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At VMX 2023 in Orlando, FL, Domenico Santoro, DVM, MS, DrSc, PhD, DECVD, DACVD, DACVM, discussed restoring skin barrier in atopic dogs, including solutions to implement in daily cases.

Topical therapies are a fundamental first-line therapy in atopic dermatitis that offer a lower risk of adverse effects.

“We can’t help our patients with just systemic drugs; we need a topical therapy, too,” Dr Santoro said. “Some [topical therapies] are characterized as moisturizers—emollients and humectants—anti-inflammatory agents, as well as anti-pruritic agents.”

Moisturizers restore the skin barrier and have a decreased price point and a strong steroid-sparing effect, (ie, a large reduction in the use of systemic medications such as steroids.) In some situations, the efficacy of topicals has been compared to topical steroids, specifically decreasing the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increasing the skin-barrier function.

Emollients are mainly oils, a spot-on treatment, or they are used in rinse or leave-in conditioners. Humectants have more hygroscopic agents, such as propylene glycol or colloidal oatmeal—they recall water from the lower level of the skin and the environment, so it increases the efficacy and internal vibration of the skin.

Colloidal oatmeal is a moisturizer that is anti-inflammatory and antihistamine, and it enhances the skin barrier. It also contains avenanthramides, which are soluble phenolic compounds; they have an antioxidant effect, a strong immunomodulatory effect, and they decrease inflammation, pH, and histamine-mediated pruritus and histamine, among other activities.

Ceramides decrease signal fields and binding of bacteria on the surface of the skin. One study, according to Santoro’s presentation, showed a 50% decrease in pruritus in 25% of dogs treated with a shampoo, Allermyl, containing ceramides, essential fatty acids (EFAs), and other ingredients, only after 24 hours.

Phytosphingosines are anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial, and they inhibit cell growth. In a four-week study, weekly application of a chlorhexidine-phytosphingosine shampoo decreased bacteria count on keratinocytes of atopic dogs, but there was no significant difference with the vehicle. But another study showed daily application decreased the inflammatory response and pH.

In a study with 20 atopic dogs, daily application of a cream (composed of ceramide, cholesterol, and fatty acids) and weekly application of a shampoo (with oatmeal and a ceramide complex) for 4 weeks increased skin hydration, decreased TEWL, increased thickness and the continuity of the lipid bilayer and better lamellar body extraction. So, the dogs not only did better clinically, but also infrastructurally, Santoro said.

EFAs have been around for a long time, but they take a while to work because for them to be effective, they need to go inside the cells and reabsorb in the bilayer. Placebo-controlled studies show a significant difference in clinical efficacy between dogs treated with EFAs versus placebo, including clinical signs of pruritis and other markers.

The objective of another study discussed by Santoro was to determine whether essential oils could increase the effectiveness of other medications. The 31-day open-label trial of 28 dogs with atopic dermatitis injected Cytopoint monthly with and without a weekly spot-on treatment and a shampoo with essential oils. The dogs that received the spot-on treatment and shampoo saw a 69% improvement in clinical lesions, more than 70% improvement in pruritis, and an improvement in cosmetic scope, essentially how your dog's skin looks. They were also able to increase the time of relapse, by four days, requiring a second injection.

As most know, not all bacteria are bad. Santoro reviewed several human studies using bacteria, including dead bacteria, kill probiotics (probiotics that are not alive), and live organisms. Many of these studies gave headway to the animal space.

In veterinarian medicine, Santoro discussed a six-week open-label trial administered a spray once a day to 10 dogs with atopic dermatitis. The spray is made of two heat-treated bacilli (the configuration of the bacteria is almost identical to the live organism). The product was only sprayed for 20 days, but the dogs’ progress was followed after the treatment was discontinued. There was a 50% reduction in regional clinical scores after day 15; at days 28 and 42, there was a 90% reduction. At day 42, there was a significant reduction in pruritus.

Santoro D. Restoring Skin Barrier in Atopic Dogs. Presented at: Veterinary Meeting and Expo. January 14-18, 2023; Orlando, FL.

Videos

A board-certified dermatologist discussed various topical treatment options at VMX 2023.

Comparing treatments for restoring the skin barrier in atopic dogs

Despite improvements in feeding practices by bird owners over the past 2 decades, many pet birds have nutrition-related diseases. The exact nutrient requirements for pet birds are not known, and their dietary recommendations generally have been extrapolated from studies done with chickens and ducks.

 To better educate bird owners, veterinary professionals must be familiar with which nutrients are essential to pet bird health, how their nutritional needs differ from those of their wild counterparts, and what happens when those nutritional needs are not met.

Dietary components that provide energy and precursors for the synthesis of the body’s structural and functional macromolecules include macronutrients (eg, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, water); micronutrients (eg, minerals); and fat-soluble vitamins (eg, vitamins A, D, E, K).

 Essential nutrients are required for optimal health and metabolism, and they are not synthesized adequately by the body. Although few studies have established the exact nutrient requirements of psittacine (parrot) and passerine (songbird) species, and many nutritional recommendations for pet birds have been based on chicken studies, some nutritional information has been gleaned from studies of budgerigars and cockatiels.

 These studies do not account for factors such as species differences in nutrient requirements and efficiency of nutrient absorption, plus variable requirements for different life stages and activities (eg, breeding/reproduction, growth, molting, exercise/flight, and aging).

Among the nutrients known to be essential for pet birds are vitamin A (for proper development of feathers and the epithelial linings of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts); vitamin D (for proper calcium and phosphorus metabolism, eggshell formation, and bone mineralization); vitamin E (for stabilization of lipids in cell plasma membranes and for proper immune system function); and vitamin K (for blood clotting). Other key nutrients for pet birds include omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (for proper immune, cardiovascular, renal, and nervous system function, and for prevention of tissue inflammation/arthritis), calcium (for bone mineralization, eggshell calcification, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction), and essential amino acids (for building proteins that comprise organs, skin, and feathers—the largest protein-containing portion of a bird’s body).

Unfortunately, most pet birds are not fed nutritionally complete and balanced diets. Pet bird owners equate their birds with wild birds that eat seeds, but wild birds need calories to fly and to forage for food, mates, and nest sites, whereas their pet counterparts do not. Wild birds graze all day without becoming obese because they constantly burn calories, but most pet birds rarely leave their cages, and consequently often become overweight. Unlike wild birds, pet birds are provided with food, so they don’t have to hunt, and pet birds bond to owners as “mates” so they don’t need to find other birds to bond with. Whereas food availability changes seasonally in the wild, allowing for nutritional variety and balance, pet birds typically are fed the same foods every day, often in excess.

Bird owners often provide their pets a base diet of seed with a smaller amount of fresh produce and a variety of other table foods, hoping their pets will get a nutritional balance from diverse options. However, usually pet birds become selective eaters, choosing only high-fat, tastier options, such as seed, and ignoring more nutritious choices, resulting in obesity and nutrient deficiency. Although vegetables and fruits may provide birds with some micronutrients, produce as the base diet does not meet the needs of pet birds. In addition, domestically grown produce has higher energy and water content with lower essential nutrient levels than wild-grown produce. Feeding pet birds excessive produce may cause dietary nutrient dilution.

The problem with seed-based diets is that they are high in fat. They also lack fat-soluble vitamins and critical minerals (eg, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, iron, iodine, selenium, manganese) and are deficient in key amino acids (eg, lysine, methionine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, choline). Additionally, seed-based diets provide inadequate hydration and are overall nutritionally imbalanced. Chronic seed overconsumption leads to many serious health problems including hypovitaminosis A (causing poor skin/feather quality, kidney failure/gout, and respiratory issues), hypocalcemia and hypovitaminosis D (associated with egg binding and production of soft-shelled or shellless eggs), hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, arthritis, and fatty liver/liver failure. Atherosclerosis—the accumulation of lipids, calcium, and cellular debris into large, fibrous plaques that obstruct blood flow within arteries—is particularly common in older, seed-eating Amazon, African gray, and Quaker parrots, just as it is in humans who eat long-term high-fat diets. And atherosclerosis in birds also increases the risk for stroke and heart disease.

To combat this persistent trend of feeding a pet bird seeds, for the past 20 years many avian veterinarians have recommended feeding nutritionally complete formulated diets as the base diet. These diets are considered nutritionally balanced according to feeding recommendations extrapolated from pet poultry that were created years ago by a panel of expert avian veterinarians. Formulated products provide birds with all the essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals and without excessive fat, to promote overall health. When fed along with smaller amounts of fresh produce, formulated products offer birds a manageable volume of food to consume daily that contains complete and balanced nutrition. Many formulated products also provide variety by coming in different shapes, sizes, and colors that contain the same nutrients. By offering variety in this way, these formulated diets eliminate the risk of birds becoming selective eaters.

Despite the nutritional benefits of formulated products, many bird owners resist these diets for several reasons. First, birds often initially don’t recognize formulated products as food, so converting them to formulated diets can take time. Many bird owners become frustrated and give up prematurely. Second, some bird owners think of formulated diets as boring, lacking variety, and limiting chances for foraging. Bird owners add produce and other table foods to formulated diets to try to increase variety and foraging opportunities, but this enables their pets to select only familiar foods, ignoring formulated products.

Fresh produce can be offered to pet birds to accompany a base diet of formulated products. When fed along with a predominantly pelleted diet, fresh produce provides micronutrients, variety, and enrichment through foraging; the high-water content of fruits and vegetables causing nutrient dilution is minimized when produce is fed as a complement to a formulated diet. Nutrient dilution is more common if formulated products make up less than 50% of the total diet. Table foods, including produce, ideally should comprise no more than 25% to 30% of the total diet so as not to upset overall nutritional balance when nutritionally complete formulated products are fed as the base diet.

To combat the entrenched misconception that pet birds should be fed either seed-or produce-based diets, veterinary professionals should stress to bird owners the nutritional importance of formulated diets and the detriment of seeds. They can explain that adding powdered or liquid vitamins to seeds is an ineffective way to balance a bird’s diet, as most species of pet birds (other than pigeons and doves that consume seeds whole) remove seed hulls before ingesting seed kernels and don’t benefit from vitamins coating the hulls. Bird owners also mistakenly try to balance their pet’s diet by adding supplemental vitamins to drinking water; doing this may deter a bird from drinking and lead to dehydration.

Veterinary staff treating birds should not only encourage bird owners to convert pets to formulated diets, but also provide them with ongoing support during the conversion process to ensure success. Different methods of transitioning birds from seeds to pellets have been developed, but not all methods work for all types of birds.

 Veterinarians treating birds regularly should be familiar with these different methods, many of which are described in peer-reviewed veterinary journals, so that they can guide bird owners through diet conversion. Many bird owners look to pet store employees and formulated pellet manufacturers to provide information on how to transition their pets from high-fat, nutritionally deficient seed diets to nutritionally balanced and complete formulated products. With support from the veterinary profession and the pet food industry, pet bird owners can become more educated about their pets’ nutritional needs and work toward helping birds live healthier, longer lives.

Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), is 1 of approximately 100 board-certified avian specialists worldwide. After graduating from Yale University, she earned her veterinary degree at Tufts University and completed a 1-year internship and 2-year residency in avian/exotic pet medicine at the Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York. She was cohead of the Avian & Exotic Pet Service at the AMC, and opened the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Westchester County, New York. She also serves as the lead specialty (exotic) pet veterinarian for pet product retailer Chewy. Hess is the author of Unlikely Companions: The Adventures of an Exotic Animal Doctor–a memoir about life as an exotic animal veterinarian, and an active member of several veterinary professional organizations.

Hawley B, Ritzman T, Edling TM. Avian nutrition. In: Olsen GH, Orosz SE, ed. 

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Earle KE, Clarke NR. The nutrition of the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). 

. 1991;121(suppl 11):S186-S192. doi:10.1093/jn/121. suppl_11.S186

Koutsos E, Gelis S, Echols SE. Advancements in nutrition and nutritional therapy. In: Speer BL, ed. 

Current Therapy in Avian Clinical Medicine and Surgery

Cummings A, Hess LR, Spielvogel CF, Kottwitz JJ. An evaluation of three diet conversion methods in psittacine birds converting from seed- based diets to pelleted diets. 

. 2022;36(2):145-152. doi:10.1647/21-00025

Articles

Educate bird owners about common nutrition misconceptions to prevent disease

Pet birds need fewer seeds, more formulated diets

The economic and business environments are in a state of flux. Economists expect this uncertainty to continue for some time, with a recession predicted for the first half of 2023.

Indicators at an industry level are mixed. Average annual revenue per patient is up nationwide since before the COVID-19 pandemic, as is the average number of patients with at least 1 transaction in the past 18 months.

 However, the average number of visits is down, and the number of lapsing patients is increasing.

Remaining resilient during uncertain times requires thoughtful consideration of the factors that are within our control. It also requires that we do more with existing practice resources.

The good news is that we have opportunities for improvement in this area as an industry. Data from the 2022 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Veterinary Practice Owners Survey suggest that if companion animal practices could increase efficiency, they could also increase productivity—and ultimately see more patients without hiring more staff (see 

How do we get there? The solutions lie in our teams and business operations.

Any serious improvement effort starts with an honest assessment of the status quo. Start by studying the current economic landscape and how your practice is doing relative to the average practice:

, an interactive dashboard that shows data trends, revenue and visits per practice, year-over-year comparisons, product sales, and more.

Keep apprised of how the profession is faring (for example, through reports such as the 

Inefficient workflows and processes are some of the greatest drains on efficiency—and common causes of frustration. It pays to give your practice a checkup in this regard.

Start with the most common consultation seen at your practice. With your team, trace every step the client, patient, and team members take to complete the consultation. At every step, ask yourself where the real value is generated and where time and effort are spent without contributing to patient outcomes and service delivery. For example, how many times in a wellness consultation does the veterinarian or veterinary technician need to enter the treatment room? Do you need to navigate around equipment or inventory to get to the microscope? How much space is there between the cytology sink and the microscope?

Make your practice management software work for you

Technology solutions can simplify or automate tasks in veterinary practices, and in so doing, create time and space for enhancing patient care and strengthening client communications.

A powerful example is practice information management software (PIMS), which can be used to automate or facilitate appointment scheduling, reminders, electronic patient and/or client records, prescription processing, invoicing, accounting, inventory management, and other routine functions. The cost of incorporating PIMS into a practice is generally far less than the cost of managing these activities on your own.

However, it can sometimes feel as though we are working for our PIMS, rather than our PIMS working for us. This month, take the time to increase your team’s capability on the PIMS, and learn how to best leverage the automated functions. As part of your “most common consultation” exercise, include the medical record and post consultation follow-up as part of your review. Integrated laboratory and diagnostic imaging results, well-written templates, and well-written discharge instructions take an investment of time to set up but pay dividends in quality of medical records and efficiency.

When reviewing your PIMS, be sure to research options and choose a software option that also ensures the long-term privacy and security of your practice data.

Other examples of technologies that improve efficiency include online appointment schedulers, telehealth services, and online pharmacies. If you’re an AVMA member, check out the AVMA’s free purchasing platform, 

, which can simplify purchasing and inventory and also let you see current consumer prices on pharmacy products. If your practice already has 1 or more of these technologies, take time to ensure they’re to-date and, like your team’s skills, being tapped to their fullest extent. Technology can only increase efficiency to the extent that it’s used.

An efficiency checkup also includes examining how your available space is used. Underused rooms or areas are expenses, especially when they’re not generating revenue. One popular strategy is to increase use of available exam rooms to allow the highest possible number of appointment slots per day, as with high-density scheduling.

 For example, a veterinarian and well-trained assistant can be assigned to cover 2 exam rooms together as a tag team, with the assis- tant performing the initial patient screen, then moving on to the next room when the veterinarian takes over.

Strategies that optimize use of available space not only increase efficiency, they also can increase revenue without raising prices.

One way to maintain or boost efficiency with available resources is to tap the skills of all veterinary team members to the fullest extent, based on what’s allowed by your state Veterinary Practice Act and each individual’s education, qualifications, competencies, and comfort level.

When the team is engaged to meet the administrative needs of the client and patient, veterinarians are freed up to focus on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and surgery, which leads to us giving our undivided attention to the client and patient. Veterinarians see more patients, productivity increases, and the practice becomes more profitable. Importantly, other team members are empowered to practice at the top of their credential as well, and overall employee engagement improves.

What does engagement have to do with efficiency? The level of employee engagement has significant impacts on several key business outcomes. Notably, highly engaged teams (in the top 25%) perform better than less engaged teams (bottom 25%) when it comes to positive outcomes such as customer loyalty, productivity, profitability, and well-being.

 They also have fewer negative outcomes, such as turnover, absenteeism, staff or patient safety incidents, and quality concerns.

Here are some tips for optimal engagement and performance:

Evaluate and develop your management and leadership skills.

Model self-care so other team members feel supported in doing the same.

Provide and support a clear vision and goals for the practice.

Leverage the unique strengths of each team member. 

Provide and encourage opportunities for mentorship, career growth, and personal and professional development.

Ask your team members how they like to be rewarded, then recognize and reward them accordingly for work well done. Don’t assume the answer is always money or praise. 

Promote a culture of belonging and collaboration, where every team member’s role and connection to the practice’s mission is clear.

Ask for and consider staff input when identifying necessary changes to workflows, roles, or processes. 

Support team growth through holding team meetings and team-building activities, celebrating team wins, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Support individuals’ health by offering and encouraging paid time off, parental leave, an employer-sponsored employee assistance program, and other health-promoting activities.

Support team health by promoting psychological safety—ie, the ability to share one’s thoughts, ask for help, admit mistakes, etc, without fear of being ostracized or shamed.

Consider options for greater flexibility, such as flexible work hours, creative scheduling, and/or job sharing.

It’s also worth noting that practices with a practice manager score higher on efficiency than those without one.

 If your practice does not have a manager, you don’t necessarily need to look outside the current team to fill the role. Consider fostering an interest in a promising team member and supporting their training.

Uncertainty about the future of the economy doesn’t mean you’re powerless to determine or influence your practice’s fate. You can take back control by engaging your team and optimizing the efficiency of systems and processes within the business to make the best use of the resources you already have on hand. Your whole practice will benefit, and so will patients and clients.

Nolen RS. Economist gives big-picture view of economy, veterinary profession. November 2, 2022. Accessed November 15, 2022. https://www.avma.org/news/ economist-gives-big-picture-view-economy-veterinary-profession

Burns K. Turn to data when the decisions get tough. November 3, 2022. Accessed November 17, 2022. https://www.avma.org/news/turn-data-when-decisions-get-tough

Burns K. Study explores secrets of highly efficient veterinary practices. October 26, 2022. Accessed November 15, 2022. https://www.avma.org/news/ study-explores-secrets-highly-efficient-veterinary-practices

Catanzaro TE. In multi-tasking techniques (high density scheduling). Accessed November 16, 2022. https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=3871698&pid=11274&

Gallup, Inc. Building a high-development culture through your employee engagement strategy. Gallup.com. Published February 21, 2020. Accessed December 14, 2022. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285800/development-culture-engagement-paper-2019.aspx

Bain B, Ouedraogo F, Hansen C, Radich R, Salois M. 2021 AVMA Report on Economic State of the Veterinary Profession. AVMA; 2021:43.

If you’re wondering what the future may hold, you’re not alone

Increasing efficiency and productivity in uncertain times

The American Association of Veterinary Medical College (AAVMC) announced that in partnership with Merck Animal Health, it has awarded 18 veterinary students in AAVMC member institutions the Merck Animal Health Diversity Scholarship, and 1 student the Patricia M. Lowrie Diversity Leadership Scholarship. The 19 selected students were identified by the AAVMC as champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in veterinary medicine.

“We are thrilled to support the next generation of veterinary medical professionals through our valued partnership with Merck Animal Health,” expressed Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, chief executive officer of AAVMC, in an organizational release.

 “These students exemplify AAVMC’s core values of diversity, inclusion, and excellence.”

 the Merk Animal Health Diversity Scholarship recognizes second- and-third year veterinary students that are holding good academic and professional standing as AAVMA institution members. The 18 selected students have contributed to creating more diversity and inclusion within the profession through community and domestic engagement, course projects, co-curricular activities, outreach, research, and more. Each of the winning students received a $5,000 scholarship

The Merck Animal Health Diversity Scholarship winners are

Theodore Berlanga from the University of Illinois

Christina Camson from the Ohio State University

Chelsea Chiv from the University of California, Davis

Rachel Dufour from Louisiana State University

April Hampton from Long Island University

Kismet Joshi from the University of Bristol

Lisa Kim from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Uzma Manzoor from Michigan State University

Shelby Matsuoka from Oregon State University

Antonia Nickleberry from St. Georges University

Samantha Oakey from the University of Georgia

Luisanny Perez from Colorado State University

Tamara Roba from the University of Tennessee

Jossette Velasquez from the University of Minnesota

Awad also won The Patricia M. Lowrie Diversity Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship honors a veterinary student who shows a promising future as a leader and has made significant contributions to enhance diversity and inclusion within academic veterinary medicine. She will receive a $6,000 scholarship

American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges in partnership with Merck Animal Health award close to $100,000 in diversity scholarships. News release. American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. December 12, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2023. https://www.aavmc.org/news/american-association-of-veterinary-medical-colleges-in-partnership-with-merck-animal-health-award-close-to-100000-in-diversity-scholarships/

Nineteen students in total awarded diversity scholarships 

AAVMC awards almost $100,000 in diversity scholarships 

 readers! As we conclude the last full week of January 2023, there is still a lot to look forward to. Along with our regular news updates, we are dedicated to providing you with Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) coverage and we may have some more conference coverage coming soon.

In the meantime, here is what was popular this week:

 with Terri Schiller, DVM, CCRT, DACVS, featuring her separating fact from fiction when it comes to femoral head ostectomy verse total hip replacement.

 through the Adequan Canine Osteoarthritis Awareness Study conducted by American Regent Animal Health, only 11% of veterinarians are discussing joint problems with “healthy dogs'” owners.

 of the Vet Blast Podcast, Tracy Paukette, DVM, takes host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, into the Reactive Referal Center, which is dedicated to helping treat pets with behavioral issues.

 this week that Blanch, one of its addra gazelles, gave birth to a calf named Jinx. This birth welcomes the third addra gazelle to the Maryland Zoo’s herd.

 Australian correspondent Phil Tucak, BSc, BVMS, educates readers on the innovate universal health record platform, Vedi, formerly VEtDB. Then, he hits the water as we meet the veterinarian who skippered the winning yacht in the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus Maryland Zoo welcomes baby addra gazelle 

W.F. Young, a company specializing in animal health products, has debuted its Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care line for pets. The latest line is an extension to the company's Silver Honey family of products, including Hot Spot & Wound Care Spray Gel and Ointment.

Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care line (Photo courtesy of W.F. Young). 

The Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care line's first-of-its-kind healing formula is a fast-acting remedy that soothes skin and heals infections without antibiotics or unnatural ingredients.

“Due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals, bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, sometimes leaving limited antibiotic therapy to cure infections, including ear and skin infections,” explained Lucas Pantaleon, DVM, MS, DACVIM, MBA, a board-certified internal medicine specialist veterinarian, in a company release.

“Today, there is no evidence that bacteria are resistant to silver or honey. Furthermore, it has been shown that silver and honey can kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The use of non-antibiotic therapies like Silver Honey will help lower the use of antibiotics and reserve their use for when absolutely needed.”

The new Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care line includes these at-home treatments

Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care Vet Strength Ear Treatment and Rinse: a 2-step system to treat mild to moderate otitis externa in 10 days and starts working to soothe pet pain in 30 minutes.

Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care Vet Strength Ear Wipes: convenient ear wipes instantly remove debris and wax to maintain ear health and prevent bacteria from entering the ear.

The Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care products feature Manuka honey and MicroSilver BG, which are powerful, natural antimicrobials. According to the release,

 the honey is refined from the rare and precious Manuka flower of New Zealand, known for its potent healing and antimicrobial properties. When applied to skin, it kills bacteria, maintains moisture, and helps shed dead tissue. Meanwhile, Silver has been used medicinally for centuries, and MicroSilver BG is a pure micro-particle silver that enhances the antibacterial properties of the element to fight germs and strengthen the skin’s natural defenses (MicroSilver BG is a registered trademark of Bio-Gate AG).

“When pets start showing signs of an ear infection, pet parents want immediate relief from pain and suffering,” said Jaime McKinley, president of W.F. Young, in the release. “With vet shortages and bills averaging $100 to $350, pet owners are looking for affordable ways to truly treat ear infections in the comfort of their home and get their beloved pets back to the dog park and playing fetch.”

Available on Amazon and SilverHoney.com. The line is slated to be in stores this spring.

W.F. Young launches Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care line. News release. W.F. Young. January 18, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2023. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005353/en/W.F.-Young-Launches-Silver-Honey%C2%AE-Rapid-Ear-Care-Line

First ear care products using Manuka honey and MicroSilver BG for effective, natural at-home ear infection treatment 

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