Companion Animal News: July 24, 2023

Boehringer Ingelheim announces FDA approval for NexGard PLUS to protect dogs from parasites

Boehringer Ingelheim announced FDA approval for NexGard PLUS (afoxolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel chewable tablets), a beef-flavored soft chew that protects dogs from internal and external parasites including fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, roundworms and hookworms. Internal and external parasite threats have expanded beyond their traditional regions and seasons. Many tick species are reportedly found in places where they didn’t exist a decade ago, and fleas present an ongoing risk for dogs across the country. Heartworm disease prevalence has also increased. NexGard PLUS is at least 99.8% effective killing adult fleas 24 hours after weekly infestations for a full month after treatment, according to Boehringer Ingelheim. The company says it’s safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks and weighing at least 4 pounds.

Elanco can continue selling Seresto flea collars with new reporting requirements, EPA says

Seresto flea collars can continue to be sold in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency announced this month. The agency said manufacturer Elanco Animal Health must include label warnings on the product and take other measures to ensure data is collected thoroughly and risks are minimized. The EPA has limited its current approval of Seresto collar registrations to five years, over which it will evaluate incident data. In response to incident reports, the EPA in 2021 initiated an in-depth review of the collars.

Nationwide introduces online platform to give pet owners more customized insights

Nationwide has released the Pet HealthZone, an online platform that aims to facilitate an interactive experience for pet owners and encourage proactive pet care. The free digital resource draws from Nationwide’s decades of pet health data. When owners enter a pet’s name, breed and age, the Pet HealthZone will provide customized, in-depth information about the individual pet’s health risks, drawn from analysis of claims data from millions of pets, according to the announcement.

Covetrus expands pet owner education platform

Covetrus announced the expansion of GreatPetCare, an engagement and pet health education platform for pet owners. The platform features veterinarian-approved content and tools to help owners care for the health and well-being of their pets. It’s fully integrated with Covetrus online pharmacies, offering pet owners an online option to renew or refill approved prescriptions directly from their veterinarian. In addition, GreatPetCare gives veterinary practices a way to communicate with pet owners for appointment and medication reminders.

Minnesota-based Animal Humane Society launches its own veterinary technician training program

The Minnesota-based Animal Humane Society has launched a training program for people to become veterinary technician assistants at its four locations in the Twin Cities, the Star Tribune reports. The Rachael Ray Foundation Career Program trains participants for seven months in the classroom and through hands-on experience to learn procedures that veterinary technicians must complete, from blood draws to helping with surgeries, said Hannah Krohn, the veterinary tech training program supervisor. Graduates go on to become full-time veterinary technicians with the Humane Society. The first class started in March and applications are being accepted for groups to start in October and November. Unlike an accredited veterinary technician program in which graduates gain a credential, this one trains participants specifically to work at the Humane Society.

Cat treat sales soar on Amazon Prime Day

The 48-hour Amazon Prime Day online sales event typically is dominated by electronics sales. This year, however, cat treats and household essentials were among the highest selling products. Data collected by consumer analytics firm Numerator showed Temptations Cat Treats was ranked as the top-selling item, suggesting many inflation-weary consumers were treating their pets instead of themselves. Adobe’s research found U.S. consumers spent $12.7 billion during Prime Day, marking the highest sales ever for the event but falling short of Adobe’s growth estimate, according to Bloomberg. Amazon, which doesn’t publish sales data for Prime Day, said shoppers purchased 375 million items across the two-day event. Grocery Dive reports.

California dog revived with Narcan after eating owner’s opioid prescription

A California animal services officer used Narcan, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug, to revive a dog that had eaten its owner’s prescription medication, NBC reports. Marin Humane reported the revival of the 75-pound Dogo Argentino with Narcan was a first for the animal shelter. The dog’s owner called police after discovering her pet ate her prescription medicine, an opioid. The dog regained consciousness and was back up on its paws within minutes. The owner was told to take her dog to an emergency pet hospital to make sure it was okay. Moving forward, all Marin Humane animal services officers will receive Narcan training and keep the drug with them in their trucks, the animal shelter said.

AVMA president pushes back on workforce shortage claims, proposed midlevel professional position

AVMA President Dr. Lori Teller spoke this month on veterinary workforce needs, a proposed midlevel position and the importance of an in-person veterinarian-client-patient relationship. “AVMA data do not support the projected companion animal veterinarian shortage that has been reported,” Teller said in her presentation in Denver, according to remarks published by the AVMA. “Instead, between 2022 and 2030, the number of veterinarians providing services for companion animals will grow by more than 20% from about 80,000 to more than 98,000.” In her presentation, Teller shared the AVMA’s perspective on the best path forward. Teller said that creating a midlevel position “would be a disaster and a significant risk for our profession.”