Vets Trusted, But Seen Less Often By Owners, Survey SaysJune 29, 2012 Pet owners are spending less money and visiting the veterinarian less frequently, but they still rely on veterinarians to help them make spending choices for their pets, according to a recent survey. Pet owners rely on veterinarians as their primary channel for pet products, including flea and tick control, heartworm prevention, joint health, pain management and therapeutic food, according to the survey, conducted in November by consulting firms Pert Group of Hartford, Conn., and Brakke Consulting of Dallas. However, respondents visited the veterinarian nearly 20 percent less in 2011 than they did in 2007, when Pert and Brakke conducted the first study. And the portion of pet owners who visit the veterinarian at all declined from 88 percent in 2007 to 77 percent in 2011. “Dogs and cats are feeling the bite of the recession as pet owners put a leash on pet care expenses,” said Susan Spaulding, executive vice president and principal at Pert. “The recession has not only decreased what consumers spend on their own health, but what they spend at the veterinarian.” Cat owners spent 28 percent less on heartworm prevention, 23 percent less on dental products and 20 percent less on flea …
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Study Highlights Shelters’ Success In Finding Owners Of Microchipped PetsJune 28, 2012 <img alt=" border=" 1"="" height="140" hspace="3" data-cke-saved-src="/images/vpn-tab-image/shelter-cat1-250px.jpg" src="/images/vpn-tab-image/shelter-cat1-250px.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;"> Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being returned to their owner after entering an animal shelter than those that are not, according to a recent study by Linda Lord, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State and service head for Community Practice, Outreach and Shelter Medicine. Specifically, the return-to-owner rate for cats was 20 times higher and for dogs 2.5 times higher for microchipped pets than were the rates of return for all stray cats and dogs that had entered the shelter. “This is the first time there has been good data about the success of shelters finding the owners of pets with microchips,” Dr. Lord said. “We found that shelters did much better than they thought they did at returning animals with microchips to their owners.” For the study, 53 shelters in 23 states agreed to maintain monthly records about microchipped animals brought to the facilities. Only shelters that automatically conduct scans for microchips on all animals were eligible to participate. Collectively, there were …
Searching Nearby Best Strategy for Finding Lost Pets, Study SaysJune 28, 2012The keys to finding a lost pet include searching within one’s neighborhood, putting up posters, using the Internet and checking local shelters, according to a survey conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA interviewed more than 1,000 pet-owning households to find out if they lost a dog or cat in the past five years, and if they did, whether or not they found the pet and where they looked. Among those surveyed: 15 percent had lost a dog or cat in the past five years; 14 percent of dog owners lost their dog in the past five years; 15 percent of cat owners lost their cat in the past five years; 85 percent of those lost dogs and cats were recovered; 74 percent of lost cats were recovered; 93 percent of lost dogs were recovered; 49 percent of dog owners found their dog by searching the neighborhood; 15 percent of dogs were recovered because they were wearing an ID tag or had a microchip; 30 percent found their cat by searching the neighborhood; 59 percent of cat guardians found their cat …
Drent Exits VPI, Replaced InternallyJune 28, 2012 Dennis Drent, president and CEO of Veterinary Pet Insurance, left the company earlier this month and has been replaced by Scott Liles of VPI parent company Nationwide Insurance, VPI reported today. Drent announced his departure internally about three weeks ago and left the company with the intent to find a position where he could leverage his entrepreneurial skills to “turn around” another company, said Curtis Steinhoff, director of communications for Brea, Calif.-based Veterinary Pet Insurance. Liles’ official title with VPI will be chief pet insurance officer, but he will fill the role of “executive leader” left by Drent’s departure, Steinhoff said. Prior to joining VPI, Liles held strategy roles at both Nationwide corporate and most recently for the Nationwide Growth Solutions portfolio of companies. He has also worked for McKinsey & Company, Accenture Strategic Services and the British Broadcasting Corporation. <HOME>
Vet Diagnostic Market Eclipses $1.5 Billion In 2011June 26, 2012 Consumers and governments are the primary drivers of the animal diagnostics market, which generated $1.5 billion in global sales in 2011, according to a report published by healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information. Many diagnostic methods from mainstream human healthcare, including immunodiagnostics, molecular testing, hematology and clinical chemistry, have become standard applications in veterinary care, according to the report. Governments are determining the direction of the food animal testing market through expenditures, and lower public spending in the European market has hampered growth in the market. Meanwhile, high-income households with pets have been driving veterinary visits and the instrumentation needed to support them. “While veterinarians and industry vendors have played a role in steering the development of veterinary care, the potential of the companion animal diagnostics market rests with the consumer,” said Emil Salazar, an analyst with Kalorama. <HOME>
Pharmacy Options For Veterinary PracticesJune 26, 2012 It’s certainly no secret that the pharmacy landscape has shifted in veterinary medicine. Consultants, practitioners and other industry experts point to a steady transformation rather than a tectonic jolt, but that doesn’t make the shift any less unsettling. “These days everyone is selling pet drugs, both prescription and non-prescription,” said Karen E. Felsted, DVM, CPA, MS, CVPM, chief executive of Felsted Veterinary Consultants. “There’s no doubt that veterinarians are feeling the competitive pressure.” From discount online pharmacies to neighborhood drug and grocery stores as well as big-box retailers such as Walmart, Costco and Sam’s Club, competitors for pet-medication business abound, chipping at sales that once were solid for veterinary practices. The struggle to retain such revenue has stirred emotions, but the challenge is best met strategically, say experts, who suggest new tools to navigate successfully. Considerations range from creating contract partnerships that give practitioners their own pharmacy presence, to the realization that some segments of drug and product sales might no longer be worth the fight. Those most closely connected to the issue agree that a well-constructed plan can have a substantial effect on the bottom line. “It’s not like …
The Facts About Non-Communicable Diseases And One HealthJune 25, 2012 Posted: June 25, 2012, 7:00 p.m. EDT The human-animal bond connects veterinarians to millions of families, communities and organizations worldwide. Each of us can play a more active role in the One Health movement. The One Health movement calls for greater cooperation and integration of human health, animal health and ecosystem health sciences. It fosters collaboration at the local, national and global levels to achieve optimal health for people, domestic and free-living animals, plants and the environment. If or when properly implemented, it will help protect and save untold millions of lives in present and future generations. You can help promote the One Health concept from your exam room, home or community. If you know the common factors that cause disease in people, companion animals, livestock and free-living animals, you can inform your clients, communities and organizations. Infectious Disease At least 60 to 75 percent of human infectious disease agents and emerging human pathogens can be acquired from other animal species. The list includes SARS, mad cow disease, Nipha virus, West Nile virus, avian influenza, Lyme disease and Bartonella (cat scratch disease), which was recently found to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The U.N. …
VPL Launches Vet-Exclusive Parasiticides For Dogs, CatsJune 25, 2012 Central Garden & Pet subsidiary Veterinary Products Laboratories launched a pair of etofenprox-based, veterinary-exclusive flea and tick control products for cats and dogs, VPL reported today. The new products, Ovitrol X-Tend Flea and Tick Shampoo for Dogs and Cats and Ovitrol X-Tend Flea and Tick Spray for Dogs and Cats, contain both etofenprox, an adulticide, and the insect growth regulator (S)-Methoprene. Because the products do not contain permethrin, which is toxic to cats, they can be used on cats or dogs and are ideal for households with both types of pets, said Debra Nickelson, DVM, spokesperson for VPL. Both products are labeled for dogs and puppies 10 weeks of age and older, and for cats and kittens 12 weeks of age and older. The shampoo is available in 12-ounce and 1-gallon bottles while the spray comes in a 16-ounce. bottle. The products are available through several distributors in the veterinary channel, said Dr. Nickelson. <HOME>
The Perpetual Fight Against FleasJune 25, 2012 When flea products with fipronil began appearing on retailers’ shelves about a year ago, veterinarians grew concerned about revenue loss and their ability to advise clients on flea products. Veterinarians and industry advisers say retail sales equate to less veterinary control over a veterinary medical product. The conventional wisdom is that being able to buy flea prevention while doing routine shopping is more appealing to the average customer than making a special trip to the vet’s office. But convenience might be hurting efficacy. “In my investigation of more than 1,000 flea-infested homes in Tampa, I found that the No. 1 cause of ongoing infestations was lack of an understanding of how to use the flea control product,” says Michael Dryden, DVM, MS, Ph.D., widely known as Dr. Flea for his pioneering efforts in flea research. He is the Distinguished Professor of Veterinary Parasitology at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. “The lack of education for how to apply, frequency of use, etc., will continue to grow when veterinarians aren’t part of the conversation.” Besides contributing to flea infestations through potential misapplication, Dr. Dryden says, fipronil products—given their current high efficacy and reliability—could experience resistance …
California Grooming Bill Still Excessive, PIJAC WarnsJune 22, 2012 EDITORS' NOTE: The California Assembly Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer Protection postponed the June 19 hearing to Tuesday, June 26, 2012. The bill was amended on June 20, but PIJAC maintained its opposition to the bill. Despite several amendments to a bill that would now establish a voluntary groomer certification program, the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council urged California pet groomers to oppose the current legislation at a hearing tomorrow. The proposed legislation contains several provisions that would place undue burdens on pet groomers and others that would be difficult to enforce, PIJAC warned in an industry notice sent out late Friday afternoon. As amended, Senate Bill 969, which passed the Senate on May 30 and has been assigned to the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer Protection, would create a California Pet Grooming Council to oversee the certification program for people that bathe, brush, clip or style pets for compensation in California. The original bill mandated licensing for groomers in the state. The amended legislation would make it an unfair business practice for people engaged in pet grooming to advertise or promote themselves as register, certified or licensed pet groomers …
