62 white label brands of Omega-3 supplements for dogs and cats recalled after owner reports dog vitamin A poisoning
The FDA announced on Friday, March 10 that the distributor Stratford Care USA, Inc. is recalling Omega-3 supplements for cats […]
The FDA announced on Friday, March 10 that the distributor Stratford Care USA, Inc. is recalling Omega-3 supplements for cats […]
Late last month, veterinary hospital industry disruptor David Bessler hosted more than 200 veterinary students and recent graduates for a […]
“The moment that [Chewy] would offer another insurance carrier, we could talk to other pet retailers,” Rawlings told TCR, declining to name companies, although he did note that Trupanion “turned down Walmart.”
“We didn’t think that Walmart could help grow the category,” Rawlings added. Trupanion’s point of view, he says, is that ‘Chewy was going to come to the marketplace no matter what,’ describing Chewy as if he were describing stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
It’s been nearly three years since the FDA issued its last update on a deadly heart condition’s connection to certain […]
Why Would Petplan Slash Coverage For Veterinary Professionals?
Are veterinary professionals not the people a pet insurance provider would want on its good side for client referrals? Actuary data shows that veterinary professionals tend to adopt “what we consider ‘lemons’ as their companions,” explained Margi Tooth, the President of Trupanion, a Petplan competitor which does not have the same exclusion. “What this inevitably means,” she added, “is that their pets have a higher rate of utilization that the average pet owner. There’s no conspiracy here – it’s a profession that can’t face putting a pet to sleep that could be saved – so when an owner walks in with a sick pet that they can’t afford to treat, they’re often adopted by the team in the hospital. These folks are heroes on many levels.”
Chief medical officer and co-founder Dr. Andi Flory was there, and we asked her what would be recommended if an otherwise healthy dog tested “positive” for cancer according to OncoK9. Dr. Flory said that the next step would be to undergo a series of imaging and diagnostic tests. Following a presentation from PetDx’s Dr. Angela McCleary-Wheeler at the conference, she said when asked during a brief Q&A that the company’s recommendation would be to go on a “cancer hunt.”
Co-founder Dr. Daniel Grosu did not make himself available at the company booth for interviews and was nowhere to be found at the company’s presentations on Tuesday, March 8. Dr. Grosu also declined to comment when asked if he was comfortable with the term “cancer hunt.”
The Canine Review also asked Dr. Flory how things were progressing with the clinical trials announced earlier this year with BluePearl, a network of highly regarded veterinary specialty hospitals.
Dr. Flory said that the trials had not yet started due to “paperwork” delays. BluePearl co-founder Darryl Shaw did not respond to requests for comment or clarification regarding the status of the collaboration with PetDx, and PetDx’s Grosu has continued to decline all requests to comment. “That’s something we’re not allowed to talk about,” another PetDx staffer at the company’s booth told TCR when asked about the BluePearl collaboration. “But, is it still happening?”
“I think the best person to talk to about that would be Daniel [Grosu, who remained AWOL.]”
BluePearl aside, herein lies the main head-scratcher: A positive result on this test provides no information about what type of cancer might be lurking or its location. Thus, there’s no limit as far as scope for diagnostics; a veterinarian would still need to rule out every possibility and therefore test until there are no more tests.
Thus, given that the test does not narrow the scope, what’s the argument for using OncoK9 before using the diagnostics which you would need to use regardless to diagnose and/or rule out?
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Nationwide is cutting its losses–literally. The company’s 90%-reimbursement, unlimited pet insurance offering has been deep-sixed, spokeswoman Karen Davis confirmed to TCR. The genesis of the decision, although seemingly crystallized in recent company statutory filings with state insurance regulators (see below), is not something Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker would comment on. Now, consumers can take their pick between 50% or 70% reimbursement levels. And, they can take the $10,000 annual limit whether they like it or not.
Late Friday evening, the office of California Attorney General Robert Bonta confirmed to TCR through a spokesman that Hemopet founder W. Jean Dodds is now under investigation. The confirmation came in response to an inquiry from TCR late Wednesday, which provided a list of ongoing possible criminal legal exposures for Ms. Dodds and requested General Bonta’s comment on whether such activity was being investigated.
Update: California has confirmed that Dodds was never licensed to practice in the state. TCR is now seeking information from the California Veterinary Medical Board about next steps for Jean Dodds, including whether a criminal investigation at the state and/or federal level is under consideration. Jean Dodds has continued to decline TCR’s requests to respond to the citation, including whether she intends to contest it.