Vets Plus ‘Shell’ Protects Probiotics in Soft ChewsOctober 14, 2014Vets Plus Inc. has started using microencapsulation to ensure the stability of active ingredients in soft chews for pets. The manufacturer of private-label pet health products announced Monday that the proprietary technology is being used with probiotic microorganisms sensitive to gastrointestinal conditions such as stomach acids. “With our proprietary cold-extrusion process for soft chew production, we’ve found ways to ensure viability of temperature-sensitive microorganisms,” said Vets Plus founder and CEO Raj Lall. “Microencapsulation allows us to work with an even broader range of ingredients to bring our partners innovative, targeted soft chew supplements.” The technology also offers flavor protection, increased shelf life, controlled release and odor masking, the Menomonie, Wis., company reported. Microencapsulation is widely used in the food industry but not so much with pets, company spokeswoman Katie Boehm said. “Vets Plus is beginning to apply this technology, so it is newly developed for our products,” she said. “It has not been licensed to other companies at this time.” The microencapsulation, or shell, is typically made from starches, milk proteins and gums in the human food industry, Boehm said, but “the details of our coating are proprietary.”
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University of Surrey Welcomes First Vet StudentsOctober 14, 2014Nearly 50 students from across the United Kingdom and Europe recently started their journey in becoming veterinarians at the University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine, the newest vet school in the United Kingdom. The students were welcomed by the international faculty and took part in icebreaker activities in late September. “We have warmly welcomed the students to our profession,” said Professor Gail Anderson, head of veterinary education and veterinary clinical sciences. “Their activities during [welcome week focused] on building their sense of unity, as this is vital to helping them transition smoothly to the university and on to what will be a demanding but fun course.” The school will include three new state-of-the-art buildings with teaching spaces, a large pathology facility with high containment laboratories, an anatomy laboratory and a veterinary Clinical Skills Center for both large and small animals. Construction is still ongoing with an expected completion date of late summer 2015. The University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine is one of eight vet schools in the United Kingdom.
Is One Health the New Veterinary Medicine?October 14, 2014Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News An oversupply of veterinarians. Crushing educational debt. Noncommensurate salaries. Larger veterinary classes. More veterinary schools. We have heard the bad news. The profession is in a point-counterpoint mode, with widely diverging opinions that range from “We are just fine” to “We have huge problems.” The good news is that we are able to gather and discuss with freedom of expression, both guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. But now we also face climate change, deforestation, drought, melting polar ice caps, frightening shifts in ocean biology, increasingly violent storms, threatened municipal water supplies, global pollution and geopolitical conflicts. In many regions, human populations are being uprooted, crops do not get planted and animals cannot be raised. New population concentrations, human and animal, will continue to emerge, facilitating the transmission of many infectious diseases, increasing zoonosis risks and likely leading to social conflicts as well. Without question, the veterinary profession will change, as the world is changing. But what does the future look like? Is One Health the Solution? One Health is a movement designed to establish collaborative ties among the health professions and associations. It is not a new idea, but …
Kemin Sells Resources Pet Supplements to GarmonOctober 13, 2014Garmon Corp., a Temecula, Calif., pet supplement manufacturer, has acquired the Resources line from Kemin Industries. The transaction, announced today, adds Resources to a Garmon supplement collection that includes the NaturVet, Pet Organics and Overby Farm brand names. Financial details of the acquisition were not released. Kemin, a Des Moines, Iowa, maker of specialty ingredients for the pet and human markets, will turn over the marketing of Resources supplements to Garmon beginning Nov. 1. “This is a positive development for customers as Garmon is dedicated to the development, manufacturing and servicing of veterinary supplements to the companion animal health industry,” said Andrew G. Yersin, Ph.D., the president of Kemin’s Companion Animal Health Division. “In addition, this transaction will allow Kemin to focus on its core mission of developing innovative, specialty ingredients for industry partners that deliver nutrition and health benefits to people and animals.” Kemin will remain in the animal health sector with products formulated for pigs, poultry, cattle and pets. The Resources line is designed for dogs and cats and includes 18 products that support everything from gastrointestinal health and joints to the immune system and general wellness. Kemin and Garmon are members of the National …
Ross University Vet School Names Associate Dean for Clinical AffairsOctober 9, 2014Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) has named Juan Samper, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACT, as associate dean for clinical affairs. Dr. Samper will have primary responsibility for maintaining the school’s clinical affiliations and overseeing the placement of clinical students. RUSVM students complete their pre-clinical education on the school’s campus in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. Students then transition to clinical training at one of more than 20 RUSVM-affiliated veterinary medical institutions in the United States, Canada and Australia. Dr. Samper, who has owned an equine reproduction practice in Vancouver, Canada, for 20 years, will also teach theriogenology as an RUSVM clinical professor. “Dr. Samper’s blend of academic and clinical experience aligns well with RUSVM’s mission to educate career-ready veterinarians,” said Elaine Watson, DVM, dean of RUSVM. “Throughout his career, he has balanced practice with teaching, and has tremendous insight into how to best prepare students to transition from the pre-clinical curriculum to clinical training.”
Tuskegee University Becomes a Tobacco Free CampusOctober 7, 2014Tuskegee University has joined more than 1,300 colleges and universities around the nation in becoming a tobacco free campus. The Tobacco Free Policy, which became effective Sept. 2, applies to the entire university community including contractors, vendors, recruits and visitors. The campus-wide policy prohibits the use of all forms of smoking, tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes, water pipes or vapor devices. The policy covers all areas owned or controlled by the university. “Tuskegee University is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for all students, faculty and staff,” according to the policy. Violators at the university could face a $25 fine. Students and employees who break the rule could be punished with an applicable action under the Student Code of Conduct or Human Resources Policies and Procedures, respectively. Visitors that do not comply with the ban could be asked to leave the campus. Most of the university community has cooperated with the new restrictions, said Patrick Mardis, Tuskegee University Police Department chief. “We expected more resistance than this,” Mardis said. “So far, we haven’t gotten any.” The new policy is a strong and positive communication to the university community, according to Rueben Warren, DDS, director of the Tuskegee …
Is Plasma the Future of Veterinary Medicine?October 3, 2014Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Early in the 1967 Oscar-winning movie “The Graduate,” Mr. McGuire provides young Benjamin, played by Dustin Hoffman, with one word of career advice: plastics. Jump ahead nearly a half century and Ron Robinson, the CEO of Veterinary Energy Technologies Inc., is trying to persuade investors to recognize the potential of an entirely different science: plasma. The future that Robinson envisions was on display in late August in Kansas City, Mo., where a panel of judges chose Veterinary Energy Technologies and its cold plasma invention as the winner of the $2,500 Innovation Award. Fourteen companies at the early or middle stage of their growth were given 10 minutes each onstage to highlight what they would like to introduce to the veterinary market if only investors would buy in to the idea and the business model with cash or expertise. Veterinary Energy Technologies earned the loudest applause at the KC Animal Health Corridor’s annual Investment Forum, but all 14 presenters achieved something more valuable than $2,500: the opportunity to advertise themselves to representatives from 40 financial funds and 88 animal health companies. Investors have bought into the hype, handing over $130 million …
"Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER" Premieres Oct. 4October 3, 2014Neighbors in the Buffalo, N.Y., suburb of Hamburg got used to seeing Susan Kelleher delivering their newspaper as a chicken sat on her shoulder. Then there were the chicken sitting in her family’s front window, the duck swimming in the swimming pool and the rabbit running around the backyard with a bell on its collar. So it should be no surprise that young Susan wound up becoming Susan Kelleher, DVM, an exotic animal practitioner in South Florida. She’s also the star of the new Nat Geo Wild series “Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER,” premiering Oct. 4 at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. “Dr. K,” as she is known to clients, graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and moved to Florida to focus on avian and exotic pet medicine. After a few years working in small-animal practices, she started Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital. Nat Geo Wild cameras document her day-to-day challenges at the clinic in the six-part series. “Nat Geo Wild found us on the Internet,” Kelleher explained. “They wanted to do a show. They have Dr. Pol’s show [‘The Incredible Dr. Pol’] and wanted to do a show involving exotic animals. So they basically …
Pet Blogger, Vet Lorie Huston Dies at 54October 2, 2014Providence, R.I., veterinarian Lorie A. Huston, DVM, a blogger, author and president of the Cat Writers’ Association, died Tuesday from complications of liver failure. She was 54. Dr. Huston died at an Omaha, Neb., hospital. She had been visiting family members. Huston, who practiced at Hoffman Animal Hospital, “struggled with liver issues her entire life,” the Cat Writers’ Association reported on its website. “Earlier this year she had a close call,” the group added. “Despite her more frequent and severe hepatic bouts, she never sought a liver transplant because of the lifelong complications.” Born in Omaha, Huston earned her veterinary degree in 1986 from Iowa State University. She was the first veterinarian to receive Winn Feline Foundation’s Media Appreciation Award, an honor bestowed in May at the BlogPaws conference in Nevada. Her blog, Pet Health Care Gazette, covered cats, dogs, exotic pets, fish and horses. Her last post, from Aug. 31, focused on getting cats acclimated to carriers in the interest of getting them to veterinary appointments and turning the cage into a sanctuary. The author of “Labrador Retrievers: How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend,” Huston also owned and operated the websites Canine Health Care Corner and Feline Health …
Terramycin for Dogs and Cats ReturnsOctober 2, 2014Drug maker Zoetis Inc. has reintroduced the eye ointment Terramycin more than two years after supply issues curtailed distribution. Terramycin (oxytetracycline hydrochloride) Ophthalmic Ointment with Polymyxin B Sulfate is indicated for the treatment of superficial ocular infection and bacterial inflammatory conditions in dogs and cats. The topical antibiotic is not a steroid. It may be used to treat conjunctivitis, keratitis, corneal ulcer and bacterial inflammatory conditions, according to Zoetis. Examiner.com reported in June 2012 that Zoetis’ predecessor, Pfizer Animal Health, suffered a “temporary interruption of supply” that at first was expected to last through 2012. The reason for the extended delay was not revealed. Animal drug shortages are infrequent but may occur for a variety of reasons. Unavailable raw materials, unavailable packaging materials and marketing decisions are among the common causes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated. Two popular drugs currently in short supply are Zoetis’ canine anti-itch medication Apoquel and Merial Ltd.’s Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride), which is used to treat severe heartworm disease in dogs. Zoetis, based in Florham Park, N.J., is working to expand production of Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) and expects the shortage to end by April 2015. The FDA has allowed Merial to import …
