Jack Is Back With SkeeterApril 17, 2009 Dr. Jack Stephens is one of our profession's most deeply bonded veterinarians, an icon in the pet health insurance industry and a 15-year cancer survivor. He graduated from Missouri in the early '70s but it was during his cancer treatments in 1990 that Jack came to realize the intrinsic value and healing power of the human-animal bond. Jack witnessed the loyalty and companionship of Spanky, one of his wife's miniature Pinschers. Jack aligned himself with his own big dogs but it was little Spanky who stayed at his bedside during six months of his cancer therapy and recuperation. "Spanky was the catalyst for my focusing on something else besides the cancer," Jack said. "He wouldn't let me feel sorry for myself. Without any words, Spanky just knew when I needed him to come and be affectionate and he knew when I needed him to keep his distance and give me space. "He would simply sit off a distance and watch me. He knew my needs and moods. "There were days I didn't think I had the strength to brush my teeth, but his persistent nagging for a walk would get me outside, so …
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Menu Recalls More Than 200 Additional Cat, Dog FoodsApril 17, 2009 On Wednesday, Menu Foods recalled 200-plus additional pet food products that might have been contaminated by melamine-tainted items made at its plants during the same time period. The additional recalled products were not made with the melamine-laced wheat gluten that prompted Menu’s initial recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food but testing and one consumer complaint indicate cross-contamination, the company said. Some previously recalled items also include expanded production dates. The expanded recall involves dog and cat food sold in the United States, Canada as well as two European varieties. The list of additional Menu Foods-recalled items can be found at www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/menu05_07.html. The Canadian-based manufacturer also revised its expected losses related to the recall from $30 to $40 million to $40 to $45 million. Last week, Menu Foods said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had searched its Emporia, Kan., plant. Menu Foods said it was also notified that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Kansas was exploring whether or not the pet food manufacturer had committed a misdemeanor by violating the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. The state of Missouri had launched a similar investigation, …
AVMA’s One Health Initiative Receives Rockefeller Foundation GrantApril 17, 2009 The Rockefeller Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s One Health Initiative, which is dedicated to fighting zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza and West Nile virus. The money will help establish a National One Health Commission and a global One Health Initiative dedicated to attaining optimal human, animal and environmental health through the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally and globally. The initiative began in 2006 as part of the presidential agenda of then-AVMA president Roger Mahr, DVM. A year later, the American Medical Association became a partner and an active stakeholder in laying the foundation for and developing the principles of the One Health approach. “Multiple stakeholder partners have now joined the initial collaborative relationship between the AVMA and AMA,” said Dr. Mahr, who is the project director for the steering committee. “This grant from the Rockefeller Foundation provides an even greater opportunity to ensure the success of this initiative as we strive to improve the health of people, animals and our environment worldwide.” The committee now has almost 20 participating member organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, …
Organized Options For Relief ServicesApril 17, 2009 Why Relief Vets Are Needed Monica Hughes, director of operations for Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners, offers these common reasons veterinary clinics seek relief services: To supplement existing staff during peak seasons or busy days To give a sole-proprietor veterinarian a weekday off To cover for a vacation To cover for a medical leave or illness To cover a maternity leave To bridge the gap until a new associate is hired To cover a clinic after a death For example, Relief Services for Veterinary Practitioners promotes itself as the largest veterinary staffing agency in the nation. Founded in 1992 by David Grant, DVM, in Denton, Texas, RSVP began servicing the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with relief veterinarians and has expanded to cover the entire state and surrounding regions. Dr. Grant says that in its 16 years of operation, RSVP has filled more than 65,000 relief shifts. The company regularly places more than 50 veterinarians and a dozen technicians in more than 500 hospitals across Texas. VetSolutions LLC, serving Los Angeles and eastern Tennessee, operates under a similar business model. Operations manager Ryan Jurgensmeyer, LVT, says several organizations …
Complementary Medicine Footnotes July 2007April 17, 2009 1. Polzin DJ, Osborne CA, Haden DW, et al. Influence of reduced protein diets on morbidity, mortality, and renal function in dogs with induced chronic renal failure. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 1984; 45(3):506-517. Cited in: Pugliese A, Gruppillo A, and Di Pietro S. Clinical nutrition in gerontology: chronic renal disorders of the dog and cat. Veterinary Research Communications. 2005;29(Suppl. 2):57-63. 2. Freeman LM, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et al. Disease prevalence among dogs and cats in the United States and Australia and proportions of dogs and cats that receive therapeutic diets or dietary supplements. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;229:531-534. 3. Lana SE, Kogan LR, Crump KA, Graham JT, Robinson NG. The use of complementary and alternative therapies in dogs and cats with cancer. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2006;42:361-365. 4. Freeman LM, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et al. Disease prevalence among dogs and cats in the United States and Australia and proportions of dogs and cats that receive therapeutic diets or dietary supplements. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;229:531-534. 5. Cited in: Pugliese A, Gruppillo A, and Di Pietro S. Clinical nutrition in gerontology: chronic renal disorders of the dog and cat. Veterinary Research …
Anticipatory Grief Complexes Cancer ManagementApril 17, 2009 She had a Kleenex in her trembling hand and was on the verge of tears when I entered the room. She burst into tears as we discussed the biopsy and the overall poor prognosis. She could not hold herself back from intense feelings of loss and injustice and regret. She told me that she just loved her dog and that she did not want her to suffer from the awful cancer that had invaded the base of her tongue. She declined surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy (which would have only been palliative anyway). She said that even though Dori had lost 17 pounds and had trouble eating, she was still behaving close to normal and was cheerful in every other way. So she wanted me to do what ever I could do to help Dori live a quality life. I introduced the concept of end of life care. I like to call this phase of cancer care, “Pawspice” in honor of Hospice, the home care system set up for people with terminal illness. We talked about recognizing and learning to correct the 3 H’s (Hunger, Hydration and Hurt). Then she burst out into extreme grief with …
Hill’s Sales Up, While Recall Weighs On IamsApril 17, 2009 Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s sales grew 12 percent and unit volume grew 5 percent in its third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2007, while Procter & Gamble Co. attributed a 2 percent drop in pet food volume primarily to “continued negative impacts from the voluntary wet pet food recall” during the quarter. Hill’s parent Colgate-Palmolive Co. reported consumption growth and market share gains in the U.S. pet specialty channel for the quarter were driven by strong sales of Science Diet Canine Large Breed, Science Diet Canine Lamb & Rice Small Bites, Science Diet Indoor Cat and Science Diet Light (feline) and the relaunch of Science Diet Canine Nature’s Best. In the U.S. veterinary channel, Hill’s growth was driven by Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Feline, Prescription Diet d/d Canine and Prescription Diet j/c Canine. Internationally, the company reported strong growth in Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia and France. Net products overseas included Science Plan Feline Chunks in Gravy pouches, a veterinary exclusive Science Plan Neutered Cat and Prescription Diet j/d Canine and Feline. With sales of $464.3 million for the quarter and $1.4 billion year-to-date, pet …
Industry People On The MoveApril 17, 2009 • Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., has named Lynne Miller as its compliance director. Miller, who has experience in insurance regulatory compliance and claims litigation, will be responsible for assessing, improving, administering and overseeing VPI’s Corporate Compliance Program. • Abaxis Inc.’s Chief Operations Officer Robert Milder has retired. Until the appointment of a new operations executive, President and Chief Executive Officer Clint Severson will oversee all operating functions. Abaxis is based in Union City, Calif. • ImproMed Inc. of Oshkosh, Wis., has named Dean Miller its new south central regional manager. Miller’s responsibilities will be to provide ImproMed products and services to veterinarians in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. • Urine-Off maker Bio-Pro Research LLC of Sarasota, Fla., pegged Richard Kaplan as its new president. Kaplan has spent the past 19 years with Levi Strauss and Co., ultimately becoming its national director of sales and retail marketing. • Alpharma Inc. of Bridgewater, N.J., has named Thomas Spellman III its executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Spellman has more than 10 years of pharmaceutical legal experience. He replaces the company’s incumbent chief legal officer, Robert Wrobel, who will be retiring following 10 years of …
Ohio Representatives Seek Statewide Pit Bull BanApril 17, 2009 Citing a “pit bull issue” in Ohio, two state representatives have forged a partnership to craft an approach that they said would put a stop to the vicious training of pit bulls. State Rep. Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati introduced legislation to ban residents from keeping dogs commonly known as pit bulls. If enacted, House Bill 568 would require owners of these dogs to surrender the animals to dog wardens for euthanization. State Rep. Shawn Webster of Hanover, a practicing veterinarian, agreed to work with Yates after the introduction of HB 568. The bill states “no person may own, keep, or harbor a dog that belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.” Owners would have 90 days after the bill goes into effect to surrender pit bulls to the dog warden of the county in which they reside. If there is probable cause to believe a person owns or is harboring or keeping a pit bull, the bill would make it OK for an officer to obtain a search warrant and seize the dog then turn it over to the dog warden. “I introduced legislation to ban pit bulls …
Wyeth’s Animal Health Reports 12% Revenue IncreaseApril 17, 2009 Wyeth’s worldwide animal health division recently reported a revenue increase of 12 percent to $313 million for the second quarter ended June 30. Year to date, the company reported a revenue increase of 6 percent to $590 million. The increases were primarily due to higher sales of poultry products and livestock products driven by Zulvac bluetongue vaccine as well as the favorable impact of foreign exchange. Higher sales of companion animal products, including ProMeris flea and tick products, contributed to the second quarter revenue increase. Partially offsetting these increases were lower sales of equine products. Overall, Wyeth reported net income of $1.12 billion on revenue of $5.95 billion for its second quarter, compared to net income of $1.2 billion on revenue of $5.65 billion in the year-ago period. Year to date, the company reported net income of $2.32 billion on revenue of $11.66 billion, compared to net income of $2.45 billion on revenue of $11.02 billion. Wyeth is the parent company of Fort Dodge Animal Health, which is based in Overland Park, Kan. <HOME>
