Feline Stem Cell Research Gets Boost With New ‘Frankie’s Fund’August 3, 2010 Colorado State University today launched Frankie’s Fund, a fund devoted to feline stem cell research. Specifically, it will support research and future clinical trials for stem cell therapy targeting acute and chronic kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease and possibly asthma, according to the university. The fund was initiated through an unspecified monetary gift by Deborah Felin Magaldi, a client whose Siamese cat, Frankie, became ill with acute kidney failure as a result of medication she received for an inflammatory mouth condition. Frankie participated in a CSU stem cell therapy clinical trial for cats with kidney failure in 2009. “The establishment of Frankie’s Fund allows Colorado State University to continue to pursue stem cell therapy research and treatments for cats — something that is not widely available for cats,” said Jessica Quimby, DVM, Frankie’s veterinarian at CSU. “While such veterinary studies and treatments are available for dogs and horses at veterinary hospitals and clinics, including CSU’s equine stem cell programs, feline-focused programs are much rarer. “This fund allows us to develop our program and research to gain a better understanding of the biology of stem cells, how they function and what treatments they may offer for various …
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Gulf Coast Pet Relief Program To Help Veterinarians Support Pet Owners Affected By Oil SpillAugust 2, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Merial have partnered on an initiative to help veterinarians support struggling pet owners affected by the oil spill that began late April when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. AVMF and the two companies made the announcement yesterday at a press conference during the American Veterinary Medical Association’s annual convention in Atlanta. The Gulf Coast Pet Relief Program is part of AVMF’s Animal Disaster Relief and Response Fund, a fund that is designated to support state and national disaster relief efforts. The program will provide a total of $145,000 in funding and pet food products to help reimburse 90 veterinary clinics and five shelters that have provided free services and goods to the affected clients. “Pet-related issues in the Gulf continue to escalate, which is why we called upon our partners to come together to provide relief,” said Michael Cathey, executive director of AVMF. “Our hope is to ease the pet care challenges families and shelters in the Gulf are facing by providing funding and resources for food and medical care.” The number of pets being surrendered by families …
P&G Expands Dry Pet Food RecallAugust 2, 2010 The Procter & Gamble Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio has expanded its voluntary recall of certain Iams brand prescription cat food to include additional Iams veterinary formulas and some specialized dog food due to salmonella concerns. The recalled products include: Product Name Version "Best-By" Dates UPC Codes Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas (cat & dog) All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes Eukanuba Naturally Wild (dog) All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes Eukanuba Pure (dog) All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin (dog) All dry sizes 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes In late July, P&G issued a voluntary recall of two lots of its Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal, which are sold through veterinarians only. The products included in the expanded recall, …
AVMA House Of Delegates Elects Officers, Council MembersJuly 30, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates today elected Rene Carlson, DVM, as its president-elect and Jan Strother, DVM, as vice president. Both Dr. Carlson and Dr. Strother ran unopposed. The body also elected several new members to various AVMA councils (list below). In addition, John de Jong of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association was elected to the AVMA’s executive board, representing District I. In other action, the house shot down a resolution offered by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association to conduct a risk/benefit analysis of the AVMA’s Council on Education’s accreditation of foreign veterinary schools. The house approved a bylaws amendment to give the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges liaison a vote on the council. The house also approved two antimicrobial-related resolutions: one that affirmed the veterinarian should be involved in the decision-making process of antimicrobial use in animals, regardless of the distribution channel, and another that affirmed the AVMA should take part in discussions, especially regulatory ones, regarding antimicrobial use. In related news, the house defeated a resolution, held over from the 2009 session, that would have amended the AVMA’s “Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials” policy. The veterinarians elected to AVMA councils …
Samples Still Needed For Rottweiler Heart Disease StudyJuly 30, 2010 Researchers at Washington State University are looking for DNA samples from Rottweilers with a diagnosis of Subvalvular aortic stenosis (diagnosed by Doppler echocardiogram) as well as DNA samples from Rottweilers that have been proven clear of the heart birth defect (as cleared by a cardiologist). The samples will be used to advance research in identifying a gene for the disease. The Rottweiler is one of multiple large breed dogs that are affected with this congenital heart disease, said Joshua Stern, DVM, who is performing the study with Kathryn Meurs, DVM, Ph.D. Dogs that have a mild form of the disease may live a normal life span, but dogs that are moderately or severely affected are at a great risk of sudden death and have been shown to have an average life span of 19 months in one study, according to the researchers. “We are looking into the familial nature of this disease and hope to discover a genetic mutation responsible for its development,” Dr. Stern said. The researchers need DNA samples—1 ml to 2 ml of blood in an EDTA tube—from 20-30 affected dogs and 20-30 clear dogs. As of late July, the researchers had …
Unintentional Exposure To Evamist May Have Adverse Effects In Pets, FDA SaysJuly 29, 2010 Pets that have inadvertent exposure to the human topical estrogen product, Evamist, may experience adverse effects, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Evamist contains estradiol, an estrogen hormone, and is used in women to reduce hot flashes during menopause. The drug is sprayed on the skin between the elbow and wrist, on the inside of the forearm. Since 2007, when Evamist was FDA approved, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has received two reports of secondary exposure to the product in dogs. Pets exposed to Evamist may exhibit signs such as mammary/nipple enlargement and vulvar swelling, according to the FDA. The FDA is warning pet owners that animals should not be allowed to lick or touch the arm where Evamist is sprayed. If direct contact cannot be avoided, the FDA recommends that women wear a garment that covers the area where the drug was applied. The product should also be kept away from children, according to the FDA. From July 2007 to June 2010, the FDA received eight post-marketing cases of unintended exposure to Evamist in children ages 3 years to 5 years. Adverse events reported in unintentionally exposed children include premature puberty, …
Thousands Of Vets Headed To Atlanta For AVMA ConventionJuly 29, 2010 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s annual convention kicks off this Saturday, July 31 in Atlanta, Ga., and runs through Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. More than 9,000 veterinary professionals and their guests are expected to attend. Program session hot topics will include animal welfare, stem cell therapy, public health, food safety, disaster response, complementary therapies, behavior modification, trends in pet ownership and health and advances in veterinary medicine. The program will also include special topics such as the effects of rabies in the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake and melamine contamination in foods for animals and people. Convention attendees will also have access to more than 250 companies and organizations in the 185,500-square-foot exhibit hall. The exhibitors will be showcasing high-tech surgical instruments; the latest toys and exercise equipment for household pets; pet food, treats and frozen yogurts for dogs; pet identification aids; and educational materials; among other veterinary-related products. The exhibit hall is open from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 1; and from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2. The AVMA convention is also a time to give back. Nearly 100 veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other attendees will …
FDA Seeks Comment On Sample Collection Plan For Dogs Treated With SlentrolJuly 28, 2010 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comment on the sample collection plan for dogs treated with the drug Slentrol, an anti-obesity drug approved for dogs. The deadline to comment is Monday, Sept. 27, 2010. The plan includes a pharmacogenomic study to examine whether adverse drug events experienced with Slentrol are associated with genetic variations in the dogs treated. Preliminary analysis by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has indicated potential correlations between dog breeds and some adverse drug events. The study would collect a blood sample and buccal swab from animals that have been treated with Slentrol and experienced specific adverse drug events (i.e. reactors) and animals that have been treated with Slentrol and that have not experienced adverse drug events (i.e. controls). The samples would be analyzed by the FDA using microarray analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis to determine possible genetic variations associated with the adverse drug events reported. If this project identifies definite genotype mutations associated with drug response, CVM would potentially have a scientific basis for modifying recommendations with regard to Slentrol use, according to the FDA. The FDA reported that its goal is to …
Free Phone Service Connects Travelers To Nearest ER Vet ClinicJuly 28, 2010 After Hours Assurance, a service of Atlanta-based On Call Solutions, has partnered with HealthyPet Magazine to provide a free phone service that connects travelers with the nearest emergency veterinary clinic. Pet owners who call 800-204-4595 and provide the zip code, or city and state of their current location, will receive contact information for local veterinary clinics offering emergency services. The nationwide service is available free of charge from Aug. 1 through Labor Day (Sept. 6), peak travel dates, according to Derrick Pittman, chief operating officer of On Call Solutions. Although, they are considering extending the service beyond these dates for paying customers, he said. Brad Carmichael, DVM, chief executive officer of On Call Solutions, said “Emergency preparedness, which includes knowing how to locate a clinic if immediate medical attention is needed, is key to planning travel with a pet. Being in unfamiliar places can lead to emergency situations where minutes can be the difference between life and death. It’s important that travelers have access to help if they require it.” Dr. Carmichael is also the owner of Pleasant Valley Veterinary Clinic in McMurray, Pa. A “Traveling with your Pet Checklist,” which includes a wallet-sized …
FDA Solicits Public Comment On Proposal To Track Pet Food-Related IllnessesJuly 27, 2010 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking public comment on a proposal to implement a new Web-based system to track pet illnesses associated with pet food. The deadline to comment is Monday, Sept. 27, 2010. As proposed, the Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet) would be a secure, Internet-based network of FDA officials and other federal and state agencies that have authority over pet food. Network members would be able to receive and create alerts about pet food incidents. When reporting incidents, PETNet members would be asked to include the species involved, clinical signs, number of animals exposed, number of animals affected, name and type of pet food involved, and the manufacturer and distributor of the pet food, among other items. The information would be used to help federal and state regulators determine how best to use their resources to prevent or quickly limit the adverse events caused by adulterated pet food. The idea for PETNet originated two years ago in the wake of the mass pet food recalls. At that time, a group of veterinarians, animal feed regulators and others involved in animal health issues proposed PETNet as a way to identify, track and …
