Dr. Stephen Ettinger Receives Lifetime Achievement AwardJanuary 17, 2011 Stephen Ettinger, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, chief medical officer at Pet DRx, received the 2011 Mark L. Morris, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in small animal veterinary internal medicine, small animal cardiology, teaching and hospital management. The award was presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. on Jan. 15 during the opening ceremony of the North American Veterinary Conference being held in Orlando, Fla. “Each year, our nominees have experience in a wide range of fields in the veterinary profession,” said Janet Donlin, DVM, chief veterinary officer at Hill’s. “Dr. Ettinger’s organizational service, research contributions and involvement in the academic future of veterinary medicine put him at the forefront and made him a natural choice to receive the Mark L. Morris, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, his authored Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine remains the gold standard in veterinary internal medicine resources.” In recognition of Dr. Ettinger’s lifetime of service, Hill’s will donate $20,000 to the Morris Animal Foundation in his name. The nonprofit was founded by Dr. Mark Morris, Sr., in 1948 and has since funded more than 1,700 studies. <Home>
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Co-Promotion Focuses On Feline HyperthyroidismJanuary 14, 2011 Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, and Dechra Veterinary Products of Overland Park, Kan., reported yesterday that they have partnered in an effort to help identify and manage feline hyperthyroid disease. Now through March 31, practices that purchase any box of Idexx Snap T4 tests will receive two bottles of Dechra’s Felimazole (methimazole) coated tablets (2.5 mg) at no extra cost. The co-promotion is designed to make diagnosing and treating feline hyperthyroidism more efficient and affordable, according to the two companies. “Hyperthyroidism is one of the most commonly diagnosed feline endocrine disorders,” said Tammi Lesser, LVT, director of marketing for Idexx VetLab, Idexx Laboratories. “Our Snap T4 point-of-care test and Dechra’s Felimazole 2.5 mg tablets give veterinarians a convenient, cost-effective way to provide pet owners with Real-Time Care; they can diagnose and start treatment of this chronic, progressive disease immediately. The ability to discuss diagnostic results and treatment plans face-to-face with clients may also help increase compliance by as much as 40 percent.” For details on the program, click here. <Home>
Doc HollywoodJanuary 14, 2011 California veterinarian James Peddie makes a name for himself on TV and movie sets. For the upcoming movie “Zookeeper,” starring Kevin James, the production company needed to move a menagerie of exotic animals to the set, Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo. But introducing an unfamiliar elephant, giraffe and bears—even the highly trained, medically pampered specimens that work in the film industry—into the zoo population worried the zoo’s veterinarian. The zoo wanted a barrage of tests done on the animal actors. The animals’ handlers balked. It seemed like an impasse that couldn’t be breached. Enter James Peddie, DVM—the “Hollywood Vet.” Having worked on dozens of film sets and with hundreds of exotic animals over the past two decades, Dr. Peddie understood why the zookeepers needed solid proof that the new arrivals wouldn’t bring disease with them. He also understood that the trainers were fiercely protective of their valuable charges and would not allow any overly invasive exams, especially one that would require anesthesia, a considerable risk in an exotic. Working closely with both sides, he brokered a level of tests acceptable to all. Next, he …
Four Fronts In The War Against Evil BugsJanuary 13, 2011 Surgical asepsis should constantly be on the mind of anyone with an interest in surgery. We asked Scott Weese, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, to share some pearls of wisdom on how to prevent surgical infections. Our colleague at the University of Guelph vet school is an internist turned infectious disease specialist (see box). We talked about the four facets of surgical asepsis: how to take care of surgical instruments, how to keep your OR sterile, how to scrub patients and how to scrub your hands. Instrument sterility “There is often a lack of quality control with instrument sterility. If you use chemical indicator strips, the first question is: do you look at them before using your instruments? The second question is, are you aware that autoclave tape (on the outside) and chemical indicator strips (on the inside) are not 100% reliable?” Arguably, the best sterility indicators are biological. They are reasonably affordable (maybe around $5 each) and contain bacteria. If the bacteria have been killed by your sterilization cycle, then you can rest assured that your instruments are truly sterile. Biological indicators probably don’t need to be used daily. “In general practice, they could be used every …
N.C. State Introduces Program To Help Pets With Heart DiseaseJanuary 13, 2011 Veterinary cardiologists at North Carolina State University unveiled today a Web-based resource to help veterinarians and pet owners across United States support dogs and cats with heart disease. The N.C. State Cardiology Care Network, developed by clinicians with the Cardiology Service at N.C. State’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), provides a range of educational tools, advanced diagnostics, consultative services and treatment options to improve the lives of dogs and cats with various heart conditions. “The cardiology care network is the first of its kind for veterinary patients,” said Dr. Bruce Keene, a professor of cardiology at N.C. State. “We designed the network to serve as a personalized resource for veterinarians and their clients with the goal of improving both the inpatient and outpatient management of pets with heart disease.” Veterinarians who participate in the network will have the opportunity to work closely with the VTH Cardiology Service team to develop individual treatment plans that offer the best “therapeutic fit” for both patients and pet owners. The network team will coordinate with the consulting veterinarian and pet owner to access advanced cardiac services. The network offers: • Access to the proprietary online …
Scil, Butler Schein Sign Orthopedic Distribution AgreementJanuary 12, 2011 Butler Schein Animal Health has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Scil Animal Care Company Inc. to offer the Aesculap line of orthopedic implants and Osteosynthesis kits to the North American veterinary market. Butler Schein will prominently feature Aesculap’s Wire and Cerclages, Mini and Small/Large Fragment Sets, according to Scil of Gurnee, Ill. Scil said it chose Butler Schein to launch these new products to the North American veterinary market because “they are the leading companion animal health distribution company in the United States.” The Dublin, Ohio-based company has about 900 team members, including 300 field sales representatives and 200 telesales and customer support representatives. Butler Schein, in turn, identified an orthopedic need in their product offerings, according to Scil. The new partnership will officially launch at the North American Veterinary Conference on Jan. 15-18 in Orlando, Fla. Scil will also be launching their new Scil Vet Academy Continuing Education courses for 2011 in partnership with Butler Schein. Scil’s Surgical Sales Specialists will assist course attendees along with local sales representatives from Butler Schein. So far, more than 40 orthopedic continuing education courses are slated for 2011. For a list of classes, click …
Study: Modest Growth In Pet Supplement SectorJanuary 11, 2011 Growth of pet supplement and nutraceutical treat sales in the U.S. stalled in 2010, but the category is expected to gradually pick back up in the next five years, according to a report released today by market research publisher Packaged Facts. “As the economy improves, so should all things pet, but that recovery continues to appear modest,” said David Lummis, senior pet market analyst for Packaged Facts. “Spending on supplements will increase, but restraint will likely continue to characterize how pet owners shop and what they buy during 2011 and even 2012, making value appeals based on pet health, safety, professionalism, practicality, and yes, pricing, more important than ever.” From 2006 to 2010, sales of pet supplements and nutraceutical treats grew at a compound annual growth rate of about 4 percent, to reach $1.2 billion in 2010, according to the report. Following zero overall growth in 2010, Packaged Facts forecasts U.S. retail sales of pet supplements and nutraceutical treats to begin to pick back up in 2011, with the annual sales gains regaining steam through 2015. By this account, the annual percentage increases will rise from 2.4 percent in 2011 to 6.5 percent in …
Online Vet Purchasing Group Reports Rapid GrowthJanuary 11, 2011 GroupDVM reported today that is has registered its 5,000th member. The Denver-based online veterinary purchasing group was launched in July 2010 to provide veterinary professionals with exclusive deals directly from animal health care manufacturers and authorized distributors. “The rapid growth and enthusiasm that we are seeing within the veterinary community surrounding GroupDVM is confirmation of our belief that the independent veterinarian needs and wants a voice in the market,” said Daryl Schraad, president of GroupDVM. “In addition, we provide product manufacturers and authorized animal health distributors a tremendous platform to offer their products and services directly to our members, which creates a win-win situation for everyone.” The daily and weekly deals feature 25 percent to 70 percent discounts on veterinary products and services, as well as reduced pricing on industry events such as conference registration fees. Each deal is available for a limited time and requires a minimum number of members to participate before it can be redeemed. As a result, GroupDVM is able to guarantee partnering product manufacturers and authorized distributors a pre-determined number of sales for every deal offered, according to the company. See Related Story: New Online Vet Buying Group …
Merial Gains Exclusive License For Staphylococcal VaccineJanuary 10, 2011 Centegen Inc. has granted Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga., an exclusive license for its staphylococcal vaccine for veterinary applications. Merial will develop and globally commercialize the CEN-102 vaccine, which is designed to reduce staphylococcal infections in ruminant animals. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but include license fees, milestone payments and tiered royalties on sales. “Staphylococci are one of the most prevalent causes of bovine mastitis that have eluded the development of effective vaccines so far,” said Frank Milward, DVM, head of Merial’s North America BioDevelopment. “We look forward to developing this vaccine further for this indication.” CEN-102 elicits potent antigen-specific T-cell and B-cell responses not present in unvaccinated animals, according to Centegen. The vaccine aims to protect against spontaneous staphylococcal infections, reduce the need for antibiotic use and significantly improve milk quality. The vaccine incorporates an antigen expressed on the cell surface throughout the entire life-cycle of all tested strains and species of staphylococci, according to the company. Centegen exclusively licensed the underlying intellectual property, in part, from the University of California, Davis. The Baltimore-based company said it will now focus on finding a development partner for human applications of the …
Aratana Enters Animal Health Industry With $20 Million In FundingJanuary 7, 2011 Aratana Therapeutics of Kansas City, Kan., reported today that it has received $20 million in Series A financing, led by MPM Capital and Avalon Ventures. The newly-formed company will focus on developing pharmaceutical therapies for the animal health industry. “At Aratana, we will be focused on taking advancements from the human biopharmaceutical industry and applying them in new ways to treat and care for animals,” said David Rosen, DVM, president and founder of Aratana Therapeutics. Specifically, Aratana will fund, develop and manage the clinical trials and development activities necessary to achieve regulatory approval, according to the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which awarded $1 million to the start-up company. The goal is to partner these products to animal health companies “that have a meaningful presence in the relevant sector of the animal health market.” Aratana will welcome Linda Rhodes, VMD, Ph.D., as CEO in February. Previously, Dr. Rhodes was founder and vice president of clinical development at AlcheraBio, an entrepreneurial contract research organization focused on helping major animal health companies develop new drugs. “My entire career has been devoted to developing therapies for animals, and I am looking forward to continuing that work in this exciting, …
