Today’s Veterinary Business Staff

Apply Now for 2025 Pet Pitch Competition
Calling all startup companies! The North American Veterinary Community is accepting applications to compete in the eighth annual Pet Pitch Competition, which will take place Jan. 27, 2025, at the VMX conference in Orlando, Florida. Previous winners included Inventory Ally, TEEF for Life, MentorVet, Talkatoo, Relief Rover, VetGuardian and Scratchpay. Details are at bit.ly/3ShNRrc.
Heart + Paw Partners With Ellie Diagnostics
Heart + Paw is transitioning its network of 28 veterinary hospitals to Ellie Diagnostics’ laboratory services platform. “As the fastest-growing independent veterinary diagnostics laboratory in the U.S., Ellie Diagnostics offers an array of cutting-edge services nationwide, including swift lab results and innovative reporting solutions,” the company stated.
KeraVet Gel Gets Wide Distribution
The wound-management product KeraVet Gel is now available through all major veterinary product distributors, according to manufacturer KeraVet Bio. Among the sellers are Covetrus, Patterson Veterinary, Victor Medical Company, MWI Animal Health and Midwest Veterinary Supply. In other news, Israel-based HT Vet chose Covetrus as the U.S. distributor of HT Vista, a non-invasive dermal and subcutaneous cancer screening product for dogs. The product will be available nationwide starting in August.
Dechra Plans Takeover of Invetx
Dechra Pharmaceuticals reported its intent to acquire Boston-based Invetx, which specializes in monoclonal antibodies to treat chronic conditions in companion animals. Terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to antitrust approval.
Learn to Reduce Intercat Tension
The American Association of Feline Practitioners has released the 2024 Intercat Tension Guidelines: Recognition, Prevention, and Management. The resource, available at bit.ly/3Yx7XBV, aims to “support veterinary professionals in understanding social behavior between cats and, more specifically, in recognizing intercat tension, preventing or minimizing its occurrence and managing the stressors,” AAFP stated.
CityVet Is OK With Oklahoma
The 41-hospital CityVet network has entered Oklahoma for the first time with the opening of a clinic in Edmond. The owner-operator is Dr. Eryn Henke. CityVet’s other practices are in Texas, Colorado, Virginia and Georgia.
Surescripts Enters Veterinary Market
Surescripts is expanding its e-prescribing service to include veterinarian-ordered medications. The venture involves a partnership with technology provider DAW Systems. Surescripts processed 2.5 billion human medicine e-prescriptions nationwide in 2023.
Embark Veterinary Tests for Copper Toxicosis
Embark Veterinary has introduced three tests to check for copper toxicosis in dogs, a potentially life-threatening condition. “Early DNA testing will help breeders make informed decisions for their breeding program to reduce the risk of copper toxicosis in their litters,” said Dr. David Haworth, Embark’s executive vice president of research and development. According to the company, dog breeds with known copper toxicosis genetic variants include the Labrador retriever and the Doberman pinscher.
Thrive Opens Another Arizona Dermatology Practice
Thrive Pet Healthcare has teamed up with Dermatology for Animals to open a specialty practice in Queen Creek, Arizona. The partnership includes three other existing dermatology hospitals in the Phoenix suburbs of Gilbert, Goodyear and Scottsdale.
Digitail’s Tails AI Does Even More
Practice management software provider Digitail has upgraded its artificial intelligence offering to provide transcriptions in multiple languages and the summarization of phone calls. “Tails AI can listen to entire phone calls, transcribe them and condense the key points into concise communication notes,” the company stated. “With this enhancement, all client interactions are recorded and stored in their file for future reference, creating a more complete and comprehensive medical history.”
Provet Cloud Grows Its Market Share
More than 385 veterinary hospitals operated by CVS Group in the United Kingdom and Australia have transitioned to the Provet Cloud practice management system. Provet Cloud is used at more than 2,300 clinics in over 45 countries.
New: Midmark Steam Sterilizers
Midmark Corp. has launched the next-generation M9 and M11 steam sterilizers. Their features include an intuitive user interface, streamlined compliance recordkeeping and an increased device life of 25,000 cycles.
Incoming Students Earn Free Rides
The VIN Foundation has awarded four-year, $140,000 scholarships to first-year DVM students Elizabeth Sandy and Walter Baker, who will attend Washington State University and Auburn University, respectively. The Dr. Mike Dunn Veterinary Student Scholarship was created by Becky Godchaux. Learn about 2025 scholarship applications at bit.ly/3SgHlkk.