Potential Salmonella Contamination Spurs Recall Of Dry Pet Food ProductsApril 17, 2009Due to potential contamination with Salmonella Schwarzengrund, Mars Petcare U.S. has issued a voluntary recall of all products manufactured at its Everson, Penn., facility between Feb. 18 and July 29. The recall affects 31 states and includes brands such as Pedigree, Country Acres, Members Mark, Retriever, Red Flannel, Special Kitty, Doggy Bag, Natural, Ol' Roy, Paws & Claws, Wegman's, Pet Pride and PMI Nutrition. "Even though no direct link between products produced at the Everson manufacturing plant and human or pet illness has been made, we are taking this precautionary action to protect pets and their owners," said Catherine Woteki, global director of Scientific Affairs at Mars Inc. "We are continuing to work collaboratively with the FDA to determine the nature and source of Salmonella Schwarzengrund at the Everson facility, and are committed to making sure our consumers and customers have the information they need regarding our voluntary recall." The company said it stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29 when it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund. Mars Petcare points out that many of the brands involved in the …
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Feline Nutrition: In Search Of Top PerformanceApril 17, 2009 Indeed, veterinary concerns related to struvite and calcium oxalate uroliths, and the difficulties in managing each, have been recognized by many veterinary diet manufacturers. Royal Canin Veterinary Diets in St. Charles, Mo., for example, has used the relative supersaturation (RSS) urinalysis technique, adapted from human medicine, as a means of measuring ion saturation in feline urine samples to predict the chance that struvite and calcium oxalate crystals will form. With such data in hand, the company formulates its Urinary S/O diets to promote a urinary environment unfavorable to the development of both types of crystals. “Using RSS is a lot more effective than just looking at pH,” says Brent Mayabb, DVM, technical services manager for Royal Canin. “Veterinarians have had a lot of success managing struvite according to dietary pH, but it isn’t the driving factor with calcium oxalate. So in practice, veterinarians may see cats that constantly go back and forth between stone types. Those cats can be hard to manage medically, especially if the cat is a picky eater.” These are the uroliths retrieved from the bladder of the cat pictured in the radiograph. They were removed non-surgically …
Dental Health Campaign Under WayApril 17, 2009 The 15th Annual Pets Need Dental Care, Too campaign launched Nov. 24. The aim of the campaign, which coincides with National Pet Dental Month in February, is to encourage veterinary health care teams to talk with clients about scheduling regular professional oral health exams for their pets and to establish a home dental care routine. Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan., one of the campaign sponsors, will provide free kits to veterinary hospitals starting in early December. The kits contain pet owner invitation postcards, pet owner guides with report cards, information on Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d brand pet food, a mouse pad and a 2009 Pet Dental Awareness Contest entry form. All pet hospitals that conduct activities to promote pet dental health are eligible to enter the contest. Entries will be judged based on effective use of the kit materials, a case study of a pet helped during the campaign, integration of dental care by the pet hospital during and after the campaign, creative ideas and execution, and community outreach efforts. The first-place winner will get $2,000; second place, $1,000; and third place, $500. Seven other winners will receive membership …
Success In Your Practice Is A Matter Of TimingApril 17, 2009 Let’s say you’re interested in expanding the range of services your practice offers. You enjoy doing dentistry and you know from experience that a lot of your patients, young and old, need better dental care. You also know that dental care is a promising growth area in your practice in an era when clients expect better service for their money. So you have a wonderful idea: You are going to sign up for an extensive course in dentistry and learn the ins and outs of high-quality dental care. You find an appropriate course and take the time to participate in it. You are eager to learn and really get involved with the course material. At the end of the course you invest in more advanced dental equipment and train your staff to use it effectively. You are ready for business. You go to work after the weekend, all excited. This is the day things are going to change in your practice. With great enthusiasm, you offer your clients better dental care for their pets. You recommend having it done today so that your clients can feel the urgency in taking care of their pets’ dental disease. …
Merial Obtains Rights To Imugene Vector TechnologyApril 17, 2009 In a new agreement to commence Dec. 31, Merial will obtain exclusive rights to Imugene vector technology. Imugene is an Australian-based company that specializes in the development and commercialization of animal health products for pigs and poultry. Under the agreement, Merial will develop vaccine candidates from Imugene’s portfolio through the product development process to global sales. Additional vaccine candidates will be evaluated for proof of concept and, if successful, will also progress into the product development process. Specifically, the terms of the agreement include the Poultry Productivity Enhancer previously sublicensed to Merial, which will now move forward with other FAV (Fowl Adeno Virus) and PAV (Porcine Adeno Virus) vectored vaccine candidates already researched by Imugene and additional vaccine candidates to be disclosed by Merial. Imugene has received an initial payment for future research and the reimbursement of past research fees. “We are very pleased to enter this new phase of our relationship with Imugene,” said Bob Nordgren, global head of Merial Biologics. “This exclusive strategic alliance and licensing agreement gives Merial access to important technology for our innovation of new approaches that could allow our veterinarian customers innovative …
Oxyglobin Buys Time While Awaiting BloodApril 17, 2009 Biopure Corp. in Cambridge, Mass., recently reported that it will ramp up its production of Oxyglobin, the only oxygen therapeutic to receive marketing clearance from the U.S. FDA and the European Commission for veterinary use. The product, which is indicated for the treatment of canine anemia, has been severely limited in supply for the past four years. “It’s a product that has been sorely missed,” says Patricia Kaufman, director of Animal Blood Bank Inc. “It takes pressure off veterinarians because a lot of them can’t keep blood on hand. Blood is an expensive product that you can’t afford to just throw out if you don’t use it. Oxyglobin, on the other hand, has a long shelf life, and it fills that 24-hour gap between needing a blood product and being able to get it.” Anne Hale, DVM, owner and director of Midwest Animal Blood Services Inc. in Stockbridge, Mich., says that veterinary blood banks see Oxyglobin as a great opportunity to provide immediate-need oxygen transport to patients. “This product doesn’t preclude the use of blood components prepared at the blood banks but enhances our ability to provide immediate life-saving therapy to our veterinary …
New Award Honors Senator John MelcherApril 17, 2009 The Assn. of American Veterinary Medical Colleges has established the AAVMC Senator John Melcher, DVM, Leadership in Public Policy Award. “Senator John Melcher is a veterinary medicine icon in the public policy arena,” said Lawrence Heider, DVM, AAVMC’s executive director. “For the past 17 years he has tirelessly advocated for veterinary medicine on Capitol Hill and at the White House. He has influenced every piece of federal legislation that has an impact on veterinarians over the past 38 years. We are proud to mark his tireless efforts on behalf of our profession with this award.” Beginning in 2008, the award will be presented to a current or former faculty or staff member at an AAVMC member institution. <HOME>
Cremains Create Moments Of EmotionApril 17, 2009 The return of a beloved pet's ashes to the owner after cremation can be a very delicate moment. Below is a letter from Laurel Hunt, who edited and compiled two anthologies of memorial pet poetry, “Angel Pawprints” for dogs and “Angel Whiskers” for cats, available at Amazon.com. Hi Alice, Having recently lost Byron, my 14-year-old springer spaniel, I had that experience of dealing with cremains again. I know what an emotionally difficult moment it is and would like you to write about it. I remember when you were treating Marmaduke and I was silently agonizing over what to do with her body when the time came. I didn't know of any place to bury her so I had gotten as far as figuring we would have her cremated, but then what? I knew we would move from that house and I hated the thought of burying her ashes there and leaving her behind. One afternoon you asked gently, ‘Have you thought about where you will bury her?’ I said, ’I guess we'll have her cremated, but I don't know what to do with the ashes.” …
PetMed Express Calls Class Action Suits ‘Frivolous’April 17, 2009 PetMed Express officials are denying the allegations of wrongdoing being levied against the company and several of its officers and directors in a series of class action lawsuits. The company, calling the legal actions "frivolous," reports it intends to vigorously defend itself. Among the list of charges, the lawsuits, which at press time had been filed by nearly a dozen law firms on the behalf of PetMed investors, allege the company violated the Securities Exchange Act by failing to disclose that the company’s business model relies on the cooperation of veterinarians, PetMed’s competitors, to fill prescriptions. Lawsuits also allege that the company "could not guarantee the quality, safety or efficacy of PetMed drugs because, as an unauthorized reseller of many products, the company had to obtain such products through unauthorized channels, prompting veterinarians to refuse refilling prescriptions through PetMed." The lawsuits claim the result of this was that PetMed’s financial results were not sustainable, which caused the company’s stock to trade at artificially high prices. The suits allege that during this period of stock inflation, insiders and defendants sold almost $65 million in privately held PetMed stock. PetMed, responding to allegations, states, "PetMed Express has …
Teva To Sell Israeli Vet BusinessApril 17, 2009 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Israeli-based veterinary business unit to Phibro Animal Health Corp. of Ridgefield Park, N.J., for $47 million. The transaction, still subject to certain conditions, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2009. The unit develops, manufacturers and markets veterinary products for poultry and other large farm animals, both in Israel and internationally, including Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Phibro Animal Health has a subsidiary, Koffolk, in Israel. <HOME>
