Deramaxx Approved For Post-Op Dental Pain In DogsDecember 9, 2011 Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc.’s Deramaxx (deracoxib) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with dental surgery in dogs, the company reported today. Deramaxx was previously approved for the control and inflammation associated with canine osteoarthritis, and a clinical field study of 62 dogs showed the product to also be effective for canine dental surgery pain and inflammation. Dogs in the study received either a placebo or 1-to-2 mg of Deramaxx per kg of body weight at least one hour prior to surgery, and again for two more days. Among dogs that received Deramaxx, 14.8 percent required additional pain medication compared with 66.7 percent of dogs that received the placebo. The study used a modification of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale to assess and measure pain prior to surgery and again at regular intervals following dental extractions. Side effects that are normally mild, but possibly serious, involving the digestive system, kidneys or liver may occur with the use of Deramaxx, the company said. The product should not be used with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. <Home>
SPONSORED CONTENTHELP THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR OWN SKIN.Could the key to managing the constant itching and inflammation of canine atopic dermatitis be at the bottom of a bowl? + Learn More
Aflatoxin Detection Prompts Limited Puppy Food RecallDecember 6, 2011The Procter and Gamble Co. voluntarily recalled a single-production lot of Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food due to aflatoxin levels detected above the acceptable limit, the Cincinnati-based company reported today. The product has been retrieved from store shelves, and no illnesses have been reported in association with the lot to date, according to the company. The recall includes Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food with Use By or Expiration Dates of Feb. 5 or 6, 2013 and the following attributes: Version Code Date(s) UPC Code 7.0 lb. bag 12784177I6 1901402305 8.0 lb. bag 12794177D2, 12794177D3 1901410208 17.5 lb. bag 2794177K1, 12794177K2 1901401848 The affected product lot was distributed to retailers in the Eastern U.S., including the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgie, Lousiana, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virgina. Consumers who purchased the product should stop using it and contact Iams for a replacement voucher, the company said. Aflatoxins are produced by toxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on peanuts, soybeans, corn, and other cereals either in the field or during storage when moisture content and temperatures are …
Online Network Aims To Connect Lost Pets With OwnersDecember 5, 2011 Bayer Healthcare LLC launched a virtual community of veterinary clinics, pet owners and animal shelters designed to share information about lost pets to help reunite them with their owners. The “Lost Pet Alert Network” allows pet owners and pet healthcare providers to register free of charge for an interactive online application that enables pet owners to announce to the community that a pet has been lost. Registrants can develop personalized lost pet posters that can be proactively distributed through local shelters and clinics. Registrants can also send alerts via Facebook, Twitter and directly to other pet owners who have opted into the system. Healthcare providers such as clinics and shelters can enroll here, while pet owners can register here. Shawnee, Kan.-based Bayer will work with Adopt-a-Pet.com to proactively spread the word on the “Lost Pet Alert Network” to the more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups in the Adopt-a-Pet.com network. Bayer has also distributed to participating veterinary clinics a Linked for Life kit, featuring materials that educate and inform pet owners to consider a small and safe implantable microchip, such as Bayer’s resQ. …
Elanco In-feed BRD Therapy Drug Approved By FDADecember 1, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Elanco’s new in-feed antimicrobial, Pulmotil (tilmicosin), for treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease in groups of cattle in the early stages of a BRD outbreak, the company reported today. The FDA approved Pulmotil for the control of BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni in groups of beef and non-lactating dairy cattle, where active BRD has been diagnosed in at least 10 percent of the animals in the group. It can be fed to cattle within the first 45 days after arrival. Elanco said the in-feed therapy, which lasts 14 days, reduces stress associated with cattle handling. The FDA requires a veterinarian to issue a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for the use of Pulmotil. Elanco said it will help facilitate the VFD process through training and ongoing support. Before making the product widely available, Elanco said it will conduct additional commercial trials and work with veterinarians and their clients to develop protocols that support the VFD process and maximize Pulmotil’s value in a variety of commercial settings. Elanco, based in Greenfield, Ind., is a division of Eli Lilly and Co. <Home>
Cats With Kidney Disease Sought For Clinical TrialsDecember 1, 2011 Colorado State University veterinarians are looking for cats with chronic kidney disease to participate in several clinical trials aimed at finding treatments. The trials are currently underway at the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo. Felines with chronic kidney disease may benefit from the studies, and several studies offer financial assistance if extra visits to the hospital are required or if the owner is asked to do extra tasks at home. The trials include: • An appetite stimulant clinical trial for mirtazapine Mirtazapine is a new appetite stimulant with anti-nausea properties that appears to help improve the quality of life of cats with kidney disease. Cats in the study will receive either a dose of mirtazapine or a placebo every other day for three weeks and then cross over to the other group for an additional three weeks. A vet visit is necessary at the beginning, middle and end of the study, and all visits and laboratory work are paid for by the study. It is not necessary to come to Colorado State University for the study, as the subject’s veterinarian will receive a stipend to cover the study costs. The owner will need to …
New Humane Organization Launches With ‘Give Local’ CampaignNovember 30, 2011 A new nonprofit called the Humane Society for Shelter Pets ran a full-page ad in USA Today, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune today urging readers to donate to local animal shelters instead of the Humane Society of the United States. Along with its goal to encourage Americans to donate to local animal shelters, the HSSP also hosts a database of local shelters on its website and plans to create a network of veterinarians and sheltering professionals and provide them with tools to promote the HSSP’s “give local” message to their clients. The organization is funded by individuals, corporations and foundations that are supporters of the pet industry, according to HSSP co-director Jeff Douglas. The advertisement taken out by the HSSP today includes a quote from Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, which says “We never said we funded animal shelters.” The advertisement also says, “Please help shelter pets by donating locally, not to HSUS.” Pacelle wrote a blog post today on the HSUS website deriding the HSSP and claiming the organization is the …
Saving SaraNovember 30, 2011Saving SaraSaving Sara, sea turtle rescue, sea turtle hospitalAt 11p.m. Aug. 3, I was called out on a most unusual emergency call on the island of Big Pine Key in the heart of the Conch Republic.At 11p.m. Aug. 3, I was called out on a most unusual emergency call on the island of Big Pine Key in the heart of the Conch Republic.newsline, avianexoticSaving SaraBy Douglas Mader, DVMFor Veterinary Practice NewsThis sea turtle is lucky to be alive.Posted: Nov. 29, 2011, 6:40 p.m. At 11p.m. Aug. 3, I was called out on a most unusual emergency call on the island of Big Pine Key in the heart of the Conch Republic. I have been the staff veterinarian for the Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital for 17 years. The hospital, a converted strip club, is funded by donations and is dedicated to treating all species of sea turtles. Over 100 sick and injured throwbacks to the dinosaurs come to the facility yearly. In addition, several hundred stranded or wayward turtle hatchlings often pay short visits to the hospital each summer. A brightly painted orange and white turtle ambulance is available 24/7 to respond to any and all sea turtle emergencies …
Feline Non-Recognition AggressionNovember 30, 2011 One term used to describe and assess feline personality is “equability,” referring to mood stability. Some cats scoring high on this scale are extremely stable and highly unlikely to fly off the handle. Others, at the opposite end of the scale, are mercurial and may become enraged almost literally at the drop of a hat. The latter type of cat is most likely to be the aggressor in what is descriptively termed “non-recognition aggression.” This type of aggression is something that all veterinarians should know about because it usually entails aggression of one cat to another after a visit to a veterinarian’s office. A typical scenario is as follows: Cats A & B, though not necessarily mutually bonded, cohabit peacefully until the fateful day. Cat A is taken to the veterinarian’s office for some procedure, often one entailing the use of heavy sedation or anesthesia. On being brought home and let out of his carrier, Cat A is immediately and savagely attacked by Cat B, almost as if Cat B does not recognize his long-term housemate. The attacks by the resident non-equable cat on the cat returning home from the veterinarian’s office can be quite savage …
Brave New World In Veterinary MedicineNovember 30, 2011 North Carolina State University is the only university in the country to offer autologous bone marrow transplants (BMT) for dogs with lymphoma—one of the most common canine cancers. Steven Suter, VMD, MS, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM (Oncology), an assistant professor of oncology at North Carolina State University, has been performing the transplants since October 2008. He says that a 40-50 percent cure rate is reported in humans with B-cell lymphoma using the same procedure, although the canine data is still tentative. “When do you say a dog is cured?” Dr. Suter asks. “For people it is five years out [after the transplant procedure]. For dogs I estimate we can say two years after treatment is a success. In the first group of 24 dogs with B-cell lymphoma that we treated, eight are long-term survivors.” Suter started providing this service with the hope that the procedure could be perfected and performed in the specialty clinical setting. Since the inception of the project, Suter has continued to modify the protocol. Apply: The rehydrated graft is applied into a surgery site. If a surgery site is not very vascular, pre-mixing with patient blood is advised. “We …
R&D Spending Will Spur Growth In Animal Health Biotech Industry, Report SaysNovember 29, 2011R&D Spending Will Spur Growth in Animal Health Biotech Industry, Report Says R&D Spending Will Spur Growth in Animal Health Biotech Industry, animal biotechnology growthThe animal health biotechnology industry is projected to grow into an $11 billion industry by 2016, according to a new report from market research publisher Ibisworld. The animal health biotechnology industry is projected to grow into an $11 billion industry by 2016, according to a new report from market research publisher Ibisworld. newslineR&D Spending Will Spur Growth in Animal Health Biotech Industry, Report Says Posted: Nov. 29, 2011, 6:20 p.m. EST The animal health biotechnology industry is projected to grow into an $11 billion industry by 2016, according to a new report from market research publisher Ibisworld. Revenue growth in the industry is forecast to rise at an annual rate of 7.9 percent over next five years, including a 9.0 percent increase in 2012. Favorable legislation and improved economic conditions will spur continued research and development activity, benefiting industry operators, according the report. Future development in genetic engineering is also expected to play a larger role in the industry, with developments likely to focus on improving food quality and disease resistance among livestock. Industry growth "will …
