Health & Nutrition
Zoetis Announces the Acquisition of Platinum Performance
Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Platinum Performance, a privately held, nu- trition-focused animal heath company. Plati- num’s premium nutritional product formulas and unique approach to the field of scientific wellness for horses, dogs and cats will further strengthen and diversify Zoetis’ portfolio in the equine and petcare markets. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Platinum’s flagship equine products in-
clude Platinum Performance® Equine, a com- prehensive wellness and performance formula, and Platinum Performance® CJ, which delivers wellness and performance with the addition of joint support ingredients. Its petcare products include Platinum Performance® formulations that focus on wellness and joint support for dogs and cats.
um quality, nutritional formulas, Zoetis is en- tering this space for horses and building on the company’s existing nutritional portfolio for dogs and cats. The expansion in nutritionals aligns well with Zoetis’ increasing focus on health and wellness as part of the continuum of animal care, which spans from prediction and preven- tion to detection and treatment of disease. The addition of Zoetis’ resources and capabilities to those of Platinum Performance is expected to in- crease the number and impact of research trials, enhance nutrition education, and strengthen its ability to serve clients. Platinum Performance will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Zoetis, and continue doing business from its Buellton, Calif., headquarters. Today, Zoetis provides a range of equine products, including vaccines, dewormers and sedatives and analgesics that both veterinarians and horse owners know and trust for helping horses live longer, healthier lives. Equine prod- ucts generated sales of $168 million for Zoetis in 2018, or approximately 3% of total annual revenue for the company; equine products for Zoetis grew 10% operationally in 2018. Zoetis also sells several dietary supplements for dogs and cats that include vitamins and minerals to complete a pet’s nutrition. w
24 With the acquisition of Platinum’s premi-
Tipper the Twice-Rescued Horse Tipper is a twice-rescued
Contributed by Kim F Miller
horse. The first time was about 15 years ago, when Jennifer Hanna, a Texas horsewom- an, rescued the mare from a slaughter-bound situation. The second rescue was 18 months ago, when the mare’s Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease became so bad that Jennifer considered it kindest to put the 25-year-old Quarter Horse out of her misery.
Out of the blue, the oth-
erwise healthy, spunky Tip- per had begun coughing excessively and her breathing had become labored. An ultrasound of her lungs revealed inflammation and the COPD diagnosis. Dust or mold was the suggested culprit, and Jennifer suspected the for- mer because of the dry climate of her Midland, Texas home. For the same reason, she did not suspect mold, which gen- erally needs moisture to thrive. Jennifer spic and spanned Tip- per’s stable environment, erad- icating dust. She bought hay bags to keep Tipper’s meals off the ground. But the coughing and breathing struggles per- sisted. Tipper’s vet prescribed the standard
was still labored, her appetite was off, and she was losing weight. “It was a vicious cycle,” Jennifer shares.
owner of an elderly COPD mare.
"High temperature steamed hay saved her life," says
“I’m thinking it was only going to get worse for her and I didn’t want her to suffer. I knew I would eventually have to put her down.” That’s when Jennifer went into “obsessive ‘save this horse’ mode.” A vet along the way had mentioned the concept of steaming hay, so Jennifer built her own device using a wall- paper steamer and a trash can. The hay that produced helped
a little, but Tipper was still struggling. Not satisfied, Jennifer delved into COPD
medications, starting with dexamethasone, a steroid intended to treat the inflammation that makes it difficult for COPD horses to exhale. “They can breathe in, but it’s hard to breathe out,” says Jennifer of the condition commonly called “heaves.” COPD, also called Recurrent Airway Obstruction, got its “heaves” nick- name from the major effort required to clear the airways and form the “heave lines” that de- velop when abdominal muscles have to work so hard to do it.
The steroids did nothing for Tipper. Next came ventipulim, a bronchodiala- tor that cost $200 for a bottle that lasted three weeks. Jennifer was willing to cut spending elsewhere so she could afford the medicine, but the ventipulim only improved Tipper’s condition by about 50 percent. Her breathing
SouthWest Horse Trader August 2019
research online and found Haygain USA’s website, with its wealth of scientific studies and veterinary advice for managing equine respiratory health. Applying her science-ori- ented career background, she recognized that Haygain’s unique high temperature steaming (at least 212*F) was needed to kill what she had concluded was killing Tipper: mold in the hay, even though she always bought top qual- ity hay.
Jennifer bought an HG 2000, a full-bale
steamer and took a half day off work to await its arrival. Two days later, Tipper’s cough- ing was gone. “She was 100 percent better!” a still-amazed Jennifer reports. In fact, the senior citizen runs across the paddock when the freshly steamed hay is set out. “It almost makes me cry,” Jennifer says. “It’s really amazing. Haygain saved her life.” w
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