Torigen Pharma wins 2018 KC Animal Health Corridor Innovation AwardAugust 30, 2018Torigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Farmington, Conn., company that provides personalized cancer immunotherapies to the veterinary market, has won the Innovation Award at the KC Animal Health Corridor Investment Forum in Kansas City, Mo. Torigen presented its autologous immunotherapeutic cancer vaccine, VVax-001, for dogs during the forum. The company was honored with the award and a check for $10,000. Torigen was among 12 emerging animal health companies from three countries who competed for investments in a "Shark Tank" format with more than 400 venture capital funds, investment firms, and potential partners at the 10th annual KC Animal Health Investment Forum on Aug. 21. Each company was given 10 minutes to present their ideas followed by a five-minute Q&A. Presenting companies were seeking anywhere from $500,000 to $20 million in funding and had revenue projections of $20 million within five to seven years. A national committee of agricultural and animal health experts selected the finalists. The Investment Forum in Kansas City is one of the world's only opportunities for early-and mid-stage animal health entrepreneurs to present their business plans and provide an inside look at the newest technology and innovations to potential investors. "The Global Animal Health Investment Forum is the …
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Assessing claims of vaccine-induced ITP, IMHAAugust 29, 2018The use of any medical interventions involves balancing risks and benefits. A treatment that has zero risks almost certainly does nothing meaningful. In the case of vaccination, the benefits are well established and often taken for granted. Many serious, even life-threatening, diseases can be prevented through vaccination. In humans, childhood vaccination is recognized as the No. 1 public health achievement of the 20th century,1 and the benefits continue to grow in the 21st.2 Although less data is available in veterinary medicine, there is no question that vaccines have been enormously effective in reducing illness and death in veterinary species as well.3-4
OSU enrolling dogs with mammary cancer for clinical trialAugust 29, 2018Oregon State University's Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital is now enrolling dogs with mammary cancer in a new clinical trial. Dog owners considering standard tumor removal surgery may be able to choose a new surgical procedure involving an intravenous injection of a cancer cell-illuminating nanoparticle compound that highlights exactly which tissue needs to be removed. After the mammary tumor is removed, the surrounding tissue is irradiated with an infrared laser that causes the nanoparticle compound to heat up, killing any remaining cancer cells. The compound, developed by researchers in the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, has been found to effectively cure cancer in mice. The new procedure eventually may be most beneficial for treating tumors in challenging anatomic areas, such as the brain and spine, according to Milan Milovancev, DVM, DACVS-SA, an OSU associate professor of small animal surgery participating in the study. The Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine is a member of a national consortium of veterinary oncology centers, managed by the National Institutes of Health, with a focus on translational veterinary medicine. Owners who believe their pets may be good trial candidates can ask their veterinarian …
Behavior basics for veterinary emergency clinicians and techniciansAugust 24, 2018Emergency and/or critical care workers are often faced with urgent cases and fast-paced environments. Unfortunately, this setting is not always conducive to caring for patients’ emotional needs. Here are some easy ways to help them feel more at ease in even the most trying situations.
New research for canine, human Type 1 diabetes holds promiseAugust 24, 2018Reversing Type 1 diabetes in dogs and humans without the use of daily insulin injections or pumps may become a reality, thanks to a collaboration between Purdue University and the Indiana University School of Medicine. In a preclinical study, researchers developed a mixture of collagen and pancreatic cells and engineered a delivery method that successfully reversed Type 1 diabetes within 24 hours and maintained insulin independence for 90 days. A clinical study in dogs with naturally occurring Type 1 diabetes in collaboration with Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine is next. "We plan to account for differences from mouse to human by helping dogs first," said Clarissa Hernandez Stephens, first author on the work and a graduate researcher at Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. "This way, the dogs can inform us on how well the treatment might work in humans." Because diabetes in dogs and humans occurs the same, both potentially could benefit from the same cure: A new set of pancreatic cells to replace islets (clusters of cells) that aren't releasing insulin to monitor blood glucose levels. Islet transplantation isn't new, and it poses challenges: It requires multiple donors, it's invasive, and large numbers of transplanted …
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.
Rethinking euthanasiaAugust 21, 2018As veterinarians, we need to rethink what a meaningful and spiritual honor it truly is for us to oversee and minister compassionate euthanasia services for beloved pets.
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.
Nonsurgical treatment of CCL tearsAugust 17, 2018The message was from a colleague, a veterinary surgeon who was referring a Tosa Inu to Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation Fitness and Pain Management, my rehabilitation-only practice outside Atlanta, for bilateral CCL tears. The owners had declined surgery for Mei Mei, a very lean 8-year-old 160-pound intact male who lumbered into my office with a significant limp in his left hind leg and short striding in the right hind. After confirming what my colleague had found—bilateral cranial drawers, medial buttressing, effusion, and a significant click on the left side—I discussed how to treat a torn CCL with the owners. As a board-certified rehabilitation specialist, I am the first person to recommend nonsurgical treatment for cases in which it is indicated, and in my opinion, this was not one of them. I have had great success treating torn CCLs conservatively in dogs less than 30 pounds or less active, older, and generally smaller dogs. Although not an active dog, Mei Mei certainly wasn’t small. However, Mei Mei’s owners were moving out of state in 11 days to an area with dozens of acres. He had not healed well from a mass removal on his hip the month prior and had chronic skin infections. Surgery was out of the question.
