VCA ($WOOF) said on Feb. 29 that it would buy up an 80% stake in Companion Animal Practices North America (CAPNA), a Las Vegas-based chain of 56 veterinary hospitals. CAPNA will retain its management team, operating independently while sharing various VCA systems and processes, said VCA CEO Bob Antin in a press release. "We have confidence in this model which is very similar to our Canadian business, which operates under an independent management that takes advantage of VCA's expertise and infrastructure," Antin said. VCA estimates that CAPNA will bring in $200 million in sales this year and will be accretive to earnings. The deal should also result in $116 million from future tax benefits, VCA estimated. The companies expect to close the transaction by July. Release
> Ceva has launched a new U.S. swine business unit and named Gary Robertson as its director. Article
> Bernadette Dunham, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, announced she is leaving her post to participate in a collaboration between the agency and the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University that's centered on One Health, an international effort to foster cooperation between veterinarians and scientists studying diseases that cross species. Release
> The International Society of Feline Medicine and the veterinary division of International Cat Care published an overview of diagnostic and treatment options for feline kidney disease in the flagship Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. Release
> Merck Animal Health ($MRK) has partnered with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation to award $5,000 scholarships to five veterinary students pursuing careers in swine medicine and production. Release
> Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University have confirmed an expansion of lone star tick populations in that state and published their findings in the journal Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. Article