Weekly companion animal news: April 12, 2021

Scientists test shockwave therapy to treat canine back pain

Researchers at Ohio State University are testing extracorporeal shockwave therapy as a potentially affordable way to treat lower back pain in dogs. The therapy, which has previously been tested in dogs to stimulate bone healing and manage shoulder tendon injuries, involves the delivery of soundwaves to damaged soft tissue to lessen pain and accelerate healing. The treatment has been shown to significantly improve back pain in both humans and horses. “We really don’t have any objective evidence at all for this treatment yet, but if it is effective for pain management, it could really make a difference in these patients’ lives,” said Dr. Nina Kieves, an assistant professor of small animal orthopedic surgery at OSU.

Researchers evaluate new therapy for chronic kidney disease in cats

Piedmont Animal Health and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine are evaluating a new therapeutic agent to treat chronic kidney disease in cats. The therapy is an intrarenal injection of a protein called CXCL-12. Preclinical studies showed that CXCL-12 restored normal kidney structure to cats with clinically induced fibrosis. A subsequent clinical pilot study showed the feasibility of administering CXCL-12 with no obvious side effects over the nine-month study period.

Mars will introduce insect-based cat food in the United Kingdom

Mars is introducing Lovebug, a 100% insect-based dry cat food, in the United Kingdom. This is reportedly the first fully insect-based cat food to be launched by a major supplier in the country. The key ingredients include black soldier fly larvae. According to the company, insect farming takes about 80% less land space per kilogram of protein produced than farming of traditional ingredients.

As supplements boom, veterinarians have a role to play

Supplements are fast becoming a major market in the veterinary industry, and doctors need to be able to help their clients understand these products, Dr. Peter Weinstein writes in fellow NAVC publication Today’s Veterinary Business. “As the experts on animal issues, we should do what we can to educate pet owners about the differences between drugs and supplements and even the terms ‘supplements’ and ‘nutraceuticals,’” Weinstein says. “And we must teach ourselves about the different products and certification organizations and understand our state’s CBD laws.” Once they understand the products, veterinarians can also sell the ones that they approve. “Any profit you make in the sale of supplements is profit you might not have had otherwise,” he says.

Partners Group completes majority-share purchase of Wedgewood Pharmacy

Global private markets firm Partners Group, on behalf of its clients, has completed its purchase of the majority equity share of Wedgewood Pharmacy, the largest compounding pharmacy in the United States dedicated to animal health. The signing of an agreement to purchase was previously announced in December. The firm replaces New Harbor Capital as the majority shareholder. Wedgewood has plans for new product development, aiming to ensure access to backordered medications and personalized medicine for patients.

DVMPro announces sales partnership with MTMC and introduces new product lines

DVMPro, a diagnostic veterinary equipment provider, is partnering with MTMC Animal Health to sell DVMPro’s complete product line nationwide, including ventilators, ultrasound devices, infusion pumps and more. Additionally, DVMPro has introduced two new veterinary device lines: the Guardian line of veterinary monitors and the Omni color ultrasound series.

New SoundByte: KBroVet-CA1

KBroVet-CA1 is the first and only drug conditionally approved by the FDA for seizure control in dogs, according to manufacturer PRN Pharmacal. The liver-flavored, chewable tablet is administered once a day. Safety, quality controls, dosing and a reasonable expectation of efficacy have all been demonstrated to veterinarians to assure them of reliability, PRN says. More information is available in the SoundByte from Veterinary Advantage.

App ranks viruses based on animal-to-human ‘spillover risk’

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an app called SpillOver, which assesses the risk of viruses spilling over from animals to humans. An estimated 1.7 million viruses are believed to exist in mammals and birds, and nearly half could spill over to humans like the new coronavirus did, National Geographic reports. The app assesses 32 risk factors, including the virus species, host species and country of detection, to generate a spillover risk score. By flagging “viruses of concern,” the publicly available database is intended to create a watchlist for scientists and policymakers. In a new study, the researchers examined 887 wildlife viruses, ranking the new coronavirus No. 2 for spillover risk, behind the Lassa virus.