Weekly News - 05/04/2010
 |
|||
| Veterinary Advantage would like to thank its sponsors in promoting excellence in animal health sales including Abbott Animal Health, Bovie, IDEXX, Intervet/Schering Plough, Merial, Midmark, Ethicon/Novartis, Sempermed, and UltiCare. |
|||
|
Top Stories Novartis associates volunteer for local causes in Community Partnership Day Experts: Vector-Borne Disease risks increasing Dogs help kids improve reading Racing looks for balance in regulating USDA accepting applications for veterinary loan repayment program Researchers take first step in developing gene therapies for inherited blindness AgriLabs reaches agreement with American Animal Health Vaccines Medical advances allow disabled pets to run, walk |
|||
|
Products to Watch VPL introduces Duralactin® Canine and Feline Liquid Wahl introduces Clini-Clip |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Top Stories |
|||
|
Novartis associates volunteer for local causes in Community Partnership Day Thousands of Novartis associates in 55 countries engaged in volunteer activities on April 22 to benefit people in their local communities in celebration of the company’s Community Partnership Day. About 14,500 associates worldwide joined in the event in 2009, aiding a wide range of charitable causes. To contribute to the world-wide Novartis initiative, 120 Novartis Animal Health, US employees participated in volunteer efforts at Horsepower Therapeutic Learning Center in Colfax, N.C, and Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., as part of their Community Partnership Day. Employees at the Novartis Animal Health facility in Larchwood, Iowa, also plan to participate with a Community Partnership Day on May 14. |
|||
|
Experts: Vector-Borne Disease risks increasing The Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) World Forum, a working group of leading global experts in natural sciences, veterinary and human medicine, has warned that diseases that were once considered exotic or unusual are now commonly extending their distribution. Many life-threatening conditions such as Lyme Disease, Leishmaniasis and Ehrlichiosis are transmitted by “vectors”, which carry the disease from host to host. These vectors include ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and, in some countries, sand flies. Dr. Torsten Naucke from the Institute for Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany called for veterinarians and pet owners to recognize the risks posed by failing to adequately protect dogs, particularly when traveling into higher challenge areas when holidaying with their owners. Sarah Weston, Global Vet Services Manager, Bayer Animal Health, says that the latest data from the CVBD World Forum signals that there is a need for increased disease prevention. “It is essential for veterinarians to remain vigilant for these diseases that can lurk unseen in family pets and to work with owners to educate them about prevention. For veterinarians who are not yet seeing many dogs with these diseases, we hope that they become better-versed in the prevention of CVBD and that they become alert to the signs and symptoms of these potentially lethal diseases.” |
|||
|
Dogs help kids improve reading According to research from collaboration between the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation of Walnut Creek, Calif., reading to dogs helped children improve fluency by up to 30 percent. Researchers studied participants of the Foundation’s animal assisted therapy scheme called the All Ears Reading Program, according to a statement released by UC Davis earlier this month. The researchers explored changes in reading skills among third graders at school and among home-schooled students. Reading fluency went up 12 percent in the school-based students and 30 percent in the home-schooled students. Reading speeds also increased by up to 30 words per minute. After the study, 75 percent of parents reported that their child was now reading aloud more frequently and with more confidence. The researchers proposed that because the children perceived the dogs as patient and non-judgmental, this changed their attitude to reading. |
|||
|
Racing looks for balance in regulating Top thoroughbred racing officials say a more controversial battle against a different kind of steroid abuse could be looming, according to a report. Kentucky Derby track veterinarian Larry Bramlage says he expects the “next frontier” of drug testing will involve a crackdown on a type of steroids that reduces swelling rather than builds muscle. When used properly, these so-called corticosteroids provide therapeutic benefits in easing arthritis, but when overused, Bramlage says they can potentially do more damage than anabolics by masking injuries and forcing overexertion. They are considered performance-enhancing drugs and outlawed in many human sports when taken intravenously. But for horses, the perceived danger is less about an unfair edge in an individual race and more about the cumulative effect of running several times in a row without enough rest. The difficult part is figuring out how to regulate the bad effects without infringing on the good. Some trainers are fearful the industry will overreact. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, an industry group that advised on writing the rules for anabolic steroids now accepted across the country, has been researching guidelines for corticosteroids. Kentucky and many other racing states are waiting for that research before tightening their rules on the drugs. |
|||
|
USDA accepting applications for veterinary loan repayment program The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is requesting applications for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which will provide up to $25,000 of student loan debt relief per year for a minimum of three-years service in designated shortage areas across the United States. NIFA also released maps of state- and federally-designated shortage areas on its website, along with eligibility requirements, FAQs and application forms. Applications will be accepted until June 30, with awards being offered by September 30. |
|||
|
Researchers take first step in developing gene therapies for inherited blindness Veterinary vision scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have safely and successfully used a viral vector in targeting a class of photoreceptors of the retina called rods, a critical first step in developing gene therapies for inherited blindness caused by rod degeneration, according to a recent report. In this study, the viral vector, or missile that carries the genetic material designed to correct a DNA mutation, was not intended to treat a disease but to demonstrate through the use of a fluorescent protein that a safe and effective viral cocktail could be delivered inside rod cells. The next major challenge that vision researchers face is to target these photoreceptor cells for treatment, as the majority of retinal degenerative diseases are caused by mutations that damage these cells. The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Gene Therapy. |
|||
|
AgriLabs reaches agreement with American Animal Health Vaccines The Kansas City Business Journal reported that AgriLabs has reached an agreement to market American Animal Health vaccines for cattle. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. “It’s a multimillion-dollar opportunity in sales dollars for AgriLabs,” said Charlie Higdon, manager of the cattle biological business unit at AgriLabs. American Animal Health, based in Fort Worth, Texas, manufactures and distributes a variety of biological products for animals. AgriLabs recently acquired the exclusive sales, marketing and distribution rights for the Pulmo-Guard family of pasteurella cattle vaccines previously sold by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. |
|||
|
Medical advances allow disabled pets to run, walk HealthDay News recently reported on advancements in veterinary medicine that are making it possible for disabled pets with missing limbs to walk and run. In on story, Cassidy, a shepherd mix, was outfitted with a carbon leg similar to ones that amputee runners use. According to HealthDay News, “a titanium implant was inserted into Cassidy’s right hind leg bone — designed by veterinarian Denis Marcellin-Little and his colleagues at North Carolina State University in Raleigh — so that a custom prosthetic limb could later be screwed into the visible tip. The result is an artificial leg that behaves more like a natural limb.” Since Cassidy’s surgery in July 2008, a handful of veterinarians in the United States and Europe have used osseointegration to replace limbs of other family dogs and cats. For most animal owners, though, externally attached prosthetics are a faster, less-expensive option, HealthDay News reported. OrthoPets, in Denver, manufactures prosthetics and braces for about 1,200 animals worldwide each year. Most are dogs, but they’ve also worked with cats, cows, birds, llamas, horses, even an orangutan. |
|||
|
Products to Watch |
|||
|
VPL introduces Duralactin® Canine and Feline Liquid VPL recently introduced Duralactin® Canine and Feline Liquid, a highly palatable liquid for cats and small dogs. Dogs and cats readily accept the poultry flavored liquid when fed directly or given with food. Duralactin® Canine and Feline Liquid combines the benefits of MicroLactin® dried milk protein with the added effects of fatty acids so important for healthy skin and coat maintenance, immune system support, proper joint function and gastrointestinal health. |
|||
|
Wahl introduces Clini-Clip Wahl recently introduced the Clini-Clip, a clipper blade disinfectant and cleaner for use on all blade types. Clini-Clip effectively cleans and disinfects clipper blades with one easy spray. Simply hold your unplugged clipper at a downward angle and spray on to blades. Wipe off the excess and follow with a drop of Wahl oil. It is bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal. The Clini-Clip is an environmentally friendly non-aerosol pump - without coolants or propellants. |
|||
| Help promote excellence in animal health sales - forward this to a friend! | |||
|
Comment On This Article