Pulse - June 2024 - 14

UPDATES
" The data has shown that the pet
industry has remained incredibly strong
since 2009, despite wide-scale economic
changes, " said APPA President
and CEO Peter Scott. " While there are
signs of slowing, the industry is resilient,
especially compared to other industries,
and we forecast the industry's expenditures
to top $250 billion by 2030. "
CDC Releases New Rules for
Importing Dogs into the U.S.
The federal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention is updating its dog
importation regulations to protect the
health and safety of people and animals
by making sure any dog arriving in the
U.S. is healthy.
Starting Aug. 1, 2024, all dogs entering
the United States must:
* Appear healthy upon arrival.
* Be at least 6 months of age.
* Be microchipped; and
* Be accompanied by a CDC Dog
Import Form online submission receipt.
Additional requirements are based on
where the dog has been in the previous
six months and whether the dog was vaccinated
in the United States. Dogs arriving
from countries with a high risk of dog
rabies must be protected against rabies.
The rabies virus variant carried by dogs
was eliminated in the U.S. in 2007.
The regulation also addresses recent
challenges seen with international dog
importations, such as fraudulent documentation
and dogs housed in unsafe
conditions if they didn't meet requirements
for entry to the United States.
Partnership Aims to Help
Ease Clinic Staffing Woes
Veterinary practices may now benefit
from a recent industry collaboration to
tackle staff shortage, burnout and high
turnover rate.
Evette, a company specializing in veterinary
staffing solutions, has announced a
partnership with Shepherd Veterinary
Software, the practice information management
system (PIMS), to streamline
veterinary operations and ensure continuity
of care in the practice. More than 600
Shepherd clinics nationwide can access
Evette's relief staffing request form, linked
from their own software interface.
" Our goal has always been a steadfast
commitment to personalized and
continuous support for our partners
and clinics, " said Elise Burns, founder
and CEO of Evette. " This collaboration
with Shepherd marks a significant step
forward in our mission to further revolutionize
the industry and we're excited
to introduce this first-ever solution to
address the pressing issues plaguing the
vet industry. "
FDA-Reviewed PRP Injection Is
Now Available for Dogs
Dogs with musculoskeletal diseases and
injuries might soon benefit from a new
treatment reviewed by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration.
PrecisePRP Canine, a leucoreduced
allogeneic pooled freeze-dried plateletrich
plasma, has received the FDA review
clearance. It is an over-the-counter product
of VetStem Inc. of Poway, California.
The FDA announcement said this is
" the first animal cell, tissue and cell- and
tissue-based product intended for intraarticular
use to undergo FDA review
and receive this determination. "
Each vial of the injectable contains a
consistent dose of 4 billion platelets at
a concentration of 500,000 platelets
per microliter and is leucoreduced, with
less than 1,500 white blood cells per
microliter.
There is great interest in platelet-rich
plasma in both human and veterinary
medicine. Some of its applications
include cases in dermatology, ophthalmology
and musculoskeletal diseases.
" We are proud to have collaborated
with the FDA under this new review
program, " said Bob Harman, DVM,
founder and CEO of VetStem.
PrecisePRP Canine does not require
a blood draw, centrifugation or
refrigeration.
Bird Flu Isn't a Big Threat
To People, Vet School Dean Says
While scientists have researched cows
and other mammals getting infected
with the bird flu, an expert from the
University of Illinois is advising people
not to worry too much.
The CDC reported nine states having
cattle outbreaks with 36 dairy herds
affected. Experts are watching closely
to make sure it does not start affecting
more people.
Jim Lowe, University of Illinois Dean of
Veterinarian Medicine, said scientists
are prepared.
Birds need a specific receptor to
become infected. " And mammals, we
have a different receptor, " he said.
" Cows have to have both in their udder,
but they don't have it in their respiratory
tract. And this virus hasn't shown
any indication that it's likely to adapt
and grab that mammalian receptor. So,
it's not particularly a risk to humans. "
Lowe said most of the cows that have
been affected get sick for a short time
and recover. P
- Marilyn Iturri
14
JUNE 2024
PULSE
Pulse - June 2024

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