Florida Vets, Dentist Fix Cat’s Palate InjuryNovember 12, 2014A cat is eating normally again after University of Florida doctors installed a metal prosthesis to close a hole in his palate. The procedure is commonly performed in people to correct cleft palates or repair cancer damage, but it was the first time for the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital. “Usually, medical procedures are first tried in animals, and then, when successful, used in human patients,” said Fong Wong, an associate professor in the College of Dentistry, who conducted the surgery. “In this case, it was the animal that benefited from a procedure that is routine in humans but has not been part of routine veterinary medicine.” The Siamese-mix cat, Darryl, already had a large hole between his oral and nasal cavities when he arrived at an Alachua County animal shelter. The condition make him unfit for adoption, so he went home with Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida. “Every bite of food he took was painful, and he had constant nasal infections,” Dr. Levy said. “Despite struggling to eat and being extremely messy with his food, he was always affectionate.” Transferred to the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, Darryl …
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Multiple Animal Drugs on Aratana’s RadarNovember 12, 2014Aratana Therapeutics Inc. is losing millions of dollars a month, but the Kansas City, Kan., veterinary drug developer is confident that products being studied for the treatment of everything from osteoarthritis pain to B-cell lymphoma have the company headed in the right direction. Four-year-old Aratana this week reported net losses of $10.1 million in the third quarter and $28.6 million over nine months—numbers significantly higher than in the same periods of 2013. But with more than $108 million in the bank, partly due to a $44.8 million stock sale in September, CEO and President Steven St. Peter, MD, MBA, is looking forward. “We believe that Aratana is the partner of choice among the pet biotechs, and we are open for business with the right programs and partners,” St. Peter said during an investor conference call. One partnership is with Novartis Animal Health of Greensboro, N.C., which acquired the U.S. and Canadian marketing rights to AT-004, a code name for Aratana’s canine B-cell lymphoma treatment. Aratana holds a conditional license for AT-004 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and expects full licensure by year’s end. AT-004 accounted for nearly all of Aratana’s third-quarter revenue—$43,000—through license and collaboration fees. Already …
Study: Kids of Deployed Parents Cope Better with PetsNovember 11, 2014Having a strong bond with a pet may help children with a military deployed parent cope better to challenges than those who do not, according to a study led by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. There are nearly two million children who have parents serving in the United States military. Such youth, as the study points out, face unique challenges, such as stress about family deployment and frequent moves. The purpose of the study was to assess the role of positive relationships with companion animals as a resource for resilience and thriving in military families. “We were interested in seeing if the specific stressors faced by military-connected families could be mitigated by interacting with animals,” said the paper’s author, Megan Mueller, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and research assistant professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. “We found that kids with deployed parents who had developed a deep bond with a family pet reported having better coping strategies in dealing with the stress than those without such ties to a companion animal.” The study included an online survey of 300 middle and high school students from military families. All the children participated in youth programs developed by …
Pet Insurance Industry Laps Up New LawNovember 6, 2014Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News While pet health insurers may have work to do to ensure compliance with a new California law, most in the industry welcomed the changes and don’t foresee much difficulty adapting. The attitude isn’t surprising considering that the majority of the industry supported Assembly Bill 2056, which was signed into law Sept. 30 and goes into effect July 1, 2015. The California law requires pet insurers to disclose more information about their policies, standardize definitions and provide consumers with a 30-day “free look” period. Kristen Lynch, executive director of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, predicted business as usual for most pet insurance providers. “NAPHIA has always promoted transparency,” Lynch said, “and most of our members have had policies posted on their websites for viewing for many years.” The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council applauded Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of the bill. “California has taken a bold, innovative approach towards increasing the transparency to safeguard consumer choice,” PIJAC President and CEO Ed Sayres said. “This new law is the first step to increase both pet and consumer protections when purchasing pet insurance.” Lynch and others insurers said they hope …
University of Illinois Receives $2.1M to Renovate Large Animal Vet ClinicNovember 6, 2014 #479371997 / gettyimages.com The University of Illinois received a capital investment of more than $2.1 million in mid October to renovate its Large Animal Veterinary Medicine Clinic. The investment is part of Governor Pat Quinn’s agenda to improve educational opportunities, create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward. “This facility has double benefit because it teaches veterinary medicine and offers a place for animal treatment,” Governor Quinn said. “By upgrading the clinic we can also create jobs to boost the local economy.” The project will improve many aspects of the clinic, including safety, according to Jonathan Foreman, DVM, associate dean of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. “This project will allow us to complete renovation of that last portion of the Large Animal Clinic,” Dr. Foreman said. “Other portions have been renovated in the last several years at the college’s expense, but now the last ward, and parts of the other wards, will have safer stalls, safer footing and a more attractive appearance for clients and for those working in the spaces. Safety for patients and students will be improved.” Construction is expected to begin later …
Study Casts Doubt on Pet Food LabelingNovember 5, 2014Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Three in 10 pet foods tested in a Chapman University study contained a meat source not listed on the label, raising concerns for allergy-suffering cats and dogs and a call for greater oversight. The study, published in the journal Food Control, also could not detect the listed meat in seven of the 52 samples. In three cases—a wet cat food, wet dog food and dog treat—the absence and the addition of meat sources may indicate intentional or accidental substitution, said co-author Rosalee S. Hellberg, MS, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Chapman’s Food Science Program. “Mislabeling of pet foods is misleading to the consumer and may result in economic deception or food safety issues,” Hellberg said. “Our study showed that 16 out of 52 products tested contained a meat ingredient not listed on the label. This could become a safety concern if a cat or dog has a particular allergy to one of these meat species.” The foods, obtained from online and retail sources, were not identified by name. The Pet Food Institute, a Washington, D.C., organization that represents manufacturers in the estimated $22.6 billion-a-year U.S. pet food market, noted that …
Veterinarian Among 4 Slain in KentuckyNovember 4, 2014A Louisiana equine veterinarian, her parents and an acquaintance were shot to death Oct. 26, allegedly by her brother, authorities said. Auburn University graduate Emily Champion, DVM, who practiced at Baronne Veterinary Clinic in Sunset, La., was slain at her parents’ home in Cadiz, Ky. Killed along with Dr. Champion, 31, were her parents, Lindsey Champion, 62, and Joy Champion, 60, and Vito Riservato, 22. Police did not suggest a motive for the crime but said Emily Champion’s brother, Ryan, 36, claimed that he escaped as his friend Riservato killed the others. Ryan Champion was arrested after further investigation and charged with four counts of capital murder and one count of capital kidnapping. The kidnapping charge was in relation to Emily Champion, but details were not released. Ryan Champion spoke with media outlets after the slayings and painted himself as an innocent survivor. “I was able to turn the tables on him,” Champion said of Riservato during an interview with WSMV-TV. “He got close enough to me that I could turn the tables, and that was it. Every minute the entire thing was going on, that’s all I was waiting for. I was waiting for an opportunity.” Baronne Veterinary Clinic …
Clinical Trial Focuses on Breast Cancer in CatsNovember 4, 2014A clinical trial using novel vaccines could lead to better treatments for breast cancer treatment in both animals and humans, according to researchers at the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and McMaster University’s Immunology Research Center. The universities recently teamed up to treat breast cancer in cats using new vaccines designed to boost the immune system and kill tumor cells without harming healthy tissue. OVC announced the clinical trial on its website in late October. Researchers are studying cats because breast cancer occurs naturally in the species. Breast cancer in cats is also similar to that in humans, said Professor Paul Woods, one of the lead investigators. Woods is also a veterinary cancer specialist at OVC and co-director of University of Guelph’s Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI). “Breast cancer in cats tends to by highly aggressive and doesn’t respond well to chemotherapy,” Woods said. “By the time a mammary tumor is detected and diagnosed, the disease has often spread to other parts of the body. So while there’s a lot we can do for cats with standard treatment—which is surgery to remove the tumor—the patient will typically relapse in six to eight months. Our goal with these …
Membership Drive a Big Success for Vet Tech GroupOctober 31, 2014Hoping to reel in 200 new members in October, the National Association for Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) may have hooked thousands. The hugely successful membership drive was bankrolled by Merial Ltd., which donated $10,000 toward the effort and followed up with an additional $11,000 as the applications flooded in. “Within the first 48 hours, we far exceeded our established goal,” said Julie Legred, CVT, the executive director of NAVTA. “We are thrilled with the outcome we’ve seen so far and look forward to continued success from the digital membership offering.” 犀利士 NAVTA had about 12,000 members before October. “We received over 5,000 memberships during National Veterinary Technician Week and with the Merial offer,” Legred said. “We are still sorting through those received as to the number of those that are new and the number that are renewals. “It is very common for us to receive memberships at this time of year, but not at the pace they came in during that week, and the Merial offer certainly drove them in,” she added. “It will be very interesting to see how many of those that came in are new members.” Merial paid for …
Sentinel Heartworm Drugs Moving to VirbacOctober 31, 2014Eli Lilly and Co. has found a buyer for the U.S. rights to Sentinel Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Spectrum as part of its acquisition of Novartis Animal Health. The Novartis trademarks, patents and customer lists for the two canine antiparasitics will be transferred to Virbac Animal Health of Fort Worth, Texas, upon Federal Trade Commission approval and the completion of the takeover. Eli Lilly agreed to divest U.S. Sentinel assets when purchasing Novartis Animal Health. The financial terms for the Sentinel purchase were not disclosed. U.S. sales of Sentinel Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Spectrum, which protect dogs from heartworms and fleas, are expected to reach up to $100 million in 2014. Virbac already sells a heartworm preventive, Iverhart, and offers dozens of other products in the parasitic, behavioral, dental, dermatologic, urologic and nutritional categories. “Adding these strong brands and commercial franchise to the current Virbac portfolio of products offered to veterinary clinics and pet owners in the United States will substantially strengthen Virbac’s presence and penetration in the U.S. companion animal veterinary market and leverage its growth potential,” the company reported in a statement issued Monday. Parent company Novartis AG agreed in April to sell Novartis Animal …
