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Countryside Veterinary Hospital of Chelmsford, Mass., was named the inaugural AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year at the association’s yearly conference in March. The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of accredited practice teams.

Dogs taking chemotherapy drugs excrete residues from the drugs in their bodily fluids, but what sorts of risks do these residues pose? A recently published German study on cytotoxic drug residues in dog urine attempts to answer that question. A team of researchers at the Hannover University of Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Hospital studied urine samples from client-owned dogs with lymphoma or mast cell tumors that were being treated with standard chemotherapy protocols.

Some of the best-attended sessions at AAHA’s Yearly Conference were on using electronic communication and social networking in the practice. Tina Neel, DVM, is owner and Chief of Staff of Neel Veterinary Hospital, Oklahoma’s first 24-hour full-service veterinary hospital. She and her son, practice coordinator Scott Buchanan, presented on “Enhancing Client Communications with Electronic Records.” Neel and Buchanan said one very useful electronic tool they use in their practice is text messaging. Sending the brief messages to clients on their cell phones is a cheap and effective way to send out reminders for vaccinations, surgeries or other appointments. They also use texting for thank yous, medical alerts and specials at the practice. Buchanan said clients can opt out of the messages after they get the first one, but mostly the response has been positive. Plus, using technology to communicate with clients can have added value. “If they think you are on the cutting edge of something new, they’ll also think that’s how you practice medicine,” Buchanan said.

Consolidation and change were the foci of the Trends Executive Edge sessions at this year’s AAHA Yearly Conference in Long Beach, Calif. The first session featured a panel of speakers who have a range of experience in the consolidation field. The panelists were Phil Homsey, president of VetPartners; Tom Kendall, DVM, CVPM, director of Arden Animal Hospital; Hal Taylor, DVM, owner of Healthy Pets of Wedgewood; and Dick Goebel, DVM, senior associate of practice brokerage Simmons & Associates. Goebel said that of the approximately 20,000 practices in the United States, about 41 percent are solo practices. “Those practices can be efficient if they are busy and fully using their facilities, but many of the solo practices are too small to be attractive in the marketplace,” Goebel said.

A recent study suggests that female dogs that keep their ovaries through their whole lives are more likely to live longer than those that don’t. The study, “Exploring mechanisms of sex differences in longevity: lifetime ovary exposure and exceptional longevity in dogs,” says that female dogs, like women, are more likely to achieve “exceptional longevity” than their male counterparts. The researchers collected information on Rottweilers that lived to be 13 or older, which is more than 30 percent above the average life expectancy for that breed. Female dogs in general lived longer, but the researchers found that removal of the ovaries in the first four years of life “erased the female survival advantage.”

A huge, new animal health company will take shape over the next year, as Merck & Co. and sanofi-aventis figure out the details of their new joint venture, announced last week. The joint venture will be owned equally by Merck and sanofi-aventis, and will be a combination of animal drug companies Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough. This is not the first time Merck and sanofi have jointly owned an animal health company. Merial was originally a joint venture between Merck and sanofi, but sanofi paid $4 billion in cash for Merck’s 50 percent of the company in September. Merck was required to sell its share of Merial in order to avoid anti-trust issues, due to its $41 billion merger with Schering-Plough Corp., which included that company’s animal health operation, Intervet/Schering Plough. As part of the Merial buyout, after the Merck-Schering-Plough deal closed, sanofi had the option to merge Merial with Intervet. Sanofi has now officially exercised this option.

When veterinary professionals consider the question of pets traveling on airplanes, the first thing that comes to mind may not be human allergies. But that is a major concern for the authors of a recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). According to the article, Canadian air travelers “lost their access to dander-free flights in July 2009,” when Air Canada did away with a ban on small pets in the cabin. “It’s understandable that owners prefer to keep their small pets close when travelling and that airlines are keen to compete for their business,” the article reads. “But about 1 in 10 people have allergies to animals. Many will have an allergic reaction when they’re trapped in an enclosed space, often for hours, close to an animal.” The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) said it recognizes that pet allergies can be a serious health concern for some people, but it does not have a position on pets in airplane cabins.

A new method of stabilizing viral vaccine vectors in sugar glass could lead to easier transportation of vaccines, and potentially help veterinarians working in the field. The so-called “cold chain,” where vaccines must be transferred from one refrigerated environment to the next until they are used, can sometimes be difficult to maintain, especially in remote, tropical or resource-poor areas. But now, a team of British researchers has developed a method of immobilizing viral vaccine vectors in sugar glass on a membrane. The resulting product can be stored at up to 45 degrees C (113 F) for six months with minimal losses in titer or immunogenicity, according to the study. The research team also devised a way to quickly reconstitute the vaccine with an attachment that fits between the syringe and the needle.

President Obama recently introduced a series of proposals designed to create jobs, increasing access to loans and freeing up credit for small businesses. At this point, the proposals are just proposals, and they would have to go through Congress to become a reality. NEWStat asked VetFinance Group, a veterinary-specific financial, management and marketing services company, how practices could take advantage of Obama’s initiatives if they pass through Congress. VetFinance Managing Directors Steve Dafnis and Ron Paterson provided their insight. NEWStat: One part of Obama’s plan calls for the elimination of the capital gains tax on small business investments. How could a veterinary practice take advantage of this? Dafnis & Paterson: On a macro level, economists tend to agree that a reduction in capital gains taxes will lower the cost of capital, boost investment, and stimulate economic growth. As it relates to veterinarians, those looking to sell their practices will automatically see a profit increase without having to adjust their prices. For example, the practice that sold for $300,000, at a 17 percent capital gains tax rate would net the practitioner $249,000 (this example does not account for other selling charges). With no capital gains tax, that’s an extra $51,000 in your pocket. Other types of investments, (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate) could also be sold. With unexpected cash in pocket, any new veterinary practice investments now appear much cheaper. Expect an increase in all types of veterinary capital investment.

A short-term study on the supplement glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate (Glu-CS) in dogs found no link to diabetes mellitus or to an increase in serum fructosamine. The researchers gave 12 healthy adult dogs Glu-CS supplements and a placebo orally for 21 days each. They found that the supplements did not significantly change the serum fructosamine levels of the dogs. The study cites some concern among veterinarians that glucosamine supplements can either affect glycemic control in diabetic patients, or may even cause diabetes mellitus. However, none of the dogs in the study developed diabetes mellitus, and the changes noted in serum fructosamine concentration after the supplements were given did not differ significantly from the effects of the placebo.