Racing To Save Pets At WVCApril 17, 2009 The human-animal bond went way beyond our expectations this year at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas. Many thanks to WVC’s tireless staff, President Dr. Jim Furman, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steve Crane; and Executive Director Dr. Guy Pidgeon. WVC celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. The very first meeting was held in Utah in 1928 as the Western States Sanitation Conference. Then it morphed into Western States Veterinary Conference and moved to Las Vegas. Since 1985 it has been known as WVC. At more than 6,300, veterinarian attendance once again exceeded the North American Veterinary Conference, making WVC the largest veterinary professional meeting in the world with an amazing international attendance. During the conference, WVC introduced the Oquendo Center for Clinical Education. This 66,000-square-foot facility is the new headquarters for WVC, home of the College of Southern Nevada Veterinary Technician Program, and dedicated to “hands on” continuing education through courses and seminar packages all year long. This WVC was a meeting shall never forget. It began with the usual CE and networking with friends at meals. My Monday was devoted to CE, looking up favorite vendors in the extensive exhibit hall, and book signings …
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Revenue Up 14% At Webster VeterinaryApril 17, 2009Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday reported a 14 percent jump in second-quarter revenue at its Webster Veterinary unit. For the quarter ended Oct. 25, revenue was $123.6 million compared to $108.9 million in the year-ago period. Year to date, the division reported revenue of $246.9 million, up from $219.3 million. "Our Webster Veterinary and Patterson Medical units were affected by the difficult economic environment to a lesser degree than Patterson Dental," said James Wiltz, president and chief executive officer. "Webster received a strong sales contribution from its acquisition of Columbus Serum, and the integration of this large and well-established distributor is proceeding on schedule. "This acquisition is an important strategic investment, since it expands Webster's geographic coverage, improves its economies of scale and allows Webster to accelerate deployment of its value-added model." Overall, Patterson reported net income of $46.9 million on revenue of $759.5 million for the second quarter, compared to $53.7 million and $742.0 million, respectively, in the year-ago period. Year to date, the company reported net income of $92.9 million on revenue of $1.5 billion, compared to net income of $101.3 million on revenue of $1.4 billion in the year-ago …
Oregon Confirms First Salmonella Case In DogApril 17, 2009 Oregon Public Health officials confirmed that the national outbreak of Salmonella linked to tainted peanut butter products also affects pets. After laboratory testing, Salmonella was identified in a dog from a Douglas County household, according to the state's department of human services. Dog biscuits in the household were also found to be contaminated with the bacteria. They contain peanut butter that comes from the Peanut Corporation of America, the Blakely, Ga., plant linked to five human deaths and nearly 600 illnesses. "The dog biscuits were on the list of products recalled several weeks ago," Dr. Emilio DeBess, Oregon State Public Health veterinarian, said in a statement. The positive test results came from a package of Happy Tails Multi-Flavor Dog Biscuits sold at an Albertsons in Roseburg. DeBess said this case should serve as a reminder that pet owners need to check not only their own food, but their pet food and treats as well. "If the products contain any peanut butter ingredients, you should check the FDA's website or contact the manufacturer or the store where they were purchased to see if they are on the recall list," he …
Preferred Pet Care Makes Offer To Purchase 8 California PracticesApril 17, 2009 Preferred Pet Care Inc. on Dec. 22 offered Pet DRx Corp. $8 million to acquire eight veterinary practices in Coachella Valley, Calif. Pet DRx Corp., which was formed from the merger of XLNT Veterinary Care and ECHO Healthcare in January 2008, provides veterinary primary care and specialized services to companion animals through a network of fully-owned veterinary hospitals. The Brentwood, Tenn.-based company currently owns and operates 24 veterinary hospitals in California. Preferred Pet Care of San Clemente, Calif., was formed in mid 2007 and has since acquired and operated veterinary practices in the California market. <HOME>
Morris Fund To Study Behavior ProblemsApril 17, 2009 To help advance the science and knowledge of behavior in companion animals, Morris Animal Foundation has established the R.K. Anderson Animal Behavior Research Endowment Fund. The fund is named for Robert K. Anderson, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, a veterinarian who has dedicated his life to the development of the fields of animal behavior, human animal bond, veterinary epidemiology and preventive medicine. Each year millions of pets are relinquished to shelters because of preventable behavior-related problems, according to MAF. “Unwanted behavior is the No. 1 reason for fracture of the human animal bond and our relationships with our pets, resulting in millions of dogs and cats losing their homes each year,” Dr. Anderson said. “Sadly, many are euthanized. We can’t fix it without data. And we need to do the research to supply the data.” MAF said that the endowment will fund research targeting prevention and improvement of pet behavior problems, improving safety and the quality of life for humans as well. Anderson, who was a colleague of MAF’s founder Mark Morris Sr., DVM, and a professor and mentor of MAF’s current president and chief executive officer Patricia Olson, DVM, contributed the initial $100,000 to the …
Del Monte Sells Veterinary Diets To Royal CaninApril 17, 2009 Del Monte Foods Company of San Francisco, Calif., has sold all its rights in the IVD and Medi-Cal pet product brands as well as its rights in the Techni-Cal brand in the United States and Canada, to Royal Canin for $82.5 million. Under the agreement, which as of press time was pending regulatory approval, Del Monte and its subsidiaries will manufacture certain products and perform certain services for Royal Canin during a transition period. "These brands should be well-positioned for future growth with Royal Canin," said Richard G. Wolford, Del Monte chairman and chief executive officer. "They are not, however, a strategic fit with the plans we have defined and are implementing with our core pet portfolio. We expect that our core pet products business will play a key role in Del Monte's future growth and, to date, we are quite pleased with the progress we are realizing with this business." The brands sold to Royal Canin, which are veterinary diet pet foods, generated approximately $57 million in fiscal 2003 for Del Monte. Del Monte expects to apply approximately $60 to $65 million of net proceeds to pay down debt outstanding under its senior credit facilities. …
Dog Fighting Now A Felony In All 50 StatesApril 17, 2009 On March 4, Wyoming Gov .Dave Freudenthal signed legislation that increased the penalty for participating in dog fighting from a misdemeanor to a felony, making Wyoming the 50th state in the country to do so. Idaho passed similar legislation just a week earlier. “For many years, the American Veterinary Medical Association has recommended that animal fighting be considered a felony offense in this country, giving it the legal classification and punishment that a blood sport of this sort deserves,” said Adrian Hochstadt, assistant director of State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at AVMA. “The AVMA condemns any and all events involving animals in which injury or death is intended, and we encourage veterinarians to collaborate with law enforcement with respect to recognition, enforcement and education about dog fighting. Together, we can help break down the criminal networks that perpetrate these violent crimes against animals.” Posted March 13, 2008, 1:45 p.m., EST <HOME>
Commission Releases Recommendations For Pet Food SafetyApril 17, 2009 The National Pet Food Commission, which was founded by the Pet Food Institute at the height of the recall that embroiled more than 100 brands of pet food last spring, recently outlined its recommendations, which will be presented to the Food and Drug Administration, the Association of American Feed Control Officials, veterinarians and the pet food industry as a whole. The commission “was comprised of recognized authorities in nutrition, toxicology, veterinary medicine and quality control,” according to the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Food Institute. The two groups are in the process of developing a plan to implement these recommendations, which can be found below. The recommendations are split into two categories: one specifically designed as an action plan for the Pet Food Institute and a second set aimed at pet food manufacturers. List of recommendations as they appear on the Pet Food Institute’s website: National Pet Food Commission Recommendations Recommendations to Pet Food Institute Develop a model product safety/quality assurance program, based upon industry best practices, that addresses ingredient sourcing (domestic and international) and receiving; product manufacturing and co-manufacturing; labeling; transportation; and distribution of commercial pet food.
Kentucky Proposes Live Fish Transportation PermitApril 17, 2009 In its efforts to prevent the introduction of viral hemorrhagic septicemia into state waters, the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources has proposed a permit system for transporting live fish, fish eggs, live bait and other aquatic organizations into, within or through the state, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council reported. The department will be holding a public hearing in Frankfort, Ky., on the proposed regulation on Oct. 21 and will accept written comments through Oct. 31, 2008. People wishing to attend the hearing must notify the department at least five days ahead of the hearing date, as the hearing might be canceled if no one is interested in attending. Click here for more information on the hearing and proposal. Although the proposed regulation exempts individuals transporting aquarium species, it does not specifically exempt businesses or organizations transporting such species. The regulation defines aquarium species as “species of fish that are legally sold in the pet and ornamental trade business and does not include fish used in aquaculture, the bait industry or fish sold for stocking in Kentucky.” VHS, a reportable disease, has a high mortality rate and …
Supplements Can Ease CDSApril 17, 2009 1. Head E. and Zicker S.C. “Nutraceuticals, aging, and cognitive dysfunction.” Vet Clin Small Anim. 2004; 34:217-228. 2. Dodd C.E., et al. “Can a fortified food affect the behavioral manifestations of age-related cognitive decline in dogs?” Veterinary Medicine. 2003; 98(5):396-408. 3. Robinson N.G. Based on the author’s and pain medicine colleagues’ experience in the Colorado State University Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine, 2006-present. 4. Landsberg G. “Therapeutic options for cognitive decline in senior pets.” J Am Anim Hosp Assn. 2006; 42:407-413. 5. U.S. Marketing Research Summary, “Omnibus Study on Aging Pets, November 2000”; Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Topeka, Kan. 6. Hill’s Pet Nutrition website. Article obtained on Nov. 24, 2008. Click here to access article. 7. Head E. and Zicker S.C. “Nutraceuticals, aging, and cognitive dysfunction.” Vet Clin Small Anim. 2004; 34:217-228. 8. Ruehl W.W., et al. “L-Deprenyl therapy for canine cognitive dysfunction. Kirk’s current veterinary therapy XIII: small animal practice.” Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2000, p.53-57. 9. Rème C.A., et al. “Effect of S-adenosylmethionine tablets on the reduction of age-related mental decline in dogs: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.” Veterinary Therapeutics. 2008; 9(2):69-82. 10. Osella M.C., et al. …
