Abaxis gains USDA approval of VetScan FLEX4 Rapid TestJanuary 23, 2018Abaxis Inc., a diagnostics company manufacturing point-of-care instruments and consumables for the medical and veterinary markets worldwide, announced that the USDA, Center for Veterinary Biologics, approved its new VetScan FLEX4 Rapid Test for veterinary use. The FLEX4 is a 4-in-1 lateral flow test used for detecting heartworm antigen as well as antibodies for Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma in canine whole blood, serum, or plasma samples. The VetScan FLEX4 Rapid Test offers improved shelf life, ease of use, room temperature storage, and price, as well as a 4-in-1 alternative for vector-borne disease testing on a single cassette, according to the company. Results are available within 8 to 10 minutes. The company plans to ship the FLEX4 to its distributors later this quarter; it should be available to U.S. veterinarians shortly thereafter. Abaxis said it will continue to sell the single test platform currently available for heartworm disease, Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.
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Dr. Freeman Hrabowski to address 2018 AAVMC conferenceJanuary 23, 2018The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has announced that during its annual conference, March 2-4 in Washington, D.C., Freeman Hrabowski, Ph.D., president of University of Maryland - Baltimore County, will address conference attendees on March 2 during the 1:30 p.m. session. Hrabowski, who served as UMBC's president since 1992, was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time (2012) and one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report (2008). A child-leader in the civil rights movement, Hrabowski was featured in Spike Lee's 1997 documentary, "Four Little Girls," on the racially motivated bombing in 1963 of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Hrabowski and UMBC have been featured on CBS' "60 Minutes" and other media. He holds honorary degrees from more than 20 institutions, including Harvard, Princeton, Duke, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, Haverford College, and Harvey Mudd College. Note: Discounted lodging incentives for the AAVMC annual conference expire on Jan. 29.
JustFoodForDogs issues recall due to possible Listeria contaminationJanuary 22, 2018JustFoodForDogs (JFFD) of Los Alamitos, Calif., is voluntarily recalling its Beef & Russet Potato, Fish & Sweet Potato, and Turducken dog food meals in all sizes. The green beans used in these meals may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the company. Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans if they were to intentionally or unintentionally ingest the dog food or come into contact with contaminated feces from a pet that has eaten the food. The recalled diets were distributed through 11 JustFoodForDogs retail locations in Southern California, three Pet Food Express locations in Southern California, and 10 Northern California Pet Food Express locations. JFFD is recalling all of the above-mentioned products made from the dates of Nov. 1 through Jan. 14. These represent Best By lot code dates on all three of the JFFD recalled products of 11/01/18 through 01/14/19. The products being recalled were sold refrigerated or frozen and include all sizes offered: 7 oz., 14 oz., 18 oz., and 72 oz. No confirmed Listeriosis has been reported, but there have been reports of short-term symptoms in some dogs (diarrhea and vomiting). There have been no reports of human illness to date. The potential for contamination was …
How veterinarians cope with patient deathJanuary 22, 2018Every veterinarian experiences occasional complications, sad outcomes, or patient deaths, but some have developed coping skills and strategies that help them manage the emotional impact and learn and grow from these events, according to a study authored by Sara White, DVM, MSc. The study will appear in the February 2018 issue of the journal Anthrozoös. The study questioned 32 shelter and spay-neuter veterinarians about their experiences, thoughts, and reactions as they coped with life-threatening complications or death related to spay-neuter. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns in the responses of veterinarians who were successful in coping with these adverse events. In the aftermath of a patient death or serious complication, veterinarians who were surveyed described feelings of guilt, sadness, anxiety, and self-doubt, and felt deep empathy for their clients. Some said they never recovered from the trauma of these events, while others were able to transform the incidents into learning experiences and opportunities for growth in their technical and emotional skills. The veterinarians who coped most effectively were those who were able to talk openly with colleagues about the events, and who were able to learn and improve protocols. Further, successful veterinarians had learned to place the loss into perspective, and had developed expertise in how to handle and support themselves through the event's …
VitusVet launches online store for veterinary practicesJanuary 19, 2018VitusVet, a pay-for-performance digital solution for veterinary practices, has launched an online store. The online store is intended to serve veterinary practices that already sell their own medications and preventives, enabling those practices to sell prescriptions online through the VitusVet mobile app to their clients. Since many practices keep their own inventory of prescription drugs for pets, this will allow for more efficient use of those products while also providing greater convenience for pet owners, according to VitusVet. "Providing an online store capability to our customers has been on our product roadmap since day one," said Mark Olcott, DVM, CEO/co-founder. "On the heels of our intelligent medication reminder technology announced earlier this year, and our direct appointment booking functionality announced last September, we are thrilled to add another piece of the foundational technology to practices who wish to go digital and, in the process, better serve their customers." "We take pride in listening to our veterinary practices, and we've heard loud and clear that they would like to be able to offer a convenient way for pet parents to access the inventory in their back office," said Kalpesh Raval, CTO/co-founder. "The VitusVet online store capability makes selling that inventory …
AVMA provides association management to VMAEJanuary 19, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association is now providing association management services to Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE). Janet Donlin, DVM, CAE, AVMA executive vice president and CEO, officially welcomed the VMAE under the new arrangement during the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference in January. "Executives of state and allied associations contribute a tremendous depth of perspective and understanding of the issues facing our profession," said AVMA president Michael Topper, DVM, Ph.D. "This liaison is one more way we can work together to protect, promote, and advocate for the interests of the entire veterinary profession." Announcing the arrangement, Dr. Donlin discussed the role of state and allied association executives in the growth of veterinary medicine and the AVMA. "The state and allied executive directors of veterinary associations saw the benefits belonging to a professional association," Donlin said. "ASVMAE, now VMAE, was formed, and the rest is history." Other VMAE news Ralph Johnson, VMAE CEO, has joined the AVMA as director of special projects. He will continue to oversee the association management services the AVMA now provides to VMAE, and will assist the AVMA with initiatives focused on delivering products and services …
OSU receives record-breaking $50 million commitmentJanuary 19, 2018Oregon State University (OSU) has received what it calls a "transformative" donation that will change its college of veterinary medicine's ability to provide life-saving care, education for future veterinarians, and critical animal and human health research. The record $50 million gift is a record-breaker for OSU, and the university will name its college of veterinary medicine in recognition of the donor: Gary Carlson, MD, a 1974 alumnus who is a partner at Dermatology Associates of Westlake Village, Calif. The Gary R. Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine becomes the first named college at Oregon State and the second named veterinary school in the nation. OSU said the donation means it can potentially double the size of OSU's small animal teaching hospital, attract and retain stellar veterinary faculty, and support the college's strategic priorities. "This is a game-changing investment in our college," said Susan J. Tornquist, Lois Bates Acheson Dean of the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine. "We are very honored and excited about Dr. Carlson's partnership. The hospital expansion is a pressing need for us now, but this is just the beginning of what Dr. Carlson's generosity will make possible as the college adapts and grows to meet …
Tufts veterinarians treat canine cancer with experimental drugJanuary 18, 2018When Edward Sloan's dog, Dozer, a 7-year-old bull mastiff went blind seemingly overnight, a devastating diagnosis revealed Dozer had cancer. Desperate to save his best friend, Sloan found a clinical trial at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where Abbey Sadowski, DVM, found that Dozer had "lost a lot of weight [and] had several weeks of history before he even saw us." Dr. Sadowski and Cheryl London, DVM, Ph.D., are testing an experimental drug—called KPT-9274—combined with just one round of chemotherapy to treat lymphoma. "We had this remarkable response … when you combine these two things together you can get a dramatic reduction in disease," Dr. London said. Early results of the small study have been promising, especially for Sloan and Dozer. "A single heroic dose … the next day he was able to see," Sloan said. Dozer is three months in remission, and his medical reversal of fortune could eventually lead to a breakthrough in human medicine. London said the outcome of a canine trial is a valuable piece of the research puzzle. "The benefits to the human side are that you get a drug into humans that's actually much …
Study finds raw diets for pets place animals, owners at riskJanuary 18, 2018A new study by Utrecht University scientists, published in British veterinary journal Vet Record, found that raw meat-based diets (RMBD) for pets places owners at risk of serious disease. The study, which analyzed 35 RMBDs from eight brands, revealed that E. coli 0157 was isolated from eight products (23 percent), Salmonella species in seven products (20 percent), and Listeria species were present in 15 products (43 percent). Four products (11 percent) found the parasite Sarcocystis cruzi; another four contained Sarcocystis tenella. Two products (6 percent) revealed Toxoplasma gondii. Researchers also found evidence the raw meat harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "Despite the relatively low sample size of frozen products in our study, it is clear that commercial RMBDs may be contaminated with a variety of zoonotic bacterial and parasitic pathogens that may be a possible source of bacterial infections in pet animals and if transmitted pose a risk for human beings," they added. Pets fed RMBDs can pass pathogens to humans through direct contact, such as licking or brushing up against them, according to scientists. Researchers wrote that pathogens also can be transferred through direct contact with the food, through contact with household surfaces, or by ingesting cross-contaminated human food. RMBDs …
AVMA LIFE, PLIT unify efforts under umbrella trustJanuary 18, 2018Two cornerstones of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), AVMA LIFE and AVMA PLIT, announced they are unifying efforts under an umbrella trust. "This is an important step as we continue to focus on providing ongoing value to our members," said Michael Topper, DVM. "As AVMA President, my overarching desire has been to build on past progress for a stronger future for all veterinarians and those they serve. I have no doubt that members of AVMA, AVMA LIFE, and AVMA PLIT will experience enhanced services as a result of this new structure." The collaborative formation of the umbrella trust will continue to evolve toward full unification. Seven trustees will be appointed to the new umbrella trust; these same seven will serve as the trustees on the AVMA LIFE and AVMA PLIT boards. Of these seven, two will be current trustees from AVMA LIFE, two will be current trustees of AVMA PLIT, and three will be new appointees. "This approach ensures synergy and sound strategic direction while maintaining excellent service delivery to members," said Janet Donlin, DVM, CAE, AVMA executive vice president and CEO. "Our focus has been and will always be on providing excellent service and value …
