Spotlight: Zoetis gets USDA nod for bird flu vaccine

More than two dozen wildlife experts gathered in Seattle on March 29 to develop an innovative program aimed at improving the management of 84 endangered orcas that spend much of their time in the Puget Sound. The plan is to create a personalized health record for each of the animals, so veterinarians can make better decisions about how to care for the colony of killer whales, according to the Associated Press. The project will be modeled after efforts to create electronic health records for people that follow them as they move from doctor to doctor. A pilot project is set to begin this summer. Article

> Aratana ($PETX) presented pivotal data on its canine arthritis drug, Galliprant, showing effective pain control in 48% of dogs taking the drug for four weeks, vs. 31% of dogs on placebo. Release

> Zoetis ($ZTS) announced that the USDA has granted a conditional approval for its vaccine that prevents the H5N1 strain of avian flu in chickens. Release

> Vets First Choice launched ScriptConnectSM, a mobile app that allows veterinarians to manage prescriptions on their iPhones. Release

> ECO Animal Health announced that it received authorization from the FDA to market its antimicrobial Aivlosin for the treatment of ileitis (porcine proliferative enteropathy) in pigs. Release

> Fish Vet Group, an aquaculture health provider, announced it has opened a 13,500-square-foot laboratory in Chile that will provide rapid-response disease identification, as well as veterinary training and consulting services. 

> The U.K.'s Pirbright Institute has partnered with the Italy-based research institute IZSLER to develop diagnostic kits for foot-and-mouth disease. Release

> Smallbatch Pets voluntarily recalled one lot of dog duckbatch sliders due to potential contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Release