percent of veterinary professionals reported having tried to help their own pet lose weight via low-calorie and weight loss diets combined with increased exercise. 25 percent of pet owners and 43 percent of veterinary professionals said they were "too busy" to exercise their dog; 21 percent of pet owners and 19 percent of veterinary professionals cited behavior issues as a barrier. Inadequate access to exercise areas and physical limitations of the owner and pet rounded out the reported challenges. 48 percent of …
Hill's Global Symposium 2018 highlights nutrition, healthy agingMarch 30, 2018The role of nutrition in healthy aging is the focus of Hill's Global Symposium 2018, scheduled for April 27 and 28 in Lisbon. The symposium will have an expected attendance of 200 veterinarians from more than 30 countries, but a 24-hour educational livestream will make the event free of charge to veterinary professionals and students around the world. The symposium's theme, Adventures of Aging: Early Chronic Kidney Disease & Growing Older, addresses the reality of veterinarians treating an increasing number of elderly dogs and cats. Helping these animals age healthily is a rapidly growing area of practice and one in which nutrition plays a key role, according to Iveta Becvarova, DVM, DACVN, director of global academic and professional affairs at Hill's Pet Nutrition, and organizer of this year's event. Veterinary experts participating in the symposium from around the world will discuss the implications of recent research into older dogs and cats by Hill's, early chronic kidney disease, and the key role of nutrition in increasing both quality and length of life. Speakers also will advise members of the veterinary healthcare team on strategies to debunk potentially misleading and inaccurate information, and give practical advice on optimizing practice performance …
An inconvenient truthFebruary 16, 2018If you’re like me, you were raised to think that all dogs should be sterilized. Veterinary school and our lives in practice further reinforced that truism. Dogs, we were reverently informed, require sterilization if they’re to live long, healthy lives.
Probiotics and today's petsJanuary 10, 2018It has been said that there are 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the average human body. It has been said, but it’s probably not true. Still, there is undoubtedly a large and complex ecology of microorganisms living in and on every individual mammal, and this ecology has multifaceted and important health effects.
Giving the topic of sound veterinary nutrition the respect it deservesDecember 20, 2017Do enough professionals among the veterinary profession treat companion animal nutrition with the significance it deserves? What's driving the US pet obesity epidemic? Are practitioners doing enough to address it? Veterinary Practice News asked Martha G. Cline, DVM, DACVN, president, American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, and a clinical veterinary nutritionist at AAHA-accredited Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, N.J., these questions and more about the topic of diet and nutrition. Here's what she had to share. Why did you decide to specialize in veterinary nutrition? During the summer between my first and second year of veterinary school, I worked with the nutrition department at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) through a summer research program. The focus of this research was canine obesity. This experience was the foundation of my interest, which solidified during my clinical year when I spent additional time rotating through the nutrition services at UTCVM, Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, N.J., and Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. I had excellent mentorship at all of these facilities that helped guide me on my way (shout out to Drs. Angela Witzel, Joe Bartges, Claudia Kirk, Laura …
