Through a partnership with PetIQ and NextStar, comes a new online veterinary support line for parasite prevention. PetIQ, a pet medication and wellness company, and NextStar, a fast-acting 30-day topical protection that kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, chewing lice, flea eggs, larvae, and prevents the development of flea pupae, are aiming to educate pet owners about flea and tick prevention ahead of the seasonal increase in infestations.

PetIQ and NextStar also want to encourage veterinary professionals and pet owners to check their state’s flea and tick season.

 Most states start in March and go until December, however many of the southern and west coast states have flea and ticks year-round.

PetIQ and NextStar are offering a new telehealth support line for pet owners has been established. This service will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, powered by specialists to address parasite-related concerns, questions, and prevention/infestation education for NextStar customers (with proof of purchase).

The new parasite program is available in North America and is staffed with licensed veterinarians with an average of 20 years of hands-on small animal practice and experienced veterinary technicians.

“Every moment we share with our pets deserves protecting, especially against fleas and ticks, which can pose a dangerous threat to pets by carrying diseases or causing serious skin reactions,” said John Pearson, PetIQ’s executive vice president, services and manufactured products, in a release. “NextStar preserves those special moments with our pets with its fast-acting formula that can be applied monthly for year-round protecting, helping pet parents feel more at ease knowing that their pet is pest-free, healthy, and happy.”

There are more than 200 flea species that can impact dogs, potentially transmitting diseases and leading to tapeworm infections and anemia. Certain dogs, being highly sensitive to flea bites, may experience severe allergic reactions, resulting in itchy, red, scabby skin, and even hair loss.

 Additionally, specific tick species, such as those responsible for Lyme disease, can remain active during the fall and winter seasons, so it’s important to remind clients about routine parasite prevention.

NextStar has an informational video available on YouTube for pet parents seeking more guidance on flea and tick prevention. Veterinary technician, Traci McIntyre, helps answer some frequently asked questions. 

PetIQ Inc, kicks off flea and tick season with NextStar campaign introducing new education and veterinary support resources. News release. PetIQ. March 7, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/03/07/2842388/0/en/PetIQ-Inc-Kicks-Off-Flea-Tick-Season-With-NextStar-Campaign-Introducing-New-Pet-Parent-Education-and-Veterinary-Support-Resources.html 

Meyers H. What is your state’s flea-and-tick season? American Kennel Club. October 10, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/whats-your-states-flea-and-tick-season/

Articles

Partnership produces new veterinary support line for parasitology concerns

Telehealth education service on fleas and ticks

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM shares what she is looking forward to while at the upcoming Fetch conference 

The founder of The Social DVM is coming to Fetch Charlotte

In an interview with Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, founder of The Social DVM, she expressed her anticipation for the Fetch conference in Charlotte, North Carolina happening in just 1 week! To see Dr DeWilde speak about marketing, social media, and technology, make sure to 

 My name is Dr Caitlin DeWilde and I'm a veterinarian and owner of The Social DVM.

I have never been to Charlotte! So, I'm excited to come to Charlotte, North Carolina. I love Fetch events in general because they always have a lot of energy and they're a lot more fun and a great time to connect with our colleagues, but also get some good CE so I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.

Videos

, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, joins Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice), a 2023 dvm360 Veterinary Hero award recipient, to learn more on the differences between empathy and sympathy, plus how better understanding a client's relationship with their pet can help teams provide comfort. 

Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice):

 I think that the most important takeaway, and hopefully the one thing that my students walk away from when they have our program here, but also other colleagues, too, is that grief journeys are unique, right? There's no specific timeline. Grief is something that when I was in vet school we didn't talk about, we really didn't even navigate it until we were faced with it in the clinical rotations, and then it was seen as a failure. Death was a failure. We couldn't save that one. And I think we need to reshape the view of how we navigate the topic. We do it every day but how do we actually accept and understand our clients are at different walks of life. Some will grieve 2 days, some will grieve 5 days, some will grieve for 10 days, then they seem fine. Then a year later, something happens. And I think what we all have to realize is that that calendar is unique to them, and to that bond, and that grief can renew. 

So it's not just anniversaries of death. But we also have to think what those pets are to people as living links of things. And so, many times we experience this: a patient dies. It's not just the death of that patient; that patient might have been the last living link to a spouse, a partner, a brother, a sibling, someone in the family, a friend and so grief promotes more grief in many ways. And so sometimes, we don't know what to do with the reaction that our client has. We might think that's an overreaction and the reality is, we don't know the depth of what that bond was or what that animal meant. And so instead of putting that wall up—as we were talking about—being okay to sit with that, gain comfort with the discomfort , and say, 'tell me more about that.' And just sit there and listen. Sometimes the stories that will then be shared really help us to understand in that moment, why we're getting the reaction we are.

Podcasts

Dr Ryane Englar returns to The Vet Blast Podcast to help veterinary professionals understand and navigate sympathy versus empathy 

Empathy and sympathy: A delicate dance in the exam room

Renee's new calf born via artificial insemination. (Photo courtesy of Toledo Zoo)

The Toledo Zoo in Ohio welcomed a new baby elephant from African elephant, Renee on February 17, 2024. The male calf was born via a successful artificial insemination process with the father, Titan, chosen from Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.

 Both zoos worked closely with the Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP) to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy for Renee and birth of the baby.

"The birth of this precious baby elephant is such a momentous event," Jeff Sailer, CEO of the Toledo Zoo said in a release.

"It took months of coordination working with our partners in the field," said Michael Frushour, curator of mammals at the Toledo Zoo. "It takes a special team of experts to perform an elephant AI, and we prioritized working with the best professionals within the United States and the world to make sure that happened."

African elephants are the largest animals walking the Earth.

They are currently classified as "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

In the 1980s, an estimated 100,000 elephants were killed each year.

There are 2 species of African elephants—the savanna (or bush) elephant and the forest elephant.

Savanna elephants are larger and have a lighter skin color.

Savanna tucks curve upward, while forest tucks grow straight down.

The new calf does not currently have a name and the Toledo Zoo is running a contest to allow the public to select the name. Anyone interested in participating can donate to suggest a name between now and 11:59 p.m. on March 14. To vote, visit 

https://toledozoo.info/forms/baby-elephant-naming-vote/

. According to the release, the winning name will be announced on the Zoo's social media platforms on March 15, and the calf's public exhibit debut will be on the following day, Saturday, March 16.

Renee arrived at Toledo Zoo in 1982 and is expected to turn 45 years old in June. She weighs 8,300 lbs but during her pregnancy, she reached 8,800 lbs. This is Renee’s third pregnancy, all of which have been through artificial insemination. Her first-born, Louie, now resides at the North Carolina Zoo, while her second-born, Lucas, unfortunately died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus at the age of 9 in 2021.

Zoo experts at Toledo Zoo chose Renee for preserving the elephant species because of her gentle and cooperative temperament. According to the Toledo Zoo, she enjoys watermelon, warm days, and food puzzles to stimulate her mind.

On April 6, the Zoo is hosting the Elephant Baby Bash party to celebrate the calf and allow public visitors to bring enrichment items from an Amazon wish list.

Renee’s new baby joins 2 other African elephants at the Toledo Zoo: a female, Twiggy and male, Ajani. “Preserving the future of this species is critical to us, and we are committed to doing so. We're looking forward to the new calf joining our elephant family, and we're optimistic that he will fit in just fine," Frushour said.

Toledo Zoo's elephant herd grows with arrival of newborn calf. News release. Toledo Zoo. March 4, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toledo-zoos-elephant-herd-grows-with-arrival-of-newborn-calf-302078637.html

African elephant facts. World Wildlife Fund. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant

The new addition was born via an artificial insemination process

Newborn elephant arrives at the Toledo Zoo

Pet Poison Helpline kicked of Pet Poison Prevention Month by sharing its top 8 pet owner fouls to help veterinary teams educate clients on what is safe for pets to ingest or be given, and what is not. The experts at Pet Poison Helpline analyzed case data to create this list of Elite 8 Pet Owner Fouls.

“As humans, life gets in the way, and we make mistakes now and again. If you make any of these fouls, or your pets get into other things that may be toxic, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately,” urged Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, in an organizational release.

 “We’re here to help save your pet’s life when potential trouble arises.”

The first on the elite 8 count down is administering human pain medication to pets. According to Schmid, because no one wants to see their pet in pain, they will commonly reach to the nearest human pain reliever to give them some relief.

 The issue what that is animals are very sensitive to human pain medications, especially NSAIDs like naproxen and ibuprofen with even the smallest amount being potentially deadly in cats.

Coming in at number 2 for the elite 8 is pet parents mixing up human and pet medications. If pet parents are keeping their medications and their pets’ medications in the same place, this can create the opportunity for the wrong medication to be given to pets.

“Do you have a specific place where you store all of the medication in your house?” Schmid asked.

 “If so, you are not alone! Many pet parents will keep their pet’s medication in the same area as their own medication and have been known to give their pet the human medication by mistake. Depending on the type of medication and amount, potentially fatal consequences can occur. This is especially true for skeletal muscle relaxants such as baclofen and heart/blood pressure medications.”

If a pet is at home vomiting, pet owners want to be able to ease the pain the pet is feeling and treat whatever is making them sick. However, if pet parents trying to induce vomiting without the guidance of a veterinary professional, this can severely harm the pet. Schmid warned that instructions to make pets vomit can be found all over the internet but it is not as carefree and easy as these online posts have pet parents believe. There are also products out there that if given to treat vomiting, it can cause more harm to the pet. Schmid expresses that this is particularly true for feline patients.

“There is never a safe way to induce vomiting in a cat at home so it should only be done under the supervision of a veterinarian using prescription medication that has been proven safe for cats. Dogs may be able to have vomiting induced at home but only under the guidance of a veterinarian or poison expert, as giving too much hydrogen peroxide can cause severe consequences. Manually trying to gag your pet can result in nerve damage to the protective areas of the airway, salt can cause poisoning to your pet, and the myriad of other options you may read about are often dangerous and ineffective,” said Schmid.

Pet parents who are cleaning may not realize the dangers of leaving the cleaner on the floor for a little or leaving the bowl open where pets can get into it. Toilet bowl cleaners, for example, can cause corrosive effects in the esophagus, mouth, and stomach which can lead to severe ulceration and pain.

 The amount ingested and the concentration can potentially be life threatening.

“Cleaners are often poured into the toilet bowl and left to set for a bit to work their magic. If toilet bowl lids aren’t closed, or bathroom doors are left open, our curious furry housemates can find the bottle or water containing toilet bowl cleaner and take a dangerous drink or 2,” explained Schmid.

The next to making Pet Poison Helpline’s Elite 8 both have to do with garbage to certain extents. Moldy food left in the garbage can may be gross to pet parents, but a sweet temptation to pets. This can be especially true for pet parents cleaning out their refrigerators and maybe not paying attention to their pet looking at the garbage.

“The great refrigerator clean-out often contains moldy food products that we quickly throw in the trash,” said Schmid.

 “These moldy foods may contain tremorgenic mycotoxins that result in ataxia, tremors, and seizures. Deaths can occur. If moldy food is placed in the trash, remember to keep the trash can out of reach of your pets, or better yet, immediately take the trash out of the house and place in a larger, more secure trash receptacle.”

Like moldy food from the fridge, compost piles can be good for the environment but dangerous for pets. Unsupervised access to compost piles can become an unlimited buffet for pets. The food and materials in the pile could also grow the same mold as food left in the fridge for too long. Schmid recommends any pet parents who are using a compost bin to fence it off so pets cannot have any access. 

Despite a pet parent’s best efforts, mice and rats make their way into homes. To combat them pet parents could place rat poison, but if they are putting in in places that their pets can have access to, it can be deadly to pets.

If using mouse and rat bait in the same area that a pet is around, be sure to keep the bait far out of the pet’s reach and only use in the bait station supplied by the bait manufacturer. While these don’t eliminate the risk that your curious pet may get into the bait, it can help make access a bit trickier. Also, if bait is not kept in the recommended bait station and left out loosely, it is possible that a rodent can carry the bait to another area that is more easily accessible to your pet,” Schmid explained.

Topping the Elite 8, drinks that contain alcoholic and caffeine left in reach of pets. When pet parents are putting their drinks down on low tables such as end or coffee tables, pets can ingest these putting themselves in serious risk.

“It’s easy to get distracted while leaving your alcoholic or caffeine-containing beverage on a low table, giving your pet sufficient time to ingest just enough to cause poisoning,” warned Schmid. “Animals do not tolerate alcohol or caffeine in the same manner that people do, and small amounts can be enough to require a trip to the veterinarian, while larger amounts can result in death.”

Protecting your pet is no March Madness. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. March 6, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2024. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/protecting-your-pet-is-no-march-madness-302080588.html

Help clients protect their favorite teammates this March and beyond by educating them on Pet Poison Helplines’ pet owner fouls 

Elite 8 of pet toxins 

Proposals for cooperative agreement funding to support the collection of antimicrobial use data from animal sectors are being accepted by the FDA through May 13, 2024. Up to 3 awards in fiscal year (FY) 2024 will provide a total of $600,000, and up to 5 awards in FY 2025 will total $1,000,000.

Officials with the FDA will prioritize allocation of the FY 2024 funds to proposals that specifically target collecting data about use of antimicrobials in domestic livestock including cattle and swine, and poultry such as turkeys and chickens. The agency encourages applicants to apply in FY 2025 with proposals targeting data collection in companion animal and minor species.

 Eligible applicants include small businesses; township, city, county and state governments; Native American tribal organizations, independent school districts, nonprofit organizations that are not higher education institutions; private, public and state-controlled higher education institutions; public housing authorities, and special government districts.

Each FY 2024 award would provide 1 year of support up to $200,000 and may lead to additional support for up to 4 additional years, contingent upon recipient performance, annual appropriations, and availability of funding. Funding recipients would be expected to contribute to the development of data collection frameworks, including providing data and expertise towards developing a data repository as resources and public-private partnership framework becomes available.

Through cooperative agreement funding, officials with the agency hope to build upon the FDA’s ongoing efforts to better understand antimicrobial use in the US and improve antimicrobial stewardship in animals. The FDA believes it is important to support new and ongoing efforts to collect antimicrobial use data in various veterinary sectors as the agency continues to further develop a broader public-private partnership model to collect and analyze antimicrobial use data.

Candidates can apply for cooperative agreement funding at grants.gov. The funding opportunity number is RFA-FD-24-031.

FDA accepting proposals for FY 2024-2025 funding opportunities to collect data on antimicrobial use in animals. News release. FDA. March 5, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2024. 

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-accepting-proposals-fy-2024-2025-funding-opportunities-collect-data-antimicrobial-use-animals?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

RFA-FD-24-031. Grants.gov. March 4, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2024. 

https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352678

The cooperative agreements are a step toward the agency's efforts to support research with diverse animal sectors.