Elanco And Heifer Partner To Reduce HungerMay 26, 2011 Elanco Animal Health has launched an initiative to bring 100,000 families around the world out of hunger by 2025 through a partnership with Heifer International. Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco, is expected to outline the company’s commitment to hunger during a briefing June 2 at 10:30 p.m. to 11 a.m. EST at Elanco Animal Health in Greenfield, Ind. Elanco initiated projects with Heifer International in Indonesia and Zambia that will impact more than 8,000 families, according to the company. Elanco is expected to unveil their third community during the briefing. Pierre Ferrari, CEO, Heifer International, will be on hand to talk about the impact a single animal can have on families and communities in emerging economies and detail why the Elanco partnership is unique. As the world population grows, food insecurity could become an increasing problem, Elanco states, adding that globally, 25,000 people die each day from hunger and malnutrition. In the U.S., one in five children do not eat enough each day. <Home>
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WVC Announces CE Winners Of 2011May 26, 2011 The Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) announced the 2011 continuing educators of the year, as selected by conference attendees. The 2011 conference took place Feb. 20 through 24 in Las Vegas and set a WVC record with nearly 15,000 attendees. More than 6,000 registered attendants were veterinarians and more than 1,500 were veterinary technicians. Hundreds of practice managers and several thousand other attendees directly linked to the animal health industry were also present. According to WVC, the selected veterinary professionals “exemplify talent and commitment that ensure the continuing education (CE) experience at WVC remains one of the finest in the world.” Winners • Avian & Exotics Teresa Lightfoot, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Avian) Florida Veterinary Specialists Tampa, Fla. • Equine James T. Blackford, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. • Food Animal Geoffrey W. Smith, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (LAIM) North Carolina State University Raleigh, N.C. • Practice Management Karen E. Felsted, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues (NCVEI) Schaumburg, Ill. • Small Animal …
Rinderpest Pronounced Eradicated At OIE ConferenceMay 25, 2011 An announcement of the eradication of rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, was announced today at the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). This event compares to the eradication of smallpox in humans. The global freedom status will be ratified by ministers of agriculture at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations conference in June. “Once a dream, rinderpest eradication is now a reality,” says Dr. Peter Roeder, secretary of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Program from 2000 to 2007. “Not only does this magnificent achievement help to protect the livelihoods of many millions of livestock-dependent farmers but, because it removes a serious constraint to livestock trade, it has a major positive impact on many countries’ economies. If we can truly learn the lessons from rinderpest eradication there is no reason why we couldn’t see other diseases brought to global extinction with similar pro-poor and economic impact.” Rinderpest ravaged cattle and human populations that depend on them throughout history. Rinderpest led to the formation of the OIE in 1924 following an incursion of the rinderpest virus in Europe. “This monumental achievement testifies to the dedication of the veterinary services of affected countries and illustrates …
VPL Sponsors American Association Of Human-Animal Bond VeterinariansMay 25, 2011 Veterinary Products Laboratories today announced its sponsorship of the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians. In addition to an annual financial sponsorship, VPL and Stolle Milk Biologics, Inc. will each donate $1 for every bottle of Duralactin Canine Joint Plus Soft Chew sold to veterinarians through Dec. 31. “The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and other animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both,” says a spokesperson for the Committee on the Human-Animal Bond. “This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological and physical interactions of people, other animals and the environment. The veterinarian’s role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potentials of this relationship between people and other animals.” VPL says Duralactin Canine Joint Plus Soft Chew manages inflammation, supports joints and muscles, maintains healthy joint fluid and reduces free radical oxidation. Each Duralactin Canine Joint Plus Soft Chew contains 500 mg. of MicroLactin dried milk protein, 250 mg. of glucosamine HCl from a marine source, 200 mg. of methylsulfonylmethane, 25 mg. of omega 3 fatty acids, 5 mg. of manganese, 2 mg. of zinc and 25 IU …
AVMLA Releases 2011 Annual Meeting ProgramMay 25, 2011 The American Veterinary Medical Law Association (AVMLA)’s 2011 continuing education program is set for July 16 and 17 at the Holiday Inn Select in St. Louis, Mo. The event will be held in conjunction with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention. The 2011 CE program includes presentations from leaders in the field of veterinary medical law covering: • Mediation • Canine DNA and breed specific legislation • Shelter medicine • AVMA legislative update and outreach • Veterinarian community outreach • State veterinary medical associations (VMA) and the animal welfare community Gregory Dennis an Overland Park, Kansas attorney and AVMLA charter membe, will present the Hank Hannah Memorial Lecture. Other speakers include: Jack Avent, executive director of the Ohio VMA and Jana Black of the Oklahoma VMA, who will discuss state VMAs and the animal welfare community; Adrian Hochstadt, JD, CAE, an AVMA executive, who will address legislative outreach; Elise Van Kavage, attorney, will present an overview of breed specific legislation, as will panelists Katie Bray Barnett and Victoria Voith, DVM. Jennifer Scarlett, DVM will discuss shelter medicine, and Deborah Guiducci, attorney, will review best practices in mediation. …
AVMA Supports Veterinary Services Investment ActMay 25, 2011 Legislation introduced yesterday by U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, aims to direct resources to help solve the problem of the veterinarian and veterinary medical service shortage in areas designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President Larry Kornegay, DVM, called the introduction of the Veterinary Services Investment Act (VSIA) as an important step toward addressing veterinary workforce needs. “Shortages of large and mixed-animal, as well as public health veterinarians could have dire consequences on human and animal health, public safety, animal welfare, disease surveillance and economic development,” Dr. Kornegay said. “The USDA has worked with state animal health officials across the country to identify areas that have dire needs. This legislation will directly help address these needs, ensuring the well-being of livestock and helping protect public health.” S. 1053, (VSIA), will establish a competitive grant program to develop, implement and sustain necessary veterinary medical services to those areas of the country in need. “Veterinary services are critical in ensuring a strong and robust agricultural industry in Michigan and too many rural areas …
USDA Hosting Veterinary Biologics Public MeetingMay 24, 2011 The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today issued a notice to inform producers and users of veterinary biological products of a public meeting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 16 at the National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa. Attendees will discuss a draft guideline concerning the effectiveness indications statements in veterinary biologics labeling. The USDA is making the concept paper available for review and comment and will consider all comments received on or before July 25. The regulations issued pursuant to the act are intended to ensure that veterinary biological products are pure, safe, potent and effective when used according to label instructions, the USDA states. The regulations prescribe requirements for packaging and labeling veterinary biologics and ensure that labeling provides adequate information concerning the expected effectiveness and safety of the product. Current APHIS guidelines provide examples of statements that may be used in labeling to describe the indications for use of a product, provided that the product has demonstrated a specified level of performance in an efficacy study that was the basis for issuance of the product license. Submit comments and view the …
Research Reveals Pet Owner Interest In Generic DrugsMay 24, 2011 This year’s six-member team of Babson College MBA candidates developed and implemented a market research project addressing veterinary medicine purchasing behavior. Putney, Inc., a pharmaceutical company and partner in the Babson Consulting Alliance Program (BCAP), sponsored the project. Research results show that adoption of generics in the veterinary pharmacy strengthens the pet owner-veterinarian relationship. “I’m impressed by the diligence and level of understanding these students bring to their projects,” says Jean Hoffman, president and CEO of Putney. “The results of their research quantify our message to veterinarians that generic pet medicines improve practice revenues and increase client satisfaction.” BCAP students surveyed pet owners and veterinarians nationwide to investigate key drivers of veterinary medicine purchasing decisions. Among their findings, 83 percent of pet owners surveyed would be happy if their veterinarian offered them a lower-priced, generic version of their pet’s medicine. The statistic mirrors adoption rates of generics in the human pharmaceutical industry, where 78 percent of prescriptions are filled by a generic. “Putney consistently provides our students with challenging projects and professional direction, amplifying their classroom learning and allowing them to generate industry-relevant results,” says Mark Biddle, Ph.D., John Rehm Director of experiential learning at …
Mondays Blue For Pets, VPI SaysMay 24, 2011 More pets are treated for accidental injuries on Mondays than any other day of the week, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) of Brea, Calif., which recently analyzed its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to find the most dangerous days for pets in 2010. The company tracked accident claims by treatment day for a year to discover that more accidents occur in the summer months the day after holidays and weekends. Of the days of the week, Mondays had the largest average number of pets treated for accidental injuries at 152. Sundays were the lowest at 59. “The difference in the number of accidents treated between Sunday and Monday may indicate that treatment is more difficult to find on Sundays and holidays,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “In case of an off-hours or holiday emergency, pet owners should know where to find the closest 24-hour animal hospital and have a plan for covering unexpected treatment costs. Preparation and timely treatment can make the difference between life and death.” The amount of accident claims treated spiked following holidays, particularly Labor Day, Memorial Day and …
NC State Veterinary Medicine Library Gets FaceliftMay 24, 2011 The 14,000 square-foot William Rand Keenan, Jr. Library at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., was recently redesigned to support the curriculum at the College of Veterinary Medicine, animal and human health and life sciences. Designed by Atlanta-based Foil Wyatt Architects and Atlanta-based Jova/Daniels/Busby (FWAJDB) Architects, the library encompasses flexible interior and exterior spaces that support state-of-the-art technology, according to its designer. The facility is divided into well-lit zones to provide different layers of privacy so students can choose the zone that suits their study needs. Six individual areas were designed for independent study and testing, group study rooms, technology-rich conference rooms and a multi-purpose room equipped with a 20-foot white board wall. “Our mission when designing the new space was to essentially showcase the veterinary library and its role in the college’s animal health research initiatives and, within the library, to create a series of spaces to support those functions and requirements,” says Michael Rindsberg, lead designer for the project. “We wanted to create the next generation of technology-rich learning spaces.” A repositioned reference desk serves as the nexus and focal point of the library with a central location in the space to …
