Sales Down At HeskaMay 17, 2010 Heska Corp.’s companion animal health division on May 6 reported revenue of $15.8 million in the first quarter ended March 31, compared to $18.1 million in the year-ago period. Overall, the Loveland, Colo., company had a first-quarter net loss of $331,000 on revenue of $17.7 million. That compares to a net income of $460,000 on revenue of $20.1 million in the year-ago period. “We knew we would face a difficult comparison this quarter as we had exclusive rights to our former handheld blood analysis instrument in the first quarter of 2009 and sold the last of our remaining inventory in this area in the first quarter of 2010,” said Robert Grieve, Heska’s chairman and CEO. “Sales of consumables in this area declined by $2.7 million on a year-over-year basis as a result. Total revenue from other core companion animal health products was up year over year. “We also recognized a reserve of $1 million due to unexpected production issues in our OVP (other vaccines, pharmaceuticals and products) segment. We have been focused on resolving the current issue and preventing future problems.”
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Bayer Brings Vets To Forefront With New Customer Service TeamsMay 17, 2010 Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan., has created two new teams to bring its customers—veterinarians—to the forefront: an employee-driven Customer Focus Task Force and a Customer Advisory Board, both of which are under the direction of Christine Pierson, vice president of sales. “We’re looking how we can differentiate ourselves in the animal health industry,” she says. The task force, made up of Bayer Animal Health employees, is designed to improve internal cooperation throughout the company to ensure positive customer impact. It began with 18 people within the sales group and has grown to 30 employees from various company divisions, such as the product supply group and veterinary services group. Four targeted sub-groups were created: improving customer feedback (getting feedback from customers and building on it), strengthening internal linkages (working together in a synergetic fashion), enhancing product support (based on the idea that supporting veterinarians in turn helps veterinarians support their customers, the pet owner) and increasing sales representative face time with customers. The group is already looking into implementing new and creative strategies, Pierson says. For instance, creating a rewards system to recognize employees that demonstrate customer focus, hosting training sessions and beginning a job …
Bernese More Prone To Bacteria That Causes Lyme DiseaseMay 17, 2010 More than half of the 160 Bernese mountain dogs examined by researchers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, tested positive for the spiral-shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, compared with only 15 percent of the 62 control dogs, which were not of Bernese descent but of comparable size and coat length. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a Western blot test, the Swiss researchers found that 58 percent of the Berners had developed antibodies against B. burgdorferi. Neither living in rural areas where ticks might be more prevalent noire more frequent walking explained the dogs’ tendency to acquire the bacteria, according to lead researcher Dr. Bernhard Gerber. Neither did its dark coat color; researchers assume darker coats make it harder for dog owners to spot ticks before they burrow in. Although the scope of the study did not allow them to explore the biological reasons behind the infection rates or the possible consequences for the dogs, Gerber did say they suspect a breed predisposition to the bacteria in Bernese. The study was published July 11 in the online journal BMC Veterinary Research.
Banfield’s Dr. Hugh Lewis To RetireMay 17, 2010 Hugh Lewis, BVMS, Dipl. ACVP, senior vice president of Practice Development and president of DataSavant for Banfield, The Pet Hospital, will retire at the end of April. Dr. Lewis, who joined Banfield in 1996, recently led the creation of DataSavant, the hospital’s internal research firm, which surveys, analyzes and tracks Banfield’s pet medical records. “We deeply appreciate Dr. Lewis’ contributions to the practice and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said John Payne, president and chief executive officer of Banfield. “His active leadership and wise counsel will be missed by all—and his contributions have left an indelible mark on the veterinary profession. <HOME>
Barbaro’s Owners Endow Chair For Equine Disease ResearchMay 17, 2010 Roy and Gretchen Jackson, owners of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, have given a gift of $3 million to endow a chair in the name of Dean W. Richardson, DVM, at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Richardson, chief of surgery at Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital, led the team that treated Barbaro, the Dynaformer colt euthanized in January after a complications from the leg injury he sustained at the Preakness Stakes in May. “We are very pleased to make this commitment in support of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s research of equine diseases,” Gretchen Jackson said. “Our close relationship with Dr. Richardson over the last eight months persuaded us to name the chair in his honor. We are indeed grateful to him, and we especially look forward to a future without laminitis.” “This endowed chair is a strong recognition of the power of translating fundamental scientific advances into new real-world treatments,” said Joan Hendricks, VMD, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine for the university. “With a new faculty position dedicated to the study of equine disease, we will be better positioned to fight deadly conditions like laminitis.” The …
AVMA’s 145th Annual Convention Heads To ‘The Big Easy’May 17, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Assn. will host about 10,000 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary students and other attendees at its 145th annual convention July 19-22 in New Orleans, La., also known as "The Big Easy." Sessions will cover the latest trends on topics such as cloning, genomics, stem cell treatments, raw diets for pets and laser surgery. Hot topics will include avian influenza, food safety, obesity and the One Health Initiative. There will also be hands-on training in veterinary chiropractic medicine, acupuncture and microcurrent therapy. “But perhaps the most important programs at this year’s convention will be those that allow attendees to volunteer in the revival of the city through a first-of-its-kind ‘voluntourism’ program,” said Gregory Hammer, DVM, president of the organization. Veterinarians and other convention attendees will have the opportunity to help rebuild and rehabilitate animal shelters damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. On July 17 and 18, about 200 volunteers will clean, paint and provide other services to the Plaquemines Parish Animal Control facility, the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter and the Jefferson West Parish Animal Shelter. Volunteers will also construct an outdoor recreational area for cats at the Jefferson East Parish …
AVMA Council Election ResultsMay 17, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Assn.’s House of Delegates elected 17 new council members during its session held in Washington, D.C., during the AVMA’s convention in July. New council members, by council, follow. Constituency represented is listed in parentheses. Biologic and Therapeutic Agents John Waddell, DVM, MBA (private clinical practice, predominantly food animal) Communications Helen K. McShane, DVM (private small animal practitioner) Suzanne L. Craig, DVM, Dipl. ACLAM (at large) Education Herbert E. Whiteley, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP (veterinary medical research) Nathan D. Voris, DVM, MBA (private equine clinical practice) William S. Swecker, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVN (large animal clinical science) Robert B. Cherenson, DVM (private practice, food animal exclusive) Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine Tracey DuVernoy, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM (public health agencies/armed forces) Brushan Jayaro, DVM, Ph.D., MPH (public health agencies/armed forces) Donald E. Hoenig, VMD (agricultural agencies) Research G. David McCarroll, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (private clinical practice) Kent Lloyd, DVM, Ph.D. (veterinary medical research) Veterinary Service Carlos E. Bonnot, DVM (private mixed practice, predominantly food animal/equine) Cheri A. Johnson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM (academic clinical science)
AVMA Names Executive Vice PresidentMay 17, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Assn. has named Ron DeHaven, DVM, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, as the new executive vice president. Dr. DeHaven will succeed Bruce Little, DVM, who has held the position of executive vice president since 1996 and is retiring at the end of this year. As APHIS administrator, DeHaven oversees a $1.9-billion budget and 8,300 employees. He is also responsible for the protection of U.S. agriculture and natural resources from exotic pests and diseases, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. “This position at the AVMA will provide me an exciting opportunity to give back to the profession,” DeHaven said. “I will be in a leadership position in the organization that represents 75,000 veterinarians at a time when the profession is at a crossroads. We are facing a future where the intersection of animal health and public health, and food supply veterinary medicine is becoming critical to meeting the needs of a global society.” DeHaven began his career at APHIS in 1979 as a veterinary medical officer, and later served as a regional director, veterinary staff officer, deputy administrator and …
Avian, Exotics ConferencesMay 17, 2010 The 28th Annual Assn. of Avian Veterinarians Conference and Expo and the Assn. of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians’ Annual Conference and Business Meeting will be held in August in Providence, RI. The AAV conference will take place Aug. 4-9; AEMV will take place Aug. 4-5. For more information, visit www.aav.org or www.aemv.org. <HOME>
Available Resources For Fire VictimsMay 17, 2010For the latest information and resources on the California wildfires, please visit one of the following Web sites. Check back often for updates. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Los Angeles is providing wildfire evacuation and rescue services for animal victims of the fire through its Disaster Animal Response Team (DART). For information or to make a donation, click here. Red Cross: Look up the latest efforts by the Red Cross to assist victims of the California wildfires as well as make a donation or volunteer. For details, click here. The National Interagency Fire Center tracks the latest information on the wildfires, including breakdown by county, acreage burned, percentage contained and street closures. For more information, click here. For a list of animal disaster groups serving California, click here. The Santa Barbara County Animal Services Program has implemented a hotline to assist pet owners with evacuation and sheltering for the Sedgewick fire. For details, click here. The San Diego Humane Society and SPCA have gathered the latest information on animal evacuations and locations that accept pets. For details, click here. The Equestrian Coalition …
