AVMA opens nominations for annual Excellence AwardsOctober 13, 2017The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has opened the nomination period for its annual Excellence Awards, which recognize contributions by veterinarians and nonveterinarians to the veterinary profession as well as animal health and welfare. The AVMA award categories The AVMA Award: Recognizes a member who has contributed to the advancement of veterinary medicine in its organizational aspects. Meritorious Service Award: Recognizes a member who has brought honor and distinction to the veterinary profession through personal, professional, or community service activities outside organized veterinary medicine and research. Advocacy Award: Recognizes a member or nonveterinarian for advancing the AVMA legislative agenda and advocating on behalf of the veterinary profession. Animal Welfare Award: This award recognizes a member for accomplishments in the field of animal welfare in leadership, public service, education, research or product development, or advocacy. Career Achievement Award in Canine Research: Honors a member's long-term contribution to the field of canine research. Clinical Research Award: Recognizes a member's achievements in patient-oriented research. Humane Award: Recognizes a nonveterinarian for accomplishments in the field of animal welfare in leadership, public service, education, research or product development, or advocacy. Lifetime Excellence in Research Award: Recognizes a veterinarian for lifetime …
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Petplan offers rewards for National Veterinary Technician WeekOctober 12, 2017Petplan pet insurance will kick off National Veterinary Technician Week on Oct. 16-22 with a series of prizes to reward hardworking veterinary staff. "We've been committed to supporting veterinary professionals since our founding, and we believe each member of the veterinary practice deserves their day in the sun," said Natasha Ashton, Petplan co-founder and co-CEO. This year's awards from Petplan Annual membership to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) for 25 entrants All-expenses-paid scholarship to Dr. Andy Roark's 2018 Uncharted Veterinary Conference for one entrant Full conference registration scholarship to the 2018 Veterinary Meeting & Expo, with an exclusive invitation to Petplan's 2018 Veterinary Excellence Awards gala Petplan is announcing the contest via email to practice staff in the U.S. and Canada. Prizes will be randomly awarded to entrants who visit Petplan's sign-up page and register for a chance to win. "From managing anesthesia to assisting with diagnoses, veterinary technicians are among the most important members of our pets' professional health care team," said Ashton. "Unfortunately, they're not always recognized as such. We're proud to show everyone how much we value their contributions during National Veterinary Technician Week—and every week. We can't wait …
WPA names Jacinthe Moreau as new association presidentOctober 12, 2017The World Pet Association (WPA), which produces one of the largest annual pet industry trade shows, SuperZoo, has named Jacinthe Moreau as its new president. Moreau replaces longtime president Doug Poindexter, who will retire at the end of this year. She formally joins WPA at the end of this month. Her career includes previous roles with Merial, Merck, VetSource, VCA Animal Hospitals, and Vetoquinol. "[Moreau's] business acumen will be a tremendous asset to WPA," said Poindexter. "Her thoughtful eye and keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing multiple groups within the pet industry will help key stakeholders work together to ensure the continued success of our industry. I am confident that I am leaving WPA and the pet business community in capable, strategic and considerate hands." "The WPA board took great strides to ensure we were selecting a leader who would continue to advance our mission of creating a thriving industry and a healthy and happy world for the pets it serves," said Michael Twain, chairman of the WPA board. "Jacinthe is a natural leader, an open collaborator, an effective communicator, and a passionate advocate for the health and happiness of companion animals; we know this …
Petco officially enters the veterinary hospital ring with ThriveOctober 10, 2017Petco has an answer to PetSmart's Banfield Pet Hospitals: Thrive Affordable Vet Care clinics. The company's first Thrive opened inside a brand-new Petco in Aldine, Texas, last week. Thrive offers $10 exams and "a full suite of in-store veterinary care and wellness services," according to the company. Twelve more Thrive veterinary hospitals will open within newly remodeled Petco stores in Texas, California, and Colorado through the end of 2017. "While pet health and wellness are increasingly important to pet parents, navigating veterinary services in particular can be confusing and overwhelming," said Brad Weston, Petco CEO. "Understanding what pets need at each stage of life, what constitutes routine care, urgent or specialty care, and when to seek veterinary expertise are common challenges pet parents face. "By expanding our in-store veterinary services, Petco's veterinary professionals can help pet parents through every step of their pets' health and wellness needs, all in one convenient location," he added. "Our Aldine location is the first of our new in-store hospital design, and we are excited about bringing more of these locations to the Houston market in the next few months." In addition to new in-store veterinary hospitals operated by …
UK veterinarians regularly threatened by clients over pet care costsOctober 9, 2017A new survey from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) found that nearly 85 percent of veterinarians in the UK have experienced some form of intimidation and have felt threatened by a client's language or behavior. The survey queried more than 1,600 members of the BVA. Clients are likely to pressure their pet's veterinarian to waive fees and become angry and aggressive over the cost of care, according to the report. This behavior includes swearing, shouting, threats to damage property, disparage the clinic on social media, and even threats of death, according to survey participants. Support staff, women, and younger veterinarians seem to bear the brunt of client anger, according to the survey. Other survey findings: Vets who work with companion animals or in a mixed practice are particularly likely to have experienced difficult clients, with 89% reporting some form of intimidating experience 6 in 10 vets said they or a team member experienced intimidating language or behavior at least every couple of months, while almost a third at least monthly 1 in 8 vets said they suffered intimidating language or behavior on a weekly basis Cost of treatment was one of the most …
Trupanion angles to create the 'Cone of Joy'October 5, 2017Memes about the "Cone of Shame" abound on the internet, despite the fact that these devices often are medically necessary for companion animal recovery. Trupanion aims to take the "shame" out of the cone with its Cone of Joy design contest. The Cone of Joy design competition is simple: Design a fun and fashionable pet-friendly cone and submit a high-quality photo and a brief description of the creation to trupanion.com/coneofjoy. Pet lovers in the U.S. and Canada will vote for their favorite Cone of Joy submissions. The 25 finalists who receive the most votes will each win a $100 cash donation to an animal welfare organization of their choice. How to enter the Trupanion competition Create an original design using a cone for a cat or dog Submit a photo of your design and a brief description on trupanion.com/coneofjoy Vote for your favorite design through Oct. 20 Share your submission and encourage friends, family, colleagues, and followers to vote to increase your chances of winning "This is a fun way to celebrate the wonderful work shelters do throughout the U.S. and Canada," said Chloe Gill, shelter channel manager at …
WSAVA unveils first global veterinary dentistry guidelinesOctober 4, 2017To support veterinarians around the world in improving recognition of dental disease and providing greater dental care to patients, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) launched global veterinary dentistry guidelines. WSAVA hopes the guidelines will help bridge what it perceives as a significant gap in veterinary education globally and to encourage a greater emphasis on dentistry in the veterinary curriculum, according to the organization. WSAVA's Global Dental Guidelines, launched during its World Congress in Copenhagen, include information and images of oral anatomy and common pathology, as well as best-practice recommendations for oral examinations and an easily implementable dental health scoring system. Evidence-based guidance on periodontal therapy, radiology, and dental extractions also is included, together with details of minimum equipment recommendations. A key theme is WSAVA's rejection of anesthesia-free dentistry, which it describes as ineffective and a cause of unnecessary stress and suffering to patients. "Dental, oral, and maxillofacial diseases are, by far, the most common medical conditions in small animal veterinary medicine," said Brook Niemiec, DVM, DAVDC, co-chair of the WSAVA Dental Guidelines Committee. "They cause significant pain, as well as localized and potentially systemic infection but— because pets rarely show outward …
VitusVet adds direct appointment booking to suite of servicesOctober 4, 2017VitusVet, a pay-for-performance digital solution for veterinary practices, added direct appointment booking to its suite of services available to practices in North America.
Zoetis launches Witness FFH test to detect three feline diseasesOctober 4, 2017Zoetis Inc. announced the launch of Witness FFH, a triple test that detects antigens to feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline heartworm, as well as antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Witness FFH is a simple, convenient, and cost-effective test that requires no refrigeration and is priced comparably to current FeLV-FIV tests on the market with the added benefit of heartworm testing, the company stated. "Zoetis is committed to delivering high-quality, point-of-care diagnostics to help easily and affordably diagnose conditions or diseases that affect the quality or duration of a pet's life," said Chris Demiris, marketing director, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "The new Witness FFH test is a rapid, reliable test that helps keep cats healthy." "A shared clinical sign of all three diseases is vomiting, so a triple test helps veterinarians make accurate diagnoses more quickly," said Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA, DACVIM, senior technical services manager, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "Sick cats may also have FeLV or FIV; therefore, testing for those concurrent with heartworm is sensible." Veterinarians should consider testing for heartworm infection in cats because clinical signs can be confused with those of many other diseases, including feline asthma, …
MWI Animal Health, Securos Surgical invest in Serene LLCOctober 3, 2017MWI Animal Health and Securos Surgical, both a part of AmerisourceBergen, announced they have invested in the emerging pipeline of Serene LLC and will negotiate a distribution partnership with its veterinary subsidiary, Convetra Inc. "This investment by MWI and Securos is an important validation of the potential of our tin-117m in the veterinary marketplace," said Dennis Steadman, board director of Serene LLC. The proprietary tin-117m therapies being developed by Serene and Convetra are targeted to treat a variety of medical conditions afflicting companion animals, horses, and humans, according to MWI Animal Health. Convetra is currently conducting trials in canine osteoarthritis (OA) using tin-117m in a therapeutic approach called radiosynoviorthesis, the company stated. In the U.S., an estimated 20 percent of dogs one year of age or older—or about 16 million—are afflicted with some degree of OA, according to the company.
