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Canopy Animal Health, a subsidiary of the cannabis and cannabinoid-based consumer product company Canopy Growth Corporation, has been granted the right to display the Quality Seal from the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) for its canine CBD products, several of which are expected to launch early next month.

“Canopy Animal Health has conducted a great deal of critical research over the past four years in the development of science-based CBD products that improve the lives of pets,” says Robert Menardi, DVM, director of veterinary educational and technical services at Canopy Animal Health, in a press release. “The NASC Quality Seal affirms our dedication to providing safe and high-quality CBD products for companion animals.”

To retain permission to display the seal on its products, Canopy Animal Health must pass an independent facility audit every 2 years and demonstrate continued compliance with strict standards and regulations, including:

Stringent labeling guidelines, including warnings and caution statements for particular ingredients as recommended by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine

Random product testing by an independent lab to ensure ingredients meet label claims

Documented quality control and production procedures ensuring a consistent and quality product

Ingredients reviewed by the NASC Scientific Advisory Committee

Real-time product monitoring and mandatory adverse event reporting

“Congratulations to Canopy Animal Health for completing the NASC Quality Audit. We’re proud of our partnership with Canopy Animal Health and their dedication to quality, as demonstrated during our audit process,” says NASC President Bill Bookout. “Canopy Animal Health has established themselves a leader in the pet CBD space through their commitment to providing quality scientific research, and we applaud their focus and work in the animal health industry."

Canopy Animal Health has conducted more than 32 studies exploring the safety of cannabinoids in animal health.

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The National Animal Supplement Council Quality Seal is awarded to companies that have employed rigorous standards in proving the quality and safety of their products.

NASC awards quality seal for Canopy Animal Health CBD products

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named Jürgen A. Richt, DVM, PhD, as the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Research Award. Established in 2010, this annual award recognizes outstanding research and scholarly achievements in veterinary medicine.

This year, the award will be presented during the AAVMC’s 2021 Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium, which will be held virtually March 3-5, 2021.

“The AAVMC’s annual series of professional awards recognize outstanding veterinary medical educators who excel in various areas of academic veterinary medicine,” says AAVMC Chief Executive Officer Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, in an 

“Their dedication, achievements, and contributions serve as a model of excellence for their colleagues and inspire new generations of veterinarians.”

Richt is board certified in veterinary immunology and serology and microbiology. His extensive research efforts have led to strategies to identify, control and/or eradicate pathogens with a significant impact on veterinary medicine, human health, and food security.

Richt is also the Regents and University Distinguished Professor at the Kansas State University of Veterinary Medicine (KSU-CVM) and director of both the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases and the National Institutes of Health COBRE Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Currently, he is focused on establishing preclinical animal models for SARS-CoV-2 to help evaluate the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19.

“[His] ability to rapidly mobilize collaborative research teams has been clearly demonstrated and translated into critical discovery during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says KSU-CVM Dean Bonnie Rush and Professor Derek Mosier, who co-wrote Richt’s nomination letter. “We can think of no other single investigator who has had as significant an impact on veterinary comparative virology as Dr. Richt.”

Dr. Jürgen A. Richt’s extensive research efforts have had a significant impact on veterinary medicine, human health, and food security.

AAVMC announces research excellence award winner

Even when we’re not in a recession, lack of cash is usually the primary reason businesses fail. Right now, many practices are busier than they want to be, despite the challenging economic times we're facing. Although focusing on cash flow management may not be the first priority on most of our to-do lists, now is the time to begin preparing for a downturn in revenue.

The definition of cash flow is simple: cash inflows are any cash received by the business, whereas cash outflows are any cash expenditures made by the practice. Net cash flow is the positive or negative amount left over, once you subtract the cash expenditures from the cash inflows.

Unfortunately, it is rare for a practice to regularly prepare or review true cash flow reports. Most tend to use a profit and loss statement, P&L, for management purposes. However, even when prepared on a cash basis, this document does not include all the items necessary to analyze cash flow. Cash inflows and outflows that aren't incorporated in a P&L include loan proceeds, the principal portion of loan payments, owner dividend payments, and purchases of equipment made with cash. A P&L also includes several non-cash items such as amortization and depreciation, neither of which should be a part of the calculation of cash flow.

It is possible for a practice to have a high level of taxable income or practice profitability but very low cash flow. This generally occurs when the clinic is using the profits or taxable income to make debt payments, buy equipment, or distribute money to owners.

Knowing how much cash is in the bank isn’t enough. The management team should also know where the cash comes from, where it goes, and what the expected cash position will be like 3 to 6 months from now. The most important report required to effectively manage cash flow is a monthly cash flow statement because it shows actual cash inflows, cash outflows, and the net change in cash for the period. A cash flow budget and regular comparisons between actual cash flow and budgeted cash flow are also useful for forecasting future cash inflows and outflows.

All types of business, including practices, need a cash reserve to meet unexpected expenditures and carry them through the bad times. This reserve can come from a combination of actual cash saved in the bank and the availability of a line of credit or similar instrument. Relying solely on a line of credit is risky, as, lending terms may change or the line of credit won’t cover the entire amount needed. Maintaining a separate bank account will reduce the temptation to draw on this cash.

If you don’t have a reserve account, start now. If you do, review it to see if it needs to be increased. Regular deposits should be made into the reserve account until it is at a level that the management team is comfortable with.

How much should that be? It is commonly recommended that an emergency fund should cover 3 to 6 months of fixed expenses. Where in that range a practice chooses to aim depends on the practice owner’s risk tolerance, local and national business, economic trends impacting the practice, how much the revenue of the practice revenue is expected to drop, the amount of debt the practice has, and the ability of the practice to cut expenses if needed.

There are numerous ways to improve your cash flow. For starters, try focusing on the ones that will give you the best bang for your buck. If your practice reaches a point where there are too many open appointment slots, then focus on increasing revenue through improved marketing, expanded hours, or offering a better client service experience.

One way to tighten up practice spending is by postponing major expenditures such as remodeling or large equipment purchases. The key is inventory control because many practices can reduce cash outflow by keeping less inventory on the shelves or participating in a buying group. Negotiate with vendors for longer terms or extend your current terms and/or request lower interest rates.

Take a good hard look at your staff and payroll.

This is the hardest decision most practice owners and managers will have to make (and usually one of the last). Review workflow and staff skills—can you improve efficiency so you can see more patients without hiring more team members? If you are going to have to reduce jobs or hours, involve the team in the discussion. Perhaps one team member would take a temporary leave of absence? Or, everyone would be willing to cut their hours back, or withdraw from receiving raises to preserve jobs for all?

While focusing on the big expenses is a solid place to start, don’t forget to review and eliminate additional spending. The money you save from reducing expenses can be put towards more critical expenses or into an emergency fund.

Do everything in your power to get paid at the time services are provided. Don’t become the bank. You and your staff should work towards educating your clients about third-party payment options. Additionally, make sure to follow up on any outstanding receivables, and be mindful about who you grant credit to.

Crack down on missed charges and random discounts.

If you're going to add or keep a discount program in place, make sure it brings in more revenue, clients, and profits than you would have had without the discount. Consider the following:

Explore opportunities to convert credit card or other debt to very low or no interest loans if possible.

If necessary, talk to your landlord about deferred rent payments. Few landlords are forgiving of those payments entirely, so be cognizant of when you will repay that money.

For any loan obligations, negotiate payment deferrals or reductions if possible. Again, be cognizant of when you will have to repay that money. Will payments increase within a margin of 3 months to a year or do those payments just get tacked on to the end of the loan?

Every practice has tough times. When cash flow is tight, stay proactive to help keep your practice afloat. If you're are not currently experiencing issues with cash flow, my hope is that the above tips will better prepare you for if and when you do.

has spent the last 15 years working as a financial and operational consultant to veterinary practices and the animal health industry. She also spent 3 years with the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues as CEO. She has written an extensive number of articles for a wide range of veterinary publications and speaks regularly at national and international veterinary meetings. 

When the going gets tough and the money gets tight, focus on cash flow and crack down on additional spending. 

Cash is king: Tips to elevate your practice’s cash flow

Our team at dvm360.com and Firstline magazine asked experienced practice manager Emily Shiver to answer your questions about life in practice for managers, technicians, assistants, client service receptionists, and more. Got a question for her? Email us at firstline@mmhgroup.com.

Tracking in-house use and waste is just as important as your quarterly inventory counts. After all, they are a part of your inventory, which is the second-largest expense at your veterinary practice. Once you dive in and start tracking, you’ll realize that in-house use, waste, and discounting have something in common—all are sources of financial bleeding.

If you have a spreadsheet in each zone of your practice, you take something off the shelf to use in-house, write it on the list, and once a month, the inventory manager makes the adjustment in the PIMS software. Sounds simple right? Fast forward to quarterly count time and you are scratching your head wondering how on earth you are missing so many bags of pill pockets.

Face it, practice life is busy, and your team members are most likely 

 writing down every single item they take off the shelf. For example, they may have been pulled away to help a client and forgot to add pill pockets to the list. Let’s make this process easier because wasting products is like literally flushing money down the toilet.

To help stop the bleeding, consider these 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Create an in-house use list by zone

Go to each zone of your hospital and ask the team what items they pull off the shelf. Then, compile a comprehensive list. Some examples for an inpatient/surgery/dental zone would be:

Analyze previous in-house use sheets for a few months and add anything you were missing from quarterly counts. Then utilize this information to develop a monthly allowance for each zone. An example (for the above list) would be:

Food for hospitalized patients - 2 cases of canned and a 17lb-bag of dry food

It will take you a couple of months to see the impact of your new allowance. So, take time to determine if you will end the month with extra products or if you have to add more throughout the month. Then adjust your allowance accordingly. Once you have this down to a science, help your team to stay within their budget.

Create a waste log for each zone and include the item that is being wasted, the quantity, and who wasted it. If a team member wastes a product of any kind, it needs to be added to the list. Here are a few examples of potentially wasted products:

Motivate your team to be part of the solution by doing the following:

Updating the total weekly in a visible location

Raising awareness about waste through a fun challenge will make people think twice about pulling up that vaccine before the doctor or owner gives consent. Out of sight, out of mind is real, and once you start putting totals in plain sight, your team will respond positively.

While these solutions may seem a bit elementary, at my former practice, every zone stayed within their monthly allowance with zero complaints. The team also appreciated not having to remember to write down every item. A bonus: We experienced a 70% decrease in our waste.

I implore you to start putting these measures into practice. I promise you won’t regret it.

Emily Shiver, CVPM, CCFP, regional director of operations at the Family Vet Group in Florida.

Experienced practice manager Emily Shiver shares her top 3 strategies for tracking in-house item use and waste at your veterinary hospital.

 Ask Emily: Stop the bleeding: How to keep tabs on in-house use and waste

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued licensing guidelines for the use of Synovetin OA (Exubrion Therapeutics), a new veterinary device administered via intra-articular injection that is intended to reduce synovitis and associated pain in dogs with elbow osteoarthritis (OA). The NRC guidelines, issued to all relevant regulatory agencies, establish a protocol for veterinary practices that want to offer this treatment for their patients.

 in the US have OA, with most current treatments requiring daily administration and providing short-term relief. “For dogs with chronic elbow pain, Synovetin OA is a new, convenient, long-lasting, and safe option,” says Exubrion Chief Veterinary Officer John Donecker, VMD, MS, in a press release. “Synovetin OA puts the treatment right where it’s needed and offers up to a full year of relief.”

The active agent in Synovetin OA is the conversion electron radiotherapeutic Tin-117m. According to the product 

, Synovetin OA breaks the pain cycle in a single treatment by targeting and eliminating (or deactivating) pro-inflammatory macrophages and synoviocytes, the key drivers of pain and inflammation. Synovetin OA is administered in a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure and can provide up to a year of improved mobility and pain relief.

Safety and efficacy of Synovetin OA were demonstrated in 3 multicenter studies, showing a 92% treatment success rate in dogs with grade 1 and 2 elbow OA and a 71.4% success rate in dogs with grade 3 elbow OA. Pet owners and veterinarians reported up to 12 months of sustained effectiveness following a single injection, with no clinically significant systemic or local side effects observed.

“This procedure is commonly and safely performed in people,” explains Exubrion CEO Peter Selover in the release. “With the recent NRC guidelines, we expect to have at least 50 veterinary hospitals around the country licensed to use Synovetin in the first half of 2021, offering relief to pets whose pain may not be adequately managed by current therapies, and pet owners who think surgery may be their only option to relieve their dog’s pain.”

For more information, including the Synovetin OA package insert with instructions for use, visit 

With a single intra-articular injection of Synovetin OA, dogs with elbow arthritis may remain pain-free for up to a year. 

NRC guidelines open door for durable canine OA pain relief

Periodontal disease is easy to treat and prevent, but it is among the most common infectious conditions we see in our clinic. While many of our clients equate periodontal disease with dirty teeth or bad breath, we know that this infectious and inflammatory condition can contribute to serious problems including heart disease, diabetes, and immune disorders. There are multiple options for managing periodontal disease, but I will focus on 2 approaches: standard and platinum treatment.

*The progress examination is up to the veterinarian and can be done by a technician or doctor to review home treatment and evaluate the pet’s dental health if needed.

The basic approach is straightforward—clean the teeth and hope for the best. In my opinion, unless it is not economically feasible for your clients, preanesthetic evaluations such as examinations, labs, and ECGs are 

optional. (When did good health and common sense become optional?) If your patient expires under anesthesia, even with the owner opting out of preanesthesia evaluation, you are still liable for what happens to that patient. Unfortunately, defending your position legally in this scenario is rather challenging.

The basic approach addresses what is seen in the mouth but ignores deeper issues such as pain relief following a dental scaling. Although the teeth are technically cleaned, the disease remains present and has not been adequately treated.

The platinum approach involves much more than cleaning teeth. Following a supra- and subgingival scaling, teeth are polished to smooth microscopic indentations in the enamel to help reduce immediate tartar accumulation. Because a dental procedure is at the very least uncomfortable, when the pet awakens, topical lidocaine gel applied to the gingiva provides relief. OraVet and Clindoral are products that aid in periodontal healing by slowing tartar buildup. If a disease is severe enough to cause more pain, or if extractions are performed, additional analgesia such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, and local nerve blocks should be administered for patient comfort and safety. Additionally, dental radiographs can reveal deeper pathology that is not obvious during a visual examination of the oral cavity. Choosing the platinum approach or something similar allows proper systemic treatment of the disease.

More practices should treat periodontal disease better than they currently do with the basic approach. If a patient had a serious source of infection or inflammation anywhere else in the body, we would be extremely aggressive in explaining to clients why certain tests and treatments were necessary. I think we hesitate with proactively managing periodontal disease because we underestimate its impact on our patients’ health. I fell into this trap many years ago, wondering why I could not convince pet owners to clean their pets’ teeth. If I believe I am simply cleaning their teeth rather than treating disease, I cannot convince an owner to spend a lot of money just so their cat or dog can have a pretty smile. When I attended a cardiology seminar and heard the speaker say that the most important thing to do for a pet with heart disease is to treat that pet’s periodontal infection, it finally clicked for me.

Once I gained this understanding, I was able to adjust my approach to managing periodontal disease. If you opt for the platinum approach, you must get your team to agree that cleaning teeth helps to end pain and save lives. Market your platinum approach to your clients with handouts, videos, and email newsletters. Replace terms like “teeth cleaning” or “dental” with “periodontal treatment" or "therapy,” thus improving client acceptance. Additionally, start discussing dental health at the first veterinary visit, even for puppies and kittens. Make sure you educate your clients about the seriousness of periodontal disease.

The platinum approach shows that there is more to assisting a sick pet than just hospitalization and fluids. To determine the best treatment approach for your patient, consider the potential nature of the illness, severity/chronicity, age of the pet, and the ability of the owner to afford the treatment.

Finally, the platinum approach includes items that are also incorporated in human hospitalizations. For example, technicians are provided to patients and clients are charged for their services. Pet owners are also charged for medical waste removal. For critical cases, sick pets may require ongoing monitoring (ECG, SpO2, etc).

In addition to fluid therapy, I have found it extremely beneficial to include vitamins, injectable herbs, and other homeopathic remedies to support the immune system, detoxify the pet, and hasten healing and well-being.

As a holistic veterinarian, I rarely use conventional medications indiscriminately. However, there are certain circumstances when antibiotics are needed. Additionally, believing that no pet should die without the benefit of steroids, I often use injectable dexamethasone to enhance recovery and support pets with undiagnosed Addison disease. A daily fee for the doctor exam is included, and a pet’s condition should be assessed daily during hospitalization.

Shawn P. Messonnier, DVM, owns Paws & Claws Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Center in Plano, Texas, and serves on the 

 Editorial Advisory Board. He has written multiple books on marketing as well as holistic veterinary medicine.

Two options for managing this condition, plus how to help your clients determine which plan is best for their pet.

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