Avivagen Explores Possible Breakthrough in Female SterilizationJuly 30, 2014 A Canadian animal health company wants to do for female dogs and cats what Ark Sciences Inc. is doing for male dogs. Ark Sciences this year began shipping to veterinarians an FDA-approved nonsurgical sterilization drug, Zeuterin Injectable Solution, that is formulated to permanently cease canine sperm production. Seizing an opportunity on the female side, Avivagen Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, is partnering with University of Saskatchewan veterinarian Duncan Hockley, DVM, who invented what the company calls a drug-based alternative to surgical spaying. The agreement puts Avivagen first in line for an exclusive license to a technology designed for the permanent sterilization of female mammals, starting with dogs and cats and potentially extending to livestock, wild animals and even humans. The technology, which for now goes by the name “Sterilis Project,” is a long way from hitting the veterinary market. Avivagen hopes to finish proof-of-concept work by year’s end and at some point launch trial studies. “We estimate that a nonresource-constrained project could attain registration in about five years, absent technical hurdles and delays in reviews,” said Avivagen’s CEO and president, Cameron Groome. How the “Sterilis Project” drug would work on females is …
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Reality of Veterinary Surgery ErgonomicsOne of the greatest challenges of Work-Related Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (WRMSD) is that they can come on slowly. They can be easy to ignore initially. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued ergonomic guidelines to help veterinarians catch problems early. + Learn More
NAVTA Co-Sponsors Heartworm CE Course, Vet Tech ContestJuly 30, 2014 The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) is partnering with Merial Ltd. on a client education campaign and with Pets Best Insurance Services on a nationwide contest. The Merial partnership involves a continuing education course designed to teach veterinary technicians to have effective conversations with pet owners about the importance of year-round heartworm disease prevention. “Empowering veterinary technicians with the tools and knowledge needed to offer sound advice is paramount to Merial’s commitment to pet health,” said Sarah Cloud, a marketing director with the Duluth, Ga., drug maker, which produces the heartworm preventive Heartgard Plus. “With NAVTA’s approval, Merial is now able to offer this course to all veterinary technicians.” The free online course, available at JoinPowerOf12.com/education, is RACE approved for one continuing education credit. The material also addresses misconceptions and miscommunication. “This course provides simple tips on how to make that conversation more constructive and truly showcase the need that year-round protection serves,” said Julie Legred, CVT, NAVTA’s executive director. Also announced July 25 was the “Why I Love Being a Vet Tech” contest, which asks veterinary technicians to write a short essay explaining how they …
Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter School ExpandsJuly 30, 2014 A clinic designed to teach spay and neuter procedures to hundreds of veterinarians and fourth-year veterinary students each year opened Tuesday in Asheville, N.C. The Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Training Center, which was funded through a $1.5 million grant from PetSmart Charities, features six surgical bays and enough kennels to accommodate 140 feline and canine patients. The host, Humane Alliance, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching high-volume, low-cost sterilization techniques. “The support of PetSmart Charities allows us to increase the number of veterinarians who will take back new skills to their community to save more pets and make an impact nationwide,” said Quita Mazzina, executive director of Humane Alliance. The 12,400-square-foot training center includes office space for 16 staff members. A separate, 2,200-square-foot dormitory houses up to 20 students. PetSmart Charities, the charitable arm of the Phoenix-based PetSmart chain, has given more than $4.5 million to Humane Alliance since 2010. “When organizations come together and collaborate as we’ve done with Humane Alliance, the results can be transformational,” said Julie White, the charity’s senior director of programs, grants and field initiatives. Humane Alliance has helped create a network of 137 low-cost
3-Year Nonadjuvanted Rabies Vaccine Available for CatsJuly 29, 2014 Merial Ltd. has released what the Duluth, Ga., drug maker is calling the world’s first nonadjuvanted feline rabies vaccine with a three-year lifespan. Other three-year rabies vaccines are made with an adjuvant that increases a cat’s immune response but that has been blamed for causing vaccine-related fibrosarcoma, a rare disease. The new vaccine is part of the PureVax family, which includes a one-year nonadjuvanted rabies vaccine. “The recombinant technology that has also been used to produce other vaccines such as the one-year PureVax rabies … allows the development of effective vaccines for feline viral diseases without the need for adjuvants,” said Leigh O’Mara, Ph.D., PMP, an associate director of technical marketing for Merial. The three-year duration of immunity makes the vaccine a good choice for cat owners who don’t schedule regular veterinary checkups, Merial stated. “Veterinarians now no longer have to choose between a multiyear adjuvanted rabies vaccine and an annual nonadjuvanted rabies vaccine for clients who do not reliably return to the clinic annually,” the company reported Monday. PureVax Feline Rabies is recommended for healthy cats 12 weeks or older. A one-year booster vaccination is required after the initial shot. Rabies …
Voting Opens for ‘America’s Favorite Veterinarian’July 29, 2014 Public voting will run through Sept. 1 in the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s “America’s Favorite Veterinarian” contest. Twenty veterinarians are finalists for the award, which carries a $500 prize and a trip to the 2015 American Veterinary Medical Association convention in Boston. The voting is a new component of the contest. The inaugural winner, Carlos Campos, DVM, of San Francis Veterinary Hospital in Spring Hill, Fla., was selected outright last year from among more than 1,000 nominees. The new format enlisted a committee of judges to choose 20 finalists out of more than 700 nominations. Individuals nominated veterinarians online and included a brief essay explaining why the person was deserving of the honor. The judges read the essays and took into account the nominee’s community involvement, ethical behavior, passion for veterinary medicine and connections to animals and their owners. “Each of these 20 finalists are examples of the pivotal roles veterinarians lead as medical professionals in research labs, in public health and agriculture, and in government services and academia,” said Michael Cathey, the foundation’s executive director. The 2013 contest was rewarding in many ways for Dr. Campos. “The hospital grew from …
Dog Group Awards $1,500 for LSU Ultrasound StudyJuly 29, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The Hunting Retriever Club Foundation recently presented a check for $1,500 to Cassaundra Coulter, DVM, a diagnostic imaging resident at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU SVM). The money will support Dr. Coulter’s research project, “Sonographic Pancreatic Variation and Histopathological Correlation in Normal Dogs.” The study aims to document the appearance on ultrasound of different diseases of the pancreas, which will allow veterinarians to more efficiently diagnose pancreatic disease. In addition, this research represents the beginning of a larger project to create an encyclopedia of the ultrasound appearance of many normal and diseased organs in the dog. The Hunting Retriever Club Foundation awards grants to “worthwhile animal health research projects” at various universities and colleges. This is the sixth grant that the LSU SVM has received for research from the foundation.
Dog Genome May Provide Insight Into Human CancerJuly 29, 2014 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Scientists are often in collaboration, working toward the same goal. Doctors of various specialties often do so in the treatment of a single patient or in an effort to diagnosis, treat and perhaps cure a disease. Rarely do you see doctors of completely different fields conduct research to the same end. However, the North Carolina State University veterinary research team, led by Matthew Breen, PhD, C. Biol, FSB, is researching genomes in dogs in hopes of better understanding cancer in humans. After assisting in the canine genome mapping, Dr. Breen and his lab team discovered “a remarkable level of similarity between the genome sequence of a domestic dog and the genome sequence of a human being.” Breen also said in the video (above) that the similarities do not stop there. It’s also important to note that domestic dogs and humans share the same environment, which includes air, water and sometimes food. These similarities led to the conclusion that if a dog were to get cancer, the disease would behave in almost the exact same way as …
Abbott Wins Approval of Daily Feline Pain DrugJuly 28, 2014 Simbadol, a pain-control drug designed to minimize the need for overnight dosing after feline surgery, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Abbott Animal Health reported today. The medication is the first and only FDA-approved opioid analgesic for cats to provide 24-hour pain control in a single dose, the Abbott Park, Ill., drug maker noted. Simbadol (buprenorphine injection) is indicated for the control of postoperative pain associated with surgical procedures in cats. The drug has the backing of pain specialist Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, Dipl. AAPM, the hospital director at Windsor Veterinary Clinic and The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in Windsor, Colo. “For the first time veterinarians have a once-daily opioid to provide 24-hour surgical pain control for their feline patients, even through the night,” Dr. Downing said. A randomized blinded clinical program involving more than 200 cats found Simbadol to be safe and effective, she said. Simbadol’s approval was the second this year for an Abbott veterinary drug. The FDA in February approved Paccal Vet-CA1 (paclitaxel for injection), which is indicted for the treatment of canine mammary carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Abbott obtained the …
Apoquel Shortage Should End by April 2015July 27, 2014Update, January 2016: More Apoquel on Way for Dogs, Zoetis Says Dog owners desperate to put their pets on the new anti-itch drug Apoquel will have to wait nine more months as the manufacturer ramps up production. Zoetis Inc. of Florham Park, N.J., had expected the Apoquel shortage to last until mid-2015, but the company recently reported that the distribution clampdown should loosen sooner―by April 2015. Apoquel (oclacitinib tablet) received an enthusiastic response from dog owners and veterinarians after the drug hit the U.S. market Jan. 20. Often effective within 24 hours of initial use, the prescription-only drug is indicated for the control of itching associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis. The tablets, which work by blocking a dog’s urge to scratch, are given twice a day for the first two weeks and daily thereafter. The drug’s success combined with growing demand and a complicated manufacturing process quickly left Apoquel in short supply. Zoetis responded by giving priority to pets already on the drug and by rejecting new orders from veterinarians. In some cases, veterinarians who were able to get Apoquel were suddenly cut off. Steven …
AVMA Looks to Make History With Future LeadersJuly 27, 2014 An American Veterinary Medical Association program designed to identify and encourage veterinarians interested in serving and leading the profession introduced its fourth class today in Denver at the organization’s annual convention. The 2014-15 group of Future Leaders includes a U.S. Army Veterinary Corps colonel and two laboratory animal specialists. The program, which receives financial support from drug maker Zoetis Animal Health of Florham Park, N.J., is open to veterinarians who earned their degree as recently as 1999 and have some leadership background. “By selecting candidates with strong leadership attributes, who are already influential among their peers, and developing them into stronger leaders earlier, the Future Leaders program meets some of the key requirements for the future of veterinary medicine,” said Christine Jenkins, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief veterinary medical officer with Zoetis’ U.S. group. The Future Leaders will meet periodically and start work on a still-unidentified year-long project. The previous class focused on assisting veterinarians who want to change their career path. The results included an online toolkit at AVMA.org/careerchange as well as an informational symposium and a luncheon held during the convention. “The goal of the symposium was to …
