Australia’s largest feline festival returns
In 2021, Australians owned an estimated 4.9 million pet cats with a staggering 24 per cent obtained during the pandemic. With a new wave of passionate feline families in our midst, the return of the Melbourne Cat Lovers Show couldn’t be better timed. Almost three years since the last event was staged, organisers have landed an all-new home, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. “Anyone with a deep love for cats or seeking a better understanding of these curious and enigmatic creatures can celebrate their shared passion at Australia’s largest feline-focused festival, right in the heart of Melbourne,” Show Founder and CEO, Jason Humphris said The two-day festival will offer visitors the chance to meet and interact with over 300 cats representing more than 30 breeds. A wide array of feline-inspired attractions will offer visitors the chance to learn essential tips on feline behaviour, nutrition, enrichment and breed selection. Animal experts including Katrina Warren, Kelly Gill, Lara Shannon, Rose Horton, and Alex Hecker will unite to present a weekend of talks on the new PETstock Stage. For the first time, and beaming live via satellite from Los Angeles on the big screen, global cat celebrity and host of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, Jackson Galaxy, will present daily talks followed by an interactive Q&A. Australia’s biggest cat retail market will provide close contact with pet products, while the Trouble & Trix Breed Showcase will provide a unique opportunity for guests to learn from more than 30 leading breeders representing rare, pedigree and companion varieties. The PETstock Adoption Zone will host free stalls for up to 40 rescue groups, and crowd favourite Pat-A-Cat will return. Read more… [Source: The Veterinarian]
Vets4Pets clients help Ukraine fund hit £200,000 mark
Paul Imrie Clients at Vets4Pets have helped to raise more than £100,000 through an online fund-raiser to help pets and people impacted by the war in Ukraine. The money has been added to the £100,000 already pledged by the Pets at Home Group, which includes Vets4Pets, Companion Care, The Groom Room and the Pets at Home store brand, to support groups on the ground and working at key border crossings. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), FOUR PAWS and Blue Cross are among the charities being supported by the cash. Proud Robert Walker, veterinary surgeon and chair of the Vets4Pets joint venture council, said: “All of our partners and veterinary colleagues are incredibly proud of being able to lend our support to the Pets at Home Group’s campaign. “Thanks to our generous practices and clients, we have been able to raise an incredible amount in such a short time and we are incredibly grateful for their support, knowing it will help so many pets and their owners.” ‘Real impact’ Money raised by clients and the group is already helping on the ground in Ukraine. James Sawyer, regional director at IFAW, said: “Our veterinarians, volunteers and responders are working in 12-hour shifts to provide constant access to pet food, triage veterinary care and animal supplies. “We’re seeing hundreds of refugees per day and have helped an estimated 1,400 animals since March. These donations are making a real impact on the ground, and so we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed.” Sonul Badiani-Hamment, UK country director at FOUR PAWS, added: “Sadly, more and more pets are being found on the streets of Ukraine, most likely because they have become distressed during attacks or got lost during the evacuation of their families. Our team is currently focusing on reuniting these lost pets with their owners or placing them into loving foster homes. This work wouldn’t be possible without such generous donations.” Read more.
Pet population in Italy grows and boosts nutrition sales
Author: David Palacios Rubio 12.2 million households bought dog and cat food in 2021, about 1 million more than the previous year. Dog and cat food purchases increased by more than 7% in the offline channel. New data from Zoomark and the Italian Association for Pet Feeding and Care (ASSALCO) revealed that the turnover of the Italian market for dog and cat food was €2.5 billion ($2.7B) last year, up 8.4% from 2020. The research, presented during Interzoo in Nuremberg, concluded supermarkets accounted for 29.7% of industry turnover in 2021. Traditional pet shops (14.3%) and pet shop chains (7.5%) followed. Sales of cat and dog food on the different channels – excluding online – were worth 658.5 million kg in 2021 (+5%) and it amounted to €2.41B ($2.59B) in value (+7.1%). The grocery channel accounted for 58.9% of the total turnover of the pet food market (€1.42B / $1.52B), 7.7% more. \Wet food remains the most popular type of pet food (48% of the market share), with a turnover of $1.17 billion ($1.25B) last year. The market for hygiene products, toys, and accessories is quite dynamic, with high performance in large-scale retail (+5.8% compared to the previous period). The strongest segment is cat litter, which grew by 5% in the year ending December 2021, according to the report. Pet population also increased in 2021, with 64.8 million pets across the country. Fish were the most common (29.9 million), followed by birds (12.9 million), cats (10.1 million), and dogs (8.7 million). The number of households purchasing dog and cat food in 2021 reached 46.9% of the total number of Italian households (+3.4%) supported by an increase in purchases of premium and super premium products. [Image: David Palacios Rubio]
Insights on the Pet Care Global Market to 2030 – Rising Demand for Premium Pet Care Products is Driving Growth
NEWS PROVIDED BY: Research and Markets DUBLIN, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The “Pet Care Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Pet Types (Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird), by Type (Products, Services, Food), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The global pet care market size is expected to reach USD 232.14 billion by 2030. The year 2020 was not very promising for most industries, but it has been a boon to the pet care industries due to repeated lockdowns and the work from home culture, which led people to take better care of their pets. This has stipulated the demand for pet services and products a significant rise in the market. Moreover, the growing awareness about pet humanization, and increasing purchasing power of the consumers, coupled with a rise in the demand for premium pet care products, are driving the growth of the market. Due to urbanization people have been living in smaller residential spaces, this has, however, increased the adoption of smaller pets such as dogs, fish, hamsters, cats, and so on. Consumers are looking to plug the familial gap with their pet companion. Premium pet care products are natural and of higher quality, and safer than regular pet care products. With the increase in demand for premium pet grooming products globally, several companies are trying to occupy the majority of shares in this segment. For instance, in 2020, BASF Care Creations in North America launched 3 formulations for the dog grooming segment: Creamy Co-Wash for Dogs, Fresh Obsessed Dry Shampoo Mist, and Micellar Dog Shampoo. Similarly, in 2021, Pure and Natural Pet, a U.S.-based pet care company added new USDA-certified products to their line of pet grooming and health essentials. According to Pet Biz Marketer, pet food makes up about 3/4s of all pet industry sales. There has been a noticeable increase in the trend of pet food brands gaining market share via niche pet foods. One of the fastest-growing niche food categories is freeze-dried dog food, it is a dog food that’s freeze-dried to extend shelf life. Petfoodindustry.com reports that sales for non-traditional pet food formats are growing faster than traditional pet food. Read more.
FDA Announces Live Webinar on the Animal Drug Manufacturing System for Reporting Supply Chain Data
June 6, 2022 Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a live webinar titled, “Reporting of Veterinary Drug Supply Chain Information Using the Animal Drug Manufacturing System (ADMS) eSubmitter Tool.” The webinar is intended for animal drug manufacturers, US agents and consultants, and government agencies involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The eSubmitter tool is a free software used to support the creation of electronic, secure submissions to the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) for review. The webinar will take place from 1:00-3:30pm ET on Wednesday, June 22, via Zoom, and is intended to provide information about new enhancements to the system. In December 2021, the FDA announced an eSubmitter update intended to enable animal drug manufacturers to provide more complete facility information, particularly about the establishments that are actively used in their manufacturing processes, in order to provide supply chain data that strengthened the FDA’s ability to monitor the animal drug supply chain. This facility information is required to be submitted to the agency. This enhancement was part of the ADMS, a project funded by The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The ADMS webinar will explain the rationale for collection of supply chain information; include live demonstrations of users entering information into the various ADMS Books and eSubmitter templates, focused on the updated functionality; and will provide a live Q&A section where users can ask questions about the system and the new enhancement for sharing supply chain information. Collecting facility information will enable CVM to rapidly access information on animal drug products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and the status of manufacturing sites, so that the agency can identify and address critical facilities and animal drugs impacted by emerging diseases or natural disasters and collaborate with industry to identify solutions to potential animal drug shortages. This step brings CVM in line with the FDA’s other medical product centers that already require human drug and biologic manufacturers to provide facility information and operational status. To register for the webinar, please visit Webinar Registration – Zoom (zoomgov.com)External Link Disclaimer and complete the required fields. If you would like to submit questions for the Q&A portion of the webinar in advance, please submit them to cvmesubmitter@fda.hhs.gov with the subject line “Live ADMS Webinar” by Tuesday, June 17. The webinar will be recorded and posted to CVM’s webinar webpage for those unable to make the live session. [Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration]
New inhaled immunotherapy fights lung cancer in dogs
Author: Paul Imrie (UC Davis oncologist) Study carried out by medical and veterinary researchers at UC Davis and other institutions use approach where naturally produced protein triggers T-cells and natural killer cells when inhaled. Scientists have discovered that a protein naturally produced by the body could be an important new immunotherapy drug against cancer. Medical and veterinary oncologists at UC Davis and other institutions have carried out a study in 21 pet dogs of various breeds with metastatic lung disease from osteosarcoma and melanoma by treating them with inhaled interleukin-15 (IL-15). It was the first clinical trial of its kind, and involved Robert Canter with UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and canine oncologist Robert Rebhun with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Inhaled Dr Canter said: “No one previously had administered IL-15 as an inhaled treatment in dogs to deliver it directly to the site of the cancer. We came up with that idea as a means of reducing exposure to the rest of the body to improve the benefit-risk ratio, improve the immune stimulating effects, and reduce toxicity. “In this study, we used interleukin-15 to reinvigorate the immune system to make it recognise the cancer cells that had evaded the immune system and eliminate them.” Immune response The study, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, showed amplified concentrations of IL-15 stimulate immune response defences against some cancers in dogs. Dr Canter added: “As part of our comparative oncology research, we are strong advocates of clinical trials in companion dogs – especially for immunotherapy – as a way to speed bench-to-bedside translation. “The cancers that afflict dogs, including sarcomas, brain tumours, lymphoma and melanoma, are incredibly similar to cancers that humans develop.” Source: Vettimes.com.uk
CIPS Launches Campaign to Empower Pet Retailers in China
The campaign is a strategic move of CIPS to enhance its domestic buyers network in China. In April, China International Pet Show (CIPS) launched the “Empowering 10,000 China Pet Retailers” campaign. The team has held training seminars in six cities so far and plans to hold 200 seminars and events through the end of the year. The campaign’s key activity is the fine grooming and skin care seminar, which includes lectures and practice to improve pet store groomers’ skills. The systematic training is designed especially for pet stores to meet customer needs and increase their return on service. The seminar also includes store management skills, marketing techniques and niche classes on subjects such as bakery, photography, healthcare and more. The first group of 25 teachers have finished their training and started classes in various cities, and the organizer expects a team of 100 teachers join the campaign in the next couple of months. More than 400 store owners and groomers have participated in the seminar thus far. “The seminars differ in size, from a dozen groomers to hundreds of participants. It is not a once for all event, but a continuous systematic training process,” said Lu Peng, general manager of CIPS. “We believe a healthy and sustainable retailing system is what China desperately need now. Pet stores services differ them from online e-commerce sales, which focuses more on products. Pet owners need the person-to-person communication now more than any time before.” The 2022 show will be held both online and in person November 17-20 in Guangzhou, China. [source: Pet Business]
Comparing Vet-calibrated Portable Blood Glucose Monitors For Dogs
A new study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), compared both the AccuTell and AlphaTrak2 Portable Blood Glucose Monitors (PBGMs) against a reference method – the hexokinase reaction method. Although the accuracy of one of the most well-known veterinary PBGMs, the AlphaTrak, has been investigated, not enough is known about the accuracy of such monitors and standards have not yet been designed for veterinary PBGMs. In the study “Comparative accuracy of two veterinary-calibrated point-of-care glucometres for measurement of blood glucose concentration in dogs” blood was sampled from client and staff-owned dogs above 6 months of age, of various breeds and health status. This was the first study to investigate AccuTell and the first published evidence comparing AlphaTrak2 with a reference method. The study aimed to determine the accuracy of both veterinary-calibrated PBGMs as well as how useful they are in clinical decision making and to assess the effect that packed cell volume (PCV) (known to affect the reliability of blood glucose concentration measurement in dogs) has on blood glucose concentration using the two PBGMs. AccuTell was found to be more accurate and useful in a clinical setting than AlphaTrak2. Both PBGMs were inaccurate in comparison with the hexokinase reaction method, and although they have potential for standard clinical use, unexpected blood glucose concentrations need to be checked by the hexokinase reaction method. In addition, measurement of blood glucose concentration by the AlphaTrak2 was affected by PCV whereas measurement by the AccuTell was not. Nicola Di Girolamo, Editor of JSAP concluded: “We oftentimes think that an instrument that is developed specifically for our patients will provide satisfactorily results on most occasions. Instead, studies such as the one presented here, are critical to understand whether the ‘numbers’ provided by an instrument are reliable for clinical use. The authors provided 95% limits of agreements to their results. This value is of great help for clinicians, since it shows the difference expected between the instrument and the reference standard in the majority of occasions.” The full article can be found in the July issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and can be read online here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jsap.13491 1 Wolfenden, G, James, FE, Hung, LHT, Bruce, M, and Thompson, M (2022) Comparative accuracy of two veterinary-calibrated point-of-care glucometres for measurement of blood glucose concentration in dogs Journal of Small Animal Practice, Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jsap.13491 Source: VetClick
Survey Results Released From InterZoo 2022
A survey about the pet trade fair revealed satisfaction amongst attendees. According to a survey from Interzoo 2022, held in Nuremberg this past May by Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft Zoologischer Fachbetriebe GmbH (WZF), more than 90 percent of survey respondents reported planning to attend the show again. The pet industry trade fair attracted 27,861 trade visitors from 129 countries and 1,328 exhibitors from 59 countries. Other survey highlights include: Amongst exhibitors, 95 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall success of the event; More than 94 percent of exhibitors achieved their specific trade fair objectives. 96 percent of exhibitors were pleased with the quality of trade visitors at their stands; 97 percent of exhibitors reached the most important target groups for their products or services; 96 percent made completely new business contacts, and nine out of ten exhibitors believe that the trade fair will result in new business. Most international visitors came from Italy (1,653), followed by Spain (1,174), the Netherlands (1,089), and Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1,060); 966 trade visitors came from France, and 958 came from Poland; Germany was represented with 7,698 attendees. Compared with the previous years, more trade visitors from larger companies with more employees visited Interzoo 2022; The percentage of online sellers (15.2 percent) was also much higher (2018: 8.8 percent). Nearly all trade visitors (98 percent) were satisfied or very satisfied with the general offering; 98 percent of trade fair visitors said that the information and contact opportunities at the trade fair met their expectations; 96 percent of visitors deemed it to be a success, and almost all of them (97 percent) said: “I benefitted from Interzoo.” More than 50 start-ups drew attention at the Sponsored Pavilion and the international Start-up Area in Hall 11; The “Fresh Ideas Stage” offered for the first time at Interzoo 2022 gave an added boost to many market entrants. “It was plain to see that the international pet industry made the most of the long-awaited industry platform Interzoo to present its latest products and services to the trade community and establish new sales partnerships,” said Norbert Holthenrich, president of Interzoo’s honorary sponsor, the German Pet Trade & Industry Association. “The positive atmosphere and the still extremely high percentage of international visitors (72.5 percent) confirmed Interzoo’s status as the world’s leading trade fair.” The next Interzoo will be held in Nuremberg from Tuesday, May 7 to Friday, May 10 2024. [Source: Pet Business Staff]
Dublin Vets Warn Pet Owners To Be Vigilant Of Parvovirus Outbreak
A leading Ireland vet practice is warning dog owners to be vigilant after a confirmed outbreak of a potentially-lethal condition in the region. MyVet, which is owned by Linnaeus and has surgeries in Lucan and Firhouse, has issued the warning in the wake of several confirmed cases of parvovirus, a viral infection which is extremely contagious and often leads to death if left untreated. The virus brings around symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhoea, and puppies who have not had their full vaccination course are at particularly high risk. Shauna Quinn, lead veterinary surgeon at MyVet, said: “Parvovirus can have quite a severe impact on affected dogs and can impact dogs of all breeds and age. “The virus can spread through direct contact or infected faeces and affected dogs can even spread the virus after recovery for up to eight weeks. “Symptoms include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea, often with blood. “Unfortunately, the virus is highly resistant and can remain in the environment for many months outside, so it’s important to spread the word about it so that more dog owners can be aware of its severity, take precautions and be able to spot the symptoms.” The best way to protect against parvovirus is to have dogs vaccinated as puppies, with an additional booster vaccination usually done at one year of age. “If you think your dog is displaying any symptoms of parvovirus, get in touch with your local vet straight away. There is an instant test that can be done on a faecal sample or swabs, so treatment can be started immediately,” added Shauna. For more information about My Vet, visit www.myvet.ie. For more information about Linnaeus, visit www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk or search for Linnaeus on social media. [Source: Vetclick] [Photo: Shauna Quinn, lead veterinary surgeon at MyVet]