Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM, talks about treatment for struvite stones in dogs, and the science behind these uroliths

Treating struvite stones

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What causes struvite stones in dogs and why can managing these stones be challenging? In an interview with 

, Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM, professor and associate dean at Midwestern University, shared key aspects from his lecture “Canine Uroliths,” presented earlier this fall at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He explained that struvite stones in dogs are almost always linked to urinary tract infections caused by urease-producing bacteria. When these stones are dissolved, bacteria trapped within the stones are released into the bladder. When treating struvite stones, Acierno explained, antibiotics should be utilized throughout the entire dissolution process and the patient’s pH levels should be regularly checked. In the interview, Acierno also shared additional management strategies.

So, for struvite, you know, in dogs, unlike cats, struvites are almost always associated with a urinary tract infection, and almost all those urinary tract infections are produced by urease-producing bacteria, which means E coli is not the culprit.

And so, the management strategy for dealing with struvite crystals is to clear the infection. Now, if we already have stones, we can cure the infection and then try to reduce the stones using a stone-dissolving diet. In dogs, it's a really long haul. It can be months, 6 months, maybe even longer in order to dissolve those stones.

With cats, we have a little bit of a different thing. Cats, you know, you can dissolve those stones in a matter of 15 or 20 days, and they're not generally associated with infections. And so, you know, dissolving them in cats is pretty much simple, but dissolving them in dogs takes long periods of time.

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Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM, talks about treatment for struvite stones in dogs, and the science behind this urolith formation

With a mission to bridge the gap in veterinary care for Indigenous communities in Australia, Bindee Davis BSc (Veterinary Bioscience), Cert IV (Veterinary Nursing) founded the Rural Vet Mob to provide culturally respectful veterinary services and educational programs designed to empower and support Indigenous communities.

Davis, a proud Ngan'gikurunggurr and KuKu Yalanji woman who lives in South Australia, had worked as a veterinary nurse in a variety of veterinary practices, but was drawn to working with remote communities on country, as a means of giving back to the communities which helped shape her.

Bindee Davis BSc (Veterinary Bioscience), Cert IV (Veterinary Nursing) (Image courtesy of The Rural Vet Mob)

“Now that The Rural Vet Mob has launched, knowing I have done this makes me very happy and content that I can live my passion and my fire is always lit so I can deliver these programs to all the communities,” explained Davis exclusively to 

“The service that we provide is much needed in remote and rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities due to the distance of travel to get the nearest veterinary clinic or lack of veterinary services out there to provide to these areas. These communities deserve the veterinary services as much as anyone else that has animals in their lives.”

Davis is also currently studying for her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and is excited by the opportunities ahead once she graduates and can bolster the veterinary expertise her charity will be able to deliver.

The Rural Vet Mob has only been running a few months, and Davis and her team have already clocked up thousands of kilometers on the road.

Minindi Pipinias RVN, Certificate IV, and I completed a trip to the community of Yalata in remote South Australia at the eastern end of the Nullarbor Plain, and it was great to get there and build connections,” said Bindee.

“My goal has been for The Rural Vet Mob to be an Indigenous-led program providing veterinary services to Indigenous communities, this is really important to me so community members can feel safe, trust me, [and] not feel shame or judged when we visit them. I also want to be a role model for the younger Indigenous generation in the communities too.”

Cognizant of the One Health foundations of her work, prior to setting up The Rural Vet Mob, last year Davis had collaborated with Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities, a national not-for-profit organization, to undertake research into the bactericidal efficacy of a 2% glutaraldehyde solution for instrument sterilization used during the pet desexing programs in the remote Indigenous communities, and she plans to publish a paper on the topic.

Bindee and Minindi Pipinias RVN, Certificate IV, collecting dogs for surgery

According to Davis, The Rural Vet Mob aims to work with Indigenous communities through a holistic approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

“By focusing on this comprehensive One Health framework, we strive to improve the quality of life for both people and their pets, fostering happier and healthier communities,” shared Davis.

“Working on country with community members is my passion, my jam. And I’m at my happiest when I’m out there, doing what I do best.”

VetCheck’s improving compliance with standards of care

During her career working in veterinary practice, the pharmaceutical industry and with a veterinary registration board, Amanda Chin, BVSc, noticed a recurring issue with challenges around compliance with standards of care and effective pet owner education—so she developed VetCheck, an innovative advanced digital workflow and document management platform to help veterinarians.

“I’d noticed that gaps in standards of care and patient education often led to misunderstandings, reduced patient outcomes, and client dissatisfaction. I realized a digital tool could bridge this gap by helping clinics better implement care standards and provide clear, expert-backed education to pet owners—which would benefit veterinary teams, improve client compliance, and support the broader veterinary community,” explained Chin to 

“VetCheck is a complementary add-on to Practice Management Systems (PMS) like Avimark, Pulse, RxWorks, or EzyVet, enhancing rather than replacing them. While a PMS efficiently manages client and patient records, VetCheck is purpose-built to equip veterinary teams with tools for implementing specific standards of care—such as surgical protocols, comprehensive skin diagnostics, and routine monitoring like blood pressure tracking. This integration fills in workflow gaps, enabling practices to deliver consistent, high-quality patient care beyond standard PMS functionalities.”

The VetCheck platform features a user-friendly interface that streamlines operations and improves client communication, along with integrated digital anesthesia and dental charting, and secure e-signature forms.

“The platform was developed with feedback from veterinary professionals to address the need for greater efficiency and quality of care. VetCheck transforms paperwork into digital documents that autofill with patient details and write back to the patient history in real time. It can be accessed on any desktop or tablet device, giving teams the accessibility and flexibility they need,” said Chin.

Amanda Chin, BVSc (Image courtesy of VetCheck)

“It standardizes care protocols, provides professional client education, and automates workflows, enabling veterinarians to focus more on patient care while keeping their practice organized and efficient.”

Chin explained that a common scenario in VetCheck that can help clinic workflows is when a pet arrives to the practice for surgery. VetCheck automates consent forms so that they are signed before the client arrives and tailors in-patient charts with standards of care templates.

“VetCheck is designed to fit naturally into a busy veterinary clinic's workflow, helping staff provide a higher standard of care with greater efficiency, and other examples of its benefits might be during a skin workup or other complex case, it supports structured checklists, step-by-step guides, and documentation that auto-updates the patient history,” shared Chin.

“Time-poor veterinary teams conveniently access these tools straight from the PMS with a copy writing back to the patient history in realtime. VetCheck empowers practices by supporting the entire clinical process—from admission to discharge and between visits. Its intuitive interface ensures teams can get up and running quickly, without the lengthy training typical of veterinary software.”

VetCheck also features an extensive library of more than 2000 educational resources which are branded for the veterinary clinic, including tools that can automate client communication and education.

“These programs can be triggered once, delivering branded, timed messages on specific care journeys—such as puppy or kitten wellness, weight management, or chronic care for conditions like osteoarthritis. By sending ongoing updates directly to pet owners, these programs ensure consistent client education, improve compliance, and support better patient outcomes, reinforcing the clinic’s expertise and commitment to high standards of pet care,” said Chin.

“We’re also working on platform updates including deeper integration with practice management systems, advanced client engagement tools, and real-time smart summaries that automatically compile health questionnaires, treatment, and dental charts into patient records,” she concluded.

Articles

Updates on the charity enhancing the welfare of pets in remote Indigenous communities; and learn about how VetCheck is enhancing compliance with standards of care for veterinary clinics

Veterinary scene down under: Meet the Rural Vet Mob, plus the new platform improving standards of care 

The Mars Wodonga Solar Thermal Plant, a pet food manufacturing facility in Wodonga, Australia, will be the first major steam-powered manufacturing facility in the country to implement a 100% renewable energy solution for electricity and process steam within the next 2 years, the company announced in a public statement.

 The initiative, which was inspired by Mars’ “net zero emissions by 2050” commitment, will require a $39.9 million investment.

The company’s transition to net zero emissions will include the installation of an 18-megawatt parabolic trough concentrated solar thermal (CST) plant that will be able to store thermal energy for up to 10 hours to cook pet food. With a $17.2 million grant from the Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the project will be the country's first commercial deployment of parabolic trough CST technology, according to a news release.

“We are incredibly proud to announce that Mars will be the first manufacturing facility of its kind in Australia to deploy a 100% renewable energy solution within 2 years,” Craig Sargeant, general manager of Mars Petcare Australia and New Zealand, said the release.

 “Decarbonizing site-based process heat, coupled with Mars Australia’s 100% renewable electricity use, is a significant achievement that not only reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability but also positions our Wodonga facility as a leader in green process heat manufacturing on a national scale.”

Powering veterinary medicine with renewable electricity

“Investing in renewable energy technologies like CST is critical to decarbonizing industrial processes, particularly in sectors that heavily rely on gas for steam-based manufacturing,” said Sargeant.

 “CST offers a powerful solution by capturing and storing solar energy in the form of high temperature heat, for use at any time, making it an ideal fit for our steam-based manufacturing needs.”

The project also expands on Mars' use of Electric Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) technology. This technology enables the facility to use low-cost, grid-connected renewable electricity during off-peak hours to generate and store heat. This stored heat can then be used to produce steam at any time of the 24-hour day. The eTES system, developed with support from the Australian government agency Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), offers a cost-effective and renewable alternative to gas, according to the company.

Additionally, Mars has a partnership with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to purchase Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin certificates at Hydrogen Park Murray Valley. The agreement to purchase hydrogen from AGIG will further support the company’s transition to renewable energy, as this clean energy source generates only water when consumed in a fuel cell.

 “This arrangement will displace over 10% of Mars Australia’s total gas consumption,” including Mars Petcare Wodonga, wrote the company in its statement.

Combined with Mars Australia’s current 100% renewable electricity agreement, the use of CST and eTES systems, along with the AGIG hydrogen purchase, will help the Wodonga facility employ a 100% renewable energy solution by 2026. This solution will be part of the company’s global commitment to 100% renewable energy for site-based operations by 2040.

“Earlier this year, Mars globally announced that since 2015, GHG emissions in the company’s value chain have been reduced by 16% or 5.7 million metric tons. This project further contributes to Mars Net Zero Roadmap target to reduce emissions globally by 50% by the end of 2030, which we're on track to achieve," said Sargeant in the release.

The Wodonga facility, which manufactures the Pedigree and Whiskas pet food, has been in use for more than 50 years.

 “We are part of the fabric of the local community, supporting jobs and investment in regional Victoria. Wodonga is at the heart of that journey, and today’s announcement is a major step forward in supporting both regional investment and Australia’s clean energy future,” Sargeant continued.

According to the company, Mars is collaborating with other local businesses and government organizations as part of a larger initiative to create a renewable energy hub in northeast Victoria for future generations.

Mars Wodonga to be Australia’s first large-scale steam-based manufacturing site to deploy a 100% renewable energy solution by 2026 with new solar thermal plant. News release. Mars, Incorporated. October 29, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://www.mars.com/news-and-stories/press-releases-statements/mars-wodonga-australia-solar-thermal-plant#:~:text=Wodonga%20(October%2029%2C%202024),manufacturing%20site%20in%20Australia%20to

Hydrogen fuel basics. U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-fuel-basics

Mars Petcare’s Wodonga site will implement a fully renewable energy system for both electricity and steam production by 2026

Pet food manufacturing facility will become Australia’s first 100% renewable steam plant

Happy Monday dvm360 readers! For those of you in the United States, we hope that you had a great weekend celebrating Thanksgiving with your friends, family, and fur babies! At the end of this week, the dvm360 team, our amazing faculty, and veterinary professionals from across the country will head to Long Beach, California for our final Fetch conference of 2024. It is still not too late to come join the fun, so learn more and register 

Besides our upcoming conference coverage, here is what you can find this week on dvm360.com:

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it has settled with Elanco Animal Health for $15 million after the company allegedly mislead its investors from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020.

In an exclusive interview with dvm360 at the 2024 Fetch Coastal conference, Adesola Odunayo, DVM, MS, DACVECC, explained the difference between traumatic and nontraumatic causes of hemoabdomen.

Mississippi State University recently shared how its veterinarians saved the leg of a 10-month-old goldendoodle puppy who was hit by a car and left stranded on the side of the road in Conway, Arkansas, and how one couple gave up their wedding fund to help the injured puppy.

On this week’s episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, 

, one of dvm360’s 2024 Veterinary Heroes, joins our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to discuss red flags and allergy mimickers in veterinary dermatology.

Mars, Incorporated’s Wodgonga pet food manufacturing facility, which produces PEDIGREE and WHISKAS, will become Australia’s first large-scale steam-based manufacturing site in Australia. The facility will deploy 100% renewable energy solution for both electricity and process steam in the next 2 years.

Here is a sneak peek of this week’s headlines 

Sneak peek: The dvm360 team heads to Fetch Long Beach, and other veterinary news 

Officials with the FDA have approved a new indication for a monthly fluralaner chewable tablet (Bravecto 1-Month; Intervet and Merck Animal Health). The expanded use of the 1-month formation now includes treatment and control of Asian longhorned tick (

) infestation for 1 month in canines ages 8 weeks and older weighing 4.4 lbs or more.

This parasiticide product was previously approved for killing adult fleas (

), treating and preventing flea infestations, and treating and controlling infestations of the black-legged tick (

) for 1 month in canines ages 8 weeks and older and weighing at least 4.4 lbs. Additionally, this fluralaner chewable tablet is FDA-approved for treating and controlling lone star tick (

) infestation for 1 month in canines ages 6 months and older, weighing 4.4 lbs or more.

“Parasites pose serious animal and human health risks as fleas and ticks can transmit disease agents,” Kathryn Duncan, DVM, PhD, DACVM, parasitology field specialist at Merck Animal Health, said in a news release.

 “Protection against the Asian longhorned tick is critical because its prevalence is increasing throughout the country.”

In early 2023, Merck Animal Health also announced FDA approval of use of fluralaner chewable tablet (Bravecto for Dogs) for 12 weeks with Asian longhorned tick infestation. That expanded product label also includes protection against flea, black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick infestations for 12 weeks; and 8 weeks for lone star tick infestations.

In a dose confirmation study for use of 1-month fluralaner chewable tablet against Asian longhorned ticks on puppies in South Africa, 18 healthy dogs were enrolled. These puppies were randomly assigned to either receive fluralaner treatment or placement in the untreated control group. Each dog was infested with approximately 50 adult Asian longhorned ticks on Day 2 and weekly, Day 7 through Day 28. Tick counts were conducted weekly, Day 2 through Day 30.

Investigators found those treated with the 1-month fluralaner product had greater than 90% reduction in live tick counts at 48 hours following administration of the drug or infestation for 30 days than dogs treated in the control group. Overall, the study demonstrated that fluralaner chewable tablets were effective for reducing live Asian longhorned ticks and increasing dead Asian longhorned ticks for 1 month. Furthermore, no adverse reactions were reported in this investigation, according to the FDA.

One-month fluralaner chewable tablets are available in 5 strengths with a minimum dose of 4.5 mg/lb. The drug is administered orally once a month with food and is required to be dispensed or prescribed by a veterinarian.

In addition to the expanded FDA approval for 1-month fluralaner chewable tablets, Merck Animal Health recently announced marketing authorization from the European Union (EU) for a new, 3-in-1 fluralaner formulation (Bravecto TriUNO) that targets flea and ticks as well as roundworms, hookworms and heartworms in canines. This tablet includes moxidectin and pyrantel as active ingredients, and will be available in the EU through licensed veterinarians. It has also been approved by agencies in Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

“Merck Animal Health is committed to enabling more convenient options for comprehensive parasitic protection for pets and their owners,” Jason Drake, DVM, DACVM, parasitology director, scientific marketing affairs, global companion animal parasiticides at Merck Animal Health, said in a news release.

 “This new addition to our BRAVECTO portfolio provides easy-to-administer protection for pets against a broader range of parasites. While most pet owners understand the importance of protection against fleas and ticks, it’s equally important to protect pets from internal parasites as both can lead to further health issues and disease. With a single medication, pet owners can feel assured their pets are protected from all sides.”

Recent animal drug approvals. FDA. December 2, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/approved-animal-drug-products-green-book/recent-animal-drug-approvals?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Freedom of Information Summary, NADA 141-532. FDA. November 25, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/app/search/public/document/downloadFoi/16308

Merck Animal Health receives US FDA approval of expanded indication for Bravecto (fluralaner) Chews for Dogs. News release. Merck Animal Health. January 26, 2023. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://www.merck-animal-health.com/blog/2023/01/26/merck-animal-health-receives-u-s-fda-approval-of-expanded-indication-for-bravecto-fluralaner-chews-for-dogs/

Merck Animal Health announces European approval of Bravecto TriUNO for use in dogs. News release. Merck Animal Health. November 26, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024. 

https://www.merck-animal-health.com/blog/2024/11/26/european-approval-of-bravecto-triuno/

The agency approved Bravecto 1-Month for use in treating and controlling Asian longhorned tick infestation


FDA expands monthly parasiticide label

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, explains what noise phobia is, offering examples

Noise phobia: The phobic response and how it differs from noise aversion 

Noise phobia is a common issue in pets—especially in dogs—Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC explained in an interview with 

where he talked about his lecture “Canine Noise Phobia and the Anxiety Patient.” In the interview, Pachel differentiated between noise aversion and noise phobia and provided an example of a phobic response in a canine patient with noise phobia. He also offered examples of noises that may induce a phobic response in dogs, such as fireworks and gunshots. In today’s digital era, animals may also have a phobic response to noises like cell phone tones and other noises from digital devices, explained Pachel.

To hear more from Pachel, including information about the other lectures that he presented at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey this fall, click 

 Noise phobia is something that we see as a really common problem and in a lot of different species. Where it tends to show up, at least clinically for us in the behavior world, usually in dogs plus or minus in cats.

But noise phobia is essentially an exaggerated emotional response to noises. And noises— the ones that we often see—are things like fireworks, gunshots, often loud, sudden, unexpected noises or, as we sort of have moved into more of the digital age as well, it's not uncommon to see some of those noise phobic responses to things like high pitched beeps, whether that's tones from a cell phone or the beep of the microwave or the low battery indicator of a smoke alarm, for example—these are all things that can elicit a really powerful response for the animal that's affected.

And whereas a normal sort of noise aversion or a lower-level fear response might show up as an animal who notices a particular noise and then seeks to avoid it, when we're dealing with a phobic response, we're typically seeing an intensity of the response that's so out of proportion to the actual stimulus itself. So for example, one of my patients who responded negatively to things like doors slamming or other again, loud, sudden noises, rather than sort of just startling or reacting and then recovering within a couple of seconds, this was a dog who, when hearing the sound of a door slam, bolted, jumped through a closed second story window and ran for almost 6 miles in one direction before exhaustion essentially stopped her in her tracks, right?

It's such an exaggerated, dangerous response because of that sheer panic that takes over that animal. And we see anywhere from those sort of lower-level fear responses all the way up to really debilitating phobias in those patients who are affected by noise phobia.