MAF Unite to Fight Animal Cancer campaign kicks off fifth yearApril 9, 2018Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has launched its fifth annual Unite to Fight Animal Cancer campaign, which raises funds for research that will lead to new information about how to prevent, diagnose earlier, and treat animal cancers. In dogs and cats, cancer accounts for nearly half of all disease-related deaths each year, with approximately 11 million new diagnoses made annually. Since 1948, MAF has funded more than 300 cancer studies—investing nearly $40 million. "Imagine a world where all cancers are treatable and more cures possible," said Tiffany Grunert, acting president/CEO of MAF. "This is a vicious disease that is seen in the pets we love and the wild animals we admire, and with the help of our supporters we can change that." MAF funding has led to numerous breakthroughs and advancements in cancer care, including: Improved cancer surgery imaging for complete surgical removal of tumors in cats and dogs, improving both treatment decisions and decreasing incidence of tumor recurrence Testing of a canine melanoma vaccine, now confirmed safe and effective in horses with melanoma, providing an effective treatment for a devastating cancer in horses Clinical trials for promising treatments for osteosarcoma, a devastating cancer in dogs, that give …
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LexaGene, Ethos Veterinary Health partner for pathogen detection testingApril 6, 2018LexaGene has partnered with Ethos Veterinary Health, which has hospitals across the U.S., to test canine urine samples on LexaGene's prototype LX6 diagnostic tool for more effective, rapid and on-site pathogen detection. The samples have been previously characterized using conventional technologies such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry at LexaGene's reference laboratory, the company said. The organization is currently developing the LX6 tool as an open access, fully automated platform that allows end users to load real-time PCR assays. It will process six samples at a time and return results in around an hour, according to the company. "Veterinarians at Ethos will send LexaGene clinical annotated samples for processing, which will allow our team to continue to fine-tune and perfect our pathogen detection prototype's testing capabilities," said Jack Regan, Ph.D., LexaGene CEO. "This process is vital as we improve sensitivity to different isolates. We expect this to be a long-lasting collaboration as we work together to bring the best product possible to the veterinary market." "We've recently performed a market assessment for LexaGene's technology by interviewing many emergency and critical care veterinarians, and—coupled with an internal financial assessment of the cost of conventional testing versus …
J.M. Smucker to purchase Rachael Ray's Nutrish dog food brandApril 6, 2018J.M. Smucker Co., owner of Kibbles 'n Bits, Meow Mix, and other pet brands, announced that it will buy the maker of Rachael Ray-branded dog food, Nutrish. Orrville, Ohio-based Smucker said it will pay about $1.9 billion for Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, Nutrish's parent company. The company's other pet-food brands include Better Than! and Dad's. Ray has a licensing agreement with Ainsworth, which will continue with Smucker after the deal is completed, which is expected to happen in the coming months. Nutrish promotes itself as using high-quality ingredients to satisfy a growing number of pet owners seeking greater nutrition for their companions.
Ceva, Fear Free offer veterinary practice certificationApril 6, 2018Ceva Animal Health and Fear Free have partnered to offer practice certification to qualifying veterinary hospitals. Since the Fear Free training and certification program launched in 2016, more than 20,000 professionals have enrolled. "Fear Free is excited to leverage Ceva's existing talent of highly-qualified, educated, and passionate veterinarians for practice certification," said Marty Becker, DVM, founder and CEO of Fear Free. "This collaboration will allow us to offer a larger number of certification visits, with a highly trained team, at affordable rates to hospitals." "Ceva is proud to be an inaugural sponsor of Fear Free and believes strongly in the program and its mission," said Craig Wallace, CEO and NAPAC Zone Director at Ceva. "Our veterinary services team and territory managers know firsthand how adoption of these protocols improves the experience of the pet, the pet owner, and even hospital staff leading to more frequent and more in-depth appointments. We look forward to helping veterinary hospitals become certified by embracing the Fear Free approach, which benefits all involved." The Fear Free way The certification program was based on the input of its 160-member advisory panel, comprised of board-certified veterinary behaviorists, veterinary practice management experts, and …
Mars Petcare launches tech-enabled pet health studyApril 5, 2018Mars Petcare has announced the launch of Pet Insight Project, a three-year study of more than 200,000 dogs across the U.S. to uncover important links between pet activity, behavior, and health. Through its pet tracker business, Whistle, and Banfield Pet Hospital, Mars Petcare is looking to discover insights to enable a new era of proactive, preventive care for pets. Using machine learning, rich data science, and deep veterinary expertise, the aim of the longitudinal study is to better understand when behavior may signal a change in a pet's health and make it possible for pet owners to better partner with their veterinarian on treatment, according to a company statement. The study will continuously capture behavior data from hundreds of thousands of participating pets and correlate that information with repeat wellness visits. Pet Insight Project is one of the largest tech-enabled studies of pet health, in which participating pet owners agreed to have their pets take part in this revolutionary study. One of the key focus areas relies on repeat wellness visits to Banfield hospitals, where veterinarians will update electronic health records with relevant health changes. These records will then …
Auburn Oncology Service launches melanoma drug clinical trialApril 5, 2018The Oncology Service at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine is using the help of man's best friend in launching a clinical trial to test a new melanoma treatment drug. "This study is designed to test a new drug that may be useful in treating melanoma, which most commonly occurs in the mouth in dogs," said Bruce Smith, VMD, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathobiology and director of the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer, or AURIC. "The drug, called MMX, is a peptide, which is a chain of amino acids, the basic building blocks of all proteins," Dr. Smith said. "This study seeks to measure the effect of this drug on these tumors. We are currently taking patients to participate in the clinical trial." Dog owners who are interested in enrolling their pets into this clinical trial must do so through the Oncology Service at the college's Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital. The treatment, as well as surgery to remove any tumor left at the end of the trial, will be provided at no cost to the owner. The trial initially is about a five-week …
AVMA names new communications division leadApril 5, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has named John Eckroth as the association's communications division lead. In this position, Eckroth will set and guide the strategy for all external and internal association communications, including public relations outreach and digital communications. He will oversee the organization's media relations, crisis communications, digital communications, social media, market research, corporate communications and internal communications functions. "John brings a strong background in digital strategy and communications, branding and identity, content strategy, digital asset management, and analytics, and we're excited to see him leverage these strengths to benefit our members and the profession," said Angela Roberts, chief marketing and communications officer at the AVMA. Eckroth joins the AVMA from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, where he served as director of digital experience and strategy. Prior to that, he was the director of digital communications and infrastructure at the University of Chicago. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor's degree in computer technology.
Compassion-First Pet Hospitals acquires Texas, South Carolina specialty clinicsApril 5, 2018Compassion-First Pet Hospitals announced the addition of Texas-based Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center (DVSC) and Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) of Charleston, S.C. to its growing family of hospitals. DVSC, founded by Dr. Robert Barstad in 1986, is a premier surgical center for veterinary surgical care, providing neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and soft tissue surgery throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area for over 30 years. DVSC has locations in Dallas, East Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, and Fort Worth. Founded in 2011 by Drs. Alan Green and David Sachs, Charleston Veterinary Referral Center is the only Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society Level 1 certified hospital in South Carolina and the Southeast. CVRC is also one of the few hospitals in the country offering electrochemotherapy for oncology patients. Founded in 2014, Compassion-First Pet Hospitals has 37 facilities across the country. In the past seven months, the organization has doubled its reach. "We are stewarding a new way of practicing veterinary medicine," said John Payne, president and CEO of Compassion-First Pet Hospitals. "We see a future where medical collaboration occurs seamlessly on a daily basis, with experts across the United States. We know that the key to excellent …
Merck Animal Health, AAAP award $50K in scholarshipsApril 5, 2018 Ten second- and third-year veterinary students studying poultry health and wellness have been awarded $5,000 scholarships from Merck Animal Health in partnership with the American Association of Avian Pathologists Foundation (AAAP Foundation). "These recipients are already standout students at their respective universities, and as they prepare to enter the field of poultry production, we want to help provide support for their ongoing education as we know student debt can be a challenge," said Rick Sibbel, DVM, executive director of technical services at Merck. "We are confident that, in the years to come, these talented students will be making a mark on our industry, helping all of us advance the science of healthier animals." The 2018 Merck/AAAP scholarship recipients: Denise Apperson, Oregon State University Jacob Carlson, Kansas State University Dallas Clontz, North Carolina State University Valerie Marcano, University of Georgia Kaytee McCullough, North Carolina State University Sarah Morrissey, Cornell University Kayla Niel, Michigan State University Lisa Tenny, Kansas State University Linnea Tracy, University of Pennsylvania Katie Venters, North Carolina State University "These veterinary students will provide the expertise to nourish the 2050 projected world population of 9.7 billion people with safe and sustainable poultry …
Morris Animal Foundation, Smithsonian team for wildlife veterinarian training programApril 4, 2018To help cultivate the finest wildlife veterinarians of tomorrow, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) and the Smithsonian Global Health Program (SGHP) have collaborated to establish the Morris Animal Foundation and Dennis and Connie Keller Director of Training at SGHP. The position is responsible for national and international training programs in wildlife veterinary medicine. Morris Animal Foundation will dedicate $700,000 over seven years to fund the position. "This is a truly exciting opportunity and one we are proud to see come to fruition," said Tiffany Grunert, acting president and CEO of MAF. "This wildlife health training program will leverage our funding and the Smithsonian's expertise to multiply our collective impact to save animal lives around the world." Lindsey Shields, DVM, DACVPM, has been named as the first MAF and Dennis and Connie Keller Director of Training. She is an epidemiologist and board-certified preventive medicine veterinarian with substantial experience in international public health and capacity building. In her new role, Dr. Shields will supervise four to eight trainees every year, including veterinary students and veterinarians, from countries around the world as well as in the U.S. Trainees will conduct research focused on a wildlife health issue based on the program's priorities and the trainee's …
