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Clinics that make an effort to increase the feline friendliness of their practices can expect to see a small increase in cat visits as well as revenue from those visits, according to results from a CATalyst pilot program. The program, called the Cat Friendly Practice Makeover, was a pilot program organized by CATalyst Council, a national initiative comprised of animal health and welfare organizations working on behalf of cats. Seventeen practices participated in the pilot initiative; of those 17, data from 16 of those practices was used in survey results. CATalyst Council released the results of its pilot program at the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) Feb. 20, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nev. Participating practices showed a 2.6 percent increase in year-on-year cat visits, while non-participating clinics showed a decrease of 2 percent in cat visits during the same period of time. The program, which started about a year and a half ago, was designed to increase feline visits and prepare hospitals to provide exceptional service when receiving feline-owning clients.

Hospital managers and administrators outperformed inflation, but worked longer hours in 2011, according to new survey results from the Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association (VHMA).

Negative advertising, not competition, is the chief complaint of veterinarians who faced off against Internet pharmacy Pet Med Express at the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) in Orlando, Fla. NAVC hosted a panel Jan. 15, 2012 during which Pet Med Express representatives listened to feedback from veterinarians on the topic of Internet pharmacies. Months of controversy Pet Med Express, also known as 1-800-Pet-Meds, approached NAVC in September and asked to become an exhibitor and sponsor of the conference. Doralee Donaldson, DVM, a practitioner in Alabama, initiated a petition to protest the Internet pharmacy’s presence at the conference. Within a couple of days, the petition had approximately 200 names. In the petition, Donaldson and her supporters asked that Pet Med Express leave the conference, referring to its "illegal and unethical practices", and referring to it as an "unscrupulous company".

As practices close out their books for 2011 and look to the coming new year, Trends Today is taking a look at the top veterinary issues in 2011 and predicting what topics will impact practices in 2012. From online pharmacies to preventive healthcare, practices will need to stay vigilant in the coming year. Here are the top trends we’re predicting for 2012: 1. Expanding online pharmacies and big box retailers: We’ve already seen how Internet pharmacies are offering pet owners low cost pet medications without having to go to the veterinarian. Now big box retailers are getting into it too, with Target selling veterinary products and Walmart offering generic human-labeled medications for pets.   H.R. 1406, the Fairness to Pet Owners Act, is a Walmart-backed bill that would require veterinarians to write prescriptions that pet owners can take elsewhere to fill. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has already spoken out against the bill, as have numerous other veterinarians who maintain that the proposed legislation is burdensome and unnecessary. The pending legislation has those in the industry wondering whether veterinary pharmacies may be going the way of prescription contacts and lenses.

An increase in U.S. pet ownership is expected to result in an increase in veterinary services in the coming years, according to an industry report by IBISWorld.

Mozart may be the latest weapon in the fight to get cats to the vet’s office.

Feral cats are more active and have a much larger range that pet cats, according to a new study.

The AAHA Helping Pets Fund is getting a helping hand from a TV celebrity.

An awareness of the inner workings of animal "blood sports," including dog fighting and cock fighting can help veterinarians identify the victims of these operations.

According to a recent poll, pet owners are more likely to obtain a new pet from an animal shelter or rescue than from a pet store or breeder.