Bayer, NeuroCycle partner to advance pet allergy treatmentsSeptember 18, 2018Bayer Animal Health and NeuroCycle Therapeutics Inc. have signed a global license agreement to advance allergy treatment options for companion animals. As part of the license agreement, Bayer will develop and commercialize novel compounds based on NeuroCycle's intellectual property. "[This] agreement underlines our strategy to combine the know-how from creative startup companies like NeuroCycle with opportunities derived from Bayer's research," said Douglas Hutchens, DVM, PhD, Bayer Animal Health's head of drug discovery, external innovation and chief veterinary officer. "It is a major milestone on our way to complementing our portfolio with novel treatment options against allergic diseases for the companion animal sector." The companies' goal is to maximize the humanitarian impact of their innovative technologies, according to Jed Hubbs, PhD, MS, CEO of NeuroCycle Therapeutics.
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VCA Animal Hospitals partner with Get Your Pet to support pet adoptionSeptember 18, 2018VCA Animal Hospitals has partnered with pet adoption website getyourpet.com to help those across the U.S. who need to relinquish a pet connect directly with those looking to adopt. Get Your Pet lets guardians post a profile, photos, and a video for their pet on the site for free. Adopters can browse up-to-date pet profiles until they find a pet they want to meet, then safely message with the pet's guardian. If both sides agree, a legal adoption can take place. As part of the adoption process, a Get Your Pet veterinarian will examine the pet at no extra charge. Get Your Pet will save thousands of dogs and cats from entering animal shelters, where they are exposed to stress, illness and the possibility of being euthanized, " said Angela Marcus, Get Your Pet founder and animal welfare advocate. "We are thrilled to work with VCA to ensure each pet adopted through getyourpet.com is offered an immediate introduction to high-quality veterinary care for the life of the pet." VCA is now honoring Get Your Pet's Veterinary Voucher, providing a complimentary first exam for all adopted pets.
AAHA, Petplan launch association pet health insuranceSeptember 18, 2018The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), in partnership with Petplan, has launched the AAHA Pet Health Insurance Program, available to participating AAHA-accredited veterinary practices and their clients in the U.S. and Canada. With this offering, AAHA is "working to mitigate stress in the veterinary hospital by helping pet owners manage the cost of care for their pets, and by helping veterinarians practice their best medicine without budgetary constraints," said the association in a statement. "When it comes to providing the best care for patients, a pet owner's economic limitations can add stress to the equation," said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (Emeritus), AAHA CEO. "Pet health insurance is important because it offers pet owners and practice teams another way to manage the cost of veterinary care and help pets get the care they need. At the end of the day, this helps reduce strain in the veterinary practice while simultaneously increasing pets' access to care." Petplan provides a dedicated information hotline for all AAHA-accredited hospitals and clients so they can reach a Petplan service representative any time, day or night. "In launching this new collaboration, we're giving veterinary hospital teams the tools their clients need to understand the …
Study tackles nonprofit spay-neuter clinic controversySeptember 18, 2018Most pets seen in nonprofit spay-neuter clinics belong to low-income families and do not receive regular veterinary care, according to a study published Sept. 15 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. In the JAVMA article, "Characteristics of clients and animals served by high-volume, stationary, nonprofit spay-neuter clinics," researchers Sara C. White, DVM, MSc; Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP; and Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhD, revealed the results of a nationwide study designed to determine to what extent low-cost spay-neuter clients are diverting clients from private practice veterinarians. The study, which surveyed 3,768 owners of 2,154 dogs and 1,902 cats admitted to 22 nonprofit spay-neuter clinics across the United States in a nine-month period, showed nonprofit spay-neuter clinics predominantly serve low-income clients, animals lacking regular veterinary care, shelter animals, and community cats. "Nonprofit spay-neuter clinics offer their services to pets who would not be sterilized otherwise," said Dr. White, executive director of Spay ASAP Inc. "Without them, a vital component of reducing pet overpopulation, as well as of public health, would be lost." Income challenges, transportation issues, and no local veterinary services all can delay or prevent spaying and neutering pets, usually is combined with …
Cytopoint now approved to treat canine allergic dermatitisSeptember 17, 2018Zoetis announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted an expanded indication for Cytopoint, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy for the treatment of allergic dermatitis in dogs. Administered every four to eight weeks, one injection of Cytopoint works by targeting and neutralizing interleukin-31 (IL-31), a key protein involved in triggering itch in dogs, offering both convenience and sustained efficacy, according to Zoetis. "This approval gives veterinarians much-needed flexibility for personalized treatment of allergic and atopic dermatitis in dogs with two therapeutic approaches—the injectable Cytopoint and the oral tablet Apoquel," said Thomas P. Lewis II, DVM, DACVD, of Dermatology for Animals in Gilbert, Ariz. "Allergic dogs and their owners have a variety of needs, and these medications from Zoetis can bring fast and long-lasting relief to my canine allergy patients, as well as bring peace of mind to their owners." Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) is formulated to start relieving itch within four hours and provides veterinarians with the flexibility to start and stop itch control, according to Zoetis. Cytopoint begins to relieve itch within 24 hours and provides sustained itch relief for four to eight weeks, giving the skin time to heal, the company stated. They may …
Vertical Vet, Titan Group partner to boost controlled substance complianceSeptember 17, 2018Titan Group now offers Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controlled substances solutions to new and existing Vertical Vet members. The partnership provides exclusive access to Titan's suite of services, designed to reduce risk, remediate issues, and educate personnel on how to prepare for DEA audits and inspections as well as prevent and detect internal and external drug diversion activity, according to Titan. "Our goal is to provide the veterinary industry with proactive controlled substances compliance solutions that are easy to implement and sustain long term," said Jack Teitelman, Titan founder and CEO. "Every veterinary practice handling controlled substances is at risk for noncompliance. Inadequate security and failure to prevent drug diversion can cost a practice in lost inventory, damage to reputation, and potential physical harm to staff and patients. In the current world of widespread opioid abuse, both internal and external drug diversion threats are continuing to increase. Sadly, many unsuspecting practices remain in the dark until their drugs are stolen or missing." In addition, the partnership offers exclusive discounts on DEA risk inspections and audits to members. Access to educational resources, including webinars, industry-accredited CLE courses, and compliance training modules, also are available as part of the partnership. "We …
Survey highlights impact of opioid shortages in veterinary medicineSeptember 17, 2018A nationwide survey conducted by Wedgewood Pharmacy aims to show the unintended consequences for veterinary medicine caused by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) efforts to address the national opioid crisis. To address the misuse and diversion of opioids by people, the DEA has proposed an average 10 percent decrease in the 2019 manufacturing quotas for six frequently abused opioids, including five key Class II opioid drugs commonly used by veterinarians. When supplies of these drugs are limited, manufacturers and distributors give preference to allocating supplies for use in human health, creating shortages for veterinary medical practitioners, Wedgewood said in a statement. Key survey findings: In 2017, anywhere from 27 to 73 percent of veterinary professionals have had difficulty obtaining necessary supplies of five opioids (hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, and oxymorphone) they consider "important to your practice and to your patients' health" by 50 to 80 percent of respondents. Shortages of these opioids have led to the use of less effective, non-narcotic alternatives such as NSAIDS (83 percent), increased patient suffering (71 percent), use of a local anesthetic (49 percent), postponed procedures (26 percent), and patient deaths (3 percent) 88 percent of respondents "rarely" …
American Heartworm Society releases 2018 Canine Heartworm GuidelinesSeptember 17, 2018 The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released 2018 Canine Heartworm Guidelines, which focus on reducing heartworm transmission, clarifying testing recommendations, and avoiding shortcuts in treatment. The 2018 guidelines reflect the following updates to the AHS' recommendations: Prevention Given the highly preventable nature of heartworms, prevention practices are the cornerstone of any practice's heartworm management program, said Chris Rehm, DVM, president of the AHS. "Unfortunately, the latest AHS survey found that incidence has been trending up rather than down, with the number of infected dogs per clinic rising by 21 percent in the U.S. and its territories between 2013 and 2016." Environmental and climatic changes, as well as the relocation of microfilaremic dogs and the expansion of microfilaremic wild canid territories are considered to be contributing factors to both incidence numbers and the spread of heartworms to areas once considered nonendemic, according to the AHS. "For these reasons, we continue to stress the importance of year-round administration of macrocyclic lactone preventives, along with practical steps to reduce mosquito exposure, such as eliminating standing water on the property and keeping pets indoors during peak mosquito times," said Dr. Rehm. "Year-round prevention is the single most important step …
Veterinarian enrollment open for 2018 Diabetes PetCare AllianceSeptember 14, 2018Merck Animal Health, Purina, and Zoetis are joining forces for the fifth year in a row to support the Diabetes PetCare Alliance. The program provides free diabetes education and diagnostic tools to veterinarians and owners. Last year, sponsors lifted the enrollment cap on participating veterinary practices; as a result, the number of cases diagnosed through the program increased significantly, from approximately 300 pets in 2016 to 535 in 2017. Studies show that while believed to be underdiagnosed, diabetes mellitus affects an estimated one in 230 cats and one in 300 dogs. Since 2014, the alliance has helped veterinarians screen thousands of pets for diabetes and, in turn, jump-started management and monitoring of newly diagnosed patients. The program is timed to prepare veterinary practices for Pet Diabetes Month in November. Veterinarians who enroll in the Diabetes PetCare Alliance program gain access to tools and resources related to diabetes awareness and screening. In addition, clients whose pets are diagnosed during the program period receive a free disease management kit from participating clinics. The kits include the following: One AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Monitoring System from Zoetis One 6-lb. bag of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management …
Probiotic subject of two new clinical trials in domestic dogsSeptember 14, 2018ExeGi Pharma announced two new clinical partnerships with the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tennessee to study the company's Visbiome Vet probiotic in domestic dogs. Both studies will evaluate the probiotic's effectiveness in managing canine gastrointestinal disorders. Visbiome Vet is an eight-strain probiotic compound with a high concentration of beneficial bacteria (112.5 billion bacteria per dose); the product has been the subject of four controlled clinical trials thus far. The University of Georgia will research effects of the product on diarrhea levels in dogs postsurgery. The placebo-controlled study will evaluate the incidence and severity of diarrhea, as well as changes to the canine microbiome. The second study, conducted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, will evaluate reduction of severe diarrhea in canine acute gastroenteritis after consumption of Visbiome Vet. This placebo-controlled study will compare the safety and efficacy of Visbiome Vet to dietary changes with a specifically formulated medical diet, or antibiotics (metronidazole). "Gastrointestinal disorders are a common cause for pet owners to seek the medical care of a veterinarian," said Al Jergens, DVM, PhD. "Modulating the gut microbiome with high potency probiotics may prove to be a …
