NASC Launches Quality Seal ProgramApril 17, 2009 In an effort to help consumers identify reputable animal supplement companies, the National Animal Supplement Council is now allowing select companies to display a NASC Quality Seal on their products. Permission to use of the logo is contingent on companies’ undergoing and meeting the requirements of independent facility audits, which are on-site inspections that the NASC recently began conducting. NASC member companies wishing to use the NASC seal must demonstrate during the audits that they comply with council requirements, which include: using acceptable statements on labels, Web sites and marketing materials; having an adverse-event reporting system in place; following quality-control procedures in their production processes; and adhering to any additional recommendations made by the NASC’s scientific advisory committee or the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. <HOME>
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Bayer Names New VP Of Marketing For Companion Animal ProductsApril 17, 2009 Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan., recently named Peter Ryan as vice president of marketing for companion animal products. Ryan, who is also a member of the company’s Management Committee, will be responsible for the development and implementation of operational and strategic initiatives for all U.S. companion animal brands, including Advantage Multi, K9 Advantix, Drontal and Baytril. Most recently, Ryan served as a consultant, providing strategy and management support to start-up and established companies and brands. He has also served as vice president and general manager of Colgate-Palmolive’s U.S. Home Care business and spent 15 years in senior marketing positions at Unilever HPC. In related news, Bayer Animal Health has ramped up its swine team. Andy Holtcamp, DVM, is a new member of the Veterinary Technical Services group and Jim Lovin and Mark Hux has joined the company as Technical Sales Specialists. Dr. Holtcamp has almost 20 years of swine industry experience, including owning and managing a farrow to finish unit and serving as the staff veterinarian and supervisor of a research farm for Iowa Select Farms Inc. Lovin has more than 25 …
ImproMed To Host Employee Management Webinar SeriesApril 17, 2009ImproMed Inc. of Oshkosh, Wis., will be hosting a new Business Webinar series called "Employee Management for the Veterinary Professional" beginning Feb. 22. It will run every Friday through March 14. The hour-long sessions begin at 11 a.m. CST. The series will be presented by Angela Detjen, the human resources director at Employment & Training Centers Inc. of Houston. Topics include "Talent Selection," "Performance Reviews," Cultivating Talent" and Managing Poor Performers." Each session includes public chat, question and answer and polling services. Attendees can earn four continuing education credits through the American Assn. of Veterinary State Boards. For details, visit ImproMed's Infinity Community Access Network (iCAN) at www.impromed.com or call Matthew Huhn at 800-925-7171. <HOME>
VSPN Schedules Course About Managing The Front DeskApril 17, 2009The Veterinary Support Personnel Network (VSPN) will host the online course "Emergency and Specialty Practice: Managing the Front Desk Module 4" on Thursdays May 7, 14, 21 and 28, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The course, taught by Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR, president of the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Practice Association, is designed for office managers and supervisors, and all veterinary front office staff members that are involved in developing policy and protocol for the operation of the front office in an emergency or specialty practice. According to the course description, "This course will explore how to successfully recruit and train the front office team of the emergency or specialty practice, utilizing a customized code of conduct for this niche of veterinary medicine. The course will explore many of the complicated issues involved in establishing policies related to the delivery of excellent client service to both the pet owner and the referring community." The course will consist of four 60-minute real time sessions; library materials supplementing the required reading; multiple choice quizzes; a cumulative final exam online; and interactive message board discussions. Participants are eligible for four hours of continuing education.
It’s A War Of Will And Cash As New Therapies Go To MarketApril 17, 2009 Someday soon, Craig Woods hopes to measure the success of his fledgling venture against the ultimate corporate benchmark: profitability. But for now, a more modest goal drives him. “I’d like to be able to pay my employees,” says Woods, DVM, MS, MBA, chief executive officer of Imulan BioTherapeutics of Prescott, Ariz., a company seeking to develop immunotherapies for veterinary medicine. Welcome to the crucible that is today’s veterinary pharmaceutical and bioscience proving ground. The hurdles are many as potential breakthroughs progress from concept to product, enduring multiple phases of testing and myriad strains on resources. The promised land is marketability and the prospect of healthy and sustainable returns on investment. But getting there means clearing the ultimate barrier–regulatory approval. And that can be the most taxing test of all. Until that goal is reached, a small privately held company like Imulan exists largely on a diet of sweat equity and faith. “We started 4-1/2 years ago on a wing and a prayer,” Dr. Woods says. “My whole team has worked without compensation, giving up evenings and weekends to advance veterinary medicine. “It’s not just altruistic–our goal is to be profitable. But (going …
AVMA Adds Disaster Preparedness Info To WebsiteApril 17, 2009 The American Veterinary Medical Assn. has added articles highlighting disaster preparedness and response to its AVMA Collections. Articles include the veterinarian’s role in preparedness and response, biosecurity and bioterrorism preparedness, search-and-rescue dogs and preparedness and response policy. “Veterinarians have a vital role in protecting both humans and animals during and after disasters,” said Janis Audin, DVM, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. “The Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005 called attention to the fact that preplanning failed to take into account the human-animal bond. This failure put people and animals at risk. Already, events in 2008 are showing us that the potential for disaster exists everywhere.” AVMA Collections was created to offer veterinary professionals and the public articles organized by topic or subject from the JAVMA and the American Journal of Veterinary Research. <HOME>
University Of Maryland Schedules Horse ConferenceApril 17, 2009 The University of Maryland is holding its 3rd annual Maryland Horse Conference on Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at Montgomery College in Germantown, MD. The conference, designed for veterinarians, trainers, horse breeders and horse owners, will include topics such as bit selection and use, management of foot problems, the use of horses to improve child development skills, broodmare management, first time horse ownership, pasture management, horse facility improvements, hay quality and selection, horse farm drought management and equine business management. The keynote speaker, Clint Depew, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Louisiana State University, will speak about building confidence in horse and rider. Dr. Depew’s projects include advancing the Master Horseman project, which he founded to improve the skills and knowledge of advanced horsemen and to encourage them to become volunteer teachers within the equine community. For registration information, contact Kelly Brannan at 301-405-8746, by email at kbrannan@umd.edu, or visit the Equine Studies Web site. <HOME>
AKC Poll: Dog Owners Spend $2,500 Annually On PetApril 17, 2009 September 20, 2004 A "responsible" dog owner should expect to spend nearly $2,500 each year on a pet’s food, veterinary care, grooming and other needs, reports the American Kennel Club. In conjunction with its celebration of Responsible Dog Ownership Day in September, the AKC conducted an online poll to see how much dog owners spend annually on their animals. The survey also took into consideration one-time expenses such as purchase/adoption fees and spaying/neutering a pet. The AKC does not purport that its survey of 1,001 self-selected respondents is representative of the overall population. According to the club, 76 percent of respondents were female, mainly between the ages of 35-47. Thirty-four percent lived in a suburb, and 28 percent lived in an urban area. Of the respondents, who spent an average of $646 to purchase or adopt their dog, more than 40 percent owned large dogs such as a Labrador or golden retriever. The price of owning and caring for the dog generally decreased with size, with the exception of medium-sized dogs, which cost slightly more to maintain than large breeds ($2,628 versus $2,569 annually). Forty-seven percent said the cost would not deter them from …
L.A. To Mandate Sterilization Of Cats, DogsApril 17, 2009 The Los Angeles City Council voted last Friday in favor of adopting an ordinance that would require pet owners to sterilize their dogs and cats. Consideration of the legislation drew a deeply divided crowd with people speaking for and against the ordinance. After community input, the council voted 10-1 in favor of the ordinance. The legislation must go through a second reading later this week before it can take effect, but it is expected to pass. The ordinance would require most dogs and cats ages 4 months and older to undergo sterilization. Exemptions would be available for show dogs, service animals, animals of licensed breeders, or those whose veterinarians say the procedure is unsafe for the animal. Intact pets would be required to have a microchip implanted. Supporters of the bill tout it as a way to reduce the number of animals entering shelters where many are then euthanized. Bob Barker, the former host of the television game show “The Price is Right,” attended the council meeting and spoke in favor of the legislation. “I think it’s obvious to all of us that mandatory spay/neuter is a necessity,” Barker said. “For decades, I closed every …
Bramton Acquires Veterinarian’s BestApril 17, 2009 Dallas-based The Bramton Company has acquired Veterinarian’s Best Inc., a company that designs, manufactures, markets and distributes veterinarian-developed natural pet-care products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Dawn Curie Thomas, DVM, co-founder and president of Veterinarian’s Best, initially began developing skin care products for her dermatology clinic, Southern California Veterinary Hospital & Animal Skin Clinic, in Los Angeles. Products now include shampoos, topical sprays and foams, nutraceuticals, ear care products, natural flea and tick control products and dental products. The Bramton Company’s product line includes products that assist in housetraining, waste pickup and eliminating pet stains and odors, with brands such as Simple Solution and Bags on Board. <HOME>
