This Newsletter will include a contribution from a practitioner, notes from trade shows, the "Whitford Report" and more. I would like to encourage the DermaPet using community to write me. If useful and permitted by the author then I will pass it on to the Newsletter list which includes 4,000 vets (and growing) via direct email and another 7,000 posted indirectly. I also encourage you to visit http://www.dermapet.com or call 800-755-4738 for direct sales. We also sell via select distributors.
Having visited trade shows in Reno and Atlantic City "simultaneously", DermaPet observed some interesting happenstances. Reno was graced with Danny Scott coming out of his self-imposed 'retirement' from speaking. At the Novartis party, a person with a crew cut and stubble beard greeted me as if I should recognize him. After two strong looks and a "you KNOW me", I 'recognized' the new Danny who was not surprised at my double take since only his wife has seen him without his long hair and beard since his high school football days. Asked why he shed his "fur", Danny replied he wasn't sure; he just "did it." Some thought he looked older, some younger. Will Danny grow it back for the WCVD?
Mitch Song was also on the Wild West program. Mitch actually helped "mentor" me on an upcoming new product and delivery system. The Wild West and Atlantic Coast Conferences also enjoyed hearing "Bicoastal" Ron Whitford whose "Whitford Report" is included in this newsletter. VIN "Dean" Paul Pion surprised many by showing up in AC instead of Reno, which is a car ride from home. In AC at the Bayer party, VIN's own NateDVM-Nate Lissant- was "all over" the dance floor with a mysterious, pretty woman. Fortunately, someone was able to take his place for Tuesday night 'rounds'. Richard Ford took over the academic part of the seminar, which seemed improved. Lynette Cole and Dawn Logas ran an ear wet lab where Louegee-Lou Gotthelf- assisted. All three touted TrizEDTA. We all await Lou's Ear book by Saunder's. Gary Landsburg filled in at the DermaPet booth - fishing in colleagues with our interactive cat toys-while I was in Reno; he also did his misbehavior seminar to the delight of the crowd. VCA's own Neal Tauber was seen enjoying Monday night football and inquisitive while beating a blackjack dealer from Kazykistan? At a friendly table in Reno. Kazykistan? She claimed it was her name. One vet from Texas wanted to know the capitol, another the favorite dish and so on.
Rosenblum winery- wine connoisseurs amongst you know his Zinfandels to be the recognized among the world's best- has agreed to supply the wine and be a co-sponsor with DermaPet for the "Streets of San Francisco" Gala Party at the WCVD. Not many know that Kent Rosenblum is also a practicing veterinarian in Oakland, CA. Kudos for Purina who agreed to be one of 5 major sponsors at the WCVD. We all know Peter Ihrke (UC/Davis) is doing a great job presiding over the conference.
Canada's own Bernie Pukay will be lecturing on "State-of-the-Art Advances in Dermatitis Therapies" in Japan in the next 30 days. I am sure he'll enjoy it as much as Pete Ihrke, Gary Landsburg and I did.
Because it is pertinent to all of us in treating ears and developing a protocol for TrizEDTA, I am featuring the following, which is an unsolicited contribution from Dave Thompson, Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic, Wyoming, MI thompdw@email.msn.com
<< I've been using the DermaPet products for over a year now, and I'm still impressed with the results we've been getting. I note with interest that more and more of the Dermatology specialists on the VIN are recommending your products for difficult ear and skin cases. Though we don't profess to be experts in skin/ear cases, we are actually getting word-of-mouth referrals because of our success with your products.
I thought I would share some of the mixtures we are using:
Mix 1 oz. DermaPet Ear/Skin Cleanser with 12 mg Dex SP. Apply BID for 10-14 days; then use straight(no Dex SP) 2-3 x weekly for prevention.
We use the Gemish, but add 1cc (100 mg) large animal Baytril instead of 2 cc (45.4 mg) small animal Baytril. This provides a higher concentration of antibiotic at a lower cost ($0.50 vs. $2.00). Though the large animal Baytril is quite basic (pH=8.0) we have had no problems with stability or exothermic reactions with the Cleanser.
We follow your principles of ear flushing/otoscopy/C&S, then send them home with TrizEDTA 4oz. mixed with 4 cc (400 mg) large animal Baytril and 12 cc (48 mg) Dex SP. I have found better client compliance when they can do a one-step application vs. waiting 15 minutes before applying an antibiotic solution. We use this mixture TID x 14 days, then re-check. Most cases end up being treated 21-28 days. Orally, we use Baytril @ 10-20 mg/kg/day.
I would appreciate any feedback you have on our protocols. As a side note, I've cleared my shelves of the dozen different "medicated" shampoos we used to use. We treat everything with MalAcetic shampoo and conditioner. I was going to try your Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo, but I haven't needed to use it so far.
My only comments are technical:
When adding Baytril to the entire TrizEDTA bottle, I can understand why you don't add the same percentage as you do to the "gemish"- 100 mg/12 ml would be 900 mg/112 ml. For more intense treatment, you could make a TrizEDTA based gemish (which would stabilize the alkaline based Baytril) in the same proportion as the acetic/boric acid based "gemish", i.e., 100 mg to 12 ml with 6 mg of Na dex phosp. Then you could pre-treat with straight TrizEDTA and follow with "TrizEDTA gemish".
The Whitford Report By Ron Whitford DVM, well read columnist for Veterinary Forum QUALITY MEDICINE IS THE FUTURE. Today's client expects you to make recommendations based on a CONFIRMED diagnosis. The number one reason for noncompliance with recommendations is financial. Don't agree?? Then consider how many clients would turn down your recommendations if they were offered complimentary! FINANCING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN DISCOUNTING. Always offer the best treatment option first and then before offering a lesser treatment, offer to finance the difference between the best treatment and the lesser treatment. The secret: get sufficient deposit to cover out-of-pocket expenses for providing those services. I call this "CREDIT WITH CONTROL." Most consultants advise against offering credit. That worked in the past but not today. Our world survives because of credit. The majority of people are still good people. This is the reason you get several credit card offers in the mail every week. Don't get hung up on the 2-4% of deadbeats. Retailing estimates profitability if 60% of the credit offered is received. In the service business (which we are in), the % collections required for profitability is much less. REW
Please send me the email address of (or forward this to) any other vets that you feel might be interested in this or further 'newsletters'.
| Steven Melman VMD DermaPet Animal Dermatology and Behavior Clinics Potomac, MD 20854 |
dermapet@aol.com http://www.dermapet.com 800-755-4738 fax 301-365-0191 |
8909 Iverleigh Court 
Potomac, Maryland 20854
301-983-8387 800-755-4738 Fax 301-365-0191
E-mail dermapet@aol.com