Survey Claims Uk Vets Over Inflate Med PricesNovember 30, 2010 Veterinarians in the United Kingdom are charging twice as much as online veterinary pharmacies for the same medicines, according to Vet-Medic Pharmacy, a U.K. online veterinary pharmacy, which recently revealed results from its cost comparison survey. The survey, which was conducted by an independent research company, compared prices of pet medicines in supermarkets, pharmacies, pet superstores, veterinary practices, online pharmacies and veterinary medicine suppliers across the United Kingdom. The survey focused on the most commonly purchased pet health products and leading brands, including Frontline flea control treatments for both dogs and cats; Drontal worming tablets for both dogs and cats; and Optimmune eye treatment. The survey revealed that vet prices were more than double those of the same product purchased online. For example, a six-pack of Frontline for cats is available online for about US $26, while the same product is sold in veterinary practices for about US $61, according to Vet-Medic. The claim that veterinary practices are over-inflating the price of medicines is an unfair accusation, said Harvey Locke, BVSc, president of the British Veterinary Association. “Veterinary practices will mark up the cost of the medicines they supply in order to cover the costs …
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Differential Diagnosis Of HypoglycemiaNovember 30, 2010 One way to help organize your thoughts on the differential diagnosis of hypoglycemia is to consider tumors vs. non-neoplastic reasons for the chemical imbalance. Here is a non-exhaustive list. Non-neoplastic causes of hypoglycemia include: • Liver insufficiency (shunt) • Liver failure (cirrhosis) • Sepsis • Addison’s • Idiopathic (neonatal, juvenile, hunting dog) • Starvation • Lab error • Iatrogenic (insulin OD) Tumors causing hypoglycemia include: • Insulinoma • Hepatocellular carcinoma • Leiomyoma • Leiomyosarcoma • Hemangiosarcoma Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a mobile, board-certified surgeon near Allentown, Pa. His website is DrPhilZeltzman.com. Home>
The Flip SideNovember 30, 2010 Pets living primarily outdoors need more calories during winter months to maintain a healthy weight, nutritionists say. This fact may be unknown to the owner and overlooked by the veterinarian considering many pets now enjoy indoor life. Statistics Overweight and obese stats (according to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention: • An estimated 15 percent of U.S. dogs and cats are obese. That’s 26 million obese pets. • An estimated 45 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight or obese. • 35 million U.S. dogs are estimated to be overweight or obese; 6.7 million are obese. • An estimated 58 percent of U.S. cats are overweight or obese. “If kept in a cooler environment, pets’ energy expenditure actually increases with the increased calories that are burned to keep them warm,” says Sally Perea, DVM, Dipl. ACVN, a senior nutritionist with Natura Pet Products Inc. “Some pets kept outdoors may even put on extra weight as a way to increase their fat layer to stay warm. With this said, most pets are going to be kept in an indoor environment, so they should not have these additional energy needs.” Veterinarians should ask clients …
Mare Ovulation Drug Gets FDA ApprovalNovember 30, 2010 Thorn BioScience, a subsidiary of CreoSalus Inc., has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its SucroMate Equine, indicated to regulate ovulation in mares. The injection increases the likelihood of conception during breeding for both natural bred and artificially inseminated horses, according to the Louisville, Ky.-based company. It is the first FDA approved drug of its kind developed and manufactured in Kentucky, the company noted. SucroMate will be manufactured in CreoSalus’ Class 5 aseptic clean room under the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Process. “Over a decade of research and development has been devoted to develop a platform technology that delivers peptides on a sustained release,” said company co-founder Barry Simon, DVM. “SucroMate Equine is the first application of the technology. SucroMate Equine delivers a stable, sterile and consistent dosage of deslorelin for mare ovulation.” The new product also means that horsemen will not have to rely on compounded products that may not meet specifications or work properly, Dr. Simon added. A national distribution agreement has been signed with Canadian-based Bioniche Life Sciences, which has an animal health division specializing in animal reproduction. SucroMate Equine is expected to be available for veterinarians through distributors …
Texas A&M To Unveil Veterinary Emergency TeamNovember 29, 2010 The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences will unveil its Veterinary Emergency Team on Wednesday, Dec. 1. The Veterinary Emergency Team is a high-tech mobile unit capable of going into disaster areas and operating independently for up to two weeks to help care for pets and livestock, according to the college. Veterinary Practice News reported on the team’s formation in late June, when it was still finalizing the acquisition of necessary supplies. The team is now prepared to “swing into action,” Texas A&M reported today. The vehicles and on-board equipment are outfitted to provide triage care and to perform minor surgeries. The team also assesses disaster situations and evaluates all animals on site. “We want to limit animal suffering,” said Wesley Bissett, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of the Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team. “So animal welfare will be paramount to our thinking. Our college was founded on service to the state, so being able to respond when animals in the state are in need is in our tradition of service.” The team is supported by the Texas Animal Health Commission; Texas Task Force-1, the search-and-rescue unit operated by …
Study Links Economic Conditions With WNV PrevalenceNovember 23, 2010 A new research study suggests that low income neighborhoods have a higher incidence of West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-transmitting disease that first appeared in the United States in 1999. The higher prevalence may be attributed to variations in property upkeep, microhabitat conditions conducive to viral amplification in both vectors and hosts, host community composition and human behavioral responses related to differences in education or political participation, according to study’s researchers from the Orange County Vector Control District and the University of California at Los Angeles. The study is the first to use a statistical model to determine links between economic conditions and disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which funded the research. “Emerging infectious diseases can have devastating impacts on human health,” said Paul Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The results of this research emphasize the need to investigate economic factors in disease transmission and underscore our efforts to prevent infectious disease by increasing protection for high-risk communities.” Armed with the study results, vector control agencies are now increasing their focus on identifying abandoned swimming pools and standing water sources, including storm and waste water drainage infrastructure. …
Webster Veterinary Sees Slight Q2 IncreaseNovember 23, 2010 Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period.Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period.newsline, financial Webster Veterinary, a division of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported revenue of $161.6 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to revenue of $160.7 million in the year-ago period. “We were pleased with Webster’s second quarter performance, although the year-over-year comparability of Webster’s sales was affected by previously reported changes in the distribution arrangements for certain pharmaceuticals,” said Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Patterson Companies. “We estimate that this changeover had the effect of reducing Webster’s second quarter sales growth by approximately four to five percentage points.” Year to date, the division reported revenue of $341.2 million, compared to revenue of $329.8 million in the year-ago period. Overall, Patterson Companies reported net income of $53.4 million on revenue of $857.4 million …
Differential Diagnosis Of HypercalcemiaNovember 22, 2010 Hypercalcemia is defined as a total serum calcium concentration greater than 11 mg/dl in the cat and 12 mg/dl in the dog. Hypercalcemia can have many etiologies. It is important to be very thorough when investigating the cause. Differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia includes: • Lymphoma • Anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma • Multiple myeloma • Lymphocytic leukemia • Various carcinomas • Metastatic bone tumors • Addison’s disease • Primary hyperparathyroidism • Acute or chronic renal failure • Granulomatous diseases • Vitamin D toxicosis • Osteomyelitis (bacterial or fungal) • Juvenile patient • Sampling error (lipemia, hemolysis) • Lab error <HOME>
What’s So ‘Outrageous’ About Web Vets?November 22, 2010 It’s almost a tradition. Every couple of years an enterprising group of veterinarians will set up a website geared toward offering the burgeoning population of animal-inquiring minds the one-on-one answers they’re after. Problem is, most veterinarians aren’t on the side of the Web Vets. Instead, they’re lambasting them for offering substandard solutions to irresponsible pet owners who are unwilling to undertake the obvious: Take their pets to the vet. Now, mostly, I’d tend to agree. But only because, historically, the vast majority of veterinarians offering advice on the Internet have been low-ish sorts we’d never recommend to our worst clients. What special credentials do they have to offer? And why would a worthy veterinarian willingly turn to a life of Internet commerce when real, tangible pets are so plentiful? Yet the Internet being as broad and roomy a place as it is, is there no corner from which the high-quality provider might eke out a respectable living? Should we paint everyone with the same brush, site unseen? Unfortunately, that’s not what most of us would have pet owners believe. We’re dead-set against any Internet provider of veterinary information, regardless of origin. It’s a matter of …
Food Animal Vets Not Short On IdeasNovember 22, 2010 I had all sorts of ideas planned for this column, but dinner somehow intervened. Plans changed because of the slew of e-mails I received after my column on future food animal veterinarians. Then there was the clincher: A personal foray into backyard animal agriculture and how one slaughtered “pet” rooster blew up my blog, not to mention my family life. A young Elvio and Dr. Patty Khuly. So you know, 11-year-olds don’t take well to the intentional killing of their pets no matter how much adolescent gallinaceous aggression they have to endure to enjoy them. And readers of pet-health blogs (who prefer happy, educational success stories sourced from my daily life at work) are similarly sensitive to the concept of “unnecessary” animal death. No surprise on either front. Though both camps would have impressed me more with their anti-slaughter arguments had they claimed a vegan lifestyle. One of the last photos of Elvio. But first to your mail, which included an eye-opening plethora of interest in my approach to our profession’s food animal practitioner shortage. This support was tempered impressively by some expressions of near-violent disagreement; I’m glad I …
