Year Before Move, NAVC Hosts Record CrowdFebruary 2, 2016The 33rd annual NAVC conference set an attendance record in January with a count of 17,328. The Orlando, Fla., event, organized by North American Veterinary Community, will head a few miles up Interstate 4 in 2017 to the Orange County Convention Center. The dates are Feb. 4 to 8. The move eliminates three venues used for years—the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, the Orlando World Center Marriott and the Caribe Royale hotel and convention center—and the need for an extensive shuttle bus system. The 2016 conference drew attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. Among them were 7,087 veterinarians, 1,613 veterinary technicians, 601 practice managers and 4,276 exhibitor personnel. During a ceremony held the last day of the conference, Melinda Merck, DVM, was installed as president of the NAVC board. The other 2016-17 officers are Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, immediate past president; Gail Gibson, VMD, president-elect; Leann Kuebelbeck, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, vice president; Laurel Kaddatz, DVM, treasurer; and directors Paige Allen, MS, RVT, Harold Davis, RVT, VTS, and Cheryl Good, DVM. The conference offered two exhibition halls, more than 1,200 continuing education hours and hands-on laboratories, “Meet the Professor” luncheons, master classes, …
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WesternU Holds Grand Opening for Pet Health CenterFebruary 2, 2016Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) reintroduced its Pet Health Center to the community in late January with a ribbon cutting ceremony that included tours of the facility. The focus of the center, according to the university, is to nurture the human-animal bond. CVM fully operates the Pet Health Center, which was previously a Banfield Pet Hospital as part of a 10-year affiliation agreement with Banfield. CVM has spent the past year retraining staff and will continue to make improvements and changes to the center in the coming years, said Phillip Nelson, DVM, PhD, dean of the college. “The vision for our Pet Health Center is to be the essential veterinary resource for the communities and students that we serve,” he said. “Our mission is to enhance and prolong the loving relationship between our clients and their pets for a lifetime. We are committed to making sure that we improve the health of the pets in this community, and in doing so we make a significant contribution to the public health of this community.” The Pet Health Center will be remodeled to create …
App Can Help Eradicate Rabies in IndiaFebruary 1, 2016Rabies could be eradicated from street dogs in India with the help of a new smartphone app, a new study published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases declares. Researchers are using the app to track free-roaming dogs that have been vaccinated against rabies. According to the study’s abstract: “Over 20,000 people die from rabies each year in India. At least 95 % of people contract rabies from an infected dog. Annual vaccination of over 70 % of the dog population has eliminated both canine and human rabies in many countries. Despite having the highest burden of rabies in the world, there have been very few studies, which have reported the successful, large-scale vaccination of dogs in India. Furthermore, many Indian canine rabies vaccination programs have not achieved high vaccine coverage.” Monitoring them in this way has enabled vets to vaccinate 70 percent of the dog population in the City of Ranchi, which is the threshold needed to minimize the risk that the disease is passed to people. Adopting the approach more widely could help to eliminate rabies from people and animals, the researchers say. Teams vaccinated more than 6,000 dogs in …
Veterinary Prices Inched Upward in 2015January 29, 2016Medical and wellness care prices spiked in the first half of 2015, reversing six years of flat to negative growth in the U.S. veterinary market, according to a new report from Nationwide pet health insurance. The analysis, released in January at the North American Veterinary Community conference, showed that even with the annualized 5.1 percent jump, prices rose by only 0.1 percent overall from 2009 to mid-2015. A previous report had found a 1 percent decline through 2013. The numbers contrast with those of the U.S. Consumer Price Index, which revealed a 15 percent rise in veterinary prices through 2013 and an annualized 2.7 percent increase in the first half of 2015. Nationwide, based in Brea, Calif., sees its data as a more accurate reflection of the market. Federal canvassers call a relatively small number of veterinary practices to collect price information, the company noted, while Nationwide based its data on more than 6 million insurance claims filed since 2009. The study looked only at services for dogs, the bulk of Nationwide’s business. The company collaborated with the Purdue University Krannert School of Management to produce the report. Why prices rose in early 2015 is difficult to ascertain. Company officials thought …
Hill’s Teams Up With Dog Monitor CompanyJanuary 29, 2016AGL, manufacturer of the new Vetrax wearable monitor, is partnering with food giant Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. in a joint effort to improve canine health and behavior. The collaboration “is expected to provide veterinarians and their clients with a new level of understanding about how therapeutic nutrition can help improve a dog’s health and behavior, specifically scratching and mobility,” the companies announced at the North American Veterinary Community conference in Orlando, Fla. The veterinary-exclusive Vetrax collar device is in the test phase at a select number of animal hospitals and is expected to roll out to practices nationwide later this year. “With Vetrax, veterinarians will now have a window into their patients’ behaviors and be able to monitor the effects of their recommendations in real time,” said Jesper Nordengaard, vice president of global marketing and innovation at Hill’s. Using sensors and algorithms, Vetrax is designed to classify and measure behaviors such as shaking, scratching and drinking. The information is transmitted wirelessly to a Vetrax database, which is programmed to alert the patient’s veterinarian about any unusual behavior or unexpected changes. Vetrax is marketed for use with dogs with dermatological conditions and issues such as arthritis or obesity. AGL, …
Merial Launches Rabies Information WebsiteJanuary 28, 2016Making sense of state and local rabies laws and spreading the word about rabies cases and vaccinations are at the center of a new website developed by Merial Ltd. The Duluth, Ga., veterinary drug maker partnered on the website with North Carolina State University Professor Emeritus Richard Ford, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. “The application, interpretation and enforcement of rabies vaccination laws can vary significantly from state to state and even county to county,” Dr. Ford said. “Complex and sometimes conflicting rabies laws can lead to considerable confusion, misinterpretation of state and local statutes, and inappropriate actions on the part of individual practitioners.” The website, www.RabiesAware.org, presents state-specific frequently asked questions, surveillance data, a list of U.S.-approved vaccines and contact information for state public health veterinarians. Information was available for about 20 states as of late January. Merial stated that Web pages for all 50 states and Puerto Rico should be available sometime this year. The North Carolina page showed several hundred confirmed rabies cases, most involving raccoons, in 2012 and 2013. The question section noted that “Dogs, cats and ferrets are required by law to be vaccinated against rabies” and that “Rabies vaccination exemption is not …
Idexx Releases 3-Minute Urinalysis DeviceJanuary 28, 2016Idexx Laboratories Inc. is promoting its new urine sediment analyzer as a timesaver for veterinary staff and as a preventive-care diagnostic tool for feline and canine patients. Unveiled in January at the North American Veterinary Community conference, the SediVue Dx eliminates the need for centrifugation, slide preparation and other steps when performing a urinalysis, the company stated. Instead, four to five drops of urine are dispensed into a slot and about three minutes later high-resolution images are displayed and urine particles are automatically identified, counted and labeled. The tabletop analyzer is designed to reveal blood cells, epithelial cells, bacteria, casts and crystals. The complete analysis may be printed, saved as an electronic record or shared with the cloud-based VetConnect Plus. The Westbrook, Maine, company also used NAVC to showcase: Idexx Neo, a new cloud-based practice information management system. It joins existing PIMS programs Cornerstone and DVMAX. New features with VetConnect Plus, a program that allows veterinarians to compare and cross-reference diagnostics results produced by Idexx’s in-house analyzers and laboratory service. Designed for viewing on a mobile app, the update includes scalable pathology images, digital radiography images, horizontal graphing and complete patient history in a table format, the company …
University of Guelph Researchers Get Funding for Canine Cancer StudyJanuary 28, 2016Researchers at the University of Guelph have received a $100,000 grant from Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE) to further their work to improve cancer therapy for dogs. Brenda Coomber, BSc, Ph.D., the principal investigator, will work with Rna Diagnostics of Toronto to study dogs with advanced lymphoma. This project builds on her research begun in 2013 with the company. “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that all dogs with lymphoma get the best treatments we have available,” said Dr. Coomber, a biomedical sciences professor in the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and co-director of U of G’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation. “Since lymphoma in dogs is very similar to lymphoma in humans, the results of this study may also improve our understanding and treatment of human cancer.” Certain molecules called biomarkers can help predict disease outcome or response to therapy in order to improve treatment. Rna Diagnostics has developed a novel biomarker test called an RNA disruption assay (RDA), intended to pinpoint cancer patients unlikely to respond to chemotherapy, according to the university. Coomber used RDA previously at OVC’s Mona Campbell Center for Animal Cancer to …
Royal Canin Releases Multiple-Condition Pet FoodJanuary 26, 2016Royal Canin this month released a line of dual-purpose pet foods called Multifunction. Made for dogs and cats, the veterinary-exclusive diets are formulated to manage urinary tract disease and obesity, lower urinary tract disease and food sensitivity, or chronic kidney disease and food sensitivity. A fourth recipe, for cats only, targets lower urinary tract disease and anxiety. “Precise nutrition aids in the management of many common conditions,” said Brent Mayabb, the St. Charles, Mo., company’s vice president of corporate affairs. Nearly half of all pets suffer from multiple health conditions, Royal Canin reported. The cat diet is named Urinary + Calm. The others are Urinary + Satiety, Urinary + Hydrolyzed Protein, and Renal Support + Hydrolyzed Protein. More information is available at www.royalcanin.com/multifunction.
KC Corridor Seeks Award, Investment NomineesJanuary 26, 2016The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor is looking for the next Magnomics and Ralph C. Richardson. The organization, which works to raise awareness of and stimulate the region’s animal health industry, issued calls for companies desiring a spot in the annual Investment Forum and for individuals worthy of the Iron Paw Award. The Portuguese company Magnomics was among 17 young businesses that went onstage last summer in Kansas City, Mo., to present their products or ideas to an audience of potential investors. Magnomics took home the Innovation Award in recognition of the company’s sales pitch. At the Homecoming Dinner the day before, Dr. Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, was honored with the Iron Paw Award for his contributions to the animal health industry. He is the former dean of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The 2016 dinner will take place Aug. 29. The Investment Forum is set for Aug. 30. A committee will select the presenters in the eighth annual Investment Forum. Besides Magnomics, chosen companies have included FitBark Inc., Jaguar Animal Health and Nexvet Biopharma. Applicants must require from $500,000 to $20 million in funding and have revenue projections of at least $20 million within five to …
