Jörg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, discusses how bee venom and honey can benefit oncology cases.

Using apitherapy in patients with cancer

Honey and bee venom are being studied for their potential health benefits in veterinary medicine. In an interview with 

, Jörg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, professor of zoological medicine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, discussed how these substances produced by honeybees can be used in treatments for patients with cancer. The interview was recorded at the North American Veterinary Community’s 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, where he presented a bee symposium that included a series of educational sessions.

The following is a transcript of the video:

Jörg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM

: We actually can use the products that the bees produce to improve the health of our patients and that whole concept is called 

. It's thousands and thousands of years old. People have used it since dawn of civilization, and one easy example is the use of honey. Scientific evidence is there that [shows that] even eating a tablespoon or 2 tablespoons of honey a day has anticancer active properties.

There is the whole aspect that I am personally super excited about, about using bee venom to treat cancer patients. So, bee venom is a magical substance. There is, or we know of, about 20 different bioactive compounds that are in there. We don't yet fully understand all the mechanisms of how bee venom can be super anti-inflammatory, but also proinflammatory, if it's needed. It is also antineoplastic. So, we can use it, and that's what I'm doing in my research, treating cancer patients with it. And it's one of those case scenarios where we can use these adjuvant treatments to already existing [treatments], maybe chemotherapy.

Honey itself, for example, has the potential to protect the animal's body against negative consequence of chemotherapy. My dream, in the future, is that oncologists will embrace these papers. They will look at the scientific literature and while they're still using their traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but then they will include apitherapy as an adjuvant treatment, because, to be honest, we can't do much harm with it. And the cool thing is that usually it's easy administered, it's available everywhere, it's cheap, it's readily [available]. Sometimes economy plays a role in treatment. And so, we have an alternative now and this is why I'm really excited to keep doing more research in that field.

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Jörg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, discusses how bee venom and honey benefits veterinary oncology, in a dvm360 interview

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This talk is intended to review the incidence of periodontal disease, the differences in treatment based on bone levels, and the indication for the use of ReGumVet in patients with advanced periodontal disease. Listeners will hear about tips for ultrasonic cleaning as well as hand instrumentation to prepare the surface for the application of ReGumVet in general practice. The steps for placement as well as flap closure are discussed to allow the listener to save more teeth with ReGumVet.

Recall the incidence of periodontal disease and the teeth most often affected along with their structure.

Understand methods of periodontal pocket debridement that can be done in general practice.

Demonstrate knowledge regarding graft placements and flap closure methods.

Podcasts

Jennifer Mathis, DAVDC, sits down with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to chat about periodontal disease treatment, ReGumVet application for advanced cases, and techniques to improve tooth preservation. 


Podcast CE: Save more teeth with ReGumVet

Rapid Readout with Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (oncology)

Managing hematology in chemotherapy patients: addressing neutropenia

“What we’re talking about for most cases is maximum tolerated dose (MTD) chemotherapy,” said Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (oncology), at a recent VMX veterinary conference. One of the primary challenges in chemotherapy is administering the MTD while ensuring the patient does not experience severe adverse effects. Neutropenia, a condition characterized by low neutrophil levels, is a major concern in veterinary oncology.

Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, which is why common adverse effects include gastrointestinal (GI) distress, hair loss, and, notably, neutropenia. “We think about [effects on] hair follicles, GI cells, and neutrophils,” said Ettinger. “Those are the ones that have the highest turnover and are most likely to be affected by chemotherapy.”

To manage neutropenia, chemotherapy protocols are spaced out to ensure that healthy cells have time to recover. "This is different than metronomic chemotherapy, which is low-dose pulse chemotherapy," said Ettinger. MTD chemotherapy requires specific intervals to allow for cell recovery. Severe cases of neutropenia can lead to hospitalization, but this is relatively rare. "About 5 to 7 percent of dogs experience severe toxicity from chemotherapy side effects, meaning they would end up in the hospital," said Ettinger. This differs from the much higher toxicity rates seen in humans undergoing chemotherapy.

Complete blood count (CBC) monitoring in treatment decisions

Accurate CBC monitoring is crucial in determining whether a patient can proceed with chemotherapy. Focusing on neutrophil counts rather than total white blood cell counts when making treatment decisions would be Ettinger’s suggestion. She noted that vets often asked whether, if the white blood cell count is low, they could treat the patient with chemotherapy. However, white blood cell count is not the most important factor. “I ask, ‘What’s the neutrophil count?’ I’m looking at neutrophil to determine if [the patient] can get chemotherapy," said Ettinger.

Ettinger also mentioned new advancements in CBC technology worth noting, in particular the Vetscan OptiCell (Zoetis), which provides AI-powered CBC analysis. This technology offers more accurate platelet and neutrophil counts, reducing unnecessary delays in treatment. Ettinger shared an example where an older CBC machine read a platelet count as 73,000, while the Vetscan OptiCell corrected it to 154,000, allowing chemotherapy to proceed safely. "It’s more accurate," said Ettinger.

Additionally, the timing of CBC tests is critical. Neutrophil counts fluctuate, with the lowest point (the nadir) occurring 5 to 7 days after chemotherapy for most drugs. Checking too early can make it easy to miss the nadir, and checking too late may delay intervention. Ultimately, knowing the timing for each drug is essential.

Managing maximum tolerated dose (MTD) chemotherapy while minimizing neutropenia relies on precise complete blood count (CBC) monitoring and AI-powered diagnostics.

Managing hematology in chemotherapy patients: addressing neutropenia 

To mark the end of National Walk Your Pet Month, Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM talks about the importance of tick control in dogs as temperatures continue to rise during the winter season

Assessing tick exposure in dogs during routine walks

Walks are a habitual part of a dog’s life, but what are the risks associated with this quotidian activity, and are clients aware of them? Last week, Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, Krull-Ewing professor of parasitology at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, sat down with 

to talk about the lectures she presented at this year’s Veterinary Meeting & Expo. As January’s National Walk Your Pet Month nears its end, the team took the time to ask Little about the increased risk for ticks dogs who are not protected face when they are out on a walk.

As Little explained, every dog who is not on tick control is at risk for infection, and dogs who are walked for even a short period of time have a high likelihood of developing a tick infestation and becoming infected. Trends in data show winters are becoming progressively warmer, providing an environment for ticks to be active during the winter season when temperatures are above freezing.

Below is a partial transcript which has been lightly edited for clarity.

Dogs are definitely at a high risk for tick-borne infections, and we see that in the serologic data; we see that in the survey data that's been collected; and we've seen increasing prevalence of tick-borne infections in dogs even though we have good tick control products and growing awareness about the tick problems.

A dog not on tick control just walked for a short period of time or allowed to roam in a wooded area is very likely to acquire a tick infestation and then become infected, and so we're going to see seroconversion and potentially disease if we're not doing anything to change that situation.

...Every dog is at risk. I think people have the impression that ‘it's not my dog or not my neighborhood,’ but ticks are just about everywhere they can be. Every available habitat has been invaded by ticks, and so it's almost a universal problem, and every dog is at risk of infestation.

I think the other thing that we battle is that impression that owners have that ticks are only a problem, you know, if they go out hiking in kind of a wilderness area. But no, they're in the backyard, they're in the understory right around the backyard. They're at home also, and so you don't have to go far in order to encounter ticks.

And then there's the impression that, well, ‘it's January, so there won't be ticks’. Well, that's certainly true for this week [January 19, 2025-January 25, 2025] because it's so cold, because we're experiencing this polar vortex right now. But if you look back through data from ‘23 and ’24, you know 2024 was the hottest year on record, and it was the warmest winter on record. 2023, the first week of January, many places in the northern US were in the 50°s and 60°s. And ticks are happy to be out looking for hosts when the temperatures are up to 50, 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

So we need to make sure that owners understand that winter is not always what winter used to be, and we can't predict that. You know, we didn't know that this January was coming. We didn't have much lead time into the cold weather. So we have to have tick control on board for when the warm weather comes, because as soon as it shifts, then the the melting snow provides a nice layer of humidity that keeps the ticks actively questing for longer, because they don't desiccate, they don't dry out, and so they're able to find a host and they've got that sunshine on them to allow them to warm up enough to look for a host there. Anytime it's above freezing, you can find ticks out.

To mark the end of National Walk Your Pet Month, Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM shares the importance of tick control in dogs as temperatures continue to rise during the winter season

Assessing tick exposure during routine dogs walks

Happy Friday dvm360 readers! For those who were in attendance at Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), we hope you all had safe travels home, and for those not in attendance, dvm360 compiled a recap of our coverage for you all in one place. You can check it out 

Feeling inspired to continue gaining continuing education credits post VMX? Luckily, Fetch Charlotte is 40 days away. Veterinary professionals can join dvm360 in the Queen’s City for keynote addresses from Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, and Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM; networking opportunities with fellow veterinary professionals; and sessions led by the best of the best. Don’t miss out on the first Fetch conference of 2025, so register and learn more 

Here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

An ophthalmic exam can be a stressful occurrence for veterinary professionals working in general practice. During his 

 at VMX, Ron Ofri, DVM, PhD, DECVO, provided tips to make these exams less scary for general practitioners.

As today marks the end of National Walk Your Pet Month, Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, discussed the importance of tick control in dogs as temperatures continue to rise during the winter season in this 

University of California, Davis recently 

 the Meadowview Foundation Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center, which will now offer a complete range of dental services for canine and feline patients.

 of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Antonio Pedraza, DVM, MVM, cert SAS, MRCVS, shared with host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and listeners the work he and the team at Sevilla Veterinary Hospital are doing to help pets in need during the wildfires in southern California.

 pyoderma, including topical ingredients and formulations, in his lecture 

Guidelines for the diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of canine superficial bacterial folliculitis

Three months after the FDA approved ilunocitinib tablets (Zenrelia; Elanco), Elanco Animal Health 

 some success stories of the medication, and current research surrounding the medication when compared to a competitor.

Articles

Wrap up: Veterinary care for pets affected by the California wildfires, and other veterinary news 

Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) students are invited to compete against each other in Merck Animal Health’s first Veterinary Simulation Business Challenge. The competition, which will be funded by Merck for the next 3 years, will address the connection wellbeing of veterinary professionals and financial management.

"Veterinary schools do a good job of clinically preparing students for the profession, but business education is what allows them to be successful personally, professionally, and financially, and what shapes the future of veterinary leaders," said Taylor Tillery, DVM, veterinary academic and industry liaison lead at Merck, in an interview with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) News.

According to the AVMA, the competition is looking to provide hands-on learning and equip veterinary students to become flourishing and successful practitioners through simulated exercises.

 Teams made up of 3 members from VBMA chapters across the United States will be given the chance to participate in these real-world simulations of a hypothetical clinic with the chance to win $30,000.

Each simulation will be created by Advantexe, an experiential learning provider, and the competing teams will run as well as operate the startup clinic as a general manager and owner. The teams will be responsible for real work decisions a clinic could face every day, ranging from purchasing equipment, planning budgets, and building relationships with clients.

“This experience will not only build their confidence, but also provide them with a competitive edge as they move forward in their careers, equipping them with skills that will be highly valuable whether they pursue practice ownership or other leadership roles in the veterinary field. The contest launched on January 19 at the 2025 VBMA National Meeting in Dallas and the response has been “overwhelmingly positive,” explained Bella Raux.

In January 2001, Meghan Stalker Wood, the first VBMA president, began a club at the University of Pennsylvania called the Veterinary Business Management Association, which will go on to become the VBMA it is today. The goal of the VBMA is to improve the success of veterinarians and the veterinary profession and was founded at a time when recently graduated veterinary students were entering practice ownership, and were in need of skills to help practices succeeded.

In 2004, with support from advisors and sponsors, the VBMA expanded to the original 16 chapters nationwide, including

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Now, as of today, the VBMA has 38 chapters in 100% of all veterinary schools in the United States, and 7669 members.

The winning team, along with the grand prize of $30,000, will receive trophies during a ceremony at the 2025 AVMA Veterinary Business and Economic Forum, taking place on October 8-9, 2025.

Won C. Merck Animal Health, VBMA partner for inaugural business simulation challenge. American Veterinary Medical Association. Published January 27, 2025. Accessed January 30, 2025. 

https://www.avma.org/news/merck-animal-health-vbma-partner-inaugural-business-simulation-challenge

Veterinary Business Management Association . About Us – VBMA. Vbma.biz. Published December 4, 2015. Accessed January 30, 2025. 

98 Veterinary Business Management Association. VBMA – Veterinary Business Management Association. Vbma.biz. Published December 3, 2015. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://vbma.biz/

VBMA students are invited to compete in a scholarship program aiming to prepare the next generation of veterinarians for entrepreneurship 