FDA, Health Canada issue pet product alert for King Bio due to microbial contaminationAugust 29, 2018The Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada are warning pet owners not to use products, including those labeled as homeopathic drug products, made by King Bio Inc. in Asheville, N.C., and labeled as Dr. King's, due to high levels of microbial contamination identified at the manufacturing site. King Bio has expanded a voluntary recall to include all water-based drug products marketed for animals. The FDA and Health Canada recommend consumers stop using and dispose of these products immediately. King Bio manufactures pet products for urinary incontinence and digestion relief. The full list of products is listed on the King Bio website. Pets who use these products could have an increased risk of serious infection that could require veterinary attention due to high levels of microbial contamination, according to the FDA. Pet owners who have purchased these products should contact their veterinarian if they have concerns or observe signs of an infection after use of these products. According to King Bio, after a recent FDA inspection, several microbial contaminants were found in its products, including Burkholderia multivorans, which is a strain of bacteria called Burkholderia cepacia complex that can cause illness …
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Midmark Corp. unveils new corporate brand identityAugust 29, 2018Midmark Corp., a provider of veterinary, medical, and dental equipment, launched a new corporate brand identity that "captures the company's commitment to a better care experience and the growing value Midmark offers customers as they focus on improving clinical outcomes," said the company in a statement. The rebranding, which features a new website, logo, tagline (Designing better care), and more, "mirror[s] the transformation of Midmark from an equipment manufacturer into a clinical environmental design company," the company stated. "Care providers are always looking for new approaches, innovative technologies and proven solutions that can help enhance the patient and caregiver experience and improve the quality of care provided," said John Baumann, president and CEO. "Improving the experience between the patient and caregiver is at the heart of everything we do. Whether we are talking about a doctor's office, dental practice, or veterinary clinic, better care starts with a better-designed care environment, which leads to better outcomes." The Dayton, Ohio-based company, founded in 1915, has production and administrative offices in Versailles, Ohio; six other locations in the U.S.; and subsidiaries in India, Italy, and the U.K.
OSU enrolling dogs with mammary cancer for clinical trialAugust 29, 2018Oregon State University's Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital is now enrolling dogs with mammary cancer in a new clinical trial. Dog owners considering standard tumor removal surgery may be able to choose a new surgical procedure involving an intravenous injection of a cancer cell-illuminating nanoparticle compound that highlights exactly which tissue needs to be removed. After the mammary tumor is removed, the surrounding tissue is irradiated with an infrared laser that causes the nanoparticle compound to heat up, killing any remaining cancer cells. The compound, developed by researchers in the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, has been found to effectively cure cancer in mice. The new procedure eventually may be most beneficial for treating tumors in challenging anatomic areas, such as the brain and spine, according to Milan Milovancev, DVM, DACVS-SA, an OSU associate professor of small animal surgery participating in the study. The Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine is a member of a national consortium of veterinary oncology centers, managed by the National Institutes of Health, with a focus on translational veterinary medicine. Owners who believe their pets may be good trial candidates can ask their veterinarian …
Eli Global acquires veterinary derm company Stratford PharmaceuticalsAugust 28, 2018Eli Global LLC, based in Durham, N.C., has acquired Stratford Pharmaceuticals LLC, DBA Stratford Animal Health. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Stratford, which currently provides a wide arrangement of dermatology products to more than 10,000 veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and eight other countries, will continue to operate independently under the leadership of Brian Nugent, founder and CEO, from its Oldsmar, Fla., corporate headquarters. Greg Lindberg is chairman and CEO of Eli. "Partnering with Eli Global was a natural fit as it allows Stratford to keep our corporate identity, provide stability and continuity for our amazing employees while continuing to provide excellent products and services to our large base of veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and abroad," said Nugent. "In addition, Eli Global's resources include more than 100 businesses with 7,500-plus employees and over $20 Billion in proforma assets, which will allow Stratford to continue its double-digit organic growth while at the same time being extremely aggressive in the pursuit of animal health acquisitions."
24 VCA Animal Hospitals donate $12K to NEADS nonprofitAugust 28, 2018VCA Animal Hospitals and its nonprofit partner organization VCA Charities have donated more than $12,000 to NEADS Inc. (formerly known as the National Education for Assistance Dog Services and Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans), the internationally accredited nonprofit organization that raises and trains service dogs for people with disabilities. From the beginning of April to June 2, 24 animal hospitals in Massachusetts and New Hampshire collected donations by encouraging clients to round up their transactions to the nearest dollar or to donate online. "We want to thank all of those clients, donors, and staff for helping to make this years' 'Pennies for Pets' a success," said Lauren McVey, regional operations director for VCA Animal Hospitals. "These funds are helping our valued animal-welfare partner groups improve lives in our community." NEADS service dogs offers service dogs for adults and children with a physical disability, service dogs for veterans, and hearing dogs and service dogs for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. The organization's assistance dogs are partnered with professionals in classroom, hospital, ministry, and courthouse settings. Learn more at neads.org. Reported by Sentinel & Enterprise.
Kansas State University experts confront African swine fever in AsiaAugust 28, 2018Jürgen Richt, DVM, PhD, Regents Distinguished Professor, KBA Eminent Scholar, and director of Kansas State University's Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), is providing guidance to officials in East Asia on the emerging problem of African swine fever. African swine fever is a highly contagious disease of domestic pigs and wild boar that causes high fever, respiratory problems, weakness, and stillbirths. Mortality rates among affected animals approach 100 percent. Dr. Richt was in Asia delivering a series of presentations when an outbreak of African swine fever was reported in China on Aug. 1, with a second outbreak reported on Aug. 16, and a third on Aug. 19. "Efforts to handle a potential outbreak have not succeeded, so we have to be concerned about the disease spreading across national boundaries," Richt said. "The first outbreak occurred only a little more than 120 miles north of North Korea." The disease presents trade problems for China and other Asian countries, Richt said. China produces nearly half the world's pork. Following his conversations with veterinary medicine faculty and students at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, and with members of South Korean media …
Meet KC Animal Health Corridor Investment Forum 2018's 12 competitorsAugust 27, 2018Twelve emerging animal health companies from three countries vied last week for investment opportunities in a "Shark Tank" format with more than 200 animal health companies and 40 financial funds at the 10th annual KC Animal Health Investment Forum. "The Global Animal Health Investment Forum is the premier stage for emerging companies to showcase innovations and technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the animal health industry," said Kimberly Young, president of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor. Each company is given 10 minutes to present their ideas in front of seven judges, including executives from Nestlé Purina PetCare, Bayer Animal Health, Ceva U.S. Holdings, and Petsmart, followed by a five-minute Q&A session. Presenting companies are seeking anywhere from $500,000 to $20 million in funding and have revenue projections of $20 million within five to seven years. "The Investment Forum is really unique," said Roy Stein, founder and CEO of BabelBark. "It gave us exposure to a mix of people with different backgrounds that were open minded and ready to listen to the newest technology. During Global Animal Health Week we connected with significant investors, potential partners and clients that provided us with enough traction to secure funding and …
Veterinary ethics group supports Veterinary Nurse InitiativeAugust 27, 2018The Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics (SVME), which promotes discussion and debate of ethical issues relevant to veterinary practice, has announced its support of the Veterinary Nurse Initiative to create a registered veterinary nurse credential. This initiative seeks to bring continuity to the title through a multiyear, state to state strategy to work within legislation overseeing credentialing for veterinary technicians. "The SVME fully recognizes the professionalism and essential knowledge and skill brought to the team by veterinary technicians as vital members of the healthcare team and has expanded its own executive board membership to ensure the inclusion of veterinary technicians, who face many different as well as many of the same ethical concerns as their veterinarian team members," the association said in a statement. Veterinary technicians currently are identified under various titles, including certified veterinary technician, registered veterinary technician, and licensed veterinary technicians, which leads to confusion and decreased public understanding of the education and skill required of the position, the group added. "The SVME is in support of title unification and consistent educational standards nationwide to reduce confusion from inconsistent nomenclature and to increase the awareness of the role of veterinary technicians, the profession of …
Banfield Pet Hospital welcomes CFO, manager of mental health servicesAugust 27, 2018Ludek Janousek and Lisa Stewart-Brown have joined Banfield Pet Hospital as CFO and program manager mental health services, respectively. Janousek, charged with shaping key business decisions, strengthening the company's long-term financial health, and driving hospital vision and purpose within the broader organization, holds a master's degree in International Business from University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic. In her newly created role, Stewart-Brown will develop and implement mental health strategies and initiatives that support the emotional and mental health of Banfield associates, reinforcing Banfield's holistic approach to health and well-being. Stewart-Brown, a licensed clinical social worker, holds a master's degree in social work from California State University, Sacramento, and an MBA with health care emphasis from California Miramar University.
AVMA MyVeterinaryLife website supports early-career vets, studentsAugust 27, 2018MyVeterinaryLife.com, a new American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) website for early-career veterinarians and vet students, answers commonly asked questions about the industry and offers career tips, financial guidance, and ways to deal with work-related stress. MyVeterinaryLife.com is dedicated to offering a chance for trainees in the field to receive the critical resources veterinary students and young professionals need to support themselves and their well-being as the next generation of veterinarians, according to the AVMA. Organized based on career stage, the site includes sections for readers in veterinary school, in transition from school to the workforce, or already working as a veterinarian. The platform also provides access to a salary calculator, a student externship locator, and the ProQOL well-being assessment. Other tools on the site include financial tips for fourth-year veterinary students, a series of webinars exploring different veterinary careers, lessons on financial literacy, and more.
