Abaxis University Schedules Online CE Course On RecessionNovember 24, 2008Abaxis University will host a free online continuing education course titled, "Recession - Proof Your Practice," at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (CST) Nov. 25. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians will learn how to discover where revenue is escaping and how to create and implement strategies to improve their net, according to the course description. The program, which provides 1.5 CE credits, will be taught by Mark Crootof, DVM. Dr. Crootof is a practice management consultant with Strategic Veterinary Consulting Inc. and is an editorial advisory board member for Veterinary Practice News. Registration is also open for Dec. 4, Jan. 6, Jan. 29 and Feb. 11. Click here for details. Abaxis University is part of Abaxis, based in Union City, Calif. <HOME>
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Reality of Veterinary Surgery ErgonomicsOne of the greatest challenges of Work-Related Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (WRMSD) is that they can come on slowly. They can be easy to ignore initially. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued ergonomic guidelines to help veterinarians catch problems early. + Learn More
Down Economy May Leave AFP Imaging Up For BidsOctober 29, 2008AFP Imaging of Elmsford, N.Y., said Wednesday that it is exploring additional investment capital, a merger or acquisition by another entity, as well as other alternatives to help improve shareholder value. "The company presently believes that AFP's current long term financing, as well as our foreign lines of credit, may not be sufficient to provide the required working capital to leverage its full potential and maximize all of the investments made to date," according a company statement said. AFP recently reported net loss of $11 million on revenue of $34.3 million for its fiscal year ending June 30, compared to net loss of $4.7 million on revenue of $28.7 million in the year-ago period. AFP said that since July, it has been negatively affected by the deterioration of credit availability. For instance, veterinarians who must finance their own capital equipment purchases are hesitating to commit to lease, purchase or invest in high tech products. "The uncertainty, reluctance or simple inability for the buyer to pay cash or finance equipment has resulted in the reduction of our current cash flow, especially during the first three and a half months of the new fiscal year," the company said. AFP, which celebrates …
Animal Response Teams Unite In Wake Of Hurricane GustavSeptember 3, 2008As of Wednesday, more than 1,000 animals were still being cared for at the Mega-Shelter in Shreveport, La., following Hurricane Gustav, which hit Labor Day weekend and destroyed about $2 billion to $10 billion in properties according to preliminary estimates. The Louisiana State Animal Response Team, the volunteer animal emergency response partner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, has been overseeing the evacuation and sheltering of animals with help from the American Humane Assn., the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Best Friends, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Noah's Wish, United Animal Nations, and the Humane Society of the United States, among others. The last time American Humane deployed to Louisiana for a major animal emergency response was following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Those experiences helped American Humane, among other animal organizations, better deal with Gustav, according to Debrah Schackenberg, senior director of the Animal Emergency Services for American Humane. "Knowing the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it's critical that we can provide residents a safe place for their animal before the storm hits, so residents don't hesitate to evacuate, and so they can focus on keeping themselves safe," Schackenberg said. …
Companies Step Up For Rabies Day ObservanceAugust 28, 2008World Rabies Day, to be observed Sept. 28, is building momentum since it was initiated last year by United Kingdom charity Alliance for Rabies Control and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the aid of 74 countries, the global initiative has helped educate more than 54.3 million people about animal and human rabies prevention. That number should increase this year, said Peter Costa, global communications coordinator for the World Rabies Day Campaign. At press time, events had been planned in at least 30 countries, but the number was expected to increase as the observance grew closer. To date, the campaign has received inquiries from 180 countries, nearly doubling the inquiries from last year, Costa said. "Not only is this a strong indicator of the need for this unifying campaign, it shows the potential for us to spread our message into parts of the world where rabies education is most needed," he said. Rabies claims the lives of about 55,000 people a year around the world, and one person dies from rabies every 10 minutes, a fact that has spurred so many companies, universities and nonprofits to climb on board.
AAEP Opposes The Soring Of Tennessee Walking HorsesAugust 7, 2008The American Assn. of Equine Practitioners has issued a white paper recommending the elimination of soring within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. AAEP defines soring as "the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait in horses for training or show purposes." The white paper, "Putting the Horse First: Veterinary Recommendations for Ending the Soring of Tennessee Walking Horses," includes the following guidance: Immediate institution of drug testing at every competition. . The abolishment of the Designated Qualified Persons Program and the establishment of a corps of independent veterinarians to conduct horse inspections and impose sanctions for violations of the Horse Protection Act. . The development of objective methods to detect soring in order to eliminate the current practice of conditioning horses to tolerate pressure applied to the limbs. . Establishment of a single industry organization that has governance responsibilities and sets and enforces uniform standards and regulations. . Reevaluation of judging standards. Although soring is prohibited by the federal Horse Protection Act of 1970, it continues within the industry, according to AAEP. For instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued 103 competitor violations …
Alltech Adds To Marketing StaffAugust 6, 2008Alltech of Lexington, Ky., has named Kathryn Norman its marketing coordinator. She previously worked as an intelligence analyst for the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. The company has also added four marketing interns--Matthew Mathis, Jessica Decker, Joseph Tunde and Paige Ishmael. Decker will perform market research in consumer branding and Tunde will research the application of Alltech's Sel-Plex in Africa, with a focus on nutrition and dietary supplementation targeting those with immuno-compromised conditions. <HOME>
Abaxis, Wyeth, Neogen, Schering-Plough, Pfizer, PetMed - 07-25-2008July 25, 2008Abaxis Inc. Abaxis Inc.’s veterinary division recently reported revenue of $16.61 million for its first quarter ended June 30, compared to revenue of $16.44 million in the year-ago period. Veterinary reagent disc sales for the first quarter were $10.4 million, a decrease of 6 percent from the year-ago period. “The slow economy did have a negative effect on our veterinary reagent disc business,” said Clint Severson, chairman and chief executive officer of Abaxis. “While the comparisons over the first fiscal quarter last year were difficult due to increased veterinary reagent disc sales because of the pet food scare and the fact we announced a price increase in the last quarter of fiscal 2008, clearly the economy has been a drag on our veterinary consumable sales. “The good news is that our Vetscan chemistry analyzer sales increased by 83 units or 25 percent over last year’s comparable quarter. Improving product quality and the fact that a Vetscan chemistry analyzer can make a veterinary practice more efficient in a difficult economy are two reasons for the increase.” Overall, Abaxis reported net income of $2.78 million on revenue of $24.57 million for its first quarter, compared to …
Alltech Creates Genetic-Based Antioxidant BoosterJune 25, 2008In what it is calling its first nutrigenomic breakthrough, Alltech, a developer and marketer of animal feed ingredients, reports it has created a product that will allow animal nutritionists to significantly reduce the level of increasingly expensive ingredients - such as antioxidant vitamins - without sacrificing performance. The product, EconomasE, was developed by Ronan Power, Ph.D., director of Alltech's Nutrigenomics Center, after he identified beneficial gene expression events in pathways associated with oxidative damage, metabolic stress and macromolecular repair mechanisms. The company has not yet disclosed its plans to bring EconomasE to the market. "EconomasE is just the beginning of what we will uncover through the work of Dr. Power and his team at our new nutrigenomics center," said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. "Dr. Power's understanding of gene expression profiling and its impact on key biochemical pathways within cells and tissues is leading Alltech into a whole new understanding of animal nutrition for optimal health and performance." The company unveiled the new research center in Nicholasville, Ky. in April. Powers' research program focuses on the effect of nutrition on gene expression. <HOME>
Acupuncture For Bone Cancer PainJune 24, 20081. Thoresen A. Acupuncture and cancer therapy. Obtained at http://home.online.no/~arethore/engelsk/foredrag/kreft.html on 05-26-08. 2. Thoresen A. Small animal cancer. Obtained at http://med-vetacupuncture.org/english/articles/an-canc.html on 05-26-08. 3. Kaphle K, Wu Y-L, and Lin JH. Thirtieth Annual Congress on Veterinary Acupuncture: IVAS Report. eCAM. 2005;2(2):239-242. 4. Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine. TCVM News. Issue 4. September 3, 2004. P. 6. 5. Flaim D. Worth their weight in gold. Animal House. July 16, 2002. Obtained at Newday .com at http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:_jWqyEXHYOYJ:www.newsday.com/entertainment/nyc-pets-implants,0,918948.column+gold+beads+cancer+durkes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us on 05-26-08. 6. Dvorak RF. Permanent acupuncture with gold bead implants. Obtained at http://www.himmlisch.com/goldbeads.htm on 05-26-08. 7. Repeated personal experience and personal communication with other veterinary acupuncturists, 1997-2008. 8. Buridan’s ass. Defined at http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O87-Buridansass.html. 9. Wesa K, Gubili J, and Cassileth B. Integrative oncology: complementary therapies for cancer survivors. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2008;22(2):343-353, viii. 10. TCM Local Applications for Cancer Pain Management. Obtained at http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/exam/specialties_cancer2pain.html on 05-27-08. 11. Sabino MAC and Mantyh PW. Pathophysiology of bone cancer pain. Supportive Oncology. 2005;3(1):15-24. 12. Sabino MAC and Mantyh PW. Pathophysiology of bone cancer pain. Supportive Oncology. 2005;3(1):15-24. 13. Sabino MAC and Mantyh PW. Pathophysiology of bone cancer pain. …
Veterinarians Can Play Role In Discussions On Breed-Specific LegislationJune 24, 2008Veterinarians and other animal experts consistently agree that there is no scientific evidence to demonstrate that a specific breed of dog is more dangerous than another. Still, the American Kennel Club reports that more than 100 U.S. municipalities have enacted breed-specific legislation in the past three years. Veterinarians and veterinary associations who make their stance known in breed debates can meet staunch resistance from politicians and residents determined to take legal action after a dog attack. Lack of acknowledgement for veterinarians' expertise deters practitioners from becoming involved, say those close to the controversy. "Pet owners look to veterinarians as a resource, but when it comes to banning a breed, the veterinary opinion is trumped by inaccurate statistics and mob mentality hysteria," says Adam Goldfarb of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). "However, there are ways to be successful in denouncing claims made in favor of breed bans. HSUS, among others, provides a guide to testify against breed-specific legislation." Some tips in the HSUS guide include: Plan ahead and recruit others. Know what you'll say and plan with allies so as not to make the same points. Read materials discussing the issue. Be professional; do not make the topic …
