The latest electronic supplement of Veterinary Advantage Magazine is now available for download/viewing at http://www.vet-advantage.com/2010/02/february-electronic-supplement/. If this is your first issue, you’ll notice it is in a unique PDF format that reads in a similar fashion to the printed version of the magazine. Please fell free to pass this along to a friend.

Sanofi-aventis and Merck & Co., Inc., announced that sanofi-aventis has exercised its option to combine Merial with Intervet/Schering-Plough, Merck’s Animal Health business. The new joint venture will be equally-owned by Merck and sanofi-aventis, a release said, and according to the companies, create the largest seller of animal drugs and vaccines in the world. The formation of this new animal health joint venture is subject to execution of final agreements, antitrust review in the United States, Europe and other countries and other customary closing conditions. The completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the next 12 months. “The upcoming combination of Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough is an exciting opportunity for sanofi-aventis to create with Merck a leading company in the Animal Health strategic and growing sector,” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, CEO of sanofi-aventis. “Merck has been in the animal health business for well over six decades and through this new joint venture, we will bolster our diverse portfolio and create a new global competitor poised for growth,” said Richard T. Clark, Merck Chairman, President and CEO. This new joint venture will offer a broader portfolio of animal health products and services in pharmaceuticals and biologics, as well as the ability to capitalize on growth opportunities in all fields and countries around the world, a release said. The companies said that both Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough will continue to operate independently until the closing of the transaction.

Pets Best Insurance and ChaseHealthAdvantage Financing Options, along with charity-run winner Chris Setzler, made a $10,000 donation to the Morris Animal Foundation at the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas. Preceding the check donation ceremony, Pets Best Insurance and ChaseHealthAdvantage Financing Options sponsored a 5K Fun Run for WVC attendees, held Feb. 14, at Pecos-Legacy Park in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. The event attracted 114 runners. The winner, Chris Setzler, who finished with a time of 17:17, had his name added to the $10,000 donation check for the Morris Animal Foundation. “We’re very pleased with the number of industry professionals who turned out for the fun run and supported Pets Best in our effort to save pets,” said Brett Johnson, chief operating officer, Pets Best Insurance. “We have a commitment to do what we can to save as many pets as possible, and the work that the Morris Animal Foundation has performed over the years serves as a perfect example of what can be accomplished to help save pets. Pets Best is honored to continue supporting them in their efforts.”

Pets Best Insurance also announced it received the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Seal of Acceptance for its high-deductible or catastrophic policies. The goal of AAHA’s acceptance seal is to further increase pet owner education and raise awareness about the overall financial responsibility for the care of their pets. The Seal of Acceptance is awarded to pet insurance policies with deductibles of at least $500 that provide owners with the coverage they may need for major veterinary expenses. Pets Best Insurance offers deductibles of $100, $250 and $500 in three different plans: Pets Basic, Pets First and Pets Premier. Pets Best Insurance pays a flat rate of 80 percent reimbursement of qualifying fees charged for veterinary services after the deductible has been met

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI), announced the promotion of Cory Sullivan to associate director of Public Relations and Communications. Sullivan, who joined BIVI in June 2008, was associate director of Human Resources and Public Relations. In her new role, Sullivan is responsible for the development and implementation of internal and external BIVI communications, including community outreach programs and employee communications activities for the company’s nearly 1,700 U.S. employees. In addition, she is responsible for all corporate media relations and serves as communications liaison with Boehringer Ingelheim USA in Ridgefield, Conn.

Scil animal care company, inc., announced it has expanded its sales team. “The demand for our line of new and updated products has been tremendous” said Pablo Lopez, President of scil animal care company, USA. “Expanding our national sales presence was necessary in order for scil animal care to continue to meet the demands of our growing number of valued customers. It is very important for scil animal care to continue to provide the industry leading service and support our customers expect from us.” Scil Animal Care also recently entered a partnership with ARKRAY USA, a global manufacturer of clinical chemistry, urine chemistry and blood glucose products. Scil animal care company is now the exclusive distributor of ARKRAY’s entire diagnostic product line for the North American Veterinary market, the company said, which includes the Spotchem EZ Clinical Chemistry Analyzer.

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) has reached 5,000 in-force exotic pet policies as of February 2010, and is the only pet health insurer in the country to offer policies for exotics, the company announced. The list of insured exotic pets included 60 iguanas, 18 pythons, 334 Guinea pigs and 38 hedgehogs.

The results of three studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) show possible benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs with arthritis. In the three studies, the dogs that were fed the foods containing high omega-3 fatty acid concentrations experienced less pain associated with the disease and greater mobility. In the first study, dogs with chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis showed improvements in their ability to play and rise from rest at six weeks after being switched to a diet containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. The second study showed that limb strength in dogs improved with omega-3 dietary intervention, according to Dr. Kevin Hahn, director of research and chief medical officer at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. Veterinarians were able to reduce the dosage of carprofen in the third study, a common NSAID used for pain relief in dogs with osteoarthritis, while still providing pain relief to dogs that were fed food supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids.

According to the 2009/2010 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey, horse owners reported companionship/company, love and relaxation/relieves stress, as the top benefits to ownership. Of the 3.9 million households that own a horse, almost half buy gifts for their horses. And 59 percent of horse owners have made financial provisions in their wills or named a caretaker or guardian for their horse, the survey said.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) has announced a new specialty, the Academy of Veterinary Surgical Technicians, DVM Newsmagazine reported. It is the eighth specialty recognized by the organization.

The program will create a standardized route through which technicians can take a national examination to become a “veterinary technician specialist,” or VTS, in surgery. The creation of the specialty is in response to a 2009 survey of veterinary professionals, which indicated the need for technicians with advanced knowledge in many areas related to surgery.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. announced that Joseph V. Vumbacco has been elected to its Board of Directors. Vumbacco served as Chief Executive Officer of Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA), a premier operator of acute care hospitals, from 2001 until June 2007, and as Vice Chairman of HMA from June 2007 until his retirement in December 2007. Before joining HMA, Vumbacco had a nearly 15-year career with The Turner Corporation, a publicly-traded construction and real estate company, where he served most recently as Executive Vice President. Vumbacco also served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at The F&M Schaefer Corporation, a publicly-traded brewing company, and earlier as an attorney at the Wall Street firm of Mudge Rose Guthrie & Alexander where he specialized in corporate and securities law.

Immunovaccine Inc. announced that Pfizer Animal Health will exercise a licensing option on the company’s vaccine enhancement and delivery platform to develop a third livestock vaccine. “We are pleased that Pfizer Animal Health will now be integrating our technology into a third vaccine product,” said Dr. Randal Chase, president and CEO of Immunovaccine. Immunovaccine’s patented vaccine enhancement platform uses liposomes in an oil depot to present antigens and adjuvants to the immune system. In preclinical models, the platform creates a depot effect that prolongs the immune system’s exposure to the vaccine, resulting in a rapid, potent, and long lasting immune response after a single dose.

DVM Newsmagazine reported that BioCurex has announced the availability of the OncoPet RECAF test, which has detected 85 percent of a variety of cancers in dogs at the standard 95 percent specificity level in premarket studies. The test detects whether RECAF, a universal marker for malignant cell growth in animals and people, is present in the blood. RECAF’s expression is related to rapid cell growth, which is characteristic of cancer and fetal development. The same blood test is used in people, according to the report. The tests will be available through OncoPet Diagnostics Inc., a subsidiary of BioCurex. OncoPet is in discussions with North American and Canadian distributors, and the test will be available in China as well. BioCurex hopes to have similar tests for other companion animals — cats in particular — in the second half of this year, the DVM report said.

Corlex International introduced the StopBite protective pet collar. StopBite™ helps to prevent pets from biting or licking their wounds, stitches bandages, hot spots and staples after surgery. StopBite™ inhibits pets from irritating their back, chest, abdomen and genitals, even paws in many breeds. It allows peripheral vision for pets and allows gentle up and down mobility so pets can sleep, eat and play and still be protected from their surgical incisions, injury or hot spots. It is ventilated for comfort and breathability, lightweight, and completely machine washable. It comes available in four sizes: xsm, sm, med, & med/lrg.

The 147th AVMA Annual Convention will be held July 31-Aug. 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center, in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Registration is available online at www.avmaconvention.org. Attendees can enjoy true Southern hospitality while earning up to 40 hours of continuing education credit featuring 50-minute educational sessions as well as interactive labs and hands-on computer classes. The flexibility in the schedule will allow time to explore the exhibit hall and learn about new products and services. There will be over 100 Beyond the Basics sessions available in the various specialty sections. Special events at the convention will include the Hill’s Opening Session speaker, the Merial Concert Series, veterinary school alumni receptions, the veterinary technician reception, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Night at the Aquarium, and the 5K walk/run. The Foundation will again sponsor a voluntourism project, this time to rehab an Atlanta animal shelter. Atlanta area tours available to AVMA convention registrants and their family and guests will include Stone Mountain Park, the Atlanta Zoo, and other popular attractions. Advance registration rates are available through May 3, preconvention rates are offered from May 4-June 30, and full registration fees apply from July 2-Aug 3.