Florida manufacturer develops rapid animal diabetes testingMarch 20, 2018Tallahassee, Fla.-based Baycom Diagnostics has developed A1Care, a cost-effective kit for monitoring and testing for both feline and canine diabetes. Much like with humans, cases of diabetes in dogs and cats have increased steadily over recent years. According to research released by Vancouver, Wash.-based Banfield Pet Hospital, instances of dog diabetes have increased from 13.1 cases per 10,000 in 2006 to 23.6 cases per 10,000 in 2015—a 79.7 percent jump in less than 10 years. While previous tests for detecting the disease in dogs and cats have been largely expensive and time consuming, A1Care is neither, the company stated. The test allows veterinarians to mail a patient's dried blood sample to Baycom's labs; the sample is analyzed and results are returned to the clinic within two weeks—all with a fee of $49 per test. "For the vets, it is super easy to use," said Gus Ray, Baycom's CEO. "Blood, information, mail, and you're done. All of the magic happens once we get the sample." Ray developed A1Care after he was hired to conduct at-home glycated hemoglobin (A1C) testing for diabetic persons. Initially, he thought the same test could be effective when testing for the disease in …
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PetIQ to open veterinary services clinics in Walmart storesMarch 20, 2018 PetIQ announced it is opening 20 veterinary services clinics in Walmart locations. This marks the beginning of PetIQ's plan to expand veterinary services to leading retailers following the acquisition of VIP Petcare in January of this year, according to the pet medication and wellness company. "We are excited to announce this partnership with Walmart to open 20 veterinary clinics," said Cord Christensen, chairman and CEO of Eagle, Idaho-based PetIQ. "The first two locations will open next week with all 20 locations to open over the next 90 days. I am incredibly proud of our team who in a very short period of time has leveraged our cross-functional capabilities to introduce our first VetIQ Petcare clinics. We are excited to provide pet parents and their pets a unique experience in conjunction with our retail partners." PetIQ said it plans to open more than 1,000 additional veterinary services clinics in retail-partner locations through 2023. Today, PetIQ and VIP serve more than 40 retail partners representing more than 60,000 locations. The company's plan would require opening veterinary clinics in fewer than 2 percent of its current retail locations. "We believe the combined company retail locations …
Wild Earth wants pets to eat environmentally friendly vegan pet foodMarch 19, 2018Wild Earth Inc. is using cultured proteins to develop clean, high-quality pet foods that are healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more humane than conventional products, according to the biotech startup company. "Wild Earth will be the first to bring cultured protein and cultured meat products for dogs and cats to market, that are nutritious, humane, and without the devastating ecological impact of factory farming," said Ryan Bethencourt, CEO of Berkeley, Calif.-based Wild Earth. "Using biotechnology gives us the ability to scale and to get a product to market safely, quickly, and affordably." The company's first cultured protein product is made from human-grade koji, the common name of the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, a microorganism found in Asian cuisine. According to Bethencourt, Wild Earth can create a range of proteins and carbohydrates, with varied textures and flavors, all with ingredients sourced, formulated, and made in the U.S. Using cultured proteins aims to avoid the risks associated with traditional animal-based proteins, Bethencourt added, referring to recent recalls as well as the environmental impact of manufacturing of pet foods. An estimated 25 to 30 percent of meat's environmental impact in the U.S. is attributed to pet food, but Wild Earth can produce at …
World Veterinary Day theme promotes sustainable developmentMarch 19, 2018 The World Veterinary Association (WVA) announced that the theme of World Veterinary Day 2018, April 28, is "The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety." The WVA created World Veterinary Day in 2000 as an annual celebration of the veterinary profession, falling on the last Saturday of April. Each year, the WVA and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) choose a theme. The AVMA and food security Among its recent efforts in food security, the American Veterinary Medical Association hosted the Global Food Security Summit, Feb. 9-11, 2017, in Washington, D.C. More than a hundred people attended, including representatives from humanitarian and intergovernmental organizations involved with food development. The AVMA Committee on International Veterinary Affairs is developing recommendations for future action by the AVMA to continue the association's involvement in global food security. The WVA and OIE confer the World Veterinary Day Award for the best contribution to the annual theme by a WVA member association working alone or with other veterinary groups. In 2017, the theme of World Veterinary Day was "Antimicrobial Resistance—From Awareness to Action." The National Council of …
Are you missing pet health communication opportunities with your clients?March 19, 2018Pet owners don't always get the full message that veterinary teams think they're communicating, according to a Partners for Healthy Pets (PHP) study presented during an American Animal Hospital Association session at VMX Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Fla. The study compiled responses from surveys of 1,193 practice staff members, 833 dog owners, and 527 cat owners from April 2012 through June 2017. Practices have an opportunity to better communicate not only what is being done during a preventive examination but also how the examination benefits the pet, according to the study. Among the findings About 45 percent of dog owners and 30 percent of cat owners believed that a pain assessment was discussed or performed at their pet's most recent checkup When staff members were asked whether a pain assessment is typically performed at every examination during a visit for preventive care, 73 percent said yes for dogs, and 68 percent said yes for cats About 95 percent of staff members indicated that a dental exam is typically performed at every preventive care visit About 77 percent of dog owners and 78 percent of cat owners believed a dental examination was discussed …
AVMA, AAVMC summit to examine well-being strategies for veterinariansMarch 16, 2018The AVMA has teamed with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and Zoetis to host the 2018 Veterinary Wellbeing Summit profession-wide meeting to join experts from inside and outside of the veterinary community to address vital well-being strategies for the profession. The summit is scheduled for April 15-17 outside Chicago. The summit will cover a range of topics including the link between culture and well-being, the importance of boundary setting, addressing the perfectionism code, and the business case for well-being. Many of the sessions will offer a look at real-life scenarios, such as examples of successful well-being programs in various work environments, personal obstacles and success stories, and lessons learned. The goal of the summit is to provide practical resources and strategies to enable participants ranging from academicians, students, and practitioners to establish a culture of well-being in their workplace and throughout the profession. Presenters will share healthy tips and strategies that can be implemented at a personal or professional level, by anyone at any time, no matter the organization size or career stage. The summit also offers attendees: An introduction to the nine dimensions of well-being and how professionals can influence each one 100 healthy tips to implement …
AVMF provides $25,000 in disaster relief to Montana tribal nationsMarch 16, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) announced that it has given a $25,000 grant to support Montana reservations in need of hay due to the impact of recent winter storms. The grant will go toward replenishing hay supplies to help thousands of cattle and horses in the Fort Belknap, Northern Cheyenne, and Blackfeet tribal reservations. These tribes have reported more than 150 livestock deaths due to the extreme cold and record amounts of snowfall. This winter's hay shortages were compounded by Montana's drought last summer and the wildfires that damaged more than one million acres in the state during the fall of 2017. "The weather events we've had over the past several months have really strained feed resources here in Montana," said Ben Thomas, Montana Dept. of Agriculture director. "We are grateful for the assistance of our national and international partners in helping these communities during their times of need." The hay will help cover five days of food for the animals in each tribe; after that, the tribes should be out of their emergency operations period and be able to restore access to their hay stores or purchase hay from elsewhere in Montana. "We're pleased to be able provide this grant …
AAVMC learning program aims to improve veterinary medical educationMarch 16, 2018A new competency-based veterinary education (CBVE) program that aims to improve veterinary medical education and quality assurance was introduced during the recent conference of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The program is an outcomes-based, learner-centered approach to veterinary medical education that uses a shared framework and language to help ensure that all veterinary medical college students graduate with competencies that enable them to be successful from their first day as independent veterinarians, according to AAVMC. "This framework, which represents the latest pedagogical thinking and best practices, lays the foundation for colleges and schools to develop competency-based education," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, JD, AAVMC CEO, noting that the CBVE program is one of the most substantial pedagogical initiatives ever undertaken by the AAVMC. "Colleges and schools will benefit from a common language and a more comprehensive picture of graduate outcomes based upon evidenced-based criteria and agreed-upon standards from some of veterinary medicine's best educators and the latest research," he added. "It's not a final product, but a first step in a journey of co-creation." The framework outlines a series of competencies that are core as well as sub-competencies that veterinary medical colleges can …
UC Davis performs total hip replacement on champion show dogMarch 16, 2018Swiss Star's Chasing Moonbeams, aka Luna, a 1-year-old female Bernese mountain dog, recently jumped out of the window of a moving car. After Luna immediately showed lameness in her pelvic limb, co-owner Mary Beam had her examined. X-rays showed a break in the head of Luna's right femur, so she was referred to a local veterinary surgeon. After discovering that Luna was a champion show dog, the surgeon suggested Beam take her to see orthopedic surgeon Denis Marcellin-Little, DEDV, DACVS, DECVS, at the University of California Davis veterinary hospital. Dr. Marcellin-Little discussed three options for Luna. Option one included medical management with cage rest and pain medication, to let the hip heal on its own. However, this option brought an increased risk of persistent hip joint instability and osteoarthritis. Option two was a femoral head osteotomy, a surgery that would relieve the pain and discomfort, but involved a high risk of causing an abnormal gait. Beam chose option three, a total hip replacement. This more-involved surgery would give Luna the best chance of returning to a normal gait and preventing osteoarthritis in the long term. After serving on the faculty at North Carolina State University for 23 years, Marcellin-Little …
Make Facebook social media work for your veterinary clinicMarch 15, 2018Social media is an important tool for any business today, including veterinary medicine. According to Statista, more than 81 percent of the U.S. population has at least one social media account. Importantly, 68 percent of U.S. adults use Facebook, and of that group, 74 percent of them access Facebook daily. When Americans access their Facebook accounts, they spend nearly 20 minutes per session on the platform. Facebook continues to dominate the social media space. Here are the numbers of users on popular social media platform as reported by Statista: Facebook: 2.1 billion YouTube: 1.5 billion Instagram: 800 million Twitter: 330 million LinkedIn: 260 million SnapChat: 255 million Pinterest: 200 million Approximately 90 percent of the people who use many of these other social media platforms also use Facebook. As most veterinary practices have limited time and resources to devote to their communications and marketing efforts, Facebook should be their social media platform of choice. Communications/marketing plans To be most effective, Facebook and other social media activities should be just one part of a comprehensive communications and marketing plan. Other tools should include electronic newsletters, brochures, community activities, an engaging website, and more. All of these …
