Learn at Your Leisure About Pet NutritionApril 27, 2015Veterinary professionals who can’t get to Miami for the Hill’s Global Symposium on pet nutrition can see what they missed by logging in to the Virtual Event Center. The symposium, held today and Tuesday and sponsored by pet food manufacturer Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., is designed to teach veterinarians and veterinary technicians about nutrition and concurrent conditions such as arthritis, obesity and lower urinary tract disease. The lectures and discussions presented during the symposium may be viewed—or watched again by attendees—for free at www.hillsglobalsymposium.com through June 30. Question-and-answer sessions also will be available. Event organizer Heather Berst, VMD, acknowledged the potential inconvenience of long-distance trips. “Time is so often a critical issue in busy practices, and taking a few days out to travel and attend the symposium is, unfortunately, just not possible for some veterinarians and key team members,” Dr. Berst said. The virtual event is designed to ensure that anyone interested in learning more about pet nutrition can do so. “Nutrition plays a key role in managing pet health,” said Jolle Kirpensteijn, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Hill’s chief professional relations officer. “Recommending the right food for pets suffering from multiple conditions is an …
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UC Davis Establishes Fund to Aid California K-9 OfficersApril 27, 2015The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the U.C. Davis Police Department have established the Faithful Partner Fund to assist with the medical costs of treating K-9 officers and search and rescue dogs injured in the line of duty. Specifically, the fund is available to dogs on active duty in California law enforcement and search and rescue units, including police and sheriff departments, California Highway Patrol, military and federal agencies. Preference will be given to dogs needing emergency care for injuries sustained in the line of duty, as well as dogs suffering from serious illnesses or conditions, the university noted. The financial support is for medical treatment at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “With the growing recognition of the vital role that K-9 law enforcement officers and search and rescue dogs play in our society, there is an increasing demand for these animals to receive the highest level of veterinary care available,” said Matthew Carmichael, chief of the U.C. Davis Police Department. “We are fortunate to have one of the best veterinary hospitals in the world right here on the U.C. Davis campus.” The Faithful Partner Fund is initially funded by matching $25,000 contributions …
Study Confirms Benefits of Pedicle Tie SpaysApril 24, 2015High-volume sterilization clinics may save time and money using a pedicle tie procedure when spaying cats, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Kirk Miller, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, a clinical instructor at the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, teamed up with four other researchers to compare the feline pedicle tie (PT) to traditional pedicle double ligation (PDL). They found that PT was safe, posed a very low risk of additional bleeding and slightly reduced the patient’s anesthesia time. Surgery took about two minutes less in PT cases. “Saving two minutes may not sound like much, but when you do thousands of these procedures every year, like we do, it can add up in savings of both time and money,” said Dr. Miller, who practices with the Oregon Humane Society in Portland. “Over the course of a year this may free up about two weeks of time for both the surgeon and anesthetist. “That increased efficiency means we can serve more animals, provide the care they need and make them eligible to find new homes.” The researchers performed ovariohysterectomies using the PT technique on 2,136 cats. They determined that the pedicle tie was effective at stopping blood flow through …
Virbac Introduces Flea, Tick Killer EctoAdvance PlusApril 23, 2015Frontline Plus, the popular flea and tick spot-on from Merial Ltd., has new competition. Virbac Corp. this week launched EctoAdvance Plus, which contains the same active ingredients—the insecticide fipronil and the insect growth regulator S-methoprene—that are found in Frontline Plus. Virbac did not release price information but stated that EctoAdvance Plus is a cost-effective alternative to Frontline Plus. “We feel that EctoAdvance Plus will allow veterinarians … to offer effective flea and tick protection for dogs and cats at a much better value to their clients,” said Robert Daily, vice president of marketing for Virbac’s U.S. operations in Fort Worth, Texas. Like Frontline Plus, EctoAdvance Plus is indicated as a monthly treatment to kill fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae as well as ticks and biting lice on dogs and cats. Virbac is manufacturing EctoAdvance Plus under a license from Meridian Animal Health of Omaha, Neb., which sold a similar topical medication, EctoAdvance, until running into patent issues in 2011. EctoAdvance Plus will be sold exclusively through the veterinary channel, a company spokesman said. Frontline Plus is supposed to be purchased from veterinarians but is found on retail shelves, according to critics, because some practitioners sell their stock to …
Missouri Vet College to Hold Pet Memorial on May 2April 23, 2015To honor the lives of animals that have passed, the Together In Grief, Easing Recovery (TIGER) program will host its third annual Companion Animal Memorial Event at 11 a.m. May 2 at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. The TIGER program was launched in an effort to help people work through their emotions after losing their pets. The program assists with many aspects of companion animal loss, including family counseling, resources to help people cope with the loss of an animal and training for veterinary clinicians and students. “Memorialization is a very special part of the grief process,” said Francesca Tocco, who designed the program. “It can be comforting to be in a room with like-minded individuals who recognize that a pet can be a family member and a best friend.” Tocco is a doctoral candidate in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. Speakers at the event will include Carolyn Henry, DVM, associate dean for the CVM Office of Research and Graduate Studies and a professor of veterinary oncology, and Chad Johannes, DVM, medical director for Kansas City, Kansas-based Aratana Therapeutics Inc., …
Arizona Vet Dies, Husband ChargedApril 22, 2015The husband of Arizona veterinarian Kerman Dubash has been charged with first-degree murder and domestic violence after she was removed from life support. Dr. Dubash, DVM, MS, the co-owner of Pusch Ridge Pet Clinic in Oro Valley, a suburb of Tucson, died Monday night at a hospital. She was 50. A memorial service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson. Emergency personnel were called to Dubash’s home April 12. She was found unconscious after an apparent assault, police stated, and CPR was performed. Her husband, former veterinarian George A. Majewski, 62, remains in custody. His license was revoked in 2010 after run-ins with a client and with administrators at the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. A psychiatrist who examined Majewski described him as suffering from severe mental illness and bipolar disorder. He also experienced post traumatic stress disorder after defecting from communist Poland, the psychiatrist reported. Kerman Dubash’s profile on the Pusch Ridge website called her “an avid hiker” who “truly enjoys exploring the wide open spaces of Arizona with her family.” A 1986 graduate of Bombay Veterinary College in India, she earned a master’s degree from Ohio …
Hartz Unites Pet Owners in Flea, Tick FightApril 22, 2015The Hartz Mountain Corp. today launched a campaign aimed at getting cat and dog owners to think about battling parasites, but the manufacturer of over-the-counter flea and tick products isn’t necessarily trying to drive business to veterinarians. The promotion, titled “No F&T,” focuses on the importance of year-round flea and tick protection. One spokeswoman is Laguna Hills, Calif., veterinarian and Internet radio show host Bernadine Cruz, DVM, who says a strategy of prevention can save pet owners money. “I have a special interest in flea and tick care for dogs and cats,” Dr. Cruz said. “When applied consistently, pet owners can safeguard their animals and their homes year-round, eliminating costly veterinary office visits for infestation and help protect the health of their pets and family.” Hartz makes a variety of pet products, including collars, shampoos and sprays designed to kill fleas and ticks. The monthly spot-on medication UltraGuard Pro (etofenprox) is formulated for cats and dogs. Lance Hemsarth, senior director of research and development at the Secaucus, N.J., company, spoke about flea infestations in announcing the campaign’s launch. “Only 5 percent of the problem is addressed when consumers treat the adult fleas they can actually see,” Hemsarth said. “That means …
Tammy Beckham Hired as K-State Veterinary DeanApril 22, 2015The director of a national research institute was named dean of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine on Tuesday, replacing longtime administrator Ralph C. Richardson. Tammy Beckham, DVM, Ph.D., will move to Manhattan, Kan., from Texas A&M University, where she leads the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases and the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Her new $295,000-a-year job is effective Aug. 2. Dr. Beckham becomes the 12th dean in the college’s 110-year history. “She is recognized as an international expert in the diagnosis of foreign animal diseases and will be a tremendous leader to help guide us toward our goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025,” said provost and senior vice president April Mason, MS, Ph.D. Beckham also was made a tenured professor in the department of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, an appointment she can maintain when she leaves the dean’s office. Her predecessor, Dr. Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, will return to teaching as a veterinary college faculty member after serving as dean since 1998. The Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Beckham has overseen the institute since 2010 in its efforts to conduct …
Changes Inject New Life Into VetStemApril 21, 2015Regenerative medicine developer Vet-Stem Inc. has changed its name to VetStem Biopharma at the same time the company announced key milestones in its allogeneic stem-cell program. The Poway, Calif., company, founded in 2002, processes fat collected from cats, dogs and horses and sends concentrated stem cells back to the animal’s veterinarian for injection as a treatment of joint, tendon or ligament conditions. VetStem reported today that its laboratory was awarded cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) status under a regulatory program overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company also hired regenerative medicine veteran Kevin Hicok, MS, MSc, as director of research and development. “Our allogeneic [donor] adipose stem cell development program has been kicked into high gear with the completion of our cGMP manufacturing facility and hiring of [Hicok],” said CEO and chief science officer Bob Harman, DVM, MPVM. VetStem has worked with veterinarians to provide regenerative therapy for 10,000 patients. The name change is a sign of the company’s evolution, said Alexis Nahama, DVM, who joined VetStem in January as president and chief commercial officer. “Everything we do today is geared towards meeting and exceeding pharmaceutical industry standards,” Dr. Nahama said. “We track cases …
Criminal Charge Possible in Texas Cat KillingApril 21, 2015The Austin County Sheriff’s Office today concluded its investigation into allegations that Texas veterinarian Kristen Lindsey, DVM, killed a neighbor’s cat with a bow and arrow. The case was turned over to the county district attorney, who will decide whether to charge Dr. Lindsey with cruelty to nonlivestock animals, the sheriff’s office reported on its Facebook page. The state law allows for a misdemeanor or felony charge to be filed, depending on the circumstances. Lindsey, 31, ignited an Internet firestorm last week when a photo posted on her now-deleted Facebook page claimed to show a cat she is alleged to have shot in the head with a bow and arrow. An accompanying comment under her name referred to the act as “my first bow kill … lol.” Besides a criminal charge, Lindsey could face punishment from the American Veterinary Medical Association, of which she is a member. The 86,000-member organization reported Monday that its disciplinary arm, the Judicial Council, will look into the case. The panel, made up of five members elected by the House of Delegates, is empowered to suspend a veterinarian’s AVMA membership or expel the person due to unethical conduct. The email address JudicialCouncil@avma.org …
