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Brakke Consulting’s
Animal Health News & Notes for March 15, 2013
Copyright © Brakke Consulting, Inc.
Editor: Lynn Fondon DVM MBA
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IN THE NEWS:
Brakke Consulting news
Pain Management Study
Veterinary Practice Management
other news
Bioniche
Diamond Pet Foods
Kinetic Vet
Virbac
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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
COMING IN APRIL:
2013 PAIN MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS REPORT
Pain management is one of the leading topics in veterinary medicine today. Brakke Consulting’s annual report on Pain Management Products for Dogs and Cats includes such valuable information as:
– overview of acute and chronic pain in small animals
– review of new products, including Onsior, Loxicom, and OroCAM
– estimates of US sales and prices of leading products
– pain management products in development
– review of nutritional supplements used for chronic pain
– review of therapeutic diets for joint care
– 2013 survey of 200 small animal veterinarians regarding use of pain management products
Pain Management Products for Dogs and Cats 2012 can be purchased for $4,995 if ordered by March 29, 2013. The report will be completed in early April. Questions about the study can be answered by project manager Lynn Fondon, DVM, MBA at 972-243-4033, or email Lfondon@brakkeconsulting.com
www.BrakkeConsulting.com
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COMPANY NEWS RELEASES
> Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. announced that it is moving the Company’s Human Health business into a new wholly-owned private subsidiary – Bioniche Therapeutics Corp. The subsidiary will function as a standalone unit. (company website)
> Kinetic Vet announced the launch of Complete Soft Chews for dogs. The chews include essential joint support ingredients MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and Hyaluronic Acid; as well as Omega 3 Fish Oil for immune system support, additional antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. (company press release)
> Diamond Pet Foods announced a voluntary recall of limited production codes of several Premium Edge dry cat foods, Diamond Naturals Kitten Formula dry cat food and 4health All Life Stages Cat Formula dry cat food. Tests conducted by the company indicated the products might have a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1). There have been no complaints regarding thiamine levels, or any other health issues, related to these products. (FDA)
> CANADA Virbac announced the opening of a new national headquarters in Canada in a move to strengthen its presence in the country. The new offices are in Cambridge, Ontario. (Animal Pharm)
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ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS
> VIETNAM – PRRS The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that about 50,000 pigs in Vietnam’s Red River delta region have contracted PRRS and over 21,000 of them had been found dead or killed as a control measure. There are more than seven million swine raised in the area annually, accounting for 25% of the country’s pig herd. (Animal Pharm)
> INDIA – AVIAN INFLUENZA Animal health officials in India have reported an outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian flu in Bihar state, northern India. The occurrence of the disease was detected in the Madhubani district where it killed 338 birds out of 7,000 susceptible birds. The epidemiological investigation is ongoing. (Animal Pharm)
> UK – DISEASE DETECTION UK researchers at Writtle College, Chelmsford, are using wireless tracking sensors to record dairy cow movements to help discover if the animals are unwell before symptoms appear. The researchers are using small sensors attached to cow collars to record the behavior of the cows. Cutting-edge mathematical techniques are then employed to analyze the information in order to develop an early warning system for mastitis and lameness. (Animal Pharm)
> US – ANTIMICROBIAL USE The FDA announced a series of five meetings to provide the public with opportunities to discuss and provide critical feedback on the challenges faced by livestock producers and veterinarians as FDA phases in veterinary oversight of the therapeutic use of certain medically important antimicrobials. For details on the meetings go to http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm342478.htm (Vet Advantage)
> US – PET POPULATION The American Pet Products Association released the 2013-2014 National Pet Owners Survey, which found pet ownership in the United States is at a record. The survey indicated that pet ownership among all US households is 68%, an increase to 82.5 million pet-owning households in 2012. Dog ownership rose to 56.7 million households, and cat ownership grew to 5.3 million. These gains in dog- and cat-owning households indicate that the total number of these pets also rose to 83.3 million dogs and 95.6 million cats in the U.S. (APPA)
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BRAKKE CONSULTING, INC.
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
HOW TO ATTRACT NEW CLIENTS
Brakke Consulting’s veterinary practice management consultant, Jessica Goodman Lee, CVPM, can help veterinarians grow their practices. To read her column in Veterinary Economics on attracting new clients, go to http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/vetec/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=804060&pageID=1&sk=&date=
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BRAKKE CONSULTING VIEWPOINT
It appears that a number of managers involved in creating industry news have been on Spring Break this week. The stories this week are limited in number, which allows us the opportunity to comment on a couple of industry items. First, we noted earlier this week that the American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced that its biannual pet owner survey indicated significant growth in the number of dogs and cats since its last survey two years ago. The number of companion animals APPA reported in the US is dramatically higher than those reported just a few months ago by the AVMA. It would be helpful to the industry if these two organizations would meet to reconcile the differences in their animal numbers. Companies and investors use these numbers for business planning purposes and incorrect numbers can result in decisions that are not beneficial to the parties involved or the industry.
Second, there have been a number of articles in response to the recent New York Times story about veterinary student debt and the financial state of young practicing veterinarians. Most of those we’ve read appreciate the diligence of the Times reporter that wrote the story. The article seems to have increased the awareness for the need of further discussion and understanding of the issues involved in veterinary education. The dialog cannot begin too soon for the benefit of those thinking of a career in veterinary medicine.
Have a great weekend!
Ron Brakke
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Any use of the contents herein should be approved by and appropriately attributed to Brakke Consulting, Inc.
For more information about Brakke Consulting’s services and syndicated studies, visit our website at www.brakkeconsulting.com.
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Dallas, TX 75234 USA
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