New Heska Analyzer Verifies Thyroid DisordersAugust 5, 2015Heska Corp. has released what the Loveland, Colo., company calls North America’s first in-clinic immunoassay for confirming hypothyroidism in dogs. The tabletop Element i Immunodiagnostic Analyzer also can screen for Cushing’s disease and Addison’s disease, among other animal health issues, within 10 minutes. The analyzer improves on Total T4 tests, said Steve Eyl, executive vice president of commercial operations. “Total T4 has long been used to screen for thyroid disorders,” Eyl said. “But Total T4 is only a partial and imprecise screen of a highly complex, yet common diagnosis that can and should be confirmed with a specific TSH [thyroid stimulating hormone] result. “TSH testing for specific thyroid function has never been available at the point of care, where veterinarians, patients and their owners need it most.” The ability to test for both Total T4 and TSH with the Element i saves veterinarians from having to seek TSH results from a reference laboratory, he added. Element i and test supplies will be available through Heska and Henry Schein Animal Health.
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Tufts Veterinarians to Equip Chicken with 3D Printed LegAugust 5, 2015A surgery is taking place at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University today. It’s not a spay or neuter surgery, or even one on a dog or cat. This surgery is an amputation of a chicken’s leg. The chicken, named Cecily, is a rescue currently in the care of Andrea Martin, a chicken rescuer out of Clinton, Massachusetts. Martin could see that Cecily’s quality of life was poor, given that the bird had a deformed leg caused by a slipped tendon that never got fixed, CBS Boston reports. Martin and Cecily’s new owner decided that instead of euthanasia, amputation surgery and a prosthetic would be the better option. They are splitting the $2,500 veterinary bill, according to CBS Boston. The surgery today will be performed by avian orthopedic specialist, S. Emi Knafo, DVM. With Cecily under sedation, Dr. Knafo will amputate the chicken’s right leg and do a CT scan of her left leg, Reuters reports. The scan will be used to make a 3D-printed prosthetic leg for Cecily. According …
Elanco Launches Osurnia for Canine Ear InfectionsAugust 5, 2015Osurnia, a new treatment for inflamed or infected canine ears, also may help with owner compliance because of its makeup and dosing schedule, according to manufacturer Elanco Animal Health. Osurnia (florfenicol/terbinafine/betamethasone acetate) comes in gel-filled, single-dose tubes that are administered seven days apart to treat canine otitis externa. A dog owner is instructed to squeeze the gel into the ear canal through a flexible, soft tip, and then gently massage the ear to spread the medication. The two-dose regimen should appeal to owners, Elanco stated today in announcing the launch of the drug. “Pet owner compliance is one of the biggest challenges veterinarians face when treating otitis externa in dogs,” said Wayne Rosenkrantz, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, of Animal Dermatology Clinic in Tustin, Calif. “With Osurnia, the innovation of an effective treatment administered in just two doses is much more convenient for pet owners and will increase the likelihood that they will complete the entire treatment program.” Osurnia was developed by Novartis Animal Health, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug before Elanco acquired the company earlier this year. Osurnia is indicated for the treatment of otitis externa associated with susceptible strains of the …
Zoetis Reveals Anti-Itch Therapy for DogsAugust 4, 2015Zoetis Inc. plans to arm veterinary dermatologists with a new weapon this fall: an antibody therapy designed to turn off the itch switch in dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis. The Florham Park, N.J., drug and vaccine maker reported Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a conditional license for Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic. Delivered monthly by injection, the antibody neutralizes interleukin-31, a protein that instructs a dog’s brain to begin scratching, Zoetis stated. The therapy joins another Zoetis product, the daily drug Apoquel, as a way to control canine itching regardless of the underlying problem. While Apoquel is indicated for cases of allergic or atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 1 year old, the new therapy may be used with any dog afflicted with atopic dermatitis. “By helping to relieve itching and the clinical signs associated with atopic dermatitis in affected dogs, it will also help restore quality of life for both atopic dogs and the people who love them,” said Arizona veterinary dermatologist Thomas Lewis II, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, who participated in clinical studies of the antibody therapy. Apoquel has been in short supply since the pill was launched in January 2014, and Zoetis is not …
Purdue to Host Indiana State Fair Vet Camp in Mid-AugustAugust 4, 2015Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host the Indiana Fair Vet Camp from August 7 to 22. The goal of the camp is for participants to experience hands-on skills while learning about the career opportunities in veterinary medicine. There will be two camp sections: Junior Vet Camp, for students in sixth through eighth grades, and Senior Vet Camp, for students in grades nine through 12. The camps are led by current veterinary students that have worked with Jim Weisman, director of student services for the veterinary college. Collectively, they develop the curriculum. “We discuss all the career options available for veterinarians in both camps,” he said. “We really stress seeking a science career and that veterinary medicine offers great opportunities to do anything from clinical private practice to pharmaceutical development, food safety, biosecurity and teaching.” Junior Vet Campers will explore blood and other items under a microscope and be able to practice surgery skills by suturing up simulated incisions. The hands-on sessions will also offer opportunities to look at radiographs. Senior Vet Campers will learn and practice their suturing skills, develop …
#FridayFunday: Vet Hospital Sends Patients Home With Minion-Inspired Vet WrapsJuly 31, 2015Hate them, love them, or be completely unaware of them: For a while there, Minion mania was everywhere. Metropolitan Veterinary Associates & Emergency Services in Valley Forge, Pa., saw their chance and took it, creating Minion-inspired wraps for their patients. As they wrote on their Facebook page: "Be prepared ... if your pet comes in for a surgical procedure and requires a bandage, you just may end up bringing home a Minion also." (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Be prepared ... if your pet comes in for a surgical procedure and requires a bandage, you just may end up bringing home a Minion also. Posted by Metropolitan Veterinary Associates & Emergency Services on Friday, July 10, 2015 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); It's Minion Mania at Metropolitan ... You let one in and then they just think they own the …
AVMA: Cecil the Lion ‘Suffered an Inhumane Death’July 30, 2015Saying it was “profoundly saddened,” the American Veterinary Medical Association issued a statement Wednesday about the killing of the African lion Cecil. The lion’s death drew international attention and outrage following news reports that Cecil had been lured from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park in early July and was killed by big-game hunter and Minnesota dentist Walter J. Palmer. The AVMA statement: “All over the world, people are expressing their shock and horror over the killing of Cecil, a famous lion that lived in a protected reserve in Zimbabwe. According to media reports, an American trophy hunter paid $50,000 to hunt the lion. Also according to media reports, the lion was illegally baited into leaving the protected area of the park, shot with a bow and arrow, and suffered for 40 hours until he was shot, skinned and beheaded. “We are profoundly saddened by Cecil’s death under these circumstances. “We don’t want to make this a debate about hunting in general or trophy hunting; we know advocates and opponents hold strong opinions. No matter how you feel about these activities, it appears that Cecil suffered an inhumane death caused by actions that were illegal. “The AVMA’s Animal Welfare …
Shelter Cat Campaign Surpasses ExpectationsJuly 30, 2015The Million Cat Challenge recently crossed the quarter-million mark in its efforts to help animal shelters save the lives of 1 million cats by 2019. The campaign, launched in 2014, is a joint project of the University of California, Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program and the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida. The campaign helps animal shelters implement five key initiatives to reduce feline euthanasia. These programs lower the number of cats coming into shelters, help prevent feline disease and suffering, manage the flow of cats into shelters and promote adoption, according to the campaign founders. “We knew how hungry animal shelters are to save cats’ lives, so we designed the Challenge to give them the tools they needed to do it,” said Kate Hurley, DVM, of the U.C. Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. “Through their creativity, ingenuity, and determination, they’ve gotten us to a quarter million lives saved sooner than we ever expected.” U.C. Davis Dr. Kate Hurley of the U.C. Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. With sponsorship from California-based foundation Maddie’s Fund and the support of North America’s leading animal welfare organizations, the Challenge has so far signed up 263 shelters throughout …
Voyce Pro Offers Remote Monitoring of Dogs’ HealthJuly 28, 2015The manufacturer of the Voyce health monitor has launched a service that allows veterinarians to track a canine patient’s well-being away from the clinic. Voyce Pro, from i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va., is a veterinary-exclusive program that practitioners may use to look after dogs recovering from surgery or being treated for heart, joint or respiratory disease or conditions such as obesity and anxiety. Voyce President Jeff Noce called the service, which was unveiled in July at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, “an entirely new level of personalized care for veterinary patients.” “Based on the success and feedback we had with our consumer model, Voyce, we have created the wellness monitoring program exclusively for veterinarians,” Noce said. Worn around a dog’s neck, the battery-powered monitor measures resting heart and respiratory rates, activity, calories burned and distance traveled. Sent over a Wifi connection to an Internet-enabled computer or smartphone, the readings may help a veterinarian identify and react to trends. “In conjunction with exam findings and diagnostics, the program provides a more comprehensive view of a patient’s ongoing health status,” said Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM, the company’s director of veterinary medicine. “Voyce Pro helps identify and manage acute and chronic health …
Livestock Pose Giant Threat to British VetsJuly 28, 2015Don’t be careless around bulls and other large animals. That’s the advice of the British Veterinary Association, which found that more than half of veterinarians working with production animals on farms had been injured over the previous 12 months. Even interacting with smaller livestock can be dangerous. “Kicked in the side of the head while castrating a calf” was among the responses to BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey. Among wounded practitioners, nearly 1-in-5 classified their injuries as “very” or “quite” severe. “By far the most common injury was bruising caused by kicks, with almost 85 percent of production animal vets who had been injured reporting this,” BVA stated in July as part of Farm Safety Week. “Other injuries reported included lacerations, crush injuries, head injuries caused by kicks and fractures caused by kicks.” One large animal veterinarian recalled being targeted by a pair of bulls. “Bruised and shocked,” the practitioner stated. “Both attacks [while] doing whole herd testing on separate bulls, one stock and one beef bull. Both attacked from behind on a farm with poor facilities.” Another complained of “cattle crushes and squashed body parts.” Veterinarians and farm owners must be safety conscious, said BVA President …
