Companion News for week of August 19

August 2019

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Registration open for the NAVC E-Commerce Summit

Veterinary Advantage and Today’s Veterinary Business are teaming up to sponsor the NAVC E-Commerce Summit, a two-day conference that will help veterinary professionals gain skills to operate in an increasingly digital environment. The summit takes place September 17-18 in Kansas City. More information, including the agenda, can be found here.


Covetrus launches Covetrus Connect
Veterinary services company Covetrus launched Covetrus Connect, a platform to integrate the company’s practice management systems, like AVImark, ImproMed and eVetPractice, with other animal health technology partners. “With Covetrus Connect, we are now providing veterinary professionals with more choices to use third-party technology solutions with AVImark, ImproMed and eVetPractice via a secure, permissions-based integration platform to increase efficiencies in their practice, improve workflow, securely connect to partners and deliver better care,” said Covetrus senior vice president Chris Dollar. Partners supported by the Connect platform include providers of prescription management services, analytics, diagnostics and appointment reminder services. According to Covetrus’ announcement, the company currently has plans to introduce RxWorks to the Covetrus Connect Marketplace later this year, with other global software systems, including RoboVet and VisionVPM, to come in 2020.
New Jersey becomes 6th state to ban pet leasing
New Jersey has outlawed the leasing of most dogs and cats, NJ reports. Sponsors of the bill, signed August 9 by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, say the state is the sixth state to ban the practice, in which pet owners make monthly payments to own expensive pets. It’s often a scam used by some pet stores. Other states that ban the practice are California, Indiana, Nevada, New York and Washington. Animals trained as K-9 and guide dogs are exempt under the law, which levels a $10,000 fine for a first offense and $30,000 for each subsequent one. According to one sponsor of the legislation, pet leasing “facilitates the sale of puppy mill dogs and encourages unhealthy breeding practices.” The law takes effect immediately but doesn’t apply to past leases. Another new law makes it a third-degree crime to own, buy, sell or manufacture animal fighting paraphernalia in New Jersey.
Department of Transportation issues guidelines for animals on planes
The U.S. Department of Transportation said August 8 that airline employees can bar any animal they consider a safety threat from boarding a plane, but airlines can be punished if they ban an entire dog or cat breed, according to the Associated Press. Airlines can ask “reasonable” questions about service animals’ vaccinations, training and behavior. And while they can’t require advance notice for passengers bringing service animals, they can require it for emotional support animals. This comes amid a surge of “emotional support animal” status for pets, which some experts worry has made it harder for people who use animals to assist with genuine disabilities. One organization that sells ESA certificates had registered more than 65,000 assistance animals by 2015. Since then, that number has increased 200%, The Guardian reports.
Telemedicine platform aims to help vets maintain client relationships
The creators of a new telemedicine platform say the service “allows vets to offer pet parents what we know they want — increased access to immediate medical advice — without taxing an already busy practice,” according to the app’s chief veterinary officer. The app, called airVet, prioritizes the user’s primary vet. If their doctor is unavailable, they’re connected to another vet who can help. At the end of the call, the case notes are automatically sent to the primary vet to ensure all interactions remain with the primary practice. “airVet was designed by veterinary thought leaders who understand the importance of building and maintaining relationships with clients and patients, without the need to acquire additional resources,” said Dr. Lori Teller, a faculty member in telehealth at Texas A&M and an American Veterinary Medical Association board member involved with airVet.
44% are unaware of pet insurance: survey
Forty-four percent of U.S. pet owners surveyed didn’t know pet insurance coverage existed, a new report by the personal finance website Lendedu.com shows. Still, nine of 10 policyholders thought the expense was worthwhile. The online questionnaire of 1,000 pet owners also showed that the average owner spent $327 to purchase a dog and $90 to buy a cat; the average monthly spending on a dog was $153 versus $95 on a cat; and food made up 55% of monthly pet expenses. As for health care, 46% of respondents said they spend as much or more on their pet’s needs than on their own. Read more in Today’s Veterinary Business (also published by NAVC).
Wellness has come for your pets
Millennial dog owners contribute a sizable chunk to the pet supplement industry, which was worth $636 million in 2018, a Packaged Facts report showed — a value similar to the “pumpkin spice industrial complex” that’s also popular among millennials, Gray Chapman writes in Vox. Many factors contributed to this rise in popularity: the surge of e-commerce, CBD, and a parallel human wellness trend, not to mention the “pet humanization” trend that’s also popular among millennials. Chapman talked to several industry experts and here takes a deep dive into the growing pet supplement category to investigate why it’s so popular among this generation. But as one expert told her, generally, “If you feel you need to supplement a diet, then consider changing the diet.”
NAVC named one of Orlando Sentinel’s top places to work
NAVC received a Top Workplaces 2019 Award from the Orlando Sentinel, the third consecutive year the organization has been named on the Sentinel’s best workplaces list. NAVC also received the Special Award for Work/Life Flexibility. The Sentinel’s list is based on employee feedback gathered through a third-party anonymous survey asking about several aspects of workplace culture. “It is an honor to receive this recognition from the Orlando Sentinel,” said NAVC CEO Tom Bohn. “It is especially gratifying knowing it is based on our employees’ experience and feelings about working at the NAVC.” The organization was also named one of Florida’s Best Companies to Work For by Florida Trend magazine.
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