‘Racial’ Profiling In Veterinary MedicineMarch 21, 2011 Breed biases can make their way into the exam room. I was recently reminded of an uncomfortable character flaw I possess: I harbor a mostly subconscious fear of German shepherd dogs. (Yes, really.) It’s a defect I’ve never been able to shake ... not since I was a little kid and got chased down by a white GSD while riding my bike on a street in suburban Miami. What I recall the most? The rainbow bruises ringing four decidedly canid puncture wounds on either side of my skinny 9-year-old thigh. That, and the brown bell-bottom cords I had so adored––ripped just high enough that they couldn’t be salvaged as cutoffs. What’s interesting about the memory is I can’t recall that the dog ever inhabited my nightmares. What kept me up most (save the tragedy over the cords) was the fear of getting those rabies shots once it came to light that “Gypsy” (I’m almost positive that was her name) hadn’t been vaccinated for rabies by a licensed professional. But the dog? Not so much. Not that I recall. Yet nearly every time I see a GSD—in or out of the hospital—I have …
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Get Busy, Not Bored, During Slow TimesMarch 21, 2011 Each year, Fortune magazine publishes a list of the 50 most admired companies in the United States as voted on by business people. For example, the top five for 2011 are Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Southwest Airlines and Procter & Gamble. Not bad. Not a single veterinary clinic is on the list, but that’s not my point. A year ago, Geoff Colvin, the author of the article on the most admired companies of 2010, wrote: “This year’s leaders differ from the stragglers in at least one way. They actually believe what every company proclaims about people being their most valuable asset.” Also, they “were much less likely than the others to have laid any people off in the past two years (only 10 percent did so, vs. 23 percent for their less admired peers).” In other words, these companies view their employees not an expense but as valuable assets. A Virtuous Circle I wondered, does this apply to veterinary clinics? When times are bad, employers seem to look at three main options: fire people, reduce their hours or maintain the status quo. Is it easier to retain employees if you run …
6 Causes Cited For Decline In Veterinary VisitsMarch 21, 2011A major national study has found that the decline in the number of veterinary visits over the past decade is rooted in six major factors having a common theme: Relatively few pet owners fully appreciate the value of professional veterinary services. The Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study was commissioned by Bayer Animal Health and conducted by Brakke Consulting and the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. It identified the six causes as the economic impact of the recession; fragmentation of veterinary services; the Internet, primarily healthcare research; feline resistance; a perception among pet owners that regular medical checkups are unnecessary; and the cost of care. “Veterinarians must learn to manage pricing and communicate the value of regular care to avoid deterring pet owners from making annual visits a priority,” said Ron Brakke, president and founder of Brakke Consulting. “Veterinarians can take specific actions to grow client traffic and improve pet care. As a profession, veterinarians need a consistent message about the importance and frequency of veterinary care. It is likely that the trend can be reversed if the proper actions are taken.” The three organizations reported key findings of the study, as well as possible remedies, at the …
Vet Care Spending Tops $13 Billion In 2010March 17, 2011 . Spending on veterinary care grew about 8 percent to $13.01 billion in 2010, showing the greatest growth within the pet industry, according to the American Pet Products Association, which released its 2010 Pet Industry Spending Figures today. Veterinary and health related services are growing at a fast rate because pet owners are treating their pets as they would their children, said Bob Vetere, president of APPA. “Pet owners are searching for more ways to enhance their pets’ lives with products and services similar to those that humans enjoy,” Vetere said. “And the industry has answered that call with a more diverse array of offerings than ever.” Pet insurance, which is included in veterinary care figures, is a huge area of potential growth, the APPA noted. With improved policies that include more conditions, even at increased premiums, pet insurance will become more attractive for pet owners and more lucrative for insurance carriers and veterinary hospitals, according to the APPA. Overall spending in the pet industry grew by 6.2 percent from $45.53 billion in 2009 to $48.35 billion in 2010. The overall spending figures include food, supplies, veterinary care, live animal purchases and other …
Sergeant’s Introduces Topical Flea/Tick ProductsMarch 16, 2011 Sergeant’s Pet Care Products Inc. is introducing its new flea and tick products FiproGuard and FiproGuard Plus this week at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla. The products will be available through pet specialty retailers nationwide this spring. They are the first approved generic topical products for fleas and ticks containing the same active ingredients as Frontline Top Spot (fipronil) and Frontline Plus (fipronil and s-methoprene), at the same concentrations, according to the Omaha, Neb.-based company. Frontline, a brand of Merial of Duluth, Ga., is only available through veterinarians. FiproGuard and FiproGuard Plus are both indicated to kill adult fleas and ticks, as well as chewing lice in dogs and cats. The dog formula is also indicated to kill mites that may cause sarcoptic mange. FiproGuard Plus contains an insect growth regulator (IGR), which prevents re-infestation by addressing all stages of the flea life cycle, according to Sergeant’s. Sergeant’s acquired the rights to the patented pest-control formula from Sumitomo Chemical Co. of Japan in mid January. The deal allows Sergeant’s to manufacture and sell spot-on pesticide compositions that combine fipronil with an IGR, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Generic formulations are gaining popularity …
Bissell Homecare Pledges Up To $50,000 To Support Pet SheltersMarch 16, 2011 Bissell Homecare Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., reported today a pledged of up to $50,000 to the Petfinder.com Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets by providing resources and support services to animal adoption organizations. “We are so pleased to continue Bissell’s long history of supporting pet causes by joining forces with the Petfinder.com Foundation this year,” said Rich Sorota, senior vice president and general manager of global marketing and sales for Bissell. “As a company, we are passionate about supporting the pet community, and this expansion of our 10-year relationship with Petfinder.com will allow us to educate even more Americans about one of the major barriers to adoption—cleaning up after pets.” About 38 percent of Americans would add a pet to their home if cleaning up after them were an easy job, according to research conducted by Bissell. The effort will take place on Bissell’s Facebook page beginning this summer. A specific date had not been determined as of press time. For each new fan that registers on Bissell’s Facebook page, the company will make a donation to the Petfinder.com Foundation in order to reach its goal of contributing …
Eli Lilly Makes Offer To Buy Janssen Animal HealthMarch 14, 2011 Eli Lilly and Co. of Indianapolis has offered to acquire Janssen Animal Health, a division of Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. The division, which has operations in 11 countries, focuses on targeted disease segments in companion animals and livestock with special focus on pigs and poultry. The deal would provide European expansion and portfolio diversification for Lilly’s animal health division, Elanco, the company reported today. “The addition of Janssen’s animal health business will strongly support a number of strategic growth priorities for Elanco, while providing synergies with our current operations,” said Jeff Simmons, Lilly senior vice president and president of Elanco. “Through this transaction, we intend to further expand our European presence, bolster our growing portfolio of companion animal medicines and diversity our food animal portfolio with new swine and poultry products. We are excited about these new opportunities to improve animal health, food safety and food animal production while delivering greater value to our customers.” Under the terms of the aquisition offer, Elanco would obtain a portfolio of about 50 marketed animal health products, manufacturing licenses, distribution rights, as well as the related intellectual property and marketing authorizations. The transaction would not include any manufacturing …
Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratories Names Executive TeamMarch 11, 2011Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratories (AVRL), a fairly new division of Abaxis Inc., has named Mark Patterson as its president. Patterson was previously president of Heritage Labs, a commercial laboratory business he co-founded in Olathe, Kan. Other executive team members include Bill Roberts, Ph.D., vice president and laboratory director; Gene Hart, vice president of information services; and Ilya Frumkin, vice president of commercial operations. Dr. Roberts and Hart were also founders of Heritage Labs, while Frumkin was previously vice president of marketing at the company. Gary Anderson, DVM, Ph.D., director of Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, will serve in a consulting capacity for AVRL. Abaxis announced its plans to enter the commercial laboratory market with AVRL in late January. While AVRL will be a full service commercial laboratory, it will focus on specialty and esoteric testing and analysis, according to Martin Mulroy, vice president of sales and marketing for North American Animal Health. Related article: Abaxis to Form Commercial Laboratory for Vets
