Apoquel Shortage Should End by April 2015July 27, 2014Update, January 2016: More Apoquel on Way for Dogs, Zoetis Says Dog owners desperate to put their pets on the new anti-itch drug Apoquel will have to wait nine more months as the manufacturer ramps up production. Zoetis Inc. of Florham Park, N.J., had expected the Apoquel shortage to last until mid-2015, but the company recently reported that the distribution clampdown should loosen sooner―by April 2015. Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) received an enthusiastic response from dog owners and veterinarians after the drug hit the U.S. market Jan. 20. Often effective within 24 hours of initial use, the prescription-only drug is indicated for the control of itching associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis. The tablets, which work by blocking a dog’s urge to scratch, are given twice a day for the first two weeks and daily thereafter. The drug’s success combined with growing demand and a complicated manufacturing process quickly left Apoquel in short supply. Zoetis responded by giving priority to pets already on the drug and by rejecting new orders from veterinarians. In some cases, veterinarians who were able to get Apoquel were suddenly cut off. Steven …
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AVMA Looks to Make History With Future LeadersJuly 27, 2014 An American Veterinary Medical Association program designed to identify and encourage veterinarians interested in serving and leading the profession introduced its fourth class today in Denver at the organization’s annual convention. The 2014-15 group of Future Leaders includes a U.S. Army Veterinary Corps colonel and two laboratory animal specialists. The program, which receives financial support from drug maker Zoetis Animal Health of Florham Park, N.J., is open to veterinarians who earned their degree as recently as 1999 and have some leadership background. “By selecting candidates with strong leadership attributes, who are already influential among their peers, and developing them into stronger leaders earlier, the Future Leaders program meets some of the key requirements for the future of veterinary medicine,” said Christine Jenkins, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief veterinary medical officer with Zoetis’ U.S. group. The Future Leaders will meet periodically and start work on a still-unidentified year-long project. The previous class focused on assisting veterinarians who want to change their career path. The results included an online toolkit at AVMA.org/careerchange as well as an informational symposium and a luncheon held during the convention. “The goal of the symposium was to …
AVMA House of Delegates Backs New Dentistry, Declawing PoliciesJuly 25, 2014 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates today approved revised policies on veterinary dentistry and cat declawing and chose the organization’s 2015-16 president. Meeting in Denver at the annual AVMA convention, the delegates followed the lead of the American Animal Hospital Association in advocating the use of anesthesia when dental procedures beyond an oral examination are performed. AAHA in June 2013 passed a rule requiring member hospitals to anesthetize and intubate all dental patients under the group’s updated Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Kate Knudson, DVM, the past president of AAHA and an alternate delegate, urged the House to pass Resolution 6. “The only way you can provide dental diagnostics and come up with a therapeutic plan is to do dental radiography,” Dr. Knudson said. “We have many, many, many studies … demonstrating how something that looks normal when you’re just looking at it with your eyes is abnormal once you take radiographs. “The only way you can look your client in the eye and give them the confidence that you indeed are giving the best therapeutic and diagnostic plan is to take full-mouth X-rays,” she added. “As of this time …
Student Group at Virginia Tech Holds Impostors PanelJuly 24, 2014 As part of an effort to help boost female leaders in veterinary medicine, a student group at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine held an “Impostors Panel” in May. About 60 students, male and female, attended. “[The panel name] refers to the idea of ‘impostor syndrome,’ where individuals, especially women, feel out of place taking up leadership roles and believe they don’t ‘measure up’ to others,” said third-year veterinary student Maria Romano, vice president of public relations for the student group. “The event was open to everyone and well received by both students and faculty members. Faculty members on the panel were so open and honest. They gave us insight not just as women in the veterinary profession, but also as leaders finding ways to manage their family obligations and professional responsibilities.” The group, which formed this past April, is the student chapter of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI). The initiative has a national mission of supporting women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity. While WLVDI has been in the works for the past year, student chapters are just …
Texas Man Poses As VeterinarianJuly 24, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Wilfredo Gutierrez, 26, of Houston, Texas, was working as an unlicensed veterinary technician (techs do not need licenses or veterinarian trade group certification in the state of Texas). As a means of obtaining a little extra cash, he posed as a traveling veterinarian, offering vaccinations, spay and neuter services and other procedures to his clients. The only problem? He wasn’t a licensed veterinarian. He was arrested on July 16, 2014, after which he pleaded guilty and served two days on an unlicensed practice charge. He is still in Harris county jail on a felony drug charge for possessing morphine – a substance he possibly used on the dogs and cats he treated. Houston police were tipped off to Gutierrez’s activities when they received a call regarding a crippled dog that had not received proper veterinary care. Suzanne Hollifield, Senior Police Officer for Houston Police Department’s animal cruelty unit, visited the owner, who told her Gutierrez treated the dog’s broken leg with an elastic bandage. An investigation ensued, and with the help of the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, an undercover operation …
Oregon Veterinarians To Undergo Background ChecksJuly 23, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. On July 12, 2014, the Oregon Veterinary Examining Board ruled that criminal background checks of veterinarians and veterinary technicians must be conducted prior to obtaining their licenses. The decision was made based on a state audit in March and is effective immediately. The audit, which looked at the licensing boards of 17 health-related industries, disclosed that of those 17 boards, three lacked background checks: veterinary, occupational therapy and speech pathology and audiology. While background checks in occupational therapy and speech pathology and audiology seems necessary due to their work with the elderly, disabled and children, an argument could possibly be made against background checks in the veterinary industry. However, the audit argues that “Veterinarians have prescribing power and access to medications that are at risk for misuse.” The Secretary of State recommends “boards give further consideration to background check policies for professionals who handle drugs or interact with vulnerable populations.” The Board’s decision to comply with the Secretary of State’s recommendation means increased fees for license applicants. They will be responsible for the $50 fee for the FBI-maintained fingerprint background …
Summer Camp Helps Prepare High School Students for Vet CareersJuly 22, 2014 Fifty-five high school students in Ohio got a closer look into the different career paths in veterinary medicine this past June. The week-long summer camp — the Buckeye Vet Prep Academy—is hosted through The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and hopes to prepare high school students for veterinary careers. “We want to expose more high school students and under-represented minorities to the veterinary medicine profession,” said April Pugh, director of admissions and recruitment, who started the program in 2013 with the help of Shayna Mohr, assistant director of admissions and recruitment. “This is a great way to showcase career options in the field.” The 55 students were chosen out of 154 applicants, Pugh said. They took part in discussions about careers in veterinary specializations including zoo and wildlife medicine, small and large animal internal medicine and veterinary public health, among other topics. They also completed a surgery lab, which included practicing basic suturing and bandaging procedures on teddy bears. In addition, the students participated in off-campus experiences around Ohio, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Columbus Zoo, the Capital Area Humane Society and a trip to The Wilds conservation center and safari.
N.Y. Clinic Gets Facelift Courtesy of NovartisJuly 22, 2014 Cats visiting Village Vet of Lewiston can rest easy now and forget about the dogs traipsing through the waiting room. The western New York hospital has opened two feline-only examination rooms after winning Novartis Animal Health’s Onsior Clinic Makeover contest. The $20,000 in upgrades also includes the purchase of spay and neuter equipment used in partnership with Community Cats Alive, a group that operates a sterilization and vaccination program for feral cats. Some 964 clinics entered the contest sponsored by Novartis’ Onsior brand. Onsior (robenacoxib) tablets are indicated for the control of postoperative pain and inflammation in cats. “Creating a feline-friendly clinic goes beyond the functional clinic elements and includes feline-friendly products, practices and protocols,” said Juan Angel, associate brand manager with Novartis Animal Health US Inc. of Greensboro, N.C. Village Vet, operated by sole practitioner Kristen Ruest, DVM, also received new roll-up window blinds and two fish aquariums—one in the waiting room and another cut into an exam room and hallway. The feline-only rooms feature wall décor, climbing trees and examination baskets, which cats are placed in to help steady their nerves. BDA Architecture, an Albuquerque, N.M., firm that specializes in veterinary …
Ceva Animal Health Gallops Into Equine MarketJuly 21, 2014 Ceva Animal Health, fresh off its takeover of veterinary drug maker Sogeval, has launched an equine division with four veterinarians in key sales roles. The company’s equine product catalog includes Altresyn (altrenogest), an oral solution formulated to suppress estrus in mares; ConfidenceEQ, a nostril gel designed to reduce stress; and Tildren (tiludronate disodium), which is used in the treatment of bone- and cartilage-related lameness. A wide selection of treatments for pain and mobility, reproduction and behavior issues is scheduled to be introduced later this year, the Lenexa, Kan., company reported July 16. “When Ceva decided to enter the U.S. animal health market, we knew the equine segment would be a strategic opportunity for growth based on the uniqueness of products like Tildren,” said Craig Wallace, Ceva Animal Health’s CEO and North American zone director. “Many members of our team have worked for years to ensure our successful entry into the equine market. We’re glad that day is finally here.” Four equine veterinarians will serve as technical sales representatives. They are Simon Towl, DVM, who will oversee the Northeast region; Ashley Phelps, DVM (Southeast); Matt Klotz, DVM (Central); and Alina Vale, DVM (West). “We …
Trupanion Stock Debuts on NYSEJuly 18, 2014 Shares of pet health insurer Trupanion Inc., the newest member of the New York Stock Exchange, rose by up to 15 percent Friday in early first-day trading. The Seattle company raised about $71 million when it sold 7,125,000 shares of common stock at an initial public offering price of $10. The price was down from the anticipated range of $13 to $15 a share. Trupanion, which trades under the stock symbol TRUP, plans to use the cash infusion to pay down debt and ramp up its marketing. “Trupanion is working really hard to make sure that we build and invest in technology and in business processes where we do the work for veterinarians rather than make the veterinarian bend their medicine to insurance,” said chief veterinary officer Kerri Marshall, DVM. “We are becoming a public company to continue this work to help veterinarians and their clients do what they do best: care for pets. “We believe the Trupanion model will help lead to pet health insurance becoming the norm, and veterinarians will really see a huge shift in their ability to do quality veterinary medicine,” Dr. Marshall added. The company reported having 181,634 …
