WVC Hits Road Again for Vet EducationFebruary 27, 2015Western Veterinary Conference will continue its eastward trek in 2015 with continuing education classes moving into Salt Lake City and Memphis, Tenn. The On the Road series kicked off in 2014 with stops in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis. Both cities will get return engagements this year. “As WVC continues to expand its year-round programming, we’ve identified key markets to bring quality veterinary continuing education programs closer to home,” said David Little, CEO of WVC. Altogether, the first two classes attracted more than 100 veterinarians, who earned six CE credits each during one-day classes on either small animal dermatology or small animal gastroenterology. The 2015 schedule, topics and presenters are: April 25: Oklahoma City, “Practical Surgery Tips,” Daniel Smeak, DVM, Dipl. ACVS. May 2: Memphis, “Small Animal Gastroenterology,” Michael S. Leib, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. Aug. 22: Salt Lake City, “Updates in Canine and Feline Gastroenterology,” Todd Tams, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. Oct. 24: Indianapolis, “Small Animal Dermatology,” James Noxon, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. Advance registration costs $90 and is available at www.wvc.org/ontheroad. WVC’s biggest get-together is its annual conference in Las Vegas. The 87th meeting drew an estimated 14,000 attendees to Mandalay Bay Convention Center in mid-February. …
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Wound Care Company Oculus Launches Animal UnitFebruary 27, 2015Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc., a Petaluma, Calif., manufacturer of wound and skin care products for people, has moved into the veterinary channel by establishing an animal health division. The company in February released three over-the-counter medications for animals: MicrocynAH Wound & Skin Care liquid, MicrocynAH Wound & Skin Care Hydrogel and MicrocynAH Ophthalmic Gel. The products are available in the United States and Canada, and their European debut is planned for this summer. A veterinary-exclusive formulation may be launched by summer time, said Dan McFadden, Oculus’ vice president of animal health care. In addition, two MicrocynAH Farm and Ranch products for larger animals are expected to be introduced in March. MicrocynAH products contain a pH-neutral solution of hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite. “With over 45 patents, 10 FDA clearances and 10 CE marks, [the technology] has proven itself successful in over 30 human and animal clinical studies from around the globe,” McFadden said. “At the same time, our R&D team is … pioneering major advances in the key hypochlorous acid ingredient. … This includes significant improvements in product stability as well as in the actual chemistry, including the removal of bleach from the original liquid formulations.” SLA Brands, …
Tuskegee Joins VMCAS ClearinghouseFebruary 27, 2015Tuskegee University will use the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) starting this year, leaving Texas A&M University as the only U.S. institution not participating in the nationwide system. Tuskegee’s decision came two months after Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine switched to VMCAS. Student applications for enrollment in the fall of 2016 will be accepted through the VMCAS website beginning May 13. The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences employs the in-state Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service and has no plans to stop. Tufts and Tuskegee have been processing in-house applications instead of using VMCAS forms. Under VMCAS, which is managed by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, prospective DVM students can apply to any of the 29 participating schools. Ruby Perry, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVR, the interim dean of Tuskegee’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, pushed for the change. “The scope of VMCAS, combined with its ability to integrate information and the continual addition of technological enhancements, makes it simply the best option for us at this time,” Dr. Perry said. “Joining VMCAS gives us exposure to an expanded applicant base and access to a greater suite …
More Pot for Pet Owners Means Pets Get Access TooFebruary 27, 2015As many states move to legalize or decriminalize medical and recreational marijuana use, more pets may be exposed to marijuana smoke and edible products as their human owners increasingly gain legal access. According to the public information non-profit ProCon.org, which has created a chart of medical marijuana laws state-by-state, medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states and Washington, D.C. This November, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. joined Colorado and Washington State when ballot measures passed to allow the sale and use of recreational marijuana. Veterinarians in these states which have recently voted to legalize are looking to the examples of Washington and Colorado for what to expect. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical care looked at the increase in reports of marijuana toxicity in dogs at two Colorado hospitals in five years following the legalization of medical marijuana in that state. The study found the number of marijuana poisoning cases in dogs at two Colorado veterinary hospitals quadrupled during the 5-year period. This correlated with a 146-fold increase in the registration of people with medical marijuana cards. Two of the dogs, which had ingested baked products made …
Vets Hope to Cash in at Global Pet ExpoFebruary 26, 2015Three holistic practitioners will transition from selling veterinary services to peddling pet products when they staff their companies’ booths at Global Pet Expo. Tennessee veterinarians Marc Smith, DVM, CVA, CVTP, and Casey Damron, DVM, CVA, co-own Pet-Tao, which makes a prescription food line based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). Ohio veterinarian Pamela Fisher, DVM, is the force behind Calm My Pet, a collection of products that includes therapeutic music and aromatherapy. The companies will be among about 1,000 exhibitors looking to do business with industry buyers attending Global Pet Expo. North America’s largest pet products trade show will take place March 4 to 6 in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Smith is the founder of Natchez Trace Veterinary Services in Nashville, Tenn., while Dr. Damron owns White Oak Animal Hospital in Fairview, Tenn. They started Pet-Tao in 2010 and today offer canned food for dogs and cats as well as freeze-dried treats. The company’s Harmony diets will be released at Global Pet Expo as stock for retailers. The three-year-old prescription line, called Solutions, is sold only through veterinarians and selected stores. Pet-Tao markets the Solutions line as food formulated to attain “balance or harmony within the body.” …
Founding Equine Dental Diplomates AnnouncedFebruary 26, 2015The American Veterinary Dental College has revealed its first 12 board-certified equine dentists, capping a five-year process to create the specialty. More than 100 active veterinarians, many of whom focus on small animals, are on the Haddonfield, N.J., organization’s roster of dental diplomates. The 26-year-old college partnered with the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry in 2009 to take the steps necessary for recognition of an equine specialty. The American Veterinary Medical Association executive board approved the AVDC Equine Dental Specialty in April 2014. The 12 veterinarians who passed the certifying examination, making them AVDC diplomates, were: Robert M. Baratt of Salem Valley Veterinary Clinic in Salem, Conn. James Carmalt of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Nicole du Toit of Tulbagh Equine Dentistry in Tulbagh, South Africa. Edward T. Earley of Laurel Highland Veterinary Clinic in Williamsport, Pa. Jack Easley of Equine Veterinary Practice in Shelbyville, Ky. David Foster of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Stephen Galloway of Animal Care Hospital in Somerville, Tenn. Michael Lowder of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Robert Pascoe of Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Mereworth, England. Jennifer Rawlinson of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and …
Purina: ‘No Quality Issues With Beneful’February 26, 2015Pet food manufacturer Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. is defending its Beneful brand as safe in light of a lawsuit that claims the food killed or sickened an undetermined number of dogs. The lawsuit alleges that the illnesses and deaths were linked to contaminated grain and food-grade propylene glycol used in eight Beneful kibble recipes. The document, filed Feb. 5 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, requests class-action status, which if granted could turn thousands of dog owners nationwide into plaintiffs. St. Louis-based Purina issued a statement calling Beneful “a favorite of millions of pet owners and their dogs.” “First and foremost, there are no quality issues with Beneful,” the company stated. “Beneful is a high-quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs every day. In fact, in 2014, nearly 1.5 billion Beneful meals were served to millions of happy, healthy dogs who enjoy and thrive on this food.” The lawsuit was filed by Discovery Bay, Calif., dog owner Frank Lucido, who said his German shepherd and Labrador retriever became sick and his English bulldog died within weeks of starting a Beneful diet. Lucido’s attorney, Jeffrey B. Cereghino, claimed in the lawsuit that testing of Beneful by the Association for Truth …
Study: Toxoplasmosis Contaminating Central Illinois WaterwaysFebruary 26, 2015Toxoplasmosis is moving rapidly through central Illinois’ landscape and contaminating local waterways, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois. The study, published online in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases in January, assessed risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii exposure in muskrats and American mink—both semiaquatic mammals—in east-central Illinois. The agricultural region has extensive drainage systems that could potentially transport T. gondii oocysts into the watershed, according to the study. The researchers used muskrats and American mink as sentinels of watershed contamination. “We thought we’d do a broad prevalence survey in minks and muskrats,” said University of Illinois graduate student Adam Ahlers, who led the study with veterinary clinical medicine professor Mark Mitchell, DVM, Ph.D., Illinois Natural History Survey mammalian ecologist Edward Heske, Ph.D., and natural resources and environmental sciences professor Robert Schooley, Ph.D. “And when we got the data back, we were really surprised because the prevalence rates were higher than expected.” The researchers found antibodies for T. gondii in 18 of 30 muskrats and 20 of 26 minks. Infection rates were ≥1.7 times higher than those typical for mammals in upland habitats in this region, according to the study. The researchers suspected that …
AKC Updates Website, LogoFebruary 25, 2015Staying current with technology, the 130-year-old American Kennel Club has launched a redesigned website along with what the registrar of purebred dogs describes as a streamlined, modern logo. The New York-based AKC contracted with the design firm Makeable to plan and build the new website, which is optimized for mobile devices and features greater functionality on all breed pages, the organization reported. “We spent more than a year immersed in research and discovery to ensure we presented a redesigned platform that would not only serve the members of our sport, but also the millions of dog owners around the country,” said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. He called the website—www.AKC.org—“progressive and inclusive while also staying true to our heritage.” Besides maintaining an expansive log of purebred dogs, AKC advocates for canine health, oversees more than 5,000 clubs and affiliated organizations, and maintains rules and regulations governing competitions such as breed shows and agility events.
Distributor MWI Sold to AmerisourceBergenFebruary 25, 2015AmerisourceBergen Corp. officially entered the veterinary distribution channel Tuesday with the takeover of MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. The transaction was completed just six weeks after the companies announced AmerisourceBergen’s intention to purchase all outstanding shares of MWI common stock for $190 each. The total price was estimated at $2.5 billion. Numerous law firms launched investigations into whether MWI investors were shortchanged. At least one of them, the Delaware firm Andrews and Springer, declined to take action. “We have not filed a case against MWI and are not going to,” attorney Craig J. Springer said. The San Diego-based Shareholders Foundation reported Feb. 10 that it sued on behalf of an investor. A spokesman could not be reached to comment on the status of the lawsuit. MWI went from a standalone company based in Boise, Idaho, to a wholly owned subsidiary of one of the world’s largest distributors of human drugs. MWI’s management team, led by President and CEO Jim Cleary, remained in place. AmerisourceBergen President and CEO Steven H. Collis hailed the MWI executives. “With our combined knowledge of manufacturer and provider services, our global reach and partnership philosophy, we will bring the next generation of superior customer service and …
