Weekly Companion Animal News: September 9, 2024
Arista to open hospital in Atlanta
Arista Advanced Pet Care, a specialty referral and emergency veterinary care provider, will open its first hospital in Atlanta in the first quarter of 2025. Part of Affinity Veterinary Partners, Arista brings a shared ownership model to the veterinary specialty and emergency industry, inspired by its sister company, CityVet.
Boehringer Ingelheim acquires Saiba Animal Health
Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired Saiba Animal Health AG, which has developed a therapeutic vaccine approach targeting chronic diseases such as allergy, inflammation and pain. With the acquisition, Boehringer Ingelheim strengthens its animal health research and development pipeline, specifically in the fast-growing pet therapeutics category, according to the company.
Patterson Veterinary connects with concierge IT service
Patterson Veterinary Supply, Inc. announced the addition of pute.us to its product offering portfolio. A provider of both hardware and managed concierge IT services for veterinary practices nationwide, pute.us is reportedly the only veterinary-specific provider in the space and all its employees have veterinary medical backgrounds.
Virbac partners with Association of Pet Obesity Prevention
Virbac recently partnered with the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention to confront the need to address the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur following the spay or neuter procedure pre-disposing pets to obesity and obesity-related illness and health complications. Through collaborative efforts with APOP, Virbac aims to develop educational resources and tools for veterinary practices and pet owners.
Coloradoans will vote on midlevel practitioner role
Supporters of the creation of a midlevel veterinary practitioner position in Colorado submitted close to 200,000 signatures in favor of placing Colorado Initiative 145 on the state ballot, enabling Coloradoans to vote on the establishment of a veterinary professional associate position that allows graduates to diagnose, prescribe and perform some surgeries.
New Hampshire eases access for foreign-trained veterinarians
Targeting a veterinarian shortage in their state, New Hampshire lawmakers are turning to foreign-trained veterinarians stuck in an overburdened licensing pipeline. A new state law, taking effect Sept. 17, creates a conditional license for veterinarians who have completed three of four parts in the AVMA’s Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program.
UGA to deploy mobile vet clinic
The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will deploy a mobile vet clinic to serve Athens’ pets, thanks to a grant of $750,000 this summer from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Mississippi State University was one of the first schools to implement a mobile clinic that provided students with surgical experience. Oregon State University also partnered with Oregon Humane Society, where students not only participated in spay and neuter, but also gained shelter medicine experience.
Questions answered about drug dispensing by veterinarians
The FDA has published a Q&A about federal requirements related to a veterinarian’s role in dispensing prescription animal drugs and to the establishment of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship in the course of practice. Questions answered include: “What is a veterinarian’s role in dispensing prescription animal drugs?” and What is a veterinarian’s role in extralabel use?
