September 2001

Birthday Celebration Extended Indefinitely

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Just like my neighbor's wife, we've decided to extend our birthday celebration indefinitely. Please read on about our once in a lifetime sale (as described below).

Please go to the Newsletter archive at the web site to view previous newsletters including MICs for DUMMIES. Also, please look at http://www.dermapet.com to see our many updates, Protocols including Malassezia Dermatitis, the popular TrizEDTA Bacterial Otitis Protocol, the Pruritic Clinical Trial, and articles. THE NEW BROCHURE IS ON LINE. The post of the month comes from Promed via the TVMA listserv reporting the first presumptive clinical case of West Nile Virus in a dog.

Please go to http://www.dermapet.com or call 800-755-4738 for DIRECT sales. We also sell via select distributors such as Burns , Columbus Serum, NLS, MWI, Penn Vet, PVP, Merritt, Premier, R & S Pharma, R. Weinstein (Hawaii), TW Vet Supply, Vet Med Supply and Vetpo. In the last month we have added Henry Schein and Midwest Vet Supply. We can now provide you a dominant distributor anywhere you may be in the USA (including Alaska and Hawaii). We are also available in Canada via CENTRAL SALES (central@ica.net), Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Central America and soon in Europe.

EUROPEAN VETS (and others worldwide): We are shipping TrizEDTA for $11.99 (per 4 ounce/cases of 12) INCLUDING SHIPPING BY FEDEX.

We will be at the ATLANTIC CITY meeting, TUFTS and the WILD WEST Show ALL on the SAME dates, October 10-13! We sorely will miss going to Central Sales meeting in Canada. Word is some companies also need to do a surgery meeting in Chicago at the same time.

SALES REPS WANTED

We are looking for sales reps in the Southeast, Northeast and Southwest markets. Base salary plus incentive compensation and benefits will be commensurate with ability. Extensive travel will be required. Send resume to dermapet@aol.com or dermapetsales@aol.com or fax to 301-365-0191.

MedRx is offering CE doing their EAR Seminars on the road next in ASHEVILLE on October 6, SAN ANTONIO on October 28, SALT LAKE CITY on November 10 and MEMPHIS on November 17. Be there to hear LOU GOTTHELF teach you the latest, state of the art otology. Ears represent the #1 complaint of pet owners to vets (VPI insurance claims, 2000). Call 888-392-1234 to register or find out when one is coming near you.

GEMISH Information

Many people have said they cannot get Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate (DSP) and want to know what to substitute. As long as the corticosteroid is of a similar strength and water soluble, it should be OK. However, one should not need to shake it, as is often the case with many injectable corticosteroids. Although I have a supply of DSP, one substitute others are using is Azium (Schering). The antibiotic selection may vary, as well.

Ideal climate and scenery graced this meeting in friendly Vancouver. Would you believe sunny and about 80 during the day and 70 at night? And those of us who visited from the US benefited from a weak "Looney" (Canadian $1 coin). Day one, MIKE MARK (Houston) and I went out to the beautiful Furry Creek Golf Course, a treacherous, mountainous course by the sea where white water rapids, tall trees and the sea ate many of my group's golf balls. The meetings was held at the convention center which was located on the docks where 2 different Alaska destined cruise ships daily did their business.

GARY LANDSBERG and his partner, STEPHEN WAISGLAS (Toronto) and their wives, Susan and Adit, were our eating and shopping partners much of the show.

And there were also seminars. STEPHEN WHITE (UC/DAVIS), lectured on Malassezia Dermatitis, Pododermatitis and Ears; we hear there were many favorable comments. ALAN HUEY (VICTORIA, CANADA) introduced White. VIN's NATE LISSANT made excuses for his broken magic trick, while PAUL PION was in search of experts in other countries to man the boards. "TESSY" MATUSBARA (WAHA/JAPAN) visited with a large contingent. CRAIG HARRISON (LEEDS/UK) of the BSAVA visited. We met up with good pal, BERNIE PUKAY, lecturer and veterinary statesman, who is traveling to Japan around November 14, coincidentally the same time, WSAVA keynote speaker, PETER EMILY will be there. Peter is still relating the story of how I ran a 7-foot shark away in Myrtle Beach by throwing it a corncob. There were dentists (JOHN ROBINSON, FRANK VERSTRAETE, BOB WIGGS, BONNIE BLOOM, ED EISNER to name a few who cam by) from all over the world. Behaviorists were TNTC with GARY LANDSBERG and DEB HOROWITZ leading the field. Cat toys were popular again. An Aggression Protocol was decided upon.

I was distressed to learn of the recent accidental death of Israel Bleich, veterinarian from Cepav Laboratories in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Israel invited several speakers to Brazil, including myself, where he organized very successful and well-attended seminars (with 2 translators) and trade shows. He visited with us when he came to the US most recently in Las Vegas. The veterinary profession will miss him.

WSAVA Exhibitor News

ROD MIERS (Pharmacia) was on the winning team for the golf tournament which we do not recall hearing about before the meeting. Stephen Crane of WVC/Las Vegas described his headaches with registering companies for the "next but likely not last" new exhibit hall. Kudos to him for completing this year's booth allocations. COLIN BURROWS and DONNA GINDY manned the other "Biggest Vet Show on Earth" booth (TheNAVC/Orlando). Colin, visited Victoria where was very impressed with the Buchard Gardens during a one day-a 13 hour journey. Donna announced that her daughter, KARRE, who we enjoyed working across from in San Antonio, will be getting married to her golf pro fiancé at the Paris Hotel during the WVC. Congratulations Gindys!. Of course, I asked if the new NAVC "employee" could play on my golf team in the DVM Newsmagazine golf tournament in Orlando. Colin responded that he appears to have committed to the NAVC employee team.

CVC in KC

We opened to a MIKE SOLLARS (VLS) hosted dinner at the Plaza 3 attended by VINers JOHN TINGUS, NATE LISSANT and KATE HASE. I was reminded of being on a meat and potato cruise after eating BBQ and steak most every night. JACK WHITE attended and was warmly received by all, particularly WAYNE ROSENKRANTZ (Pyoderma) and ROD ROSYCHUK (Ears, Pododermatitis, etc) as well as SHERYL SKOLNICK (Denver). GARY BOUGE and Jack were busy representing DermaPet and putting out fires started by Yours Truly. MIKE GROH (KC), who helped develop Baytril otic, stopped by for some TrizEDTA.

LOU GOTTHELF, just like a boomerang, returned from his Australian lecture tour. Attending his lectures and wet labs, with the purpose of delivering more to our Aussie colleagues, were Melbourne dermatologist, GREG BURTON, and his resident, DAVID ROBSON.

FACTOIDS

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal, after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400.

Laboratory experiments at Iowa State University suggest that the oil in the catnip plant is about 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, the chemical in many commercial insect repellents. The research is preliminary and catnip has yet to be tested on humans as a mosquito repellent. Iowa State has submitted a patent application for the use of
catnip compounds as insect repellents. (AP)

A UK environment ministry spokesman reported that Britain's foot-and-mouth crisis is projected to cost taxpayers about 2.2 billion pounds ($3.14 billion), about 300 million pounds more than the net value of all British farm produce last year. (AnimalNet - Agence France Presse)

VCA who went public then private is now going public again. This is presumably to raise capital. The Los Angeles-based company was publicly traded from 1991 until September 2000, when it completed a recapitalization with an entity controlled by merchant banking firm Leonard Green & Partners. The IPO is being co-managed by Credit Suisse First Boston and Goldman Sachs. (Reuters)

West Nile Virus, first discovered in the US in New York City, is carried by 54 species of birds. Mosquitoes, after feeding upon infected birds, transmit it to humans who usually are asymptomatic.

From the Pet Food Institutes electronic newsletter:

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recently requested an opinion on the use of the term "human grade" on petfood labels from the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Terms such as "human grade" on the labels of petfood products can be misleading; Human grade is currently undefined; In the absence of labeling indicating the product is not fit for human consumption, the term may lead some to believe the product is edible; The designation "human grade" may not appear anywhere in the ingredient list; and At this time, the CVM objects to the use of the term "human grade" and other such terms on labels of pet foods.

Despite CVM's current opinion on the matter, its letter indicates that the use of the term may be acceptable provided a definition and guideline for "human grade" are established, much like has already been done for "natural." CVM in a response too detailed for this newsletter has opposed such a designation. Being the strong proponents of vinegar that we are, we wonder how this will effect our plans to make a peach vinaigrette salad dressing?

Belgian government and university scientists have found some unexpected DNA in Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans, next to its inserted gene, ..causing some concern. Monsanto acknowledged that the extra DNA was there, but it said it was confident that the soybean was safe and that the unknown DNA had no effect on the plant. (New York Times) Ed note. But, was the extra DNA fattening?

For Malassezia and Bacterial Otitis PROTOCOLS and the Malassezia Derm Protocol please go to the web site and read Seven Steps to Treating Ears, visit the many articles at our website or look at archived Newsletters.

SPECIALS

It is DermaPet's "10th Anniversary" and we are celebrating with "BACK to BASICS SHAMPOO THERAPY 101" specials...as you can see, we are offering fantastic savings on our superior quality shampoos and conditioners:

"BACK to BASICS SHAMPOO THERAPY 101"

A. Purchase 3 assorted cases of DermaPet's - Hypoallergenic Conditioning Shampoo, Allay Oatmeal Shampoo, Allay Oatmeal Conditioner, Seborrheic Shampoo, or Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo and receive 3 cases of your choice FREE!

B. Purchase 1 case of either size DermaPet's - O.F.A. Caps and receive 1 case FREE!

C. Promotional period will run from August 1 to October 31.

DermaPet IS the largest veterinary dermatologic company in "virtual reality"-cyberspace, for those who might otherwise misunderstand the phrase- and the fastest growing. Our Newsletter list, NOW APPROACHING 13,000 is the largest in the industry with another 8,000 posted indirectly and countless more that read it reposted in newsgroups or lists. Those who receive this newsletter and wish to pass it along to colleagues, please do.

Steve Melman VMD
http://www.dermapet.com
dermapet@aol.com
800-555-4738 US order line
301-983-8387 outside US
301-365-0191 fax

And from our good friends at VIN
"Don't forget to look for DermaPet as a Featured Company on VIN's Industry Partners Site, an electronic exhibit hall providing 6,000 plus VIN members and all online veterinarians, access to current information from over 900 companies, manufacturers and distributors of the products and services they use daily."

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E-mail dermapet@aol.com

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