April News

Henry Schein’s Kim Allen to receive AVDA Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Veterinary Distributors Association (AVDA) board of directors announced that the 2018 recipient of the AVDA Lifetime Achievement Award will be Kim Allen of Henry Schein Animal Health. She will be recognized during the opening session of the AVDA Annual Conference on Monday, May 7, 2018 in Coronado, Calif. Kim Allen, an industry veteran of more than 30 years, currently serves as the President, Commercial Division for Henry Schein Animal Health. Prior to joining Henry Schein in 2005, Kim was the president of Burns Veterinary Supply for the Darby Group Companies. In her 30 plus years in the veterinary distribution industry, she served in various sales and marketing and senior executive positions. She is recognized as a pioneer for women in leadership in the animal health industry.

Bimeda appoints Clark Weaver as New Equine Sales Manager
Bimeda Inc. announced the appointment of Clark Weaver as the new Equine Sales Manager. Weaver will focus on the strategic sales leadership of the Bimeda US equine business. As a 30-year veteran in the animal health and equine industry, Weaver brings a wealth of relevant equine animal health experience to the role, having held a range of high-level assignments in various sales and marketing roles. Immediately prior to joining Bimeda, Weaver had worked during the past 10 years for MWI Veterinary Supply as the Director of Equine. Previous to that role, Weaver worked 5 years for Webster Veterinary Supply in the capacity of Director of Marketing for Milburn Equine, and then subsequently promoted to Vice President of Marketing for the entire organization. His other animal health industry roles include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Ivy Animal Health, Boehringer-Ingelheim and the American Quarter Horse Association.

Innovetive Petcare acquires Animal Hospital of Wilkes
Innovetive Petcare, a Texas-based company that owns and operates veterinary practices throughout the U.S., announced it acquired the veterinary management assets of Animal Hospital of Wilkes in Wilkesboro, N.C., according to a release. A six-doctor practice, the Animal Hospital of Wilkes has been a valued provider of small animal medical and surgical services in the Wilkesboro area since 1958. Doctors Stinson and Aderhold of Animal Hospital of Wilkes created a client-focused veterinary hospital where clients are welcome to drop in at their convenience for the high-quality medical and surgical services they provide. For Innovetive Petcare, Animal Hospital of Wilkes is the thirteenth veterinary practice and second in North Carolina to join the Innovetive family of general and specialty practices.

Purdue says ‘yes’ to Veterinary Nurse Initiative
Support is building across the veterinary industry to make “registered veterinary nurse” the standard title and credential in the U.S. veterinary technician field, according to Today’s Veterinary Business. The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine on Feb. 23 became the latest entity to endorse the coalition-driven Veterinary Nurse Initiative. “The credential of registered veterinary nurse is understood by the public and would significantly improve the awareness and recognition of the highly valuable skills these professionals bring to the veterinary team,” said Purdue’s veterinary college dean, Willie Reed, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, DACPV. “Now is the time to work toward adoption of a single credential, state by state.” Purdue joins a growing list of RVN supporters. In recent months, industry heavyweights such as Petplan, Banfield Pet Hospital, Royal Canin USA, BluePearl Veterinary Partners and MWI Animal Health endorsed the Veterinary Nurse Initiative. The North American Veterinary Community, publisher of Veterinary Advantageand Today’s Veterinary Business, is onboard as well.

Patterson Veterinary launches Market Hound
Patterson Veterinary announced the launch of Market Hound, an automated marketing solution that enables veterinarians to leverage practice data to create breed-specific marketing campaigns for the entire lifespan of an animal. Market Hound is the first of its kind to automatically extrapolate, compare and communicate breed-specific healthcare information to pet owners on behalf of the veterinarian, according to a release. Patterson collaborated with Zoetis to create the content for Market Hound. Both companies are members of the non-profit organization Breedology, which seeks to improve the healthcare of dogs and cats by educating veterinary professionals and pet owners about the healthcare needs of individual breeds. Veterinarians and veterinary professionals interested in learning more about Market Hound are encouraged to visit pvmarkethound.com.

Morris Animal Foundation awards nearly $1 million for canine research
Morris Animal Foundation announced it awarded nearly $1 million in grants for 12 canine research projects. The studies will help veterinary scientists improve the health and well-being of dogs suffering from deadly and debilitating diseases, including cancer, spinal cord disease and gastrointestinal disorders. Canine studies funded for 2018 include: Blocking Hemangiosarcoma Tumor Growth; Exploring Novel Treatments for IBD; Investigating Connections between Chemicals and Cancers; Imaging to Improve Diagnosis for Neurodegenerative Disorder.

Merck Animal Health releases results of Veterinary Wellbeing Study
A newly released study shows that the overall mental health of U.S. veterinarians is about the same as that of the general population, challenging long-held concerns that the industry is awash in depression and suicide, according to a Today’s Veterinary Businessreport. Still, the researchers cautioned that particular attention should be paid to younger veterinarians, whom the study found are more likely to experience serious psychological distress. The results of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study were unveiled Feb. 6 at the VMX conference in Orlando, Florida. The study found that 5.3 percent of veterinarians, or about 1-in-20, suffer from serious psychological distress, a number consistent with that of the general population. Other findings: The two most “critically important” concerns of veterinarians were high levels of student debt and stress; 41 percent of veterinarians would recommend a career in veterinary medicine, 34 percent would not and 26 percent didn’t know or were not sure. Among veterinarians ages 34 or younger, just 24 percent would recommend a veterinary career. Read more about the study at: http://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/mental-health-study-reveals-good-bad-news.