 annual Fit Pets for Rescue (FPR) Ideal Weight Challenge wrapped up, for the first time internationally, its run with over $10,000 raised for rescue organizations across Canada and 8 states in the US. Since the event first began 13 years ago, it raised $37,000 to support shelters and pet wellness.

 is now a year-round initiative and, in the spring of 2025, the signup period resulted in:

Ten-thousand dollars in prizes were distributed

"We are super excited to take our fundraiser nationwide powered by Healthy Pet Connect (HPC) and myBalto. The treatment and prevention of overweight pets is vital to allow them to live longer and healthier lives,” said Ken Lambrecht, DVM, FPR medical director, in an organizational release.

“Over 13 years our programs follow well established peer-reviewed guidelines and have a 100% safety record. We have gotten 100's of pets fitter (including cats up to 44 lbs). It’s not just about severely overweight pets, even 15% over ideal is too much as it is well established that ideal weight pets live longer" “The use of technology like smart feeders, scales & activity/mood monitors was proven in our peer reviewed research to improve outcomes and was well tolerated,” he continued.

Another Sign-Up challenged is scheduled to kick off in September 2025 and anyone interested in participate or sponsoring can reach out to the team. Clients can also enroll their pets at any time to an HPC clinic to earn prizes by donating to rescues, marketplace purchases, and using the official app.

You can learn more on the Healthy Pet Connect website.

13th Annual Fit Pets for Rescues Challenge Raises Over $10,000 for Animal Rescues Across the U.S. and in Canada. News release. Healthy Pet Connect. June 5, 2025. Accessed June 18, 2025.

Articles

The 13th annual Fit Pets for Rescue Challenge raised over $10,000 for rescues across the United States and Canada

Annual challenge raises money for animal rescues

A new therapy for managing ventricular hypertrophy in felines with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was officially launched Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by PRN Pharmacal, a Pegasus Laboratories brand. The drug, sirolimus delayed-release tablets (Felycin-CA1), is expected to be available on the veterinary market by late July 2025.

Sirolimus delayed-release tablets were developed by TriviumVet, which received 

 from the FDA in March 2025. The acquisition of TriviumVet by PBI-Gordon Companies Inc., which is the parent company of Pegasus Laboratories, was announced in May 2025.

The PRN Pharmacal launch was marked by a presentation on the drug at the Hermitage Farm in Goshen, Kentucky. It was a celebratory "best of Kentucky" experience for guests that included bourbon tasting, a stable visit with thoroughbred horses, and dinner prepared with locally sourced components. However, the main focus remained on the novel therapy.

“It is indeed a milestone that's been nearly a decade in the making, and we are so super excited about it. It's certainly, like most drugs, the result of a lot of collaboration, rigorous science, but also, fundamentally, that cats deserve the same level of innovation and care as humans do. They are animals we love. They deserve to be cared for,” Steve Clifford, president and CEO of PBI-Gordon Companies, told attendees.

In a public statement, Stuart Fitzgerald, MVB, MANZCVS, chief scientific officer at TriviumVet, noted that HCM is one of the most common and life-threatening feline diseases. “Increasing awareness, education, and access to treatment can contribute to earlier diagnosis and better management—ultimately helping cats live longer, healthier lives," he added.

HCM reduces the heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood, which can lead to heart failure and other complications, including death. According to PRN Pharmacal, while some cats with the disease develop symptoms of congestive heart failure, many others remain subclinical for years.

The cause of feline HCM is not fully understood, according to PRN Pharmacal, but investigators have found the condition more common in certain breeds such as British shorthair, Chartreux, Maine coon, Persian, ragdoll, and Sphynx. Mutations in some cardiac genes have been identified through research in several of the most commonly affected breeds.

Held on the eve of the American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine (ACVIM) Forum—June 18-21, 2025, in nearby Louisville, Kentucky—the presentation at Hermitage Farm was delivered by Joshua Stern, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, associate dean for research and graduate studies at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh, as well as lead investigator for sirolimus delayed-release tablets. He provided an introduction of sirolimus delayed-release tablets and how the product manages HCM, a condition that causes a feline’s muscular walls to become abnormally thick.

Stern explained that sirolimus is a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor. “We have a reasonable expectation of effectiveness granted by the FDA because of some past literature and a lot of important work that we did along the way. And when we look into the past literature, it's really clear that overactivation of mTOR promotes left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy across multiple species. Sirolimus as a compound is shown to reduce left ventricular hypertrophy, particularly in its maladaptive form,” Stern said.

“Veterinarians have long needed options beyond palliative care when it comes to feline HCM,” Stern said. “The [sirolimus] tablets come in 0.4-, 1.2-, and 2.4-mg tablets. And the combination of any of those tablets will dose just about any cat you can imagine from tiny to gigantic…and they're all delightfully small and dosed once weekly,” Stern said.

Heather Davis, DVM, PhD, DACVS-LA, director of clinical affairs and veterinary services at Pegasus Laboratories, noted in a news release that sirolimus delayed-release tablets signal a “turning point” in feline medicine because the drug provides veterinarians with a needed option to help slow the progression of HCM, which goes beyond only managing the disease. “For the first time, we’re changing the conversation around what’s possible in feline heart care,” Davis said.

In his talk, Stern also provided insights about ongoing studies related to safety and efficacy. This includes the HALT Study, which currently has 210 enrolled cats, and aims to confirm the positive impact of reduced left ventricular wall thickness on clinical outcomes. If successful, the HALT Study could support full FDA approval, according to Stern.

“I really believe that Felycin-CA1 is a paradigm shift in how we think about treating cardiovascular disease in cats. It's charting a new course. And I think we're moving from looking at disease outcomes and how we go about scrambling to mitigate treatment for those disease outcomes, and really looking at the pathogenesis of this disease in a cellular event hole. That's super exciting as somebody who researches this disease,” Stern said.

Stern J. Presenting Felycin-CA1 (sirolimus delayed-release tablets). Presented at: Hermitage Farm; Goshen, KY. June 17, 2025.

Felycin-CA1 (sirolimus delayed-release tablets) redefines feline cardiac care. News release. Pegasus Laboratories and PRN Pharmacal. June 12, 2025.

PBI-Gordon Companies acquires TriviumVet, expanding portfolio of innovating treatments in pet health. News release. PBI-Gordon Companies. May 5, 2025. Accessed June 18, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pbi-gordon-companies-acquires-triviumvet-expanding-portfolio-of-innovative-treatments-in-pet-health-302445353.html

Sirolimus delayed-release tablets (Felycin-CA1; PRN Pharmacal) has conditional approval from the FDA

Novel cardiology therapy for cats is launched

Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) announced earlier today that it has filed a lawsuit against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for allegedly hindering competition in educating future veterinarians. This, in turn, hurts clients seeking care for their patients.

“This is a case about competitors conspiring to restrain trade, eliminate competition, reduce output, and raise prices in 2 inextricably intertwined markets; thereby, inflicting injury to consumers of both markets: [a] the US domestic market for veterinary education; and [b] the US domestic market for providing professional veterinary care and services. To carry out their illegal scheme, the conspirators have acted in concert in seeking to exclude Plaintiff Lincoln Memorial University ['LMU']—the largest provider of veterinary education in the country—from the veterinary education market, in violation of the US antitrust laws,” the lawsuit states.

According to the LMU release, they are suing the AVMA to challenge its anticompetitive accreditation practices that ‘illegally restrict the number of accredited schools of veterinary medicine,’ the output of students, and the number of veterinarians in the United States.

 The suit also claims that the AVMA is using its monopoly power to restrict new and existing veterinary schools from getting accreditation through its Council on Education (COE) by requiring schools to meet requirements necessary to graduate veterinarians who are ready on the first day of their careers.

The AVMA has started demanding that veterinary schools offer their students research resources, facilities, and faculty that some schools may not be able to afford or are seen as unnecessary to their work for becoming a practice veterinarian. The release also states that AVMA knows that these research requirements cannot be met by schools like LMU, which rely almost entirely on tuition for funding.

"These insurmountable barriers to entry for new veterinary schools limit the number of available veterinary schools, which limits the number of graduates, which limits the veterinary options for pet owners in America," said Jason McConnell, DBA, LMU president. "This is the essence of an antitrust violation. One economically interested group controlling the market to the detriment of consumers."

LMU was placed on probationary accreditation by the AVMA, and its second veterinary medicine campus in Orange Park, Florida, is facing impending accreditation denial despite being the largest veterinary school in the United States. LMU is also requesting that the court implement a long-term solution to the problem that the AVMA’s anticompetitive behavior has created, which, to LMU, would be the complete and total separation of the COE from the AVMA. Through this, LMU believes it will restore free and unrestricted competition in the market. 

LMU is not seeking any monetary damages from this lawsuit, only an injunction to stop the AVMA from continuing to execute its current accreditation standards in an unreasonable and anticompetitive manner.

"For more than a decade, LMU’s Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine has successfully trained today's students to become some of the best veterinarians in America, and we will not allow an unjust gatekeeper to block competition and hinder their success," McConnell said.

"Our yearly veterinary student class is 225 students—that's the largest in America—and our students graduate with some of the best test scores in the country and are highly sought after as veterinary professionals all over the United States, precisely because of the excellent education, hands-on training, and skills they receive at Lincoln Memorial University. We are standing up for our students, for the future of veterinary medicine, and for the core pillars of our country's free market economy," he concluded.

Largest U.S. veterinary school takes legal action to protect consumers and their pets. News release. Lincoln Memorial University. June 18, 2025, Accessed June 18, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/largest-us-veterinary-school-takes-legal-action-to-protect-consumers-and-their-pets-302484550.html

(THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE). Accessed June 18, 2025. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/cu5irs8obnord2mk90hc8/ACKFTM-7_A25XvF6NBL9Xdk?dl=0&e=1&preview=LMU+v+AVMA+Complaint.pdf&rlkey=zp4ccmo0iljj9hhhy26dugrt5&st=5yarek9k

The university claims in its lawsuit that the AVMA is in violation of the US antitrust laws.

Lincoln Memorial University sues American Veterinary Medical Association 

This content is sponsored by Aurora Pharmaceutical.

Veterinarians wear many hats: a clinician, diagnostician, surgeon, and, increasingly, financial counselor. In today’s economic climate, clients are often forced to weigh the cost of care against their love for their animals. As a result, vital preventive measures such as year-round heartworm protection may fall by the wayside, not because clients don’t care but because of financial limitations.

Let’s take a moment to talk about why year-round heartworm prevention is not only a standard of care for pets but also a tool for promoting their emotional well-being, as well as how veterinary teams can compassionately guide clients toward affordable options, including generic equivalents that deliver safety, efficacy, and peace of mind.

Why year-round heartworm prevention matters

Heartworm disease is caused by the parasite

, which is transmitted via mosquito bites. If infected, pets ultimately harbor adult worms that exist in the pulmonary arteries, which can lead to life-threatening heart failure and lung disease.

Mosquitoes don’t take a holiday. Even in colder climates, warming trends, the existence of microclimates, and climate change have extended mosquito seasons. Because of this, the potential for heartworm exposure is year-round throughout the US.

Preventive adherence is crucial. Skipping even 1 month can leave a pet unprotected. The heartworm life cycle is complex, and providing timely prevention is the key to preventing the disease.

Treatment is costly and involves risk. Treating adult heartworm infections can be arduous, expensive, and emotionally taxing for the pet owner. It involves strict exercise restriction, painful injections, and has the potential to result in complications or death.

Preventives also protect emotional health. Beyond physical suffering, heartworm disease causes distress for pets and their families. Chronic discomfort, exercise intolerance, and weakness can lead to behavioral issues and depression in pets.

By emphasizing consistent prevention, we protect your pet’s health and preserve their joy, energy, and emotional stability.

Heartworm prevention not only protects physical health, but it also directly affects mental health. A pet experiencing symptoms of heartworm infection may show the following:

Lethargy and depression: Less play, more hiding or sleeping

Exercise intolerance: Leading to frustration or anxiety

Isolation: From being restricted or hospitalized

Pain or discomfort: Affecting mood and behavior

For clients, the guilt and grief of preventable illness can weigh heavily. Preventing disease promotes emotional well-being for both the pet and the owner, maintaining the human-animal bond and avoiding painful experiences.

A major barrier to adherence is financial strain. With inflation affecting household budgets, many pet owners hesitate to commit to a full year of preventive medication, especially if they perceive it as optional or seasonal. Some may believe winter months are “safe,” or that skipping a few months here and there won’t hurt. 

In response, many clients seek cheaper sources online or delay purchasing altogether—sometimes unknowingly leaving their pets vulnerable. As veterinary professionals, it’s our responsibility to emphasize the value and importance of prevention and to offer realistic, budget-conscious solutions.

The case for generics: Safe, affordable, and effective

When clients balk at the price of name-brand preventives, offering FDA-approved generic equivalents can bridge the gap between adherence and cost. But first, we must address the common myth: If it’s cheaper, it must be lower quality.

It is important to remember that generic-equivalent veterinary drugs approved by the FDA must meet strict standards, including the following:

Bioequivalence: The active ingredient is the same and performs identically to the active ingredient of the pioneer drug.

Manufacturing standards: Facilities must comply with Good Manufacturing Practices.

Efficacy and safety: Generics must demonstrate that they perform identically under labeled conditions.

For example, generic-equivalent medications such as selamectin (Revolt; Aurora Pharmaceutical) and imidacloprid plus moxidectin (Barrier; Aurora Pharmaceutical), both generic versions of a leading competitor, are available at significantly lower costs while maintaining the same protection profile.

By using generics as trusted options, we not only increase accessibility but also strengthen our clients’ trust in us.

Money is a sensitive topic. Clients may feel embarrassed, guilty, or defensive when they can’t afford a full-year supply or ask about cheaper options. An empathetic, informative, and nonjudgmental approach can make all the difference.

Start by talking about the health benefits of consistent prevention. Keep the focus on what the pet needs, not on pushing a particular brand. For example: “Our goal is to make sure Buddy stays happy and healthy year-round. Heartworm disease is something we can prevent, and we want to make that easy for you.”

Don’t wait for clients to bring up price concerns. Offering choices up front shows understanding and builds trust.

For example: “We have a few options, including generics, that work exactly the same as the name brands but are more budget-friendly.”

3. Explain bioequivalence in simple terms

Clients may not understand what bioequivalent means, so try to make it relatable. For example: “It’s like store-brand ibuprofen, which works just like Advil—same ingredient, same result, just a different label.”

If possible, let clients buy preventives month by month or in smaller quantities. Pairing this with reminder systems or autoshipment options can help ensure ongoing adherence. For example: “We can set up a refill schedule that works with your budget—monthly, quarterly, or annually.”

Avoid language that sounds accusatory or implies that they’ve failed their pet.

“I understand things are tight for many families. Let’s work together to find a plan that keeps Luna protected.”

 “Skipping doses really puts your dog at risk.”

Veterinary care has evolved to include not only physical health but also behavioral and emotional wellness. Year-round heartworm prevention is a foundational part of that holistic approach. Offering affordable options like generics makes prevention accessible and positions you as a partner, not a salesperson.

Remember, it’s not about selling pills; it’s about preserving quality of life, maintaining the human-animal bond, and empowering clients to make informed, confident decisions. When we communicate with compassion and clarity, we don’t just save lives, we support joy, trust, and peace of mind.

To recap, here are 5 great talking points to help with the conversation:

 “I’d love to protect Max year-round, but heartworm prevention is expensive. Do we really need it in the winter?” 

Veterinary team member reinforces “the why”:

 “That’s a great question! The tricky part is that mosquitoes can be active even in the winter, so we recommend year-round prevention to make sure Max is never at risk.”

 “I understand cost can be a big factor, and you’re not alone in thinking about that.”

 “We do have generic options that are just as effective as the brand names. They’re FDA approved, have the same active ingredients, and are just as effective.”

 “Think of it like buying generic Tylenol; it’s the same medicine, just not the big brand label.”

Training your staff to have these conversations with confidence and empathy can transform client relationships and increase adherence. Consider role-playing these scenarios in team meetings. In the end, it’s not about what we sell; it’s about the trust we build, the value we provide, and the lives we protect.

Veterinary teams can help clients protect their pets from heartworm disease by offering compassionate guidance and affordable solutions, including safe and effective generic alternatives.

The case for year-round heartworm prevention and how to talk with clients about affordable options

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, shares an exercise for putting the spine in its natural position

Wellness Tip of the Week: Finding the neutral spine

Healthspan coach Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, offers a quick exercise for protecting the spine and reducing the risk of back injuries in the veterinary profession, which may often involve a hunched posture. The technique, Shaw explains, involves finding the neutral spine—the natural, healthy alignment of the spine in which its 3 curves are properly balanced.

Below is the video transcript, which has been lightly edited for improved clarity:

Welcome to Tip of the Week with Coach Aaron Shaw. Today I want to talk about protecting your spine, decreasing your risk of back injuries.

Back injuries are a huge problem in the vet industry, in no small part because people tend to be hunched over, kind of rounded forward. It's understandable. We're taking care of our clients. We're on our phone some of the time. We're on our computer some of the time, so the tendency is to be in this forward posture. To decrease the pressure on our spine, we need to find our neutral spine.

You can do this by starting off by standing up nice and tall. Get a dowel of some type. It can be a broomstick. Very simple. What you're going to do is you're going to place this dowel along your spine where you're standing up nice and tall, and I want you to feel 3 points of contact: your sacrum, your thoracic spine, and then the back of your head. And so, this is what a neutral spine feels like. Feels like you're standing at full attention.

But from here, what I want you to practice is keeping those 3 points of contact very lightly and doing a bow and coming back up. This is giving you a tactile cue of what a neutral spine is. And from here, you can do a hip hinge. You can practice squatting down. You can practice coming down onto one knee, 2 knees, bending forward, as if you're taking care of your clients. You're down on the floor.

What we're preventing is that tendency to round our spine and then handle something which is going to increase the pressure on our spine and increase the risk of injury. But with doing this, with keeping these 3 points of contact, the homework is really to practice moving around, sitting, standing, bending, twisting, and making sure you're keeping those 3 points of contact, because that is your neutral spine. Practice that, it does take practice. But over time, your brain is going to start to understand that is what's safest. That is what neutral is, and it will carry over in a day-to-day life. So give that a practice.

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Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, shares an exercise for aligning the spine in its natural position

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new veterinary school at Lyon College on June 12, 2025.

Lyon College recently broke ground on a new veterinary school. College officials, state and local leaders, and members of the Arkansas veterinary medicine community marked the milestone for the future Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine (LCSVM) in Cabot, Arkansas, during a ceremony on June 12, 2025.

The developing 17.5-acre animal care campus includes both the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine and Cabot Animal Support Services. The veterinary school will occupy 14 acres of the site and feature more than 100,000 sq ft of educational and clinical space.

Plans include classrooms, laboratories, surgical suites, simulation centers, spaces for large- and small-animal medicine, and areas for student collaboration. A veterinary teaching hospital will be housed in the same building as Cabot Animal Support Services to allow for integrated learning and service delivery.

Clemson University's future veterinary school is making progress

The new school aims to address a shortage of veterinarians in the region. “Arkansas has long needed a veterinary school,” said Victor Werley, chair of the Lyon College Board of Trustees. “This school allows Lyon College to serve the state in a new and lasting way while remaining true to our values of academic excellence, service, and leadership. We are proud to support a program that will improve lives, strengthen communities, and extend Lyon’s legacy for generations to come.”

Melissa Taverner, PhD, MSc, president of Lyon College, noted that although there is a need for more veterinarians across the state, rural and underserved areas are especially in need. “This veterinary school will be a place of innovation and compassion, where students gain the technical knowledge and character needed to meet the challenges of modern veterinary care,” Taverner said.

An artist's rendering of Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine's entry. 

Founding Dean Eleanor Green, DVM, said the program is designed with both purpose and impact in mind. “We’re not just building a school; we’re building a mission that prepares veterinarians to serve both rural and urban communities, protect public health, and elevate animal welfare with both skill and heart,” Green said.

The city of Cabot is a key partner in the project, providing key support to bring the vision to life. Officials say the development will generate jobs, attract families, and expand access to animal care services. “The Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine will be a transformative presence in our community,” said Ken Kincade,  mayor of Cabot. “It will bring students and families here, grow our city, create jobs, and provide a hub of care for animals across the region. This is more than a building—it’s a leap forward for Cabot and for Arkansas.”

The new campus will also be home to the Katharine Reese Shelter Medicine and Animal Welfare Program. The program is funded by an $11 million gift from the Arkansas Animal Rescue Foundation, which aims to improve access to shelter medicine services and give students hands-on experience with real-world animal health needs.

“This partnership means our shelter will evolve into something far greater: a living classroom, a community hub, and a model for how shelter medicine can work hand in hand with education,” said Mike Wheeler, director of community services for the city of Cabot. “Our animals will receive expert care. Our staff will gain access to valuable veterinary support. And our city will play a central role in training the next generation of veterinary leaders.”

An artist's rendering of the front exterior of the Lyon College of School of Veterinary Medicine.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, which was attended by state and local leaders and an Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association representative, Lyon College and city officials celebrated what they called a turning point for Arkansas veterinary medicine. Additionally, Ashley Mounts, DVM, MVEd, associate dean for clinical programs and outreach at the veterinary school, recognized founding clinical partners Briarwood Animal Hospital, Central Arkansas Animal Hospital, Doubletree Veterinary Clinic, Hillcrest Animal Hospital, Honey Hill Animal Hospital, Landmark Animal Hospital, Pine Street Animal Clinic, Shackleford Road Veterinary Clinic, and White River Veterinary Clinic.

Chad Towns, a practitioner at Honey Hill Animal Hospital, noted the importance of having graduates who are knowledgeable and prepared to “hit the ground running” in a real-world clinical setting. “That’s what this partnership [with LCSVM] is all about. We’re here to provide those practical experiences, to mentor students, and to help shape a program that reflects the realities and responsibilities of veterinary care today,” Towns said.

Pending accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, the LCSVM plans to seat its inaugural class in 2026. Additionally, the groundbreaking represents a significant step in the college’s expansion into graduate health sciences.

Lyon College plans to open the state’s first dental school in Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 30, 2025. The program is designed to prepare practice-ready dentists through a rigorous 3-year curriculum, hands-on clinical training, and a commitment to community service and aims to expand access to health care education in the region.

Lyon College breaks ground on veterinary school in Cabot. News release. Lyon College. June 12, 2025. https://www.lyon.edu/news/posts/lyon-college-breaks-ground-on-veterinary-school-in-cabot 

The animal health campus in Cabot, Arkansas, will feature more than 100,000 square feet of educational and clinical space. 