Why heartworm prevention begins in your practiceApril 24, 2019According to the American Heartworm Society (AMS), it is estimated more than one million dogs have heartworm disease. Spread by mosquitoes, heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of infected dogs and cats. Left untreated, the disease can lead to heart failure, as well as damage to other organs. To mark Heartworm Awareness Month, we asked Claire Walther, DVM, veterinary specialty operations at Zoetis Petcare, for her take on what veterinarians can do to better convey the need for heartworm prevention to pet owners. 1) What is the single biggest misconception among veterinarians regarding heartworm disease? Biologically, it is how missing one dose of a preventative medication can lead to the development of heartworm disease. We say it to our clients daily, but many of us couldn't explain why if a client asked. In my own practice, I struggled with the answer. Here is a 30-second sound bite I've used with my clients to help simplify what is a complex discussion. "Young heartworms are carried by infected mosquitoes, and it only takes one bite to transmit them to your dog.1 Once in your dog, the young heartworms live just underneath the skin for about a month—this …
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FDA approves treatment for urinary incontinence in dogsApril 2, 2019PROIN ER, a tablet for the control of urinary incontinence in dogs, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug treats urethral sphincter hypotonus, which occurs due to a dog's age and weakening muscles in the urethra. PROIN Chewable Tablets have already been approved by the FDA; however, they are to be administered twice a day, whereas PROIN ER is a once-a-day extended-release formulation. The effectiveness of PROIN ER was observed in a clinical study comprising 119 dogs that had been previously diagnosed with urethral sphincter hypotonus and had been taking PROIN Chewable Tablets. The timeline of the clinical study went as follows: • For the first week, the owners documented whether the dog received the PROIN Chewable Tablet doses and noted the number of urinary accidents the dog had; • Dogs were then given PROIN ER for the first 28 days and the owners proceeded to take note of how many accidents occurred in a day; • In the fourth week, the number of urinary accidents was compared to the first week. It was found 75 of the 104 dogs who completed the study had no accidents on either tablet;
ISU to begin canine anticancer immunotherapeutic agent clinical trialsFebruary 28, 2019Iowa State University (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine is starting a clinical study for a new canine anticancer immunotherapeutic. Produced by NovaVive, the anticancer treatment, Immunocidin, has received regulatory approval in the U.S. and Canada to treat mammary tumors. The study will observe dogs with stage I or stage II splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) who have undergone a splenectomy to determine the effectiveness of Immunocidin in combination with doxorubicin chemotherapy. Sixty-six dogs will participate in the trial and survival times will be monitored. "Treatment options and survival outcomes for canine HSA have remained essentially stagnant for the past two decades," said Chad Johannes, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM, oncology). "Additional therapeutic options for HSA are needed and we look forward to learning more about how immune stimulation via Immunocidin may play a role in improving outcomes for dogs." Ten oncology clinics will participate in the trial. To find one, visit bit.ly/2D56wBv and enter AAHSD004874 in the keyword search.
Boehringer Ingelheim, GNA Biosolutions to develop ASF rapid diagnostic toolFebruary 27, 2019Veterinarians, farmers, and the food-producing industry may soon have a new tool to help diagnose and stop the worldwide spread of African swine fever (ASF). Boehringer Ingelheim and GNA Biosolutions are partnering up to develop a rapid ASF diagnostic test that would be used in combination with GNA's portable molecular diagnostic platform. "This partnership represents another example of our focus on prevention and our continuous effort to control swine diseases," said Alain Wille, DVM, head of global business unit swine at Boehringer Ingelheim. ASF is a devastating viral infection of swine causing severe clinical disease and high mortality. The disease is untreatable and no effective vaccines are currently available. ASF does not affect humans. The disease could potentially jeopardize many countries' pig trade and supplies. Recent outbreaks of the ASF in China have resulted in more than 600,000 pigs being culled within the past few months. "We are delighted to enter this collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in animal health," said GNA Biosolutions cofounder and managing director, Lars Ullerich, PhD. "This collaboration further emphasizes the role of GNA Biosolutions in the rapidly developing field of extra-laboratory diagnostics and extends the application of our pulse-controlled amplification (PCA) technology into …
Bad breath could be a sign of diseaseFebruary 7, 2019As part of Pet Dental Health Month, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is advising veterinarians to encourage pet owners to make their pet's oral health care a top priority and to schedule professional exams. According to AVMA president John de Jong, DVM, pet owners should be made aware that poor oral health could lead to potentially life-threatening damage to their pet's internal organs as a result of periodontal disease. "Oral disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem for our pets," says Dr. de Jong. "In addition to causing receding gums, tooth loss, and significant pain, bacteria in the mouth enters the bloodstream potentially affecting the heart, liver, and kidneys, which can be life-threatening." AVMA reports most dogs and cats have some evidence of periodontal disease by the age of three, indicated by bad breath, a change in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face and mouth, and depression. A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry (JOVD) showed that only two percent of dog owners follow through on brushing their pets' teeth. In addition, a survey of pet owners showed that only 14 percent of dogs and nine percent of cats receive dental care at the …
Choosing the right PIMS for your practiceFebruary 5, 2019Love 'em or hate 'em, all veterinary practices need one: a practice information management system (PIMS). There are so many factors to consider when researching which PIMS is the best fit for your clinic. They include practice efficiency, integrations, data security and backup, and impact to the client experience. No doubt, change can be complicated, especially when transitioning to a new PIMS. It can often feel a bit overwhelming for veterinary teams that are already stretched thin. However, choosing a PIMS that works for your practice is possible, resulting in overall improvements to practice workflow, productivity, and even team satisfaction. Understand your workflow needs—now and in the future A good PIMS should provide the foundation and infrastructure for a smooth workflow today and five years from now, but you must know what you're looking for at the outset to ensure a successful outcome. Remember, you can't buy software to improve your internal processes if you do not first understand them, as well as your pain points. For example, if your practice is looking to go paperless, consider how a system manages client and patient information, how it monitors inpatient care, and how its mobile functionality works. Not ready for paperless? …
Hill's recalls canned dog food due to high Vitamin D levelsFebruary 4, 2019Hill's Pet Nutrition is recalling some of its canned dog food over concerns of elevated levels of Vitamin D. The announcement comes after Hill's received a complaint about a dog exhibiting signs of excessive Vitamin D. An investigation by the company confirmed elevated levels of Vitamin D due to a supplier error. The affected canned dog foods were distributed through retail pet stores, as well as veterinary clinics and e-commerce. No dry foods, cat foods, or treats are part of the recall. Vitamin D is essential for dogs; however, it can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss when ingested in high levels. In a statement, Hill's says, "We care deeply about all pets and are committed to providing pet parents with safe and high-quality products. Hill's has identified and isolated the error and, to prevent this from happening again, we have required our supplier to implement additional quality testing prior to their release of ingredients. In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients." For a list of the recalled canned dog food, click here. Pet owners with dogs who have consumed …
Confessions of a veterinary dentistJanuary 15, 2019When it comes to preventing progression of periodontal disease, tooth brushing is the least expensive and most effective home-care method to help avoid the need for future extractions.
LexaGene to unveil LX2 beta prototype for veterinary marketOctober 10, 2018LexaGene Holdings Inc., a biotechnology company that develops instrumentation for pathogen detection, plans to unveil a model of its low-cost LX2 beta prototype at the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians conference, Oct. 19-20 in Kansas City, Mo. The company's polymerase chain reaction-based technology is designed to be placed in-clinic, where it can screen samples for multiple targets simultaneously and return results in one hour. The LX2 system is low cost, leaves a small footprint and takes less than a minute to initiate automated sample processing. LX2 beta instrument features include: Ability to accept two distinct reagent panels for syndromic-based testing, where each panel is capable of detecting 28 targets (up to 56 targets total) at once Capability to process two samples at once within a footprint that measures 16 x 20 x 22 in. A one-time disposable cartridge per test "Incorporating this technology into a veterinary practice will provide better patient outcomes since the technology also looks for antimicrobial resistance, which will allow clinicians to make more informed decisions on prescribing the appropriate antibiotic," said Jack Regan, PhD, LexaGene CEO. "Furthermore, by bringing the testing in-house, practices will tap into a valuable revenue stream that …
VolitionRx tests nucleosome diagnostic for veterinary space applicationsOctober 5, 2018 VolitionRx Ltd., a multinational Belgium-based life sciences company with offices in Texas, London, and Singapore, announced it is entering the veterinary market after "very encouraging" preliminary results from a study using its NuQ diagnostic blood tests for canine cancer testing. NuQ, currently used to screen for colorectal and prostate cancers, works by measuring and analyzing irregular levels of nucleosomes—a section of DNA wrapped around a core of proteins—in the blood to identify cancers. According to the company, the proof-of-concept study showed that blood nucleosomes also can be detected in dogs. With the promise of veterinary medicine applications, VolitionRx said it will now move NuQ into larger trials to answer the question of whether the method will work with animals. The company said it intends to outsource much of the veterinary clinical trial work through a partnership with Heather Wilson-Robles, DVM, DACVIM, associate professor and Fred and Vola N. Palmer chair in comparative oncology with Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in the Small Animal Clinical Sciences department. "The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine Oncology Department is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Volition," said Dr. Wilson-Robles. "Its innovative work in …
