Zoetis's K-9 Courage Program honors retired veteran dogsMarch 13, 2019Today is National K9 Veterans Day, and Zoetis's K-9 Courage Program has partnered up with Mission K9 Rescue to celebrate four-legged veterans. K-9 Courage supports approximately 650 dogs every year by providing the owner of each dog with a $300 debit card, which can be put toward veterinary expenses. The "Paws and Give Thanks" campaign focuses on retired military and police dogs that have had an impact on the safety of the public and continue to live happily with the help of the program. "K9 Veterans Day is the perfect time to honor retired working dogs for their brave service, which too often gets overlooked or taken for granted," says Zoetis Petcare marketing executive director, J. Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP. "Partnering with Mission K9 Rescue provides Zoetis Petcare with the opportunity to give back to even more retired military and police dogs, which have dedicated their lives to provide us with protection, happiness, and freedom, both at home and abroad." Mission K9 Rescue is a nonprofit organization that works to rescue, reunite, re-home, and rehabilitate retired working dogs. Since 2014, the organization has saved and transported hundreds of retired war dogs from overseas. Mission K9 Rescue has also donated …
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Reality of Veterinary Surgery ErgonomicsOne of the greatest challenges of Work-Related Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (WRMSD) is that they can come on slowly. They can be easy to ignore initially. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued ergonomic guidelines to help veterinarians catch problems early. + Learn More
Synchrony acquires Pets Best to expand CareCredit platformMarch 12, 2019Pets Best will now operate under Synchrony's CareCredit to offer pet parents more options to pay for veterinary care. "With Pets Best, we now have unique insight into the fast-growing pet health insurance market and can offer pet owners more choices for their pet's care," says CareCredit CEO, Beto Casellas. "This acquisition will further strengthen our strong veterinary relationships by giving veterinarians the ability to offer comprehensive financial options and a seamless customer experience." Pets Best has more than 125,000 pet health insurance policies, more than one million claims processed, and payouts of $200 million in claims. "CareCredit has unmatched expertise with consumer financing in the veterinary industry, and their digital-first, customer-focused culture perfectly complements our priorities," says Pets Best president, Chris Middleton. "Joining forces with CareCredit, we can quickly scale our offerings and provide a full suite of financing options to our customers, benefiting veterinarians, pet parents, and ultimately pets for the long term." As a result of the acquisition, CareCredit will offer consumers comprehensive care for their pets by merging financing and insurance options.
2019 World Veterinary Day highlights the value of vaccinesMarch 12, 2019Vaccines are critical to animal health, which is why this year World Veterinary Day (WVD) is focusing on the value of vaccination. Created by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) in 2000, WVD reminds pet owners of the importance of animal care, and how veterinarians and their teams can help. According to the WVA, vaccines are an essential tool for preventive veterinary medicine, promotion of animal health and welfare, and reducing the risk of human exposure to many zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination programs can reduce the need for antimicrobials, and in turn, decreases the risk of emergent antimicrobial resistance. According to WVA and HealthforAnimals, it is vital for the global veterinary profession to educate the public, particularly animal owners and producers, about the benefits of vaccination for animal, human, and public health. This year, WVD takes place on April 27.
Elanco Animal Health becomes stand-alone companyMarch 11, 2019Elanco Animal Health says it is now a fully independent company after completing its split from Eli Lilly. In 2017, Lilly announced the exploration of potential strategic alternatives for Elanco. "This is a historic day for everyone at Elanco," says company president and chief executive officer, Jeff Simmons. "It reflects our team's hard work over the past two years, and the confidence we have the right strategy and are successfully progressing the execution against it." The share exchange was finalized a little less than six months after 19.8 percent of Elanco's shares were sold to the public. Since then, Elanco reported two quarters of financial and operating results as a standalone company. "With this milestone behind us, we look forward to a singular focus delivering innovative solutions and services for our customers—the farmers, veterinarians, and pet owners that are central to our success," Simmons says. "We welcome our new Elanco shareholders who join us and offer our appreciation to our customers, and Lilly for the decades of support."
U.S. congressmen introduce bill to end deadly experiments on kittensMarch 11, 2019A new bill has been introduced to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop performing harmful experiments on felines. U.S. congressmen Brian Mast and Jimmy Panetta have introduced the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2019. "The fact we need a piece of legislation to tell the federal government to stop killing kittens is ridiculous on its face, but what's even worse is when you hear the government is actually breeding hundreds of these cats just to intentionally feed them parasite-ridden raw meat and then kill them even though they're perfectly healthy," Mast says. "These tests are awful, abusive, and unnecessary, not to mention a serious misuse of millions of taxpayer dollars. This needs to stop now." "This common sense, bipartisan bill will require the USDA to adhere to the same animal welfare standards the department is charged to uphold," Panetta says. "While I strongly support scientific research, taxpayer money and federal resources should be spent on advancing scientific research in an ethical manner, not on inflicting pain on innocent kittens in outdated experiments. I hope this bill helps us get closer to ending this cruel practice.
Veterinary pain management market expected to be worth $1.73 billion by 2026March 8, 2019A marketing and consulting firm says the global veterinary pain management market is projected to reach $1.73 billion by 2026. According to a report by Grand View Research, the growth will be partially fed by an increase in the number of veterinary practitioners. In addition, a high rate of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and osteoarthritis, will help boost the market over the next seven years. Further, North America is expected to be a major player in the growth. In 2018, it held the majority of the veterinary pain management market, as a result of favorable pet insurance policies and strategic initiatives implemented by numerous companies. Other highlights from Grand View Research's report include: • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) accounted for the largest market share regarding revenue in 2018 due to the increase of chronic diseases; • the number of people who own a companion animal is anticipated to grow over the forecast period due to the rise in pet adoption and expenditure for better pet care; • Osteoarthritis (OA) is expected to hold the largest market share as a result of the increasing rate of obesity; • postoperative pain is expected to exhibit …
Kansas State University to study impact of supplement in geriatric dogsMarch 8, 2019Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine is set to study the impact of a lean muscle supplement in geriatric dogs. Forty dogs suffering from three of the four following conditions will be enrolled in the study: • weakness; • weight loss; • slowed or altered mobility; and • exercise intolerance. The study—which will test MYOS RENS Technology's Fortetropin—will be performed under the supervision of Kenneth R. Harkin, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), professor and section head of small animal internal medicine. All the dogs will be fitted with an activity collar. After monitoring their activity for two weeks, 20 dogs will be assigned to receive the supplement and 20 will receive a placebo. Activity levels will continue to be monitored and the quality of life assessment, based on the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs questionnaire, will be used to evaluate results. "Pet owners often remark their dog is slowing down as they enter their golden years," Dr. Harkin says. "Although osteoarthritis is often tipped as the culprit, the loss of muscle mass associated with old age is an underappreciated cause. Geriatric dogs with muscle mass loss fatigue easily, which by itself can negatively impact their quality of …
Four Kansas State University veterinary students receive $1,000 AVMA scholarshipsMarch 7, 2019Four Kansas State University veterinary students have each been awarded $1,000 by the Auxiliary to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Legacy Endowed Scholarship. The awards are given to students at 32 AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges in the U.S., the Atlantic Veterinary College in Canada, and St. George's University and Ross University in the Caribbean to support their education. This year, the scholarships went to third-year veterinary medicine students, Danielle Pickering and Katelyn Guill-Sanchez, and second-year veterinary medicine students, Rebecca Tomasek and Katya Luckenbach. "This scholarship will help me relieve some of the financial burden of veterinary school, as I pursue a career in small animal or mixed medicine, and eventually a doctorate," Pickering says. "As a veterinary student who is interested in public health and international veterinary medicine, I am always looking for educational opportunities to travel to other countries to experience what the field of veterinary medicine is like in them," Luckenbach says. "Being an out-of-state student, it is hard to justify borrowing extra money for electives involving international travel, so having the privilege of being awarded this scholarship will help to fund my upcoming international veterinary tours elective." "I am so excited to receive this award for the …
Banfield Foundation commits $1 million to keep pets and domestic abuse victims togetherMarch 7, 2019The Banfield Foundation says it is investing $1 million in its Safer Together initiative to help victims of domestic violence and their pets find pet-friendly shelters. According to a recent study, up to 89 percent of pet-owning domestic violence victims report their abuser has threatened, injured, or killed the family pet. Further, about six to 10 percent of domestic violence shelters allow animals onsite. The Safe Together grant would allow qualifying nonprofit organizations to apply for funding as they increase their capacity to help people and pets escape domestic violence. "Through our work and the work of other outstanding organizations, we hope to create a world where victims never have to choose between their own safety and the safety of their loved ones, including their pets," says Banfield Foundation executive director, Kim Van Syoc. "Victims often remain in a dangerous environment because they do not have access to a pet-friendly shelter or program, and we believe saving the life of a pet can save the life of a human. Pets play an essential role in families, particularly during crises like domestic violence. Keeping pets safe and healthy helps ensure they remain a vital part of their …
AAHA releases 2019 Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and CatsMarch 7, 2019The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has updated its dental care guidelines with the goal of decreasing oral pain and improving the quality of life for dogs and cats. While not always apparent to pet owners, by the age of three, dogs and cats have some level of periodontal disease. Updated from the 2013 edition, the 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are designed to help veterinary professionals expand their current client education efforts, so pet owners understand periodontal disease can be avoided through regular dental checkups and proper home care. The new guidelines also help veterinary practitioners address the fear of anesthesia among pet owners, as it is the most common reason for declining dental procedures. "Regular dental care is one of the most powerful ways we can improve the quality of life of our patients," said AAHA chief executive officer, Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (emeritus). "AAHA continues to support the use of general anesthesia in dental procedures to promote appropriate diagnostic capabilities and decrease patient stress, injury, and risk of aspiration. Because home care is crucial in the support of a healthy, pain-free mouth, client communication and education remain central to these guidelines." Detailed …
