Boehringer Ingelheim announces $80M expansion investmentDecember 5, 2017Boehringer Ingelheim announced it will invest more than $80 million to expand its existing facilities in Athens, Ga., and St. Joseph, Mo., to accommodate increased production of animal vaccines. The company's facility in Athens, Ga., will grow from its current footprint of approximately 350,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet, and will nearly double its filling capacity for companion animal and avian vaccines. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and will continue through 2019, with commercial production anticipated to begin in the second half of 2019. The facility employs approximately 400; research and development operations also are based there. The company expects to add 50 positions over the next three years to support the expansion. Construction at the company's facility in St. Joseph, Mo., also will begin in the fourth quarter 2017 on a 13,000-square-foot expansion to accommodate increased production of livestock animal vaccines sold in the U.S. and globally. The manufacturing operation is part of a 700,000-square-foot total campus in St. Joseph, which also includes a warehouse, research and development, and other support functions. Twenty additional jobs will be created over the next few years to support the increased …
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Auburn to strengthen vet medicine in rural KentuckyDecember 5, 2017The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine is directing a program to strengthen veterinary services to underserved rural populations in Kentucky through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services Grant Program and in partnership with Kentucky veterinarians. The $237,233 grant allows the college to create a program to "develop, implement, and sustain private veterinary services through education, training, recruitment, placement and retention of veterinarians and students of veterinary medicine," said Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs at Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine. It is one of 13 grants by USDA's National Institute of Food & Agriculture. Objectives of the grant are: Connect veterinarians serving in rural geographic areas where additional veterinarians are needed with veterinary students interested in working in those areas; Provide quality educational opportunities for veterinary students in business management and sustainability in rural veterinary practice; Provide quality continuing education at a reduced cost to veterinarians serving in designated rural areas of unmet needs; Provide business management education and practice sustainability consultation to rural veterinary practitioners in underserved areas, and Facilitate and create networking opportunities that assist graduating veterinarians with transitioning into sustainable careers in rural underserved …
Wiley releases second edition on common neoplasias in geriatric dogs, catsDecember 5, 2017Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Second Edition by Alice Villalobos, DVM, with Laurie Kaplan, MSC, newly released by Wiley, provides a complete clinical approach to the most common neoplasias in geriatric dogs and cats.
2017 They Ate What?! People's Choice winners namedNovember 22, 2017Earlier this year, Veterinary Practice News' panel of distinguished veterinary professionals had their chance to vote on the most odd and incomprehensive items removed from the stomachs of their clients' animal companions in the 2017 They Ate What?! X-ray contest. Now the people have spoken. As part of the annual contest, VPN invites its reader community to vote on what they think is the best rad among the year's submissions. "Turtle vs. Turtle" is the winning radiograph of the 2017 They Ate What?! People's Choice X-ray contest. "Turtle," which was a runner-up in the larger contest, was submitted by Don Harris, DVM, of Avian & Exotic AMC in Miami. Lola, a 7-kilogram tortoise, presented for inappetence and lethargy. Radiographs revealed that she had consumed a 1.5-centimeter turtle pendant of unknown origin. A flap plastronotomy was performed to remove the pendant, and Lola recovered completely. Floyd Rowe, office manager for VCA Pacific Avenue South Animal Hospital in Spanaway, Wash., is the winner of the 2017 People's Choice sweepstakes. Floyd will receive a $500 Visa gift card, courtesy of IDEXX Laboratories Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim funds three equine research awardsNovember 22, 2017Boehringer Ingelheim has selected three research proposals to fund as part of its 2017 Advancement in Equine Research Award program. The company has given more than $470,000 to advancing the knowledge of equine infectious disease since 2011. "For the past six years, BI has supported equine research into identifying new disease treatment and prevention methods," said Steve Grubbs, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, equine technical manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. "Through this program we are committed to helping advance the understanding, diagnosis, and prevention of infectious equine diseases." The 2017 Equine Research Award recipients are: Nicola Pusterla, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, and Sharon Spier, DVM, PhD., DACVIM, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "Investigation of the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and anti-histaminic drugs on the humoral response to a commercial Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccine given to naïve healthy horses." Nicola Pusterla, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "Investigation of the Florida sublineage clade affiliation of equine influenza virus strains using novel multiplex real-time quantitative PCR in nasal secretions submitted to a diagnostic laboratory (2012-2017)." Rebecca P. Wilkes, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. "Targeted next-generation sequencing panel for detection of equine pathogens." …
Juniper Systems releases equine ultrasound reproduction solutionNovember 20, 2017Juniper Systems Inc. has announced the release of EmberEquine, a new equine ultrasound reproduction solution developed to optimize workflow. The Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet, running EmberEquine software, pairs with Draminski's 4VetJ Ultrasound to provide practitioners with everything needed to simplify mare exams and recordkeeping, according to the company. The 4VetJ allows veterinarians to record measurements directly on the ultrasound for improved accuracy and efficiency. Measured images are then sent to the Mesa 2 Rugged tablet via Wi-Fi, attached to the mare record form, and safely stored on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet and Microsoft Cloud for easy access. The unit offers touchscreen interface, wireless design, and all-day battery life. In addition, the EmberEquine software provides veterinarians with a powerful yet user-friendly interface for quick data entry on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet during each reproduction exam, the company states.
Heska introduces new veterinary analyzerNovember 20, 2017Heska Corp., a provider of veterinary diagnostic and specialty products, has announced the release of its new Element COAG Veterinary Analyzer. The compact bench-top analyzer delivers coagulation and blood typing parameters to complement the company's chemistry, hematology, immunodiagnostics blood gas, and electrolyte analyzers. Within minutes and with only 100uL of sample, Element COAG delivers accurate PT/aPTT (coagulation), canine fibrinogen, equine fibrinogen, canine DEA 1.1 blood typing, and feline A/B blood typing. The analyzer is available for purchase or under Heska's six-year Reset program.
Translational research boosted by multidisciplinary study grantsNovember 20, 2017The Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance (COHA), a national network of veterinary and medical research institutions, will continue its translational research thanks to a series of grants awarded to its member institutions. COHA aims to advance the understanding of such shared diseases as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and obesity by leveraging the expertise of veterinarians, physicians, research scientists, and professionals in related fields. The multidisciplinary approach provides novel information and new strategies to improve the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment. COHA institutions are supported by Clinical Translational Science Awards through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. The latest COHA funding will advance efforts that include developing a unified veterinary record data management system across member institutions, planning and coordinating One Health events to increase networking and communication across disciplines, expanding opportunities for clinical and translational research training for students, and advancing efforts to enhance veterinary biospecimen use. The full list of funded projects and lead institutions: Translational Research Summit 2.0. Planning and coordination of a symposium on inherited cardiomyopathies across species for human and veterinary medical professionals, as well as other research scientists (University of …
Morris Animal Foundation funds studies targeting critical cat illnessesNovember 17, 2017Studies of three deadly infections in cats are among the research projects awarded more than $400,000 in grants from Morris Animal Foundation. The studies will help veterinary scientists advance the health of cats, particularly those in shelter environments where infectious diseases take a greater toll. "Cats are one of the most beloved pets in the United States, with an estimated 85 million gracing our homes and our lives," said John Reddington, DVM, Ph.D., Morris Animal Foundation president and CEO. "Their owners want to do everything they can to care for their feline companions, and that includes the very best veterinary care. And that's where Morris Animal Foundation comes in. The studies we fund address critical health issues that cats are facing, saving lives and giving our feline friends longer, healthier lives." Through this year's grants, the foundation is supporting five researchers and one fellow at five universities, including Colorado State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Sydney, Australia. The foundation's Small Animal Scientific Advisory Board reviewed all submitted grant applications and selected, based on scientific merit and impact, the studies with the greatest potential to save lives, preserve health, and advance veterinary care. Feline studies funded …
UC Davis launches survey on the use of cannabis products for petsNovember 17, 2017The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has launched a survey to learn more about the use of cannabis products on pets. "With the increasing use of medical cannabis and the start of recreational use [in California] in January, the interest in using it for pets has really grown," said Jamie Peyton, DVM, chief of small animal integrative medicine at UC Davis and the primary researcher behind the study. "The goal of the survey is to start the conversation about the use of hemp and cannabis products for pets." More pet owners are asking veterinarians about cannabis use for their companion animals, but vets currently are not allowed to prescribe or recommend cannabis products for pets, Dr. Peyton said. The anonymous online survey asks basic information about the pet and about its medical history, and includes questions about the type of marijuana products the pet owner administers, the reason for using the product, and how often it is administered. The final question asks if the respondent would involve their pet in a study of marijuana products for pets. The goal of the survey is to inform future research. "There's no published, peer-reviewed study on …
