Aratana Suffers Setback on Canine Lymphoma ProductsSeptember 25, 2015Aratana Therapeutics Inc. has sharply reduced its hopes for two canine lymphoma therapies but predicted a bright future for four other emerging products. The news, presented today during a conference call with market analysts, sent the veterinary biopharmaceutical company’s stock tumbling by 39 percent at the end of trading. Aratana intends to stay in the lymphoma arena through the development of second-generation monoclonal antibodies, said President and CEO Steven St. Peter, M.D. “Given the mixed clinical and scientific results, Aratana does not believe AT-004 or AT-005 in their current first-generation format will capture the desired canine lymphoma opportunity,” he said. AT-004 and AT-005 are designed to treat B-cell and T-cell lymphoma, respectively. But disappointing outcomes in combination with chemotherapy, as well as only $387,000 in second-quarter sales of conditionally licensed AT-005 and nothing from fully licensed AT-004, persuaded Aratana to shrink expectations. St. Peter said the decision to pursue other lymphoma therapies was based on market opportunities, an increasing number of veterinary oncologists—as many as 400 today—and rising demand for pet health insurance. “We know from looking at the market that insurance tends to drive treatment options, and insurance is growing,” St. Peter said. “So we think it’s a growth …
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Iowa State Reappoints Dean of Vet CollegeSeptember 25, 2015Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has appointed Lisa Nolan, DVM, Ph.D., as dean to a new five-year term. During her first term, Dr. Nolan was successful in increasing the college’s budget, enhancing diversity and successfully completing several hospital and laboratory construction projects, according to the university. “Iowa State’s internationally acclaimed programs in agriculture, biosciences and veterinary medicine are making transformative contributions to our state, nation and the world,” said President Steven Leath. “Lisa Nolan has done an outstanding job leading the college over the last five years and I look forward to continued growth.” Nolan became dean in 2011 after serving as the college’s associate dean of research and graduate studies. “It has been incredibly gratifying to witness the growth of the college, from educating students, identifying pathogens for Iowa livestock producers, and taking care of animals around the world,” Nolan said. “I look forward to our students, faculty and staff having an even greater impact in the future.”
Dishonesty Costs Vets Their Ability to PracticeSeptember 24, 2015The lying, not the bungled operations, was what got two veterinarians in trouble with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The regulatory body overseeing the United Kingdom’s veterinary profession this week suspended a practice owner for four months and his assistant for two months after an investigation into the death of a 2-year-old Labradoodle named Benson. The case began in August 2013 when Benson was taken to Swinfen Veterinary Centre in central England for neutering. The surgery was assigned to veterinarian Georgi Cheshmedzhiev. Benson was placed in a cage after the operation but was returned to surgery when a nursing assistant reported seeing blood on his bedding and a swollen scrotum. Practice owner Mpho Donald Lesolle took over from Dr. Cheshmedzhiev, performed a scrotal ablation and applied what he told investigators were additional ligatures. Benson went home the same day and died two days later. A necropsy revealed that Benson likely died of internal bleeding and that no evidence of ligatures could be found. The dog’s owners filed a complaint with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and the cover-up took off when Dr. Lesolle told investigators that he performed both operations. He also encouraged the nurse to …
Charity Veterinarian Named BVA PresidentSeptember 24, 2015A veterinarian working for the charitable organization People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) today was elected president of the British Veterinary Association. Sean Wensley, BVSc, MSc, MRCVS, is the senior veterinary surgeon for communication and education at PDSA Pet Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science graduate replaced John Blackwell, BVSc, MRCVS, as president for the 2015-16 term. Dr. Wensley, 35, is an honorary lecturer in animal welfare at the University of Nottingham and serves on the Companion Animal Welfare Council. The election took place at BVA Members’ Day in Edinburgh, Scotland. Named junior vice president was small animal veterinarian Gudrun Ravetz, BVSc, MRCVS. Several veterinarians or students were honored during the BVA meeting, including: Andrew Biggs, BVSc, MRCVS (Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal). Bryony Jones, BVSc, MSc (Trevor Blackburn Award). Julia Boness, MA, Vet MB, MSc, MRCVS, CCRP (John Bleby Cup). Veterinary students Eluned Hyde and Rob Hall (Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Scholarship).
Pets Best Reveals Most Frequent Health IssuesSeptember 24, 2015Ten years in, Pets Best Insurance Services knows what troubles cats and dogs most. Feline patients are commonly stricken by kidney and thyroid problems, while canines can’t seem to shake skin and ear issues. The Boise, Idaho, pet health insurer, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, looked at more than 630,000 claims submitted since 2005. The data from 90,000 pets revealed an abundance of atopy/allergy claims from dog owners and renal failure claims from cat owners. The largest allergy-related payout to a dog owner was $4,936. A single feline kidney case cost the company $5,909. Here are the top 10 most common problems for each species by percentage. DOGS 1. Atopy/allergies 30% 2. Otitis 17% 3. Osteoarthritis 10% 4. Undiagnosed mass 8% 5. Cruciate ligament injury 7% 6. Hypothyroidism 7% 7. Pyoderma 6% 8. Undiagnosed gastrointestinal condition 5% 9. Undiagnosed lameness 5% 10. Urinary tract infection 5% CATS 1. Renal failure 25% 2. Hyperthyroidism 20% 3. Diabetes mellitus 11% 4. Allergies 8% 5. Inflammatory bowel disease 7% 6. Lymphoma 7% 7. Feline lower urinary tract disease 6% 8. Cancer 6% 9. Urinary tract infection 5% 10. Otitis 5%
Auburn University Vet Clinic Expands ServicesSeptember 24, 2015The Auburn University Veterinary Clinic has expanded its service to include avian and exotic animals. Expanding the avian and exotic creates opportunities for veterinary students to receive hands-on experience in exotic and avian animals while providing wellness and advanced veterinary care for these companion animals, according to the university. The service will see all birds, any non-venomous snakes and other exotics, but will not see primates. Exotics include reptiles, turtles, lizards, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedge hogs; birds include pet chickens. Seth Oster, DVM, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, oversees the Companion Animal Avian and Exotic Service and is the primary veterinarian for the service. He is also the primary veterinarian for the Southeastern Raptor Center (SRC) and oversees the birds of prey rehabilitation service of the SRC.
AABP Has No Beef With New OrleansSeptember 23, 2015Describing its latest conference as the “strongest in years,” the American Association of Bovine Practitioners drew nearly 1,400 veterinarians and students to New Orleans and awarded nearly a quarter-million dollars in scholarships. The 48th annual convention, held Sept. 17 to 19, also saw Canyon, Texas, veterinarian Steve Lewis, DVM, named Bovine Practitioner of the Year and Fred Gingrich, DVM, of Ashland, Ohio, installed as president. The meeting was heavy on education, with 17 preconference seminars, dozens of classes and a half-day session on bovine respiratory disease. “Our overarching goal for the continuing education content of the program was to focus on the issues that the cattle veterinarian faces on a daily basis,” Dr. Gingrich said. “Animal welfare, bovine respiratory disease, practice management, providing new services to clients and current research topics are all important topics for cattle veterinarians.” The organization’s immediate past president, John Davidson, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, was very pleased with how things went. “This meeting was the strongest in years and a testament to our AABP member veterinarian’s commitment to a life of learning,” he said. Scholarships totaling $239,000 were awarded to veterinary students. The largest—$7,500 Amstutz Scholarships—went to Lisa Dauten of Purdue University, Tyler Grussing and …
ACVIM, ACVS Launch Specialist Finder WebsiteSeptember 23, 2015Collaboration between board-certified internists and surgeons has produced a website that aims to educate pet owners about veterinary specialists and strengthen the relationship with general practitioners. VetSpecialists.com also allows owners of small and large animals to locate a specialist out of a database of more than 4,000 worldwide—from Andrew Abbo, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM of Deerfield, Mass., to Laurie Zacher, DVM, Dipl. ACVS of Austin, Texas. Several dozen articles focus on topics such “What is a Board-Certified Veterinary Neurologist?” to “Congestive Heart Failure in the Dog and Cat.” True stories of pets that survived life-threatening conditions because of the intervention of their primary veterinarian and a specialist are presented in videos. Not overlooked is what the website sponsors—the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons—called the “triad of veterinary care,” or the relationship between the animal owner, primary care veterinarian and specialist. “Every day, across the country, primary care veterinarians work closely with board-certified veterinary specialists to care for large and small animals,” said William D. Tyrrell Jr., DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (Cardiology) of Cardiac Care for Pets in Leesburg, Va. “VetSpecialists.com connects the lines from the animal owner to …
BIVI Teams Up With Vet Tech GroupSeptember 22, 2015Raising awareness about kennel cough is among the goals of a new partnership between drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Under the arrangement, announced today, BIVI will provide educational material on a range of topics that veterinary technicians may use in-clinic and access on the NAVTA website, said Leslie Ferguson, RVT, a brand manager with the St. Joseph, Mo., company. “Technicians play a critical role in veterinary medicine and supporting the profession is important to me personally and BIVI as an organization,” Ferguson said. The partnership is being kicked off with an online video contest focused on kennel cough, a highly contagious upper respiratory infection in dogs. The Happy Dog Vaccine contest asks technicians to submit a video of 30 seconds or less showing how BIVI’s Bronchi-Shield Oral vaccine “is making your canine Bordetella vaccine experiences happy.” The grand prize is a $500 gift card. Ten runners-up will receive a 2016 NAFTA membership. Entries are being accepted through Nov. 14. More information is available at http://bit.ly/1L3Z1Jv. Among NAVTA’s other corporate partners are Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Merial Ltd. and Virbac Corp. In other news, BIVI reported …
Industry-Wide Standards Approved for Pet GroomersSeptember 22, 2015Professional groomers and stylists must keep a pet first aid kit nearby and know where to find an emergency veterinarian, according to the industry’s first-ever safety and sanitation guidelines. These and 42 other standards were announced Friday at Groom Expo, an annual pet grooming show in Hershey, Pa. The Professional Pet Groomers and Stylists Alliance developed the protocol after soliciting ideas from group members and veterinarians. “I am proud to say that this document represents the expertise gained from literally hundreds of thousands of hours of hands-on, professional experience,” said alliance spokeswoman Teri DiMarino. The group’s founding members, including the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council and the National Dog Groomers Association of America, unanimously endorsed the guidelines, which are available online at http://bit.ly/1G0FB0v. “All across the country, thousands of pets are entrusted to our care every day,” DiMarino said. “We have a responsibility to pet owners, their pets and our fellow groomers and stylists to provide the highest level of safety and care when grooming a pet. These standards of care reflect that.” The guidelines do not address techniques for grooming or styling an animal. Instead they focus on housing, equipment and safety. Among the standards: …
