Weekly companion animal news: April 20, 2020

What veterinary teams need to know about ivermectin and COVID-19

After early reports of the possibility of an antiparasitic medication being used to treat COVID-19, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine warned that humans shouldn’t consume drugs meant for animal use. The medication, ivermectin, is commonly used as a heartworm preventive in cats and dogs, as well as for treating internal and external parasites in many species. “Veterinary teams must communicate with pet owners that may be seeking ivermectin for themselves or suddenly (without prior prescription or purchase of an ivermectin-containing product from the veterinarian) for their pets, that people should never take medications indicated for animals,” Kara M. Burns writes in fellow NAVC publication Today’s Veterinary Nurse. The agency has evaluated the safety and efficacy of individual veterinary medications in the specific species for which they’re labeled, and the drugs can cause serious harm if people use them.

Tales from the COVID-19 front lines

This fifth installment of “Tales from the COVID-19 front lines,” from Today’s Veterinary Business (also published by NAVC), gathers more perspectives from veterinary professionals throughout North America during the coronavirus pandemic. “Anger was a new emotion I observed last week,” said Dr. Ernie Ward, in North Carolina. “Many veterinarians and veterinary support staff are angry at the general stay-at-home situation, angry at hostile clients demanding nail trims and bosses and managers relenting to them, and angry that there is still so much uncertainty” about the coronavirus. “I’m hearing more stories about clients acting more aggressively and insisting on being seen for non-essential services, including bathing and long-overdue vaccines.” Ward said colleagues are also becoming frustrated about confusion over state and federal economic recovery programs. Ward did note one glimmer of hope: the “many tales of compassionate bosses doling out hazard pay bonuses and of pet owners dropping off food in appreciation of the veterinary team’s service.”

Vets strike balance between safety and letting owners say goodbye

As animal hospitals take extra measures to keep their staff and facilities safe during the pandemic, this means pet owners are often kept from being with their pets when they have to be euthanized. A North Carolina clinic recently allowed one person inside with limited access, euthanized another dog outside and made a house call for a third, said a veterinarian at the hospital. Staff wore proper protection in each case, she added. “It’s one of the toughest decisions people have to make and they know they’re giving them that final gift,” said the doctor, Sarah Jenkins. “They want to hold them and touch them…and I feel like it’s just the right thing to do to still let people be present.” One dog owner stayed in her car for most of her dog’s visit, then came inside in the dog’s final moments. WCNC has the story.

Idexx makes COVID-19 pet test available for veterinarians

Idexx announced the availability of a new diagnostic test to detect the novel coronavirus in pets. The company is launching the test in response to customer demand, according to Idexx. It will be available to vets in North America this week and will continue to roll out across most of the world in the coming weeks. “While there is currently no evidence that dogs or cats play a role in transmitting the disease to humans, it became clear offering the test was the right thing to do when we saw clinical evidence that pets—especially cats and ferrets—can in rare cases be at risk for infection,” said Idexx president and CEO Jay Mazelsky. The company doesn’t expect this test to have an impact on human testing availability.

New study will look more closely at whether COVID-19 can infect pets

Researchers at the Tufts University veterinary school have begun a new study to determine how the novel coronavirus may infect and be shed by pets and livestock. To enroll, owners of animals currently being treated at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center for life-threatening illnesses or injuries during the COVID-19 crisis sign a consent form. Once clients opt in, staff can take swabs from the animal’s nose and mouth, which scientists analyze for viral genetic material. The fact that pets in the United States haven’t been found to have the virus “means that the risk of pets serving as a source for COVID-19 infection or for pets catching the disease from humans must be extremely low,” said professor and virologist Jonathan Runstadler. “However, not many pets or other animals are being tested, so we don’t have systematic studies or data to support that conclusion.”

BabelBark partners with telehealth payment platform

Veterinary software developer BabelBark announced a partnership with Gravity Payments, a payment processing company for veterinarians, to help doctors collect payments for virtual consultations. BabelBark is a platform that allows pet owners to connect with veterinarians and other caregivers. Hospitals that use the software can now implement Gravity’s payment system, through which they can set prices for their telehealth services. “This is the final hurdle for many practitioners, to ease the burden on the payment process,” said Roy Stein, BabelBark’s founder and CEO.

How to set fees for veterinary virtual care

While telehealth is a valuable tool for many practices right now, practice managers who didn’t offer telehealth before now may find it challenging to price the services. NAVC editorial director Patricia Wuest offers guidance here. Virtual services are recommended to be offered at a discount compared to in-clinic visits. If a doctor finds during a telehealth consultation that the pet needs to come in to the clinic, the initial telehealth exam should be credited to the price of the in-person exam. And practices should be competitive: Clients are searching for affordable treatment, so it helps to know what other providers charge. Effective preparation for the launch of these services can also help practices: writing a script for team members to communicate services to clients, or using social media to promote them.

Dogs lower stress in emergency department workers: study

Taking a short break to interact with therapy dogs decreases stress levels in emergency medicine providers, according to a new study. “Many health care workers and laypersons believe that dog-assisted support can improve emotional well-being in the health care setting, but little hard data exist to scientifically evaluate this belief, especially in emergency care,” said researcher Jeffrey Kline. “We provide novel data to suggest that emergency care providers enjoyed seeing a dog on shift, and received a small benefit in stress reduction after the interaction.” The study, published in Academic Emergency Medicine, also found that color mandalas decrease stress. Physician’s Briefing reports.