Missouri’s Prop B Draws Strong Support And OppositionOctober 28, 2010 On Nov. 2, Missouri voters will be asked to cast ballots for or against a measure that seeks to establish new regulations for the state’s “large-scale” dog breeding operations. Proposition B, otherwise known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, has spurred much debate. Supporters, such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), say the measure is needed to help police Missouri’s large-scale commercial dog breeders and ensure dogs receive humane care. Opponents, such as the American Kennel Club and Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), claim the measure calls for excessive and unnecessary requirements that will ultimately force licensed breeders out of business. As written, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act would amend the law to require any person who owns more than ten unaltered female dogs for the purpose of breeding to follow certain standards for feeding, veterinary care, housing, exercise and rest cycles between breeding. For example, licensed breeders would be required to provide each dog with “sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down and fully extend his or her limbs.” Specifically, breeders would have to provide at least 12 square feet of indoor floor space for each dog …
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Metacam Gets Boxed Warning Label For Use In CatsOctober 27, 2010 Boehringer Ingleheim Vetmedica Inc. has added a boxed warning to the labels of its Metacam Solution for Injection and Metacam Oral Suspension. The labels now include: “Warning. Repeated use of meloxicam in cats has been associated with acute renal failure and death. Do not administer additional injectable or oral meloxicam to cats. See contraindications, warnings and precautions for detailed information.” The St. Joseph, Mo.-based company added the boxed warning at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which made the request after reviewing reported adverse drug events for the products. The FDA said it had identified many cases of kidney failure and death in cats associated with repeated use of Metacam. Metacam Solution for Injection is approved for one-time use in cats before surgery to control postoperative pain and inflammation associated with orthopedic surgeries, spays and neuters. In the United States, the safety and effectiveness of more than one dose of Metacam Solution for Injection has not been shown in cats for any condition, according to the FDA. Metacam Oral Suspension is not approved for use in cats. The FDA noted that some veterinarians prescribe or use Metacam in an extra-label manner, …
ACVS Names 2010-2011 Board Of RegentsOctober 27, 2010The American College of Veterinary Surgeons has named Stephen Adams, DVM, of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, as 2010-2011 chair of the Board of Regents and Dale Bjorling, DVM, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, as president. Also installed: • Earl Gaughan, DVM, of Littleton Equine Medical Center in Littleton, Colo., as president-elect; • Karen Cornell, DVM, Ph.D., of University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, as small animal regent; and • Rustin Moore, DVM, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, as large animal regent. The following continue to be members of the ACVS Board of Regents: • Alicia Bertone, DVM, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital; • Charles DeCamp, DVM, of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Medical Center; • Eric Mueller, DVM, Ph.D., University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Medicine; • Richard Walshaw, BVMS, of Animal Cancer & Imaging Center in Canton, Mich.; and • C. Collins “Andy” Anderson III, DVM, of South Texas Veterinary Specialists in San Antonio, serves as treasurer.
Nominations For Outstanding Equine Vets Being AcceptedOctober 26, 2010 Bayer Animal Health is asking veterinary professionals to nominate their peers for the Bayer Animal Health Legend of the Year Award. The award is intended to distinguish veterinary team members that go beyond everyday practice to provide exceptional equine care, according to the Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based company. Nominations will be accepted at www.mylegendaryvet.com through Oct. 31. The winner will receive $5,000 to donate to the equine charity or cause of his choice. The award will be presented by Bayer Animal Health during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 56th Annual Convention, set to take place Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore. The contest is being launched in conjunction with an interactive equine personality quiz for horse owners. The quiz, found at www.mylegendaryhorse.com, is designed to find the “Legendary Tails” behind the horses’ personalities through the eyes of some of history’s most influential figures, according to Bayer Animal Health. <HOME>
Wildlife Health-Reporting Tools Aim To Advance InitiativeOctober 25, 2010 Two new wildlife health-reporting tools, the Wildlife Health Event Reporter and Outbreaks Near Me, have been launched so the public can report sick or dead wild animals. The inputted information could lead to the detection and containment of wildlife disease outbreaks that may pose a health risk to people, according to researchers in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which helped create the Wildlife Health Event Reporter with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center. Ultimately, though, the tools are designed to advance the One Health Initiative, a worldwide movement to expand interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment. The initiative is supported by more than 535 veterinarians, scientists and physicians and by groups such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Agriculture, among others. The Wildlife Health Event Reporter, or WHER, allows anyone in the world with an Internet connection to report sightings of sick or dead wildlife at www.wher.org. The reports can be viewed on the website or …
Western Milling Recalls Some Turkey FeedOctober 22, 2010 Western Milling LLC of Goshen, Calif., issued a voluntary recall today on certain types of store brand noncommercial turkey feed. The recall was prompted after the company learned that the feed, sold under the Universal and Kruse Perfection Brands, may contain monensin. The medication is used to help in digestion which improves the feed efficiency and growth, according to the company. Western Milling does supply feed that contains monensin, and is labeled as such. However, the feed subject to this particular recall was not labeled as medicated and was not formulated to contain monensin. Western Milling is still investigating how the medication ended up in the recalled feed, according to a company spokesman. Tests did not find the recalled products to be at a higher dose than the labeled medicated products, but this too is under investigation, he said. The products were sold in 50-pound paper bags and distributed in May and June, 2010, to 57 retail animal feed stores located in California as well as eight feed stores in Arizona and one each in Nevada and Hawaii. All retail stores have been notified. The specific lots involved in the recall were sold under …
Dechra Buys Dermapet For $64 MillionOctober 22, 2010 Dechra Veterinary Products, the U.S. sales and marketing division of U.K.-based Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC, reported today that it has acquired Dermapet in a deal that could reach $64 million. The acquired dermatology products increases Dechra’s U.S. presence and complements its European Union range in this “key strategic therapeutic category,” according to the company. “We are excited to have acquired Dermapet and are extremely motivated to further strengthen our relationships with veterinary dermatologists, corporate hospitals, general practitioners and our distribution partners,” said Mike Eldred, president of U.S. Operations, Dechra Veterinary Products. “Dermapet’s high quality all-natural dermatological product line is a perfect fit with our regulated dermatology products; Animax, Muricin and Vetromax. With additional investment in product development and marketing initiatives, I am confident Dechra will soon be recognized as a leader in the worldwide veterinary dermatology market segment.” Dermapet’s revenue was $6.9 million for the six months ended June 30, according to Dechra. In the last full financial year ended Dec. 31, 2009, Dermapet posted revenue of $10.7 million. “This acquisition is expected to be materially earning enhancing in its first full year of ownership,” said Ian Page, chief executive of Dechra Pharmaceuticals. “It also further …
New Report Focuses On Diabetes In Dogs, CatsOctober 21, 2010 Although the true incidence of diabetes among dogs and cats is unknown, pet health professionals believe that it is increasing due to the obesity epidemic and the longer lifespan of pets, according to a new report released by Abbott Animal Health. The State of Diabetes report, launched in correspondence with November’s National Diabetes Awareness Month, is intended to provide background on diabetes in dogs and cats as well as strategies on how veterinarians and veterinary technicians can address risk factors and provide effective management. To get the “360 degree view of diabetes,” Abbott Animal Health partnered with the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians, Banfield clinics, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Nestle Purina PetCare and Pets Best Insurance. When it comes to prevalence, diabetes is more common in cats than dogs, according to unpublished data by the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge (BARK) team, as cited by Abbott Animal Health. The BARK team looked at almost 1.9 million canine records and more than 406,390 feline records in 2009. Comparable stats as it related to dogs were not available at press time, but other figures were provided showing that …
Cost Issues Plague Recession-Battered Clients, DVMsOctober 21, 2010 The human-animal bond does not weaken during recessions, but many caregivers feel more financial and emotional stress when their pets are sick. These days, we might see three or four clients in a row who have serious financial concerns. Some of us recall previous recessions and felt more prepared to deal with this one. But few of us were prepared to endure and share the burdens of a prolonged economic downturn. This recession continues to batter our clientele with job cutbacks, unemployment, falling property values, foreclosures, maxed-out credit cards, health care issues, etc. This unrelenting pressure pushes a big percentage of our clientele deeper into debt and desperation and causes anxiety and heartbreak on both sides of the veterinary exam table when their pets are sick. During my first recession, many of our well-intended clients requested payment plans. Our facility became burdened with accounts receivable that climbed as high as $250,000. Our well-intended clients “slow paid” or “no paid.” Dr. Villalobos Shares Her Thoughts on Each Scenario Example 1: Five thousand dollars is a lot of money. It is tempting to take this case to small claims court because the veterinarian did everything correctly, but …
VPI: Top 10 Medical Conditions Requiring SurgeryOctober 21, 2010 Benign skin mass was the top medical condition requiring surgery for dogs last year and tooth extraction was the top for cats, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., which analyzed its database of more than 485,000 insured pets. Canine conditions following benign skin mass: skin abscess, inflammation or pressure ulcer; tooth extraction; torn anterior cruciate ligament or cartilage; malignant skin mass; cancer of the spleen, cancer of the eyelid; bladder stones; cancer of the liver; and auricular hematoma. Feline conditions following tooth extraction: skin abscess, inflammation or pressure ulcer; benign skin mass; bladder stones; cancer of the abdominal wall; malignant skin mass; multiple bite wounds; cancer of the liver; cancer of the mouth; and cancer of the nasal cavity. “Veterinary medicine has made considerable advancements in recent years, providing pet owners surgical options that weren’t available to them even five years ago,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “While this is certainly good news, pet owners are often unaware of the cost of these surgeries. “Surgical claims are typically some of the most expensive received at VPI, with the average claim routinely costing thousands of dollars. It’s …
