Weekly companion animal news for January 20: AVMA discourages cat declawing

E-Commerce+ Summit to be held September 2-3

This year’s E-Commerce+ Summit, hosted by NAVC (publisher of Veterinary Advantage), will be held September 2-3, following the KC Animal Health Corridor Homecoming Dinner and Investment Forum. The event, which will focus on emerging trends in veterinary care delivery, will feature speakers from Chewy, Packaged Facts, Nestlé Purina, and the Veterinary Innovation Council. Updates will be available at todaysveterinarybusiness.com/summit.

AVMA formally discourages cat declawing

The American Veterinary Medical Association has revised its policy on cat declawing, officially discouraging the practice outright rather than just encouraging client education on alternative options. The updated policy was approved by 84% of the AVMA House of Delegates during a meeting in Chicago, Today’s Veterinary Business (also published by NAVC) reports. The new policy acknowledges that while the organization discourages declawing, “the AVMA respects the veterinarian’s right to use professional judgment when deciding how to best protect their individual patients’ health and welfare.” The AVMA House of Delegates also approved new policies on technology, horse cribbing and microchips.

Rare antibiotic-resistant E. coli found at Pennsylvania animal hospital

A rare drug-resistant strain of E. coli has been identified in a handful of sick Pennsylvania dogs and cats, the first reported cases of the infection in companion animals in the United States. The New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-5—or NDM-5—gene has been reported in a few U.S. human infections, and only in several dogs worldwide. “We were a little surprised that it was a completely new resistance mechanism for us,” said Shelley Rankin, chief of clinical microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “This is brand new for us in veterinary medicine.” The report on the outbreak, which appeared in Emerging Infectious Diseases, raises questions, Chriss Dall reports for the University of Minnesota. While the number of affected dogs and cats was small—14 over several months—Rankin said it remains unknown how the animals acquired NDM-5-producing E. coli and how easily the infection can be transmitted between animals and humans. According to Scott Weese, an Ontario veterinarian and microbiologist, these findings aren’t surprising, and the report illustrates the importance of effective routine infection control in veterinary hospitals.

Elanco agrees to divest another medication

Elanco Animal Health has agreed to divest the U.S. rights to Capstar, an oral tablet that kills fleas in dogs and cats, to pet medication company PetIQ, for $95 million in an all-cash deal. The product had 2018 revenue of $28.5 million. The sale puts Elanco closer to gaining regulatory clearance for its previously announced acquisition of Bayer’s global animal health business. The closing of the transaction with PetIQ is contingent on Elanco entering a consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission in connection with the Bayer transaction, as well as other customary closing conditions, according to the announcement. This sale follows closely on the heels of Elanco’s announcement that it will divest Osurnia, a treatment for otitis externa in dogs, to Dechra.

Heska to acquire scil from Covetrus

Veterinary equipment manufacturer Heska Corporation announced it’s agreed to acquire 100% of the capital stock of scil animal care company, a manufacturer, from Covetrus, for $125 million. With the acquisition, Heska expects to reach more than 25 countries with significant market share in each. After the acquisition is complete, Heska will have more than 500 employees, with direct sales teams in 10 countries across Europe, North America and Australia, according to the announcement. “Heska ended December as a clearly advancing No. 3 in North America but largely unrepresented overseas,” said Heska President and CEO Kevin Wilson. “We begin January a much stronger No. 3 in North America and a solid No. 1 or No. 2 in key European markets, with footholds and assets in place to drive more deeply and more broadly everywhere.” The acquisition is expected to close in the next 60 to 90 days.

Pathway announces 8-week paid parental leave benefit

Veterinary practice management group Pathway Vet Alliance announced the rollout of full eight-week paid parental leave as of January 1, 2020. New parents eligible under Pathway’s parental leave program will receive their full salary for eight weeks while they care for their new child, the company said. The policy recognizes birth mothers, spouses or partners of women who give birth, those who have adopted or are fostering a child, and families who use a surrogate, according to the announcement. The benefit is available to staff at Pathway’s Austin, Texas-based support office, as well as those working in the company’s hospital network, which includes more than 225 veterinary hospitals throughout the country.

Patterson Vet announces distribution agreement with GVL software

Veterinary equipment distributor Patterson announced an exclusive partnership with software developer GVL (GlobalVetLink), adding it to Patterson’s software selections. GVL’s software allows veterinarians to digitally create Certificates of Veterinary Inspection and submit them to state officials so pet owners can cross state lines with their pets. “More and more people are traveling with their pets, and that has brought an increased need for animal health certificates,” said Kevin Pohlman, president of Patterson Veterinary. “Specifically, CVIs show that pets are healthy and free of transmissible disease. We chose to partner with GVL because their solution provides CVIs approved for use in all 50 states, allowing our customers to get back to focusing on their patients.”

Veterinary Hospital Managers Association partners with practice management software platform

The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and VetSuccess have announced a new partnership. The veterinary practice management software company will be a VHMA Gold Business Alliance Partner, providing benchmark data for the association’s member hospitals. “One of VHMA’s main functions is to provide our members with educational resources, including insightful data, metrics and benchmarks,” said Christine Shupe, executive director of VHMA. “We chose to partner with VetSuccess because of their specific expertise in veterinary data and their ability to help our members grow.”

WebMD launches pet-specific site

WebMD announced the launch of Fetch, a new branch of the site specifically geared toward pet-related content. According to the company—whose site is a well-known resource for information on human health—31 million people access WebMD’s pet-related content annually. “Fetch will deliver the content most important to pet owners, while introducing them to new trends and pet experiences, including microchipping a dog or cat, how to keep a pet happy, and exercising with a pet,” according to WebMD. The new resource is available at fetch.webmd.com.

Morris Animal Foundation to award $1M to research effects of Australian fires on wildlife

Morris Animal Foundation announced it will allocate $1 million for scientific research grants to fund studies on how Australia’s bushfires affect its native animals. “While we recognize the urgent need for boots on the ground to save animal lives now, our role will be to research the impact of the fires to support restoration for years to come,” said Tiffany Grunert, president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. “From population studies of land mammals to the impact downstream on marine wildlife, the need for scientific research to support Australia’s unique, precious wildlife is tremendous.” Australia is home to more than 300 native species, most of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world, the announcement said. Local experts estimate the ongoing wildfires have destroyed more than 12 million acres of land, affecting between 500 million and 800 million animals. The immediate effects could become long-term impacts that drastically change the animals’ future habitat and health, according to Morris.

Vets could be missing out on online sales opportunities, study finds

Thirty-one percent of pet owners get at least some of their pet products online, according to a new study from Brakke Consulting. Based on two national surveys, the report “not only documents the rapid migration of pet product sales to online sources, it also shows that veterinarians are missing out on a significant piece of the market that is readily available to them,” according to Brakke’s announcement. “According to our veterinarian survey, nearly two-thirds of veterinary practices offer online purchasing and home delivery,” said Robert Jones, Brakke’s president. “But only one-third of clients are aware of the service. While about one in five pet owners are purchasing pet health products online from their veterinarian, an additional 25% would readily do so if their veterinarian offered online shopping and they were aware of the service.” The discrepancy may be the result of two key factors: For one, the companies that provide veterinarians’ online sales and home delivery services aren’t as popular among consumers as outlets like Chewy and Amazon are. Additionally, the pet owners who most trust their vets tend to be older and shop online less than younger pet owners who rely on other sources of information.