AVMA-endorsed xylazine legislation reintroduced in CongressFebruary 20, 2025The AVMA reintroduced the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act in both the House and Senate. The legislation is reported to provide the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with tools to help address the illicit drug by scheduling xylazine as a Schedule III drug, ensure common veterinary uses of the drug remain legal, help maintain the availability of the drug on the market for veterinarians, and allow the DEA to track the legitimate supply.
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"Doctor, I missed a heartworm dose!"November 13, 2020Temporaray pandemic-related disruption to pet wellness visits may have resulted in lapses in administering heartworm prophylaxis. What now?
VPN Plus+ ExclusivePlaying monopoly with real money: How veterinarians are losing the price warOctober 30, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBACompetition is alive and well in veterinary medicine. But as our industry confronts increased corporatization and consolidation, the word has acquired a new resonance for many of us.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveIs immunotherapy the key to wiping out canine cancer?June 24, 2020An intact and functional immune system is essential to protect an organism against invading pathogens and infectious disease. However, the immune system also plays a pivotal role in identifying and eliminating transformed cells that, if left unchecked, would progress to cancer. Clinical evidence of the immune system's ability to control cancer comes from a number of observations in both the veterinary and medical settings. Consider the following examples: Cats receiving chronic immunosuppression following renal transplant have a higher incidence of lymphoma compared with the general feline population1,2 Spontaneous regression of transmissible venereal tumor is associated with an increased proportion of tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells3 Canine osteosarcoma patients that develop bacterial infections after limb-sparing surgery experience significantly prolonged survival times.4 The presence of tumor-specific, cytotoxic T cells within tumors, such as ovarian carcinoma, confers a favorable prognosis,5 whereas infiltration with regulatory or suppressor T cells confers a worse prognosis6 These observations, coupled with two decades of experimentation in murine cancer models, indicate that finding ways to initiate, augment, and broaden a patient's antitumor immune response holds promise for the treatment and possible prevention of cancer. Indeed, this is the aim of cancer immunotherapy, and recent advances in this field have …
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveCBD or CBD and THC combined?May 29, 2020While cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are both phytocannabinoids derived from cannabis plants, differences in their chemical structures allow each to interact with unique receptors, resulting in distinct molecular targets and physiological effects. Namely, THC shows high affinity toward CB1 receptors, which are present in central and peripheral neurons, resulting in the euphoric effect commonly attributed to cannabis intoxication. In contrast, CBD does not bind CB1 at relevant concentrations and is nonintoxicating. Instead, CBD interacts, to various degrees, with other receptors (agonism at TRPV1 and 5-HT1A, antagonism at TNFα, GPR55, and GPR18), which may be relevant for its suggested therapeutic effects. Practical considerations Recently, CBD- and THC-containing products for people and pets have become more widely available, especially in jurisdictions that have passed legislation allowing the sale of such items intended for human use. Evolving regulatory frameworks and social perceptions have also renewed interest in the potential therapeutic properties of cannabinoids for animals. Importantly, there are no authorized veterinary drugs containing cannabinoids in the U.S., and any state laws permitting the use of medical cannabis do not apply to use in animals. Increasingly, the veterinary profession is being asked to weigh in on the potential roles of CBD and …
Pharma manufacturer expands with purchase of facility in FranceApril 3, 2020A U.S.-based manufacturer of canine and equine joint health pharmaceuticals has expanded its capabilities with the purchase of a European active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant.
Getting a handle on your controlled substances costsJanuary 3, 2020Maintaining your controlled substances can be difficult and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be if you train your staff and implement the proper protocols.
Global associations commit to improving access to veterinary medicinesOctober 21, 2019Securing equal access to vital veterinary medicines for companion animal veterinarians around the world is at the center of a new campaign spearheaded by World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). Restricted access to veterinary medicines is a long-standing problem and limits the efforts of many veterinarians to provide optimal care to their patients in regions such as Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia, the association says. The problem extends to even essential medicines, such as those required to properly manage pain. The result is immense and unnecessary suffering. "Difficulty in accessing therapeutics to treat patients is a critical issue for companion animal veterinarians in many parts of the world," says WSAVA past-president, Walt Ingwersen, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM. "It causes huge frustration and means that many, if not most, companion animals globally do not receive optimum care. It's a situation that requires urgent change. Working in partnership with our colleagues across the veterinary sector, we are focused on bringing this about. "While a number of issues impact the supply of veterinary medicines, duplication of the regulatory medicines approval process in various regions of the world is one of the biggest, and the focus of our joint position statement on regulatory convergence. The …
Managing gastric ulcersAugust 27, 2019In the late 1980s, a rash of publications stated horses were prone to gastric ulcers. It was a bit curious, actually. Prior to that time, gastric ulceration was essentially unknown. Then, almost suddenly, gastric ulcers were being blamed for a whole host of problems, such as colic, loss of appetite, poor performance, anxiety, poor hair coat… you name it. It was perhaps also curious that, before all the published reports, no one had really noticed some mystery syndrome wreaking havoc on horses. Nevertheless, there it was in print: horses get ulcers. After the initial studies, there was further published research showing an alarming number of adult horses—the majority of them, actually—had gastric ulcers, especially racehorses and various show horses. Of course, adult horses do get gastric ulcers, as do foals, although the presentation can be somewhat different. This article focuses on gastric ulcers in adult horses. Gastric ulcer causes There are many possible reasons why horses develop gastric ulcers. Most of them are related to how people manage their horses. Here are a few: Diet: Those that are high in grain tend to give horses ulcers. While horses were meant to eat forage, many performance horses are fed diets …
Altaire issues voluntary recall of veterinary ophthalmic drugsAugust 26, 2019Altaire Pharmaceuticals has issued a voluntary recall of some of its veterinary ophthalmic drug products and lots over quality assurance concerns. According to the company, the products are manufactured and labeled exclusively for Dechra Veterinary Products. The recalled products are: Vetropolycin Ophthalmic Ointment NDC Number: 17033-028-38 Package Size: 3.5 gm Lot #:/ Exp. Date: 17245/RHG (08/19), 17246/RHH (08/19), 17265/RHQ (09/19), 17305/RJE (10/19), 17329/RKD (11/19), 17330/RKE (11/19), 17331/RKF (11/19), 17245/RHG (08/19), 17246/RHH (08/19), 17265/RHQ (09/19), 17305/RJE (10/19), 17329/RKD (11/19), 17330/RKE (11/19), 17331/RKF (11/19), 17382/RLJ (12/19), 17383/RLK (12/19), 18010/SAF (01/20), 18011/SAG (01/20), 18233/SIG (09/20), 18234/SIH (09/20), 18270/SKA (11/20), 18271/SKB (11/20), 18312/SLH (12/20), 18313/SLI (12/20), 19019/TAI (01/21), 19020/TAJ (01/2), 19024/TAL (01/21), 19067/TCE (03/21), 19097/TDA (04/21). Vetropolycin HC Ophthalmic Ointment NDC Number: 17033-030-88 Package Size: 3.5 gm Lot #:/ Exp. Date: 17243/RHF (08/19), 17324/RJQ (10/19), 17326/RKA (11/19), 17327/RKB (11/19), 17328/RKC (11/19), 17389/RLN (12/19), 18013/SAH (01/20), 18028/SAQ (01/20), 18039/SBD (02/20), 19118/TDK (04/21). Puralube Vet Ophthalmic Ointment NDC Number: 17033-211-38 Package Size: 3.5 gm Lot #:/ Exp. Date: 17246/RHH (08/19), 17265/RHQ (09/19), 17305/RJE (10/19), 17329/RKD (11/19), 17330/RKE (11/19), 17331/RKF (11/19), 17382/RLJ (12/19), 17383/RLK (12/19), 18010/SAF (01/20), 18011/SAG (018/20), 18233/SIG (09/20), 18234/SIH (09/20), 18270/SKA (11/20), 18271/SKB (11/20), 18312/SLH (12/20), 18313/SLI (12/20), 19019/TAI (01/21), 19020/TAJ (01/21), 19024/TAL (01/21), …
