Public Meeting On Veterinary Biological Products ScheduledApril 17, 2009 The USDA-APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics is holding its 14th public meeting April 7-9 to discuss regulatory and policy issues related to the manufacture, distribution and use of veterinary biological products. The meeting will take place in the Scheman Building at the Iowa State Center, Iowa State University. Based on suggestions the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service received when it first announced the meeting in December, the agenda topics will include influenza (avian, canine, equine and swine); control of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination in beef cattle; agroterrorism; and Veterinary Services and Center for Veterinary Biologics updates. There will also be updates concerning compliance activities, adjuvant approval, the center’s quality management system, the center’s export services and expediting the processing of submissions to the center, among others. Registration deadline is March 26. Click here for details. <HOME>
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CARES Hosts Signing Ceremony Of PennsylvaniaApril 17, 2009 Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell held a public signing ceremony on House Bill 2525, now Act 119 of 2008, on Monday at the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) in Langhorne, Penn. The Governor signed the bill into law on Oct. 9 aimed to improve the treatment of dogs in commercial kennels. For example, the new law requires veterinary examinations for each dog twice per year. Jon Rappaport, DVM, director of CARES, said that the center sees a lot of puppies from such kennels in poor condition. “We see animals that have severe pneumonia, parvo virus and other infectious diseases,” Dr. Rappaport said. “All too often people set out to get a healthy puppy and instead wind up with a very ill animal. This is both an expensive financial and emotional proposition they are not prepared for. This act will provide for healthier puppies getting to their owner and for better conditions for the animal being bred.” Among other protections for dogs, the law doubles the minimum floor space, bans wire flooring, eliminates cage stacking and requires regular exercise. <HOME>
Kitten Tested Positive For Rabies In PennsylvaniaApril 17, 2009 The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Tuesday that a kitten dropped off in June at a farm in York County tested positive for rabies. Anyone who may have come into contact with the feline should call the local state health center. The kitten, a black short-haired female about 8- to 10-weeks old, was abandoned on or around June 16 at the Fisher farm on Valley Road in Etters and tested positive for rabies on June 27. Another kitten, a black and gray tiger female, was also dropped off at the same time and was examined for rabies. The necropsy showed that the second kitten did not have rabies, said Stacy Kriedeman of the health department. She said no one knows where the cats came from or where the mother is. “Rabies is very serious,” she said. “Any sort of exposure requires quick treatment and medical care if scratched or bitten.” Veterinarians should remind pet owners of the importance of keeping up with vaccinations, she said, and she warned people to be careful when dealing with strays. Signs that an animal might be infected include unusual behavior, such as a cat who is walking in circles, …
Company Says It’s Ready To Clone CatsApril 17, 2009 Genetic Savings & Clone, a pet gene banking and cloning company, reports that it is ready to begin cloning cats for customers following the June birth of two reportedly healthy kittens that were cloned by chromatin transfer. The company, founded in 2000, reports it has banked the DNA of hundreds of animals and plans to clone nine cats in 2004-three belonging to staff and six for clients. The company says it will deliver the clones to clients by the end of the year and plans to start a commercial dog cloning business in 2005. According to an Associated Press report, clients are paying $50,000 for each clone. Clients wanting to preserve their animal’s DNA reportedly pay an initial $900 fee and $150 annually. <HOME>
Socks Most Common GI Foreign Body, VPI SaysApril 17, 2009 Socks top the list of the most common surgically removed item from pets’ gastrointestinal tracts, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, of Brea, Calif. Underwear and panty hose followed. Most Common Surgically Removed Items: Socks . Underwear . Panty Hose . Rocks . Balls . Chew Toys . Corn Cobs . Bones . Hair Ties / Ribbons . Sticks Other frequently ingested objects include nails, sewing needles and nipples from baby bottles. Pagers, hearing aids, drywall, snail bait, batteries, rubber bands and toy cars have also been reported. <HOME>
NASC Launches Quality Seal ProgramApril 17, 2009 In an effort to help consumers identify reputable animal supplement companies, the National Animal Supplement Council is now allowing select companies to display a NASC Quality Seal on their products. Permission to use of the logo is contingent on companies’ undergoing and meeting the requirements of independent facility audits, which are on-site inspections that the NASC recently began conducting. NASC member companies wishing to use the NASC seal must demonstrate during the audits that they comply with council requirements, which include: using acceptable statements on labels, Web sites and marketing materials; having an adverse-event reporting system in place; following quality-control procedures in their production processes; and adhering to any additional recommendations made by the NASC’s scientific advisory committee or the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. <HOME>
Bayer Names New VP Of Marketing For Companion Animal ProductsApril 17, 2009 Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan., recently named Peter Ryan as vice president of marketing for companion animal products. Ryan, who is also a member of the company’s Management Committee, will be responsible for the development and implementation of operational and strategic initiatives for all U.S. companion animal brands, including Advantage Multi, K9 Advantix, Drontal and Baytril. Most recently, Ryan served as a consultant, providing strategy and management support to start-up and established companies and brands. He has also served as vice president and general manager of Colgate-Palmolive’s U.S. Home Care business and spent 15 years in senior marketing positions at Unilever HPC. In related news, Bayer Animal Health has ramped up its swine team. Andy Holtcamp, DVM, is a new member of the Veterinary Technical Services group and Jim Lovin and Mark Hux has joined the company as Technical Sales Specialists. Dr. Holtcamp has almost 20 years of swine industry experience, including owning and managing a farrow to finish unit and serving as the staff veterinarian and supervisor of a research farm for Iowa Select Farms Inc. Lovin has more than 25 …
ImproMed To Host Employee Management Webinar SeriesApril 17, 2009ImproMed Inc. of Oshkosh, Wis., will be hosting a new Business Webinar series called "Employee Management for the Veterinary Professional" beginning Feb. 22. It will run every Friday through March 14. The hour-long sessions begin at 11 a.m. CST. The series will be presented by Angela Detjen, the human resources director at Employment & Training Centers Inc. of Houston. Topics include "Talent Selection," "Performance Reviews," Cultivating Talent" and Managing Poor Performers." Each session includes public chat, question and answer and polling services. Attendees can earn four continuing education credits through the American Assn. of Veterinary State Boards. For details, visit ImproMed's Infinity Community Access Network (iCAN) at www.impromed.com or call Matthew Huhn at 800-925-7171. <HOME>
VSPN Schedules Course About Managing The Front DeskApril 17, 2009The Veterinary Support Personnel Network (VSPN) will host the online course "Emergency and Specialty Practice: Managing the Front Desk Module 4" on Thursdays May 7, 14, 21 and 28, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The course, taught by Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR, president of the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Practice Association, is designed for office managers and supervisors, and all veterinary front office staff members that are involved in developing policy and protocol for the operation of the front office in an emergency or specialty practice. According to the course description, "This course will explore how to successfully recruit and train the front office team of the emergency or specialty practice, utilizing a customized code of conduct for this niche of veterinary medicine. The course will explore many of the complicated issues involved in establishing policies related to the delivery of excellent client service to both the pet owner and the referring community." The course will consist of four 60-minute real time sessions; library materials supplementing the required reading; multiple choice quizzes; a cumulative final exam online; and interactive message board discussions. Participants are eligible for four hours of continuing education.
It’s A War Of Will And Cash As New Therapies Go To MarketApril 17, 2009 Someday soon, Craig Woods hopes to measure the success of his fledgling venture against the ultimate corporate benchmark: profitability. But for now, a more modest goal drives him. “I’d like to be able to pay my employees,” says Woods, DVM, MS, MBA, chief executive officer of Imulan BioTherapeutics of Prescott, Ariz., a company seeking to develop immunotherapies for veterinary medicine. Welcome to the crucible that is today’s veterinary pharmaceutical and bioscience proving ground. The hurdles are many as potential breakthroughs progress from concept to product, enduring multiple phases of testing and myriad strains on resources. The promised land is marketability and the prospect of healthy and sustainable returns on investment. But getting there means clearing the ultimate barrier–regulatory approval. And that can be the most taxing test of all. Until that goal is reached, a small privately held company like Imulan exists largely on a diet of sweat equity and faith. “We started 4-1/2 years ago on a wing and a prayer,” Dr. Woods says. “My whole team has worked without compensation, giving up evenings and weekends to advance veterinary medicine. “It’s not just altruistic–our goal is to be profitable. But (going …
