Nationwide Names New Chief Pet Officer
Joel Carnes has been promoted to Nationwide’s chief pet officer, replacing Heidi Sirota as the pet health insurer’s top leader. Most recently, Carnes was Nationwide Pet’s chief operating officer. He previously served as president and CEO at Alliance for Innovation, a research, education and advocacy organization. Sirota, his predecessor, left Nationwide in March.
Mixlab Sets Sights on Large Animal Market
Veterinary pharmacy Mixlab has acquired NexGen Animal Health in a move to expand compounding drug services to equine, exotic, wildlife and zoo animals. “Mixlab will leverage its proprietary technology platform to create a better pharmacy experience for the benefit of large animal practitioners and owners, as well as to increase production efficiency and fuel further growth,” the company stated. Terms were not disclosed, but MixLab reported receiving financial backing from Vanterra Ventures.
Animal Cloning Trendsetter Mark Westhusin Dies
Texas A&M University Professor Dr. Mark Westhusin, who helped create the world’s first genetic clones of a house cat and white-tailed deer, died at age 66. His cause of death was not released. The cloned cat “became the subject of widespread public interest following her birth by a surrogate mother in December 2001,” Texas A&M noted. “Her photo graced the pages of Time, and the story was reported in more than 200 other news publications, establishing Texas A&M as a world leader in genetic cloning research.”
Pet King Brands Hires Head of Veterinary Services
Dr. Robert E. Devlin was named the director of veterinary services at Pet King Brands, the maker of enzymatic pet health products such as ZYMOX Dermatology and Oratene Brushless Oral Care.
VetTalk Teams Up With Veteos
VetTalk, which automates the delivery of educational content to pet owners, has finalized a partnership with the veterinary video company Veteos. “Before or after an appointment, VetTalk delivers a text message to pet owners featuring an educational care plan that includes your personalized Veteos on-demand videos and your clinic’s PDF content,” VetTalk stated.
AVMA Appoints Chief Membership Officer
Dr. Bianca Zenor has joined the American Veterinary Medical Association as chief membership officer. “She will focus on strengthening collaborative relationships with veterinary deans and faculty, the Student American Veterinary Medical Association, and other members of our community to promote AVMA membership and enhance our value proposition,” said AVMA President Dr. Rena Carlson.
Red Bank Opens 100,000-Square-Foot Hospital
Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, has moved into a 100,000-square-foot facility less than 2 miles from its former home. Owned by Ethos Veterinary Health, the hospital is certified as a VECCS Level II facility and designated as a VetCot Level 1 trauma center. Among its offerings are advanced diagnostics using MRI, CT, radiation therapy and fluoroscopy; 12 surgery suites; a rehabilitation unit; and a feline-only waiting area.
Vetigel Maker Selects European Distributor
Cresilon Inc., the manufacturer of Vetigel hemostatic gel, reached a European distribution agreement with Covetrus-owned Veterinary Instrumentation. According to Cresilon, plant-based Vetigel has been used in more than 50,000 surgical procedures worldwide.