New FIP cure may cause stones

Hello 👋

Hard to believe it is Sunday already. And come to think of it, we’re 2 weeks away from the end of summer. Where did the time go this year? I don’t know about you, but it feels like those early summer BBQs were just yesterday.

Here is what is on tap today:

😿 Miracle FIP cure causes stones
😢 The veterinary toll of the Maui Wildfires
💼 Veterinary business news
🚀 Quick Hits

😿 Cure for FIP causes stones in some patients

The ‘miracle’ cure for FIP, GS 441524, a metabolite of the antiviral drug Remdesivir has a new side effect that veterinary teams should be aware of: urinary stones.

The Minnesota urolith center has reported 3 cases of previously unrecognized uroliths in cats receiving high doses of Remdesivir or GS 441524 as treatment for neurologic FIP. The discovery came after review of the history of the three cats and noting the commonality of therapy. Assessment of the stones then determined they were composed of GS 441524. While the compound is very soluble in organic compounds, it is excreted in the urine and only has limited solubility in aqueous solutions.

So… what to do? Patients receiving high doses of Remdesivir or GS 441524 who develop urinary signs should be checked for stones. Monitoring with urinalysis may be valuable and patients may need to receive lower dosages if atypical crystals are noted on evaluation.

😢 The veterinary toll of the Maui Wildfires

All eyes have turned to the people of Hawaii and their families this week as they continue to deal with the horrific aftermath of wildfires on the Island. If you need an update on why and how the fires got so bad, Vox has a comprehensive article.

With the death toll at 114 and climbing, the loss is unspeakable. And as with any disaster, the veterinary profession is affected in both the loss and the rescue effort. FEMA has deployed 20 highly trained cadaver dogs to the island with 20 more arriving Wednesday. Each dog can search up to a couple dozen homes each day, looking for human remains. This is an integral part of the search and rescue operation.

As reported by DVM 360 this week, the Maui Humane Society estimates that 3,000 pets have been displaced by the fires, and at least 2 veterinary practices were lost to the fire.

Support is pouring in for the survivors and veterinary community. The American Veterinary Medical Foundation, the philanthropy arm of the AVMF, has dedicated $30,000 to the cause. Petco Love has donated supplies to the Maui Humane Society and $150,000 to its animal welfare partners. Purina has donated $25,000.

Read more about the fires and their affects on pets in the stories below:

• ‘Miracles Occurred That Night’: A Mad Scramble to Save Maui Pets [NYT]

• Maui vets race to save injured pets left behind in the fires, 3,000 animals still missing [ABC News]

• Veterinarians In Maui Working To Save Lahaina’s Pets [Weather Channel]

• As people fled the fires, pets did too. Some emerged with marks of escape, but many remain lost [Yahoo News]

• Maui animal shelter housing pets whose owners lost their homes to deadly fires [CBS News]

Of course we would be remiss if we didn’t note that wildfires are also raging in Canada in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories as well as along many stretches of the Pacific coast. Our thoughts are with all the families affected by these disasters.

💼 Veterinary business news

Once again, there was some big news on the business side of our profession this week with various acquisitions and partnerships as well as one high profile set of layoffs.

Mars is set to acquire SynLab, a European reference laboratory, expanding its footprint as a global player in animal health.

With a recent raise of an additional $10 million, Mixlab has now raised a total of $40 million to support its mission of establishing a veterinary pharmacy, centered around a digital experience.

A large Canadian consolidator, Vet Strategy, has laid off ~10 veterinarians and 70 support staff.

PetVivo, a veterinary biotech company, has received an additional allowance for a patent, for its biocompatible particulate technology. This covers the sponge like particles in their signature product ‘Spryng with Osteocushion Technology.’

Loyal, the canine longevity company, has announced a major partnership with Banfield to access over 130,000 electronic health records. This large and longitudinal dataset will be used to glean insights into long term animal health challenges. Their first paper is in pre-print and evaluates risk factors for osteoarthritis. Loyal also announced a partnership with Crinetic pharmaceuticals to market their therapeutic in acromegaly for people to large breed dogs.

🚀 Quick hits

California bill to give physical therapists greater scope with animals stalls in state senate [AAHA]

Why do some animals adopt other animals' young? [Live Science]

FDA issues warning over salmonella contaminated pet food [DVM360]

Comparative oncology at UC Davis maps canine cancer genome to support human health [UC Davis]

West Virginia abandons plans for veterinary school [VIN]

New Comedy series advocates for biodiversity by putting animals in therapy [Good Good Good]

Why do some animals adopt other animals' young? [Live Science]