Tucson Vet Center Co-owner Named Woman Of The YearMay 8, 2012Jan Woods, hospital administrator and co-owner of the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, received the 2012 Business Woman of the Year award from the Tucson Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the association reported yesterday. “Jan Woods has consistently demonstrated her strong commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs and community organizations,” said Deborah Alter, president of NAWBO Tucson. “I hear raves about her customer service from pet owners she serves. She get the job done with class and efficiency. We salute her for her leadership and contributions that enhance Tucson’s business climate.” Woods received the award at the Better Business Bureau Torch Awards in April. She was a finalist for the 2010 Business Woman of the Year award and the 2010 and 2011 Athena Leadership award to recognize female business leaders.
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Human Salmonella Outbreak Tied To Diamond Dog FoodsMay 4, 2012 Public health officials launched an investigation into a link between a recent outbreak of human salmonella infections and the recently recalled dog food brands produced by Diamond Pet Foods at its Gaston, S.C., manufacturing facility, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported today. Since October, fourteen individuals in nine states have been diagnosed with Salmonella infantis—the same strain of salmonella discovered in three Diamond dog food brands produced in Gaston: Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula and Diamond Puppy Formula. Salmonella infantis is rare, according to the CDC, with less than three cases typically reported each month. Public health investigators linked the 14 illnesses to the recalled dog food by comparing the DNA “fingerprints” of the salmonella found in the food to those found in the individuals by using a technology called pulsed field gel electrophoresis. In follow-up interviews, four individuals diagnosed with Salmonella infantis said they had direct contact with Diamond dog food that may have been produced in Gaston. Among …
Bookout Leaves NASC, Replacement NamedMay 3, 2012 After 10 years with the National Animal Supplement Council, president Bill Bookout is leaving for another position in the pet industry and will be replaced by Karen Howard, the council reported today. Bookout accepted a newly formed position with supplement manufacturer Kemin Industries of Des Moines, Iowa, as vice president of global sales for the company’s animal nutrition and health, vet division. He will remain as chairman of the board with the National Animal Supplement Council and will continue to spearhead federal and state regulatory activities for the NASC. Howard was previously executive director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, where she created a presence for naturopathic doctors on Capitol Hill, the NASC said. “Karen possesses the necessary leadership skills to run and manage a nonprofit effectively and is very experienced in federal and state legislative issues,” Bookout said. “But beyond her many talents, Karen has the level of passion required to take NASC to the next level. I know she will connect with our members and continue to accomplish great things for our organization and the animals.” <HOME>
Bioniche Nears Launch Of Canine Cancer BiologicsMay 2, 2012 Canadian biopharmaceutical company Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. has two canine cancer biologics in the pipeline and expects one to hit the market by July of this year, the Belleville, Ontario-based company reported. Both products are based on the company’s mycobacterial cell wall technology used in Bioniche’s Equimune I.V. immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of viral equine respiratory tract infections in horses. The canine cancer biologic scheduled for a 2012 launch, Immunocidin, is pending regulatory approval in Canada and the United States as an immunotherapy for the intratumoral treatment of mixed mammary tumor and mammary adenocarcinoma in dogs. The other biologic, currently unnamed, is an intravenous therapy designed to restore white blood cell levels in dogs following chemotherapy treatment. Bioniche expects to complete testing of the product over the next six months, at which time it will seek regulatory approval in North America, followed by Australia and Europe. <HOME>
AAHA Releases Anesthesia GuidelinesMay 2, 2012The American Animal Hospital Association stressed the importance of comprehensive, individualized anesthetic plans to minimize perioperative morbidity and optimize perioperative conditions in its new guidelines for anesthetizing dogs and cats. AAHA convened a task force of experts for the express purpose of producing the guidelines, which include recommendations for preanesthetic patient evaluation and examination; selection of premedication, induction and maintenance drugs; monitoring, equipment, and recovery. The guidelines are not intended to establish a universal anesthetic plan or legal standard of care. The guidelines broach areas of controversy such as the administration of certain perianesthetic drugs. The authors say there is no evidence to show that acepromazine increases the risk of seizures in epileptic patients or patients with other seizure disorders. The authors also advise that the use of anticholinergic drug drugs, such as atropine and glycopyrrolate, should be based on individual patient risk factors and monitored parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure. Members of the task force that created the guidelines include: Richard Bednarski, M.S., DVM, D.A.C.V.A. (Chair); Kurt Grimm, DVM, M.S., Ph.D., D.A.C.V.A., D.A.C.V.C.P.; Ralph Harvey, DVM, M.S., D.A.C.V.A.; Victoria Lukasik, DVM, D.A.C.V.A.; Sean Penn, DVM, D.A.B.V.P. (Canine/Feline); Brett Sargent, DVM, D.A.B.V.P. (Canine/Feline); Kim Spelts, C.V.T., V.T.S., …
Report: Chronic Disease Grows With Pets' WaistsMay 1, 2012Report: Chronic Disease Grows with Pets' Waistschronic disease in pets, veterinarian, pet obesity, dogs arthritis, cats arthritis, dog kidney disease, cat kidney disease, pet health, Banfield pet health reportChronic disease is on the rise in pets, but owners are hesitant to visit the veterinarian to treat existing conditions, according to the State of Pet Health 2012 Report, published today by Banfield Pet Hospital.Chronic disease is on the rise in pets, but owners are hesitant to visit the veterinarian to treat existing conditions, according to Banfield's State of Pet Health 2012 Report.newslineReport: Chronic Disease Grows with Pets' WaistsPosted: May 1, 2012, 3:30 p.m. EDT Chronic disease is on the rise in pets, but owners are hesitant to visit the veterinarian to treat existing conditions, according to the State of Pet Health 2012 Report, published today by Banfield Pet Hospital. From 2007 to 2011, the incidence of obesity and overweight in dogs increased 37 percent and increased 90 percent in cats. Overall, 1 in 5 cats and dogs were classified as obese or overweight in 2011. Obesity or overweight was diagnosed in pets diagnosed with other chronic diseases, including: 40 percent of dogs and …
Managing Concurrent Kidney And Heart DiseaseMay 1, 2012 The first step in controlling a patient’s kidney or heart condition is a reliance on the owner’s detection of a clinical problem. Cardiology and kidney specialists suggest preparing clients whose pet has a high risk of disease before symptoms begin–even running blood work or genetic testing if it applies. Information that veterinarians provide to clients will help the owners recognize disease symptoms and increase compliance with veterinary directions when managing the disease. Two-thirds of dogs and more than half of cats suffering from cardiac disease have concurrent diseases. Because a large number of kidney and heart disease patients are of an advanced age, it’s not uncommon for a patient being treated for one disease to develop the other, a situation that takes a vigilant veterinarian and dedicated owner to manage. “Once we have a diagnosis and the client understands the disease and necessity to follow up, the biggest obstacle is the owner’s financial commitment,” says Megan King, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM (cardiology) of the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services in Langhorne, Pa. “For much of heart disease there may not be a substantial cost, but as the pet deals with more advanced disease and congestive …
BIVI To Award $75K For Pigeon Fever Research ProjectsApril 30, 2012 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. is seeking research proposals focusing on Pigeon Fever for its 2012 Equine Research Awards, the St. Joseph, Mo.-based company reported today. BIVI will select three proposals and award $25,000 to each to fund research on Pigeon Fever, the infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacteria. Proposals must address one or more of the following subjects: • Pathophysiology of C. pseudotuberculosis and development of an equine challenge model; • Virulence factors and strain differences among isolates of C. pseudotuberculosis isolated from internal and external infections and different geographic locations. • Increased incidence and spread to different geographic locations and association with climate change; • Comparison of host immunity between infections resulting in internal infection and recurrent infection in recovered horses. • Seasonality of infection with C. pseudotuberculosis and studies of insect vectors. The contest is open to researchers from the United States and Canada. The deadline for submission is Sept. 1, 2012. An equine research review board will select winning proposals based on their potential impact on the equine industry, originality, scientific quality and probability of success in completing the yearlong studies. The awards will be announced during the 2012 America Association of …
Bond And Beyond Bonus Content: A Brief History Of The Veterinary Hospice MovementApril 30, 2012 EDITORS' NOTE: This is special bonus content for Alice Villalobos' May 2012 column, Keeping Hospice in Veterinary Hands. The veterinary literature advocating for pet hospice as a professional service has been evolving since the 1990s. Two main groups have organized the pet/animal/veterinary hospice movement. Historically, the first group is the Nikki Hospice Foundation, founded in 1996 by thanatologist Kathy Marrachino, Ph.D. Nikki organized the first and second veterinary hospice symposiums in 2008 with some veterinary faculty and in 2009 with almost no veterinary faculty. I was an invited speaker at the 2008 event and Dr. Dani McVety attended the 2009 event. Our thoughts are recorded below. As of Jan. 17, none of the veterinarians listed on the website as part of Nikki’s Board of Directors are still serving. An official statement of the University of California, Davis, Veterinary School says it has severed its relationship with the Nikki group and has nothing to do with the symposiums even though they will be on the Davis campus. This begs the question: Is there any veterinary oversight for organizing the third Veterinary Hospice Symposium scheduled for July? We …
Pet Obesity: A Huge ProblemApril 27, 2012 Two-thirds of clients say nothing about their overweight pet unless the veterinarian speaks first, experts say. Initiating the conversation is the first obstacle that veterinarians face when helping patients reduce weight. The U.S. has the fattest pets in the world, and the social and psychological pressure to ignore weight problems is huge. A February 2009 report from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention shows that more than 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats are overweight or obese. The figures represent an increase of 1 percentage point in dogs and 4 percentage points in cats compared with a 2007 study. “Pet obesity continues to emerge as a leading cause of preventable disease and death in dogs and cats,” says Ernie Ward, DVM, the association’s founder and chief-of-staff. “Pets are in real danger of not living as long as previous generations and developing serious and costly diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and other largely avoidable conditions. “We are afraid to offend our clients or make them feel uncomfortable about their own weight if we discuss their overweight pet, but staying quiet is risking the patients health.” One tactic is to use the body …
