Idexx Laboratories Reports Revenue GrowthMarch 4, 2010 Idexx Laboratories Inc. of Westbrook, Maine has reported that revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 increased 11 percent to $270.3 million, from $243.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ayers said Idexx showed a strong fourth quarter that beat expectations. “Organic revenue growth, led by our Companion Animal Group, increased modestly to 6 percent, as strong demand for certain products such as our Catalyst Dx chemistry analyzer offset continued economic weakness and soft consumer spending.” Organic revenue growth, the company said, excludes the impact of changes in currency exchange rates, which contributed about 5 percent to revenue growth, and revenue from businesses acquired or divested subsequent to the beginning of the prior year period, which had minimal impact on revenue growth. The Companion Animal Group (CAG) revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 were $217.9 million compared to $196.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates and revenues from a recently acquired business contributed approximately 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively, to revenue growth. Organic growth of 6 percent was the result of increased sales volume, mainly in the Idexx VetLab and laboratory …
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Lilly Reports Revenue Growth, Comfortis Sales StrongMarch 4, 2010 Eli Lilly and Co. reported financial growth for the fourth quarter and full year of 2009. Worldwide sales of animal health products in the fourth quarter of 2009 hit $353.1 million, an increase of 8 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the drug maker based in Indianapolis. The company said its Comfortis (spinosad) dog flea product has contributed to a 1 percent growth in U.S. sales, to $187.7 million, mainly because of higher prices and increased sales of the product. However, that is partially offset by lower demand of other animal health products. Sales outside the U.S. increased 17 percent, to $165.5 million, driven primarily by increased demand and, to a lesser extent, the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates, the company said. For the full-year of 2009, worldwide animal health sales increased 10 percent to $1.207 billion. U.S. animal health sales for 2009 were $672.2 million; a 25 percent increase credited to the inclusion of sales from the dairy cow supplement Posilac (sometribove) acquisition made in October 2008. Animal health sales outside the U.S. were $535.0 million, a 4 percent decrease caused by the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates. …
Profits Up Sharply At Iams, Flat At Hill’sMarch 4, 2010 Procter & Gamble Co. reported a sharp increase in net profit for its snack and pet food unit, which includes Iams and Eukanuba pet foods, while rival Colgate-Palmolive showed relatively flat operating profit for its Hill’s Pet Nutrition business for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009. P&G reported net earnings for its snacks and pet care business increased 56 percent for its second quarter to $98 million, a spike driven by price increases, lower commodity costs and manufacturing cost savings. Net sales for the unit increased six percent to $835 million while volume sales edged up by 1 percent. Pet care volume for the quarter increased in the mid-single digits, boosted by product initiatives and increased promotional activity; human snacks volume declined by the low-single digits, P&G reported. “Pet care delivered solid volume growth in the mid-single digits behind the continued strength of the Iams Proactive Health, Iams Premium Protection and Eukanuba Naturally Wild initiative,” said Teri List, P&G senior vice president and treasurer during the company’s second quarter conference call with financial analysts. “P&G all outlet share of the pet nutrition business is up versus prior year and is approaching 10 percent.” Year-to-date, snack and …
New Cancer Research May Benefit AnimalsMarch 4, 2010 A partnership between Colorado State University and Japan is expected to pave the way for new cancer treatments for naturally occurring tumors in larger animals such as cats and dogs as well as in humans. The university will focus on carbon ion therapy for the treatment of multiple cancers and look at medicinal chemistry therapy¬--the use of naturally occurring chemicals such as antioxidants--as a way to boost the effectiveness of carbon ion therapy. “This partnership also allows us to create an international open laboratory that will be a platform for other U.S. researchers with expertise in cancer and toxicology to connect with the knowledge and resources available in Japan, the world leader in this new field of research,” said Jac Nickoloff, head of CSU’s Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences. A trilogy of cancer expertise from College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is involved: Animal Cancer Center, the newly launched international Center for Environmental Medicine and the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences. The Center for Environmental Medicine, which will house the new research program, launched in 2008 at CSU in partnership with Japan during a trade mission trip. Counterparts in Japan …
Forward Thinker: Edward J. Robb, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVNMarch 4, 2010 Early in his career as a veterinarian, with a few years of clinical practice under his belt, Edward J. Robb had a job interview with a veterinary pharmaceutical company. When asked why he wanted to go into product development, he gave a standard interview response, something non-committal about how interesting the job sounded. “And (the interviewer) looked at me and said, ‘You’re wrong,’ ” says Robb, DVM, MS. What did the prospective employer say his answer should have been? Robb paraphrases: “This is one of the few aspects in veterinary medicine where you can tackle projects that are bigger than one person can ever effect.” That simple statement made sense to the young veterinarian. He soon launched a career in which he has overseen the development of dozens of animal-health products, including Naxcel. And today, as vice president of research and development for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. in St. Joseph, Mo., Robb leads more than 200 team members, all working on new pharmaceutical and biological products under the motto “Value Through Innovation.” “New vaccines and pharmaceuticals can change how we practice, and when that happens it makes an old way of doing things obsolete, or …
American Humane: Every Day Is Tag DayMarch 3, 2010Starting on April 3, the American Humane Association (AHA) kicks off its “Every Day Is Tag Day” annual event to encourage pet owners to tag and microchip their cats and dogs so that a lost pet has a better chance of being recovered, the AHA said. The organization dedicated to protecting children and animals cites the 9 million lost pets that arrive at U.S. shelters each year as the reason behind this awareness campaign. About 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats without ID tag or microchip are recovered, the AHA said. Most lost pets without identification are not reunited with their families, said Dena Fitzgerald, American Humane’s spokeswoman. “At the very least, every cat and dog needs a collar and ID tag, but the best solution is to also microchip your pet for permanent identification,” she said. The AHA offers the following ways to give lost animals a better chance of returning home: Remember that indoor pets also need tags and microchips. Many strays in shelters are indoor pets that got lost. . Make sure pets wear a collar with a current ID tag, rabies tag and city license. Include a contact name, address …
No Such Thing As Negative ExploratoryMarch 2, 2010 You may have heard this saying: “If you don’t have negative exploratory laparotomies, you’re not doing enough of them.” The idea is to encourage practitioners to recommend abdominal surgery on patients who don’t have a definitive diagnosis quite yet. For example, a patient could have unexplained vomiting or a suspicion of foreign body ingestion. “Take this patient to surgery,” goes the advice, “because the risks of procrastinating outweigh the risks of missing a correctable condition.” In other words, a negative exploratory laparotomy is acceptable. Well, this columnist humbly disagrees. Systematic Approach We have already discussed the art of performing a thorough exploratory laparotomy [“Secrets of a Successful Exploratory Laparotomy,” February 2008]. Missing a foreign body, enlarged lymph nodes or distended gallbladder is avoided by following a systematic approach. Making an abdominal incision that is long enough is also critical. This will allow careful observation and palpation of the liver cranially, the bladder caudally, and all organs in between. Still, there should be no such thing as a negative exploratory. If you don’t find anything grossly abnormal or fixable or removable, then you should at least take some biopsies and …
MDs As Clients: Vet’s Worst NightmareMarch 2, 2010 If there’s one discrete class of client that gives veterinarians pause more than any other it’s the human physician. This may sound profoundly unfair, yet nine of 10 surveyed vets agree they’re among the most difficult pet owners to handle. As far back as veterinary school, our professors drilled us on issues we should beware should our animal patients come with an on-the-side, at-home clinician in tow. Making medical decisions for their pets in our stead was their specialty, we were told. Fifteen years of experience in this arena has not yet proved my profs wrong. Human docs are far more likely to bring on the stress than any other kind of client. But I’ll give them this: Those who don’t come with a cloud over their heads tend to join my A-plus crowd of clients. You just never know which it’ll be. So what’s up with that, you ask? Here’s the biggest issue: Physicians, often feeling themselves capable of treating diarrhea, pain, fevers or simple infections, have a reputation for giving inappropriate drugs or administering human-style treatments based on off-the-mark presumptive diagnoses. Most of the time these actions are benign or merely …
Veterinary Services Lead U.S. Pet Market; More Growth ExpectedMarch 2, 2010 The U.S. pet market grew to $53 billion in 2009 and overall sales are expected to continue to increase over the next few years, according to a report released March 2 by market research publisher Packaged Facts. “U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2010-2011: Tapping into Post-Recession Pet Parent Spending” projects U.S. pet market retail sales and trends overall in four core categories: veterinary services, pet food, non-food pet supplies and non-medical pet services. The report found that sales of all pet products and services rose 5 percent in 2009 to $53 billion, with sales of veterinary services increasing the most to $18.40 billion. Moreover, pent-up pet owner demand for products and services that both enhance pet health and pamper animal companions will begin to kick in during 2010, according to the report. “The pet market has fared well overall despite the recession, and Packaged Facts attributes this performance to a number of factors that will also be integral to its even better performance in 2010 and 2011,” said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. “Chief among these factors is the human-animal bond, which is an excellent insulator against recessionary cutbacks, and the ‘pet parent’ sentiment has never been …
Behavior Expertise Can Generate RevenueMarch 1, 2010 It’s not uncommon for clients to ask a veterinarian about their dogs’ behavior. While most veterinarians refer their clients to trainers, a new AAVSB-approved continuing education program developed by a canine behavior specialist and author of “Good Dog!” means veterinarians, technicians and assistants can address the behavior themselves, possibly increasing overhead at the same time. “The ASPCA reports that 42 percent of dogs acquired in the U.S. annually are surrendered in the first year of life because of behavior,” says the behaviorist, Donna Chandler. “If veterinarians take behavior training into their clinics, not only will the dog remain in the family, but the veterinarian will keep the client. “No one has to lose if there is someone on the staff who can help.” Jeanette Raikos, DVM, of VCA West 86th Street Animal Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind., notes that relinquishment is a big problem. “So we are pre-emptive,” she says. “If we have a first-time dog owner, we’ll help them start out right so they don’t have a problem down the line. We have Donna come in and conduct classes here, and then she follows up with the patients at home. “Having someone on staff …
